CEO Comments
Wide Eyed Idealism Does Carry The Day
Who would have thought that 2011 would be such a rocky year for the world? Yet this is exactly how it is turning out.
The Arab world’s awakening; the continued aftershocks of the Great Recession; civil disorder in some European countries and fractured politics in various democracies are all illustrations that humanity is on a journey as it seeks better prospects for itself.
A quick reflection on the post World War 11 era leads one to conclude, through a myriad of examples, that oppressed peoples in almost every continent of the world have sought to take charge of their own destinies and have succeeded. Often violence has accompanied this quest, yet the desire for freedom is the common denominator in each instance.
History teaches us to hope, simply because oppression in its various forms never endures. It is always overthrown because the human spirit is strong and liberty is a precious gift prized by every human being.
While the United Nations is not always the most efficient of organisations, it has often provided the inspiration and support to enable oppressed people to become free and develop a democracy of one kind or another. Government by the people, for the people sounds trite, yet it is an enduring truth which people are prepared to die for, as we have been seeing this year through our media feeds.
In this new century it is opportune to examine our attitudes to see if we are in fact internationalists at heart. Internationalists, because each human being is sacred and many are simply unable to adequately help themselves, despite their deep desire for freedom. Giving them a helping hand, in whatever way we can, is an obligation we have to each of them.
The founding statement of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said it all in 1946 when it was founded. “It is in the minds of men (sic) that wars begin, so it is in the minds of men that the defences of peace must be constructed.” This piece of inspiration is as relevant today as it was in 1946.
So, as the year moves along on its rocky journey, it behoves each of us to be grateful for the liberty we experience and recognise that it is a delicate flower which must always be nourished for it to flourish.
August 2011
Patrick J. Lynch
C.E.O.
Contact:
p.lynch@nzceo.org.nz
(04) 496-1739 Wk
(027 4) 905 396 Mobile.