Mike DiCioccio
Got Peace?
Have you ever witnessed children getting picked on for
their appearance or beliefs, or watched an innocent drafted soldier get injured
in a seemingly pointless battle? Or
perhaps you have casually witnessed a teenage fist fight on a street or in a
mall corridor? These are all examples of violent conflicts and, believe it or
not, they happen all the time. Similar conflicts called war occur between
different nations in our world today. The United Nations, or the U.N., has
taken part in noticing these growing problems and has been working on
correcting them since their creation.
Fortunately, along with other organizations, the U.N.
has been positively influencing teens from all around the world. An article written
by Carole Sumner Krechman and Brandon F. Shamin, called “Learning the Art of Making Peace-NGO
Watch”, is a prime source that supports
these statements. For the world is a big puzzle, and peace is
the glue that holds it together. The children of today are the puzzle
builders of tomorrow. With this idea in
mind, the U.N.’s main objective is to provide peace for the entire world,
starting with our youth.
The U.N. originated during World War II, in an effort
to deal with international problems that posed a threat to world peace. Different sections of the U.N. include the
Secretariat, the General Assembly, and the Security Council. The Security Council is made up of fifteen
members. It’s permanent original members are comprised of the
The U.N. was, and still is, a major part of the world’s
peace goals, be it battles and wars or street gangs and bullies. It is the U.N.’s job to tackle conflict being
solved improperly, especially when it causes any type of injury or death. Through many attempts, they have dug for more
and more ways to spread the word “peace” to youths around the world.
In stride to put an end to conflict, many teens have
listened to the U.N.’s voice and yearned to learn better self-control,
judgment, and life skills. Teenagers
influenced by the U.N. like this have joined a group called the Peacemaker
Corps Association, or the P.C.A. The P.C.A.’s
objective is to strengthen peace building strictly among adolescents. It allows teens not only in the
With the topic of peace comes many different opinions,
some probably doubting how effective world peace really is. It is very important! Major conflicts being solved with violence,
such as war, can kill and injure more people in a shorter period of time than
casualties caused by accidents or natural disasters. And to think that that many lives could have
been saved if people turned to peaceful solutions instead of turning to
violence when a problem occurred.
Compare: the cost of weapons,
soldiers’ clothing and food vs. the cost of sacrifice and peaceful
negotiations. Compare again: the time invested in hospital visits, lawyers
and court due to a gang fight vs. the time it takes to say I’m sorry or I’d
like to work this out with you in a peaceful way. The answer to this problem is obvious: Peace.
Throughout history, the U.N. has been making efforts
to spread world peace. With the theory
to spread peace amongst young minds, the U.N. believed that in future years peace would be more widespread and efficient than ever
before. Many youths have taken the
U.N.’s advice and joined other peace-making organizations like P.C.A. to obtain
a better understanding of peace in their own lives. The world is a big puzzle, and peace is the
glue that holds it together. Today's
youth are the puzzle builders of tomorrow.
WORKS CITED
UN Chronicle: Learning the Art of Making Peace-NGO
Watch 14 September 2004. UN Chronicle
<http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1309/is-3-40/ai-111027108>
“United Nations (U.N.)” American
Concise Encyclopedia CD-Rom. 2000ed.