Vancouver Youth Model United Nations 2017

Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee (SOCHUM)

Background Guide

Director: Malika Agarwal

Chair: Annabelle Chen

Assistant Director: Isaac La Roy

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Vancouver Youth Model United Nations 2017 Dear Delegates, My name is Malika Agarwal and it is my honour to be the director of the Social Humanitarian and Cultural Committee for VYMUN 2017. I am currently a grade 11 student at West Point Grey Academy. I

started doing Model UN in Grade 7, coincidentally also a VYMUN conference. I became instantly enamored with the world of Model UN and haven’t stopped participating since. As your director, I am striving to make VYMUN 2017 as comfortable and intellectually stimulating as possible. We want you to push the bounds of what you know and create memories in a fantastic environment! This year, we will probe into two topics: the protection of the rights of women and child refugees fleeing war zones and also the impact of slum tourism on the surrounding communities. Our first topic, the protection of women and children refugees fleeing war zones, tackles a prevalent problem facing the modern world. Looking at international relations in the world today, tensions are at an all time high and unfortunately people are not always safe in their homes. Due to the floods of refugees pouring out from war zones and into other countries, certain rights must be addressed and protected. Some countries are not willing to accept refugees at all, whereas some are willing to take in a certain number, but with a limited number of rights. As tensions arise, we hope that these disputes and negotiations will be settled in the community in a peaceful and diplomatic manner. The second topic, the impact of slum tourism on surrounding communities, will bring together both the issue of social rights as well as protection of culture. Slum tourism is growing into a booming industry in the modern world, with hundreds of people flocking to impoverished communities sometimes with the best of intentions, sometimes not. On SOCHUM we want to address the effect that slum tourism has on the people living in those areas, and how to better help the community. We hope that resolutions will come out of this prevalent topic. If you have any questions or concerns at all, please don’t think twice about contacting me at sochum@vymun.com. I look forward to seeing you all in October. Sincerely, Malika Agarwal Director of SOCHUM | VYMUN 2017

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Table of Contents: Topic 1

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Questions to Consider 4 Overview

4 Timeline

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Past UN Action

9 Current Situation

14 Possible Solutions

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Bloc Positions

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Sources Cited

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Topic 2

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Questions to Consider 23 Overview

23 Past UN Action

25 Current Situation

26 Possible Solutions

26 Bloc Positions

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Sources Cited

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Topic 1: Protection of Women and Child Refugees Fleeing War Zones Questions to Consider:

1. To what extent should countries offer help to refugees, and which countries should be giving this aid? Can a country be not eligible?

2. To what extent are women and children rights present in the status quo and do they have the same freedoms as people in the country to which they are going to live?

3. What is the comparison between the societal acceptance of their country of origin versus their new “homes”?

4. How can we integrate women and children (especially children) into the new community?

5. What is the impact of floods of refugees on the economy? 6. What is the impact of refugees on the “ordinary people” and people who live in

that country? Overview:

Women and children, in the world today, are believed to be one of the most influential yet at risk demographics globally. With the way that modern society is rapidly progressing in all different manners and directions, it is important to look at this topic from afar, and then specific areas. To start off, it is important to look at the definition of the word “protection” and what it entails. For the purposes of this conference, we would like to suggest not only the protection of physical things such as life, and to a certain extent, health, but also things such as freedom of speech and the right to practice religion. How far are these rights able to extend for refugees, and not only that, but one of the most at risk groups, women and children? With that taken into account, we suggest that you probe the definition of a refugee, both by the United Nations and also in the status quo.

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As defined by the United Nations, a refugee is “someone who has been forced to

flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence” and “has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group”. Looking at this very general definition, it is important to think twice about all aspects of the wording and meaning, while trying to piece together what modern society deems to be a refugee, and whether these two definitions differ. If they do, then where is the gap, and how can we distinguish these differences? It is also important to briefly look at the meaning of the term “war zones” and their role in the progression of international relations. A war zone is usually defined as an area marked by extreme violence or war. When looking at the effect of war zones and war in general, it is helpful to look at the atmosphere that is present in a war zone and the hardships that are pushed onto the inhabitants of war zones, in this case women and children.

People have been pushed out of their homes and countries since essentially the

beginning of time. They have been dealing with difficult lives all throughout history most notably starting with World War I. Although there were many cases of people fleeing their homes in World War I, the German invasion of Belgium stands out in the minds of many as one of the worst occurrences of this horrible period of time. This massacre of hundreds of thousands led to a mass exodus of over a million people. Not only were lives taken, but homes, jobs and thousands of buildings were destroyed. The people who were left standing fled to Britain and took refuge in hospitals there, being treated for PTSD as well as physical injuries. After the war was over, many returned back to Belgium even though they had been successfully integrated into society in the UK.

Unfortunately, this piece of history pales in comparison to the number of refugees in World War II. A shocking 40 million refugees in Europe alone, the second World War was devastating and called together tens of countries to provide homes for those who had been displaced. Speeding towards the modern day, examples of refugee crises were prevalent in Afghanistan, Palestine, the Balkans, Rwanda, Sudan, Iraq, Syria and many more. Most of these countries are still outpouring a large flux of political refugees due to

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instability within their government and society, and it is our job to make sure that two of the most vulnerable groups, women and children, are protected during these difficult transitions.

Looking at women and children in developed nations not suffering due to the effects of war, certain rights and freedoms are constantly present. Unfortunately, for women and children dealing with the effects of war, it is not a comfortable life. Conditions in refugee camps are not extravagant or lavish in any way. According to the Global Fund for Women, “Conditions in the camps are extremely challenging, with no clean water and high rates of violence against women and children. Inhabitants of the camps are in constant danger from exposed live electrical wires, a daily threat as the government refuses to supply electricity to the camps. Many refugees cannot get jobs. They are excluded from about 70 jobs including taxi drivers, according to Global Fund for Women grantee partners Tadamon and Palestinian Women’s Humanitarian Organization, leaving primarily menial labor like plumbing, cleaning, or construction available to them.” This leaves women in a difficult position, not being able to get access to any kind of monetary funding or support, and not being able to provide for themselves. However, this isn’t the biggest problem that they face. In many refugee camps, women and children have to deal with abuse, both verbal as well as physical and sexual, many times leaving them emotionally and physically scarred.

In a government run refugee camp in Greece, children didn’t leave their tents at night for fear of being assaulted. This issue only came to light in 2016, when testimonies from children as young as 7 years old brought their stories to the media’s attention. According to an article in the Guardian, one volunteer stated “The parents are still in disbelief over what happened. A man from one of the ‘mafia’ groups asked their seven-year-old daughter into their tent to play games on his phone and then zipped up the tent. She came back with marks on her arms and neck. Later the girl described how she was sexually abused. It has scarred a seven-year-old child for life.” The same stands for women in refugee camps. In reference to the same article, “In one government-run camp, in a former Softex toilet roll factory on the outskirts of Thessaloniki, aid organisations

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claim that the level of risk of sexual attack is so acute that women are too afraid to visit the camp toilets alone at night.”

It is extremely important that this constant danger longer be a widespread problem

facing women and children refugees around the world. Assault and abuse are only one of the many dangerous situations posed to these refugees and it comes under all that SOCHUM stands for to protect them. It is imperative that we take action against the infringement of rights as well as unspeakable deeds that face refugees in the world today.

Timeline:

1948: UN Declaration of Human Rights - The UDHR, a milestone document, was drafted

in 1948 to set out a universal standard for people living in all countries. Regardless of

class, race or gender, this document set out to create equal rights for people all across the

globe. In relation to this topic, the UDHR states rights that many of these women and

children do not have access to in refugee camps and new countries. Article 5, 14, 18-20,

23, and 25(1) are ones to take special note of.

1951: The Refugee Convention - A convention with the purpose of defining the term

“refugee” was held. They went over the rights of the people displaced as well as the

responsibility of the State to protect them and their families, to a certain extent.

1967: UN Protocol on International Refugees - In comparison to the Refugee Convention

of ‘51, which restricted refugee status to those whose situations had arisen “as a result of

events occurring before 1 January 1951” and allowing States to interpret this as within

Europe or as Europe and beyond, the Protocol removed both of these restrictions.

However, it allowed States party to the ‘51 Convention to choose which definition they

chose to implement. The reason the protocol was put into place was to deal with the

influx of refugees due to decolonization.

1980: US Refugee Act

1995: Dayton Accords

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March 2011: Syrian crisis begins with peaceful protests that spread nationwide in April

May 2011: First camps for refugees open in Turkey

March 2012: UNHCR appoints a Regional Refugee coordinator for Syrian Refugees

July 2012: Za’atri Refugee Camp opens in Jordan

Sept 2012: UNHCR scales up relief operations inside Syria and across the region.

UNHCR chief, António Guterres and Special Envoy Angelina Jolie visit refugees in

Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey

October 2012: UNHCR urges European Union states to uphold their asylum principles

by ensuring access to their territory, access to asylum procedures and harmonizing their

approaches in the review and granting of asylum claims

November 2012: UNHCR aid reaches 300,000 displaced people across Syria

December 2012: Neighbouring countries host half a million refugees. UNHCR and

partners launch a US$1 billion Regional Response Plan for Syrian refugees in Jordan,

Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt

March 2013: The number of Syrian refugees reaches 1 million, outpacing projections.

UNHCR calls for safe passage of humanitarian convoys inside Syria as needs grow amid

intensified civil conflict

April 2013: António Guterres warns the UN Security Council that almost half of Syria's

20.8 million population could be in need of humanitarian help by the end of 2013

June 2013: UN humanitarian agencies, on behalf of dozens of aid organizations,

announce the biggest aid appeal in history, totalling some US$4.4 billion. This includes

almost $3 billion for humanitarian relief in the region surrounding Syria (the Regional

Response Plan), $1.4 bn for the aid response inside Syria (the Syria Humanitarian

Assistance Response Plan). On top of this, US$830 million is requested for the

governments of Jordan and Lebanon

July 2013: On the first anniversary of opening, Za’atri camp hosts 120,000 refugees

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August 2013: The number of Syrian refugee children passes 1 million. Spike in arrivals

of Syrian Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq, including almost 50,000 in a two-week

period

September 2013: The number of Syrian refugees passes the 2 million mark, compared to

230,000 one year earlier. The number of internally displaced stands at 4.25 million.

UNHCR and government ministers from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq meet in

Geneva and pledge joint action to seek greater international help for host countries

struggling to cope with the Syrian refugee crisis. Growing numbers of Syrians begin to

seek to reach Europe by sea. Germany accepts first group of Syrian refugees for

temporary relocation.

Past UN Action:

In order to move forward, make decisions, and draft resolutions efficiently and effectively, it is important to look back upon history with a keen and careful eye. In order to fully comprehend the topic before you, looking back on past international and United Nations involvement on the subject of women and children refugee rights is imperative. UN involvement essentially started in 1948 when the UDHR (UN Declaration of Human Rights) was drafted. The UDHR was formed on the basis of creating friendly relations between nations and keeping a certain level of human rights available for people all across the globe. In Article 5 it states that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. In reference to women and children refugee rights, to what extent has this right been protected by States and their governments? It is important to keep in mind that a corrupt government does not always have control of situations within refugee camps, but then who is the deciding factor? Along with this, Article 14, 18-20, 23 and 25(1) are also important to look into and serve as other contradictions to the unfortunate situations that these refugees face today.

The next UN based initiative that eventually would come to affect the situation we

have playing out in the refugee crisis today is the Refugee Convention held in 1951. This

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convention took place to really understand what the word “refugee” meant and what its official definition would entail. As well as this, it looked into how the States would view these refugees, protect them, and decide whether they were able to gain a refugee “status” or not. Before the Refugee Convention of ‘51, there was no clear meaning to the word refugee other than that it was usually someone seeking asylum. It became difficult for a State to address the certain rights of an individual without knowing whether they needed protection. In the Convention, it was decided that there had to be boundaries and that war criminals did not qualify as refugees. As well as this, the events that pushed these people to become refugees had to have come about before the Convention of ‘51.

In 1967, the UN Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees was created. It essentially made amendments to the outcomes of the ‘51 Convention. It took away the restrictions created in terms of time and location of refugee circumstance. Because of the rising numbers of refugees due to decolonization, the parameters that had been put into place to define “refugee” were sorely in need of an update. They were changed and stopped barring the idea that only people whose circumstances before the ‘51 Convention could be “refugees”. As well as this, there was no geographical restriction. Before, the State could decide whether they would call “refugees” those from Europe or Europe and other places, but now it was open to all. However, the UN left some leniency in allowing those who were in party with the Convention of ‘51 to decide which definition they wanted to hold.

Internationally, the first well known act in terms of refugee rights as a whole was

the US Refugee Act in 1980. After the downfall following the Vietnam War, there was an outpour of refugees coming from both Vietnam and Cambodia. The staggering numbers and crowds stunned not only Americans but also their government. They soon realized that perhaps institutionalizing a more regular and methodical process in terms of refugees would be the most efficient way to go for the US. They wanted to establish a clear and helpful policy to aid everyone. When the bill was written in was unanimously passed through all levels of the legislative system and was signed by President Carter. It raised the annual ceiling from the previous 17 400 to 50 000 intake of refugees, changed in need of emergencies and expected masses. It stood as an amendment of the previous

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Immigration and Nationality Act and the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act. A key change in this Act was that the definition of refugee was changed to being a person with a “fear of persecution”. This act helped to settle refugees and adapt them to their new country. In terms of being a pace setter, the United States had always been groundbreaking in terms of treaties and protocols. However, this was a significant change and at least in terms of legislature, even if not society, an opening of doors for refugees.

In 1995 when the Dayton Accords were signed it was an important step for

refugees all around the world. The Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Republika Srpska (the "Parties") agreed on the following about refugees. Article 1(1), stated that, “All refugees and displaced persons have the right freely to return to their homes of origin. They shall have the right to have restored to them property of which they were deprived in the course of hostilities since 1991 and to be compensated for any property that cannot be restored to them. The early return of refugees and displaced persons is an important objective of the settlement of the conflict in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Parties confirm that they will accept the return of such persons who have left their territory, including those who have been accorded temporary protection by third countries.” Only a fraction of the Accord, the paper took into account safety, choice in destination, and repatriation plans.

In March of 2011, the Syrian refugee crisis started with a series of peaceful

protests. It seemed shocking to the public that the day would come when the Syrian regime would be turned on its head, but as peaceful protests turned into bloodbaths against the police, this situation took a turn for the worse. What had once started off as peaceful, turned gruesome.

BBC Timeline of Syrian Uprising from 2011-2013:

● March 2011: Protests erupt in Daraa after youths are arrested for painting

revolutionary slogans. Security forces shoot a number of people in Daraa,

triggering more unrest

● May: Tanks enter Deraa, Homs and suburbs of Damascus

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● July: Hundreds of thousands of people across the country protest

● Oct: Opposition Syrian National Council formed

● Dec: Damascus agrees to allow Arab League observers into the country

● May 2012: Some 108 killed in Houla, near Homs - UN later blames Syrian

troops and militia

● Aug: Hundreds killed as troops storm Damascus suburb of Darayya

● Nov: Opposition groups unite in National Coalition for Syrian

Revolutionary and Opposition Forces

● Dec: US recognises coalition as "legitimate representative" of Syrian

people

● Jan 2013: At least 100 people killed and burned in their homes in Haswiya,

near Homs

● Feb: UN estimates up to 70,000 have been killed

During this time, other countries were making international efforts to aid the

rapidly escalating tensions in Syria. In March of 2011, the UNHCR appointed a Regional Refugee coordinator for Syrian Refugees, Panos Moumtzis. In May of 2011, the first camps for refugees opened in Turkey. By July, Jorden opens the Za’atri Refugee Camp and in September of 2012, UNHCR increases up the relief operations inside Syria and across the area. The UNHCR chief, António Guterres and the Special Envoy Angelina Jolie visit refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Soon after in October, the UNHCR pushes the European Union states to keep upholding their asylum principles by making sure there is access to their territory, access to asylum procedures and that their approaches in the looking over and granting of asylum claims are in sync. In November of 2012, the UNHCR aid reaches 300,000 displaced people across Syria.

The international community came to the rescue by December as neighbouring countries host half a million refugees. UNHCR and partners launch a US$1 billion Regional Response Plan for Syrian refugees in Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey and Egypt. In March of the following year, the number of Syrian refugees has skyrocketed, reaching

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1 million and outpacing projections. The UNHCR calls for safe passage of humanitarian convoys inside Syria as needs grow amid intensified civil conflict. António Guterres warns the UN Security Council that almost half of Syria's 20.8 million population could be in need of humanitarian help by the end of 2013.

By June of 2013, UN humanitarian agencies, on behalf of dozens of aid

organizations, announce the biggest aid appeal in history, totalling some US$4.4 billion. This included almost $3 billion for humanitarian relief in the region surrounding Syria (the Regional Response Plan), $1.4 bn for the aid response inside Syria (the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan). On top of this, US$830 million was requested for the governments of Jordan and Lebanon. On the first anniversary of opening, Za’atri camp hosts 120,000 refugees in July. This marks an auspicious date of so many refugees getting access to safety and resources, no matter how meager these may be. In August, unfortunately the number of Syrian refugee children passes 1 million. Spike in arrivals of Syrian Kurd refugees in northern Iraq, including almost 50,000 in a two-week period. In September of 2013 the number of Syrian refugees passes the staggering 2 million mark, compared to 230,000 one year earlier. The number of “internally displaced” stands at a shocking 4.25 million. UNHCR and government ministers from Turkey, Jordan, Lebanon and Iraq meet in Geneva and promise joint action to gain more international aid for host countries having difficulty dealing with the Syrian refugee crisis. The rapidly increasing numbers of Syrians seek to reach Europe by sea. Germany accepts the first group of Syrian refugees for temporary relocation, a milestone in itself.

When looking at the topic as a whole it seems odd to focus in so much on Syria in specific. But it is imperative to look at crucial cases where perhaps things are not as they should be in terms of human rights, and for Syrian refugees, there are many problems and cases of infringement on human rights. To use this as a stepping stone it is important to look at other cases as well. Not only this, but looking at women and children in all of these cases. 2/3s of all Syrian refugees are women and children, and unfortunately many of their rights are being infringed upon even after fleeing their home countries. This is not specific to only Syria. It is a prevalent problem all around the world facing women and

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children refugees fleeing war zones, so it is important to look at not only Syria as shown through countless examples, but other sources, too.

Current Situation:

It goes without saying that the rights of women and children refugees in the status quo, at least with the majority of nations, is nowhere near adequate. They are facing a plethora of problems stemming from racial inequality and discrimination, inequalities between different levels of socio-economic status, and many others. Women and children refugees are at a particular disadvantage in today’s society because many think that they are weaker. Perhaps in the case of children, it is true, they cannot fend for themselves against assault and abuse. Many of the people who attack women in the same way, feel

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that they hold this power above the women refugees too, as they do above children. It is imperative to tackle the issue of creating increased protection and access to opportunities for this disadvantaged minority while taking into account protection of rights as they flee from war torn countries. The current situation facing women and children refugees fleeing war zones has many facets.

The first could be considered looking at legal protections as a whole, not just women and children. It is stated that the protection of these refugees falls under the responsibility of the State they are occupying, but in cases where the State fails to do this job or does not have the infrastructural means, who does this job fall under? The answer is the international community, and in most cases, the United Nations. The UNHCR takes into account all these problems when trying to protect the rights of the refugees, so it is important to sweep through their documents with a fine tooth comb and understand the nuances of what it is they do. As defined by the UN, they promote “the basic human rights of refugees and ensures they will not be returned involuntarily to a country where they face persecution” they also “help them to repatriate to their homeland when conditions permit, integrate into states of asylum or resettle in third countries” and “promote international refugee agreements, help states establish asylum structures and act as an international watchdog over refugee issues”.

International policies are very different around the world, so sometimes

synthesizing the beliefs of many institutions into one can be difficult. It can be difficult for the international community to discern when another nation needs aid and is not fulfilling their duties as a host nation. How can they tell when it is time to intervene in a situation without overstepping the bounds of a peaceful relationship? This creates a large number of international dilemmas as unless a country asks, others are not legally sanctioned to intervene and exercise protection for this vulnerable group of refugees. Some examples of this dilemma were in the Gulf War in Iraq from 1991-1992, Bosnia in 1995, Somalia in 1992-1993, and Kosovo in 1999. These were all different levels of success. An example where this type of intervention went wrong was in Rwanda 1994. As shown clearly by this graph, the Rwandan crisis displaced nearly 2.3 million refugees who had to flee these war torn zones and run for their lives.

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Another important aspect to look at, is access to medical care for these women and

children. In many of these refugee camps sanitation is not considered a priority but this leads to lack of cleanliness and then ultimately disease and death. Unfortunately, many of the refugee camps are at a state of cleanliness lower than the communities in which these refugees used to live. Although sanitation may seem lower priority on the ladder, if a State is protecting the right to life, then it is important to keep the women and children healthy. Not only will these women be having more children, ultimately passing on any diseases that they withhold, but also will be bringing these children up, sometimes in the refugee camps where conditions are dirty and poor. The most common reasons for death in these refugee camps as conducted by studies in the Annual Review of Public Health of 2010, included “diarrheal diseases, measles, acute respiratory infections, malaria, malnutrition and other infectious diseases”. In these camps there is never enough resources and access to reproductive health services, often meaning that HIV and AIDS is more prevalent than could be imagined, and STIs are commonly found due to rape, and involvement with the refugee camp workers. The women are not educated on how to protect themselves from these infections, not are they given the resources to make means and educate themselves. In this vicious cycle of poor health, there is no escape.

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This graph of the reported communicable diseases of Congolese refugees between 2008-2012 is a staggering pictorial representation of how dismal the healthcare is facing refugees worldwide. This is before they had spent time in the camps. In Sudan, for example, HIV and AIDS rates went up by 15% in one year.

According to the organization, “Unite for Sight” which addresses the problems facing refugees in the world today, the barriers standing in the way of healthcare for these refugees are difficult to maneuver around. They state that refugee camps “present even greater barriers to care than most other settings in the developing world because they tend to be remote, poorly accessible by road, and have a limited power supply. In addition, the limited amount of resources that camps have, combined with growing populations, puts great strain on basic resources such as food and water. The high mobility of the refugee setting, and the constant inflow and outflow of people presents a unique challenge because it is difficult to provide sustained care over a period of time.” Due to not only the geographical restraints of these refugee camps combined with the lack of infrastructure, it seems that the only way to provide health care would be through humanitarian aid.

It is difficult many times for the United Nations and other countries to provide

humanitarian aid when much of the funding goes to protected themselves as they are targeted due to the backlash of giving aid to refugees and the vulnerable actors in this scenario. NGOs and the UN face a huge task which is then deciding whether they want to call military intervention from international bodies, or try to deal with it themselves. The

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risk with calling another nation into play in a dangerous situation is that is that is would most likely escalate political conflict and harm parties, and the situation would not always end in aiding refugees (take for example Rwanda 1994). How can humanitarian aid help the refugees without harming its own staff in the end? All these different facets come into account when international agencies are forced to make decisions.

There are difficulties that pose themselves as barriers to providing humanitarian

aid within refugee camps, not just with relocation, and there are many. One is that oftentimes, the intake of refugees into these camps is very spur of the moment. Although there are certain quotas and numbers of people who are allowed into a camp at one time, often refugee camps exceed these numbers to the extent that they have no resources left for anyone. Nelson, of the International Aid Committee states, “There’s no doubt that the need is outpacing the resources available. [But] it’s not just about needing more aid, it’s about needing better aid.” One way to tackle this problem is making sure that the organizations who are using the monetary aid provided by the UN are local, focused, and driven. According to an article written in the LA Times, “Advocates for reforming the humanitarian aid system call for giving a larger share of funding to local and national aid providers, along with greater power to make decisions about how that money is spent. Now, about half a dozen large nongovernmental organizations receive as much as 90% of all funding from the U.N., according to data from aid experts.” This may be one way to help the difficult and long standing issue of where the money goes for humanitarian aid towards refugees.

Possible Solutions:

The question to take into account is to what extent must the State interfere with the lives of resident citizens to protect the rights of those new to the country? It seems difficult to residents of a country that they should have to give up certain luxuries in order to provide basic rights to these refugees, namely women and children, and many are not willing to make these sacrifices. The rights that we as SOCHUM should be looking into preserving are mainly these, the right to life (namely in refugee camps), looking at how to integrate these refugees into the communities, no one being subject to torture, and the

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others listed above. It is important to keep in mind that some of these take priority over others. For example, the right to life and being exempt to slavery takes priority over integration plans for the community. It is important to look at the right to life. It is important to preserve people's’ health and well being, whether that be mental or physical, and that takes priority over all else. Perhaps looking into screening tests for diseases when there is an influx of refugees, or providing more aid to NGOs is the way to go. It may be worthwhile to also look into quotas that a country will accept, and not more, for fear of extinguishing resources for all. An important question whilst doing this, however, is: who will be accepted into a country as a refugee and who will be turned away? Where is the line drawn?

The next potential outcome may be to look at which rights and freedoms are accessible to the women and children refugees in the status quo, and whether they are equal to those living in that country as residents before the influx of refugees. Another outcome is that perhaps not all countries who are currently hosting refugees are fit to do so. It is important to look at the accessibility of resources currently available and assess whether they are being using in the most efficient helpful manner for those who have been displaced.

Since we are looking specifically at women and children it takes priority for us as

SOCHUM to look into whether all of these aspects and outcomes are benefitting these 2 parties. Women and children, being of the most vulnerable group, take priority in our eyes as the ones who need the most help. When looking into protection of the right to life, we want to make sure that no only are these people alive, they are not being sexually abused, raped, or contracted HIV/AIDS. In order to do so, a potential outcome may also to be to educate the women in these camps to use contraceptives and get tested. Once we have done so, it is important to give these people access to resources so that they can further their health education.

Next, in terms of integration into society, it may be harder the older you get.

However, there are many support groups in a variety of countries that help make the transition easier. For children, moving to a new place after a traumatic experience could

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never be easy. However there are a number of ways that volunteers around the world are trying to bring children together. A prime example of this is in Surrey BC, Canada. A number of refugee children were taught how to play school games before the year started so that they wouldn’t be left out when the year started. A variety of simple things made a huge difference and let them release their inhibitions slightly and relax into a new environment. An ESL teacher at one of the schools states, “"The common language that you'll see kids share, especially out there in the playground, you know, they play soccer together or, they just have a way of communicating. Although it is definitely useful to have somebody who speaks the same language as you in the classroom ... you can't force those friendships." This may be a luxury in a safe country, but it goes to show that for all people, creative and innovative solutions may be the way around borders created by divides in society.

Bloc Positions: European Union With the influx and rising numbers of refugees seeking asylum in neighbouring countries, many European nations have had to open their borders to those in need. In specific: Italy, Germany, Serbia, Hungary, Austria and France. These countries have all had a fairly successful time allowing refugees into their State. For these nations, the main problems regard integration and discrimination. It’s a well known fact that terrorism has been showing its face in countries such as France. Luckily, the refugee camps in most of the EU are fairly sanitary and accessible, with minimal known cases of assault and abuse. In Greece, the situation is less than adequate. The number of rape cases and assault reign higher than most others in the EU in terms of refugee camps, and the women and children refugees have less rights there than any place else. The first problem in their camps is the lack of protection and safety.

Asia There are only a few countries in Asia who can accomodate taking in refugees, as the majority of them are suffering from overpopulation to a degree so dire that even their own people are pouring out. The majority of the refugees going to Asia are from

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Afghanistan or Myanmar and they gravitate towards Iran and Pakistan to seek refuge. The state of the women and children refugees and their rights in Iran is a standing testament to hopefully the future of all refugee camp. The treatment of the Iranian authorities towards refugees is accommodating and gracious, not to mention peaceful. In a country such as Iran that has dealt with violence in the past, they treat the people seeking asylum with respect. Unfortunately, the situation in Pakistan is not nearly as good. The refugees live under a constant veil of fear that there will be Taliban attacks, living crammed together in dark spaces. They are not safe, as no one is.

Western Liberal Democracies In Western Liberal Democracies, the treatment of all refugees, at least legally, is better than most. Starting off with Canada, refugees legally have access to employment and education. Minor children of refugees are automatically eligible for schooling, whereas the rest may have to undergo applications. Societally, Canada has a more welcoming atmosphere towards refugees in terms of employment, but the government still has to urge businesses to take on these people. Canada is admirable in this way. The United States has a slightly more complicated situation under the status quo. Because of the change in government and policies, for the most part, they are not taking in refugees, and those that they do choose to take in, have to undergo a rigorous screening process. That is why many of the refugees choose to seek asylum in the US’s northern counterpart, Canada. There is also a heavier social stigma surrounding refugees in the US, and that deters a large number of people from entering as well.

Sources Cited:

"Comparing Syria." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 06 Mar. 2013. Web. 09 July 2017. Edition, The Early. "Refugee Kids Learn to Be Kids Again at Surrey Drop-in Program." CBCnews. CBC/Radio

Canada, 23 Dec. 2015. Web. 09 July 2017. "Global Refugee Crisis Overwhelms Humanitarian Aid System and Exacerbates Its Shortcomings." Los Angeles

Times. Los Angeles Times. Web. 09 July 2017. Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications Branch. "Know Your

Rights – Refugees." Government of Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, Communications Branch. 26 Apr. 2016. Web. 10 July 2017.

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Moulson, Geir. "Where Key Countries Stand on Europe's Ongoing Refugee Crisis." The Globe and Mail. BERLIN — The Associated Press, 28 Aug. 2016. Web. 09 July 2017.

OHCHR | Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees. Web. 09 July 2017. "Refugee Act of 1980." National Archives Foundation. Web. 09 July 2017. "Refugees: Risks and Challenges Worldwide." Migrationpolicy.org. 02 Mar. 2017. Web. 09 July 2017. Sinjab, Lina. "Syria Conflict: From Peaceful Protest to Civil War." BBC News. BBC, 15 Mar. 2013. Web. 09 July

2017. "UN, United Nations, UN Treaties, Treaties." United Nations. United Nations. Web. 09 July 2017. "Unite For Sight." Healthcare in Refugee Camps and Settlements. Web. 09 July 2017. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "The 1951 Refugee Convention." UNHCR. Web. 09 July 2017. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Asia and the Pacific." UNHCR. Web. 09 July 2017. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Iran's Largest Refugee Camp Closes." UNHCR. Web. 09 July

2017. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Legal Protection." UNHCR. Web. 09 July 2017. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "Syria Fact Sheet - Timeline and Figures." UNHCR. Web. 09 July

2017. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. "UNHCR Appoints Regional Refugee Coordinator for Syrian

Refugees." UNHCR. Web. 09 July 2017. "Universal Declaration of Human Rights." United Nations. United Nations. Web. 09 July 2017.

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Topic 2: Impact of Slum Tourism on Surrounding Communities

Questions to Consider: 1. What is the extent to which the slum tourism industry is benefitted, versus the

community within the slum itself? 2. Who does slum tourism in a specific geographical area benefit the most? Note: In

different areas of life, including: society, economics, politics, religion, ect. 3. Do the economic benefits reaped from the tourism industry help the communities? 4. Who is involved in the protection of slums and their community and whether and

how much do they benefit from tourism? 5. What are the ethical and humanitarian concerns that arise from slum tourism?

Overview:

Slum tourism, one of the most understated yet increasingly prevalent problems facing the modern world, is a dire issue that that must be solved. Slum tourism is the touring of outsiders in typically impoverished areas, advertised as “mutually beneficial”. It is often manipulated to look as though the profits go to the people inhabiting the slums, whereas in reality, the funding goes to money minded individuals. It seems odd to many people that slums, places that one would often not want to find themselves at night, are now being shown off to foreign visitors. In fact, that seems to be the appeal. Slum tours take places in the ghettos in Detroit, favelas in South America, the slums of India, and many more destinations. To start analyzing this topic, it is important to look at the definition of each individual word. What are we defining as a slum? UN-Habitat defines a slum household/community as an area that lacks one or more of the following:

1. Durable housing of a permanent nature that protects against extreme climate

conditions.

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2. Sufficient living space which means not more than three people sharing the same

room.

3. Easy access to safe water in sufficient amounts at an affordable price.

4. Access to adequate sanitation in the form of a private or public toilet shared by a

reasonable number of people.

5. Security of tenure that prevents forced evictions.

The tourism of a place like a slum evokes certain feelings within the population of people living there, and has certain effects, undoubtedly upon every aspect of life, including the economy, society and education. What we want to probe deeper into is the effect that this tourism has upon the surrounding community. We want to analyze this not just on the surface level with statistics, but also looking into how each aspect of life is positively or negatively affected, and to what degree. It is important to weigh the priority of each of these, and compare the positives with the negatives in each geographical area. In some communities, slum tourism helps the people, whereas in others it does nothing but harm.

Slum tourism, although a seemingly simple concept, is difficult to understand. It

is, however, popular, and in an article by Forbes, is described to be “a legitimate global industry, bringing in over a million tourists per year”. But how much does the touristing industry actually help the local economy? This is an important question to keep in mind while probing the issue of slum tourism. According to the locals of the area, taxi drivers and vendors from many different geographical locations, the community and local economy is not being affected. That being said, it isn’t bringing the downfall of local trade in these slums, however, there was never much to begin with.

Another important idea to delve into is whether the people who are in charge of

protecting slums and their communities benefit monetarily from this tourism industry. It is worth looking at who benefits and to what extent to full understand and grasp the situation on hand. Corruption is widespread and prevalent when it comes to the protection of low infrastructure and low income areas, so this should be of particular concern.

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Transparency in agencies such as these is hard to regulate. The last idea to investigate is the ethical and humanitarian concerns that arise from slum tourism.

In the tourism industry in general, there is a very fine line between illegal and

legal. For example, when touring a national park for animals, there are certain guidelines to be followed. Or when visiting a UNESCO heritage site, protection of culture and preservation of artifacts is integral to the experience. However, what is this factor with slum tourism? It becomes an ethical and humanitarian issue when these communities are being negatively affected by the tourists. It creates a feeling of distaste towards all foreigners when some come into homes, peering in and looking into one’s life. In the interest of promoting human and social welfare, SOCHUM should strive to find the line that separates acceptable from harmful, and outline the consequences if said line should be stepped over by the tourism industry.

Past UN Action

The history of slum tourism is a complex and fascinating one, but cannot be defined as a linear set of events. The gradual progression of this archetype has evolved slowly and steadily by different changes in society and the world it is wrapped in. This makes it hard to pinpoint how it has been shaped without deep analysis, which is a good idea while doing research for this topic. There is not a quantifiable answer on the issue and subject of slum tourism, but a brief history will be provided here.

The idea of slum tourism has been a repeating issue and is dateable back to the 19th century where upper class and wealthy Londoners would head down to impoverish communities to gape at at their inhabitants. This first look at the rich watching the poor as if an exhibit started a spark and gained a language of its own. The term “slumming” became so popular it was included in the 1884 Oxford English Dictionary. At nearly the same time, in New York city, curious upper class people would find their way to the Lower East Side of Manhattan, in the same fashion as what was taking place in London. Soon after, nearing to the modern day, we find people swarming down to South Africa to

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look at the places where the apartheid started. They bustle their way into the communities and lives of those of the lowers socio-economic classes, having no tangible economic benefits on these lives.

Current Situation: The current situations in these slums is far from ideal, but perhaps now is the start

of a new era. Although there are not many economic benefits to slum tourism in the majority of countries, there have been a plentiful number of societal impacts. When talking with a member of the community from the slums of Rocinha, they stated, “I think all of us see tourism as an opportunity to get some help for social projects, schools, and so forth… the positive is that through tourism we can show that not 100% of the people in favelas are bad people or criminals…” Many of these people see slum tourism as something that perhaps will one day boost them out of their poverty. Although they might agree with the idea of slum tourism, the majority don’t particularly like it’s mode of execution. Many of them wish that perhaps a more committed group of touring companies with an interest in helping the economy and preserving culture would greater boost any benefits that slum tourism provides.

In around 2008, with the release of Slumdog Millionaire, there was a flood of people rushing to Dharavi, India after having seen this film. Although the portrayal of Mumbai in the film was controversial, shown to be the lowest of the low in India, it boosted the slum tourism industry there. An increased number of people moved away from more traditional ideas of vacations such as visiting the lush tropical life in Goa, or the safaris in West Bengal, more moved towards Mumbai and getting on these slum tours. According to advocates and NGOs, many people are surprised to see that along with the grimmer side of life in slums which they did not expect, there are some peaceful, interconnected communities which work together in harmony.

Possible Solutions:

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Many reputable organizations believe that the best way to tackle such a controversial topic is simply to educate people. Although on the surface level this seems to be a possibility for a solution, there may be more to this than meets the eye. Who would the United Nations be targeting in terms of education? Would we be educating the impoverished communities on the rights and royalties they should receive through the tourism industry? Or perhaps educating the public on which tour groups are ethical and beneficial to the surrounding communities? There are a few different solutions to look into.

The first of these would be the allocation and distribution of funds raised for the individuals living in these communities. On a surface level, there are 2 different types of slums that one should be addressing. The first is the type that meet basic needs and are running as an impoverished economy, not flourishing but never receiving any benefits from tourism. The second is the one that is being harmed by the tourism industry, doesn’t have any source of income, and is stuck in worse living conditions that the previous one. For the first type of slum, the main concern is the allocation of funding. Because the tourism industry has the potential to bring in more money to these vendors and individuals, there needs to be a transparent, basic government in place to protect the rights of these people and make sure that the money is going where it should be. The main concern for these people is the ethical problem that slum tourism poses. For the second type of slum, they are being harmed by the tourism. This is where the education comes in. Clearly it is of importance to educate the public to put the unethical slum tours out of business and create more transparency. For a successful system, transparency is key.

The second possible solution would be creating a resolution which outlines the extent to which this tourism is allowed within slums. This depends on geographical locations as well. For places like the ghettos of Detroit, slum tourism can be dangerous for those doing tours, as well as poses risks to the people within these communities. For a place like Dharavi, there is more of a risk to the slum community than there is for tourists. With all of these factors taken into account, the next step is to define how much slum tourism would be allowed in each area. Different communities have different needs and are affected differently by this tourism, so it important not to treat them as stock, but rather as separate situations.

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Next, it would be beneficial to look at how to best protect the community while

still allowing for tourism. Although slum tourism is a controversial topic, it is undoubtedly bringing awareness to the slums and this is important. However, if it is to work, the community must be the top concern and its protection is vital. This would mean looking at slum tourism's effects on all aspects of life, meaning society, the economy, politics, religion, and more.

Finally, the end result of the r esolutions would be bettering the lives of those in the slums, and properly educating people around the world about this topic. Whether this means inputting future forums or check in dates into a resolution, thinking about the future is key. Although it may be a daunting task, slum tourism is not invincible, and the risks and problems it poses are real yet can be eliminated with careful consideration.

Bloc Positions:

Asia Slum tourism in Asia is frequent and widespread. Some of the countries that engage in slum tourism include, but are not limited to, India, Indonesia, and Thailand. India is a notable case primarily because of its high number of impoverished people. The slums in India are everywhere, and because of this slum tourism flourishes. However, there are ethical as well as non-ethical tours operating in this country, and because of the high number of tours, it is hard to track them all down. In Indonesia, there are the Jakarta tours, which are advertised to bridge cultural gaps and show a side of Indonesia to visitors as never seen before. They are slum tours that actually do create cultural experiences, but sadly still don’t provide tangible benefits to the community. Finally there is Thailand, in which there are the secret slum tours in Bangkok. The slum tours there were created with the aim of diminishing the negative image that people have of slums, and creating empathy, but are not said to help the economy. Western Liberal Democracies

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In Canada, there is an increased number of slum tours in the Jane-Finch area of Toronto, but they are not so much slum tours, more as urban tours. People enjoy the thrill of crossing cultural and social boundaries and breaking societal rules. For this reason they enter other areas that perhaps are of lower socioeconomic status. In the United States, slum tourism is prevalent in New York City and Detroit where ghetto tours are picking up notoriety. Rarely with the intentions of creating sustainable change, these tours are more to cross cultural borders. South America It is easy to find slum tourism in South America. A prime example of slum tourism is the favelas all Brazil, where people go on day trips to see the lifestyles of the communities there. Favela tourism is unfortunately quite unethical and although sometimes empathy is created for these communities, again, no tangible benefits can be found.

EU In Europe, it is common to find slum tourism in Belgium, a highly developed European nation. Charleroi, a city in Belgium is known to have cases of slum tourism. Another place where slum tourism can be found is in Ireland. Belfast, known for its dark past with brothels and slums all over the North side of the city, now has historical slum tours, but it is worth looking into the historical progression of these slums.

Sources Cited: ANI. "Slumdog Millionaire Boosts Mumbais slum Tourism Industry." The Indian Express. N.p., 22 Jan. 2009. Web.

13 July 2017. Coleman, Maureen. "Slums, Brothels and Seedy Dives....journey into the Dark Side of Belfast."

BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. BelfastTelegraph.co.uk, 11 Dec. 2012. Web. 14 July 2017. Ellwood, Mark. "Inside the Very Real World of 'Slum Tourism'." CNT. Condé Nast Traveler, 05 Oct. 2016. Web. 12

July 2017. "Inappropriate New Travel Trend among Western Tourists." NewsComAu. N.p., 05 July 2016. Web. 14 July 2017. InsightGuides.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 July 2017. Shepard, Wade. "Slum Tourism: How It Began, The Impact It Has, And Why It Became So Popular." Forbes.

Forbes Magazine, 15 Jan. 2017. Web. 11 July 2017. "Slum Tourism." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 10 June 2017. Web. 14 July 2017. "Who Benefits from Slum Tourism?" Who Benefits from Slum Tourism? -. N.p., 03 May 2017. Web. 12 July 2017.

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