A Model for World Peace?

the AZEL PERSPECTIVE Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 382 B

José Azel's latest books "On Freedom" and "Sobre La Libertad" are now available on Amazon.  A Model for World Peace? (Previously published) Share Tweet Forward

It is the only place on earth where there has never been war, where scientific research is the priority, and where the environment is fully protected. It is a beautiful continent, with a land mass greater than that of the United States and Europe combined, and successfully devoted to peace and science. But there is a catch to this idyllic wonderland; well, maybe two, it is very cold, and it has no native human population. Lily & Jose Azel - Antarctica - December 2019 In December 2019, I put on my warmest winter gear and my political scientist sunglasses and journeyed to Antarctica in an effort to understand the success of the Antarctic Treaty which set aside the historical territorial claims of Argentina, Australia, Chile, France, New Zealand, Norway, and the United Kingdom. The United States, Russia, Belgium, Japan, and South Africa also had significant interests in Antarctica in 1961 when the treaty entered into force. Yet, the Antarctic Treaty has kept the continent peaceful and committed to science.  From our home base, on a cruise ship anchored offshore, we used zodiac landing crafts and kayaks to set foot on various parts of the continent on seven consecutive days. Keeping with the strict environmental protection rules of the Antarctic Treaty, our boots and any gear that touched Antarctic land were thoroughly disinfected before and after each landing.  This rigorous environmental enforcement may not seem remarkable until we consider that Antarctica does not belong to any nation or group of nations. While in Antarctica you are not in any country and thus not subject to the laws of any country. You are theoretically subject to the laws of your home country, and to the rules of the Antarctic Treaty, but there is no one in Antarctica to enforce those laws and rules. Any enforcement would have to wait until you get home.  Amazingly, the original Antarctic Treaty, signed by the 12 countries with territorial claims or significant interests, consisted of only fourteen short articles fitting in one page. Over the years, additional protocols have been added, and the Antarctic Treaty System has now been signed by 54 parties. To appreciate the scope of the Antarctic Treaty, consider some of its key elements:  Article 1: No military use shall be made of Antarctica. Article 2: There will be complete freedom of scientific investigation. Article 3: Antarctic Treaty nations will exchange plans and scientific data from their scientific programs, and scientists shall be exchanged between expeditions and stations. Article 7: All facilities can be inspected at anytime by inspectors from other Treaty nations. Article 8: All personnel will be under the jurisdiction of their own country. Article 10: All Treaty nations will try to ensure that no one carries out any activity in Antarctica that is against the Treaty. Other Articles deal with environmental protection, conservation, waste disposal, etc.  Article 4 is an ingenious diplomatic slight of hand. All territorial claims of the nations that were actively involved in exploration are placed on hold. Notice that these territorial claims are neither recognized nor disregarded. They are just put on hold, and no new claims can be made while the Treaty is in force.  It is remarkable that this Treaty, signed during the Cold War, has been effective in regulating the international behavior, with respect to Antarctica, of powerful nations with competing claims and interests. Antarctica has not been the subject of international discord. It has remained peaceful, cooperative, environmentally protected, and committed to scientific research.  But it is not just about regulating the conduct of nation-states. The Treaty has influenced the way that ordinary people conduct themselves in Antarctica. The continent receives nearly 40,000 visitors per year and remains a beautiful pristine land where penguins ignore visitors.  From a political science perspective, the success of the Antarctic Treaty raises interesting questions about its applicability to other world regions and problems. Do the key elements of the Antarctic Treaty offer some sort of road map for a more peaceful world? Perhaps, but maybe it is just that Antarctica is very cold, and most importantly; it has no human population. Please let us know if you  this article. We welcome your feedback. Abrazos, Lily & José (click on the name to email Lily or Jose) José Azel, Ph.D. José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere.   He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Dr. Azel was a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics. In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami. José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp. They cycled St. James Way (El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary and throughout southern France.  They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands. Most recently, they rafted for 17 days 220 miles in the Grand Canyon.  Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them.  Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro. Books by Dr. José Azel José Azel’s writings are touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone who wishes to understand why countries do, or do not, progress will find in this book the best explanations. And, from these readings emerge numerous inferences: How and why do the good intentions of leftist collectivism lead countries to hell? Why is liberty not a sub product of prosperity, but rather one of its causes? If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would also recommend its reading to all politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With his writings Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: Azel brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous, Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                                    BUY NOW Los escritos de José Azel están tocados por la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquiera que desee entender por qué los países progresan, o no, encontrará en este libro las mejores explicaciones. De estas lecturas surgen numerosas inferencias: ¿Cómo y por qué las buenas intenciones del colectivismo de izquierda llevan a los países al infierno? ¿Por qué la libertad no es un subproducto de la prosperidad, sino una de sus causas? Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería de obligada lectura de todos los estudiantes universitarios, pero además, le recomendaría su lectura a todos los políticos, periodistas y policy makers. Con sus escritos Azel logra lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo. Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                            Compre Aqui "Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations. Stupendous" Carlos Alberto Montaner Buy Now "Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones. Estupendo." Carlos Alberto Montaner Compre Aqui In Reflections on Freedom, José Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles. Buy Now En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico. Compre Aqui Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future. Buy now Pedazos y Vacíos is a collection of poems written in by Dr. Azel in his youth. Poems are in Spanish. Buy now

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