16th World Wide Open Discussion Forum: Is International Military Intervention Ever Ethically Justified?
The 16th World Wide Open Discussion Forum was held on 28th May 2023 under the ALAGS Young Leaders Initiative. The topic of the forum was "International military intervention: is it ever ethically justified?" The forum was free of cost and was held in English.
The forum was attended by students from different parts of the country, with a variety of backgrounds and interests. Some were passionate about debating, writing, and public speaking. Others were interested in sustainable fashion and climate change. All of the participants were eager to learn more about the complex issue of international military intervention and to share their own perspectives.
The forum was moderated by Mr. Sparsh Sumani, then a Cambridge A Level Student, and Ms. Mitee Aggarwal, an Economics Student.
To boost the critical thinking abilities of the participants and to assess their quick decision-making abilities, a mock crisis situation was introduced. The participants were divided into groups and asked to come up with a plan of action to deal with the crisis. The forum included a discussion on the lessons learned from the mock crisis situation. The participants agreed that it was a valuable exercise that helped them to better understand the complex challenges of international military intervention.
Some participants argued that it is better to let a new government govern a country than to have further instability in the region. They also argued that every government evolves over time and that the new government will eventually learn to govern efficiently. While, Other participants disagreed, arguing that international military intervention is sometimes necessary to prevent human rights abuses or to stop genocide. They also argued that the long-term effects of intervention must be carefully considered.
One participant, raised the following question:
The speaker claimed that interventions can be prevented by forming international alliances in the country facing internal conflict. Could the speaker back their claim by explaining how this would prevent interventions as the USA, an ally of south Vietnam intervened against North Vietnam, leading to 400,000 civilian deaths.
This question was discussed by the other participants, who had different opinions on the matter. Some participants argued that international alliances can indeed help to prevent interventions, as they can deter other countries from intervening in a country that is already allied with a powerful country. However, other participants argued that international alliances are not always effective in preventing interventions, as there are many factors that can influence a country's decision to intervene, such as its own national interests and the perceived threat posed by the conflict.
The participants agreed that there is no easy answer to this question, and that the effectiveness of international alliances in preventing interventions depends on a variety of factors. However, they also agreed that it is important to continue to discuss this issue in order to find ways to prevent unnecessary and harmful interventions.
The forum was a valuable opportunity for the participants to learn more about the complex issue of international military intervention and to share their own perspectives. It was also a chance for them to practice their critical thinking and decision-making skills in a simulated crisis situation. The participants all agreed that the forum was a worthwhile experience and that they had learned a lot.
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