Native Americans being sought for United Nations

<i>Photo by Stan Bindell/NHO</i><br>
Will Davis (center, standing), director of the Washington D.C. office for the U.N. poses with (from left) Hopi Jr. High Principal Albert Sinquah, teachers Anjeannette Sangster and Lucille Sidney, and chaperone Paul Sidney.

<i>Photo by Stan Bindell/NHO</i><br> Will Davis (center, standing), director of the Washington D.C. office for the U.N. poses with (from left) Hopi Jr. High Principal Albert Sinquah, teachers Anjeannette Sangster and Lucille Sidney, and chaperone Paul Sidney.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Will Davis, director of the United Nations Washington D.C. office, said the U.N. is imperfect, but indispensable.

He also told the Navajo Hopi Observer that the U.N. is always looking for Native American staff. He offered his comments Jan. 19 while addressing Close Up chaperones including four from Hopi Jr/Sr High School.

Close Up is a national civic organization that brings students to Washington D.C. to study the federal government including Congress, the presidency and the Supreme Court.

Teacher Lucille Sidney and husband Paul Sidney were representing Hopi High and Principal Albert Sinquah and teacher Anjeannette Sangster were representing Hopi Junior High.

Davis told the audience at the Marriott Crystal Gateway Hotel that America must be ready to lead by example. He said the U.N. is a reflection of a lot of hostility in the world toward America today.

For one example, the U.N. has the task of improving human rights in "some of the nastiest places in the world." But whenever America would lecture other countries about human rights practices, these countries would point to the way America treated prisoners at Guantanamo Bay.

"It gave dictators an excuse. It was a distraction," he said. "Whether the U.S. can regain leadership by example is hard to say."

But with the election of President Barack Obama, Davis gets a sense that there is a willingness in America to try and find common ground with other countries.

"Other countries look to the U.S. for inspiration," he said. "The U.N. will fail without U.S. engagement."

Davis said the U.N. is a useful tool for America.

"Americans think the U.N. is anti-American, but the Middle East thinks it's a tool of the U.S.," he said.

His point is that the U.N. is perceived incorrectly by many people in various countries.

Davis said the U.S. pays the most amount - 22 percent - of any country to the U.N. Japan is second and Germany is third.

"When the U.S, speaks, the rest of the world listens," he said.

While the U.S. has a lot of influence at the U.N., Davis reminded the audience that any money going toward projects must be approved by all the countries on the General Assembly. Likewise, all countries sitting on the U.N. Security Council must approve any peacekeeping missions in order for those missions to go forward.

"Countries can't do just whatever is on their agenda," he said

Yet the U.N. has a lot of successful missions including vaccinating millions against diseases, bringing aid to more than 24 million refugees per year and feeding more than 80 million people per year.

Davis recounted how the U.N. was established by the winners of World War II and those countries continue to have more influence than other countries about what the U.N. does. He said the U.N. needs reform so that it will be better managed and added that it needs more diversity in its U.N. office in Washington D.C.

He noted that Russia remains a power at the U.N. and would not recognize an independent Kosovo. But he said there are issues where the U.S. can find common ground with Russia and other countries.

One recent proposal called for a League of Democracies, or a uniting of democratic countries at the U.N. Davis said many countries with influence at the U.N., such as China, will not support this.

"You can't solve many problems (in the world) without the help of some countries that are not using democracy," he said.

Davis said there are U.N. association chapters in almost every city.

"We need young people to get involved," he said.

Those who want to learn more about the U.N. can log onto www.unicwash.org or

e-mail Davis at wdavis@unicwash.org or call him at (202) 454-2104.

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