November 2004

Views expressed are those of the authors, not necessarily of the AFSC.

A Platform for Peace from the Coalition for a Strong United Nations

Nancy Wrenn is Co-chair of the Coalition for a Strong United Nations, a Boston-area non-profit organization formed in 1993 to demonstrate the relevance of the United Nations through education of citizens and public officials.

Over the past three years, the United States has committed enormous resources pursuing terrorists and bringing down oppressive regimes. Many Americans, while supportive of these goals, are concerned that the narrow focus of the US on military action will not address the root causes of terrorism, foster genuinely democratic societies, or achieve peace.

The Coalition for a Strong United Nations (CSUN), a Boston-based volunteer group which has worked for ten years to promote a stronger and more effective United Nations, believes that there is a groundswell of support for a world view based on a global ethic. Their Peace Platform, which has been circulating this year, is a long-range action plan, based on human rights principles and the belief that all living things and resources are interdependent.

"The Peace Platform is an appeal to leaders of the US to regard the well-being and security of `Homeland Earth' and all its inhabitants as their highest priority objective," states Winston Langley, CSUN board member, professor of international law, and provost at UMass Boston. "We call on our leaders to adopt this world view and make an unequivocal commitment to the fulfillment of the goals of the UN Charter to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, reaffirm our human rights, and establish respect for international law. Security is based on collaboration with other nations within the rule of law established through the United Nations. Only if the US abides by standards of international law, will its judgments of the conduct of other countries be morally credible."

For United States policy makers, this ethic requires abandoning the notion that democracy can be created in another country by simply overthrowing an autocratic government and replacing it with one based on American-style democracy.

Commitment of the US to uphold international treaties related to the environment, weapons, the International Criminal Court, and the conventions related to the human rights of children and women will help to rebuild the trust this country has lost in the international community.

The Platform offers specific positions and actions in seven areas -- human rights, economy and development, the environment, security, governance, education, and health. CSUN believes that no nation can be secure when so many people around the world are denied a decent standard of living or deprived of basic rights. Education of women and girls around the world and civics programs that teach universal human rights and world citizenship are action items.

The Platform urges US leaders to support the worldwide effort to halt the AIDS pandemic and to commit significant funding to reduce world hunger. Peace cannot thrive unless these conditions are addressed.

Congress member Dennis Kucinich joined a CSUN panel on the Peace Platform at the July Boston Social Forum. To date, the Platform has been endorsed by several peace groups. The Coalition invites the interest and endorsement of other organizations.

See www.strongUN.org for a complete version of the Peace Platform. The Coalition for a Strong United Nations can be reached at CSUNdean@aol.com.

34 Million People Restore Funding to the UN Population Fund

Against the recommendation of a blue-ribbon panel of experts and despite bipartisan Congressional agreement on a $34 million contribution, the Bush Administration cut off funding to the UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, July 16, 2004 for the third year in a row. The Administration's decision came in response to allegations by an ardent anti-family-planning organization that has long made false claims that UNFPA is complicit in coercive family planning efforts.

UNFPA is the world's largest international source of funding for population and reproductive health programs and works in more than 140 countries. Experts estimate that the $34 million from the United States could have prevented two million unwanted pregnancies per year, 800,000 induced abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths, and 77,000 infant and child deaths.

34 Million Friends of the UNFPA emerged as a spontaneous reaction to President Bush's initial decision in July, 2002 when two women, Jane Roberts and Lois Abraham, decided to write letters and send emails to everyone they knew, urging them to send in $1 to help make up for the lost funds. By generating thousands of $1 bills, they hoped to send a message to Washington and the world about UNFPA's important role in saving the lives of women and their children.

Over the past two years, $2 million has been raised. The resulting message is clear: providing family planning, safe motherhood programs, and HIV prevention services are humanitarian issues supported by Americans across the country.

34 Million Friends of UNFPA is about ordinary citizens taking back America's misguided foreign policy; about making a difference and about saving women's lives one dollar at a time.

To contribute, send a dollar (or more) payable to the US Committee for UNFPA Processing Center, 34 Million Friends of UNFPA, PO Box 5343, Denver CO 80217-5343 (cash accepted). You can get more information and ideas at www.34millionfriends.org.

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