verenigd

Dit is het charter van de VN, zoals dat in 1945 door de toen aanwezige landen is ondertekend (o.a. Verenigde Staten van Amerika, China, Iran, Syrië, Rusland, Dominicaanse Republiek, Cuba, Turkije en nog een heel stel grote en kleine landen):

CHARTER OF THE UNITED NATIONS
We the peoples of the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, and for these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbours, and to unite our strength to maintain international peace and security, and to ensure, by the acceptance of principles and the institution of methods, that armed force shall not be used, save in the common interest, and to employ international machinery for the promotion of the economic and social advancement of all peoples, have resolved to combine our efforts to accomplish these aims accordingly, our respective Governments, who have exhibited their full powers found to be in good and due form, have agreed to the present Charter of the United Nations and do hereby establish an international organization to be known as the United Nations. In faith whereof the representatives of the Governments of the United Nations have signed the present Charter. [24 October 1945]

Nederland zette de handtekening 10 december 1945, Irak op 21 december van dat jaar. Zimbabwe tekende ook (25 augustus 1980). Zwitserland pas in 2002 (10 september).

Wat ik me afvraag of we nog wel weten wat we beloofd hebben en of we die doelstellingen nog steeds onderschrijven. Zo ja, waarom is het dan zo’n rotzooitje in de wereld, mede als gevolg van handelingen van de opvolgers van de ondertekenaars?

Wat is er sinds 1945 misgegaan. Waren we toen naïef of hebben we onderweg ons geloof verloren? En kunnen we dat terugwinnen?