Today, I am thankful for those that unify the world, even when their endeavors do not always amount to success.
Serenity now. Serenity now.
When George Costanza’s father, Frank, visits his physician in one of the episodes of the final season of Seinfeld, his high blood pressure gives his physician significant pause. The doctor admonishes Frank for his emotional liability and advises him to curtail his repeated propensity for anger, as his ire only exacerbates his hypertension. He shares with Frank one behavioral technique that has shown success with other patients: Patiently exclaim the statement “Serenity Now” whenever he senses his emotions bubbling up. Frank follows suit and curbs his worrisome fury, successfully achieving his health goals. However, Kramer’s attempt to use the same vocalization technique fails to diminish his own wrath, instead exacerbating it to the point that he destroys a pile of brand-new personal computers that George had stored in his apartment. Indeed, a brilliant idea works the majority of the time, but on rare occasion, that novel notion might fail miserably.
But, that’s never a reason to give up on it.
I’m reminded about the birth of organization near the tail end of World War II that has exemplified this exact principle over the last 7 decades. Two massive global conflicts in a period of less than 3 decades left the world’s leaders pondering what can be done to prevent the next. Even before the United States entered World War II, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the British Prime Minister Winston Churchill had commenced secret talks to establish an international union of nations that would help to preserve global respect, tranquility, and, yes, serenity, once the conflict had subsided. On New Year’s Day in 1942, just a few weeks after the US joined the fight, 26 allied nations gathered in Washington DC to sign a Declaration of the United Nations. Although the meeting was predominantly intended to outline the Allied objectives to end the existing conflict against the Axis powers, the meeting set the stage to develop a charter of peace that might be immediately effective once the war came to a close. So, when the war culminated in the middle of 1945, an existing charter, named for the United Nations, was already in draft form. On this day (June 26) in 1945, representatives from 50 countries congregated in San Francisco, California, to sign the United Nations charter. After full ratification in October of that same year by its leading entities, including the United States, United Kingdom, China, Soviet Union, and Russia, the global diplomatic organization known as the United Nations came into full existence.
For the last 75 years, the United Nations (UN) has grown into an assembly of 193 nations, committed to international peace, security, and friendly relations among its member states. Even more so, the UN has toiled to overcome societal ills, such as poverty, hunger, disease, and illiteracy, and the group has fervidly advocated for universal rights and freedom of all humanity. Through its General Assembly, its three Councils, an International Court of Justice, and its Secretariat, the UN has remained a global force of good in this world.
Let’s chronicle its long list of successes. Its international political missions have provided aid and shelter to over 35 million refugees, supported over 80 treatises on human rights, and kept the peace through over 70 peace-keeping endeavors. Through the support of the United Nations’ Children Fund (or UNICEF), almost 60% of the world’s children receive their vaccines on an annual basis. Another 30 million women are afforded maternal health and close to 100 million are proffered food and other requisite supplies. Every year, the UN oversees the elections of nearly one quarter of its member states. Issues pertaining to climate change, criminal justice, and social reform are addressed through its efforts. Through its efforts, we now have the World Bank, the WHO, the World Food Program, and UNESCO, in addition to my favorite, UNICEF.
All that said, the UN has suffered its share of defeats. The handling of the 1994 Rwanda genocide and the 2011 South Sudan debacle are cogent examples of its failures, as was its unfortunate spread of cholera in Haiti after a 2010 earthquake. Its’ support of the Iraqi ‘Oil for Food’ program was justifiably criticized for its graft and corruption, and its inability to curtail the growing list of nations with nuclear weaponry leaves me feeling a bit sanguine.
But, a few failures are never a reason to jettison a highly successful effort. If one thinks about it, the UN had successful met the goal its forefathers had originally envisioned: world peace without global conflict. In fact, no further world wars have transpired in the last three-quarters of a century. The UN is a global success and living proof that ‘Serenity Now’ really does work.
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