Do you think the UN would begin an investigation if enough of us wrote them to ask for it? (Letters would be better than email for this, I think.) Perhaps to the Secretariat Office or the ambassador from the country you reside in? If there was an investigation started perhaps more documentation would be released?
Here's an idea for a sample letter:
Dear xxxxxxxx,
I am writing to ask your help in beginning an investigation of the membership of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society as a NGO of the United Nations and its recent disassociation from DPI due to media exposure. The Watchtower Society says its relationship with DPI of the NGO section of the UN was simply to gain access to the UN library facilities. DPI says their affiliation was much more:
"[The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society] applied for association with DPI in 1991 and was granted association in 1992. By accepting association with DPI, the organization agreed to meet criteria for association, including support and respect of the principles or the Charter of the United Nations and commitment and means to conduct effective information programmes with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities." (Letter from DPI dated October 11, 2001)
The listing of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society as a NGO on the DPI webpage was not known by its membership. It only came to light in the past few months and caused some concerns among current and former members of the Jehovah's Witnesses. The Watchtower Society has long demonized the United Nations as one of the Satanic beasts of the book of Revelation in the Bible and is well known for its refusal to get involved in the political process.
The questioning about this led to a couple of articles in the British newspaper _The Guardian_. (I enclose a copy of one of _The Guardian_ articles with this letter.) The first article appeared on October 8, 2001. The day after the first article appeared in _The Guardian_ the Watchtower Society was disassociated as a member of DPI of the NGO section of the UN. The Watchtower's explanation has been published in a form letter. Their explanation is:
"Our purpose for registering with the Department of Public Information as a nongovernmental organization (NGO) in 1991 was to have access to research material available on health, ecological, and social problems at the United Nations library facilities. We had been using the library for many-years prior to 1991, but in that year it became necessary to register as an NGO to have continued access. Registration papers filed with the United Nations that we have on file contain no statements that conflict with our Christian beliefs. Moreover, NGOs are informed by the United Nations that "association of NGOs with the DPI does not constitute their incorporation into the United Nations system, nor does it entitle associated organizations or their staff to any kind of privileges, immunities or special status." Still, the Criteria for Association of NGOs-at least in their latest version-contain language that we cannot subscribe to. When we realized this, we immediately withdrew our registration. We are grateful that this matter was brought to our attention. We can add that at the time of the registration there was not even the need to sign the registration form which shows how low the significance of the registration was perceived."
This issue has caused quite a bit of controversy among current and former members of the Jehovah's Witnesses. Some feel the involvement of the Watchtower Society as a NGO of the UN was much more than just library access. Involvement at the UN would have aided them in their human rights and religious freedom concerns (they currently are fighting such cases in France and Russia, for example). For most people that would be a laudable goal but involvement in the political process would be a major theological contradiction for the Witnesses. The Watchtower Society has been severely critical of the involvement of other religions with the UN as "spiritual harlotry." The Watchtower Society will not answer any further questions regarding its 10 year NGO affiliation. DPI will only state that the Watchtower Society is no longer accredited with DPI.
These are some questions regarding the Watchtower Society's affiliation as a member of the DPI section of the UN:
1) Is it required to register as a NGO to use the library facilities at the UN?
2) Is it possible that there was some misunderstanding about the Watchtower Society's status as a NGO and that their involvement was simply to get UN library privileges? If so, was this a failure on the part of DPI in accrediting the Watchtower Society as a NGO? Or, is there evidence of any fraud in the application process by the Watchtower Society?
3) Did the original NGO application form that the Watchtower Society filled out in 1991 indicate that membership involved support for the Charter for the UN and responsibility to promote the UN in its literature? Is it true they did not sign the application form?
4) Did the Watchtower Society fill out re-certifications over the years as is usually required? Did these also indicate support for the Charter of the UN and an acknowledgment to disseminate information about the UN? Or, was the Watchtower Society exempted from the re-certification process?
5) In the past 10 years the Watchtower Society has printed several articles in their newsmagazine Awake! which appear to be in fulfillment of their obligation to "conduct effective information programmes about UN activities." Were these articles submitted by the Watchtower Society as part of its re-certification or submitted to the DPI archives?
To current and former members of the Jehovah's Witnesses this has taken on the proportions of a major scandal. For them this would be comparable to Catholics discovering that the Vatican was privately supporting Planned Parenthood and abortion rights. Sample webpages that present these issues are:
http://www.thetruthhurts.freeservers.com/unitednations.htm
http://www.geocities.com/plowbitch69/
http://www.geocities.com/watchtowersociety/beast.htm
I realize this has little meaning to non-members of the religion. The relevant issues that would justify an inquiry into this by UN officials are: 1) was there any fraud by the Watchtower Society in the application process? 2) did DPI err in certifying the Watchtower Society either by exempting them from the usual requirements or from the re-certification process? Did the forms the Watchtower Society filled out state the ususal requirements for NGOs--support for the UN Charter, etc? 3) who is telling the truth about the Watchtower Society's involvement as a NGO? DPI says they agreed to support the Charter of the UN and to disseminate info about the UN--the Watchtower Society says they did not and that their involvement was only for research purposes and that they did not even sign the application form.
Sincerely,
xxxxxxx
not my webpage but a favorite:
http://ic.net/~erasmus/RAZHOME.HTM