Princeton University

Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation 2009

September 14th, 2008 Dear Delegates, On behalf of the Princeton University International Relations Council, I would like to invite you to our sixth annual Princeton Interactive Crisis Simulation Conference – PICSim 2009 – to be held from February 26th to March 1st on the beautiful campus of Princeton University. PICSim is far from a traditional Model UN conference. While MUN committees tend to work in isolation, each committee oblivious to the actions of the others, PICSim committees are completely interactive and crisis driven , simulating the real world as closely as possible. Decisions made by one committee affect everyone else, and there are an unlimited number of directions the conference can take. PICSim 2009 will be focused on Eastern Europe . This fascinating region of the world, which I promise we decided on well before the most recent situation in Georgia developed, encompasses critical areas such as the Balkans (the historical “powder keg” of Europe, if you will) and the former Soviet republics. Though its historical significance alone is enough to merit studying this region, Eastern Europe is once again occupying the front pages of the world’s newspapers, making it the perfect choice for PICSim’s innovative crisis simulation. What with the expansion of the European Union, Kosovo’s declaration of independence, and the continuing aftermath of the fall of the USSR, there is no better time to explore this exciting part of the world. As delegates you will act in national cabinets and as a few non-state actors (rebel groups, NGOs, private economic interests, terrorists, etc.) to tackle the issues of Eastern Europe head on, hopefully finding creative ways to advance your national interests while at the same time cooperating with others to resolve issues that come up – though we all know that no crisis simulation is complete without a little conflict too. On this website, you will find a preliminary selection of committees that we think will create the most exciting simulation given the current geopolitical situation. Due to the continually shifting politics of the area, however, we will probably be shifting the committee selection accordingly as the year goes on. Please keep checking this website for updates as well as further information regarding registration, accommodations, and more. I am extremely excited about PICSim 2009 and hope that you can join us for what has become known as the best collegiate crisis simulation in the country . And of course, please feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. I look forward to seeing you in February! Yours sincerely, Kyle Trombley ’11 Chairman of the Board PICSim 2009

Kyle Trombley ’11 Chairman of the Board PICSim 2009