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Any exchange program is an important vehicle of enhancing cooperation and understanding between two nations.

This program will promote good relations between Canada, by Concordia University students, more precisely by the Concordia Model United Nations organization (hereinafter "CONMUN"), and Romania, by a political party: Social Democracy Party of Romania (hereinafter "PDSR").

Globalization and awareness for our fellow countries and cultures is crucial to international politics; this is the reason why we will create a forum, a bridge between two worlds.

In today's rapid changing international context, there is the need to build such awareness.

This program will widen our horizons for understanding and having a live experience in another part of the world.

A) Why start the program?

It encourages a free and open exchange of views about complex, cultural, political and economic issues of the modern world.

We live in rapidly changing, interdependent societies and the reason why we need the program is to build awareness.

It is in our mutual interest to develop such a program that promotes mutual understanding and widens our horizons between the West and the East, bringing them together.

This program will bring more knowledge, more reason, and more compassion for world affairs for the students of CONMUN and the parliamentarians from Romania.

The teams will expend on practical workshops by working with the community at large.

Taking into account what the CONMUN President, Benoit Charron said in his letter towards his friends: "The CONMUN Team acted as 'ambassadors of good will for the university'", this program offers the opportunity to be ambassadors of the university as well as ambassadors of the city and of the country.

B) What is CONMUN?

Concordia Model United Nations is a student run organization at Concordia University that participates in authentic simulations of the U. N. General Assembly, the U. N. Security Council or other multilateral bodies that put students into a world of diplomacy and negotiation. In Model U. N., students assume the roles of ambassadors of U. N. member states to debate current issues on the Organization's vast agenda. The students, better known as "delegates" in Model U. N. prepare draft resolutions, plot strategies, negotiate with supporters and adversaries and resolve conflicts in the interest of mobilizing "international cooperation" to resolve problems that affect almost every country on Earth.

Model U. N. delegates look closely at the needs, aspirations, and the foreign policy of the country they are representing at the specific conference. The insights they gain from their exploration of history, geography, mathematics, culture, economics, and politics contribute to the authenticity of the simulation.

Model U. N. encourages the development of skills useful throughout student's lives, such as: research, writing, public speaking, problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution, compromise and cooperation skills.

The popularity of Model U. N. has contributed to the rapid growth of this activity over several decades, and today more than 200,000 high school and college/university students participate in Model U. N. each year.

Through diplomacy and negotiation, Model U. N. students seek ways which the world community can deal with complex global concerns such as the environment, economic development, refugees, AIDS, conflict resolution, disarmament and human rights.

In the last academic year, CONMUN participated at five national conferences: Washington D. C., Chicago-Illinois, Montreal-Quebec, Boston-Massachusetts and Charlottesville-Virginia. This academic year, the conferences that are planed are in Washington D. C., Philadelphia-Pennsylvania, Montreal-Quebec, Boston-Massachusetts and Charlottesville-Virginia.

C) Who is PDSR?

The Social Democracy Party of Romania was set up in 1992 under the name of Democratic Front of the National Salvation (FDSN) by the detachment of a majority wing from the Front of National Salvation (FSN). The present name dates since July of 1993 after DFNS merged with the Republican Party, the Cooperative Party and the Socialist Democratic Party.

The Political Program of PDSR defines itself as being a modern, center-left, social-democratic Party, with European vocation. The Party set up its program and political action on the ideas and fundamental principles of European social democracy.

PDSR is a deeply devoted democratic Party that disagrees with any authoritarian and extremist vision.

The essence of PDSR doctrine lies in the synthesis of political, social and economic democracy. PDSR action is connected with the principles and fundamental values of modern social democracies: freedom, human dignity and solidarity, equality of chances, warrant of human rights, respect towards property, social justice.

After being the governing Party between 1992 and 1996, PDSR became, after the elections of 1996, the main Party in opposition.

Regarding foreign policy, PDSR utters for Romania integration in NATO and European Union. During the period when PDSR was the governing Party, Romania became member of the Council of Europe, signed the Program "Partnership for Peace" and addressed the official application of joining European Union. PDSR coordinated the drawing up of a National Strategy of preparation of Romania adhesion to European Union, which associated all parliamentary Parties.

The President of the Party is Ion Iliescu and the First-Vice-President is Adrian Nastase.

Mr. Ion Iliescu was President of Romania from 1990 to 1992 and from 1992 to 1996.

D) What is PDSR offering to CONMUN?

CONMUN would meet the politicians of Romania in person, not through the media, TV, radio, newspapers, and not through the World Wide Web.

The CONMUN team will attend one conference of the party and at least one of the weekly meetings of the Party.

A small encounter with the politicians will be available also in order to answer CONMUN's questions.

The members of the Party that we would have the opportunity to meet are practitioners, real politicians faced with real problems. There are no virtual games, as the conferences that CONMUN is used to. It is real politics.

A tour of the parliament and the possibility of attending one of the parliament's sessions will show the CONMUN team a part of the democratization process that took place in Romania.

A meeting with the officials of Romania from Montreal will be organized as well in order to answer CONMUN's questions.

E) What is CONMUN offering to PDSR?

The PDSR team will attend at least one weekly meeting of CONMUN, one conference in itself and at least one meeting of the Executive Body of CONMUN. In the meetings, the guests will not have the privilege of voting. They will be observers.

Romania was faced with the challenges of democratic governance, after the 1989 revolution. Canada, being a democratic nation, may bring into light some aspects of this political system.

Concordia as a university must be involved. By this I mean, meeting the Chair of the Political Science Department and certain professors and scholars that are involved in local and national politics. The meeting will have the format of a symposium.

PDSR would attend McMUN's 2001 conference (McGill Model United Nations conference) in January of 2001 as distinguished guests.

Our guests would be staying in Canada for approximately 2 weeks in total.

It is to their benefit that they participate in Canadian public and university events for the purpose of enlarging their views and ideas about the different levels of Canadian social and political life.

F) Specifics

The receiving party provides translators.

The receiving party supports the fee of the conference attended.

It also ensures accommodations and food.

The participants must, however, ensure air-fair costs themselves.

The teams formed for the exchange program would be formed of 10 people.

G) Clarifications for CONMUN

The program is open to all Concordia students. However, priority is given to the members of CONMUN. There will be limited number of places available. Acceptance in the program will be based on applications, personal knowledge of Romania, pragmatism of the individual, high self-control, and the ability to be able to deal with unexpected circumstances.

Written invitation from CONMUN and Concordia University for the Romanian Consulate and the Canadian Embassy in Bucharest will be required in order to speed the process of acquiring visas for the PDSR team.

It is to the benefit of CONMUN and its members to participate to such a program in order to acquire experience and an opening to a different world, a changed world from Eastern Europe, to the international and national politics of that country. It is not a radical, extremist party that is not in any way associated with communist institutions. They are advocates of democracy and represent democratic values in Romania.

H) Budget and sponsors

The avenues of funding we are pursuing include the Federal as well as the Provincial governments of Canada and respectively of Quebec, Montreal City Hall, the Rector as well as the Vice-Rector of Concordia University, the Dean of Arts and Sciences Faculty, Concordia University Political Science Department, the Political Science Student Association, Concordia Student Union, Concordia Exchange Programs, Montreal Urban Community Transit Corporation, Canadian International Development Agency and other independent companies.

Main Coordinator:                                                                           Alexandru Popp

Concordia Coordinator:                                                                   Alexandru Popp

PDSR Coordinators:                                                                       Constantin Craciun
                                                                                                        Marius Iepan

CONMUN Executive Liaison Officer to Alexandru Popp:                   Mike Vicentijevic

Chief Advisor to Alexandru Popp:                                                    Mike Vicentijevic

Concordia Model United Nations Executive Body

President:                                               Benoit Charron

Vice President External:                           Mike Vicentijevic

Vice President Internal:                            Rick Fillippone

Vice President Finance:                           Catherine Letendre

Vice President Fundraising:                      Melanie Anestis

Vice President Administration:                  Myriam Cobo

Central Executive Board of Social Democracy Party of Romania

President:                                  Ion Iliescu

First Vice-President:                  Adrian Nastase

Vice-Presidents:                        Dan Ioan Popescu
                                                Hildegard Puwak
                                                Sorin Oprescu
                                                Rodica St�noiu
                                                Ioan Mircea Pascu

Center Executive Board of PDSR, the Youth Organization

President:                                              Razvan Ionescu

First Vice-President:                              Marian Balan

Vice Presidents:                                    Mihai Tudose
                                                           Valeriu Zgonea
                                                           Simona Bucura
                                                           Dragos Nita
                                                           Maria Augusta Mos
                                                           Cristian Pascal
                                                           Domitian Covaci

Executive Secretary:                             Nicolae Vonica