Swan   songs   at the   UN

Parvez Jamil

Amid rites and rituals and singing swan songs at the United Nations, if it is not going to be more of the same lop-sided stories of our world’s erred statesmanship, looming large are the questions — is the UN accountable? To whom is the UN answerable? Response to such daunting and haunting questions is two-fold; answerable to the self-centered, egoistic and blind-folded powers and to the helpless teeming billions of our world for whom ‘might is right’.

Hotbeds and problem areas confronting UN are aplenty, so glaring and magnanimous that needs no introduction. Year after year, session after session and debate after debate world disputes continue to be offered mere lip service. There is something precariously wrong somewhere that continues to bewitch and bewilder world leaders in addressing deteriorating human situation positively.

Be it the half-hearted, fickle-minded and obligatory policies of THE THEN leadership of Roosevelt, Churchill or Stalin or the loftily initiated ping pong diplomacy of US President Nixon and Chinese Premier Chou En-lai, or conflict resolution as deployed in the Middle East, South Asia, Far East or for that matter, even in the civilized North America or Western Europe, UN seems to be in cold storage or hot waters.

As a senior citizen, I submit most humbly and respectfully that there is something that heart blocks, blindfolds, speech impairs and ear chokes our world top leaders. It is their inability to rise over and above self and be trend-setters for overwhelming majority of smaller nations and teeming billions by drafting and crafting with astute statesmanship a workable blend of self and national interests with human interests.

Imagine children around the world including Pakistan, passionately teamwork, mutually brainstorm and commonly speak their hearts out in planning, organizing and presenting “MODEL UN” before our world leaders as a model to emulate. It is an endeavor of a model to ponder of how key national interests gracefully and innovatively work with humanity and the indispensable human interests of our world.

The biggest UN challenge for world leadership is first, innovating a modus operandi in astute abilities and acumen to co-exist with conflicting views and interests; secondly, applying their prized academic education, valued professional experience and cherished diplomatic skills for international peace, security and cooperation and thirdly, devising a world mindset program through education and communications

May our world leaders rise to a magnetic and inventive statesmanship, an exemplary selfless and altruistic statesmanship, an unequaled statesmanship of managerial acumen, crisis, conflict, time and priorities management and an incomparable statesmanship of able, noble and gentle resolve towards a better and brighter world. Better late than never.

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The writer, a senior faculty in media management and corporate communication, pursues student counseling, teacher education, parents’ orientation and corporate social responsibility, especially for special kids and senior citizens, contributes to media on national and global affairs. parvezjamil@hotmail.com