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Preventing the Spread of Violent Nationalism ODUMUNC 2019 Issue Brief UN Security Council Addressing the Spread of Violent Nationalism ODU Model United Nations Society Introduction on international cooperation but differentiation, deliberately choosing conflict over consensus. The rising global appeal of nationalism is a The difficulty comes because of the great public challenge to the ability of the United Nations to appeal of nationalism. Emphasizing the solve problems. When Member States choose uniqueness and superiority of each nation, polices based on national superiority instead of nationalism often is the easiest way to unite the global cooperation, the UN loses the consensus largest number of people in a country’s borders. it requires to act effectively. Yet a growing It has enormous appeal to rising leaders in number of leaders find the political rewards of democracies especially, but also can be useful enhancing nationalism hard to resist. With for leaders of authoritarian governments, stronger nationalism comes a not just less ability seeking a way to enhance the legitimacy of their to solve international problems, but greater risk power. In every case, nationalism often is the of conflict and war. For the UN Security easiest way to strengthen a government, to win Council, coping with the rise of nationalism may elections and unify an electoral majority of the be essential to remaining relevant and effective. people. But it is possible? Nationalism has the advantage of unifying most The nationalism problem raises s fundamental or many of the people in a territory, making difficulties for the UN. The United Nations is them willing to sacrifice together on behalf of based on conflicting principles. Above all, it is the state. They can be taxed more effectively to an organization of 193 Member States, their support the power of the state, and will even membership justified by their legal, sovereign offer their lives for the expansion of state equality. This makes China with a population of interests elsewhere in the region or the world. 1.4 billion, the legal equal in UN for a of Nauru This kind of nationalism, first developed during and Tuvalu, each with populations of about the French Revolution of 1789-1815, created a 10,000 each. The delegation of each Member global super power, and became a model for State formally represents their state’s sovereign emulation everywhere else. interests. On the other hand, the UN can only be effective when the Member States work together Figure 1. Patriotism versus Nationalism based on shared norms and principles, cooperating to advance global agendas. Characteristic Patriotism Nationalism The problem is fundamental, making Origin: ancient modern cooperation essential, but also hard to achieve. Basis: territorial ethnic For Member States, the problem is how to How created: poetic political balance pursuit of distinct national interests with Attitude toward passive superior the desire to shape global outcomes through others: shared normative principles. Attitude toward defensive offensive force: Since the end of the Cold War in 1989, the problem has become much worse with the rise If only it ended there. Unifying people under of nationalist foreign policies, polices based not nationalism requires excluding someone. Unlike Addressing the Spread of Violent Nationalism patriotism, based on love to one’s homeland, their Hutu enemies in Rwanda. In neither case nationalism usually involves claims of was the international community able to respond superiority. At a minimum, nationalism requires effectively. ‘othering’ the people of other countries, distinguishing the people of one country from For the United Nations, the problem is how to those of bordering countries. Often nationalism cope with a basic force in world affairs that is is easiest to promote when it stresses a specific not going away, but which must be restrained to ethnic identity within a country. Above all, avoid the worst trouble it can create. nationalism usually requires an enemy. This may be foreign (the people of a neighboring country) While several UN Member States have leaders or internal (an unworthy or untrusted domestic cultivating nationalism as a route to power, community). others are suspicious or critical, calling for international action to halt the trend. France has been especially outspoken in this regard.1 Similarly, UN Secretary-General António Guterres, argues that the rise of nationalism makes it hard or impossible for the UN to do it’s job.2 Nationalist rally in Hungary It was the civil wars of the former Yugoslavia that made the scale of the dangers apparent. Propelled by nationalist leaders first in Serbia, then in Croatia, Slovenia, and soon throughout the territory of the country, Yugoslavia was gone by 1991, ultimately replaced by seven Nationalist rally in India independent, often waring countries. During the worst fighting, the ethnically divided Bosnia Prominent examples 1992-95, over 100,000 people died as waring sides battled for domination. The worst violence Few states are immune to the nationalist political came as Serbian nationalists acted with genocide temptation, but some are more affected than against their Bosnian Muslim enemies, most others. Usually the key is political leaders who famously in the slaughter of all 8,000 Bosnian deliberately chose to build support based on Muslim men and boys in the town of Srebrenica. nationalist appeals. Nationalist appeals allow This was only one year after an estimated leaders to assume a position of moral superiority 800,000 Tutsi people were killed in attacks by and unique legitimacy. In this formulation, 1 2 ‘Rise of nationalism one of world’s real dangers’, M. Rising Nationalism Threatens Multilateralism’s 70-Year Jean-Marc Ayrault, Minister of Foreign Affairs, ‘Proven Track Record’ of Saving Lives, Preventing Wars, Brussels, 14 November 2016, Secretary-General Tells Security Council’, UN News, 9 https://uk.ambafrance.org/Rise-of-nationalism-one-of-real- November 2018, dangers-for-world-today-Minister https://www.un.org/press/en/2018/sc13570.doc.htm 2 Addressing the Spread of Violent Nationalism support for such leaders equals morally support politics. In India’s case, the Bharatiya Janata for the nation, while support for their enemies Party (BJP) is an explicitly nationalist party, in weakens the nation, and sometimes can even be favor of Hindi dominance of the Asian considered treasonous. subcontinent, restricting the rights of Muslims and Christians. Under the leadership of prime Minister Narindra Modi, nationalism has a Virtually every country has a nationalist strong religious element, associated with the movement and leaders, but some are more destruction of prominent Muslim shrines and explicit and powerful than others. Examples are elevation of Hindutva values in Indian public easy to find. The following are illustrative: affairs. China: Nationalism has been at the forefront of Poland: As in Hungary, nationalism pits rightist Chinese politics since the 1920s, when the populism against the values-based community Nationalist Party (Kuomintang), became a associated with support of the European Union. prominent force fighting for national In both cases, nationalists support restricting he unifications. In 1949 the nationalists lost the rights of their political opponents, removing Chinese Civil War to the Chinese Community uncooperative judges from the cots and closing Party (CCP) lead by Mao, but the CCP quickly opposition media. Poland’s president, Andrzej claimed the cloak of nationalist leadership. Duda, is the most active nationalist, as a member Today, under the leadership of Premier Xi of the nationalist Law and Justice party. Another Xinping, the CCP advocates national unification, nationalist party is the conservative League of including reclaiming full control of the territory Polish Families, which is more focused on of Hong Kong, the autonomous (and effectively elevating a sense of threat about homosexuality independent) island of Taiwan, as well the large and tolerant of physical attacks on non- area of the South China Sea. Christians, especially Jews, Muslims and recent migrants. Unlike Hungary, in Poland nationalist Hungary: the ruling party, Fidesz (an acronym activists have not yet cemented control over all for Hungarian Civic Alliance) is a national- major governing institutions. conservative and right-wing populist political party. It has dominated Hungarian national Russia: Under the leadership of President politics since 2010 under the leadership of Prime Vladimir Putin, nationalism has emerged as an Minister Viktor Orbán. It speaks out for explicit justification for ever more Russian Hungarian speaking minorities in neighboring policy actions at home and abroad. This trend countries, and has forced opposition media to leads observers to ask if nationalism is what close, as well as foreign funded liberal really drives Russian politics? Many politicians organizations like the University of Central and political scientists argue that the 2014 Europe. Fidesz is best known for its annexation of Crimea showed President demonization of the American-Hungarian Vladimir Putin’s desire to enhance national business leader George Soros, who often is identity as a basis for aggressive action, attacked with thinly veiled anti-Jewish symbols. repressing minorities domestically, conquering Aggressive Hungarian nationalism has made disputed territory and intervening abroad. Orbán the most prominent nationalist in Europe Nationalism has been used to explain everything
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