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The United Nations has had a half-century's experience in real life "laboratories," trying to cope with poverty, disease and war. In this new book, twenty-two scholars from around the globe take a perceptive look at what the experience has taught us, both in times of peace and war, and the potentials for the world organization's relevance in the 21st century.

The UN's chief purpose, in the eyes of most citizens, remains that which inspired its founding: "to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war '~ The organization's blue berets tend to get the most headlines. And since the authors of this book come from the peace research community, the UN's efforts in peace-keeping are a major focus here.

But as former UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali has noted, "the sources of conflict and war are pervasive and deep." The volume takes a broad look at future options for the UN system in seeking to right wrongs done to the human endeavor, from women's rights to environmental security. It seeks to place the present challenge in the context of both past and future, thus aiding appreciation of just how much the UN has achieved. History is an aid to understanding the world organization's potential for creating economic and social structures that will sustain human fulfillment, protect the global commons and build peace education efforts.

This search for future UN potential, drawing on the past, leads to sixty-six recommendations for new institutions and programmes that might aid the UN and the world in controlling weapons, aiding human rights, and building ecological security. Focussing on the challenges facing a range of existing UN institutions and agencies, and suggesting new ones, the volume concludes: "There are tasks here for everybody!"

ISBN 92-808-0973-3 US$29.95