The Socratic Club was extremely fortunate to hear from Dr Jonathan Brewer. He gave a fascinating account of his work across different countries and continents - from Angola to Mexico and Russia. We learnt a great deal about the inner workings of the UN and the differences between the Security Council and the General Assembly. Most poignantly, Dr Brewer highlighted the goals of the UN for the world for the next 30 years and how such ambition should be at the forefront of government policy, so that there is a future on this planet and not something akin to what we have seen on Mars with the amazing footage revealed by that space project most recently. From climate change to human rights to working to avoid a nuclear weapons catastrophe, we heard about the importance of working together across language, culture and education. It was an inspiring talk. The talk was followed by a superb session of Q&A. From questions on the War in Iraq to the decommissioning and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, to the goals of the UN, the group asked some fantastic questions.
This was a great chance for the group to hear about and ask questions on diplomacy in action and what it is like working with the UN and bringing people from different countries together. Dr Brewer's talk was a great introduction for those that will do MUN (Model United Nations) work at school in the next few years.
About
Dr Brewer based in New York, is a visiting Professor at King's College London, an Senior Fellow at the Center for New American Security, Washington DC, and an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, London. He worked for many years as a member of HM Diplomatic service and now works closely with the United Nations (in New York) on nuclear proliferation. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/dr-jonathan-brewer
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