The goal of the United Democratic Nations is to
promote world peace through the principle of democracy, a belief that
greater representation means less war and human suffering.
A reformed United Nations?
Clearly we already have an organization dedicated to the
cause of world peace, the United Nations. But it is just as clear to
all that the UN has not lived up to this promise. Founded
over sixty years ago in response to WWII, it has repeatedly failed to
prevent subsequent wars, atrocities, and countless gross violations of
human rights. It has not brought peace to the middle east.
It has failed to stop genocide in Somalia. Nor has the UN provided
a workable plan for nuclear disarmament. And most dangerous of
all, it has not encouraged the growth of democracy on the planet.
Why has the UN failed? The UN simply lacks the
necessary legitimacy to lead. It is an undemocratic organization.
The very word "democracy" appears nowhere in the UN charter.
The UN is dominated by an undemocratically chosen group
called the Security Council: China, France, Russia, the UK, and
the United States. Why not India? Or Japan? Or Brazil?
All have greater populations than France or the UK. And what of
Switzerland? Or Mexico? Each has a more representative
government than China. Clearly the UN is not a democratic
organization.
Totalitarian governments lack the legitimacy
necessary to represent their own citizens. In what way are
they qualified to represent world opinion?
Is the UDN a call for
reform? Yes and no. Yes, the United Nations is clearly in
desperate need of reform. In the sixty years since its founding, the world has become a more dangerous place, not less. Yet
reform of
the United Nations seems destined to fail as those already in power
invariably do not wish to relinquish it. Consequently we need to
create a new organization, one that is more firmly rooted in the
principle of democracy. Ultimately a more democratic organization
will better accomplish the goals of the UN.
To pretend that dictators represent people is an affront to
the principle of democracy.
