Sexual abuse within the UN. Senior officials being implicated and nothing happening. Being allowed to stay on in their positions and even have influence over the investigations and proceedings. Employees being threatened be senior members, hushed to keep their jobs, in fear of the repercussions of speaking out.
In light of the sheer amount of stories of abuse of power and position coming out in recent weeks, from celebrities to politicians to those in power and those not, it would be unreasonable to believe that any sector of society would be untouched by these atrocities against women, against men, against those in positions of relative weakness. There shouldn’t be any ignorance that abuse can happen anywhere, even in those places which are seen to be havens for many, or organisations in which people place trust or higher levels of expectation for behaviour. History shows that it is uninformed to believe that just because someone is a ‘person of god’ or working for charity, or has a heart of gold or donates money to the poor or is a great father or a fantastic teacher or a funny guy or the leader of a democratic country, that they would be blameless, above rebuke, or incapable of committing heinous acts.
Yet I still can’t help but feel an immense sadness, anger, disbelief and pure disgust when stories continue to come out about the UN. I first came across stories of UN atrocities when I was about 16, reading a book about the Khmer Rouge and the subsequent UN assistance in Cambodia in the 1990’s. Reading about how the UN peacekeepers would sexually exploit young girls, regularly visit child prostitutes, drive around in their massive Range Rovers, spending money meant to go towards helping the nation recover, living privileged lives amongst those with nothing, flying business class, being ‘saviours’. It felt like a vestige or what I had hoped would be a place we could look to as ‘doing good’ had disappeared. It was an important lesson, one which we all learn one way or another of the deplorable state of the world. (There is hope, but that’s not what I’m here to discuss just yet).
Despite having had this veil lifted, and beginning studies on my MA, I entered in the hopes that organisations such as UNESCO and UNICEF and the major international NGO’s were doing ‘good’ work (I realised the binary of good and bad is very simplistic, but sometimes we do just want to believe in it, in spite of what we know). Each day I would wake up feeling optimistic, and then I would read an article of Western hegemony, of power, or privilege and lack of local concern, of money being poured in with no awareness. Each day would end and I would feel deflated, coming to feel that only individuals can help, that these organisations were something I wanted to stay miles away from. Initially I had hoped to work for them, and now that couldn’t be further from my mind. Don't get me wrong, I do think a lot of meaningful work is happening: I’m not writing them off wholesale, that would show an equal level of ignorance. But I think its important to really see all the sides.
So now to these current stories, these cover-ups of rape, molestation, attacks, abuse. Its sickening that these men are still in power. How on earth can we hope to spread human rights and gender equality, values which are at the core of creating a better today, a better tomorrow, when these are the heads of representation? When they are sitting there, passing judgment and silencing those they have abused, silencing the system from speaking out and condemning their actions? When will we stop excusing boys to be boys? Stop excusing rhetoric that she asked for it? Stop excusing attitudes that its just what happens? How can we provide an education which doesn’t just talk about intercourse but informs and enlightens and fosters genuine respect?
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/07/peacekeepers-harm-good-170730091925152.html
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/mar/25/unitednations
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2018/jan/18/sexual-assault-and-harassment-rife-at-united-nations-staff-claim
