In the months leading up to and following the US' and Britain's illegal invasion of Iraq, many people have been reflecting on the role of the UN as an international body. The blatant sidelining of the UN in the US/British decision to go to war on Iraq raises several questions: Does the UN have continued relevance in the current global order? (How) can it be made (more) relevant? What is the point of it if powerful nations ignore or exploit it? Should we reform, replace or remove it? If reform is the goal, what sort of reforms are desirable and how would they be undertaken? Is there a different way to approach the question of international mediation and a more just and peaceful world order? The first issue is an attempt to explore these and other questions relevant to transforming the global culture of war which threatens the lives of millions. We hope it is illuminating and provides an entry point for you to investigate further. There are links and books listed after most of the articles for the interested reader.

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