As the leading humanitarian organization in the world, UNICEF is often one of the first responders in times of global crisis.  When natural disasters hit or political conflicts arise, UNICEF sends in people and supplies to help.

With this in mind, UNICEF of Loyola organized an Emergency Simulation that mirrors UNICEF’s lifesaving work.  During the activity, students were presented with a hypothetical global crisis, separated into task groups, and given one hour to formulate a response.

On Monday during the Emergency Simulation, students were told that Pakistan had been hit with an immense monsoon that destroyed countless homes and left thousands of people displaced.  After splitting into six task groups, students decided how to address issues such as budget, water and sanitation, child protection, communication,  and food.  With only an hour, the activity became an adrenaline-driven race to a solution.

A panel of Loyola doctoral students and UNICEF volunteers facilitated the activity, assisting students and raising issues that influenced how they made decisions.  The activity was followed by a group discussion of the social and political forces that converge in times of global crisis.  On top of that, Einstein bagels and Giordano’s Pizza were shared with all the participants.

As a political science major and sociology minor, not to mention a member of UNICEF, this activity was right up my alley.  I would encourage any student interested in global issues and social justice to attend this event in the future.