The UN Industrial Development Organization has started up its first zero emissions power station in rural Kenya this week. It seems that they intend to harness solar and hydro energy to sustain upto 500 households plus several micro-enterprises in the area (Kibai village, 150 kilometers from Nairobi).
Admittedly, this was not part of the original mandate of the United Nations. But, I laud them for their desire (and ability) to adapt to their rather shifted role in this new millenium. At this point, most powerful nations regard the UN as something to generally ignore and swat aside, unfortunately. Rather than giving up and throwing in the towel, the UN has retooled itself to something more of a development-oriented organization. Instead of directly shaping a peaceful world through debate and discussion as was the initial plan for the United Nations, they are, through organizations like UNIDO, UNDP, etc., indirectly working towards long-term peace in the world by helping developing nations (such as Kenya here) shape a sustainable future for themselves.
This is the sort of thing that I point to when people tell me that the UN is useless. The UN is not useless; it has merely reshaped the methods to its end in an attempt to adapt to the world around it.
[via Kenya Environmental & Political News]
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'Sustainable' is the key word here, and I think this is perhaps why the world so often fails to see the good work that's being put in by organizations such as the UN. There are no 'quick fixes' and thus there are no immediate rewards to be seen and thus the 'sustainable development' goes unseen in a world that seeks instant gratification...
ReplyDeleteI agree entirely. The UN gets a raw deal because it doesn't wield the sort of power necessary to bring about changes that bring instant gratification. But I guess that makes the United Nations even greater; they do work not for recognition but because they actually wish to improve the world...
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