The United Nations: An Endangered Species?
Experts and Community Leaders Discuss the Role of the U.N.
Oct. 3, 2001

After the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, can the United Nations effectively assert its influence to keep world peace? Or is it simply an “endangered species,” which can hardly even maintain its own existence?

In a conference to be held on Nov. 10, experts and leaders of the United Nations Association in North California and Hawaii will discuss how the U.N. should address such critical world issues as security and arms control, the U.S. Relations to the U.N., racism and global health crisis.

The UNA-USA is claimed to be the largest grassroot foreign policy organization with 21,000 members. Among the 175 chapters of the UNA, the Mid-Pacific Region (North California and Hawaii) is the biggest with a total of 2,400 members.

“All countries in the world should be awakened by the tragedies in New York and Washington D.C. And all countries should unite as one to remove the problems which lead to terrorism, ” said Mary Granholm, President of the UNA-USA Midpeninsula.

Though there has been a lot of debate about the role of the U.N. as an effective peacekeeper, the Sep. 11 terror attacks have prompted the U.S. administration to realize the close relationship between global cooperation and national security.

“The U.S. has always been a strong leader in the U.N. but not always a responsible one,” said Larry Levine, Chair of the Mid-Pacific Region of the UNA-USA Board.

During the past few years, the U.S. has owed the U.N. $1 billion in peacekeeping assessments, approximately 54% of the $1.9 billion owed by all the other member nations to the U.N. Besides the huge debt to the U.N., the U.S. sadly has chosen to stay out of important issues like global warming, crimes against humanity and the welfare of children.

“We hope the U.S.’ support for the U.N. is a long-term commitment, not a short-term strategy,” said Levine during a telephone interview.

Levine said the original title of the conference “Is the U.N. an Endangered Species?” was meant to provocative and inspire participants to consider the role of the U.N., but the association is considering more appropriate titles to respond to the changes of international arena after the attacks. “The U.N. and the New World Order” is one of them.

The conference will start at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. Another session will be held on
Sunday, Nov. 10 at the center for Education Research at Stanford University. Registration fee is $25 to $35.