SPOTTED: United Nations Actions

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Blog #1 for History/ Politics Class

As a supporter of the United Nations, I take a lot of flack. Many say the United Nations is useless, too bureaucratic, and corrupt. While aspects of the body can certainly be described using these words, I challenge you to find me a government or business that does not also fit this description. However, I feel that both the UN and national governments do serve some purpose, fulfill some role, no matter how minute or monumental.
The UN can do nothing but ask of voluntary compliance with the resolutions it passes, but that does not mean it does not have a huge sphere of influence, as well as actual results in many corners of the world. Unfortunately, this can be both positive and negative. On the news, within one week a person can view a story of a huge UN aid project depositing 5,000 lbs of rice to a starving community in Sudan, only to find out that some of these same blue-helmeted volunteers had raped some of the refugees in the same community. I, however, would like to think that the actions of the United Nations are overwhelmingly positive, or at least set out with positive intentions.
While in Argentina, in just over the course of a week, I have seen two instances of these projects which give me hope not only for the UN but also for the cooperation of the Argentine government for the eventual benefit of its people.
The first instance was receiving a pamphlet- make that two pamphlets- one about AIDS, the other about SIDA. In my research with UNAIDS, the body of the UN attempting to deal with the pandemic, one of the greatest, simplest efforts is the distribution of materials in ALL languages spoken in a region. They are easy to understand, informative, and do a tremendous amount of educating without spending a tremendous amount of money.The second instance was at a second-league soccer game. During a lull period in the latter half, I began scanning the signs in the arena, and noticed the UNESCO symbol, naming the Ferro Carril Oeste stadium a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1988.
These moments of realization that the United Nations actually does have real world applications and effects helps to reaffirm what I do as a staff member for the International Model United Nations Association. I experienced it once in the United States, when a donor sent our office the notification that instead of his usual cash donation, he had purchased a play pump (a means of recreation for children that also delivers clean water) for a village this past year for Christmas. Seeing these types of results twice, abroad, in a matter of days serves only as more motivation to keep up what I believe is the good fight.

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