UN and world peace
The UN and its elaborate Charter for peace, individual freedom and human rights were established soon after WW2. However, it is not functioning well at all because of lack of good will and co-operation on the part of stronger nations. In particular, the right of 'self determination' is apparently a failed concept. Most of the present turmoil in the world, in Kashmir, Georgia, Chechnya, Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq. Tibet (and perhaps even Palestine) could be prevented if this provision of the UN could be enforced for world wide peace and tranquillity. An exceptional case of such UN success was in East Timor. Why can the world not see many more such cases of self determination of the troubled or disputed regions? The 'Principle of territorial integrity of a sovereign nation' (an archaic concept), must be subservient to the 'Principle of happiness and self determination of the people' of a ruled region. Size is irrelevant as states such as Monaco and Luxemburg demonstrate their happy and prosperous existence.
Mature countries like the UK are already conscious of the fact that (like modern marriage between equals), any unity must be voluntary and cannot be enforced. Local Assemblies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are free to use referendums if they so wish to break away from the UK. Peaceful and voluntary breaking up of the Czech Republic is a recent example (although Yugoslavia needed war). Like peaceful break-up from the old, there can also be peaceful reunion and the strongest case for this is the European Union (which is actually the harbinger of an ideal single World Government).
The world's stronger countries and their rulers must recognise this maturity of mankind's psyche and aspirations and give the freedom of self determination its due recognition for world peace.
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