Where Will the Transition Take Us in Terms Of Peace in the World?

usatoday.comDonald Trump, Mitt Romney to meet in highly anticipated get-together

Donald Trump and Mitt Romney fiercely criticized each other during the campaign. Now the two are meeting to make peace amid speculation Romney is being considered for secretary of State in a Trump administration.

There have been reports that Romney, the 2012 GOP presidential nominee, is interested in the post of secretary of State but analysts say it’s doubtful Trump would offer a job in his administration or that Romney would take it given the verbal jabs they exchanged on the trail. usatoday.com

Would a Romney Role as Secretary of State soften Trump’s Bluster?

Mr. Romney fits a decidedly different mold. Earlier this year, he said that if Mr. Trump became the Republican nominee, “the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished,” and he suggested that Mr. Trump was dangerous and unstable. He deplored Mr. Trump’s personal qualities: “the bullying, the greed, the showing off, the misogyny, the absurd third-grade theatrics.”

But if he took a cabinet post, Mr. Romney could serve as a moderating influence on the hard-liners Mr. Trump has already selected, including Representative Mike Pompeo of Kansas as C.I.A. director and Stephen K. Bannon as chief strategist. It could also force Mr. Romney to defend administration policies he did not believe in.

This second option appears to have more substance. Indicating that the effort to reach out to Romney may be more show than moderation.

John Feehery, a Republican strategist, said Mr. Trump was showing “great magnanimity” by talking to Mr. Romney, the party’s 2012 nominee and a former governor of Massachusetts. “I think it is meant to reassure some of the establishment that he is going to reach out to them, and that’s an important part of healing the party.” read more at nytimes.com

In the aftermath of Trumps surprising victory, there are many unanswered questions about the path forward.  Many of Trumps pronouncements during the campaign raised eyebrows, and frankly have scared many.

Will he sober up under the responsibility of the office. One would assume so. And from that perspective we can hope.

On the other hand, the apparent ignorance as opposed to the stupidity of some of his comments seem to leave him vulnerable to Loyal advisors with uncertain knowledge, skills and most worrisome motives.

As always, it is time to be vigilant.

 

 

 

Is a Peace Treaty Between US and North Korea Possible?

It would seem as though Relations between the US and North Korea are worse than ever. But could that change?

Chinese envoy calls for peace treaty with NK

By Kim Hyo-jin

Denuclearizing North Korea and signing a peace treaty with the reclusive country are not separate matters, said Chinese Ambassador to South Korea Qiu Guohong Tuesday.

“I believe that we should wisely put the topics of helping Pyongyang and Washington sign a peace treaty and denuclearizing the North together on the negotiating table,” Qiu said during a meeting with Kim Chong-in, the interim leader of the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea (MPK), according to MPK lawmaker Rep. Park Gwang-on.

Stressing the importance of resuming the six-party talks on North Korea’s nuclear program, Qiu said negotiating with Pyongyang is the best way to resolve the nuclear issue.

“Beijing thinks that talks and negotiations with the country will fundamentally resolve the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula,” Qiu was quoted as saying. “The six-party talks are the best multilateral stage and China will keep working for their resumption.”  h/t koreatimes.co.kr

The Chinese are not the only ones suggesting a radical rethinking of the US approach to North Korea.  Joel Wit a former negotiator for the US takes a similar tack.

The United States should increase pressure on North Korea but at the same time make clear its willingness to hold comprehensive negotiations encompassing not only denuclearization, but also a peace treaty and normalization of diplomatic relations, a U.S. expert has said.

Joel Wit, a former State Department negotiator with Pyongyang, made the suggestion in a recent policy suggestion report, stressing that President Barack Obama’s policy on the North failed to achieve any progress towards U.S. objectives in the region, and a new approach should be put together to curb the North’s nuclear and missile capabilities.

Wit, currently editor of the website 38 North, argued that the U.S. has “set the autopilot button

on a course to further isolate and pressure the North in the wake of its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range missile test the following month.”

But such an approach will only make the situation worse, leading to “more DPRK provocations, a greater risk of conflict and instability on the Korean peninsula, the continued growth of the North’s nuclear and missile arsenal, and even new overseas sales and cooperation, particularly with Iran,” Wit said.

“To address these threats, the U.S. government needs to ratchet up pressure on the DPRK. At the same time it should make clear to the North and China that Washington is prepared to engage in comprehensive negotiations with the DPRK on a peace treaty to replace the armistice, linked to limiting, reducing and eventually eliminating the threat from North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction and normalizing U.S.-DPRK relations,” Wit said.  read more at koreatimes.co.kr

The Universal Peace Federation

A Peaceful Toast For The Universal Peace Federation

In celebration of the United Nations International Day of Families 2015, the Universal peace federation, along with the Washington Times, played host to the event held last June 4 at the Washington Times office. More than 70 leaders and members covering the non-governmental sector, the diplomatic corps, and friends of the UPF attended the event.

Invited speakers focused on the importance of the family in line with the theme of the celebration this year, which was “Men In Charge? Gender Equality and Children’s Rights in Contemporary Families”. Mrs. Tomiko Duggan, the Universal peace federation international office public affairs director, emphasized this when she noted that as a global organization, the UPF firmly believes that the family is the most important societal unit.

For his part, Dr. Neil Parsan, Trinidad and Tobago ambassador to Mexico, the United States, and the OAS or the Organization of American States, initially thanked the UPF for promoting global peace by sponsoring the event and for its continuing work on helping to strengthen family bonds.

A doctor by profession, Ambassador Parsan noted that the present family structure is undergoing major changes. For example, getting to nurture children is no longer an exclusive duty of the mothers. In New York, the ambassador spoke of training programs being offered to fathers who might be interested in learning proper care giving. The program has gained wide acceptance and is currently expanding to several states.

In this regard, Ambassador Parsan stressed that while genuine gender equality needs to be pushed, it does not necessarily mean a complete switch of the traditional roles of men and women in the family. Instead, support should be extended based on what every unique family actually needs.

Another speaker, Farhod Salim, Tajikistan Ambassador to the US, said that while his country is technically young, its rich culture has high respects for the family as ths is considered sacred. Personally, he believes that the family is the source of happiness.

Presently, Ambassador Salim revealed that his government is taking several measures aimed at improving the status of women. This has resulted in more women assuming leadership positions in both the local and national levels.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Phindile Ntshangase, wife of the Kingdom of Swaziland Ambassador to the US, spoke about the plight of many African women. In her speech, Mrs Ntshangase condemned reports about young African women being brought to local sex camps where they are being taught  to become sex experts in preparation for marriage.

On the other hand, Universal peace federation secretary-general Ricardo de la Serna, observed that the family is a sacred institution in practically all religions. This makes the family holy, and that the ultimate plan of the Almighty is for man to live in happiness in a God-centered family.

He ended his speech with an invitation for people to share in the basic belief of the Universal peace federation that educating the family will help shape the destiny of a country.

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