Ralph Bunche

Ralph Johnson Bunche (August 7, 1904 - December 9, 1971) was an American political scientist and diplomat who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation in Palestine in the late 1940s that led to an armistice agreement between the Jews and Arabs in the region.

U.N. mediator

Beginning in 1947, he was involved with the Arab-Israeli conflict. He served as assistant to the U.N. Special Committee on Palestine, and thereafter as the principal secretary of the U.N. Palestine Commission. In 1948 he traveled to the Middle East as the chief aide to Count Folke Bernadotte, who had been appointed by the U.N. to attempt to mediate the conflict. In September, Bernadotte was assassinated by members of Lehi (group). Bunche became the U.N.'s chief mediator and concluded the task with the signing of the 1949 Armistice Agreements, the work for which he received the Peace Prize and many other honors.

Related Topics:
1947 - Arab-Israeli conflict - 1948 - Middle East - Folke Bernadotte - September - Lehi (group) - 1949 Armistice Agreements

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He continued to work for the United Nations, mediating in other strife-torn regions including The Congo, Yemen, Kashmir, and Cyprus, eventually rising to the position of undersecretary-general in 1968.

Related Topics:
The Congo - Yemen - Kashmir - Cyprus - Undersecretary-general - 1968

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