Hosts

LahnMUN 2011 is hosted by the United Nations Society Marburg e.V. and the Center for Conflict Studies of the Philipps-Universität Marburg.

United Nations Society Marburg e.V.

The «United Nations Society Marburg» came into being on June 17, 2004. Yet,
a group of students at the Philipps-Universität Marburg had already been working under this name for over three years before that date. At the very beginning, the group consisted of the members of a delegation to one of the biggest simulations of the United Nations: the National Model United Nations Conference in New York. During the preparation for the second participation in this conference, other projects were added and thus our activity went far beyond the regular frames of a Model UN group. It was the summer of 2001 when the UN Society started its existence. Since then, it has been constantly developing its scope of interests and thus embracing new fields of activity, which are nowadays written down in its statute.

The key competence of the UN Society is still the participation in and the organization of the UN simulations. The annual Model UN Delegation of the Philipps-Universität Marburg is organized and led by the UN Society. We also organize our own conference, LahnMUN. Furthermore, members of the UN Society become very much involved in the course of studies at the faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy at Philipps-Universität. For a couple of years we have offered seminars in the form of a «students' group» devoted to the topic «The United Nations», which have often been conducted in English. If appropriate, they also integrated MUN simulations.

The first Model UN delegation of Marburg represented Canada in New York and afterward, its members prepared a project published in the year 2001 as a book, entitled «Die Außenpolitik Kanadas» («The Foreign Policy of Canada» – not translated into English yet). Its editor was Prof. Dr. Wilfried von Bredow, dean of the above mentioned faculty. We are currently thinking about other publications of this kind. The work of our third delegation – which represented Mozambique in New York – was appreciated by the NCCA granting it the «Outstanding Position Paper» Award. What should also not be forgotten, is the regular participation of our members in numerous scientific conferences, like the annual «Konferenz des Forschungskreis Vereinte Nationen» (Conference of the Research Group on the United Nations – own translation).
Additionally, we also organized study trips to the Organizations of the UN.

If you are interested to learn more about the current delegation which will represent Norway in Ney York and about the activities of the United Nations Society, please visit the following websites.

www.unsociety.de

www.nmun-marburg.de

The Center for Conflict Studies

The Center for Conflict Studies (CCS) is an interdisciplinary research facility, that comprises more than 50 scientists from social sciences, psychology, cultural studies, law, medical science, theology and pedagogic. Since 2002, the Center is one of the focuses of the university’s main research areas.

The Center’s research activities focus conflict dynamics within social change. On the one hand, social change leads to conflicts since processes of societal change produce gainers and losers; moreover, it will challenge applicable norms and institutionalized patterns and will therefore normally facilitate the rise of new conflicts. Nonviolent coping with conflicts, on the other hand, will allow for social progress, i.e. institutionalization of a plurality of opinions, values and interests in society.

Social change expresses itself in contemporary processes of modernization in society, change in common values and identities, in the change of relevance of the nation-state, in coping processes with collective crimes, and in the change of the international system.

Research within the Center is characterized by a dual approach: Both state and civil society actors are analyzed, while processes of transnationalization and debordering within the world society form a second background for considerations. The members work in six main areas of research: Conflict Resolution,  normative conflicts and institution building, Conflict Theory in an Interdisciplinary Context, Violence Research, Dynamics of Trans- and International Conflicts, Intergroup Conflicts.

The Center is furthermore – in co-operation with national and international partners – developing a PhD program; four PhD scholarships and the Graduate School »Group-focused Enmity« are currently resident at CCS. A minor in Peace and Conflict Studies for various B.A, «Diplom» and «Magister» courses of study is offered by the Center, since 2004 an exclusive M.A.-program completes teaching activities.

For more information, visit the website of CCS:

www.uni-marburg.de/konfliktforschung