Make Love Not War: The UN at 60 |
[ Français ] |
24 October 2005
Oped by Kate White, Executive Director of UNA-Canada
I had the pleasure of addressing two very different groups of people
on matters related to the United Nations and its reform last week. The
first was a group whose average age was probably pretty close to eighty.
These Canadians, members of the World Federalists, came out on a windy,
rainy Tuesday evening in late October because many of them knew first
hand about the excitement about the nascent hopefulness around the creation
of the United Nations after the "war to end all wars". They
had also certainly been touched, personally, by the real losses of war.
I was energized and humbled by their commitment to "see to"
the continuing development of the United Nations, and importantly, they
were taking personal responsibility, far away from New York or Geneva
or Nairobi, for the United Nations and its future.
My second encounter was with a class of graduate journalism students.
With an average age about 60 years younger that my first audience: these
young Canadians, were, in their way - perhaps more removed, more jaded
- as interested as my octogenarian champions in what the future held
for the United Nations.
Who I missed, of course, were representatives of the generation who
exhorted all to "make love, not war"; the boomers who were
so committed, it seemed, to active peace and their role in making it
happen. Many of them, it turns out, have. But why aren't we hearing
more from them on issues of the future of the UN and global issues?
While they have raised the class of young grad students and are finding
ways to support their octogenarian parents in an exhausting dance -
they must continue to show their support of the UN as it lumbers towards
exactly the world they idealistically envisioned in their own students
days.
The UN is not perfect. We have heard even this weekend in excerpts from
Stephen Lewis's book of its politicization, its failures. Let us not
forget what is best about the institution - Lewis's very expectations
that it ought to be better; best, even. This is the world's highest
bar - and as it should be. The UN represents what we all aspire to,
as did those war weary souls sixty years ago. And let us remember the
pivotal role that Canadians played in the creation of this vessel of
hopefulness - and continue to play.
This week, on the sixtieth anniversary of the UN, Canadians should proudly
reflect their contributions in exhorting the institution to be the best
the world has. From those on the very active Canadian delegation, scribes
who helped draft the words of the Charter: "We the peoples of the
United Nations . ." ; John Humphrey so active in the crafting of
the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, through Lester Bowles
Pearson, whose innovation of peacekeeping celebrates 50 years next year,
to today's active players, certainly Stephen Lewis, but also Louise
Fréchette, the accomplished Deputy Secretary General, and Louise
Arbour. And this doesn't begin the list of exemplary Canadians who have
served as our ambassadors to the UN or as senior - or even junior -
men and women, who have served Canada and the United Nations in so many
ways for the past sixty years. Canadians have invested sweat, tears,
creativity and strength into this institution.
But where are we now? First, we should be euphoric at the endorsement
of Responsibility to Protect (R2P) a sort of right of humanitarian intervention.
R2P forms the basis for collective action against genocide, ethnic cleansing
and crimes against humanity. It compels action where states cannot or
will not protect their own citizens. Where are the celebrations for
this, following the acceptance of the principle by the reform Summit
in September? This is an extraordinary contribution to peace and global
welfare by Canadians. Every citizen should know about this; every school
child its importance. Let us celebrate ourselves. It seems that everyone
else is now taking ownership - as they should of a good idea - but not
at the expense of Lloyd Axworthy, and the officials and academics and
civil society who did the years of hard work to change hard hearts to
the real politik of R2P.
Secondly, we have also seen, through Canadian research published last
week by the Liu Centre, that the work of the United Nations at peacekeeping
and peacebuilding has had a profoundly positive effect, reducing the
number of violent conflicts in the world by over 40% since 1992. This
is a profound change, a ground change, that is saving lives; building
livelihoods and creating the future the UN's founders could only dream
of. Canada is also supporting the UN through hosting the Health Ministers
from 30 countries this week in Ottawa, in support of the WHO and global
health security. Let us celebrate this and Canada's role in international
development, focused on building capacity at the local level in communities,
building "civil society" strengths, privileges and responsibilities.
Finally, from celebrating to planning. What is our contribution to be
now? We must continue to give R2P the on-going boost it will need to
get broad acceptance. We must continue to support the institution -
and teach young Canadians about the power of dreams of peace - and citizen
action and responsibility. I'd like to propose that Canada take leadership
on the proposed Peacebuilding Commission. Since Pearson's innovative
peacekeeping 50 years ago next spring, Canadians have identified themselves
through peacekeeping and peacemaking. Let us work on the intellectual
framework for the Commission. Let us offer to host the institution in
Canada and contribute - real funds over the long run - to seeing it
implemented and taking risks toward creating the kind of peace invested
in that Charter sixty years ago today.
To do so, we'll need the commitment of young and old, and the recommitment
of those boomers whose mantra "make love, not war", is, in
its fragile way, working.
Kate White
Executive Director
United Nations Association in Canada
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Ascendant Publishing
