Rules of parliamentary procedure 
Robert's Rules of Order demonstration video:

Topics for the 4th Sydney Model Global Parliament may include:
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  • Human Rights
  • International Security
  • The Environment
  • Reform of the UN
  • Nuclear Issues

Some questions which might be debated by the MGP include:
1. Human Rights
  • What standards should be observed in the treatment of refugees in offshore detention centres?
  • Should Australia do more to aid and/or resettle refugees worldwide?
  • What measures should be taken to increase gender equality globally?
  • What should be done to eliminate human trafficking?
2. International Security
  • What more should Australia do to enhance international security and/or its own security?
  • Should Australia join NATO, as suggested some years ago by ex-Prime Minister Aznar of Spain, in order to enhance cooperation in gathering intelligence?
  • What role should or could a global parliament play in maintaining a peace-keeping force, ready to be deployed to conflict prone situations around the world?
  • What role should or could a global parliament play in focusing attention on environmental challenges, such as water shortages, in exacerbating causes of armed conflict?

3. Reform of the UN
  • Should Australia support the Campaign for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly?
  • What other reforms should be made to the UN?

4. Nuclear Issues
  • Should Australia accede to the Nuclear Weapons Convention?
  • Should Australia establish a repository for high-level nuclear waste, and offer to accept waste from other countries at a suitable price?
  • Should Australia build enrichment facilities for nuclear fuel?
  • Should Australia build nuclear power stations, to provide baseload electric power without adding to carbon emissions?


Warm up for the MGP

Suggestions on preparation

  • Focus on one or two topics so as not to become too overwhelmed or fragmented
  • Pose a problem to yourself stemming from agenda topics.  Ask yourself:  how can we possibly come up with a global solution that deals with this issue?  
  • Take a position and debate individually and with your group and think about the presentation you’d make to the parliament.  What motions can you derive from this?  The aim is discourse and debate with the purpose of producing outcomes or discussion points that require greater global collaboration  
  • The aim in global collaboration and interdependence.
  • Stay informed on current issues:
    o   Al Jazeera
    o   NPR news
    o   Le Monde Diplomatique
    o   The Economist
    o   Foreign Affairs
    o   Foreign Policy 
    o   China Daily  
    o   etc.
  • Reference existing global documents:
    o   UN charter
    o   ICCPR
    o   ICESCR
    o   Millenium Goals
    o   The Global Compact
    o   Interdependence Movement
    o   UDHR
    o   ICJ declarations
    o   Geneva Convention
    o   WTO
          ·   TRIPS agreement
          ·    AoA
          ·    GATT


Click on the link to get the free access to Prof. Christopher Hamer's book "A GLOBAL PARLIAMENT - Principles of World Federation" http://phys.unsw.edu.au/COURSES/GENS4008/book.html
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Some useful links

Independent Media Centre Australia article entry:

http://indymedia.org.au/2012/04/02/bob-brown-on-global-democracy-and-world-parliament 

Bob Brown advocates a global parliament: “I have trust in the common sense of seven billion people on the planet.”

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http://blog.unpacampaign.org/2013/01/bob-brown-advocates-a-global-parliament-i-have-trust-in-the-common-sense-of-seven-billion-people-on-the-planet/

The Web we want campaign:

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Live News Feeds:

Live Al Jazeera feed:
Live N.P.R. news feed:
Live Le Monde Diplomatique feed: (French)