Federico Mayor Zaragoza is a Spanish scientist, scholar, politician, diplomat, and poet. He served as Director-General of UNESCO from 1987 to 1999. He is currently the Chairman of the Foundation for a Culture of Peace and member of the Honorary Board of the International Decade for the Promotion of a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World as well as the Honorary Chairman of the Académie de la Paix. Federico Mayor Zaragoza talked exclusively to Eurasia Diary.
Eurasia Diary: At The International Peace Bureau (IPB) World Congress 2016 “Disarm! For a Climate of Peace – Creating an Action Agenda”, You were talking about Nelson Mandela. Could you please share your memories about this person?
Federico Mayor Zaragoza : I am going to publish a book with some persons that I had been associated closely. And one of them is Nelson Mandela .I knew him from when he was staying in prison and I have written a chapter on a lot of anecdotes that I had with him. The book is written in Spanish but it will be translated into English next year.
Eurasia Diary: In your opinion, what is the main obstacle to peace at present all over the world?
Federico Mayor Zaragoza: The markets are the main obstacle for peace. Because they have enormous power and for example, here, in Europe what we know about Europe is only the monetary union. The Markets have appointed the governments without elections. For example, the crewel of democracy is Greece. They have appointed in Greece one government. Now we are familiar with their power and that is the main obstacle for peace .
Eurasia Diary: In your speech, you also mentioned the Republican Party of America. What can you say about it?
Federico Mayor Zaragoza: Yes, because it is only Republican party. In the end of 1919 that was the end of First World War. The President of the United States was Woodrow Wilson .At this moment we had no pledge. When he came by ship from New York to presidency and during his route he called the convention for permanent peace. When he arrived he said that he was going to create the society of nations, the League of Nations that was in Geneva. He said that this will ensure that from now Germany cannot have again more power and we will have a diplomatic solution of problems. Fantastic! But when he arrived, tha Republicans said: “You are out!” And now the main paradox was that the USA did not become a member of the Society of Nations, created by the USA. It had already been weakness. Later, the the 1980s ,Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher decided that United Nations system is out and now we created this all autographic group of G77. This is a terrible shape. Afterwards even they did worst because that was an initiative of UNICEF. Both created the convention for the human rights of the children. In 1989 it was very important. And that moment Mr. Bush Father said “We are not going to sign.” But the entire world was already there. Well, today they have not signed yet. Obama has tried but it did not happen. They have put the World Trade Organization out of the United Nations system. It is very clear that the responsibility at the moment, of this neoliberal globalization is from the Republican Party, not from the Democrats.
Eurasia Diary: You are talking about the Republican party. Now, as you know, Donald Trump is a candidate from the Republican Party and this person is supporting the idea to increase the military expenditure all over the world. What is your attitude towards this issue?
Federico Mayor Zaragoza: If this was the case, Mr, Donald Trump arrived to be a president I would prefer to imagine that I move to a very isolated island and I am only there to cry.
Interview by:Fazilat Samadova
