A Platform for Peace: Coalition Articulates Global Ethic
an article by Nancy Wrenn

The Coalition for a Strong United Nations (CSUN), a Boston-based volunteer group which has worked for ten years to promote a stronger and more effective UN, believes that there is a groundswell of support for a world view based on a global ethic. Their Peace Platform, which has been circulating this year, is based on human rights principles and the belief that all living things and resources are interdependent.

"The Peace Platform is an appeal to leaders of the U.S. to regard the well being and security of `Homeland Earth' and all its inhabitants as their highest priority objective," states Winston Langley, CSUN board member, professor of international law and provost at UMass Boston. "We call on our leaders to adopt this world view and make an unequivocal commitment to the fulfillment of the goals of the UN Charter to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, reaffirm our human rights and establish respect for international law." This includes international treaties related to the environment, weapons of mass destruction , the International Criminal Court, and paying UN dues in a timely fashion.

To build peace the Platform offers specific positions and actions in seven areas - human rights, economy and development, the environment, security, governance, education and health. CSUN believes that no nation can be secure when so many people around the world are denied a decent standard of living or deprived of basic rights. They encourage political leaders to support worldwide education of women and girls and civics programs that teach universal human rights and world citizenship. The Platform also urges U.S. leaders to support the worldwide effort to halt the AIDs pandemic and other epidemics and to commit significant funding to reduce world hunger. The U.S. should lead the way as good stewards of the "global commons." by putting oil and water resources under the scrutiny of the UN Environment Program and UN Development Program.

Dennis Kucinich and Author Jonathan Schell shared a panel focused on the Peace Platform at the July Boston Social Forum. For a complete version of the Peace Platform, see www.strongUN.org. The Coalition can be reached at CSUNdean@aol.com.

DISCUSSION

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Will Americans support a stronger UN?


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GLOBAL MOVEMENT FOR A CULTURE OF PEACE

Latest reader comment:

Thanks for this article, Nancy!

I was at the "Platform for Peace" discussion at the Boston Social Forum and it was great to hear the phrase "culture of peace" used repeatedly by almost every speaker. But, it's too bad that no one mentioned CPNN or the Culture of Peace program at the UN.

Hopefully, CPNN and the Coalition for a Strong UN can continue to support each other and get the word out.

Cheers!

This report was posted on August 11, 2004. The moderator is CPNN Coordinator.

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