PROGRAMME of global reconciliation and cooperation

The following resolution was submitted and debated at Action For Un Renewal's AGM on 25 February 2006. Although it was not passed; it did create much discussion and sympathisers for some parts of it.

RESOLUTION TO ACTION FOR U.N. RENEWAL

APPALLED by the level of conflict and killing of men, women and children at
present, and by the assumption and fear that the 'war on terror' could last
for a generation, we yet believe more fervently in the U.N. principles of
'the dignity and worth of each human person', and of 'uniting the strength
of all the Member-Nations to maintain international peace and security'

In order to act on these principles, we call on UNA-UK, HM Government, and
ultimately the UN General Assembly to initiate a PROGRAMME of global
reconciliation and cooperation to end the conflict, and to uplift the
quality of life of every citizen of every nation.

 Details of the PROGRAMME  are as follows:

1. The UN calls for a truce in the 'war on terror', followed by an act of
mutual admission of wrong, forgiveness and reconciliation.

2. Regional Partnerships of Nations are formed, joining together in peace
with one another as good neighbours, and cooperating specifically to ensure
food and prosperity to every citizen, full employment, good housing, health,
and education, freedom of thought and religion, universal suffrage, law and
order, honest and fair trade, fair taxation, clean environment, time for
relax- ation, and freedom of movement. (Regional Partnerships supplement the
activities of existing 'unions', eg. European Union. They are 'serviced' by
UN agencies such as WHO, UNDP, UNESCO.)

3. The UN supervises a programme of multilateral/ universal disarmament of
weapons, conventional and of mass destruction, and demobilisation of the
military, accompanied by the conversion of arms industry to constructive
purposes.

4. As a matter of an urgent contribution to world peace, the UN calls on
Israel and the Palestinians to consider sharing their lands as ONE NATION,
with a Constitution based upon the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

O THE EARTH IN SPACE
      Home of the Human Family
Every Person has a Right to Live
- and a Fair Share of the Earth
 

 SELFISHNESS   . .    WAR                               OR          SHARING . .    PEACE
THE WORLD'S CHOICE       /       OUR CHOICE


 

A REFORMED UNITED NATIONS MUST SAVE          THE PRESENT
GENERATION  FROM  THE SCOURGE OF WAR

 THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE are being killed in 'the war on terror', centred in the
'Middle East'.  Now, the war has been rebranded as 'the long war', because
it could last for a 'generation' !  Powerful nations such as the USA, China,
Russia, France and Britain are producing and selling devastating weapons
around the world, ready for war.                  Must we accept this 'long
war' and the death of thousands  more people ?
War is the result of selfishness, which leads to the division of people and
nations all around the world.

 Our only salvation is to change our hearts and direction -  from
selfishness to sharing,
  and the only agency capable of ensuring the sharing of global power and
resources is a
 

 REFORMED UNITED NATIONS.
UNITED NATIONS - STATUS QUO

 A strong reason why the UN has been unable to prevent recent wars - in
Afghanistan and Iraq - is the selfishness of nations. Many nations put their
'national interest' before commitment to the union of nations and
international law.          A large part of the selfishness is the
possession of a veto on UN decisions, held by the five 'permanent members'.
This veto,  in effect, divides the five nations from the rest, enshrining
selfishness at the very core of the UN. This injustice is compounded, when
the 'permanent members' disregard the UN Security Council, as the USA and
Britain did over Iraq, or breach commitment to human rights, as in China,
and Russia in Chechnya.
  In the 'status quo', powerful nations seek to lead the rest like empires
throughout history; a relationship which causes resentment and stifles
cooperation.
 PRESIDENT GEORGE W.BUSH says, 'America has the capacity to lead the world
towards peace.  There is no alternative in this dangerous world.' - This
belies the true position of the USA. : America usurps the role of the UN:
the world community is 'led' - dominated - not by the UN General Assembly,
but by the USA. Moreover, 'leading the world towards peace' apparently
includes the use of overwhelming and deadly force to achieve peace - as seen
in the Balkans, Afghanistan and Iraq - and potentially in Iran. This
'American way', relying on huge military arsenals and armies, is
counter-productive - as in the regions just mentioned, because the more
'terrorists' are killed the more they are replaced by others, and the wider
anti-Americanism becomes.     The 'war on terror' or the 'long generational
war' amounts to 'political power coming out of the barrel of a gun'. It can
see no termination, only extermination of countless lives.
(Another sad 'fall-out' of the 'war' is the divide between Christianity and
Islam, because the USA and its allies are perceived to be 'Christian' by
Muslims, and Christianity is associated with oppressive military might.)
 Hereby, the UN has lost its capacity to 'save this generation from the
scourge of war'. This is tragic !

A REFORMED UNITED NATIONS

Humankind can only be saved from a disastrous war, if we the peoples and all
the nations have a change of heart and direction - from selfishness to
sharing.

 The only agency capable of ensuring sharing and peace is a reformed UN,
where there is the sharing of authority by all the nations, decided by the
consent of them all. A reformed UN would reaffirm its Charter's principle of
'the equal rights of nations large and small'. It would  make these reforms:

1. The five nations renounce the veto.
2. The General Assembly of all nations, reconstituted with fairer
representation of nations, becomes the supreme authority, empowered to make
international law, which all nations pledge to obey. Decisions to be made by
a majority vote.
3. Regional Partnerships of Nations are formed to uplift the quality of life
of all their citizens, and to provide representation of every region of the
world in the UN Security Council to deal with international emergencies.
4. The UN calls for a truce in the 'war on terror', followed by an act of
mutual admission of wrong, forgiveness and reconciliation.
5. The UN reaffirms its purpose to 'bring about the settlement of
international disputes by peaceful means'.
6. The UN supervises a programme of multilateral/ universal disarmament of
weapons, conventional and of mass destruction, and demobilisation of the
military, accompanied by the conversion of arms industry to constructive
purposes.

THE 'EPICENTRE' OF THE
  'WAR ON TERROR' - THE CONFLICT
IN ISRAEL-PALESTINE  HISTORY
1914 Palestine had long been a province of the Ottoman Empire.
1918 Britain took over the rule of Palestine, and made two contradictory
promises: to the (majority) Arabs, an independent state in Palestine; to the
Jews, a 'national home' in Palestine.
   ( By 1947 the population of the whole of Palestine was:
1,000,000 Arabs; 400,000 Jews.)
1947 The United Nations decided upon a division of Palestine into two
States, equal in size: one Arab, one Jewish ('Israel')
1948 The State of Israel formed, but soon attacked by neighbouring Arab
nations. Israel wins the war, and annexes 40% more Arab land than before.
Many thousands of Arabs flee as refugees to Jordan and Lebanon.
1967 and 1973 - two more wars reinforce Israel's domination over all
Palestine, and establish Jewish settlements inside Arab territory. The
result: Israelis and Arabs ('Palestinians') interspersed in a large
proportion of the nation of Israel.
    Influential, pushy factions, both Israeli and Palestinian, demand the
whole of Israel/Palestine to be under control of one side or the other. The
result is bitter conflict, a regime of military might fighting terrorism,
thousands of killings, and waste or destruction of property,    agriculture,
tourism and prosperity.



            THE BEST SOLUTION FOR  ISRAEL/PALESTINE
           - FORM A UNITED NATION

 AFFIRM that every person living in the land is a human being with a right
to live and to a share of the land.
Establish a Constitution, founded upon the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights to provide especially the 'four freedoms' - from want and fear, and
of free speech and  religion.
 BASED upon this affirmation, join every inhabitant into ONE  NATION, and
welcome back all displaced persons.

        THE MAKING OF A UNITED NATION OF ISRAEL/PALESTINE

1. Survey the land and property, and its occupiers, district by district, as
at the end of the British mandate, 1948.
2. Survey land and property, and its occupiers, district by district, as at
present (2006).
3. Set up an impartial 'Land and Property Commission' to ensure the right of
domicile of every citizen in its ancestral district.
4. Begin a Programme of development of industry, agriculture and services to
achieve full employment.
5. Make an audit of skills of working population, and need for more skills.
6.Dismantle all military facilities, dividing fences and arms industry, and
convert to civic uses and constructive manufacture.
7. Extend education and  health facilities.
8. Begin a Programme of reconstruction of tourism facilities.

THIS UNITED NATION can deliver an end to hatred, conflict and destitution,
and an era of harmony, peace and prosperity for all. HISTORY
 

Malcolm Hill