UN이 선정한 "세상에 더 알려져야 할 10가지"

지난 2004년부터 매년 언론과 대중의 관심을 환기시키기 위해 '잊혀진 이야기(forgotten stories)' 10개를 선정해 온 UN이 올해 네번째 이야기(2007년 기준)를 발표했습니다. 우리의 뇌리에서 잊혀졌기에 평소 우리가 별로 관심을 보이지 않은 이야기들입니다. 또는 지금도 지구 반대편에서 일어나는 이러한 참혹한 현실을 전혀 모르는채 살아가고 있지는 않는지 모르겠습니다. 우리의 관심분야가 아니기 때문이죠.

우리는 늘 '나'에게 관심이 집중되어 있는 것을 보게 됩니다. 우리의 이웃들에게까지 눈을 돌릴만한 마음의 여유가 없기 때문이죠. 이런 뉴스를 살펴보면서 나 아닌 다른 사람, 나 아닌 전 지구가 관심을 가져야 할 영역은 무엇인지 한번 알아보는 것도 유익하지 않을까 합니다. 사실 이러한 고통당하는 자 = 소외된 자 = 병든 자 = 목마른 자 등은 가난이라는 문제와 맞닿아 있는 듯합니다. 이들을 위해 우리가 할 수 있는 일은 무엇일까요?

1. "북부 우간다"에는 오랜 갈등과 내분 이후 평화를 되돌리기 위한 노력이 펼쳐지고 있다. While increased violence in other African countries grabbed the world’s attention, there has been a quiet but steady progress over the past two years towards ending one of the continent’s longest and most notorious armed conflicts – the war in northern Uganda.

2. 무국적 자들이 1,500만명이 넘는다.Up to 15 million people – the population of a medium-sized country – may be “stateless,” according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Yet hardly anyone is aware of the scale of the problem, or even what being stateless involves.

3. 기후변화에 따른 기상이변이 갈수록 일상화되고 있다. Last year was a terrible year for natural disasters. Unfortunately – and all too tragically for millions of people – 2007 represented the “new normal”, a new paradigm of extreme weather events. This all too clear manifestation of climate change demands a rapid transformation in how we prepare for and respond to nature’s hazards.

4. 고통받고 있는 소녀 병사들. Although the plight of child soldiers embroiled in conflicts across the globe is better known, the fate of girls remains overlooked. They are often the victims of sexual violence and exploitation, recruited by rebel groups to serve as combatants and “sex slaves”. And even when they are freed, the stigma of rape and their association with militias remains.

5. 아프가니스탄. Struggling to overcome years of civil war, destruction, and massive under-development, Afghanistan’s humanitarian and human rights predicament puts it at a fragile crossroads. The international community must redouble efforts to support the Afghan Government and people in this transition period.

6. 죽음의 질병인 말라리아의 예방과 치료가 더 이상 진전이 없다. Although malaria continues to kill over 1 million people a year and is a leading cause of death among young African children, global awareness of this deadly scourge – as well as efforts to curb the spread of this preventable and treatable disease – remains low. In 2007, new evidence emerged that distribution of treated mosquito nets and new medicines will give momentum to the fight against malaria.

7. UN 인권위원회에서 인권문제 개선을 위해 활동하는 사람들의 특별한 노력. Year in and year out, special rapporteurs and other independent human rights experts monitor, examine, advise and publicly report on certain types of human rights violations or violations in a specific country.  Acting in their personal capacity, much of their work is conducted behind the scenes, and does not always receive wide attention. Some would say they are the unsung heroes of the UN human rights monitoring system.

8. UN 평화유지군이 법과 질서를 확립하기 위해 일한다 : When the words ‘UN peacekeeping’ are mentioned, for many they tend to conjure up an image of a blue-helmeted military force dispatched to a conflict-torn area to help bring about peace and stability. Unknown to some, a vital part in such peace operations is played by growing numbers of UN policemen and women who help to establish law and order – not temporarily, but for the long haul.

9. 남부 수단. With much of the world’s attention riveted on the tragedy of Darfur, Sudan’s western region, the other crucial dimension of the situation in the country – implementation of a landmark peace accord that ended the long-running north-south war – often does not get the close scrutiny it deserves.

10. 조류독감(AI)은 전염에 대한 위협이 여전하다. The avian flu virus spread rapidly after first appearing in 2003, but a prompt international response has led to the disease being contained. However, since outbreaks continue to be reported in a wide range of countries and the threat of a virus mutation affecting humans could still sweep across the world, urgent preparations to plan for this remain critical.

2006년도 UN이 선정한 잊혀진 이야기
여기에서 2004년부터 2007년까지의 이야기를 보실 수 있습니다.(영문)