From the savannas of Africa to the metropolitan cities of Europe, the epidemic of intolerance exists even at the remotest corners of our world where human beings live. Today, in the globalizing world of the 21st century, the problem emerges as a much more serious threat than at any other time in the past. The civil wars in South Sudan, Yemen, Syria; the secessionist movements in Catalunya and New Caledonia; never-ending conflicts in Western Sahara; the absence of state authority in Libya; the extremist measures in Europe in the light of the recent refugee crises are all instances in which we are repeatedly reminded of how politically polarized our world has become. Ideas and beliefs have become so extreme that they have even caused a threat to the human life. This year at RCIMUN, we’ll be discussing the multitude of effects posed by our politically polarized world.
Political polarization is found in many areas, ranging from healthcare to military spending that varies with the particular identity/party one associates with oneself. These different policy positions, however, damage the mutual trust between nations when seen from the global aspect. As of February 9, 2018, the United States of America has allocated a military budget of $700 billion, the all-time highest budget the Pentagon has ever seen. Considering the United States’ position in the market, the increase in military spending is beneficial for their economy. As a result, this increase has led other countries that have felt threatened to increase their military budgets and precautions. For example, countries like China, France, Iran, and North Korea have decided to increase their budgets. Not having signed the Arms Trade Treaty, China has declared they would increase their budget by 7%, although it may be more or less since the State doesn’t support full transparency on the issue. Current conditions not only generate the question of the legitimacy of the increase in budget, but also the polarizing effect of it.
Under the United Nations Charter, all Member States have equal sovereignty; however, throughout history, there have been and continue to be cases of the violation of national sovereignty and international boundaries. The current conflict in Lebanon with the resignation of Prime Minister Hariri, America’s intervention in Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Iraq, or the war in Syria are just a few of the many examples of the violation of national sovereignty. Unfortunately, the lack of legal guidelines in the Charter has resulted in the involvement of various States and alleged violations of sovereignty. There may be differences between countries due to political reasons, however, about what circumstances might dictate other countries’ interference with another’s national sovereignty due to political polarization. When is crossing a border on a certain issue counted as a violation?
Moreover, there are lands that are considered the common heritage of mankind, such as the Antarctic. With its rich natural resources, virgin land that is only 2% free of ice, and geographical location, Antarctic is truly an invaluable piece of land for mankind. Treaties such as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATT) and The International Geophysical Treaty (IGY) keep the sovereignty and neutrality of the continent sacred. However, the question about this Treaty also emerges from the fact that only the Consultative Party has the right to vote and decide on the important actions in the area, and this reinforces the elitist view of these governments. If the Antarctic is a common heritage, why don’t all countries weigh in on the decisions made related to the safety and protection of the land? Why do only twelve countries have treaties agreeing that their differences would not interfere with the decision making process and no other nations contribute? With these questions in mind, political polarization should be resolved in a way that enables every country to have a say in the common heritage.
In some cases, the reason behind political polarization is not Member States but terrorist groups, like those in Africa, namely Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and al-Qa’ida. Currently, these Islamic terrorist groups are responsible for the kidnapping and mistreatment of civilians, with the motive of proving their political dominance and imposing their ideologies on them. Taking Africa’s political and economic conditions into consideration with the severity of the issue, the unity of all Member States is required to solve this issue. On one hand, not all Member States feel compelled to intervene due to Africa’s geopolitical status. On the other hand, the conflicts must be solved without interfering with the internal affairs of the country, and for such adequate measures to be taken, all Member States must reach consensus.
Another polarizing conflict is treatment of the Korean peninsula, since the end of World War II: South Korea vs. North Korea. With the UN and the US on its side, South Korea has a growing population and an immense Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to its rival. On the other end, North Korea has the support of China and the Russian Federation. However, China and Russia’s protection proved to be inadequate, since North Korea has specialized in military innovations and globally threatening weapons to protect itself from its rivals. As North Korea furthers its technology in biochemical weaponry, the threat to the world is getting out of control. Nonetheless, Member States have no choice but to negotiate with the North Korean government and solve this conflict, while still respecting the national sovereignty of the State and assuring its safety in the case of the deactivation of its weapons.
In order to curb political polarization, countries must unite internally and establish unilateral goals. As the distance between the left- and right-wing parties gets larger, people are more inclined to discriminate against and marginalize one another. With this expanding gap, acts of xenophobia and racism have started to surface all around the world. Neo-Nazist groups are marching or rioting in order to prioritize themselves based on their races and religions. The “Unite The Right” rally in Virginia, USA and the Neo-Nazis marching with the slogan “Nauen Will Stay White!" are recent examples of the recurring incidents taking place all over the world. These acts of separatism are cracking Member States from within, which eventually may be more catastrophic than any disagreement between the Member States.
Because the concept of political polarization comes up in different contexts all around the world, its importance to the world is unquestionable. The escalating tensions between States with conflicting views pose threats to the world, and the ongoing problems that go hand-in-hand with creating intolerance, make these issues ones that require urgent, collaborative intervention. Whether it comes up as a polarization nationally or internationally, its political, social and economic impacts should be recognized and tackled as carefully as possible. RCIMUN 2018 encourages all participants to keep the significance of relations between and within countries in mind while investigating the different causes of these problems and coming up with legitimate, feasible and efficient solutions.
Political polarization is found in many areas, ranging from healthcare to military spending that varies with the particular identity/party one associates with oneself. These different policy positions, however, damage the mutual trust between nations when seen from the global aspect. As of February 9, 2018, the United States of America has allocated a military budget of $700 billion, the all-time highest budget the Pentagon has ever seen. Considering the United States’ position in the market, the increase in military spending is beneficial for their economy. As a result, this increase has led other countries that have felt threatened to increase their military budgets and precautions. For example, countries like China, France, Iran, and North Korea have decided to increase their budgets. Not having signed the Arms Trade Treaty, China has declared they would increase their budget by 7%, although it may be more or less since the State doesn’t support full transparency on the issue. Current conditions not only generate the question of the legitimacy of the increase in budget, but also the polarizing effect of it.
Under the United Nations Charter, all Member States have equal sovereignty; however, throughout history, there have been and continue to be cases of the violation of national sovereignty and international boundaries. The current conflict in Lebanon with the resignation of Prime Minister Hariri, America’s intervention in Afghanistan, Vietnam, and Iraq, or the war in Syria are just a few of the many examples of the violation of national sovereignty. Unfortunately, the lack of legal guidelines in the Charter has resulted in the involvement of various States and alleged violations of sovereignty. There may be differences between countries due to political reasons, however, about what circumstances might dictate other countries’ interference with another’s national sovereignty due to political polarization. When is crossing a border on a certain issue counted as a violation?
Moreover, there are lands that are considered the common heritage of mankind, such as the Antarctic. With its rich natural resources, virgin land that is only 2% free of ice, and geographical location, Antarctic is truly an invaluable piece of land for mankind. Treaties such as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATT) and The International Geophysical Treaty (IGY) keep the sovereignty and neutrality of the continent sacred. However, the question about this Treaty also emerges from the fact that only the Consultative Party has the right to vote and decide on the important actions in the area, and this reinforces the elitist view of these governments. If the Antarctic is a common heritage, why don’t all countries weigh in on the decisions made related to the safety and protection of the land? Why do only twelve countries have treaties agreeing that their differences would not interfere with the decision making process and no other nations contribute? With these questions in mind, political polarization should be resolved in a way that enables every country to have a say in the common heritage.
In some cases, the reason behind political polarization is not Member States but terrorist groups, like those in Africa, namely Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, and al-Qa’ida. Currently, these Islamic terrorist groups are responsible for the kidnapping and mistreatment of civilians, with the motive of proving their political dominance and imposing their ideologies on them. Taking Africa’s political and economic conditions into consideration with the severity of the issue, the unity of all Member States is required to solve this issue. On one hand, not all Member States feel compelled to intervene due to Africa’s geopolitical status. On the other hand, the conflicts must be solved without interfering with the internal affairs of the country, and for such adequate measures to be taken, all Member States must reach consensus.
Another polarizing conflict is treatment of the Korean peninsula, since the end of World War II: South Korea vs. North Korea. With the UN and the US on its side, South Korea has a growing population and an immense Gross Domestic Product (GDP) compared to its rival. On the other end, North Korea has the support of China and the Russian Federation. However, China and Russia’s protection proved to be inadequate, since North Korea has specialized in military innovations and globally threatening weapons to protect itself from its rivals. As North Korea furthers its technology in biochemical weaponry, the threat to the world is getting out of control. Nonetheless, Member States have no choice but to negotiate with the North Korean government and solve this conflict, while still respecting the national sovereignty of the State and assuring its safety in the case of the deactivation of its weapons.
In order to curb political polarization, countries must unite internally and establish unilateral goals. As the distance between the left- and right-wing parties gets larger, people are more inclined to discriminate against and marginalize one another. With this expanding gap, acts of xenophobia and racism have started to surface all around the world. Neo-Nazist groups are marching or rioting in order to prioritize themselves based on their races and religions. The “Unite The Right” rally in Virginia, USA and the Neo-Nazis marching with the slogan “Nauen Will Stay White!" are recent examples of the recurring incidents taking place all over the world. These acts of separatism are cracking Member States from within, which eventually may be more catastrophic than any disagreement between the Member States.
Because the concept of political polarization comes up in different contexts all around the world, its importance to the world is unquestionable. The escalating tensions between States with conflicting views pose threats to the world, and the ongoing problems that go hand-in-hand with creating intolerance, make these issues ones that require urgent, collaborative intervention. Whether it comes up as a polarization nationally or internationally, its political, social and economic impacts should be recognized and tackled as carefully as possible. RCIMUN 2018 encourages all participants to keep the significance of relations between and within countries in mind while investigating the different causes of these problems and coming up with legitimate, feasible and efficient solutions.
