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Youth at the UN
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As it has done for the past eight years, SustainUS is sending all-star group of young leaders to the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development. Their group blog is here, and it's well worth a read.
I've seen enough young people go through this process to be able to predict how this will read. At the beginning, everyone is pretty starry-eyed -- very excited to be in the historic UN building, awed by their own access and impressed by their fellow youth advocates. Within a couple of days, as they're asked to prepare formal interventions and policy positions, folks start to feel as if they're in over their heads. About halfway through, the delegates feel overwhelmed and exhausted. Then, as the conference comes to an end, many of the participants decide this whole exercise has been a waste of time -- that the UN is worthless and that very little is accomplished in international negotiations. With a few days to reflect, most of those delegates then realize how empowered they've become, how much they've learned, and how these negotiations, which move at a glacially slow pace, are actually an important component in the larger international policymaking process.
Hm. "The Five Step Process of Coping With International Negotiations." Maybe I should try to brand this...
-- Scott Paul
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Reader Comments (3) - post a comment
I think that's kind of how life is.
Years ago, when I moved to the community where I now live and work, there were just a few of us.
After many "one day at a time"s we now have a thriving historic district with art galleries, specialty shops and restaurants.
The day I moved here was the best day of my life. The possibilities of flourishing in my profession (as an artist) were endless. After a short time, the hard work involved in trying to attract people to our community seemed like drudgery. But now, as I have taken a step back from working on various local committees, I can recognize how much progress has been made. But I had to step back to be able to truly see it.
sending
To the Washington Area and Newspaper.
I am a divorced women a student in AnnArbor, Mich. Majoring in Political Science and Majoring in Government law. I am currently in Criminal Justice, and a Criminal Law class. I have read in today's paper the article on Turture.
I have been a subject of turture here for 6 years from a group of hollywood men in a project of a book being written. One I do not want anything to do with. It is about slavery and torture. And I have not have had my own freedom in 6 years. Illegal wiretapping and all and the authorities have done nothing about it.
I am asking the capital city is torture allowed now in our country? and Illegal satelite dishes?
My children have been subject of the same privacy broken over this book. Invasion of one's life is unlawful and should be punishable.
President Bush should be impeached for taking part in such a crime.
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