Oscar Arias 1940- Leo R. Sandy

Arias cont’d Dr. Oscar Arias, former president of military-free Costa Rica brokered a peace treaty among war-ravaged countries in Central America in the 1980s Arias, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, uses the word “us” to refer to all humankind He is the son of wealthy coffee growers, and as a boy wanted to be president of his country After a civil war in Costa Rica in 1948, the new president, social democrat General Jose’ Figueres Ferrer, abolished his own army

Arias cont’d Without a military, more money was used for infrastructure, education, and health care, and military buildings were converted to cultural centers and schools Arias was pleased with his new society and said, “Mine is an unarmed people…our children go with books under their arms, not with rifles on their shoulders” Arias, while attending Boston University, met with then president, John F. Kennedy to discuss U.S./Central American relations Arias later received his doctorate from the University of Essex in England

Arias cont’d After getting his degree, Arias was appointed as Minister of Planning and Economic Policy by President Ferrer He then married Margarita Peno’n Go’ngora, and they had two children After being elected as member of congress and as Secretary-General of the National Liberation Party, Arias decided to run for president He ran as the “peace candidate” against someone who wanted to revive the military. At age 45, he won the election in 1986

Arias cont’d At the time of his election, vicious civil wars, supported by the U.S. and Soviet Union, raged all over Central America with death squads “disappearing” large numbers of people. In Guatemala alone 100,000 people died People who protested against poor living conditions were labeled as communists and tortured and killed by those supporting dictators Arias ordered all U.S. military advisors and Nicaraguan Contras to leave Costa Rica because he wanted his country free from being used for military purposes. In response, the U.S. withdrew one million dollars in aid from Costa Rica

Arias cont’d Some U.S. officials told Arias that his country could not survive without a military to which Arias said “nonsense”. His country as of 2016 still does not have a military, and it is a favorite spot of tourists Later, he met with all the presidents of the warring Central American countries and put together the Arias Peace Plan which stopped military aid, called for an immediate cease-fire, amnesty for all political prisoners, free elections, and respect for human rights For his efforts, Arias was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Arias cont’d Following the establishment of the Peace Plan, the U.S. sent two billion dollars in nonmilitary aid to help the countries rebuild Arias then attended to his own country where he helped it have the highest standard of living in the region where the gross national product grew at a rate of 5 percent each year and the unemployment rate dropping to 3.4 percent Arias believed that peace coincided with prosperity as no one wants to visit or invest in a war-ravaged country His aim was to have an economy in which “men cooperate in a spirit of solidarity, not an economy in which they compete to their own extinction”

Arias cont’d After leaving office, Arias dedicated himself to his Arias Foundation for Peace and Human Progress highlighting the connection between military spending and poverty and making a plea to cut military spending worldwide and redirecting the money toward human development His famous statement is “The poor of the world are crying out for schools and doctors, not guns and generals” In 1994 Panama abolished its military; in 1995 Haiti followed suit. To date several other countries have disbanded their militaries Arias helped to draft the Framework Convention on International Arms Transfer by which arms could only be sold to countries that observe human rights

Arias cont’d He countered the argument that if one country didn’t sell arms, another world by saying that is exactly why we need a global agreement The Arms Trade Treaty (ATT) was voted in on 12-24-14 ratified by 91 countries and signed by another 42. The National Rifle Association and the U.S. Congress opposed it but the U.S. signed off on it but did not ratify it

Arias Quotes I like to build bridges... not walls. Peace is a never ending process... It cannot ignore our differences or overlook our common interests. It requires us to work and live together. Peace is a never-ending process, the work of many decisions by many people in many countries. It is an attitude, a way of life, a way of solving problems and resolving conflicts. Our world is certainly dangerous, but it is made more dangerous, not less, by those who value profits over peace. Poverty and lack of education are ruining our planet.

Videos The World After September 11 University of Miami Commencement Speech

References Beller, K., & Chase, H. (2008) Great peacemakers: True stories from around the world. Sedona, AZ: LTS Press Oscar Arias: University of Miami Commencement Speaker. Retrieved from https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&p=YOUTube+Oscar+Arias#id=2&vid=755ab1c20a7185369684e28bbfee9a37&action=click

References cont’d A Nobel Eevening: Retrieved from https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-001&hsimp=yhs-001&hspart=mozilla&p=TED+Talks+Oscar+Arias#id=4&vid=4be5d8da6d6ac85d222e0389da4c2890&action=view