THE PETITION LETTER
TO: The Members of the U.N. Security Council
SUBJECT: Tough Inspections, Not War
__________
Dear Member of the U.N. Security Council,
We are citizens from countries all over the world. We are
speaking together because we will all be affected by a
decision in which your country has a major part -- the
decision of how to disarm Iraq.
The first reason for its existence listed in the Preamble
to the Charter of the United Nations is "to save succeeding
generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our
lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind." If your
country supports a Security Council resolution that would
authorize a war on Iraq, you will directly contradict that
charter. You will be supporting an unnecessary war -- a war
which immediately, and in its unknown consequences, could
bring "untold sorrow to mankind" once again.
The U.N. was created to enable peaceful alternatives to
conflict. The weapons inspections under way are a perfect
example of just such an alternative, and their growing success
is a testament to the potential power the U.N. holds. By
supporting tough inspections instead of war, you can show the
world a real way to resolve conflict without bloodshed. But if
you back a war, it will undermine the very premise upon which
the U.N. was built.
President Bush argues that only by endorsing a war on Iraq
can the United Nations prove its relevance. We argue the
opposite. If the Security Council allows itself to be
completely swayed by one member nation, in the face of viable
alternatives, common sense and world public opinion, then it
will be diminished in its role, effectiveness, and in the
opinion of humankind.
We do not support this war. For billions of citizens in
hundreds of countries, and for the future generations whose
lives will be shaped by the choice you make, we ask that you
stand firm against the pressuring of the Bush Administration,
and support tough inspections for Iraq. The eyes of the world
are on you.
Sincerely,
[Number] citizens of the world. |
