Our world seems to be in turmoil. Don’t take my word for it. Listen to all the smarties on all the different subjects.
• Climate-wise, the Earth is a ticking time bomb. We finally pushed the big red button, and we’re burning ourselves to ashes. Food sources are critical. Species are rapidly becoming more and more endangered. And catastrophic weather is gripping the world over.
• Economically, the planet has been in the grinder since Covid. (And before, for that matter.)
• Peacefully, the world is in a state of unrest. War rages on in Ukraine; the Middle East is in turmoil; African countries fight, and on. Then there’s the whole thing with China. And, of course, 69% of Americans believe another Civil War is on the horizon.
• Human Rights are being attacked globally, with the United States leading the way against women, blacks, homosexuals, and non-whites.
So yes. I’d say we are in a phenomenal pinch.
Yet, despite all of that going on, there is goodness in the world, despite all the gloom and doom up to our knees. And one of those things is The United Nations.
It was on this date, August 08, 1945, when U.S. President Harry S Truman signed the United Nations Charter.
When Truman signed the deal, the United States became the first nation to complete the ratification process. We stepped right up and joined the new international organization. At the time, everyone had high, high hopes that the United Nations would serve as a negotiator for international disputes. Over the years, it has served in that venue, as well as many others.
Lots of other nations would join the charter, including China, Russia, Great Britain, Germany, and France. Many different countries contributed to the document for the construction of the UN.
Good old Harry Truman. A man of little show. Truman did not even use one of the ceremonial pens to sign the UN Charter. Nope. Instead, he picked up some cheap 10-cent pen out of his breast pocket.
It didn’t matter, really, because the UN represented hope. So many countries had just suffered through the horrors of two world wars. This, in a period of only three decades. Most Americans — and people from around the world — hoped the UN would serve as a setting for solving international disagreements. There was great hope for maintaining global peace.
They do a lot more than that too. I won’t list all their values, objectives, and goals here. You can skip over to the UN website to read all about it if you wish. ( un.org )
I’ve visited the United Nations a couple of times, and I’m always overwhelmed and impressed by their spirit there. It truly is a spirit of peace. That is the underlying message in all their work. Peace.
Peace can be the only savior for this planet, I’m afraid. A collective wish for peace among all countries.
Someone once told me that world peace is impossible. Perhaps they are right. But wouldn’t it be a wonderful thing if all the countries could shift their military budgets into money for sustainable energy, food sources, health care, and restoration?
Yep.
It surely won’t happen in my lifetime, and from that point, I’m also afraid that time is running out. There won’t be many lifetimes after mine at the rate the planet is going now.
But I continue to hope that the UN, or someone, will have a trick up their sleeve. A really, really big trick.
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When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.
— Jimi Hendrix
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If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.
— Mother Teresa
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Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.
— Albert Einstein
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Could there ever be peace? Some are trying.
