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A letter to the UN

Dear UN,

I hope this letter finds you well. I mean, you must be well. Your flags are arranged, conferences are scheduled and statements are drafted. The world sure must look very organized from inside your spotless glass walls in New York. But I must apologize, I’d like you to burst out of this little bubble for once.

Let’s talk history. You were built after a war which nearly ended the world. You were meant for peace, cooperation and protection of the vulnerable. A noble mission indeed. That mission, however, appears to have been sealed away in a drawer somewhere between the boardrooms and the vetoes, never to be opened again. Now, let's discuss the well-known Security Council. The room where decisions that impact the entire planet are made. A place where it would make sense to expect equality and fairness, wouldn't it? Wrong! Because we have the big boys, the Permanent Five. They hold an exclusive power: the veto. I'm still baffled as to why you would grant five nations the authority to revoke an entire resolution.

For instance, the world watched in disbelief as your Security Council attempted to react to Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. The violence was being denounced by numerous countries. However, Russia simply just blocked the entire peace resolution by using the veto. Thus, the attacker took on the role of judge. In the recent Israel-Palestine conflict, a similar situation occurred. Every time civilian protection was proposed, it was rejected. The debate came to an end when the United States intervened with its veto. They quite literally had aTrump card (no pun intended).

Now, the part you’ve been waiting for, peacekeeping. And congratulations, this is the part of you that people still admire. Our Samajik (Social Studies) teacher is absolutely obsessed with the fact that Nepal also sends peace armies to many parts of the world. Now, I noticed a pattern here. The majority of these peacekeepers come from countries like Nepal, India, Bangladesh,Rwanda and Ghana. Countries that do not have shiny veto buttons or luxurious seats at your most important table. They are simply expected to pack their bags, fly across continents and stand between warring forces because someone has to do it.

And the most concerning part is that the decisions that send these soldiers abroad are made by those who never have to see the battlefield. Those who sit in slick conference rooms, fiddling with microphones and repeating words like cooperation and stability as though they are synonymous with success. Irony writes itself. The definition of peace cannot be shaped by those who risk their lives for it. Decisions are not made by those who make sacrifices. Is this fair?

April 1994. Does it ring a bell? If not, let me remind you about the quiet tragedy that occurred in the beautiful nation of Rwanda. The genocide unfolded in slow motion, every hour, every minute, every second.It;s not like peacekeepers weren’t alreadythere, they were. They were the witnesses of the panic in the streets and the endless pleading. But they were under orders to watch and to observe. Because in New York, in the Security Council chamber, the debate was still circling around mandates and formal approvals. Lives were being erased faster than resolutions could be typed. By the time the world finally agreed to act, nearly one million people were gone. May their souls rest in peace, and their deaths echo the truth that hesitations have no place in crises.

Time is time though. It does not stop nor does it rewind for anyone. It does not pause for No matter how tragic the past was,there is nothing we can do about it.What’s done is done. Rwanda will not rewind. Ukraine will not unburn itself. We cannot fix what has already happened. But the future is entirely in our hands, and these hands need to be responsible and accountable.

However, the same things are still occurring today. Children in Yemen go hungry as alarming statements are made. As delegates quarrel over who gets to speak first, civilians in Sudan flee without a way to safety. While the rest of the world looks on and waits for someone else to take action, basic human rights in Afghanistan disappear during the day. Equality is still talked about as if it were a precious gem rather than a necessity. Furthermore, people still view peace as a means of getting applause or votes. How long will this continue?

Please don’t feel disheartened though. I do not want you to disappear. I want you to remember a quote from Uncle Ben in Spiderman.“With great power, comes great responsibility.” (Yes, I quoted Spiderman. I’m 14 years old, what do you expect?) And it seems like your focus has been tremendously more on the word “power” than on the word “responsibility”.People need peace now more than ever, and they’re looking at you. Because that’s what they were taught, that you are the hero for the weak, but now it just seems that you’re a butler for the powerful.

Finally, I’d like to thank you for your time. I know that you are very busy. There must be another conference waiting or another round of applause to politely exchange. But I just hope between the fancy microphones and the shining floors, you find a moment to remember why you were created in the first place.

Yours sincerely,

An average student hoping for global peace