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99-132

UN ambassador says foreign policy must have moral basis

by James Solheim

     (ENS) "The most powerful idea at the end of the 20th century 
is freedom," said NBC-TV anchorman Tom Brokaw, moderator of a 
benefit forum for the Anglican Observer's Office at the United 
Nations. "Even after the end of the Cold War we have vexing and 
dangerous outbreaks of violence," and it is crucial to "begin a 
new dialogue to deal with these issues."

     On the eve of the opening of the UN General Assembly, 
participants in the September 9 forum at St. Peter's Lutheran 
Church in New York expressed growing concern for the unfolding 
violence in East Timor, the direct result of a vote for 
independence from Indonesia which has occupied the area since 
1975. 

     U.S. Ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke, in his first 
public appearance after his confirmation by the Senate, said that 
the situation is "intolerable," one of "extreme danger," 
stressing that the Indonesian government will be held accountable 
for its "very disturbing performance." He described it as an 
example of a trouble spot where the United States must deal with 
the human consequences of its policies.

     Holbrooke argued that foreign policy must have a moral 
basis. "Foreign policy that does not have a moral base is 
bankrupt," he said during a discussion of the interaction of 
global economic, political and religious forces. "We can have a 
foreign policy that is tough-minded and moral at the same time," 
he said, dismissing more cynical policies based strictly on self-
interest. As the world's only superpower, he said that the United 
States cannot ignore "moral and humanitarian consequences of its 
role," especially now that "new forces of darkness are emerging." 

     Holbrooke argued that "diplomacy is a relational process… 
unilateralism is not an option." And the role of non-governmental 
organizations (NGOs), like the church, is very important, as they 
"courageously try to put out fires" in places like Bosnia and 
Kosovo.

'Why no peace?'

     Bishop Paul Moore, the retired bishop of New York, 
introduced members of the panel, saying that the theme brought 
together "three forces in the world today." He pointed out that 
"since the end of the Cold War there have been more local 
conflicts than ever before. The observer's office, he said, is 
the liaison between the Anglican Communion and the UN, looking 
for ways the church can assist in the search for world peace. 
"Our church is strongest now in the developing world," he added, 
so issues emerging from that context are crucial.

     Archbishop Khotso Makhulu of the Province of Central Africa 
said that it was the responsibility of NGOs to ask "the needling 
questions," to get at the underlying moral issues. "Why no 
peace?" he asked. "Until we deal with the issue of justice we 
will always be in trouble." Expressing anger at the "explosion of 
the African refugee problem," Makhulu charged world powers with 
"a selective response to human tragedy."

     African nations "live with the reality of debt" and struggle 
to move away from "irresponsible borrowing," Makhulu said. "Give 
us a break so that we too will be able to pay our way in the 
world." He concluded that the eradication of poverty is 
ultimately the major factor in the search for peace. Efforts like 
Jubilee 2000 are "not about handouts but debt relief coupled with 
economic development. People must keep their dignity."

     Brokaw said that, despite "extraordinary developments" and 
lots of conversation, international debt must compete with a wide 
range of other issues for media attention. Holbrooke added that 
debt relief would move to the top of the agenda only when 
political leaders have the will to move it there.

Ethnic hatred is racist

     Holbrooke wondered why there was no intervention as the 
world watched in horror while genocide unfolded in Rwanda. Yet he 
suggested that the United States didn't have the options it did 
in Bosnia and Kosovo where "action was relatively easy," 
especially when compared with Africa and East Timor.

     An expert on the Balkans, where he helped broker a 
settlement in the Bosnian crisis, Holbrooke said that religious 
leaders were "either at the heart of the problem or directly 
related," using religion and ethnic differences to foment 
violence. "Ethnic hatred is a euphemism for racism," he said, 
blasting the role of Orthodox clergy in the Balkans and their 
"opportunism." When asked about their call for the resignation of 
President Milosevic of Yugoslavia, Holbrooke said it was 
important to look where those church leaders stood in 1990 and 
1991. He suggested that they changed their minds based on a 
"disastrous tailspin in the economy."

     The Clinton Administration "really cares about the United 
Nations," Holbrooke said, so "there is no excuse for us being in 
arrears" in paying dues owed to the UN. Yet he said that the 
reason is tied up in an "astonishing" series of legislative 
events that "would leave you speechless," most of them based on 
persistent demands for reform in the UN and the dilemma of 
"ferocious" opposition to UN-sponsored family planning programs.

     Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold said at the conclusion of 
the forum that the Episcopal Church supports the United Nations 
because it has "the capacity and will" to respond to crises--and 
because its "global concern constantly reminds us that we are 
bound together in a world community." The church is on record as 
urging the U.S. "to fulfill its treaty obligations to the UN and 
pay its dues in full, including arrears…"

     Phoebe Griswold, honorary chair of the event, closed the 
forum with an urgent appeal to participants to "assist the forces 
of progress."

--James Solheim is director of the Office of News Information for 
the Episcopal Church.