STWR - Share The World's Resources

February 2006, Dr Charles Mercieca ~ STWR

Two Alternative Choices

We learn from history that human conflicts are generally solved in one of two ways: either through healthy dialogues or through brutal wars. As far as the United Nations is concerned, all problems the world encounters should be solved through healthy dialogues. If we were to study the origin of every war that took place across every continent since World War II ended in 1945 and the United Nations came to existence, we will discover that such wars were waged by individual nations independently of the United Nations.

In view of this, it seems to be of paramount importance for this world body of nations to have more power in world affairs in the best interest of all people of all nations without exception. There should be a functional International Court of Justice to prosecute politicians that perform actions that are detrimental to society in a number of ways. Besides, the United Nation's goal of disarmament and arms control should receive top priority by every single member nation.

In addition, no corporation should be allowed to produce lethal material that is detrimental to our earthly environment and to human life in general. Above all, this world body on nations must realize that every nation should abide by the same moral laws that are meant to protect the sacredness of human life from conception to natural death. The waging of wars is an act of aggression not only against human life in all of its stages, but also against people's sacrosanct right to prosperity and peace.

The idea that a war is waged to promote democracy, stability and peace constitutes a contradiction in terms. Very shamefully, war has emerged to become a lucrative business enterprise where big and influential corporations make plenty of money and build a never-ending wealth through the infliction of atrocious pain on millions of innocent people. Quite often, this leads to the destruction of human life that would involve women, children, the elderly and the sick along with social workers that may include clergymen. In Kosovo, for example, more people were killed in just three months by NATO military forces than people were killed during the previous 50 years under Milosevic and all the way back to Tito. The military exists to wage wars and not to promote peace.

Need for United Nation's Reform

Ironically, the United Nations needs to be seriously reformed from the inside, since its real enemies are found among its member states, which tend to act independently of this world body of nations in their foreign policies. The UN Secretary-General has a very difficult job. He has to be diplomatic in the sense that he tries to be firm but without offending or alienating any of the member states. This may sound to be easier said than done since the more powerful nations do not seem to feel bound by any decision the United Nations may make, no matter how important and beneficial it may prove to be to the world at large.

When it comes to prosperity and peace, all member states of the United Nations must abide by the same rules. For example, it makes no sense at all for one nation to assume it has the right to have nuclear weapons as much as it wants while, at the same time, it demands that other nations should not have any of such weapons at all. In spite of the fact that the United States has its own surmountable problems, it remains a tangible reality that its fifty states can work independently with a separate government for each. At the same time, these fifty states can work together so harmoniously that they do feel they constitute one solid and inseparable nation.

What is the secret of this harmony and peace that we notice among these fifty states? They are all demilitarized. The idea that in the USA one state may be preparing to wage a war against another state becomes laughable because a war of such a nature is viewed to be a virtual impossibility. However, let us suppose that each state has its own military that functions independently of the military of any other of the forty nine states and that there is no such thing as a federal army. Only God knows how many wars of some kind or another might have been waged over the past 200 years. This means that the United Nation's program of disarmament and arms control should be given top priority.

From the past 6,000 years of recoded history of civilization we learn that the military, as stated earlier, serves always to wage wars and not to bring about peace. Hence, a strong United Nations that would be instrumental in bringing a genuine peace is bound to emerge only after it would succeed to implement its program of international disarmament and arms control. Maybe that educational branch of the United Nations, commonly known as UNESCO, could take the initiative to promote programs that are meant to educate government officials and to enlighten their minds. Such programs may be viewed as philosophical, psychological, sociological, and biological in nature.

Constructive View of Human Life

Philosophical Aspect: Philosophy deals with the way we view life for better or for worse. People differ from each other for a variety of reasons but primarily because of their diversity in philosophy. In spite of this, the fact remains that we are all living in an interdependent world, same way as the various members of our body, though distinct, function interdependently. Hence, we need to keep in mind that if one part of our body is injured, the rest of the body will suffer the inconveniency as a result. A good philosophy at work will enable us to keep in mind the welfare of all people without exception. This would be a gigantic step in the right direction.

Psychological Approach: Psychology deals with our inner feelings and with our emotions. All people in the world have a feeling of belongingness. They all want to be loved and respected. They all want to live at peace through harmony, progress and prosperity. The best gift we may give to our relatives, friends and all people as a matter of fact is our substantial contribution to their state of serenity and happiness along with a feeling of safety and security. This could be achieved through the exercise of care and respect that is made possible through our altruistic services. Those who demonstrate this kind of dedication are always viewed as great benefactors to the cause of humanity.

Sociological Element: Sociology deals with community needs relative to shelter and style of life. People everywhere have a sacrosanct right for adequate homes and for good education. There are some members of the United Nations that give this element top priority in their respective countries. Among such nations we have those where the government provides free or inexpensive adequate homes and free education for all natives from the cradle to the grave. More nations should follow this pattern in dealing with their people. After all, people may be viewed as the backbone of the nation. The fewer problems they experience, the less problems the nation faces.

Biological Factor: Biology deals with life. A nation without people is viewed as lifeless. No one views the continent of Antarctica as a nation simply because there are no native inhabitants living there. For the people to survive and to live healthy they need to have good nourishment and good environment. Air and water pollution become their poison, their instrument of slow and torturous death. Hence, every government should put top priority on the provision of adequate food and clean environment. Big corporations do not have a right to make money by jeopardizing people?s lives. If they do not change their lethal product, then the government should quickly compel them to do so.

Importance of Healthy Dialogues

The United Nations came into existence to bring all the nations of the world together to enable them to solve problems through healthy dialogues rather than through devastating wars. This vital organization is as important or as useless to the good of humanity as its determination to implement boldly the major goals of the United Nations. Such goals relate in particular to peace education, environmental protection, human rights and disarmament. If this world body of nations moves ahead to implement such objectives by all means at its disposal, then its presence on earth may be viewed as a heavenly blessing. If not, the United Nations may be viewed merely as an ornament of bureaucrats and self interest groups that exert influence and power.

Those nations that would not abide by international laws that serve the best interest of all people without exception should be ostracized or quarantined. They should be viewed as dangerous and any official communication with them should be suspended. A newly reformed UN should measure drastic actions that need to be taken to whip things into order not in terms of money a member state may contribute or military might a nation may demonstrate to possess. United Nations actions should be based on international ethical and moral laws that are geared toward the universal welfare of all people without exception.

A newly reformed United Nations should view integrity of character and personality as indispensable to generate itself into a source of prosperity and peace. The six billion people of the world cannot continue to be exploited by industrial nations, which have provided the poor natives of helpless countries with air and water pollution, epidemics and numerous health problems, while depriving them of adequate shelter, food, medicine and other vital needs of life. The UN has the obligation to stop such abuses. This way it will demonstrate to have a strong moral leadership that is capable of whipping things into order as to give prosperity and peace a chance to work out wonders in due time.

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