A Workshop for Peace (2005)

It is one of the few structures recognized in every nation on every continent. It rose from the ashes of two catastrophic wars, it stands as a symbol of hope that a union of nations can come together in one place to inspire peace. Sixty years ago, the founders of the United Nations assembled a team of world-renowned architects. Their goal: to design a headquarters that would express the vision of a future without war. For six decades, the world's leaders have come to the United Nations to struggle with the critical issues of war and peace, often with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. These halls have seen consensus and conflict, triumphs and tests of will, compromise and confrontation, politics and perseverance. They come from 191 nations, from every corner of the Earth. Their quest for peace may seem elusive - almost impossible. But three generations of world leaders have carried on that quest together-- more durably than any one of them could have done alone. In the words of Wallace K. Harrison, "Man has endeavored to build both better buildings and better worlds, and he has almost always failed because of individual differences. The world hopes for a symbol of peace; we have given them a workshop for peace."