In Profiles of Courage, John F. Kennedy states: “To be courageous, these stories make clear, requires no exceptional qualifications, no magic formula, no special combination of time, place and circumstance. It is an opportunity that sooner or later presents itself to all of us. Politics simply provides an arena that imposes special tests of courage.” For Ralph Bunche, the political moment that provided the arena for his unique skills as a negotiator and peacemaker occurred in 1949 on the Greek island of Rhodes, when he met with members of the Israeli and Egyptian delegations. Before we can understand his impact as a skilled negotiator and peacemaker on the international stage, we must explore his upbringing. Born in Detroit, Michigan, Bunche was raised by his maternal grandmother in Los Angeles after his parents died. Undoubtedly, his grandmother's resilience and wisdom had a significant impact on who Bunche would become as a negotiator. Later in his life, he would explain: “To make our way we must have firm determination, tenacity, tenacity. We must equip ourselves to work hard all the way. We can never give up." Influenced by his grandmother's strong will, he demonstrated these values ​​throughout high school as he was known as an expert orator and was named top of his class. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Because Bunche was also the grandson of a slave, and because of his experience with racism, his concerns about race relations expanded. This background likely influenced his experiences at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), where he earned a scholarship in athletics and earned a bachelor's degree in international relations, graduating in 1927. His graduation speech offers an insight into the his philosophy of peace in which he commented: "The future peace and harmony of the world depends on your and my ability to bring about a remedy." Bunche's philosophy on race relations and peace would put him on the path to achieving a degree in political science at Harvard University and would open doors for him to teach at Harvard and Howard University. While teaching at Howard, he became one of the leaders of a group of black scholars known as the “Young Turks.” focused on the race that distinguished them from others. They also argued that issues of “class, not race” were central to solving the “Negro problem.” Bunche's experiences as a student, teacher, and scholar broadened his awareness of colonialism, or a nation's possession or control of a colony. According to Bunche, William J. Donovan recruited academic experts to work with the US Office of Strategic Services. Bunche was recruited for his knowledge of Africa, Far Eastern affairs and colonial affairs, and for his advocacy for decolonization. After working for the United Nations from June 1947, he was given the first significant assignment of his career, the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, which was fought between the new state of Israel and a military coalition of Arab states for control of the the former British state. Palestine. The conflict between Jews and Arabs intensified in 1948, so Bunche was assigned to the mediator, Count Folke Bernadotte, as his main aide. As fate would have it, Bunche, who claimed that “all my life I have always fallen into things,” would become the United Nations' interim mediator on Palestine following the assassination of Count Folke Bernadotte in Jerusalem. One must recognize the irony of the fact that an ex..