Four students from the Bachelor’s program in International Studies at Universidad ORT Uruguay in a mock negotiation organized by the Organization of American States (OAS). This was a practical opportunity to apply the knowledge they have gained during their studies in areas such as international law, regional integration, and negotiation.
The central theme of this year's event was the role of young people in addressing the challenges posed by COVID-19 in the Americas. The students, representing countries assigned by the organization, discussed innovative proposals to address this issue.
The exercise, known as the OAS General Assembly Model (MOEA), simulates the General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS ). It took place online on August 13 and 14, 2020. Students and universities from across Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the event.
Representing ORT—the only Uruguayan university to participate—were Mathias Calabuig, Camila Gómez, Micaela Sacchetti, and Gonzalo Ramírez, students in the course “International Institutions,” taught by Professor Agustín Espinosa in collaboration with teaching assistant Ronald Trenchi. As part of this course, a negotiation simulation based on the negotiation processes of international organizations is held every year.
“The models of international organizations offer students a unique opportunity to apply the knowledge they have gained during their undergraduate studies, such as international law, international institutions, regional integration, research design, and international negotiation techniques,” Trenchi noted.
The ORT students prepared their positions to represent Panama and the Bahamas on the topics assigned to them. The Panama group focused on the impact of the pandemic on the education system, while the Bahamas group focused on the healthcare system.
The students presented the policies implemented by both countries and proposed ideas for addressing the challenges posed by the pandemic.
“The Bahamas is facing this situation much more severely than Uruguay due to factors such as the hurricane season and its almost total dependence on tourism, among others. So I believe that the most important thing I took away from the model—and all the prior research—was the ability to empathize a little more with a much more complex reality,” said student Micaela Sachetti.
“The two-day simulation began with an opening ceremony during which each delegation delivered its statement. We were then divided into six working groups to discuss the various topics. Within those groups, we debated each delegation’s proposals and then agreed on the wording of a single draft resolution,” said student Mathias Calabuig.
During the simulation, students had to deliver speeches, negotiate with other countries, propose and draft resolutions, and finally debate in the OAS Permanent Council.
“This is where we learn that our knowledge and actions can indeed help us make the world a better place,” said Camila Gómez.
“These activities demonstrate the importance and necessity of putting what we’ve learned in our degree program into practice,” added Gómez. “It is here that we students can truly appreciate the importance of what we’ve learned.”