For over four decades, Kevin Cassidy has held senior roles within the United Nations system, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and has consulted for the World Bank. He is currently an Executive Fellow at the Iacocca Institute at Lehigh University and as the Co-Founder of iC One Global. His Global Village programme and UN Partnership train students to thrive in a global economy. As a Consultant for the World Bank, he helped develop strategies, partnerships, and reforms that drove a transformation in Uzbekistan’s elimination of child and forced labour in the cotton sector. The UN has never been more necessary than it is today. Another project is to develop a wider set of audiences develop an understanding of the UN and multilateral systems and its indispensable value; UN is critical in lowering trade costs, moving ships, planes, mail and weather information worldwide, and is invaluable to the US and world.

David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of World BEYOND War and campaign coordinator of RootsAction.org. Swanson’s books include War Is A Lie and When the World Outlawed War. War adversely impacts all living things on the planet. W. Bush lied to Congress, the UN, Americans and the world to fabricate flimsy bogus evidence to illegally invade Iraq. Many legal scholars consider Bush and Cheney to be war criminals. Corporate media were complicit in the war propaganda machine. The UN General Assembly should adopt Uniting for Peace to override a US or Russian veto in the Security Council. The Monroe Doctrine is a unilateral declaration by the US to control South America, keep Europeans out and spawn gunboat diplomacy that does not have the force of law. The destruction of fishing boats in the Caribbean is an illegal act that borders on war crimes.

Dr. Joe Young is a Professor at the University of Kentucky and Director of the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce in Lexington, KY. Previously, he held several positions at American University. The recent Israeli peace swap and cessation of hostilities is a welcome respite, but it is more difficult to get the logistical issues resolved. A 2-state solution is the only logical answer to bring peace. US and Europeans should be committed to Ukrainian sovereignty and security; and not kowtow to Russia. Blanket tariffs are taxes mostly on the consumer. Unemployment, Inflation and costs of living have risen dramatically. The US helped create the UN, Bretton Woods Institutions and a stable world order, which are under attack. China is moving rapidly to fill the US void in the WHO, the UN, and other institutions to be the world leader. A power vacuum will not remain long without being filled.