Manchester College students, staff, and faculty have signed and sent a banner of birthday greetings to the United Nations, which marked its 61st anniversary on Oct. 24.
Manchester has strong ties to the UN: Manchester graduate and former professor Andrew Cordier was a founder of the United Nations, and the college is a NGO of the United Nations. Manchester is the only college in the United States to hold permanent observer status with the UN, as a Non-Governmental Organization. The status gives college representatives access to UN proceedings and, with permission, opportunity to actively debate issues on the floor of the UN General Assembly.
Manchester graduate Andrew Cordier, who taught history at Manchester from 1926-44, was a principal architect of the United Nations.
Rooted in the tradition of the Church of the Brethren, Manchester College seeks to develop an international consciousness. The college is an international community in itself with students from 26 countries. Flags of all of the students’ countries, including of the United Nations, are always on display in the main hall of the Administration Building.
The United Nations–formed on Oct. 24, 1945–is designed in principle to promote international cooperation and to provide means for global problem solving (human rights abuses, race and ethnic conflict, economic cooperation) through open communications. In 1971, the General Assembly recommended that its members observe Oct. 24 as a holiday.
Manchester College also is home to a Model United Nations, with a goal of preparing a new generation of leaders who could make this world a better place. “Our students gain valuable skills, such as communication and conflict resolution, as well as working knowledge of international diplomacy and negotiation,” said program director Benson Onyeji. Students in the program attend regional and national Model United Nations conferences such as the Indiana Consortium for International Programs Model United Nations Security Council, and the Harvard University National Model United Nations.
(This article is taken from a Manchester College press release.)