French National Convention
[email protected]
Background Guide
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Welcome, Delegates!
We are Jacob Adams and Coly Elhai, your co-chairs for what we’re sure will be one of the most exciting, thought-provoking committees at GSMUN XVIII: the French National Convention of the first French Republic. Our committee will focus on putting former king Louis XVI on trial and drafting a new Constitution, but you must also be prepared to respond to the turmoil, radicalism, and frequent domestic and international crises that characterized the era.
Before we get to the aspects of your position paper and outside research, first a few words on the function and behavior of the committee. Have no fear; despite the name of the committee, the proceedings will be held entirely in English. As delegates, you will be representing specific deputies elected to the newly founded National Convention. Parliamentary procedure will act as a baseline for the committee’s behavior, but given the nature of the committee, we may deviate from the typical format.
For this committee, you will need to research for and write a position paper before the conference. Your research and paper should focus on your representative, their respective faction alignment, and any important background knowledge not in the background guide. You should also detail your individual’s views and solutions regarding the trial of Louis XVI and the drafting of the new constitution. For this part of your position paper, the “Questions to Consider” from the background guide are your friends! We strongly recommend that you make liberal use of whatever relevant primary sources you can find, but any and all (trustworthy) sources will also be helpful. As far as technical requirements, we ask that your papers be at least 500 words, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font with a bibliography in Chicago Style. This is to be emailed to the dais before the conference or turned in physically at the first committee session. Without a position paper you cannot be considered for awards. Keep in mind that it is expected that your position papers are completely original work; plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in disciplinary actions by the Secretariat.
If this all seems a little daunting, don’t worry! More important than the specific requirements for the position paper is that writing it gives you a solid foundation so you’ll be able to debate knowledgeably come time for the conference. The more time and energy you dedicate to preparing for the conference ahead of time, the more fun our committee will be! Bonne chance, and we look forward to meeting you all.
Vive la France!
Before we get to the aspects of your position paper and outside research, first a few words on the function and behavior of the committee. Have no fear; despite the name of the committee, the proceedings will be held entirely in English. As delegates, you will be representing specific deputies elected to the newly founded National Convention. Parliamentary procedure will act as a baseline for the committee’s behavior, but given the nature of the committee, we may deviate from the typical format.
For this committee, you will need to research for and write a position paper before the conference. Your research and paper should focus on your representative, their respective faction alignment, and any important background knowledge not in the background guide. You should also detail your individual’s views and solutions regarding the trial of Louis XVI and the drafting of the new constitution. For this part of your position paper, the “Questions to Consider” from the background guide are your friends! We strongly recommend that you make liberal use of whatever relevant primary sources you can find, but any and all (trustworthy) sources will also be helpful. As far as technical requirements, we ask that your papers be at least 500 words, double-spaced, in 12-point Times New Roman font with a bibliography in Chicago Style. This is to be emailed to the dais before the conference or turned in physically at the first committee session. Without a position paper you cannot be considered for awards. Keep in mind that it is expected that your position papers are completely original work; plagiarism is unacceptable and will result in disciplinary actions by the Secretariat.
If this all seems a little daunting, don’t worry! More important than the specific requirements for the position paper is that writing it gives you a solid foundation so you’ll be able to debate knowledgeably come time for the conference. The more time and energy you dedicate to preparing for the conference ahead of time, the more fun our committee will be! Bonne chance, and we look forward to meeting you all.
Vive la France!
Chairs
Coly Elhai, a senior, is excited to finish off her time with GSMUN by chairing the French National Convention. GSMUN XVIII will be for her the culmination of five years of serving as a delegate, crisis staffer, and chair. Coly’s interest in all things French and revolutionary has grown steadily through six years of learning French, and hit a high point last year with her participation in the Maggie Walker chemistry department tradition of French Revolution Fridays. When she’s not fomenting revolution, you can usually find her acting, playing violin in the Richmond Philharmonic, or debating topics from stem cell research to classical republicanism with Maggie Walker’s Pugwash club and We the People team respectively.
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Jacob Adams, a junior at Maggie Walker, has been attending GSMUN either as a delegate or chair for five years. Being prone to radicalism, his committee experiences with groups such as the North Korean cabinet and Afghani legislature have left him loving GSMUN every year. Outside of Model UN, Jacob has been participating in Future Problems Solvers competitions for five years, and has a strong focus in the study of history and international politics. When he has free time, Jacob doesn’t tend to stray much from sitting back and browsing the internet. He is looking forward to the glorious French Revolution, and cannot wait to see all of your smiling faces in the midst of our wicked and horrible acts as the National Convention.
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