About This Lesson
Use the following hypothetical simulation from Model Diplomacy to spark discussion and help students to think through what they would do if they were decision-makers.
Learning Goals
Students will understand that some foreign policy choices have no perfect option because all options involve costs and uncertainties.
The Situation
At the start of a new term in 2021, the U.S. president wrestles with whether to withdraw troops from Afghanistan, even though doing so would increase the risk of a Taliban takeover.
About
Model Diplomacy is a free simulation program that invites students, educators, and professionals to step into the roles of decision-makers in the U.S. National Security Council (NSC) or UN Security Council (UNSC). Model Diplomacy simulations help students develop critical thinking, persuasive speaking and writing, and collaboration skills, all while giving them hands-on experience grappling with the challenges of our modern, globalized world.
CFR Education is an initiative within the Council on Foreign Relations that aims to make complex foreign policy and international issues accessible for middle, high school, and college students through its educational products: World101, Model Diplomacy, and Convene the Council.