Is There Hope? Or Even A Point?

Right on the money.  

As I write this I am sitting in a conference titled: “International Advocacy on U.S. Human Rights Cases: Training Programs on U.N. Mechanisms.” This conference is chaired by my International Human Rights Law professor, so we are all here as a class requirement. Listening to the speakers talk about the UN and UN procedures all I hear is “maw-ma…ma-maw, ma-ma-maw…wa-ma.” (In the style of Charlie Brown’s teacher) I can see how many people, including the current administration, are frustrated with the UN’s current state of affairs.

Now do not get me wrong, I am all about high ideals and diplomacy. It is much better to resolve differences with civility, but with-out a legitimate hammer behind the smile… what can really be done?

There is a lot of rah-rah do good, high-minded idealism, but in the end it amounts to little more than an ability to issue a resolution and attempt to “embarrass” world nations. Do UN advocates really believe that nation states subjecting their citizens to terrible acts of violence or discrimination will be “embarrassed” by the UN saying “hey stop it?”

Again, if the UN was a more practically functional body I would be one of its biggest cheerleaders. And I understand that change on a global-scale is not easily effectuated. But the industrialized nations of the world have been at it for 60+ years, and they have very little to show for it. After all this time the UN has been unable to even create and implement agreed upon standards for human rights.

It is not for lack of effort. Think about the number of different cultures, legal systems, religious motivations, guiding principles, and personalities that must be blended. What a mind-boggling endeavor.

Despite this, everyone involved with human rights work thinks they are changing the world. Again I do not mean to be too derogatory, but it is fascinating to me the level of energy expended in pursuit of what I think is unattainable idealism.

It is easy to criticize, and hopefully I’m wrong. But if the UN is the world’s best hope for world peace and universal implementation of human rights… then I fear that we humans will never reach our ultimate potential.