The United Nations is the primary global forum for collective action today.
Yet if the UN is to transcend its culture of political expediency in order to act as a channel for world wisdom, the Member States must create entry points for wisdom to be received.
The United Nations is the primary global forum for collective action today.
Yet if the UN is to transcend its culture of political expediency in order
to act as a channel for world wisdom, the Member States must create entry
points for wisdom to be received.
Historically the motivating force for global change has been conflict. The
so-called ‘clash of civilizations’ has provided the impetus for three
groundbreaking initiatives within the walls of the UN. One of these is the
Alliance of Civilizations, an office established by Secretary General Kofi
Annan and continuing under Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to create forums
for intercultural understanding.
The second is a series of high-level dialogues convened in 2006 by the
office of the president of the 61st general assembly, H.E. Sheikha Haya
Rashed Al Khalifa, inviting governments, UN system actors and Non-
Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to address climate change, gender equity,
the Millennium Development Goals, and intercultural understanding and
cooperation for peace. This type of open forum creates a climate of
listening and reflection that can foster the cultivation of wisdom.
The third, the Tripartite Forum on Interfaith Cooperation for Peace, was
formed in March 2006 through the efforts of the Foreign Minister of The
Philippines and twelve other Member States, now numbering about 60 nation
participants. The ‘tripartite’ format includes Missions, UN system actors
(agencies, departments, etc.), and NGOs as equal partners. This is the
beginning of wisdom.
Historically the NGOs have served as the connecting point to religious,
indigenous and spiritual wisdom, as well as advances in philosophy and
thought systems. They have pioneered such coalitions as the Committee of
Religious NGOs, the Values Caucus, the NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion
or Belief, the Spiritual Caucus, the United Religions Initiative at the
United Nations, and the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global
Concerns, both in New York and in Geneva. The door is finally opening to
fuller participation beyond the NGOs.
Whether we believe that world wisdom can be found in the holy texts of the
great religions or whether we need to seek within for contemporary
revelation, most people would agree that action without wisdom is a recipe
for disaster. Let us pray that humanity may begin to listen collectively for
the wisdom to guide our actions as we join together in world community to
meet the challenges of the 21st century, building a new global culture of
peace.
Deborah Moldow, United Religious Initiative0