reflection week fourteen

This week was consumed with the making of the video for the major simulation. Following our discussion of Ethical Realism, which made for an enjoyable train-ride-read, my main focus was upon wrapping up research and figuring our what we would do for our presentation. As McDonald's, our group's initial worry was that none of us particularly liked eating at the corporation that we were representing; however, we quickly realized that it was just that: a corporation, a world wide company. We need not particularly concern ourselves with our opinions of the food that they produced, simply that they produced food and stimulated business globally. We found that thinking in terms of a global corporation was easier said than done as some of the presented topics really only applied only to sovereign governments. We found this out after researching each topic, but it made narrowing down those which we found most important easier.

I think that so far, the simulations are going quite well. Each group's videos present the necessary information - their opinions on global economic policies for aiding in reducing poverty - while still having a less formal / more amusing aspect to them. I like the set up of this simulation better with each group having the opportunity to ask questions (including follow up, if appropriate, which I think is important to receiving a clear, comprehensive answer). I anxiously await the time in which we are able to deliberate flat out upon which policies are best and (hopefully!) come to an agreement upon those that are most important and should be enacted. My only fear though is that some groups will be unwilling to compromise/budge on certain aspects that we do not all agree upon; is this a consensus or a simple majority? Are certain groups required in the majority for certain policies to be added to the list? For example, monetary funding from the EU and through McDonald's restaurants being established are necessary in many cases to fund any of the other projects that the more impoverished countries wish to establish. Do they need our backing?