At a moment in history of unparalleled human wealth, the world confronts unprecedented poverty and even sharp declines in the middle classes of Western countries. But status-quo thinking by elites, including the U.S. media, obstruct solutions, says Danny Schechter.
By Danny Schechter
One is always proud to be invited to speak at the United Nations, one of the few global institutions that is still taken seriously and that can generate international resolutions and shape programs free of total domination by the big powers.
When you are an outsider like I am, its a bit of an ego boost to think that the world might be listening to little old you and that, at least for one session, you are among the chosen to hold forth on something serious in what critics deride as The House of Babble.
Ugoji Adanma Eze.
I have been around the world body for years, even as recipient of a prize for a TV documentary from the UN Correspondents Association (UNCA). In that case, the film offered a strong critique of the UN cockup in Bosnia, but the award was presented to me by the then-UN Secretary General Boutros-Boutros Ghali, who clearly hadnt seen it
So, yes there is pretense and hypocrisy, but there are also sincere and dedicated people diplomats and international civil servants working to improve the world. This is not to say that the big powers lack influence there since they control the Security Council and show clout by lobbying for their political positions, while staffing the Secretariat and agencies with their loyalists. Right across the street is the spanking new U.S. Mission, a symbol of Washingtons power and intent to stay in control.
While the UN was created in the name of the peoples of the world, it is the governments with all their rigidities, personalities and ideologies that effectively run the place with some autonomy left for UN officials and decision-makers like the current man at the top, South Koreas Ban Ki Moon.
Nevertheless, an allowance has been made to give a platform to citizens movements and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that used to meet in the basement or in the rarely utilized Trusteeship Council set up decades ago to speed decolonization. They were always a sideshow, but attracted activists with a calling to try to change the world.
Now, with the UN headquarters undergoing an expensive renovation, in part to get rid of toxic asbestos that made it an unsafe workplace, much of the action, including the small conference room in which I spoke, has moved to a temporary all white structure built on the grounds. Its satirical nickname: Bantanamo.
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