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· I I! · I • -r r ·~ \, .. I '.-: · : - I l. I . . : ., I . I'I . I !. : \ \ : I ' .THE ARTS· AND UNESCO HERMAN 'VoADEN THE United Nations Educatio-nal) Scie?-tific an~ Cultural Organ.ization, · .commonly know,n as UNESCO} has beeri called {ltlie spearhead of the United Nations.J)1 The constitution of UNEsco, drafted by representatives of ~he governments of its m.ember nations, clearlyste1;tes thaf the Organ~ ization is 'envisaged' as an instrument of world peace which will help to ~ . counteract certain co,nditions which have in the past made for war. Paragraphs In the constitution declare: _ that since wars begin' in the minds of men, it is in the mitids of men that ·, the defences of peace ~ust be constructed; that 1gnorance of eacl1 other's ways and lives has heel~ a common cause, throughout the history of mankind, of that suspicion and mistrust between the peoples of.the world through which their differences have all too often broken into war;.... that ·a peace based exclusively upon the political and economic arrangerne .nts of governments would not be a peace which could secure the unanimous } lasting and·sin~ere support of the peoples of the' world, and that the peace _must therefore be founded, if it is not to fail> upon the in.tellectual and moral solidarity of mankind. For the,se reasons,,the signatories of the document state their belief."in full and equal opportunities fo_r. education for all) in the unrestricted pursuit;of objective truth, and in the free exchange of ideas and knowledge:' They· declare that UNESCO has been created for the purpose of furthering international peace and the common welfare of mankind. __ More specifically, in .promoting intellectual .collaboratiop, the Organization Is pledged to "give· 1 fresh impulse to popular education and to ·the spread of culture'\ and to maintain, increase, and diffuse knowledge "by initiating methods. of inter- national cooperation calculateP, to give the people of all countries access to the printed and published materials produced by any of them.'..) The instrument which has been evolved to appeal to world opmton: through educ~tion, science, and culture is unique. To quote Byron Dexter: "Vaguely, ambiguously, yet with unmist_akable interest and with the stirrings of power, it rea~hes for an ordering of individuals to individuals : within_a world organization in which national governm~nts are secondary."2 The Charter makes national organizatioi1s in education, science, and culture partne1·s of governments in the Organization. Here is the muchquoted Article VII: "Each Member State shall make such arrangements as,suit its particular conditions for the purpose of associating its principal: . -bodies interested .in educational, scientific and cultural matters with the 1By Henri Bonnet; quoted in. an article by Byron Dexter in Fonign_Alfairs, April, .1947. ~In Foreign Affairs, April, 1947. 161 r · 162 THE -iJNIVE~SITY, OF TORONTO QUARTERLY 'York. of the Organ1zation, preferably oy. the formation of a National' Commission · broadly .representative of the Government and such ·bodies." And Article JV states that the delegation to the general conference "shall be selected after consultation with·the National Commission, if established> or "\\·ith educational, .scientific and· cultural bo,d'ies~·" Thus the world co.mmunicy is to be created by strengthening the bonds between national organizations and .their kindred organizations. in all UNESCO countries. A world -front is to be established in. which, under UNESCO leadership, these organizations move forward together to adv~nce the objectives of international peace and the common welfare of mankind..' I·This brings us to the fundamental weakness of the arts in UNESco's '· programme. The a~tist is not well-organized-nationally or interna~ionally. The educational" programme of UNESco has moved effectively toward its goa'ts from the beginning, supported and directed by strong national and international organi2ations. In the 6eld of mass communications there are powerful governmental and private organi2ations in radio, press, and film.·scientists, ~ibrarians, and museum directors have well-established inter- . national .organizations which have guided the UNEsco Sec.retariat from the beginning. But in the social sciences) humanities, and philosophy, and particularly in the arts> there has been much confusion and lack of directjon because of ineffective organization on both the national and the...

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