Link:
http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/Top...howbyline=True

Some of that in a synopsis:

Canadian relatives thrilled for next UN chief

13/10/2006 9:37:40 PM

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon's appointment as head of the UN is bittersweet, his Canadian cousin says, referring to this week's crisis over North Korea's nuclear threat.


Ban Ki-moon,



newly appointed Secretary General of the United Nations speaks at a press conference after he was elected at a meeting of the General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, Friday, Oct. 13, 2006.

Kang is a committee director at the Korean-Canadian Cultural Association.

"Everyone said to him congratulations, but he said

" I'm not getting that feeling yet, because North Korea weighs heavy on my mind."

Ban has said publicly he will work to resolve the crisis over North Korea's nuclear threat.

He repeated this commitment to his cousin, when he called the Kang home in Oshawa Wednesday, to celebrate his impending appointment.

Friday, the celebration became official...

Ban, 62, will succeed Kofi Annan as the UN's eighth secretary-general on Jan. 1.

Annan predicted Ban would be "a future secretary-general who is exceptionally attuned to the sensitivities of countries and constituencies in every continent."

Paul Evans, co-CEO of Vancouver's Asia Pacific Foundation, met with Ban in New York two weeks ago. He says the career diplomat's appointment comes at an interesting time for Koreans.

"It's the best of times and the worst of times in South Korea right now," Evans told CTV.ca.

"For South Koreans, it's a sign of special pride that a South Korean would be selected for the post."

"But it's also the worst of times, with the North Korean nuclear test, essentially now straining relations all over northeast Asia."

Ban was heavily favored to win the appointment, according to four informal polls in the UN Security Council. While there is no formal policy, the position of secretary-general rotates among the continents, and many considered it Asia's turn.

"Ban was seen as the person who could get the support of the entire Security Council, including both China and the United States, said Evans.

Ban is well known for his close ties to the United States.

He received his master's degree in public administration from Harvard University in 1985. His cousin remembers...

Ban's interest in U.S. politics was sparked at a much earlier age.

"In 1962, he visited the United States," said Kang,

"He met President John F. Kennedy, who gave him a pencil case. He gave it to me, but I was too young to understand why he was so excited."

According to Evans, Ban's warm attitude to the U.S. could have been the tipping point in his selection.

He was seen as someone who could gain the U.S. confidence.

"For the last four or five years, there's been a feeling that U.S. unilateralism has lead it into collision with the UN. The philosophy of wanting to work with the U.S. is a necessary prerequisite of the secretary-general," Evans said.

While the rest of the world waits to see how Ban will perform, his family already expresses confidence in his leadership.

"He's worked in foreign affairs for 40 years," said Kang.

"He's my cousin, so of course I say this, but Koreans know he is a genius."


Comment woodbuck27:

I'm thinking.

It'll take... more than genius, to unravel this mess.

CRAP I hate this stuff. "How has the world gone so crazy"... some may ask?

I believe that History often / to... just repeats itself It's always been crazy, because people become enamoured with wrongful POWER LORD's, that are lost in theie selfish ego-maniacle nonsence.

We get trapped in their bullshit.

Yet... we trap ourselves in OUR slack attitudes and weak stances.

It should be every man/woman's position, to encouage rightful purpose in ways of thinking and living for the good not evil that is predominating societies all over the world. We must pay better attention to events outside of OUR own lives, with at least some proper form of consciosness and decent conviction.

Why?

Because not enough of us, do come to realize... the TRUE VALUE in the term..."POWER to the people".

This person ... that... often takes the stance of powerlessness, and the "what can I do response/whine" and it /that mushrooms. The money POWERFUL win out over more purposeful candidates in terms of overall goodand holisitic agendas.

Young people today are the worst for denying themselves the POWER of their vote.

We must realize that this issue, that we discuss on this thread is important and try to reach some valid conclusion. "a proper response"... rather than toss the salad around as a distraction.

My name is Ed.