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Third Place Mountains Beyond Mountains Essay Winner

Essay by Zach Wienandt

      Dr. Paul Farmer took on some of the world’s greatest problems in healthcare including the high costs of medications for diseases such as HIV/AIDS, as well as extending treatment to those who would otherwise not have access to it. Now as humanity progresses further into this new century, a new problem faces us; a problem that has been growing since the 1940s. As tensions rise in the world, the threat of nuclear attack grows ever greater and the possibility of a horrific and catastrophic conflict becomes a real possibility. Nations around the world either already have access to nuclear weapons or are in the process of developing them, and among these nations are some of the world’s most unstable; Iran and North Korea, just to mention a few. What the world needs now is a great peacemaker who can bring harmony to the world’s nations, convince nations to lay down their arms, and lead the world into a new era of peace.

      The qualities of a “great peacemaker” are unique – particularly when the peacemaker is expected to bring tranquility to the entire world. He cannot be an American as the nations of the world would not trust him, fearing that his motives were truly imperialistic and in the best interest of the United States. The greatest chance for making peace in the world is to have the peacemaker be from a nonpartisan country in the issue; someone from a nation with no hostilities and no partiality to either side of the issue.Such a person must also be a great orator. History has shown us that great oration can do wonders in swaying the opinions of a crowd. James Madison, the fourth president of the United States of America, once gave an eight hour speech which convinced Congress to vote – unanimously – in favor of freeing a group of Africans which had overthrown and killed their Spanish captors.

      The final and most important characteristic of an intermediary to the world community is an understanding of the values of the nations of the world. Every country on earth holds different values to heart and to give truly moving orations, a mediator would have to understand what would truly give pathos to their arguments in every one of the world’s diverse nations. They cannot simply give the same speech to every nation but rather create a customized speech for every nation. Only through this type of speechmaking can the threat of nuclear attack truly be removed.

      The threat of nuclear conflict becomes graver by the day, but this can be averted if one individual can rise to the challenge. The aforementioned characteristics are absolutely essential and there are many individuals who possess the ability to rise to this call to duty; it is only a matter of time before a great individual will answer the call and lead humanity into a new world order where peace and harmony reign supreme.

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