Originally published on the CGS blog on November 8, 2011.
Here’s a few excerpts from my latest blog at Care 2 entitled, “United States’ UN-Wise UNESCO Policy,” which discusses two U.S. laws that halt contributions to U.N. agencies that accept Palestinian membership. These laws forced the United States to stop funding the United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization last week when the organization’s members voted to accept Palestinian membership.
“The big question to answer is who benefits and loses from maintaining this policy. The biggest winners are people who use the Middle East conflict as a platform to spew anti-U.N. views and promote an isolationist agenda for the United States. The biggest loser isn’t the Palestinians or Israelis, or even the U.N. It’s the United States.”
“UNESCO promotes freedom of expression, one of America’s core values. It advocates for freedom of the press and the promotion of an independent media around the globe. It manages a tsunami warning system in the Pacific, which warned Californians of possible aftershocks from Japan’s earthquake last March. The organization assists the United States in its transitions out of Iraq and Afghanistan, by preparing communities and governments for the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
American jobs have been saved and grown by UNESCO’s efforts to connect U.S. companies like Cisco, Apple, Microsoft, and Proctor & Gamble to emerging tech markets in developing countries.”
Sign our petition to get President Obama to ask Congress for a wavier authority to these laws that unfairly force the United States to disengage from U.N. agencies over their acceptance of Palestinian membership.
Click here to read the blog piece in full.
