Ambassador Anwarul Chowdhury, the United Nations' ambassador from Bangladesh, visited Penn State Abington on Oct. 7 and spoke about U.N. Resolution 1325, an ambitious call for a higher level of female involvement in issues regarding amiability and protectiveness worldwide. The resolution was created 10 years ago, but substantial action has not been taken in order to fulfill its mission, Chowdhury said.
According to Chowdhury, only 19 out 192 countries have developed and presented the plans intended to fulfill the ambitions of Resolution 1325. In regard to resolving the issue of inadequate involvement, one of Chowdhury’s solutions is for the secretary general of the United Nations to regularly touch base with the countries around the world; this will allow the secretary general to observe the progress (or lack thereof) of these countries in their efforts to establish methods which can potentially lead to increased female involvement in resolving global issues. During his speech, Chowdhury stated that personal experience has shown him that the involvement of women in important decisions results in greater peace and safety worldwide.
Chowdhury also spoke about another important issue pertaining to the United Nations: the amount of sexual abuse crimes which have been neglected by the United Nations. He stated that out of 35 cases, only 13 have been officially addressed. Chowdhury declared that this is "utterly objectionable," especially since one of the duties of the United Nations is to ensure the well-being of society.
Chowdhury explained that greater initiative needs to be taken in order to make the world a more impartial and protective place. He believes that this can be accomplished not only through increased dedication from the United Nations and countries around the world, but also by the integration of the concepts of tolerance, humanity and equality into today’s education systems.
"In today’s conflict-ridden world and complex global situation," said Chowdhury, "it is important to empower each student through the culture of peace for which transformational education is always important."
The event was sponsored by the Penn State Abington Office of Intercultural Affairs and co-sponsored by the International Health Awareness Network.
