| The United Nations at 75: Multilateralism needs action, not celebrations
In this blog post, John Hendra and Silke Weinlich argue it’s high time to get on with the task of multilateral reform. |
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| One sentence stands out prominently in the political declaration on the United Nations’ 75th anniversary: “We are not here to celebrate. We are here to take action.” The 193 UN Member States are expected to adopt this motion today. In light of the many ills that have recently befallen the world, and the world’s organisation, this statement seems promising, if not poignant.
If you take the Covid-19 pandemic as a test-case for the world’s collective ability to respond effectively to global problems, so far, we’ve flunked it. Fierce competition among nations has far too often been the response instead of global coordination, multilateral cooperation and solidarity. UN institutions in place to deal with such a crisis – like the World Health Organisation – while effective, have been hampered by regulatory, political and financial constraints. |
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The language of dialogue
What happens when we translate ‘dialogue’ across languages? What words describe this concept for you?
| The word ‘dialogue’ comes from the Greek dialogos, which is a combination of two words: dia, meaning ‘through’, and logos, which translates as ‘word’ or ‘meaning’. In English, this word, ‘dialogue’, is often used interchangeably with terms such as ‘discussion’ or ‘debate’.
But most peacebuilding practitioners would agree that what distinguishes dialogue from other forms of communication is a focus on exchanging perspectives: increasing mutual understanding, building
What happens, then, when we move from English into other languages? What words are used to capture the meaning of dialogue and what connotations do these words have? trust, strengthening relationships. |
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| Dialogue in Peacebuilding: Understanding Different Perspectives from the MENA region |
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| In connection with the launch of the publication ‘Dialogue in Peacebuilding: Understanding Different Perspectives’ we invite you to a webinar together with EcoPeace MiddleEast that will focus on the use of dialogue in peacebuilding in the MiddleEast. Interpretation between Arabic and English provided. |
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