Church Women United - Legislative Office

 

Inform and Act

Winter 2007

It's Our World. It's Our Future.

THE UNITED NATIONS MAKES A DIFFERENCE


This article was prepared for the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area, 2000 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 202-223-6092. It was written by Richard Griffis. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO WIDELY SHARE THIS ARTICLE AND USE IT IN DIALOGUE WITH THOSE WHO ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE UN.

What the United Nations is and does

The United Nations was established in 1945, in the aftermath of a devastating war, to help stabilize international relations and give peace a more secure foundation.

  • The UN is 192 member states debating and voting in the General Assembly; it is the 5 permanent and 10 rotating members of the Security Council, the International Court of Justice, and the Secretariat that provides services and management of the UN’s main bodies.

Often without attracting attention, the United Nations and its family of agencies are engaged in a vast array of work that seeks to improve people’s lives around the world.

Here, in brief, is a list of what the UN and its component bodies are addressing worldwide.

Millennium Development Goals—Our 21st Century Challenge

In 2000, the United Nations Millennium Summit in New York prompted leaders from every nation to agree on a vision for the future. That vision took the shape of eight Millennium Development Goals, which are providing the UN itself and countries worldwide with a framework for action and time-bound targets by which progress can be measured.

By 2015, member states of the United Nations have pledged to:

The United Nations and You: Making a Difference Together

The United States, from the beginning, has given formative leadership to the United Nations, From President Roosevelt’s diplomatic initiatives during WWII, the early drafting of the UN’s Charter in the Department of State, the invitation to host the UN’s headquarters in New York, and Eleanor Roosevelt’s extraordinary leadership in preparing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for adoption in 1948.

The United States is the largest contributor to the UN system, contributing more than $3 billion annually in assessed and voluntary contributions for the UN’s regular budget, peacekeeping operations, specialized agencies and programs such as UNICEF. Overall, the US pays 22% in dues for the regular budget and up to 27% of UN peacekeeping operations. In fairness, however the US makes up 34% of the global economy and many other nations pay more in dues than their share of the global economy.

The United Nations, in fact, generates more income for the US economy, especially in New York City, than the total US government contribution to the United Nations. The United States provides more than 50% of personnel at UN headquarters in New York.

The United Nations enhances US national security in its humanitarian and development work.

The United States Government found in 2006 that UN peacekeeping operations were eight times less expensive for American taxpayers than US-led missions and almost twice as effective at maintaining long-term peace. The United Nations currently deploys peacekeepers in 18 nations.

Americans benefit everyday from the work of UN agencies, for example, in international aviation and maritime safety standards, postal and telecommunication cooperation, protection of the rights of inventors and authors, and protection of the earth’s ozone layer.

The United States has advocated for reform of the United Nations, taking a lead in pressing for improved financial and personnel management, as well as human rights and peacekeeping reforms. Reforms are underway, but, frankly, some of the most substantial reforms will require agreement of the member nations and are not yet being addressed.

United States leadership in the United Nations is a wise investment for the sake of a more just, a more prosperous and a more peaceful world.

www.unanca.org
United Nations Association of the National Capital Area
2000 P Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 202-223-6092
 www.un.org

 

National Poll Finds Support
for a Good Neighbor Policy

October, 2006

“What kind of foreign policy does the American public want?” That’s the central question posed by a new poll conducted by the Program on International Policy Attitudes (PIPA) at the University of Maryland.

Among the chief findings of the polling of 1,058 Americans were: that “the United States would best serve the national interests by thinking in terms of being a ‘good neighbor’”; and that the U.S. government “plays too much on the public’s fear to justify its foreign policies.”

Seventy-nine percent of the respondents believed that “the United States should think in terms of being a good neighbor with other countries because cooperative relationships are ultimately in the best interests of the United States.” That same broad majority said that the “United States should coordinate its power together with other countries according to shared ideas of what is best for the world as a whole.”

Sixty-five percent agreed with the statement: “When the U.S. government justifies its foreign policies to the American people, it plays on people’s fears too much.”

The new poll, completed October 15, 2006, underscores the longing of many Americans for a foreign policy that reflects the good neighbor principles of mutual respect and cooperation. It also pointed to the need for a foreign policy based on hope and determination rather than on fear.

Such a foreign policy is not an exercise of the imagination. “Mutual respect” and “freedom from fear” were the guiding principles of U.S. international relations during the presidency of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

What kind of foreign policy does the American public want? The data from the Program on International Policy Attitudes poll offers new reason to believe that Americans would support a Global Good Neighbor policy that recognizes the limits of U.S. power, seeks the benefit of international cooperation, and wisely situates U.S. national interests within the context of an improved global neighborhood.

This article came from the International Relations Center (IRC, online at www.irc-online.org)
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Global Good Neighbor Initiative Http://ggn.irc-online.org
What Kind of Foreign Policy Does the American Public Want?
Http://www.worldpublicopinion.org/pipa/pdf/oct06/SecurityFP-Oct06_rpt.pdf

 

“Urge that...analysis and public exposure of defense costs be continued with greater determination to achieve substantial cuts; and further...Urge Congress to formulate new priorities which give recognition to the urgency of national economic reconversion to meet the crisis in human needs;…” CWU Social Policy Book, 1941-2004, page 174

Federal Budget:
Not Enough Debate About Military Spending

(This Legislative Action Message comes from Friends Committee on National Legislation: www.fcnl.org)

President Bush has proposed a federal funds budget of $2,200,000,000,000. By FCNL’s calculations, about $967 billion, or 44% of the total, would be devoted to current military activities and keeping up with the continuing costs of past military programs. Removing that huge slice of the pie leaves only 56% of the federal funds budget to pay for all other government activities, ranging from the court system to child care, and to address huge challenges, such as climate change and health care.

$967 Billion Is Too Much For the Military

It’s $100 billion more than this year’s allocation (FY 2007) so far. It’s more than this nation has spent on the military in any year since the end of the Cold War, even after adjusting for inflation. It’s more than the peak year of President Reagan’s aggressive military build-up against the “evil empire.” The amount earmarked for the Iraq war ($142 billion) is, all by itself, more than the largest amount the nation spent in any year on the Vietnam War.

Congress Is Not Protesting This Big-spending Military Budget

FCNL’s lobbyists are hearing that both Democrats and Republicans either support or are unwilling to challenge the president’s $968 billion military budget. Both parties accept arguments that cuts in military spending will hurt U.S. troops abroad without examining whether additional military spending will improve U.S. security. Hiding behind that rhetoric, members of Congress are prepared to approve billions more to:

Congress Should Pay Attention to Human Security at Home and Abroad

Nearly 40 million people live in poverty in the U.S., lacking the most basic means to house, clothe, feed, and care for themselves and their families. The Bush budget proposal would cut support for housing and home heating assistance, food aid, welfare payments, child care, child health programs, and assistance to the elderly, among other critical programs with proven track records of success.

The Bush budget proposal also under-funds the United Nations and focuses most international aid on military priorities. Illiteracy and treatable diseases still plague the poor in the U.S. and are widespread in many nations of the Southern Hemisphere. President Bush has increased support for AIDS prevention. But the Bush proposal diminishes funding for development programs. According to the humanitarian group CARE, more than 30 million children in the world are not immunized against treatable or preventable diseases. More than 130 million school-age children worldwide have no access to school. For an additional $6 billion a year (less than 1% of the military spending proposed for this year) every child in the world could go to school.

SAMPLE LETTER (click here for the letter in PDF format)

Dear (Representative ______ or Senator _________),

I’m concerned that the President’s budget proposal includes $666 billion in current military spending. When the costs of the interest on the national debt attributable to past military spending and the costs of veteran benefits are added, the total budget for current and past wars is $967 billion.

Nearly $1 trillion is too much for the military. I urge you to cut military spending and invest the money in programs that will improve U.S. security by funding the United Nations, providing development assistance to the poor in other parts of the world, and supporting the poor and needy in the United States. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Please be sure to send your letter (faxing is best) to both your Representative and your two Senators. Contact information can be found online at www.house.gov or www.senate.gov. You may also get help by contacting Patricia Burkhardt at the Church Women United Legislative Office. Dial 1-800-298-5551 and leave a message for the CWU Legislative Office. Be sure to leave your phone number.

 

“As Christian women who are compelled by conviction to pray, study, speak and act on matters of public concern, we grieve for the people of Colombia who, for nearly forty years, have lived through Latin America’s longest running internal conflict.” CWU Social Policy Book, 1941-2004, page 103

SCARY MOVIE 2: The Sequel to Plan Colombia
Say No to More Military Aid in Colombia!

(This action alert comes to us from the Latin America Working Group www.lawg.org)

Dear Columbia Advocates:

Presidents Bush and Uribe recently announced that they are proposing a “Plan Colombia 2” - five more years of the same bad policy! The Bush Administration is asking Congress to approve nearly $450 million in military aid to Colombia in this year’s foreign aid bill. This will be up to Congress to decide, so constituent meetings with members of Congress, particularly new members, is now more important than ever.

The idea of extending the current U.S. role in Colombia is truly scary. Despite worsening human rights abuses by the Colombian military, the forced displacement of more than 3 million Colombians, and inhumane and utterly ineffective aerial spraying programs, the Bush Administration wants more of the same. The Administration’s plan would maintain approximately the same levels of military and police aid for Colombia through 2013: $446 million a year, which represents 76% of the total aid package.

The one factor that is significantly different this year is the new Congress. Although the Bush Administration has proposed this plan, it is up to Congress to fund it each year. There will be resistance in Congress to continuing this failed policy, and it is up to us to make sure that members of the House and Senate take strong stances against it. We need to tell Congress that we support social aid to Colombia that will alleviate the humanitarian crisis, not military aid to fuel Colombia’s war. This year we have the best chance we’ve ever had to change the course of U.S. policy in Colombia.

TAKE ACTION: Congress will soon draft the appropriations bill that will determine whether or not Bush’s priorities for aid to Colombia are approved. FAX your letter, or make a phone call. You can find a sample letter below.

TELL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATORS THAT AID TO COLOMBIA SHOULD:

  • Be shifted to increase social aid, and drastically reduce military aid. The Colombian military has been implicated in numerous acts of human rights abuses, and there is increasing evidence of collusion with illegal and brutal paramilitaries. Colombia has more than 3 million internally displaced persons who could benefit from this aid.

  • Support alternative development for rural farmers, NOT fumigation. We should also invest in drug treatment programs at home to reduce the demand for drugs.

  • Assist Colombia in working toward a lasting peace. U.S. aid to Colombia should support the victims of the conflict, judicial reform, and alleviation of the humanitarian crisis. It should not continue to fund the war.

Ask your member of Congress to tell the Chair of the Foreign Operations Subcommittee that aid priorities to Colombia should be significantly shifted. In the House the chair is Rep. Nita Lowey (NY), and in the Senate it is Sen. Patrick Leahy (VT)

The information in this letter will be useful even beyond the appropriations process. Members of Congress need to know of your concern for the Colombian people. Therefore, if you find yourself ready to take action in the spring or summer you may still use this letter. Please read it carefully and edit it as needed. CHURCH WOMEN UNITED members may want to send it on CWU letterhead and include a short description of the CWU movement.

SAMPLE LETTER (click here for the letter in PDF format)

DATE

Dear Representative (or Senator) ______.

As a resident of ( your city or town and state) and a constituent of your district, I would like to draw your attention to the issue of U.S. involvement in Colombia. I feel strongly about this matter of foreign policy and believe that U.S. policy toward Colombia should reflect American values of justice, human rights and peace. Colombia is an important foreign policy question with which you will soon be faced, and I ask you to seriously consider the human rights impact of U.S. policy as you determine your position.

Colombia is caught in a complex web of violence resulting in the most severe humanitarian crisis in the hemisphere. Approximately 3 million people have been forced to flee their homes in recent years, and human rights violations continue by all armed actors—guerrilla, paramilitary and military. Colombia’s crisis of internal displacement is second only to those of Sudan and Iraq.

Since the inception of Plan Colombia in 2000, the United States has supported a military solution to Colombia’s armed conflict and illegal drug trade. Over 80 percent of nearly $5 billion in U.S. assistance has gone directly to Colombian military and police forces. This includes funding for aerial drug spraying, an inhuman coca eradication program that has failed to eliminate coca production in the region or reduce the availability of drugs on U.S. streets. The relatively little economic (non-military) aid that the United States has offered Colombia is more positive, but is not enough. The war in Colombia continues unabated, and despite the many destructive consequences of U.S. policy in Colombia and the drastic failure of the War on Drugs, Plan Colombia has not changed. Additionally, the direct and extensive involvement of U.S. troops in training and advising the Colombian army engaged in a decades-long war also risks an escalation of our role in yet another war.

I believe that U.S. foreign policy in Colombia should be based in respect for human rights and justice. I urge you, as a newly elected member of Congress, to shift the U.S. focus on Colombia. Instead of heavily funding the Colombian military, the United States should call for and assist in negotiations for a lasting peace. I encourage you to support all legislative efforts to shift the balance of U.S. aid to Colombia. Military assistance should be cut and funds should instead be allotted for increased alternative development programs, judicial reform and aid to internally displaced persons, including Afro-Colombian and indigenous populations. The United States should assume a much stronger position on human rights and actively support the rights of victims of violence. Also, in order to truly end illegal drug trafficking, we must prioritize drug treatment and prevention programs at home to reduce demand, and support alternative development programs in Colombia to move coca farmers permanently away from illicit crop production.

As your constituent, I encourage you to help seek a new direction for U.S. policy in Colombia. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this grave issue.

Sincerely,

 

ORDER THE NEW
CHURCH WOMEN UNITED
SOCIAL POLICY BOOK 1941-2004

The new CWU Social Policy Book features Policy Statements, Resolutions, and Declarations covering the wide array of issues that have faced CWU members through the years. It includes the ten new resolutions adopted at CWU Common Council 2004. The Social Policy Book is especially recommended for CWU Ecumenical Action Chairs.

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