The central concept of peace-through-unity has always been that for reaching a fair and lasting solution to any conflict on any level of our societal system, an area of mutual agreement should first be sought and clarified thus establishing a foundation upon which differences and concerns can safely and openly be shared and new healthier relationships be created.

Such an area of mutuality was, in our view, formulated by the founders in the Preamble of the UN Charter, holding up for future generations a vision yet to be realised.

In June 1987, OPTU took an open letter to the United Nations in New York in which we shared our understanding that ".. people everywhere are coming to the realisation that the empowerment, effectiveness and sense of unity within the United Nations must ultimately come from 'we the peoples'". The letter ended with seven questions, the last four being:

4. Has the time come to establish a more meaningful relationship between the UN and us, the World's peoples?

5. If so, what steps are being taken to bring this about?

6. With the increased public awareness of the issues at hand and the enhanced conscience of humanity is it not both timely and desirable that the role of NGO's be reassessed within the institution that is meant to represent us, the peoples, and not merely our government which -more often than not - represent only a fraction of the people they govern?

7. Although the NGOs, through their different organisations, represent us in our millions, has it not become an urgent need to establish an avenue through which we, the grassroots peoples, can cooperate, support and directly and individually feel our connection with the United Nations and make our voices heard?

We had the opportunity to discuss these questions with various senior officials and while we were met with much sympathy - even agreement that changes were badly needed - we also encountered pessimism about bringing any significant changes to the heavy machinery of UN administration.

After years of almost continuous travelling, participating in many conferences and promoting and supporting issues of common concern, we settled in New Zealand in the small town of Wanganui and continued our work from there.

In June 1993, the UNA of NZ conducted a seminar called "Global Governance and the UN Reform" and the resulting papers and proposals were subsequently forwarded to the UN and the Commission on Global Governance. These papers included one from OPTU in which we, among other points, asked that " ... a strong and direct link between us, the peoples of the United Nations, and the UN itself, should be established, through which we can actively participate to shape our common future". Such a link, we argued, would help " ... make the UN more relevant to us ordinary people throughout the world and help us to change from passive to active members of the UN family".

At the UNANZ AGM, May 1994, OPTU tabled a paper which elaborated on this proposal. Pointing to the increasing public understanding of global interdependence and individual responsibility we suggested that people today have earned the right to be offered ".. more opportunities to participate actively, responsibly and enthusiastically with the UN, our own government and with each other, across all borders, in the creation of our common future". We also proposed that UNAs should therefore urgently consider helping to raise general public interest in UN matters as well as encourage open discussion on how to help this institution become more democratic. To this end, the idea of UNANZ assisting in setting up loosely organised "peoples of the UN groups or "civic fora" was suggested and discussed.

Simultaneously, OPTU pursued this issue in various other ways. We contacted the Mayor of Wanganui (already in 1993) who encouraged discussion of the idea among councillors. Papers with background information were prepared (with particulars about the Campaign for a More Democratic UN, the Commission on Global Governance etc.) and at their meeting 8 May 1995, the Wanganui District Council resolved that should a Second Assembly be established " ... the Wanganui District Council advises it would be interested in giving a mandate to representing Wanganui with a formal arrangement".

Our local District Council was most helpful in making the UN50 celebrations in Wanganui a multi-cultural, people-participatory week of events, which resulted in the establishing of a Wanganui UNA Branch.

Inspired by the newly formed UK Forum for UN Renewal, OPTU tabled a proposal at the UNANZ AGM suggesting that the UNANZ initiate the setting up of a New Zealand Forum for UN Renewal, differing from its UK counterpart in that it will seek to become a meeting place between central government, local government and civic society, cooperating to:

1. formulate strategies to further the aim of working for a United Nations which is capable of turning the ideals expressed in the Preamble of the Charter into reality;

2. lobby M.P.s of all parties to further an ongoing dialogue for the creation of a 'United Nations and United Peoples Partnership for Peace';

3. encourage the media to participate constructively in the reforming of the United Nations System;

4. stimulate and help keep informed and alive public debate on UN matters;

5. give further consideration to the establishment of a UN Peoples' Assembly.

Through these measures the Forum will endeavour " ... to develop a close working relationship between central government, local government and civic society with a view to this concept also being reflected within a reformed United Nations System, thus furthering the principles and the purpose for which this world organisation was created".

The proposal was adopted at the AGM and a subcommittee has since been preparing for an Inaugural Meeting to take place 7 March 1997, 1:30 - 5:15 pm in the Legislative Chambers, Parliament Buildings, Wellington. Among the speakers will be former NZ Ambassadors to the UN, Colin Keating, and Terence O'Brien.

It is OPTU's earnest hope that the UN will increasingly come to resemble an alive and vibrant organism, possessing heart, nervous system and intelligence, bringing us all together into one interdependent, harmonious and cooperating whole.