The first contribution for our “online Journal” of original, article length contributions comes from IRFWP intern Olivia Cassandro, International Relations major from the University of Delaware.
Olivia presents a cogent argument that the United Nations cannot realize its charter and purposes until it incorporates into its analyses and policies authentic acknowledgement of religious dimensions of global issues:
“Why does the UN fail to address the obvious need to include religion when analyzing conflict? One answer lies in the United Nations structure. Unfortunately, the UN lacks even one body devoted to religion…
“If we ever are to live in a world of enduring peace, the United Nations must be able to deal with and investigate religious differences as a cause of conflict just as much as it investigates all secular elements in conflict. How can we break the cycle of religiously motivated violence, if we refuse even to acknowledge it exists?”
