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Dialogue Among Civilizations: Understanding and Cooperation

In Middle East & North Africa, Current Events, Solidarity, Conflict Resolution, The Search for Peace, United Nations, Cultural Bridges, Being a World Citizen, NGOs, Track II, Peacebuilding on April 21, 2026 at 7:05 AM

By René Wadlow

With the acute tensions and the danger of violence concerning Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, it is useful to recall that it was President Mohammad Khatami of the Islamic Republic of Iran who proposed that the United Nations (UN) proclaim an International Year for a Dialogue among Civilizations. President Khatami stressed, “It is incumbent on those who uphold peace in the world to work for dialogue among cultures, religions, and peoples. Fight ignorance with knowledge, dispel darkness with light, defeat the logic of war with the logic of peace.”

The aim of the International Year was to highlight knowledge of civilizations, their diversity, their uniqueness as well as their universality. The Year would build bridges between different ideologies, cultures, and religions to create common ground for creative discussions. The theme of Dialogue among Civilizations would draw in participation from Nongovernmental Organizations, universities, and museums. The Year was to build upon efforts already undertaken at UNESCO on understanding among cultures. Also, earlier in 2000, political leaders of Africa and Europe had sat together to promote cultural cooperation and to safeguard African cultural forms.

(C) UN Chronicle

The UN General Assembly set the Year of Dialogue for 2001-2002. However, on September 11, 2001, New York City’s Twin Towers were hit by two hijacked planes. The United States- led “War on Terror” began. Dialogue among Civilizations was replaced by what the then UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, called “a sense of equality in vulnerability.”

Today, there are obvious tensions among States based in part on their cultures and values. The need for understanding and cooperation is great if we are not to descend a spiral of violence. Thus, we should see how the efforts for a dialogue among civilizations could be revived and this time, carried out.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

The AWC Calls for UN Action on Lebanon Conflict

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, World Law on April 13, 2026 at 6:00 AM

By René Wadlow

The armed conflict in Lebanon is multidimensional and growing more violent as the conflict spreads to more areas of the country. Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) in Consultative Status with the United Nations (UN), such as the Association of World Citizens (AWC), are calling for speedy UN action to bring the fighting to a halt.

Israel’s current attacks in Lebanon against the armed militia Hezbollah are related to the United States (U.S.)-Israeli attacks against Iran, but they are separate from the U.S.-Iran negotiations that just took place in Pakistan. Hezbollah had fired rockets at Israel in support of Hamas. In the Gaza Strip, Hamas is also backed by the Iranian government.

(C) Time

Now in Lebanon, more than 1,000 persons have been killed and a million people displaced in a country of six million inhabitants. The Israeli attacks may be the beginning of an Israeli invasion and subsequent occupation of southern Lebanon.

The political-strategic situation in the wider Middle East is complex. In light of the dangers and uncertainties, NGOs are calling for action by the UN. There are some possibilities of UN mediation and good offices. We support these NGO calls for UN action.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Iran War: Peace Action Needed

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Bridges, Current Events, Humanitarian Law, International Justice, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, United States, World Law on April 6, 2026 at 8:00 AM

By René Wadlow

Since the month-old United States (U.S.) and Israeli military attacks against the Islamic Republic of Iran began, the Association of World Citizens (AWC) has called for negotiations in good faith to bring the war to a halt. The war is destructive of life and property. From the very start, it has been in danger of spreading to other countries. There are real dangers of miscalculations by the military that will lead to deeper military escalation.

The AWC has stressed that the war is a violation of international law as structured in the Charter of the United Nations. The war has also led to violations of international humanitarian law as structured in the Geneva Conventions. There have been attacks on schools, health facilities, and essential economic infrastructure. The war has led to a large number of persons being displaced.

(C) The Independent

U.S. President Donald Trump has recently warned the Iranian authorities that the USA could bomb Iran “back to the Stone Age” if the Iranian authorities did not meet U.S. demands for an agreement. In reality, Iran and Persia before it had long left the Stone Age and made important contributions to world culture.

Thus, strong efforts must be made through both the United Nations and Nongovernmental Organizations such as AWC for an end to the armed conflict and the start of a harmonious regional society. Your help in these vital efforts is much appreciated.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Pakistan-Afghanistan Armed Conflict: Humanitarian Law Needs to be Upheld

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Humanitarian Law, International Justice, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, World Law on March 19, 2026 at 7:00 AM

By René Wadlow

The Association of World Citizens (AWC) calls upon the military authorities of Pakistan and Afghanistan to uphold international humanitarian law, in particular the protection of medical and health installations.

More than 400 people were killed and at least 265 others were injured in a Pakistani airstrike on a drug rehabilitation center, Camp Phoenix, in Kabul, Afghanistan on March 15, 2026. Camp Phoenix, known locally as Omid Camp – Camp of Hope – has been for over a decade a drug treatment center. Afghanistan has a good number of people who have become dependent on the use of drugs. Thus, the drug treatment center meets a real need.

(C) BBC

Pakistan declared war on Afghanistan in late February 2026 for harboring Pakistani Taliban, a militant group which has repeatedly attacked Pakistani security forces. Over the past three weeks, Pakistani forces have hit Afghan military installations, residential areas, and civilian infrastructures, including more than 20 health care facilities. Afghan troops have responded with drone strikes and border raids. For the moment, a negotiated end to the armed conflict seems unlikely. Violence may expand.

Thus, there is a need to uphold international humanitarian law, of which the protection of medical centers and medical workers is a core element. The AWC welcomes others who also facilitate international humanitarian law in these critical times.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Of related interest:

February 10, 2025: Strengthening Respect for International Humanitarian Law

October 11, 2024: World Citizen Appeal to Uphold International Humanitarian Law

March 2, 2022: Upholding International Humanitarian Law in Times of Armed Conflict: A World Citizen Appeal

Cooperative Peacebuilding Efforts Urgently Needed

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Cultural Bridges, Current Events, Humanitarian Law, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, World Law on March 10, 2026 at 7:00 AM

By René Wadlow

At this time when there is armed conflict and strong political tensions in world society, broadly-based efforts are needed to develop a harmonious political culture based on world law. A political culture is a set of attitudes and beliefs which give order and meaning to a political process. Such a positive political culture is a product of both the collective history of a political system and the life histories of the members of that system.

“To establish conditions under which justice and the respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained” is one of the four objectives of the United Nations (UN) as set out in the preamble to the Charter, firmly related to the three other aims: the prevention of war, respect for human rights, and social progress. The phrasing of the aims rightly stresses not the enactment of international law but rather the need to “establish conditions” under which justice and respect for international law is possible.

Respect for international law should place limitations upon the number of options open to a government in choosing how to carry out a policy in foreign affairs. The most fundamental limitation is the prohibition on using military action except in self-defense against aggression.

(C) United Nations

When abuse of State power, denial of human rights, corruption, and the absence of participation in decision-making are the daily routine, people look upon law as a method to establish justice. The rule of law at both the international and national level must be based on a social consensus.

Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) can play a vital role in developing this social consensus on the rule of law. NGOs have proven that they can respond effectively to the challenges faced by today’s world society. Thus, there is a growing role for NGOs within the UN system in the making and implementation of policies. NGOs are involved more than ever before in global policy-making and project implementation. They bring citizens’ concerns to governments and advocate specific policies.

Today, with armed violence ongoing in many parts of the world, cooperative peacebuilding efforts are urgently needed. NGOs are playing an increasing role in such peacebuilding efforts and must be encouraged.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

World Day of Social Justice: Renewed Efforts Needed

In Being a World Citizen, Current Events, Human Development, Human Rights, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Social Rights, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, United Nations on February 20, 2026 at 7:00 AM

By René Wadlow

The United Nations (UN) General Assembly by Resolution 62/10 set February 20 of each year as the World Day of Social Justice. Today, as Citizens of the World, we can highlight world-wide gains in education, the reduction of extreme poverty, and the reduction of child labor.

Nevertheless, there are strong threats to social justice with inaction and apathy toward human misery. There is famine in parts of the world, armed conflicts, and uprooted and displaced populations.

The UN system is called upon to respond to these very diversified situations, often involving provisions of crucial direct aid to people in deep distress. At the national level, there is a need to place social justice at the core of policy making and to provide universal social protection.

Resolution 62/10 of the UN General Assembly

A particular aspect of the lack of social protection is the fate of small rural farmers. There is an increasing amount of rural productive land that is falling under the control of urban elites, sometimes urban elites in other countries. Land ownership inevitably involves the distribution of power within a society. One answer to why the rural poor stay poor is that they are rarely well organized. The least powerful among the rural poor – the tenant farmers, the landless laborers, the members of tribal societies – are the least well organized, the most easily divided and blocked.

Thus, there is a need for renewed efforts for social justice carried out by persons with a long-range holistic vision able to see trends and the links between different social situations. There is a need for long-term cooperation among universities, religious groups, and Nongovernmental Organizations. The World Day of Social Justice is a time for a rededication for positive action.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

Of related interest: Celebrating Social Justice: The People’s Revolution is On the March (February 22, 2015)

Child Soldiers in Colombia: Action Needed

In Being a World Citizen, Children's Rights, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law, Latin America, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations on February 18, 2026 at 8:00 AM

By René Wadlow

The Association of World Citizens (AWC) has worked actively in the United Nations (UN) human rights bodies against the use of child soldiers in armed conflicts. The Association has also made direct Appeals to governments and militias that use child soldiers.

During the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1985) tens of thousands of Iranian youth, tied into groups to prevent their escape, threw themselves onto barbed wire or walked straight into Iraqi mine fields and faced machine gun fire. In at least twenty-one armed conflicts in different parts of the world, child soldiers have been used.

(C) International Crisis Group

February 12 has been set by the UN General Assembly as the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers. Thus, the Association of World Citizens along with the International Crisis Group with its headquarters in Belgium focused on the use of youth by militias, often involved in the drug trade, in Colombia where youth are forced into militias. There had been in 2016 a ceasefire agreement between the government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the largest of the armed groups active in the country. This agreement has led many of those in the FARC ranks to be integrated into civil society. However, smaller armed groups have continued to be active. They are often involved in the drug trade as a way to finance their activities.

Thus, strong social action is needed, especially in those parts of the country inhabited by indigenous populations. Events in Venezuela also have an impact on Colombia and thus merit watching closely.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

USA-Iran Tensions Increase: Negotiations Needed

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Democracy, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United States on January 30, 2026 at 12:10 PM

By René Wadlow

A new phase of tensions between the USA and the Islamic Republic of Iran is unfolding, shaped by external military pressure from the USA and internal, political, and economic instability within Iran. Iranian security forces’ lethal response to demonstrations with civilian deaths and mass arrests has further eroded public trust in the Iranian leadership.

United States (U.S.) President Donald Trump has announced that an armada led by the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln is moving toward Iran. The U.S. Air Force has reported that its exercises across the Middle East indicates its readiness and escalation dominance. Tehran can retaliate with missile strikes – alone or through proxies – against U.S. bases in the Middle East. The situation is unstable and thus vulnerable to accidents and miscalculations.

(C) BBC News

It is said that indirect mediation efforts are being undertaken by diplomats from Türkiye, Egypt, and Qatar. The next few days may be crucial. Nongovernmental organizations may have a role to play in encouraging negotiations in good faith.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

UN Focus on the Crushing of Iran Protests 

In Being a World Citizen, Current Events, Human Rights, Middle East & North Africa, NGOs, Nonviolence, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, United Nations, Women's Rights on January 26, 2026 at 7:41 AM

By René Wadlow

On January 23, 2026, the 47 members of the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council met in Geneva, Switzerland in a Special Session devoted to the violent repression of protests in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The session began with a call by Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, for the release of detainees, a halt to the implementation of death sentences, and the adoption of serious steps in response to human rights violations. He stressed that “these protests are the latest in a long line of heartfelt calls by the Iranian people for change, met by a long line of violent repression by the Iranian authorities”.

Ms. Mai Sato, the UN Special Rapporteur on Iran, highlighted the large number of protesters killed, including youth and children.  She called upon the authorities of Iran to act in compliance with international human rights standards. She voiced alarm about “the unprecedented scale of the violent crackdown on peaceful protesters by security forces”.

(C) OHCHR

A number of government representatives noted the difficulties of following the current situation due to the cutting of the Internet and other forms of communication.

The Iranian Ambassador, Ali Bahreini, said that the Special Session of the Council had been “politicized” and that Iran rejected the discussion as “external interference in internal affairs”.

Iceland’s Ambassador, Einar Gunnarsson, presented the resolution of the Session saying that “the victims and survivors deserve truth, justice, and accountability”. The resolution which extends the mandate for two years of the UN Fact-Finding Mission, first established after the 2022 protests, was accepted with 25 States in favor, 7 against (China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq) and 14 abstentions.

From an NGO’s point of view (C) Assia Tanner/AWC

Assia Tanner, Representative for Diplomatic Relations at the Geneva Office of the Association of World Citizens (AWC), attended the session on our behalf. “Demonstrating is a human right, yet the regime has killed demonstrators and hanged innocent Iranians, resorting to the death penalty which is a serious human rights violation”, she reported. “The UN asked Iran to respect human rights, engage in dialogue, end the violence, and stop terrorizing the population. While The Netherlands called the Iranian regime a terrorist state, some Arab countries called for dialogue as they fear consequences from Tehran. Some African countries called for peaceful support instead of a formal condemnation.”

Nonetheless, the general feeling was definitely one of outrage. “In a session that lasted from 2PM to 6PM with no break whatsoever, all Council members were saying the same thing: Iran must be condemned”, Tanner added. “I felt they were holding the same discourse as all human rights organizations”.

Precisely, Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) now have the difficult task of calling on the Iranian government to stop arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and extrajudicial killings. The situation in Iran must be watched as closely as possible and encouragement given to good faith negotiations.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.

UN System Weakened by U.S. Retreats

In Being a World Citizen, Conflict Resolution, Current Events, Human Rights, NGOs, Peacebuilding, Solidarity, The Search for Peace, Track II, United Nations, United States, Women's Rights, World Law on January 12, 2026 at 7:40 AM

By René Wadlow

On January 7, 2026, the United States (U.S.) government announced that it was withdrawing from membership (and thus financial contribution) to 31 United Nations (UN) bodies and programs. According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, these institutions and programs are “redundant in their scope, mismanaged, unnecessary, wasteful, poorly run and captured by the interests of actors advancing their own agendas contrary to our own.” He added, “Many of these bodies promote radical climate policies, global governance and ideological programs that conflict with U.S. sovereignty and economic strength.”

The U.S. withdrawal comes at a time when the UN as a whole (the 193 member States) is in the process of evaluating UN structures and programs (UN 80). The results of this evaluation should be presented later this year.

A good number of the programs from which the United States of America (USA) is withdrawing are based or have activities in Geneva, Switzerland. As an NGO representative to the UN in Geneva, I have interacted with many of these programs and the Secretariat members. At this time when there are real challenges in the world society, the withdrawal of the USA weakens the UN system as a whole. The representatives of Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) in consultative status will increase their activities so that the intellectual dynamics will not be weakened, but NGOs cannot fill the financial gap.

(C) Geneva Solutions

One of the bodies marked for withdrawal is the International Law Commission. A colleague from Egypt who taught international law at the University of Geneva was a leading member of the Commission and had a deep understanding of Middle East culture. Stronger respect for international law in the Middle East remains a real need.

Another institution is the Geneva-based International Trade Center where I had a good friend in the Secretariat. The Trade Center helped developing countries negotiate contracts with transnational corporations. These corporations usually have sophisticated lawyers to write contracts, not the case for many developing countries. Thus, the work of the Trade Center filled a real need.

The UN Institute for Training and Research has its headquarters in New York, but many of its activities were Geneva-based and so the Secretariat cooperated with Geneva-based NGOs. The same holds true for the UN University with headquarters in Japan but with many Geneva-based activities.

The USA is withdrawing from support for the Office of the Special Representative for Children in Armed Conflict, from the UN Entity for Gender Equality, and from the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict – all issues on which the Association of World Citizens has been active. The USA is leaving the UN Alliance of Civilizations at a time when cross-cultural understanding is a vital need.

Many of the UN activities which the USA is leaving have dedicated U.S. citizens in the Secretariat. I am not sure what their status will be once the withdrawal is complete.

The USA is also withdrawing from the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the key instrument on climate change issues. The consequences of climate change are being increasingly felt, and U.S. action would be needed.

As I noted, the representatives of NGOs will have to increase sharply their activities in the UN bodies and programs. The challenges facing us are heavy, and constructive action is urgently needed.

Prof. René Wadlow is President of the Association of World Citizens.