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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 27, 1991)
New world might lack cooperation, scholar says By Wendy Navratil Senior Reporter The idea that the old world order is dead and international harmony will ensue is fundamentally mis guided, a scholar said Thursday, as the Human Rights in the New Europe conference began at the University of Ncbraska-Lincoln. Jack Donnelly, an associate professor of political science at the University of Noth Carolina-Chapel Hill, initiated discussion of human rights in a changed Europe by challenging the idea that a New World Order has emerged from the strife in Central Europe, Africa and Asia. Rather, multi-polarity is emerg ing to replace the previous East West bipolarity, he said. “The ideology of the Cold War order is gone. It’s very unclear whether we (democracy) won. What is clear is that they (communism) lost,” Donnelly said. But even though communism has been dismissed as a failure, Donnelly said, cooperation between states that were previously divided by communism is not ensured. “It’s an international order, not a new world order,” he said. “The international order is still built around the actions of sovereign states.” And as long as there arc sover eign states operating independently, new conflicts will continue to emerge between them, he said. “We’re not moving toward a world of collective security; we’re not moving toward harmony and cooperation. New forms of con flict will emerge,” he said. \ However, with the end of the Cold War, Donnelly said, there would be new opportunities for international human rights. The battle between communist and anti-com muni si ideology provided the rationale for “gross and systematic violation of hu man rights” in the past, he said. The U.S. and the Soviet Union will no longer be able to justify inhumane intervention in other states’ affairs in the name of fight ing or promoting communism, Donnelly said. The Soviet Union no longer has the capability, and the U.S. no longer has the rationale, he said. This does not mean the U.S. will not find another justification for inhumane actions, nor does it mean humanitarian intervention will increase, he said. “For better or for worse, most Americans really don’t care about these kinds of problems. We aren’t willing to pay the costs,” he said. Changes that brought the de mise of the old order could have potentially ill effects, Donnelly said. The forces of nationalism and market-oriented reform, which were central to the overthrow of the old order, now pose threats to human rights, he said. Although nationalism was a vital force in developing the group identity necessary lor the over throw, it could develop into feel ings of superiority and group ex clusiveness, he said. “Self-determination may sim ply establish local despots instead of foreign ones,” he said. The move to market econo mies from controlled economics poses a threat to human rights, which he defined as the “funda mental moral equality of all indi viduals. “Markets are efficient. They are not equitable,” he said. For many, the move to a market economy will mean unemployment, a decline in access to health care and education, he said. “Market-oriented systems sim ply do not allow much to trickle down to the poor,” he said. “It may be the best we can do, but we need to remember that economic and social rights are also important.” The new multipolar world will offer opportunities for participa tion in government where there used to be few, Donnelly said. But not all forms of participation are good. Simply because people have been victims of oppression in the past docs not guarantee that they will not become the oppressors when given power, he said. Some of the new forms of gov eminent could lead to “dangerously populist or quasi-fascist regimes,” he said. Donnelly apologized for his pessimistic tone, but he said he felt it-was necessary to “balance our justifiable happiness” at the de mise of the old world order with an awareness of the potential threats to fundamental human rights. “God has not descended upon ( us and solved all our problems,” Donnelly said. The Human Rights in the New Europe conference continues at the Nebraska Union today. Several administrators and scholars from throughout the United States and Czechoslovakia will be present to discuss foreign policy as it relates to human rights. Rep. Doug Bcrcuter, R-Ncb., and Charles H. Thomas, U.S. ambassador to Hungary, will dis cuss U.S. Policy Toward Central Europe at 1:15 p.m. today. The conference concludes Sat urday morning with a discussion of education. University programs linked with agreement By Melissa Dunne Staff Reporter An agreement between the Uni versity of South Dakota at Vermillion and the University of Nebraska-Lin coln will allow graduate students from USD to receive master’s degrees in museum studies from UNL. Hugh Genoways, chairman of the graduate committee for the museum study program, said the University of South Dakota approached UNL with the program about a year ago. The agreement was signed Wednes day. Although USD offers some courses in museum studies, it does not offer a master’s degree program, Genoways said. “This agreement maintains what (USD is) doing and gives students access to a degree program which the university doesn’t have to duplicate,” he said. “Basically, students begin training in South Dakota, then come here to finish.” Between nine and 12 hours of credit taken at USD can be applied toward UNL’s museum studies program, which requires 36 hours to complete. Applications will be accepted through the UNL Graduate Committee. As part of the agreement, students from U NL can take courses at US D or intern at one of three museums: the Shrine to Music Museum, the W.H. Over State Museum or the University Art Galleries, all located in Vermil lion, S.D. Residents of cither state are also eligible for in-state tuition at cither ' university if their courses meet pro gram requirements. Currently two students, one from each university, arc benefiting from the program. Although this is not a large num ber, approximately 40 students are actively working toward a degree in museum science, Gcnoways said. Gcnoways also said he sees coop erative programming as “the wave of the future.” “This is how universities will approach providing education for rather specialized areas,” he said. Staci McKee/DN Josef Blahoz, director of the Institute of State and Law at the Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czechoslovakia, discusses “Recent Human Rights Changes <n the Czech oslovak Republic, Hungary and Poland,” Thursday at the Human Rights in the New Europe Conference in the Nebraska Union. Blahoz was joined by Vaclav Trojan, a professor of sociology at Charles University in Prague, and Pavol Hallander, associate professor law at Comenius University in Bratislava. N-STREET DRIVE IN "Nebraska's Largest Package Liquor Store" . ; — — UNL on display to senators By Missy Larsen Staff Reporter The UNL Office of Public Rela tions has started a new program to improve communication between the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Nebraska senators, a UNL official said. Michael Mulnix, UNL director of public relations, said the public rela tions office has decided to “get more aggressive and get senators on the campus and show them what they want to see.” Through the program, which be gan about two months ago, senators tour sites such as the Lied Center for Performing Arts and the Bob Deva ney Sports Center. They also meet with faculty members and tour places that reflect personal interest or relate to their subcommittees. Mulnix said deans of colleges as well as members of the Government Liaison Committee and the Associa tion of Students of the University of Nebraska are involved in the on campus tours. Because UNL was without a per manent relations director for a year, communication between UNL and stale senators has lagged, he said. Tom Krepcl, former director of university relations, resigned in July 1990 to take a post at St. Cloud Stale University in St. Cloud, Minn. Since then, Mulnix said, "there hasn ’t been any real effort to commu nicate with these folks and we are starting to rebuild those bridges.” Response for the program has been positive, Mulnix said. “Out of 49 senators, we have had confirmations from 40 to either come here or we go there,” he said. Mulnix said he usually handles out-of-town visits himself. “We usually have lunch and talk about general issues," he said. “Sometimes we tour their hometown — it depends on how much lime we have.” UNL officials also visit with media and civic leaders during the visits, he said. Mulnix recently visited Sen. Roger Wchrbcin of Plattsmoulh. Mulnix said he will visit Sen. Carol Pirsch in Omaha today. The program is geared toward the NU Board of Regents as well as state senators, Mulnix said. Letters were sent out this week inviting regents to become reacquaintcd with the cam pus and to meet the new chancellor, he said. Senators and regents “are very interested in this university,” he said. “They are very supportive and want more information.’ Mulnix added, “This is not just a two- or six-month program; it is going to be going on for years to come.” AAUP Continued from Page 1 Members of AAUP argue that the cuts are based on financialrather than educational considerations. Linda Pratt, a UNL professor of English and an AAUP member, said the national AAUP office had sent a letter to Jack Goebel, UNL interim chancellor, NU President Martin Mas sengale and other UNL administra tors. The letter outlined the national AAUP group’s stance on and concern lor UNL faculty and programs, she said. Pratt said the national AAUP could intervene in several ways, including aCa a consullant for the local AAUP chapter, offering legal advice and, as a last resort, threatening cen sure of the institution. The UNL chapter of the AAUP also condemned the lack of faculty participation in the budgetary deci sions and asked the Academic Plan ning Committee to reject any aca demic cuts that were not “the resultof consideration by faculty” or “justi fied by clear and convincing demon stration of net saving,” the resolution stated. Jerry Petr, president of the UNL chapter of AAUP, said, “We are not opposed to cuts, but adequate faculty participation is needed.”