While world peace will probably never be a reality, the organization that is the subject of this short film has been trying its absolute best since 1945 to achieve it. Whether or not the United Nations is effective at helping countries settle their problems in a way that doesn't involve going to war is beyond the scope of this. The organization was founded right after World War 2 in order to make sure nothing like the carnage of what people just experienced will ever return. The possibility of another war was made all the more terrifying by the emergence of brand new nuclear weapons. If two countries armed with enough of these fought, it could mean the end of the world. The mission for setting up an entity dedicated to preserving peace is not new, and was started back in Teddy Roosevelt's time. Known as the Permanent Court of Arbitration, this Netherlands based organization is not a normal court, but hosts tribunals in order to solve disputes between member countries. About 20 years later, President Wilson establishes the infamous League of Nations. Although America helped establish it, it was not a member. The League, while having good intentions, ultimately went down in history as an inept alliance that could not realistically do anything to prevent someone like Hitler from being aggressive. At Hot Springs, Virginia, meetings are underway post ww2 to discuss agriculture, which will help lay the foundation for a new lasting peace. At Dumbarton Oaks in Washington DC, Britain, the US, Russia and China take the first steps to outline what will eventually become the UN. Once founded, the United Nations addresses important problems that affect the well-being of today's world, such as poverty, education, money stabilization, relations, and other things. Britain, Russia, China, France and the US are permanent member states on the UN's security council, and nothing gets done without their approval, plus the approval of two non-permanent member states. If two countries look to be on a road to armed conflict, the security council does all it can to arrive at a peaceful resolution. If there's someone like Gaddafi or Hitler who won't abide by the UN's rules and pretends it doesn't exist, the organization even has an answer for that. If the security council has special clearance, they can request for a communications blackout to be enacted on the aggressor nation, meaning they can't send or receive messages from the outside. Methods of transportation, including planes, ships and trains, would be directed not to go to that particular country, wreaking havoc on its economy. If the nation still doesn't back off, a military staff committee draws up a plan for the security council to tell the leaders of various countries to put their militaries on standby in order to deter a war from starting. It might seem oxymoronic, but this is what the UN will do in order to make sure world war 3 doesn't happen. If you want peace, prepare for war. This was an ok short. The subject isn't that intriguing but it's nice to see how as of today basically every country on Earth (except Vatican City) is a member of the UN. It shows how even though people have disagreements, an organization dedicated to settling them in ways that benefit everyone involved is the mindset that should be the hallmark of a better future.
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