The members of the 2013 class of the St. Albans School of Public Service are currently involved in a crisis simulation. They have been divided into four "countries": China, Belgium, the Democratic Republic of Congo ("DRC"), and South Africa, and given a scenario of a [simulated] foreign policy crisis. In this scenario, China hacked into Belgian governmental records that contained digitized colonial-era maps of valuable mineral deposits in the DRC. Shortly after this was discovered, there were violent attacks on Congolese mines. The culprits appear to be South African mercenaries working for aggressive South African private mining interests . . . but could there be a Chinese connection? Below, the countries plan, negotiate, and make public statements about the crisis.
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| From left: Max, Kate, and Kevin |
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| Madame Isabel G., spokeswoman for Belgium, and translater Monsieur Grady W. |
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| China's spokesman, Jim H., was forceful yet diplomatic |
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| In the Belgian situation room (from left): Tyler, Samantha, and Spencer |
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| From left: Nick, Cici, and Matt E. |
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| South African diplomats (from left): Stefano, Rachel, and Ryan make their points in a bilateral negotiation with China |
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| The Sarah Summit! From left: Sarah K., Sarah I., Sararose G. |
