I want to welcome each and every one of you to another great year for the International Relations Students’ Association of McGill (IRSAM)! If you are receiving this email, you likely signed up for our weekly listserv at Streetfest or Activities Night, or have been a dedicated member of the club for some time now. Either way, I hope all of you enjoy what IRSAM has to offer this year! Please read below for our club updates this week.

1) First General Meeting
2) 2nd Annual International Relations Simulation (IRSim) at McGill
3) SSUNS Staffing Opportunities
4) McMUN Staffing Opportunities

1) First General Meeting
The first IRSAM meeting for the 2011-2012 academic year will take place this coming Tuesday September 20th at 6:00pm in the SSMU Ballroom (3rd floor). Come meet each member of the club executive and find out about everything our organization does, including our in-house model UN conference, Fall delegations trips to Columbia, Yale, Georgetown and UPenn, staffing opportunities at SSUNS and McMUN, editorial positions for our academic journal, and our external initiatives including Junior Peacemakers and Proyecto Aprender. Refreshments will be served!

2) 2nd Annual International Relations Simulation (IRSim)
Building on an impressive inaugural conference, IRSAM will be once again hosting an in-house conference that will be held entirely on-campus. IRSim will simulate 5 smaller-sized committees and is tentatively scheduled to take place on October 1st and October 2nd. Those interested in attending any delegations trips this year are strongly encouraged to attend IRSim. Registration will open shortly on our website at www.irsam.ca. For any questions, please email Keagan Tafler, VP Delegations at delegations@irsam.ca.

3) SSUNS Staffing Opportunities
SSUNS, our high school-level model UN conference held in November, is now recruiting logistical and committees staff! For more information regarding logistical staff applications (including paging and staff coordinator positions) please email Dana Al Zaben, Chief of Staff at staff@ssuns.org, and for information regarding committees staff applications (including committee directors and crisis staff) please email Rida Malik, USG Committees at committees@ssuns.org. Visit our website at www.ssuns.org for more information about the conference.

4) McMUN Staffing Opportunities
For the past 21 years, IRSAM has been hosting one of the premier collegiate model UN conferences in Montreal called McMUN. Every January, 1400 university students from the best institutions around the world make the trip to Montreal for a epic weekend of debate, discovery and debauchery. That said, it is the 400+ staffers that come from the ranks of McGill University’s finest students that make this experience possible. We are looking for ambitious people to take up the challenge of perpetuating our reputation as the best staff, for the greatest conference on North American soil. If you are interested in this opportunity, please visit our website at www.mcmun.org to see the current available positions and fill out the online application that is due on October 5th. If you have any questions please contact our Chief of Staff, Justin Roy at staff@mcmun.org.

I hope to see all of you at our first meeting on Tuesday! In the mean time, feel free to cruise around our newly designed website at www.irsam.ca to find out more information about our conferences, our journal, the external portfolio and delegations team schedule.

All the best,
Michael

Have a great summer holiday!

You can download the PDF of the first issue here.

The year has ended, the new Board of Directors is in, but there are a few final things that you need to know.

1.1 McGill International Review
2.1 Junior Peacemakers Positions
3.1 So long, farewell

1.1 McGill International Review
It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the publication of the new McGill International Review! The Editorial Staff, headed by Editor-in-Chief, Ryan Healey, has produced a fantastic piece of work that will be the benchmark for future volumes of the redesigned publication. You will find many well-written articles covering diverse fields pertaining to international relations, and we sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading! Many thanks to VP Internal 2010-11, Ilana Rothkopf, for her persistence in seeing this project materialize, as well as a big thanks to the editors and contributors.

You can find an electronic copy of the journal attached to this listserv, while it will also be posted on the IRSAM website (www.irsam.ca).

2.1 Junior Peacemakers Positions
Jr. Peacemakers is looking for motivated and committed individuals who want to help the program continue to grow and improve next year, particularly expanding our involvement with French schools.

The first available position is French Outreach Coordinator. This person would be responsible for reaching out to local French schools to recruit new participating classrooms, managing all French communications, and coordinating French-speaking volunteers for these classrooms. Previous experience with the Jr. Peacemakers program is preferred, but all candidates with a strong desire for committed involvement will be considered. Candidates should also speak fluent French. Interested parties should send an email expressing their interest and qualifications to jr.peacemakers@gmail.com by Friday, May 13th.

The second position is French Outreach Assistant. Along with helping the coordinator with his or her responsibilities as needed, this person would be responsible for translating Jr. Peacemakers materials from English into French. He or she should speak fluent French and English, previous translation experience preferred. Previous experience with the Jr. Peacemakers program is preferred, but all candidates with a strong desire for committed involvement will be considered. Interested parties should send an email expressing their interest and qualifications to jr.peacemakers@gmail.com by Friday, May 13th.

Please bear in mind that these are leadership positions within Jr. Peacemakers and therefore require a significant time commitment. Additionally, work will begin this summer. Though it is not necessary to be in Montreal, interested candidates should be prepared to correspond regularly by email. Interviews will be conducted via Skype the week of May 16th.

3.1 So long, farewell
With my time at McGill up, and with wiser hindsight, I could not have imagined spending my senior year better than serving as your IRSAM President. Some of you will be off doing exciting new things, others will be continuing the legacy spanning over 50 years, and IRSAM veterans can rest assured that our organization is in good hands as we pass the reins on. It’s been real.

McGill International Review Volume 1 Issue 1, Spring 2011

With a new Board of Directors elected, IRSAM is well on it’s way to 2011-2012. Before we close this year’s chapter, however, there are a few things we need to wrap up. For more IRSAM, keep reading…

1.1 Election Results
2.1 Yearbook
3.1 IRSim Coordinator Application
4.1 McMUN 2012 Chair Application
5.1 United Nations Jobs Vacancies, Independent Compilation
6.1 IRSAM Farewell

1.1 Election Results
Congratulations to the Board of Directors for the year 2011-2012! This year we had an unprecedented voter turnout, which reflects the enthusiasm we can expect from the incoming BoD.

President: Michael Tong
VP Finance: Matt Tan
VP Internal: Maanasa Rayavarapu
VP Delegations: Keagan Tafler
VP External: Zara Ansari

2.1 Yearbook
Haven’t picked up your yearbook yet? Stop by IRSAM office 410 between 2:15 and 4:15 tomorrow to get your yearbook! If that time frame does not work for you, email internal@irsam.ca to arrange another time. Yearbooks are only $5, and even if you haven’t ordered one in advance, there are extras!

3.1 IRSim Coordinator Application
The International Relations Simulation will be held again next year in October and IRSAM is looking for a coordinator to take charge of the project! The Coordinator will be responsible for organizing the 2-day conference, which saw an attendance of 100 people in its inaugural edition, while also appointing two directors for Logistics and Committees. Please fill out the attached application and send to our VP Delegations Robert Townley (delegations@irsam.ca) by April 15th.

4.1 McMUN 2012 Chair Application
Are you the resident expert on one of the many global issues amongst your friend group? Are you passionate about helping to find solutions to the world’s problems? Then staffing committees at McMUN 2012 is the best way to see how good you really are!

At McMUN 2012, you can take charge of today’s Libyan crisis, you can negotiate a price war between Boeing and Airbus, you could lead the Pixar development team and create the new Shrek, or run the largest international police force through the INTERPOL. The options are limitless, primarily because you can suggest your own committee!

So apply now and become a member of the life-force of the amazing experience that is McMUN 2012. With your participation and hard work, we can make 1400 delegates have the most enriching experience of their lives, create new friendships and provoke the leaders of tomorrow into taking action today.

Applications are due on the 11th of April to Matias Cava, the USG Committees for McMUN 2012 via email atcommittees@mcmun.org. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact him at the aforementioned email information.

5.1 United Nations Job Vacancies, Independent Compilation
For those who are interested, you may search this week’s vacancies at http://unjoblist.org/results.php?org%5B%5D=All+organisation+on+UN+Job+List%3A&dts=&ics1=ICS-08&ics2=ICS-09&O2=yes&kw=&Job=Search. The listed vacancies are for P-2 positions, though you may customize your preferences and sign up with your email address by clicking on the “E-mail alerts” tab on the left of your screen.

6.1 IRSAM Farewell
Come say goodbye to your fellow IRSAMers, whether they are graduating or simply leaving for the summer! We will be gathered at Cathal’s at 3630 Rue Clarke this Friday (April 8, LAST DAY OF CLASSES!) between 21:00 and 01:00 to reminisce on a year of revelry and accomplishment. Dress up if you like and let’s bid the year farewell together.

Election Day is here! Please stop by the SSMU lobby between 13:00 and 18:00 to cast your vote. Additionally, we will be having our Roundtable Meeting tomorrow as well, where we will approve an auditor for next year and also hear feedback from all of you on the year 2010-2011. Quorum is import, so please make sure to come out to vote and attend the meeting and get your IRSAM friends as well! For more IRSAM, keep reading…

1.1 Roundtable Meeting
This Tuesday is the LAST IRSAM meeting of the year! We know you’re all incredibly broken up about it. We know it’s exam time, but take a study break and spend some time with your IRSAM friends for one more Tuesday meeting! Come to the club’s lounge at 18:30pm to hear the election results and participate in a round table discussion of the past semester! We will also be approving an auditor for the next year, so it is important to achieve quorum, at least for the first 20 minutes, so make sure you get all your IRSAM friends to come!

2.1 Yearbook
The yearbook is on its way! There is still time to get one if you haven’t yet! Those of you who have ordered one, keep an eye out for an email informing you when you can pick them up!

3.1 United Nations Job Vacancies, Independent Compilation
For those who are interested, you may search this week’s vacancies at http://unjoblist.org/results.php?org%5B%5D=All+organisation+on+UN+Job+List%3A&dts=&ics1=ICS-08&ics2=ICS-09&O2=yes&kw=&Job=Search. The listed vacancies are for P-2 positions, though you may customize your preferences and sign up with your email address by clicking on the “E-mail alerts” tab on the left of your screen.

For many veterans, these are the final weeks as IRSAMers; for others, their IRSAM career is only just starting. What we all have and will continue to have in common, even after graduation: we’re IRSAMers to the bone. With the nomination period for IRSAM Board Elections ending tomorrow evening (Monday, March 28th) at 18:00, you still have time to prove your IRSAM mettle. Speeches will be held this Tuesday at the weekly meeting, and elections will be held the subsequent Tuesday (April 5th), with details pending; if you are eligible to vote, you will be receiving a separate string of emails in the coming days. For more IRSAM, keep reading…

1.1 IRSAM Board of Directors, Election Speeches
2.1 Yearbook
3.1 United Nations Job Vacancies, Independent Compilation
4.1 Battle of the Profs
5.1 Red & White Graduation Ball

1.1 IRSAM Board of Directors, Election Speeches
This week, come to the breakout room at 18:30 PM for IRSAM Board Election speeches! This is your chance to hear what board candidates have to say about their vision for the club next year and ask questions over the aspects of IRSAM that matter to you. Elections will take place the following week on April 5th between 12:00 and 17:30 in the SSMU lobby; see next week’s listserv for more details on that!

2.1 Yearbook
There is still time to order a yearbook! Numbers are limited, so email internal@irsam.ca soon to reserve yourself a copy.

3.1 United Nations Job Vacancies, Independent Compilation
For those who are interested, you may search this week’s vacancies at http://unjoblist.org/results.php?org%5B%5D=All+organisation+on+UN+Job+List%3A&dts=&ics1=ICS-08&ics2=ICS-09&O2=yes&kw=&Job=Search. The listed vacancies are for P-2 positions, though you may customize your preferences and sign up with your email address by clicking on the “E-mail alerts” tab on the left of your screen.

4.1 Battle of the Profs, Economics Student Association
Come out on Monday, March 28th to this year’s edition of the annual “Battle of the Profs”, hosted by the Economics Student Association. The event will take place in Leacock 232 and will begin at 17:30. This year’s topic has been inspired by recent events in Wisconsin: Unions – Are they a necessary voice in democracy, or an outdated and harmful institution? Four professors across the Economics, Sociology, and History Departments will debate the issue, while there will also be free pizza at the end! For more information, please see the FB event (http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=186582928052371).

5.1 Red & White Graduation Ball, Arts Undergraduate Society
RED AND WHITE IS HERE!

Once a year we leave behind the grunginess of Montreal club-and-bar-culture to hit the swanky halls of Le Windsor for canapés, gourmet dinner, open bar, and chandeliers. It has been a long, hard road to walk and we’ve certainly had our moments, but when the papers have been written, the exams sat, and we finally let loose, its the undergrad years that we look back on in fondness. On April 1st, we invite you to the Red and White Ball held at Le Windsor, the classiest event of the year. The registration site is now live and tickets are available for sale. Please visit us at mcgillredandwhite.com or email redandwhite.grad@gmail.com for more information on ticket prices, menus, venue, and registration.

For those of you interested in dinner, please keep in mind that registration closes on Monday, March 28th! Ticket distribution centres are in Burnside Hall outside of 1B21 until Friday, March 25th, and in Leacock Lobby from Monday, March 28th – Wednesday, March 30th.

The purpose of this message is to inform you of the IRSAM Board’s decision to reinstate the position of Vice President, Operations on the Board of Directors for the academic year 2011-2012. In order to clarify the distinct role of the VP Operations and distinguish that from the role of the VP Internal, please see point 1.1 below. For more IRSAM, keep reading…

1.1 VP Operations
2.1 McMUN USG IT
3.1 Canadian Lawyers Abroad

1.1 VP Operations
The role of the VP Operations is a crucial one on the IRSAM Board of Directors (BoD), particularly due to the club’s vision for creative and sustainable growth. The duties of the VP Operations are succinctly summarized by the following :

• Administration of the office and all equipment: this means establishing “office rules” and maintaing the functionality of the office. Additionally, the VP Operations will be called upon to secure room bookings for all IRSAM meetings and events.
• Preserving the internet presence of IRSAM: this basically involves maintenance of the website, which can be done by appointing a Web Manager, as was done this year.
• Publicity on the McGill campus: this duty is open to interpretation and can include diverse initiatives, from a newsletter publishing the weekly news on meetings/events/speakers series, etc. to blogging on the website. Additionally, this position will include publication of the Yearbook in future years.

NOTE: THIS POSITION IS DISTINCT FROM THAT OF THE VP INTERNAL. The role of the VP Internal is to organize the weekly meetings of the club, organize speakers series and other academic events through appointed coordinators, oversee the publication of the IRSAM journal by appointing an Editor-in-Chief, and recording the minutes of every meeting.

NOTE: THE BLURBS ON EACH OF THE NOMINATION FORMS ARE GUIDELINES FOR EACH PORTFOLIO. The purpose of separating the role of the VP Internal and the VP Operations into two distinct portfolios is due to our vision for sustainable growth in the club; as such, there is significant room for creativity and interpretation of each role.

NOTE: THE DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS REMAINS UNCHANGED. The nomination form for VP Operations is attached and due by Monday, March 28 by 18:00. All nominations may be submitted in person or dropped off in mailbox 101 on the fourth floor of the SSMU building. Additionally, please attach hard copies of your 300-word platform to your nomination form, and email a copy to president@irsam.ca by the aforementioned deadline.

For any questions, please contact Vassili Bazinas at president@irsam.ca.

2.1 McMUN USG IT

The McGill Model United Nations Assembly 2012 is looking for a USG IT for its 22nd annual conference!

McMUN is the largest annual conference run at McGill University, and one of the largest MUN conferences in North America. With 1400 delegates coming from around the world, and over 300 staffers from McGill, it is the largest event on campus! It’s a great chance to meet hundreds of new people from every corner of the world, while gaining invaluable experience of organizing the logistics of running a demanding event. The experience is truly a varied and rewarding one.

The USG IT portfolio requires strong skills in web management (HTML, CSS, basic PHP), proficiency with design and imaging software (Adobe InDesign, Photoshop), knowledge of wireless and wired networking, strong interpersonal skills and the desire to innovate. If you think you meet these requirements, and are willing to put them to the test by taking on as challenging a project, then contact Nir Kumar, Secretary General at sg@mcmun.org.

3.1 Canadian Lawyers Abroad
Canadian Lawyers Abroad (Université de Montréal Chapter) is hosting a lecture by Dennis Edney, the lawyer for Omar Khadr, a Canadian child prisoner held at Guantanamo Bay. It will be held on March 24th at Université de Montréal in English.

Recipient of the Human Rights Medal in 2009, Attorney Edney will be discussing the case of Omar Khadr in relation to the rights of children and child soldiers, and he will also present his reaction to the Supreme Court’s decision.

Tickets (for $5) can be purchased from Faiz Lalani by contacting him at faiz.lalani@mail.mcgill.ca or in person at the March 22nd IRSAM meeting.

Seats are limited so reserve yours today! This is a talk not to be missed.

VP Operations Nomination Form (PDF)

To everything there is a season and inevitably it must turn. As we are planting the seeds for next year’s edition of IRSAM, we are looking for interested, passionate, and capable individuals to take over the reins for 2011-2012. Please find attached the nomination forms for each of the 5 available positions on the Board of Directors. Additionally, you will find an application for IRSim 2011 Coordinator, as the inaugural conference marches towards its second year of existence! Come to our Tuesday meeting this week (Breakout Room, 18:30) to hear what each one of the positions is responsible for, while also to hear from the delegation that attended the Commission on the Status of Women at UN Headquarters earlier this month. For more IRSAM, keep reading…

1.1 General Meeting
2.1 IRSim 2011 Coordinator Application
3.1 IRSAM Board of Directors 2011-2012
4.1 McMUN 2012 Secretariat
4.2 McMUN 2012 Deputy Applications extended
5.1 Delegations Trips
6.1 IRSAM Bake Sale
6.2 Yearbook

1.1 General Meeting
This Tuesday come to the breakout room at 6:30 for IRSAM’s General Meeting and CSW presentation! Learn about what IRSAM does as an NGO at the UN and what your exec members do all year!

2.1 IRSim 2011 Coordinator Application
The International Relations Simulation will be held again next year in October and IRSAM is looking for a coordinator to take charge of the project! The Coordinator will be responsible for organizing the 2-day conference, which saw an attendance of 100 people in its inaugural edition, while also appointing two directors for Logistics and Committees. Please fill out the attached application and send to our VP Delegations Robert Townley (delegations@irsam.ca) by Monday, March 28, no later than 18:00.

3.1 IRSAM Board of Directors 2011-2012
The positions available for next year’s Board of Directors are: VP Delegations, VP External, VP Internal, VP Finance, and President. Position descriptions and nomination forms are attached. These are due in the mailbox (B-101 Shatner 4th floor) on Monday, March 28, 2011 at 18:00. Please submit a hard copy of your platform (300 words), as well as the nomination form. Platforms must also be emailed to president@irsam.ca. All applicants must be paid members of IRSAM to run. For more information on each portfolio, please attend this Tuesday’s meeting. Speeches will be held on Tuesday, March 29 at the weekly meeting. For questions, please contact Vassili Bazinas at president@irsam.ca.

4.1 McMUN 2012 Secretariat
Congratulations to the McMUN 2012 Secretariat!

1. Chargé d’Affaires: Mickaela Nixon
2. USG Committee Affairs: Matias Cava
3. USG Finance: Arjun Gogia
4. USG Chief of Staff: Justin Roy
5. USG Operations: Julien Celestino (aka: Dikembe)
6. Director of Public Relations: Aditya Swarup

4.2 McMUN 2012 Deputy Applications extended
McMUN 2012 is looking for deputies! If you are hard-working, ambitious, and want to be a part of the 12-member team that organizes the continent’s largest and most professional conference for MUN, this is your chance! There are 4 positions available, 3 under the USG Committees portfolio and the other under the Public Relations portfolio. You will find more information in the attached application about the duties and responsibilities of each and can contact the Secretary General, Nir Kumar (contact info below), if you have any questions or concerns. The application is due no later than 10.00 PM on Tuesday, March 22nd via email to sg@mcmun.org. Don’t miss out!

5.1 Delegations Trips
IRSAM is looking into sending representatives to conferences on the weekend of April 1st through 3rd. The first, NYUMUNC, is a nascent conference put on by New York University, held in New York City on April 1st through 3rd (info available at http://www.nyumunc.org/) The second being West Point Security Conference, held at West Point Military Academy that same weekend (info available at http://www.dean.usma.edu/departments/sosh/Conferences/wpsc/WPSC/default.html) which is in West Point New York, and not NYC. The final, FCMUN, is held in rural Massachusetts at Mount Holyoke University. Information for this can be found at http://fcmun.org/ and this conference is also happening the same weekend (there’s a reason I’m picking these three for that weekend)

The entire cost of each of these conferences will have to be borne by delegates, with costs ranging from $140 to $320. For more information or to sign up, please contact our VP Delegations, Robert Townley, at delegations@irsam.ca.

6.1 IRSAM Bake Sale
This Wednesday IRSAM will be holding a bake sale in the leacock lobby! If you’d like to bake something, please let Ilana know (internal@irsam.ca) what you are bringing. Otherwise don’t forget to stop by the table for a tasty home-made treat!

6.2 Yearbook
Remember that time at SSUNS…? That IRSAM meeting when you met so-and-so for the first time? Want to remember these moments forever? Order your IRSAM yearbook and you can! Yearbooks will cost $5-8 dollars (exact price TBA), and if you order one now, you’ll get it before exams. Please place your order to Ilana (internal@irsam.ca) by Wednesday, March 23 to keep your IRSAM 2010-11 memories forever!

SO FAR THERE HAVE NOT BEEN ENOUGH YEARBOOK ORDERS FOR US TO PRINT ONE. If you want there to be a yearbook, ORDER YOURS TODAY!

On that note, if you have any pictures from conferences, delegations trips, external projects, or even just a regular meeting and you want to see your photos in the yearbook, please send them to internal@irsam.ca by March 23rd.

McMUN 2012 Deputy Application (DOCX)

IRSim Application (DOCX)

President Nomination Form (DOC)

VP Delegations Nomination Form (DOC)

VP External Nomination Form (DOC)

VP Internal Nomination Form (DOC)

VP Finance Nomination Form (DOC)