Tag United Nations

The Pan-Asian Dream

Jonathan E. Hillman— In 1995, Mahathir revived a plan for a “pan-Asian” railway network. Versions of the idea have existed since the early 1900s, when British and French colonialists built some of the region’s first tracks and began drafting plans for more extensive networks. The concept resurfaced in an even

Continue reading…

Raphael Lemkin: The Unsung Hero Who Gave Genocide Its Name

Guilt without guilt is more destructive to us than justified guilt, because in the first case catharsis is impossible. He was the man who coined the term “genocide” and dedicated his entire life to making it illegal — but most people still don’t know his name. Raphael Lemkin, a Holocaust

Continue reading…

To London, with Love: The UN Today

Ivan Lett It is now 65 years to the day that the United Nations held its first General Assembly in London. In the aftermath of World War II, the Allies met repeatedly to establish the goals of the organization, notably its commitment to international peace and cooperation. Fifty-one nations were

Continue reading…

Pearl Harbor remembered

In remembrance of the attack on Pearl Harbor 66 years ago today, here are some books related to the “day of infamy” and World War II. Crises in U.S. Foreign Policy: An International History Reader by Michael H. Hunt Repeatedly in the twentieth century, the United States has been involved

Continue reading…

Complicity with Evil

Adam LeBor’s new book “Complicity with Evil” – The United Nations in the Age of Modern Genocide was published in the US and UK in November 2006. It is a controversial, powerful and thought-provoking book which asks important questions about the legacy of the United Nations under Kofi Annan and

Continue reading…