A friend, actively involved in the local United Nations organization, sent me some information on a lecture coming up. I wrote back saying that from what I saw of the UN military occupation in Haiti, I had my doubts about the role of the UN. She quickly wrote back “Just so I know where you stand, do you think the UN has the potential to be improved? Do you like the concept of it?” I wrote back saying: “Yes! The way to improvement is realize the mistakes and not make them again.“ I promised to send her an article I received from another member of our SOAWatch delegation to Haiti on the UN forces that was published in the English section of a Haitian newsletter called Haiti Liberte.
As I was posting this article,REFLECTIONS FOLLOWING A DELEGATION: HOW MINUSTAH HURTS HAITI, on the web page Haiti Return to Slavery of Freedom I read it. I was reminded how repressive this UN military occupying force is on the people of Haiti.
Also tonight at a birthday celebration for the 25th anniversary of Welfare Warriors, a group fighting for the mothers and children living in poverty]], I was reminded by a friend how two countries, the United States and Israel via the UN are blocking the lifting of the boycott of Cuba (which is largely ignored). How two countries can override all the other countries in the world in the United Nations made me realize how deeply flawed the structure of the UN is.
Thus I must now write my friend again about my view of the United Nations and say this time: “Yes, I like the concept of a United Nations but I do not like the structure of the present UN. It is deeply flawed and suggests that supporters trying to improve the UN spend their efforts on restructuring it. Can I change my mind about the UN based on reflections on Haiti?”
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