United Nations Still Serves Practical Purposes Around the Globe
Indeed, the authority of international institutions such as the United Nations has been diminishing. While the United Nations was established at the end of World War II to maintain world peace, in recent decades it proves to be inefficient in responding and resolving global issues. From its failure to stop the Rwandan genocide, to its incapability to mitigate the North Korean crisis, to its failure to maintain stability in Syria and Libya, international institutions like the United Nations demonstrate their lack of authority and efficiency in facing crises that would lead to serious human rights atrocities if handled improperly.
Yet there are good things international institutions have accomplished. The spirit of international cooperation had led the world to unite together in defeating the Axis powers and facing the threat of the Soviet Union, ensuring security for the world. The establishments of international institutions like the United Nations and the International Court of Justice have safeguarded greater equality among all nation-states, and the establishment of international consensus such as the International Bill of Human Rights further guaranteed equal human rights for all human beings.
Winston Churchill famously said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all the others.” And I think this is also the same for the United Nations. While it is not perfect, they guard us from global chaos and thus it is necessary for us to keep them and improve upon them.
Why All Should Participate in Model United Nations
It is important not to lose faith in such precious international institutions because there are infinite possibilities, if we can all work together for a sacred cause. As young global citizens, we have the obligation to at least know about the existence, functions, and systems of the United Nations which could assist us in solving both international and domestic crisis and galvanizing further social advancements.
Model United Nations is a club at the Academy that teaches us to cooperate with our cohorts. Model UN’s biggest distinction from Speech and Debate is that you don’t win arguments. You learn, discuss, and ask questions. You gain friendships and have experiences of making peaceful and constructive conversations with other club members. Interested students are welcome to attend. For more information, contact Charlie Xie at xiez@gilmour.org or Dr. Gutowski at gutowskij@gilmour.org.
