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The Academic Forum for Foreign Affairs (AFA) is the Austrian non-partisan organization
for young people, students and graduates interested in international issues.
The Mission
In times when solutions to political and economic as well as social and ecological problems can no longer be solved within the national frameworks, when integration and globalization are leading paradigms, young people are expected to be dynamic and open-minded.
The AFA was founded in 1991 after the model of its predecessor organizations, which had its roots back to the times after World War I, and since then has tried to face these challenges.
AFA and UN
Being also the United Nations Youth and Student Association of Austria, AFA is at the same time the independent youth branch of the Foreign Policy and United Nations Association of Austria (UNA-AUSTRIA). Therefore, AFA has committed itself to the spirit of the Charta of the United Nations and understands itself as a link between the UN and the youth.
AFA is in-corporated into a worldwide network of like-minded organizations and actively participates at the programmes of the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA). Furthermore, AFA is one of the initiators of the United Nations Youth Associations Network (UNYANET) founded in Vienna in August 2011 on the occasion of the International Year of Youth.
AFA is represented all over Austria and has a federal structure with the AFA-AUSTRIA and its local branches in EISENSTADT, GRAZ, INNSBRUCK, KLAGENFURT, LINZ, SALZBURG and VIENNA.
Since 2006 AFA is member of the Austrian National Youth Council, the legal institution of the Republic of Austria for the representation of the youth to the political decision makers.
Activities
In the frame of single events or projects every year about 200 different activities are taking place all over Austria, devoted to the most diverse international topics.
§ Lectures, Discussions, Seminars and Workshops
§ Visits to Embassies and other International Institutions
§ Excursions and Study Trips
§ Participation at International Conferences
§ Rhetoric Trainings ("Debating Club")
§ UN Simulations ("Model United Nations")
§ Information Activities at Schools ("UN and Schools")
§ Publication of the Magazine GLOBAL VIEW
§ Special Projects
§ Informal Meetings ("Social Activities")
Following the international example AFA in 2004 established the first Debating Club in Vienna to train rhetoric and argumentation techniques through structured discussions. Meanwhile regularly debates are taking place at several Austrian cities. Follwing the historical example of the House of Commons of the British parliament two teams (pro/contra) verbally cross swords. In addition workshops for argumentation technique and rhetorik courses are offered.
Model United Nations
The first Vienna International Model United Nations (VIMUN), an UN-Simulation Conference for students and graduates from all over the world, was organized by AFA on the occassion of the festivities of the Austrian Federal Government for the 50-years Anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations in 1995. Since then VIMUN, as the only event of this kind worldwide taking place entirely at an UN Headquarter, has become the annual highlight of the AFA-Program.
Participants at VIMUN have the task, to take the role of a state representative and to negotiate the position of the assigned country to a previously chosen topic. VIMUN should give participants the opportunity to open the window to the UN and to obtain a short insight into the world of diplomacy. It provides the possibility to get acquainted with the working procedures of the United Nations and to get in contact with about 250 participants from almost 40 different nations.
Since 2010 the Vienna Schools' Model United Nations (VSMUN) annually takes place for students from 17 to 18 years of age in german language. The Vienna International Historic Model United Nations (HISTOMUN) which has been held for three times simulated past UN Security Council Meetings. At the Vienna MUN Club (VMC) smaler simulations take place for the purpose of training. Furthermore, delegations with AFA Members participate at Model United Nations in other countries.
Global Advancement Programme (GAP)
GAP is a support programme of AFA-VIENNA for students, who qualify themselves by extraordinary engagement. With this programm "promissing heads" have the opportunity to visit an extra university course in addition to their theoretical studies. This course contains practical experiences from personnalities out of politics, economy and society.
Special Projects
AFA Members have the opportunity to bring in their own ideas for projects which could be realized in the frame of AFA. Since several years for example the "Sustainable Future Campaign" deals with the issue of sustainability in all aspects through various events. Sometimes also collections of donations are beeing organized as 2010 "AFA HELPS HAITI" and "AFA HELPS PAKISTAN".
During the last years several special projects were successfully finished such as the "Student Initiative for Security Policy Research (SISPR)", the "International Negotiations Training Group (INTNEG)" or the "Stop Child Trafficking Campaign".
GLOBAL VIEW
The by AFA in co-operation with the Foreign Policy and United Nations Association of Austria (UNA-AUSTRIA) published magazine GLOBAL VIEW understands itself as an information and discussion platform for students and personalities of the “Foreign Affairs Establishment” and provides authors with the opportunity to publish foreign and world political topics.
Partners
The financing of the activities of AFA happens through funding from the public sector, through partnerships with interested private companies and membership fees.
At many events AFA counts on the co-operation with other institutions.
Membership and AFA-Team
AFA has got about 4000 members in Austria and about 2500 interested people all over the world. The membership at AFA is open to all interested persons up to the age of 35.
All activities and projects of AFA are being organized by about 150 active members and are conducted on a voluntary basis.
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