For over 50 years the international community embodied in the United Nations has attempted to bring about a resolution to the long-standing conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians and have had limited success.

Since the tragedy of September 11, 2001 the Middle East has once again taken center stage in world affairs. The urgency to bring about a just and enduring resolution to the conflict has never been greater.

As a member state of the UN General Assembly you have been tasked by the Secretary General of the UN (instructor/facilitator) to use his good offices and establish a special UN fact finding team researching the historical roots and modern origins of the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. The ultimate goal of your team is to pave the way to a lasting peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians via a final peace proposal that will be drafted and accepted by a majority of the team/delegation at the end of the term in accordance with the UN Charter.

Previous delegations have been unsuccessful in obtaining an enduring peace agreement between the two factions. Maybe your delegation will make history and finally bring about Peace in the Mideast? The challenge may be daunting but the reward will be great as you will be setting a precedence in securing eventual world peace.

 

General Rules of the Game

The intent of the webquest is to refrain from presenting this highly complex issue in black and white terms. There are no right or wrong answers.

You will primarily be assessed on how well you understand the issue, support your ideas and communicate your argument reiterating consistently the criteria associated with the six facets of understanding present in the rubric assessments . These include but are not limited to: explanation, interpretation, application, perspective, empathy and self-knowledge.

In order to familiarize yourselves with the UN Peace Process you are encouraged to review the hyperlinks associated with key UN terms.

As you proceed with this quest for peace you will be asked to consider the question:

What would it take to bring about a just and final peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict?

Reflecting upon this question throughout the activity should be effective in fostering a lasting peace that will be expressed in your final peace proposal.

The following provides an overview of all four (4) deliverables associated with the project that will help you meet the desired outcome.

 

Deliverable 1 - Explore the Historical Background - (Due Week 4)

It is your responsibility as individual members of the international community to thoroughly understand the historical facts and key issues associated with the conflict through analysis of various online Resources that are both highly provocative and controversial as well as insightful.

 

Deliverable 2 - The Presentation - ( Due Week 7)

You will then be asked to convene an Emergency Special Session of the General Assembly and orally present your findings to the entire assembly at the midterm (7th week) via a powerpoint presentation. Please refer to the Presentation Rubric for evaluation criteria.

 

Deliverable 3 - The Final Project - (Due Week 13)

As a final project the UN Security Council will convene and draft a final Peace Proposal in collaboration with all the Security Council members.

Voting procedures/consensus building

• Since the decision will be on a substantive matter final passage will require a majority vote as well as the concurring votes of all five permanent members of the Security Council.
  
  
• In the event of an abstention or veto by one of the permanent members, a decision will not be finalized/made and the Security Council will have to reconvene at a later time in a special or emergency session.
  
  
• However, as a sovereign nation you will have the opportunity to draft your own peace proposal/recommendation and submit it to the Secretary General for consideration and possible implementation by the Security Council or as a unilateral action separate from the auspices of the UN.

 

Deliverable 4 - The Journal - (Due Weeks 7 & 15)

A personal reflection journal will be maintained throughout the term and submitted at the mid-term and then again at the end of the course. Please refer to the Grading rubric in the Evaluation section of the webquest for specific guidelines.

You will be asked to reflect upon current events associated with the conflict as well as any reflections based upon the required online readings. Refer to the Resource Page for links to online websites that will aid you in your reflection task.

Why should you keep a journal?

• The journal is meant as a tool to stimulate and track self-awareness, expose personal bias or misconceptions and provide a useful means for the instructor to assess the student's critical thinking and enduring understanding of the issue.
  
  
• It is also meant to function as a personal resource guide whereby new facts and personal viewpoints that have been developed or discovered can be documented daily throughout the term and aid in answering the ultimate overriding question you are asked to consider throughout the quest.