As I mentioned in a previous blog, the problem I am most concerned about in Myanmar is the sectarian violence of Theravada Buddhism versus other population groups in Myanmar. Well, my fears are being borne out in Myanmar in the last few days. In Rakhine State, on the Bay of Bengal side of Myanmar, the Rakhine population (primarily Buddhist) and the Rohingya population (Primarily Islamic) have begun fighting in earnest. According to an article in the AP 56 people have been killed and 200 homes destroyed in the last few days. This violence is greater than that sparked in June of this year when a group of Muslim men were accused of raping a Buddhist woman and is part of a larger wave of violence since last October that has left at least 84 people dead and over 100 wounded. Disappointing to me is the lack of a statement by the NLD led by Aung San Suu Kyi in regard to the violence.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Top 5 Worst Nobel Peace Prize Awards
The awarding of the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union requires me to think for a few minutes about the prize and particularly upon silly, or down right stupid, award recipient decisions. I mean really, you could not come up with a deserving individual--heck you could give it to Aung San Suu Kyi for a second time (she was awarded the prize in 1991) easier than giving it to an organization. What about the Syrian or Lybian activits that all of teh peace study people have run around touting in the last year? Heck, I'd even feel better about doing a 1939-43, 1948,, 1955-56, 1966-67, 1972 (years in which no peace prize was awarded (there are more of these if you want to go further back, but I was being lazy and just making a point here so I did not go back further). Since I like giving my two cents in the form of lists, here are my top 5 worst Nobel Peace Prizes.
5) 1965 UNICEF
The United Nation's International Children's Educational Fund. Children are great, I love my kids, as a Christian I love your kids too, in a charitable way. I love organizations that support kids (I serve on boards that support kids locally). Does any of this love earn a peace prize? No. Supporting kids has not remedied the exploitation of children around the world. UNICEF did not deserve the prize in 1965 nor any year of its existence.
4) 1988 UN Peacekeeping Forces
Seriously, what was up with this award. Peacekeeping forces prior to 1988 were even less successful than those after 1988. And those since 1988 include the peacemakers who use force to try to end conflict situations. Wow, come wear a blue beanie and we'll recognize you as a world class peace operator.
3) 2001 UN, Kofi Annan
Well, well, well. Kofi himself and the UN. Kofi, let us remember, was the UN under-secretary who in 1994 decided not to allow the UN peacekeepers in Rwanda to confiscate weapons caches that were used to arm the Interhamwe and kill 800,000 to 1,000,000 people. He and the UN really deserved to be recognized for championing peace in the world.
tie 3) 2007 IPCC, Al Gore
Since when is harping on global warming and carbon emissions worthy of recognition as a peace generating enterprise?
2) 2012 European Union
What is the recognition for? Did the EU keep the peace since the end of WWII? No, I believe that was largely a strong U.S. presence and then a strong NATO. Did the EU keep the peace after the cold war? No, that would be a strong NATO. By the way, the EU dropped the ball concerning the former Yugoslavia and that turned out very peacefully.
1) 2009 Barrack Obama
Well, in the future I might do something that might make a difference in bringing peace to the world. So, since I am not George W. Bush, and I might do something different in the future than my predecessor presidents of the U.S., I deserve this award and accept the award. Well, in the future I might think more of Obama as a peacemaker, but currently not so much.
Okay, so I gave you six (with a third place tie), I could give more, but wanted to keep it sort of short. And, I did not want to go Jimmy Carter (2002) bashing here, as Jimmy has enough detractors in the world. It would also have been too easy to bash Amnesty International (1977).
I'll give you my top two most worthy recipients:
2) 1991 Aung San Suu Kyi--you rock woman, keep it up.
1) 1929 Frank Billing Kellog--you really can't outlaw war, but hey, you gave it a real shot.
5) 1965 UNICEF
The United Nation's International Children's Educational Fund. Children are great, I love my kids, as a Christian I love your kids too, in a charitable way. I love organizations that support kids (I serve on boards that support kids locally). Does any of this love earn a peace prize? No. Supporting kids has not remedied the exploitation of children around the world. UNICEF did not deserve the prize in 1965 nor any year of its existence.
4) 1988 UN Peacekeeping Forces
Seriously, what was up with this award. Peacekeeping forces prior to 1988 were even less successful than those after 1988. And those since 1988 include the peacemakers who use force to try to end conflict situations. Wow, come wear a blue beanie and we'll recognize you as a world class peace operator.
3) 2001 UN, Kofi Annan
Well, well, well. Kofi himself and the UN. Kofi, let us remember, was the UN under-secretary who in 1994 decided not to allow the UN peacekeepers in Rwanda to confiscate weapons caches that were used to arm the Interhamwe and kill 800,000 to 1,000,000 people. He and the UN really deserved to be recognized for championing peace in the world.
tie 3) 2007 IPCC, Al Gore
Since when is harping on global warming and carbon emissions worthy of recognition as a peace generating enterprise?
2) 2012 European Union
What is the recognition for? Did the EU keep the peace since the end of WWII? No, I believe that was largely a strong U.S. presence and then a strong NATO. Did the EU keep the peace after the cold war? No, that would be a strong NATO. By the way, the EU dropped the ball concerning the former Yugoslavia and that turned out very peacefully.
1) 2009 Barrack Obama
Well, in the future I might do something that might make a difference in bringing peace to the world. So, since I am not George W. Bush, and I might do something different in the future than my predecessor presidents of the U.S., I deserve this award and accept the award. Well, in the future I might think more of Obama as a peacemaker, but currently not so much.
Okay, so I gave you six (with a third place tie), I could give more, but wanted to keep it sort of short. And, I did not want to go Jimmy Carter (2002) bashing here, as Jimmy has enough detractors in the world. It would also have been too easy to bash Amnesty International (1977).
I'll give you my top two most worthy recipients:
2) 1991 Aung San Suu Kyi--you rock woman, keep it up.
1) 1929 Frank Billing Kellog--you really can't outlaw war, but hey, you gave it a real shot.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)