The United Nations: It's More Than You Think

Thrust into the spotlight during the Gulf War crisis, the United Nations is shown in this program to truly be "more" than most people think. Created in 1945, with a charter membership of some 50 countries, the United Nations today is made up of 159 countries and more branches and arms than a Hindu god. Papua, New Guinea, and Samoa all owe their independence in large part to the U.N., which has traditionally taken a de-colonialization stance in territorial disputes. Although we think of the U.N. primarily as an international court of justice, its activities are much more wide-ranging. UNESCO, UNICEF, UNHCR (an agency for helping refugees), and UNEP (a newly created environmental arm), are but a few of the many subagencies contained within the organization. Interviews with American, British, and Russian journalists, as well as U.N. agency officials offer an excellent overview of the United Nations both from the insider's point of view and from the critical outsider's viewpoint. Well-balanced, informative, and very nicely produced, The United Nations: It's More Than You Think is highly recommended. (See ESTONIA: A TALE OF TWO NATIONS for availability.)