United Nations...some help please?

[codebuster11]

Dear Friends,

I am looking for an explination of what a Liberal Democrat thinks of the UN. I cant put it into words myself. How do we feel the UN is doing? How do we feel about statements that it is corrupt? How do we feel about its Poverty Programs, and Food programs, etc.?

I would like to know this please, Thank you all very much.

[nofoil]

1. Where would we be without the UN?

Think about it this way: Where would the world be without the UN?

* Where would the 40+ million refugees and internally displaced people around this world be without the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (http://www.UNHCR.ch), which gives victims of genocide, war, and other forms of violence (over 80% of whom are women and children) food, shelter, education and protection?

* Where would the world's poorest children be without UNICEF?

* Where would the world's hungry be without the World Food Program?

* What other body can bring together 160+ world leaders at the same time in a peaceful way to discuss an agenda that includes world poverty and the Millennium Development Goals (as happened just this September at the UN World Summit in NYC?)

* How many more world treasures would have been destroyed if not for the protection of UNESCO? (the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Org)

Given, there are many problems associated with the UN. It can be a big, lumbering giant laden with much too much bureaucracy. But for the first time in history, there is a body that on a regular basis brings the leaders of the world together, so that they may enact peaceful dialogue, and work together to hopefully solve some of our world's largest crises. Why don't the Bushies like the UN? Because it is a democratic org that enables all participating countries to have a voice, not just the ones run by cowboys. It represents a kind of power Bush can never bring to this world: the power of peace.

No, I don't work for the UN, and never have. But I do work for the world's poor, and have seen first-hand the good the UN can bring. It is a crime that a man like Bolton, an architect of our current Iraq war, and ardent hater of the UN is now our Ambassador to the UN. Let's hope he doesn't do too much damage. He sure is trying. (see Molly Ivins' article on the Bolton Appointment: Move the Date up for Armageddon http://www.workingforchange.com/article.cfm?itemid=18699)

[annabanana]

2. a good and thoughtful reply,. Welcome to DU.

The UN is far from perfect, but it is the only organization of it's kind in the world, and much much much better than nothing.
It is better to "jaw-jaw" than to "war-war".

[Presstitutes]

3. Try this:

http://undispatch.com/

[codebuster11]

4. Thank You

Thank you all very much for your replies

[Nutmegger]

5. Overall the UN is an excellent organization

My professor from last semester spent some time there and while he wouldn't talk about what he did, he did say good things about it. Of course it doesn't help when bully nations decide to circumvent to UN policy but that's not their fault!!!