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CNN Saturday Morning News
UN Officials Discuss International Day of Peace
Aired September 21, 2002 - 09:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: This was the scene yesterday as U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan rang a bell in honor of the annual International Day of Peace, which is today.
Conflict in the Middle East, the threat of war against Iraq -- it may seem like an uphill battle for the organizers of the U.N.'s International Day of Peace, but they are encouraging people around the world to pray and work toward ending conflict.
And joining us from Sacramento is Jane Goodall, who is one of the U.N.'s Messengers of Peace. And joining us from New York is Shashi Tharoor. He is the U.N. undersecretary general.
Thank you both for being with us this morning.
And Mr. Tharoor, I'd like to start with you for a moment. We -- as we mentioned just a second ago, in this war environment, with the U.N. taking up issues of Iraq, U.N. weapons inspections discussions, and all of the talk or the threat of war against Iraq, is this really an appropriate time to be advocating peace in this war environment?
SHASHI THAROOR, U.N. UNDERSECRETARY GENERAL: What could be a more appropriate time to talk of peace, when there is a prospect of war?
And let's face it, there are wars in very many places around the world, in places, for example, in some of the most difficult circumstances and countries in Africa, where peace is an extremely important thing we've been striving for.
The war is a reality of world politics, sadly. Peace, on the other hand, is something we need to strive for. And we believe that this is one day, 24 hours, not perhaps enough, but a beginning in the aspiration of all human beings around the world to try and have peace in the conflicts that bedevil them.
CALLAWAY: Mr. Tharoor, I need to ask you about a story that I'm sure you've heard about this morning, with Iraq saying that they would absolutely be against any new U.N. resolution concerning weapons inspections, this before one has even been drafted.
Can you tell me, what was Kofi Annan's role in drafting the first letter from Iraq allowing the weapons inspections? And what now, with this show of defiance against being able to make any changes to that letter?
THAROOR: Well, first of all, as far as the secretary general is concerned, it's his job to promote compliance with Security Council resolutions. And as you know, there are resolutions that Iraq is in reach of. And when they discussed, through the secretary general of the Arab League, with the secretary general about the letter they were going to send him, his role was to make it very clear what terms were necessary to be found in that letter for that letter to be acceptable.
He wanted to see an unconditional acceptance of the Security Council resolutions, and he wanted to see a reference to immediate compliance. He doesn't draft the Iraqi government's letters...
CALLAWAY: Right.
THAROOR: ... but he had to tell them what exactly he needed to see before he felt that the letter would serve any useful purpose in getting the situation back on track.
CALLAWAY: Is a new draft possible?
THAROOR: As for today's statement, I don't -- I'm sorry? A new draft? Well, I think that's up to the Security Council members. You see, the secretary general, essentially, has done his bit. Now it's in the hands of the member states on the Security Council. The U.S. has been talking to many other members on the council bilaterally, and they will be speaking to each other collectively.
And we are all anxious to see what the Security Council decides. They could decide to have a new resolution, or more than one. They could decide to have a reiteration of all resolutions. It's really up to them to decide what to do.
CALLAWAY: But was it a good move for Iraq to come out with the statement now?
THAROOR: Well, I'm afraid I can't speak for the Iraqi government, and I -- all I know is press accounts, such as yours, what we have heard this morning.
CALLAWAY: Well, let's move on to Jane Goodall.
Thank you for being with us, Miss Goodall.
You are certainly known for your landmark study of the chimpanzees, you are certainly a fighter for conservation and education programs globally. You now are a U.N. Messenger of Peace. That's a big task for you, isn't it?
JANE GOODALL, U.N. MESSENGER OF PEACE: Well, it's certainly a big responsibility, and I also feel a great honor that Kofi Annan selected me. And I propose to do as much as I can, as I always have.
And there are two things I think that are important right now. First of all, there will never be peace until we can live in better harmony with the natural world. And secondly, the program that I started in 1991 for youth, Roots and Shoots, which is now in 60 countries, has a very strong component of peace in it. And in fact, yesterday in the run-up to today, the U.N. Day of Peace, we had a festival, where I am now in Sacramento. We lit a candle, and Roots and Shoots groups in all 60 countries today hopefully will be lighting candles.
So, you know, I just want to share this candle with the Roots and Shoots groups all across the United States.
CALLAWAY: Miss Goodall, do you really believe that these type of ceremonies, these type of lighting candles and things, are going to help in the current political environment?
GOODALL: Well, they probably won't help with the Iraqi situation. But I think especially for young people, a feeling of unity, a feeling that, yes -- I mean, if you see -- if you saw the children yesterday, they were so rapt, their eyes were shining, and there was very clearly a desire for world peace both with the environment and with the nations of the world.
And I think that we're really fortunate at this very, very dangerous time in our history to have a secretary general like Kofi Annan to go around and really do so much for peace.
CALLAWAY: I know you, as you mentioned, have been very active in this before you were made a U.N. Messenger of Peace. Will there be additional roles attached to what you will be doing now?
GOODALL: Every time that I'm asked to do something, as I was this morning, I'm here to do it. And as I say, we are really pushing peace in the Roots and Shoots groups, where we see this Roots and Shoots program as very much about breaking down the barriers that we have erected between people of different religions, different ethnic groups, different countries, and we're concentrating on that.
And our programs from preschool through university all around the world are really working out how they can have a better understanding of what it is that creates war, what it is that creates disharmony. We've got to eradicate poverty. We've got to have people understanding that Islam isn't a violent religion, that the Ten Commandments are the same as they are in the Bible.
And just have people understanding and being less afraid.
CALLAWAY: Mr. Tharoor, that is a big task ahead of you with your program.
GOODALL: It's a very big task, but I've got all those kids out there, we've got wonderful people working with the Roots and Shoots groups. And it's -- you know, we have to bring up generations of children around the world to be better stewards of the planet...
CALLAWAY: All right.
GOODALL: ... and to be more loving of each other.
CALLAWAY: Mr. Tharoor, did you have a final comment? THAROOR: Yes, indeed. We have called for 24 hours of cease- fires, the end of all hostilities all over the world. We hope that though 24 hours is not very much, that it'll be a beginning, and that we can extend that around the world so we can use the cease-fires today to get the relief through, to get mediators doing their work to try and bring about peace, to try and work towards a time when we will not have peace as the exception but rather as the rule in most of the conflict situations we face around the world.
CALLAWAY: Shashi Tharoor and Jane Goodall, thank you both for being with us this morning. Good luck on your journey.
GOODALL: Thank you.
THAROOR: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 21, 2002 - 09:14 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: This was the scene yesterday as U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan rang a bell in honor of the annual International Day of Peace, which is today.
Conflict in the Middle East, the threat of war against Iraq -- it may seem like an uphill battle for the organizers of the U.N.'s International Day of Peace, but they are encouraging people around the world to pray and work toward ending conflict.
And joining us from Sacramento is Jane Goodall, who is one of the U.N.'s Messengers of Peace. And joining us from New York is Shashi Tharoor. He is the U.N. undersecretary general.
Thank you both for being with us this morning.
And Mr. Tharoor, I'd like to start with you for a moment. We -- as we mentioned just a second ago, in this war environment, with the U.N. taking up issues of Iraq, U.N. weapons inspections discussions, and all of the talk or the threat of war against Iraq, is this really an appropriate time to be advocating peace in this war environment?
SHASHI THAROOR, U.N. UNDERSECRETARY GENERAL: What could be a more appropriate time to talk of peace, when there is a prospect of war?
And let's face it, there are wars in very many places around the world, in places, for example, in some of the most difficult circumstances and countries in Africa, where peace is an extremely important thing we've been striving for.
The war is a reality of world politics, sadly. Peace, on the other hand, is something we need to strive for. And we believe that this is one day, 24 hours, not perhaps enough, but a beginning in the aspiration of all human beings around the world to try and have peace in the conflicts that bedevil them.
CALLAWAY: Mr. Tharoor, I need to ask you about a story that I'm sure you've heard about this morning, with Iraq saying that they would absolutely be against any new U.N. resolution concerning weapons inspections, this before one has even been drafted.
Can you tell me, what was Kofi Annan's role in drafting the first letter from Iraq allowing the weapons inspections? And what now, with this show of defiance against being able to make any changes to that letter?
THAROOR: Well, first of all, as far as the secretary general is concerned, it's his job to promote compliance with Security Council resolutions. And as you know, there are resolutions that Iraq is in reach of. And when they discussed, through the secretary general of the Arab League, with the secretary general about the letter they were going to send him, his role was to make it very clear what terms were necessary to be found in that letter for that letter to be acceptable.
He wanted to see an unconditional acceptance of the Security Council resolutions, and he wanted to see a reference to immediate compliance. He doesn't draft the Iraqi government's letters...
CALLAWAY: Right.
THAROOR: ... but he had to tell them what exactly he needed to see before he felt that the letter would serve any useful purpose in getting the situation back on track.
CALLAWAY: Is a new draft possible?
THAROOR: As for today's statement, I don't -- I'm sorry? A new draft? Well, I think that's up to the Security Council members. You see, the secretary general, essentially, has done his bit. Now it's in the hands of the member states on the Security Council. The U.S. has been talking to many other members on the council bilaterally, and they will be speaking to each other collectively.
And we are all anxious to see what the Security Council decides. They could decide to have a new resolution, or more than one. They could decide to have a reiteration of all resolutions. It's really up to them to decide what to do.
CALLAWAY: But was it a good move for Iraq to come out with the statement now?
THAROOR: Well, I'm afraid I can't speak for the Iraqi government, and I -- all I know is press accounts, such as yours, what we have heard this morning.
CALLAWAY: Well, let's move on to Jane Goodall.
Thank you for being with us, Miss Goodall.
You are certainly known for your landmark study of the chimpanzees, you are certainly a fighter for conservation and education programs globally. You now are a U.N. Messenger of Peace. That's a big task for you, isn't it?
JANE GOODALL, U.N. MESSENGER OF PEACE: Well, it's certainly a big responsibility, and I also feel a great honor that Kofi Annan selected me. And I propose to do as much as I can, as I always have.
And there are two things I think that are important right now. First of all, there will never be peace until we can live in better harmony with the natural world. And secondly, the program that I started in 1991 for youth, Roots and Shoots, which is now in 60 countries, has a very strong component of peace in it. And in fact, yesterday in the run-up to today, the U.N. Day of Peace, we had a festival, where I am now in Sacramento. We lit a candle, and Roots and Shoots groups in all 60 countries today hopefully will be lighting candles.
So, you know, I just want to share this candle with the Roots and Shoots groups all across the United States.
CALLAWAY: Miss Goodall, do you really believe that these type of ceremonies, these type of lighting candles and things, are going to help in the current political environment?
GOODALL: Well, they probably won't help with the Iraqi situation. But I think especially for young people, a feeling of unity, a feeling that, yes -- I mean, if you see -- if you saw the children yesterday, they were so rapt, their eyes were shining, and there was very clearly a desire for world peace both with the environment and with the nations of the world.
And I think that we're really fortunate at this very, very dangerous time in our history to have a secretary general like Kofi Annan to go around and really do so much for peace.
CALLAWAY: I know you, as you mentioned, have been very active in this before you were made a U.N. Messenger of Peace. Will there be additional roles attached to what you will be doing now?
GOODALL: Every time that I'm asked to do something, as I was this morning, I'm here to do it. And as I say, we are really pushing peace in the Roots and Shoots groups, where we see this Roots and Shoots program as very much about breaking down the barriers that we have erected between people of different religions, different ethnic groups, different countries, and we're concentrating on that.
And our programs from preschool through university all around the world are really working out how they can have a better understanding of what it is that creates war, what it is that creates disharmony. We've got to eradicate poverty. We've got to have people understanding that Islam isn't a violent religion, that the Ten Commandments are the same as they are in the Bible.
And just have people understanding and being less afraid.
CALLAWAY: Mr. Tharoor, that is a big task ahead of you with your program.
GOODALL: It's a very big task, but I've got all those kids out there, we've got wonderful people working with the Roots and Shoots groups. And it's -- you know, we have to bring up generations of children around the world to be better stewards of the planet...
CALLAWAY: All right.
GOODALL: ... and to be more loving of each other.
CALLAWAY: Mr. Tharoor, did you have a final comment? THAROOR: Yes, indeed. We have called for 24 hours of cease- fires, the end of all hostilities all over the world. We hope that though 24 hours is not very much, that it'll be a beginning, and that we can extend that around the world so we can use the cease-fires today to get the relief through, to get mediators doing their work to try and bring about peace, to try and work towards a time when we will not have peace as the exception but rather as the rule in most of the conflict situations we face around the world.
CALLAWAY: Shashi Tharoor and Jane Goodall, thank you both for being with us this morning. Good luck on your journey.
GOODALL: Thank you.
THAROOR: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
