The Hope for American Multilateralism

By Tahsin Chowdhury, Youth Representative to the United Nations 2/15/12

Friday, February 10, 2012, the United Nations Association for the United States of America sponsored a Membership Day event at the United Nations General Assembly.  Members of the Peace Action Delegation attended, including myself.  We sat and observed, as experts from a wide variety of fields spoke about the United States’ leadership in the United Nations and how crucial it was for American foreign policy and the betterment of humanitarian crises globally to sustain American involvement in the United Nations.

As a young and aspiring intern, I watched in amazement as the speakers delivered speeches that sparked me with the idea that there is hope.  One speaker stood out to me, and that is Congresswoman Nita Lowey and her words of support towards the American leadership in the United Nations.  As a member of Congress, she stated how she has heard many kinds of criticism against the United Nations and yet remains a defender of the United Nations as a necessary institution.  Her words:

“I have fought hard over the years to support the United Nations because I truly believe that membership in the UN makes our country more secure and more prosperous, and it supports US efforts to advance democracy, human rights, health, and development throughout the world.”

She later supported this claim by describing the UN involvement in the humanitarian crises of Libya against the ruthless dictator Muammar Gadhafi, which provided international legitimacy for the United States and other Member States to militarily intervene and protect civilian: implementing the Responsibility to protect principle (R2P.)  She described the United States cooperation with Afghanistan and rebuilding Afghanistan’s infrastructure.  She even later described various statistics of the United Nations involvement, whose impact no single state has ever surpassed.  Congresswoman Lowey even brought to attention the many agencies of the United Nations that play a significant role in advancing international coordination and cooperation trade, economic development, and security.

As I was listening to her speech, it provided me with hope.  Not only is she promoting the United Nations and its work unheard of in our societies, she is also a member of the American Legislative Branch: the Congress and has genuine impact on the United States’ policy decisions regarding budget and funding for the United Nations.  It is a great experience as a young and aspiring intern to see a stakeholder supporting peace through Multilateralism.  As a fellow advocate for a peaceful global community, we should work to support Stakeholders not for their political affiliations, but based on whether they are pro Peace or anti Peace.  We should look at Congresswoman Nita Lowey as a person whose story is a success to Peace Action, and work to advance the agenda of Peace, conflict resolution, and multilateralism further in the United States Legislative System.   Maybe then, can we see faster steps towards achieving the goals of World Peace.

The Trans Atlantic Slave Trade: The Living Legacies of 30 Million Untold Stories

DPI/NGO Briefing

by Natalia Saavedra

Michael Gomez, professor of African History and the African Diaspora at NYU, gave a history of the slave trade. In the US, individuals learn about all the factors of the slave trade and what it brought about. He shared with the audience how in Africa there is a lack of education and in Mauritania, Northern Mali and countries going East, people still maintain some unequal form of social servile relationships that are difficult to break. The scholars in Africa are the only ones that are speaking out with regards to this topic.

Dr. Abena Busia looked at Africa's women production and shared with the audience a letter written by an African slave woman who was in St. Thomas. She says the letter reflects a state of flux in St. Thomas and other areas. The letter gave the audience insight to one woman speaking out and trying to fight for her human rights.

Dr. Alvin Thomas says that people are not learning about the volatile situations that slaves had to endure. He spoke about ways to improve the way slavery is taught.

Ambassador Raymond Wolfe from Jamaica spoke about the history of the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the increase of participation of African States. There has been a committee made to raise funds to make a memorial that will be at the United Nations. To date the committee has been able to raise $900,000 but hope to raise $4.5 million. They have also made a website to educate individuals all over the world. The website is www.unslaverymemorial.org.

FCNL Statement: War is Not the Answer in North Africa and the Middle East

The Friends Committee on National Legislation supports and is inspired by the aspirations of people across the Arab world who are employing nonviolent means to demand more open, responsive government and an end to authoritarian rule. At the same time, we are gravely concerned by the escalating fighting in Libya and the anticipated military engagement by the international community. We believe the means that are used to seek change in society either create or obstruct the desirable ends.

We are appalled at the violence, and we grieve over the lives lost during the ongoing struggle for freedom, democracy and human rights. We lift up our concern for those who have been injured.

We urge our government to use its diplomatic influence and its resources to support nonviolent, locally-led democratic change in the interest of promoting equality, justice, and a lasting peace throughout North Africa and the Middle East. We oppose the use of violence and military intervention as a means to achieve regime change.

This piece was sent to us from the Long Island Alliance for Peaceful Alternatives. We think it is important for you to read and circulate these ideas to others.

Upcoming: Implementing UNSCR 1325 on Women and Peace and Security

Implementing UNSCR 1325 on

Women and Peace and Security

Strengthening the CSW 55 Agenda

2:00 – 3:30 PM

Wednesday, February 23^rd 2011

Church Center for the United Nations, 2^nd Floor

777 UN Plaza (44^th St & 1^st Ave), New York, NY 10017

Co-Sponsored by:
Peace Action
International Health Awareness Network
Campaign for Nuclear Weapons
Global Network of Women Peacebuilders
Hague Appeal for Peace
The Ribbon International
United Methodist Women
Physicians for Social Responsibility
Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office
International Institute on Peace Education
Temple of Understanding
Foundation for the Support of the United Nations
CEI Paz

Briefing 'Unexpected Saviours: The Role of Turkey in Assisting Victims During the Holocaust’

DPI NGO

By Vanessa Muro, Peace Action

           Although the Holocaust was one of the most tragic persecutions in history, this event has also a light side that needs to be remembered which is the contribution of Turkey in saving many Jewish lives. On Monday January 31st, the DPI NGO held a briefing, which put together a panel of experts who focused on the role that Turkey played in saving lives during the Holocaust.

Ambassador Ertuğrul Apakan opened the discussion by stressing the contribution of Turkish diplomats in saving Jews’ lives by providing them with passports in countries such as France.

In this briefing we had one young speaker, Arielle Evans, who participated on the program ‘Kivunim New Directions’ based in Jerusalem. She expressed how the program helped her understand the relationship between the Turkish and Jewish. In her words ‘Jewish are not classified differently from the Muslims in Turkey but they are treated as equals.

The briefing also counted on the contribution from Ms. Claire Boren, clinical social worker and artist born in Poland. All her family was killed as a result of the persecution of Jews in Poland. She spent more than a year hiding in forests and she stated that she had to forget her past in order to overcome traumas.

In conclusion, Turkey has a tradition of always welcoming the Jewish community with open arms and the role of these diplomats must always be remembered. These heroic acts must be counted. It shows that no matter what our differences are, we all are human beings and we need from each other to overcome difficult times.

Briefing ‘Disaster Relief and Preparedness: Haiti, a Year Later’

DPI NGO

By Vanessa Muro, Peace Action

The conference held on January 13th 2011, addressed the living situation of Haiti since a 7.0 earthquake struck the country and it focused on what has been done and what needs to be done for the country to achieve stability.

The first speaker, Mr. David Carden (chief of the Americas and the Caribbean, Central Asia, Europe and the Middle East Section of the UN’s OCHA) stated that after a year from the earthquake, the country’s reconstruction efforts still continue. The second speaker, Mr. Bruno Lemarquis (head of the Policy and Planning Division of UNDP’s Bureau for Crisis prevention and Recovery) called NGOs and the Haitian authorities to join forces and work together in the recovery process of Haiti . The third speaker, Denise Brown, (Senior Donor Relations Officer under the Government Donor Relations Division of the UN World Food Programme) argued that Haiti faces the obstacle of coordination and the difficulty of organizing distribution.

Finally, Taina Bien-Aime, (Executive Director of Equality Now) focused on the fact that Haiti has been living a chronic crisis. She emphasized the lack of security for women and urged the Haitian government to respond to their needs. Political will is needed as well as the UN recognition that rape and sexual violence is becoming a growing issue in the country.

In conclusion, although Haiti has received aid from both, the international community and local grassroots, it is important to point out that only combined efforts can achieve a common goal. The Haitian government, the international community and local grassroots need to come together with an efficient mechanism to overcome the obstacles that Haiti is facing.

Dagmar Wilson, Anti-Nuclear Leader Dies

Dagmar Wilson, the founder of Women Strike for Peace, died on January 6th in Washington D.C. Dagmar marched in 60 cities in the United States demanding the end to atomic testing. She led a 51-member contingent to Geneva to raise their voices before the delegates to 17-nation disarmament conference. They met with American and Russian delegates and handed over bundles of petitions with more than 50,000 signatures calling for an end to nuclear testing. Her leadership was thrilling. She too was amazed by the response to that first Women Strike for Peace demonstration in November 1961. Those of us who marched with her will never forget our commitment to a world without nuclear weapons and we urge all of us, men and women, to continue the struggle for a peaceful world.