The Provost Office lecture series on global issues continued yesterday, Apr.
3, in Humanities with Ambassador Kamlesh Sharma, the Permanent Representative
of India to the United Nations. This is Sharma’#146;s second visit to Stony
Brook and he focused on the agenda of globalization.
The United Nations (UN) have a series of conferences in different countries
to establish global agenda where each country expresses concern for it’#146;s
future. One of the UN’#146;s main goals is to ensure everlasting peace, said
Sharma. He stated that since the Sept.11 attack there is a need for conflict
prevention and security.
‘We needed to readjust the focus,’ said Sharma. The Department of
Political Affairs (DPA) of the UN is there to provide advice and support on
all political matters. They identify potential conflicts and try to mediate
resolutions.
Each country has their own agenda that they choose to focus on. In order for
these agendas to be reached there is a need for domestic and international responsibility.
India and the United States have similar ideals, Sharma said. Currently, India
is rediscovering itself; their primary agenda is property and development. ‘Our
main challenge in the south is to improve literacy,’ Sharma added .
India has not reached their goal on literacy, as of yet. In order to reach
any goal it should start with the youth, according to Sharma. He stated that
the youth today are our future; youths need to be aware of their global situation
and rights because it can help the future for peace and development.
The UN receives approximately 1.2 billion dollars a year and they are currently
going through a reform. Within the UN each global agenda has its own organization.
It’#146;s another system in the world being catered by the UN, Sharma said.
These organizations help promote human rights, environmental protection, and
terrorism to name a few. Part of the UN reforms are to restore global ethics.
‘If you don’#146;t have a globalization of ethics then you don’#146;t have
unity.’
Sharma had several ideas for the new global order, beginning with the political
system. Since politicians express their concerns for change and rely on the
vote of the people, a quality of engagement is needed and it can be demonstrated
in political elections. There is also a need for culture interaction. The business
of the country is being handled by someone and people never pay attention to
what’#146;s going on, but in order to move forward we need to know what their
doing,Sharma said.
Finally, Sharma expressed a modification in security. He stated that since
one billion dollars a day goes to protection, there needs to be tighter security
measures in order to decrease terrorism.
Reactions to Sharma’#146;s issues were mixed. ‘I think it was realistic,
‘ said Jennifer Gofran. ‘He did well on how countries react with each
other.’
Another female student said that she felt he was blaming the capitalist West.
‘He was implying the west exploited the south. I think they need to take
care of their domestic problems first before we can help them out.’
