Moorings: The World of United Nations Peoples
Disarmament Exhibit Steals Centre Stage
By Lawri Lala Moore

UN Photo/Milton Grant

In August, staff member Thomas Cortijo and I passed the ivory carving of the Chengtu-Kunming railroad, winding through mountains and connecting the surrounding provinces, on display at the United Nations. The gift from China mesmerized him. “This is my favourite. Every time I see it, I notice something different. See the people dancing?” The figures were a few inches tall. We stood for a moment in awe. I’d walked by that sculpture many times, but never saw it. It took eight elephant tusks, 98 people and more than two years to complete this Chinese sculpture. It was made prior to the law against ivory commodities.

The decor of a home reflects the character of its inhabitants. Countless gifts to the United Nations exhibited at UN Headquarters exemplify its values and ideals. Intrigued by the carving, I decided to take the UN tour and learn more about such treasures.

“Group 36, your tour is ready”, was blared over the loudspeaker. It had been at least seven years since my last tour. I remembered a statue of a woman damaged by a nuclear blast - the front remained intact, having fallen face forward, but the back was flattened and scarred by a zillion pelt marks. Oddly, that first-floor display had disappeared.

A sign indicated that tours would begin 10 to 25 minutes after ticket purchase. To pass time, I viewed a mosaic - Dove of Peace - a gift from Pope John Paul II; a replica of the “Situla of Vace” from Slovenia; and silk carpets from Iran depicting the seven Secretaries-General, which from a distance, appeared to be oil paintings.

Finally, English tour No. 41 was announced. It comprised a group of 20. We surrounded our guide, Adeyemi Oshunrinade, and were led to a picture board of the UN structure. Here, he encouraged the children to speak. “What do you know about the United Nations?” Bashful, they stayed quiet. Adeyemi summarized the history, structure, and purpose of the Organization: to promote peace and security in the world.

We moved upstairs. Out the window, we saw the Japanese Garden and the Peace Bell, cast from coins collected by children from 60 countries. Rung twice a year, it symbolizes peace. The flags of all 189 countries, alphabetically arranged, are raised on weekdays. The UN flag flies every day.

We passed the Guggenheim mural; its three parts depict war, peace and hope. In the Security Council Chamber, a gift from Norway, Adeyemi explained, “issues of peace and security are discussed”. He described the use of sanctions on the trade of diamonds in Sierra Leone. “Military force is used only as a last resort.” Down the hall, a world map indicated 15 ongoing and several completed peacekeeping operations. In 1988, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the UN peacekeeping forces.

A statue of a woman with her arm outstretched releasing a bird extends from the northeast wall of the Trusteeship Council Chamber, a gift from Denmark. Since the last trust territory became independent, the Council no longer meets. Sweden gifted the UN with the Economic and Social Council Chamber. Pipes could be seen in the unfinished ceiling. “This was done on purpose to show the work of the Council would never finish”, Adeyemi added.

The Norman Rockwell mosaic was a gift from the United States, presented by Nancy Reagan. Titled “The Golden Rule”, it shows people of diverse nationalities coming together. Other gifts viewed included a replica of a 1911 boat from Thailand, a kente cloth from Ghana, and a mural from Belarus, inspired by the Chernobyl accident.

We ventured through a narrow passage. The Articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lined one wall, and photographs of refugee children hung on the other. Further in, the room widened to encompass glass-encased objects: weapons, grenades and items damaged by explosives. Life-sized photographs of child soldiers and victims of landmines stared back at us. Amidst all these portrayals of violence stood the “disappeared” statue of a woman. We were in the new disarmament exhibit. Many on the tour surrounded the glass cases and eyed the weapons or melted pottery. But the child soldier, rifle in hand, disturbed me. He couldn’t have been much older than my six-year-old niece. What a life!

Our final stop was the General Assembly Hall, where preparations for the General Assembly’s special session on children were ongoing. “Did you know the UN cares about you”, Adeyemi told the children. “Next month, they’re going to have a conference and ask children what they think.”

I left the tour with a broader knowledge of the United Nations and its work. My journey began with a study of the gifts. But the atrocities of war wrenched my heart. Nothing accentuated the need for the UN more than the disarmament exhibit.

I was on a flight from Newark to Los Angeles a week after the international community witnessed the attacks on the World Trade Center. In light of that tragedy, I would say the most remarkable facet of the United Nations lies in its gift to the world - a chance for peace.