Joint Crisis Committee

JCC 1: Eastern Bloc

The Berlin Wall comprised not a single wall, but two distinct barriers. Spanning 155 kilometers (96 miles) in length and standing at a height of four meters (13 feet), these walls were divided by a heavily fortified and mined strip of land referred to as the 'death strip.'This perilous area was under continuous monitoring by armed East German border guards who had the authority to use lethal force against individuals trying to flee into West Berlin.On 9 November 1989, after a mass protest in West Berlin, the first piece of the Berlin Wall fell. The pressure on the government of East Germany and the Eastern Bloc forced them to make concessions, which ultimately led to this historic event. Although the Cold War seemed to have no end in sight, this new development in Europe changed things. Now a Western victory is looking imminent, as breaking down the wall had been one of the longstanding objectives that they believed would demoralize the Eastern bloc and lead to its demise.

 As the Eastern Bloc, a crisis is imminent. Our iron curtain is falling, and people are trying to leave our socialist society to intermingle with Westerns. This cannot stand. Our values are being eroded, and to the international community, it looks like our strength is faltering. This cannot stand. We want to strengthen the people’s belief in the power of socialism, and the strength of the East. Our goal is to secure the border, diffuse the situation with the West. We need restore people's faith in socialism, strengthen our information cycles, and show the world our might.

JCC 2: Western Bloc

On 9 November 1989, after a mass protest in West Berlin, the first piece of the Berlin Wall fell. The pressure on the government of East Germany and the Eastern Bloc forced them to make concessions, which ultimately led to this historic event. Although the Cold War seemed to have no end in sight, this new development in Europe changed things. Now a Western victory is looking imminent, as breaking down the wall had been one of the longstanding objectives that they believed would demoralize the Eastern bloc and lead to its demise. 

As the Western bloc, we are encouraged to see the massive civilian movement dismantling the Berlin Wall. Germanic reunification has been a long-standing struggle of the Western bloc, and with this symbolic victory, the West is hopeful for a triumphant end to the Cold War. We believe that if Germany can truly be reunified, other Eastern European regimes will collapse and the Iron Curtain can finally fall. Our goal is to peacefully reunite Germany and take advantage of the momentum to end the Cold War.

Katya Anikeev is a Sophomore in the honors program, majoring in Political Science and Applied Data Analysis. They joined UCMUN in 2023, as an assistant director of Ad hoc. Katya works in research, and is currently seeking a grant for their own research on anti-communism in the USA. They are also involved in Geography Club, Honors for Diversity, and the Slavic Cultural Society. Outside of academics and clubs, Katya enjoys reading, backpacking, drinking iced lattes, and listening to music, especially Nirvana, Kino, and Type O Negative. They are looking forward to seeing everyone at the conference, and working together to figure out what to do after the fall of the Berlin wall.

Anna Johnson is a UConn sophomore and a second year at UCMUN, she is majoring in Molecular and Cell Biology. She participated heavily in Model Un during high school, she was the undersecretary-general for two years and won several awards at conferences her high school attended. Outside of Model UN, Anna is involved in Igem, UConn's book club, and enjoys rock climbing at the gym. She also enjoys reading, skiing, and exploring Connecticut. Anna is extremely excited to make Model UN as engaging for the delegates as Model UN was for her, as well as instilling important skills in public speaking, collaboration, and research. You can reach her with any questions or concerns at anna.e.johnson@uconn.edu