Princeton University

Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation 2010

September 2nd, 2009 Dear Prospective Delegates, On behalf of the Princeton University International Relations Council, I would like to invite you to our seventh annual Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation Conference – PICSim 2010 – to be held from February 25th to February 28th on the scenic campus of Princeton University. PICSim is not your typical Model UN conference. While MUN committees tend to work in isolation, with each committee acting independent of the others, PICSim committees are completely interactive and crisis driven , simulating the real world as closely as possible. A crisis room of Princeton IRC staff develops situations for delegates to handle and facilitates communication between committees. Decisions made by one committee affect everyone else, and there are an unlimited number of directions the conference can take. PICSim 2010 will be focused on Greater Central Asia . At the geographical heart of the simulation stands Afghanistan, historically a "graveyard of empires." Today, President Obama has hung his hat on rebuilding a democratic Afghanistan and defeating al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Farther south, India and Pakistan continue their tense, nuclear-armed standoff while both states deal with their own terror threats. And to the north, Iran steams determinedly towards a nuclear bomb while neighbors and great powers contemplate how to handle Tehran's intransigence. As of this letter's writing, Tehran is also cracking down on pro-reform protestors, adding a human rights dimension to the picture. Many of the events in this region carry great meaning for great power relationships. What's more, great powers and smaller states alike face similar questions of democracy, terrorism, realist power calculations, and even economic recovery. Our crisis staff is hard at work preparing this innovative idea, and I have to say that I'm quite jealous of the delegates who will get to immerse themselves in these timely and challenging questions that will confront all students of foreign policy. On our website (www.picsim.org), you will find a tentative conference schedule, a list of frequently asked questions, and a preliminary roster of committees that we hope will give you the most challenging and enjoyable simulation possible. We may reevaluate the list of committees as developments in the region warrant, so please keep checking our website for updates, as well as further information regarding registration, accommodations, and other parts of our conference. Not a day goes by that I don't get more excited about PICSim 2010. I hope that you can join us for what has become known as the best and most innovative collegiate crisis simulation in the country . And of course, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. Along with the entire board and staff of PICSim 2010, I look forward to meeting all of you this February in Princeton! Yours sincerely, Brian Lipshutz ’12 Chairman of the Board PICSim 2010

Brian Lipshutz ’12 Chairman of the Board PICSim 2010