[This was presented by the author at a seminar organized by Leadership Studies Foundation on 29 March, and was printed in the New Nation on 02 April 2012 at Dhaka, Bangladesh]
Reality before the world is clean, clear and transparent to the effect that today everything appears to be global by nature and appeal, or is made so otherwise and all these take place because of the music of globalization, which is, in fact, a call of time, space and dimension. Therefore, the role of the United Nations as a moderate global body in the face of the challenges and dilemmas of globalization has also become challenging more than ever before since its birth on 24 October 1945. To go on performing functions, routine or otherwise, needs lot of foresights, patience, forbearance, perseverance, administrative and diplomatic capacities, capabilities and excellence coupled with financial and organizational supports, regular or urgent. UN as of today has been in a position to move uninterrupted in almost all areas of concerns. But the question and sense of globalization grew markedly over the last few decades. Does this fall within the jurisdiction of UN? Outright reply is, not at all. Then why should UN poke noise into the affairs of globalization? Mild asking then is that how can UN being a global body of the nation-states be away from such blasts and call of time, space and dimension? Same is the spirit which has been manifested in the lines as follows:
‘O United Nations--------------------------
Look, look, look
Sparkle of the dancing and vehemence of the marching of globalization
Crowned with the rapidly flourishing of science and technology
Colored further with the dawning of space age
I wonder how the world is getting transformed globally into a village;
Everything is getting closer, distance remains no more a distance and
Knocking at the door sans a pause a true sense of neighborhood;
At this golden juncture of time, space and dimension, O United Nations
You require being active and pro-active more for mankind and civilization
Even in the face of challenges, Himalayan or Oceanic or Herculean
Whatever they may appear to be;
Let the blessings, not the curses of globalization be spread everywhere and
Let such blessings be tuned to the expectations and satisfactions of all jacketing
Developed, developing and underdeveloped states and areas as well without
Allowing any sort of ugliness to the concept of development meaning
‘Marching forward’ not by a mightier or the mightiest alone, but by all together
For which you have been given birth to, O United Nations.
(Page-46 in this author’s book O United Nations)
Yes, there is no denying the fact that societies entailing groups, associations, organizations and so forth have been created not to distance people from each other and one another, but to suit the very purposes of producing and providing better and more and more benefits, services and amenities depending on time, space and dimension.. Therefore, the first law of nature appears to be the law of association, getting together and living together under all the circumstance, favorable or not. No society, big or small, can remain immobile and static in a particular state of being for a long at all and so, mobility and dynamism is innately tied to the very root of societies. Such journey of mankind as social being started at local scale, swelled in national- territorial status and today it is getting matured further entering the domain of global standing and stature having United Nations as a coordinator, moderator and facilitator in almost all respects. All these together might be a resultant consequence of ‘globalization’ in the simplest sense of the term. Therefore, Globalization does neither denote galloping or eating the small by the big nor does it mean ‘the survival of the fittest by the show of force or use of force under the cover of hegemony or of new imperialism. Such phobic perception indeed goes against the very spirit of globalization on any count, analysis and consideration.
To speak the truth, globalization is a paradox in the current global governance. While the concept of globalization refers to processes whereby relations among states acquire a relatively ‘distance-less and borderless’ qualities, realists attach much importance to the state and national interests. The perceptions about globalization, therefore, vary and developing nations often think that globalization is the new form of domination by the western industrialized countries; the market friendly liberals see globalization primarily in terms of the contemporary movement of capital, investment, and other economic interactions. They regard globalization as the hidden forces behind economic cooperation and democratization. Thus in a globalized world, political, cultural and economic events tend to become more interconnected. Globalization, thus, implies universalization, harmonization and homogeneity that promote values, norms and standard for which the United Nations stands. In this sense, globalization is a restructuring process that allows people and nations to interact in a wider sphere in economic, social and political spheres, transcending state interests.
Globalization as a concept and entity itself is an encouraging one for the nation-states and peoples on earth. But if it is viewed and applied from any monopolistic standpoint with profits and benefits to be passed to the pockets of those who here are the masters in that case globalization is not only a threat but also a declared enemy of the freedom and peace-loving people who want to survive, stay and continue with what they have and what they are broadly called culture and civilization from their respective point of views. There are two faces of globalization. One is fair face aimed at the positive directions giving benefits to the majority of the populations in the planet and the other is ugly face targeted at the negative directions pumping benefits to the minority that include monopolistic syndicates of various folds, backgrounds, products and materials, primary or secondary. When it is tuned to the fair-face, UN is relaxed enough to move with it. But when it is ugly-faced, role of UN becomes complicated and challenging given that the masters here are at the same time holding the wheels of power of the world and the UN. There is also a third line which is a mixture of these two and it may be identified as synthetic move of globalization or in a simple words ‘synthetic globalization’.
Therefore, globalization may be exposed in three manners and modes namely, fair/positive globalization, ugly/negative globalization and synthetic globalization. Ugly/negative globalization must be discouraged, retarded and nipped in the bud. Fair/positive globalization is a model when synthetic globalization having a strong penchant for fair/positive globalization appears to be our preference in a reality. United Nations may play enough flowing this pursuit accordingly.
Further truth is that even in the face of the vehemence and clashes of globalization of various forces say globalization after the model of Americanization or westernization or so-called modernization, globalization reflected in the initiatives and credit systems by World Bank, IFM, ADB and other donor and financial institutions, globalization of industries, industrial products and by-products hardly paying a heed in practice to the environmental hazards and pollutions, globalization by way of monopolization of trade and commerce and come what may not, the role of the UN as a moderate global body, which is institutionally committed to show and uphold respects to all in their respective standing, importance , cause and effect is definitely unique by nature for the benefits of mankind and the nation-states without any exaggeration. Because UN here also plays a role to reduce, minimize and reconcile various kinds of conflicting interests, pressures and counter-pressures and challenges and dilemmas. UN is in the final and conclusive analysis is a ray of hope for us all.
The contradictions of globalizations create challenges for the United Nations in reconciling the imperatives of global markets with the socio-economic needs of world’s people, and realizing the potential of cooperation with the threat of new divisions of the world, of backlash and recourse to the damaging excessive nationalism of big powers, populism, religious and ethnic chauvinism. These challenges, in fact, sharply limit the potential of the United Nations’ role as a truly global institution to protect the diversity of values and interests and ensure the ideals, norms and rules that underpin global governance. In the name of globalization, the powerful western states protect their interests and impose their values through the mechanism of the United Nations and other international institutions notably come within a second the name of WTO. The United Nations fails to achieve its inclusiveness and its potential to bring about human progress. Despite such limits, the United Nations must continue to play a central role in establishing a normative order which strikes a balance between the competing demands of equity of scores of non-western world and political reality of predominance of the western countries.
One of the major allegations against the ongoing modes and trends of Globalization is that it has till the date projected mainly the interests of the western powers and societies, and the United Nations has still been carefully bearing the burdens and legacies of the same. Nevertheless, the overall balance-sheet is not at all devoid of dividends passing to the developing world. Can we think of a world without an all-compassing organization like United Nations? Yes, it’s an unavoidable necessity on any analysis and count. Basic asking is that how much the world does expects of the United Nations keeping alive in tact the sovereign standing of the nation-states? Dilemmas of globalization must have to be viewed and judged also by the limitations and dilemmas of the standing, powers and functions of the United Nations. Let rest of the world be impregnated and impressed with a kind of consolation and belief that the United Nations has, to speak the truth, potentialities, capacities and cavities to make globalization more widespread across the planet at large and thus let it blossom and emerge as a life-boat to suit the very purposes of its birth and intents.
Fair enough, UN has to move with all these limitations and dilemmas, although its stock of successes is far behind our level of expectations and despite, there is no way for escape or evasion. Because, unlike the League of Nations, United Nations has been born to survive and continue even in the face of thousands of hurdles, challenges and dilemmas, Himalayan or otherwise, which has rightly been expressed in the following lines of the book O United Nations:
‘O United Nations--------------------------
Hailing from the collapses and ruins of League of Nations
On October twenty four of nineteen hundred and forty five and
Having arrived at the age of sixty five with a total of
One hundred and ninety two member-states till the date
You now appear to be matured and experienced enough having witnessed
Inter alia, more than half a century wars in various natures and dimensions
Mostly between states not more than two in number in action occurred once
Within the range of influence and folds of USA and undivided USSR as
Then they opposed to each other on every front initiating a reign of
Hegemony and balance of power in the name of catchy and choosy words
Ideology, human rights and rule by many indeed from their sense of
Approaches, angles and definitions, necessarily or unnecessarily, and
Going on now under the sole domain of USA in the newly emerged uni-polar world;
Notwithstanding anything taking place in and around, O United Nations
Reality speaks with all intents, openness and transparence that such journey of you
Remaining on in the fullest extent and swing showing the world as well that the
Certainty of UN cannot be extinguished so hurriedly and easily making it docile to the
Challenges and dilemmas of today or tomorrow.
Bravo, bravo, bravo, O United Nations’ (page-1).
Questions may also arise from a many that the United Nations is not at all on a footing to meet with the increasing needs and demands of the world and the nation-states pointedly under the existing frame of powers and functions of an association. Of course, needless to say it twice that there may or must be a series of reforms and amendments to make and ensure its survival and continuance structurally and functionally, which has again been projected in a lucid and juicy manner in the lines as under in the same book:
‘Therefore, O United Nations--------------------------------------
Go on marching forward in quest of better days neither following
Merely the model of association nor federation or confederation
In their existing forms and fashions, rather after a model of
Reformed and developed structure of an association uniquely suited to the
Aims, goals and purposes of time, space and dimension;
Let the member-states, populations, media, associations and organizations
In their multi-dimensional expositions here and there and everywhere
Across the world at large be united again to devise such model to win over the
Hurdles, challenges and dilemmas of the 21st century without a delay anymore’ (Ibid, p-55).
Therefore, it is safer, wiser and better in almost all respects to stick to a kind of firm belief and conviction that UN is still a means to minimize and compromise coherently upholding the music and intonations thereto. May Allah bless us all to transform the planet into an abode of peace and happiness overcoming the possible blasts of globalization from local to national to international waves and lengths. Globalization is a call of time and there cannot any death of cordiality from us to welcome it from the very bosom of mind since real sometimes appear to be more ideal than ideal itself.
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