What we do
The International Relations Council at Carleton is a group of students who each year collect to explore the realm of contemporary international issues. The members usually come from diverse backgrounds and majors and share an interest in the workings of national and international institutions that move our world forward. The IRC prides itself on being student-initiated and student-led, and for this reason we operate without faculty advisors for our programs. The IRC has had great success in past years, and is recognized as one of the premier student groups on campus. Council members involve themselves in the community and on the Carleton Campus through discussions, forums, and programs, and the level of success that has been seen throughout the history of the IRC stems largely from students' commitment to the issues and the sense of community and tradition that is passed on from alumni to present students. The IRC welcomes all Carleton students regardless of experience or class, and seeks to encourage involvement in the arena of global affairs for all interested students.
The structure of the IRC is fairly simple. Each spring, elections are held to determine leadership positions for the following year, and officers usually begin working on agendas and programs immediately following elections. The IRC officer positions include two Co-Directors, a Treasurer, and a Secretary. Membership in the organization is not formal or binding; students usually attend meetings at the beginning of the year and later find themselves involved in one of the IRC's many programs.
The programs that the IRC undertakes are intended to educate the student body and also prepare it for future endeavors in international relations. Student-led discussions are one tool that the Council uses to accomplish its goals. Most IRC discussions are facilitated by a member of the IRC with a personal experience or high level of familiarity with the issue. Past discussions have focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the role of America in the post-Cold War era, etc. This year we hope to increase the number of internal discussions that take place within the IRC.
The opportunities that the IRC offers the Carleton student body are many, and we urge all members to make the International Relations Council an integral part of their Carleton experience. This handbook expounds on the aforementioned programs in detail and includes a great deal of information and resources of which we hope members of the IRC will take advantage. So without further ado, welcome to the Carleton College International Relations Council.
The program that the IRC spends most of its time and energy on is its participation in Model United Nations conferences. Each year, the IRC sponsors three or four teams which travel around the country and the world to participate in the premier conferences on the MUN circuit. Carleton has an international reputation at these conferences, and we will continue this tradition in years to come. A large portion of this handbook is devoted to preparing the IRC for these conferences, and we hope that IRC members find it helpful when researching and preparing for the conferences.