Dr. Joe Young, Director of the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce, discusses some of the causes of violence in the US and worldwide. Violence should never be tolerated; however, a democracy depends upon the peaceful transfer of power, which was not recognized during the illegal insurgency to overthrow the free election and US Government on January 6, 2021. Tragically, two of the major areas of extreme violence are in Gaza and Ukraine. Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine could lead to a larger international conflict if it is not neutralized. Through the support of scores of countries, NATO, and the United Nations agencies, the Ukrainians were much more resilient in confronting Russian aggression. Although the United Nations Security Council has been partially paralyzed, due to the Russian Veto, other UN agencies such as the WHO, UNICEF, and WFP are on the front lines to assist Ukrainians.

Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS), is an international lawyer and democracy and governance practitioner with extensive experience supporting human rights, democratic processes, and the rule of law on five continents. She explains how global governance is NOT global control over a country, but is defined loosely as a framework of institutions, rules, norms, and procedures that facilitate collective action and co-operation among countries and other actors. Global institutions, such as the United Nations, need to be strengthened to be more effective, promote democracy and the rule of law. Global cooperation is essential to resolve problems such as climate change. The upcoming Summit of the Future, sponsored by the UN, is critical to strengthen action oriented global decision making to achieve the 17-Sustainable Development Goals to abolish hunger and poverty, combat the climate crisis, empower women and more. The UN is more relevant today than ever.

Mark D. Walker, a Returned U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer from Guatemala, is an award-winning writer and President of Million Mile Walker. His recent book is “The Guatemala Reader: Extraordinary Lives & Amazing Stories”. Prior to that he wrote, “My Saddest Pleasures: 50 Years on the Road.” His Peace Corps experience totally changed his life. His publications include features of Guatemalan cultural and political leaders, as well as focus on the crisis of democracy which was spearheaded by the quest for cheap labor and to enrich the wealthy, which has been destructive for the majority of Indigenous Guatemalans. It is critical to learn more about countries in South and Central America, especially given their geo-political proximity to the US. In both Guatemala and the US, there has been a frontal assault on the freedom of expression, especially with books being banned by elected officials in states such as Florida and Texas.

Felix Dodds is an Adjunct Professor at the Water Institute University of North Carolina and Associate Fellow, Tellus Institute, Boston, and is an International Ambassador for the City of Bonn. His latest books are “Heroes in Environmental Diplomacy: Profiles in Courage” and” Tomorrow’s People and New Technology: Changing How We Live Our Lives." Felix recently attended the United Nations COP28 conference in Dubai and the previous two COPs to that in Egypt and the UK. The United Nations has been one of the most significant players in the battle to confront the environmental crisis. To lay the groundwork for the myriad of UN Conferences, various UN agencies had key roles in focusing the spotlight on climate change and sustainability: in 1979, the First World Climate Conference was sponsored by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO); in 1988 the WMO and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) established the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Dr Gardner Thompson, a UK scholar, has written two interesting books on countries located in culturally and geographically diverse areas of the world: Israel and Zimbabwe. His first book is: Legacy of Empire. Britain, Zionism and the Creation of Israel in which he defines Zionism, why the United Nations established Israel and Palestine in 1948, the role of Britain and the Balfour Declaration in the area and suggestions on how to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The second book is “A Critical History of Southern Rhodesia” which focuses on the situation that existed before it became Zimbabwe. It was a moral debate as to whether the country would be an Apartheid System such as South Africa’s. Robert Mugabe emerged in 1980 as a leader of the independent state. Two lessons from the books: statesmen should realize that decisions will have major repercussions for decades and both sides should not be automatically condemned.

Judge Thomas G. Moukawsher is a retired Connecticut complex litigation judge and former lawyer, legislator and lobbyist. He is the author of “The Common Flaw: Needless Complexity in the Courts and 50 Ways to Reduce It. It is critical that the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) have a strong Code of Ethics with enforcement penalties. Recent SCOTUS decisions, especially the absolute immunity, have made it more confusing and difficult to prosecute a corrupt US President. For decades the US has been a beacon for justice and democracy; however, with an attack on our Rule of Law and democratic institutions many nations are alarmed. The US should strongly support the UN’s International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court to maintain our moral authority internationally. The US Constitution and other legal mechanisms played a critical role in developing the United Nations Charter in 1945 and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights in 1948.

Steve Schlesinger is a Fellow at the Century Foundation in New York City. Mr. Schlesinger authored "Act of Creation: Founding of the United Nations," and is an expert on the UN and international issues. The UN was created out of the ashes of WW2. Initially, the UN dealt with security and war challenges, but now helps move aircraft, ships, mail, and weather information globally, as well as combats the climate crisis and diseases, assists refugees, migration issues and confronts every major international problem. In September, the UN will conduct a Summit of the Future to address 5 areas: financial structure for the world; international peace and security to prevent wars; digital arena with AI, Bitcoin, and cyberspace; assisting children around the world; and, reorganizing the UN structure to be more agile and effective. The UN is still the epicenter of the world that assists all 8 billion people on Earth.

Abiodun Williams is Professor of the Practice of International Politics at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy and The Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University. He was Director of Strategic Planning to UN Secretaries-General Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon and is past Chair of the Academic Council on the United Nations System (ACUNS). His latest book is “Kofi Annan and Global Leadership at the United Nations.” Annan was a proactive leader who launched monumental programs that improved the UN, such as the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the UN Human Rights Council, the UN Global Compact and the Millennium Development Goals, which were the precursors to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Annan was also a transformational visionary who strengthened UN peacekeeping and involved academia, NGOs and the private sector in helping overcome many international problems. Annan was quite accurate in his critique of President Bush’s illegal invasion of Iraq.

Dr. Shao-cheng (Michael) Sun is an Associate Professor at the Citadel. He is a veteran of the Taiwanese army, retiring as a full colonel. Dr. Sun is the author of “Hedging China Threat: US-Taiwan Relations Since 1949.“ His research interests are East Asian security and politics, U.S.-China relations, and U.S. security policy in Asia. He teaches East Asian Affairs and International Politics. He explained the importance of the Taiwan Relations Act between the US and Taiwan, and the One-China Policy, which the US has supported since the Carter Administration. Is it feasible to turn Taiwan into a relationship similar to Hong Kong’s in the 1997 Agreement, which is different from the Taiwanese situation? If there were an armed conflict in the Taiwan Strait, it could radically upend the economic systems around the world, create physical devastation, plus a simulated war exercise showed the US Navy would suffer severe losses.

Somaya Faruqi is the former Captain of the Afghan Girls’ Robotic Team – nicknamed the ‘Afghan Dreamers’.  She and her team made international headlines when they built a ventilator from used car parts in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Afghanistan. Faruqi was born in Herat, Afghanistan in 2002. She cultivated her love of engineering in her father’s mechanic shop. Her high school career was cut short by the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan. She and the rest of her teammates had to flee the country in August 2021.Currently an engineering student, Faruqi has received several awards over her career, including being named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia in 2021, BBC’s 100 Women in 2020, and the 2017 Silver Medal for Courageous Achievement at the FIRST Global Challenge – in recognition of science and technology in the US. She is a Global Champion in the UN’s Education Cannot Wait Program.

Rachel Pittman serves as Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), a grassroots movement of more than 20,000 Americans in over 200 chapters across the U.S. who are dedicated to supporting the work of the United Nations in communities, on campuses, and on Capitol Hill.  Prior to joining UNA-USA, Rachel served on multiple leadership teams for several professional associations that represented lawyers, surgeons, regulators and engineers.  UNA-USA helps Americans develop a broader understanding of the United Nations. Not only does the UN Security Council strive to reduce dangerous conflicts, but there is a larger humanitarian operation that is absolutely critical such as working with over 80-million refugees, teaming with Rotary International to eliminate the scourge of polio and a myriad of other programs confronting climate change, hunger, poverty and empowering women. Other programs include assisting with the movement of aircraft, ships, mail and weather information in international space.

David Swanson, author, activist, journalist, and radio host, is executive director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. His latest book is: “NATO: What You Need to Know.” NATO, which is approaching its 75th Anniversary, is not the UN or a stand-alone nation. Swanson suggest that NATO  not pursue destructive arms races, an irrational fear of Russia and a democratic military force to abide by international treaties, work with the UN, reduce the arms race, and promote international understanding.    In the Israeli-Hamasa War, it is critical to stop providing unlimited numbers of weapons by the US and other participants.  The recent Biden proposal, which has been rejected by Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, will be futile until the flow of weapons is halted. The military-industrial-academic-Congressional-media complex is completely out of control and has taken over US society. Over $2 trillion is spent on the arms race internationally.

Professor Thomas Just serves as an Assistant Teaching Professor within the Future Security Initiative at Arizona State University. Professor Just served as Assistant to the Director of African and Middle Eastern Affairs within Poland’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is the author of “Combating Antisemitism in Germany and Poland: Strategies Since 1990.” Antisemitism is often defined as hostile acts against Jews based on religious, political, economic, and racial grounds. Two major programs to reduce antisemitism in Poland and Germany are through legal measures and public diplomacy. It is illegal in both countries to deny that the Holocaust existed. Conspiracy theories related to the Covid-19 pandemic have contributed to antisemitism in the USA. Unfortunately, social media outlets were critical to disseminating misinformation about Jews. Jewish people cannot be blamed for Netanyahu’s disastrous policies in Gaza, and a person is able to be pro- Palestinian, pro-Israeli and anti-Netanyahu’s’ prosecution of the war.

Charles Moxley is the principal of Moxley ADR, a law firm specializing in arbitration and mediation. He is an Adjunct Professor of Law at Fordham Law School. His recent treatise on “Nuclear Weapons and International Law” highlights the major challenges with nuclear weapons. The UN’s Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty has kept the numbers down somewhat; however, some countries are looking at upgrading their aging nuclear stockpiles that will cost trillions of dollars. Years ago the US spent $150 million per day on maintaining the aging nuclear stockpile. 90% of the 13,000 nukes today are held by Russia and the USA. Media, educational system, and Members of Congress must be educated regarding the potential threat. Several Congresspeople and politicians put out misinformation that we could do a limited nuclear exchange. As an example, former president Donald Trump cavalierly said he would destroy North Korea with nuclear weapons, which displays his ignorance of the issue.

Paula Caballero is the Regional Managing Director for Latin America at The Nature Conservancy. Previously, Paula Caballero was Senior Director of the World Bank Environment and Natural Resources Global Practice, and she was the creator of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Her recent book is “Redefining Development: The Extraordinary Genesis of the Sustainable Development Goals.” Colombia created the concept of the SDGs which were adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2015. The SDG concept was geared to a universal agenda because all countries have development issues and there are common global problems, such as climate and migration, that needed to be confronted. The SDGs were laudable in that the emphasis was to eradicate poverty, eliminate hunger, empower women and girls, combat climate change, and 13 additional goals. The corporate sector was very supportive because the SDGs were concrete proposals to confront problems from a macro-standpoint with systemic solutions.

Dr. Winston Langley is Professor Emeritus, Department of Political Science and International Relations and Senior Fellow at McCormack Graduate School for Policy & Global Studies. He has written widely on the United Nations, disarmament, human rights and women’s rights in the US. His recent book is “Abolishing War.” A major problem is that we have a “Culture of War” that glorifies war and makes heroes of its participants; the Military, Industrial, Media, Academic Complex justify militarization and the media is complicit because they want to please advertisers, many of whom have a direct financial or political interest in launching a war. The UN could play a major role in abolishing war, but there must be some changes: UN Secretary-General would have a seven-year term, the World Court would accept charges by individuals; UN would establish a Court of Humans Rights; and, Security Council is expanded to include other key countries.

Dr. Margaret P. (Peggy) Karns is a Senior Fellow in the Department of Conflict Resolution, Human Security and Global Governance at the University of Massachusetts Boston and Professor Emerita of Political Science at the University of Dayton. She is coauthor of “International Organizations: The Politics and Processes of Global Governance (4th ed., 2024)” and “The United Nations in the 21st Century (6th ed., 2022).” She lived and taught in both China and Vietnam in the 1990s. Global Governance is not a one-world government, but it is a way to bring together the norms and institutions to recognize, understand and deal with the major challenges confronting them. The UN is the epicenter, while the states, other intergovernmental organizations, non-state actors/NGOS, are critically involved. The UN is a complex system that works to confront problems, such as climate crisis, wars, humanitarian relief, diseases, as well as helping move ships, aircraft, mail and weather information safely worldwide.

Kathleen Mogelgaard is President and CEO of the Population Institute, where she directs the organization’s advocacy and public education activities.  Population Institute advocates for gender equality and universal access to sexual and reproductive health services to improve lives, promote human rights, save the planet, and build a better tomorrow. In 2022, the world’s population surpassed 8 billion people, and according to demographers at the United Nations, global population may add another 2.4 billion before leveling off toward the end of this century. The Population Bomb, a 1968 book co-authored by Paul R. Ehrlich, predicted worldwide famines due to overpopulation, as well as other major societal upheavals, and advocated immediate action to limit population growth. A counterpart organization with the Population Institute is the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the global sexual and reproductive health agency that strives for a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled.