SWITZERLAND: Scaling the Heights...
Student Text Page No. 3 : "In Today's World"

When Claude Nicollier suited up for NASA's final Space Shuttle mission in December 1999, he was already an old hand at the job. The Swiss astronaut had been part of three earlier NASA flights. Among the space-walk tasks they faced, Nicollier and other members of the crew were about to replace the outdated computer in the Hubble Space Telescope.

In a way, Nicollier's flight was a snapshot of his country's role in today's world. Switzerland churns out scientists. (Nicollier earned his astrophysics M.A. in the University of Geneva.) And that's good for the nation's pharmaceutical industries. But the Swiss focus their high-tech skills on more than the economy. They're also eager to work with those who seek a better understanding of our world and a better life for the people in it.

Cooperation. Take environmental issues, for example. The Swiss National Science Foundation has been promoting research into genetically modified plants, with the goal of assessing their impact on other forms of life. Also, Switzerland works hard to promote the Basel Convention, an agreement not to dump hazardous wastes on another country's land. So far, 149 nations (but not the USA) have ratified it.
     The Swiss play a key role in other fields, too. Its membership in the "Group of 10" makes Switzerland one of the few nations in the International Monetary Fund who provide most of the big loans to the world's developing economies. Swiss officials also cooperate with other governments to deter such crimes as the financing of international terrorism.

Helping hand. In 2002, the Swiss people voted to have their country join the UN. However, Switzerland is still not part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) or the European Union (EU), and that's because its people honor two big political traditions: armed neutrality and defense of sovereignty. On the other hand, they also have cultural traditions of compassion and cooperation. And both kinds of tradition often help them to strike a delicate balance in foreign-policy decisions. Two examples: Neutral Switzerland did not join NATO's military action in Kosovo (in the Balkans) in 1999. But it is taking part in the follow-up peacekeeping operation and has spent millions of dollars to help refugees and victims of the conflict. Similarly, Switzerland did not join the recent U.S. military action in Iraq. But it pledged almost $20 million for humanitarian aid to the Iraqi people….

EU, too? Today, the toughest choice facing the Swiss may be whether or not to join the EU. They certainly have strong cultural ties to their EU neighbors — Germany, France, others. And more than half of Swiss exports go to EU nations. But so far, arguments against membership have prevailed. Still, Switzerland and the EU work hard to build good relations. In 1999, they concluded a treaty, by which the EU acknowledged that Swiss products meet all its technical standards for imports, while the Swiss agreed to permit employable EU workers to enter Switzerland at their will.

Key Questions. Things change. Switzerland's economy developed in a world where every nation built its own market. Now there's a "global marketplace," in which regional groups decide trade policies. Switzerland's policy of neutrality has served it well for centuries. But Europe is no longer a war-prone continent. So, the Swiss ask, what will "define" Switzerland in the 21st century? And what role will it play in defining world affairs? That last question is easy. The Swiss brand of democracy — built on a foundation of deep respect for its multicultural population — is a "product" the world hungers for. The Swiss will surely keep giving that product away, as they show the world how democracy works in changing times. Read about it, in this great book:
      Linder, Wolf. Swiss Democracy. St. Martin's Press. 1998.

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