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by Dr. Ruwantissa Abeyratne, United Nations, Montreal

In addition to its substantive role as world peacekeeper, the United Nations remains an encouragement to the educator in acting as an educational resource in school and university curricula. Through its own public information functions and its UN-related academic research and teachings, the United Nations has been an inspiration to political science education, where many universities throughout the world have actively involved UN studies in their programs.

One of the foremost educational institutions in this field is the University of Vienna which provides valuable insight to its students through academic programs on international institutions and international relations taught by international civil servants and faculty. One particular feature is the Harvard Model-UN which simulates United Nations Security Council sessions debating on issues of political relevance. The main objective of the exercise is for students to develop problem solving skills through consensus.

Besides principles of political science and international relations, the most significant area of knowledge taught through the United Nations system is diplomacy. The origins of diplomacy date back to the period of darkness preceding the dawn of history. The terms 'diplomat' or 'diplomatic' are essentially modern and derive their origin from the Latin word "diplomas" meaning official documents emanating from the princes.

It is claimed that anthropoid apes living in caves practised a form of diplomacy in reaching understandings with their neighbours on territorial boundaries pertaining to their own hunting grounds. The compelling need to ensure the preservation of life of an emissary, on the ground that no negotiation could take place if emissaries, however hostile, were murdered on arrival, gave rise to the practice of diplomatic immunity, which is attributed inter alia to Australian aborigines, and is mentioned in the Institutes of Manu and in Homeric poems. In the modern world, the institution of the permanent diplomatic mission is the cornerstone of international diplomacy and comity and the diplomat carries out the function of diplomacy which is generally termed "diplomatic practice".

It is extremely important that nations appreciate diplomatic practice and its significance in their entirety, especially relating to the privileges and immunities of a diplomat if diplomacy is to be effective. The overall aim and objective of diplomacy is to ensure that peace and justice prevails throughout the world, and, to this end, the institution of diplomacy is a preeminent example of the growth of modern civilization.

For its part, the United Nations has recognized its serious role in diplomacy, as applicable to all areas of United Nations activity. The role of the United Nations and its specialized agencies address issues of State sovereignty and its limits and the parameters of international intervention by individuals or groupings of States. At its 5th Session in September 2000, the United Nations adopted Resolution A55/2 - United Nations Millennium Declaration - which recognizes that States have a collective responsibility to uphold the principles of human dignity, equality and equity at the global level, notwithstanding their separate responsibilities. The Resolution reaffirmed States' commitment to the United Nations Charter and its relevance and capacity to inspire nations and peoples.

Dispute settlement through diplomacy and conciliation in a political setting should be a critical facet of a youth education programme irrespective of whether the student eventually ends up being a politician. Diplomacy and dispute settlement is geared toward finding solutions, particularly in social disputes. The most common area of human conflict which threatens global peace lies in ethno-political disagreement. Ethno political conflicts are common in socioeconomic pluralism where racial and religious minorities demand equality in political participation and human rights.

Such conflicts often lead to a demand for self determination and eventual secession. Emergent trends in social transformations show a distinct preference of heterogeneous societies for peaceful processes of political and constitutional change. This global doctrine encompasses respect for minority rights, democratic processes and international intervention. Compelling examples of this doctrine are Apartheid of South Africa, which in the beginning of the last decade was transformed into a multiracial democracy dominated by Africans through a peaceful democratic process that eschewed a bloody race war; and the acceptance of a referendum by the Indonesian government in 1998 on Timor's secession after the Indonesian transition toward democracy.

This paved the way for the country to accommodate the rebels rather than continue relying on force. Other notable examples are the lifting of immigration barriers by the German government in the late 1990s which had hitherto precluded Turks and other non-German immigrants to enter Germany, and the situation in Afghanistan where the only way toward a lasting peace is the establishment of a sustained coalition among the leadership of the Tajik, Uzbek, Pashtun and Hazara communities.

The fundamental postulate upon which this new doctrine is based admits of a subdued and restrained approach to the conventional demand for access to the State's power and resources and a strong focus on the recognition of minority rights and power steering. The doctrine itself is that devolution of State's power, primarily through the intercession of the international community, is preferable to the division of a country.

This global trend involves the rejection of the more traditional and short-sighted strategies of racial segregation; forced assimilation and ethnic cleansing, which were the vestiges of colonial conquest and imperial rule; and the acceptance of global responsibility and the practical supremacy of political pluralism, equitable sharing of power and the devolution of autonomy on a regional basis.

In a typical educational curriculum involving the United Nations process, two areas that would stand out are human rights and peace and security. The starting point in international legislation is Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which provides that everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and that this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. The New York Times, on September 2, 2002, quotes the words of Judge Keith in the US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit who invoked in Orwellian terms : "When government begins closing doors, it selectively controls information rightfully belonging to the people. Selective information is misinformation. A government operating in the shadow of secrecy stands in complete opposition to the society envisioned by the framers of our Constitution."

Due recognition and active protection of a minority's rights pertaining to racial, cultural and religious issues guarantees freedom from discrimination based on race, language, nationality and national origin or religion. Western democracies, particularly after World War II and the Nuremberg trials which ensured punishment for those responsible for the organized murder of thousands of innocent persons by the commission of atrocities during the war, have been particularly sensitive to the need to ensure human rights. This has led to a gradual evolution where focus on collective rights of national minorities has replaced earlier emphasis on individual rights.

The protection of human rights is the most significant and important task for an enlightened State, particularly since multi ethnic States are the norm in today's world. The traditional nation State in which a distinct national group rules over a territorial unit is fast receding to history. Globalisation and increased migration across borders is gradually putting an end to the concept of the nation State, although resistance to reality can be still seen in instances where majority or dominant cultures impose their identity and interests on groups with whom they share a territory. In such instances, minorities frequently intensify their efforts to preserve and protect their identity, in order to avoid marginalization. Polarization between the opposite forces of assimilation on the one hand and protection of minority identity on the other inevitably causes increased intolerance and eventual armed ethnic conflict. In such a scenario, the first duty of governance is to ensure that the rights of a minority society are protected.

As for peace and security, this subject is firmly entrenched in the United Nations Charter and steadfastly supported in the United Nations Security Council. Both within the United Nations and among States, both internally and externally, this is the most contentious issue where the stakes are the highest. Effective tools, such as the power of "veto"in the Security Council are good role models that could be analyzed in depth in a high school or university educational program. The role played by the international Court of Justice in adjudicating disputes is another area of scholarly research that could enrich a political science and international relations programme. The United Nations Charter recognizes one of the purposes of the United Nations as being to maintain international peace and security, and to that end: take effective collective measures for the prevention and removal of threats to the peace, and for the suppression of acts of aggression or other breaches of peace, and to bring about by peaceful means, and in conformity with the principles of justice and international law, adjustment or settlement of international disputes or situations which might lead to a breach of the peace.

It is a cliche but a true one, that the price of education is expensive, but the price of ignorance cannot be fathomed. It is also abundantly clear that, to prepare ourselves for the globalised economy of the 21st Century, we must first learn the art of interdependence, which essentially requires us to get used to the practicality of co-operation across national boundaries as well as within our own domestic peripheries in order to obviate and eliminate personal barriers.

The responsibility for providing solutions to current global problems should be shared by all public institutions, and universities are no exception. The university system has a particularly important role, for it puts the finishing touches to a young human being before he or she takes up responsibility in the world. At graduate level, this becomes more significant, particularly in the context of the seniority and accountability involved in the office that would be held by a person holding a masters degree or doctorate. To this end, a period of practical experience at both late secondary and tertiary level education would also assist students in preparing for their upcoming professional careers. For instance, law students could assist practising lawyers with their research and follow court proceedings and students of international relations could work in the foreign office for a given period of time during their periods of scholarship.

To illustrate the point that awareness of the compelling need for global interaction is a sine qua non for a student in the modern economic and political world, one has to examine a practical instance. International Organizations are as important actors as are States when it comes to international politics. This is brought to bear by the fact that the United Nations is the only international organization of countries created to promote world peace and cooperation.

The UN was founded after World War II ended in 1945. Its mission is to maintain world peace, develop good relations between countries, promote cooperation in solving the world's problems, and encourage respect for human rights. The UN is an alliance of countries that agree to cooperate with one another. It brings together countries that are rich and poor, large and small, and have different social and political systems. Member nations pledge to settle their disputes peacefully, to refrain from using force or the threat of force against other countries, and to refuse help to any country that opposes UN actions.

The UN's influence in world affairs has fluctuated over the years, but the organization gained new prominence beginning in the 1990s. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2001. Still, the UN faces constant challenges. It must continually secure the cooperation of its member nations because the organization has little independent power or authority. But getting that support is not always easy. Many nations are reluctant to defer their own authority and follow the dictates of the UN.

It therefore becomes abundantly clear that the study of international politics through the UN system is of critical importance to a society, if only to gain a full realization of the difficulties posed by the various nuances of international relations, negotiation of disputes through diplomacy and problem solving. Such an education could only be provided through the experiences of international institutions such as the United Nations.

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