Looking for an icebreaker at your next holiday dinner party? How about asking guests what the United States has in common with Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga? It's not weather or cuisine, and it certainly isn't number of Starbucks; it's the fact that none of these countries have ratified the United Nations Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women (also known as CEDAW). CEDAW came into force on December 18, 1979 which is 30 years ago today and then President of the United States Jimmy Carter signed the Convention. Even today, as the rights of women around the world and in the United States suffer, the United States has not ratified the treaty.

Trafficking in women, maternal mortality, rape as a weapon of war, bride burning, acid burning, and female infanticide are a few of the many issues that plague the women of the world every day, yet these issues barely make waves on the world agenda. One way to get these problems noticed is to get the United States to ratify CEDAW. This is your chance to help in this effort. Click here to get started.

Human Rights.

Even if it is troubling to admit, the idea of human rights is only fairly recent. It is troubling because we see human rights as something basic, something fundamental, something essential to our nature – yet for most of our existence as a species it never existed.

It’s troubling to admit, because it might suggest that we’re wrong. That human beings are simply not built to treat each other with dignity and respect, and the reason why we’ve neglected it for so many millennia is because we are simply cruel by nature.

Confronting this problem is hard, but thankfully, one that we don’t have to deal with. We simply have to look at the world around us, and we can see the tremendous progress made towards human rights over the last few centuries. We can take relief in the fact that most people today see human rights as a good thing, and that violating human rights is a bad thing. We may be outraged by violations where they occur, we may be frustrated by the lack of progress, but all of us know that the hardest battle of all – the battle for hearts and minds on this issue – has already long been won. We can take comfort in the inevitability of human rights, knowing that it’s just a question of better implementation and structures, knowing that we can tap into the public soul to get stronger action on these issues.

This wasn’t always the case. These victories were hard won, by people who were told they were wrong at every single step of the way. People who were laughed at and told that slavery reflected the correct and natural order of the universe, or that women would be incapable of voting, or that genocide was an acceptable method of handling indigenous people. Underlying the cynics’ beliefs was one central belief – that ultimately, the public was not going to care, and that they were going to be voices speaking into the wind.

This belief is the greatest fear of any visionary. It is a fear that for all their ideals, they will be eventually be confounded by ‘reality’, and that the pointlessness of it all will become clear. Many give up at this point, and run for the hills, burying themselves in a life dedicated to self-preservation. Some persist, but weighed down by this fear, are ineffectual in their actions. The only ones who succeed, those visionaries who shaped the world around us today, are the ones who confronted and destroyed this fear directly.

I say all this, because I am talking about you, the person here reading this blog. It is so very easy to separate history from ourselves, or to think that the legends of history were somehow endowed with super-human talent, but the truth is that they started just like you – looking out over a world that seemed cruel and unjust, wanting to change it, but afraid of their own seeming inability, balking at the seeming enormity of the task, and uncertain of first steps.

Undoubtedly, today’s problems are different. We seem to face devastation from every possible angle – from terrorism to financial meltdown, from climate change to nuclear war, from poverty to genocide. It can be quite overwhelming to think about all these, until we slowly begin to see that there is a single root cause beneath all these problems. Humanity already has the knowledge to solve these problems, so for them to not be solved yet means the problems are rooted in the structure of global problem-solving – that is to say, in the structure of global governance.

 In drawing the mental connections between these different issues and advocating for better global policy and governance, we are no different to those visionaries who saw that all affronts to human dignity were just that – not separate issues of women’s rights or slavery or genocide, but the single issue of human rights.

And like them, we too will be called out as foolish, or utopian, or useless dreamers. Like them, we will eventually be forced to confront our worst fears, if we are serious about changing the world.

Confronting a fear of “reality” means more than just embracing a vision. It means coming to understand that it is not our job to change the world, or even to change humanity, but to awaken a vision which all people already share– that our vision does not belong to us, but is hidden away in all people, simply waiting to be uncovered. It requires deep faith in humanity’s inherent greatness and the inevitability of our vision because of it – a faith which transcends the failings we see today on a daily basis. It is a faith which may seem difficult to justify by looking at the world, but one which is vindicated by a thorough understanding of human history.

Guided by this, we have nothing to fear anymore. We are no longer confronted by the monumental task of trying to change things, but by the thrill of drawing out what is already there. We are not fighters, but catalysts, helping people understand their own transformative power.

Should we ever need proof to sustain our own beliefs, we only need look at my generation - a generation which cannot understand divisions of race, ethnicity or nationality, and knows there is something fundamentally wrong with the way the world is run. We know there is a problem, we just need a voice to articulate its nature more clearly, to give us a platform for collective action and to inspire us to believe that we are capable of extraordinary things.

I believe Citizens for Global Solutions is that voice. Or rather, I believe it can be, once we choose to see it that way and begin to articulate it as such.

So as my time at CGS comes to an end, I leave filled with the most profound sense of hope. I know that we are only at the very beginning of this journey, but that in truth we have already won. I can no longer see people as our opponents, but only see those who know they’re on board , and those who are yet to realize it. I look out the window and see millions of people – people who I once thought ignorant of the issues that mattered – and see raw human potential. Future leaders who will inspire another generation and generations to come to see that there is only as much despair in the world as we are willing to tolerate, that there is no structure or institution which can rival the power of our collective beliefs and that we alone have the power to shape our world.

On 19 November, the Senate introduced Senate Resolution 357, encouraging US Citizens to celebrate and take actions in line with Globalfamily Day.
Globalfamily Day, taking place annually on the 1st of January, is a celebration of global citizenship and cooperation to solve global problems.

Before this, Globalfamily Day has twice received the unanimous support of the US Congress (S. Con. Res. 138, S, Res. 582, H. Con. Res. 317), the UN General Assembly (Resolutions 54/29 and 56/2)

Specifically, this Senate request is as follows:

    (1) the people of the United States to observe Global Family Day and One Day of Peace and Sharing with appropriate activities stressing the need--
    (A) to eradicate violence, hunger, poverty, and suffering; and
    (B) to establish greater trust and fellowship among peace-loving countries and families everywhere; and
    (2) American businesses, labor organizations, and faith and civic leaders to join in promoting appropriate activities for Americans and in extending appropriate greetings from the families of the United States to families in the rest of the world.

Citizens for Global Solutions echoes the Senate’s request, and congratulates Linda Grover on her fantastic work in getting further Senate recognition of Globalfamily Day.

Human Rights Day 2009 is this Thursday!  The focus this year will be on non-discrimination.  Specifically, the main objection will be the promotion of discrimination-free societies throughout the world.  Navi Pillay, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated the following, “Discrimination lies at the roots of many of the world’s most pressing human rights problems.  No country is immune from the scourge.  Eliminating discrimination is a duty of the highest order.”

On past Human Rights Day, the Secretary of State gave a speech highlighting the ideals of the day.   A similar speech this year would be the perfect occasion to promote American support of the United Nations’ Treaty CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women).  As the title suggests, this treaty focuses on eliminating discrimination against women on an international level.  This fits perfectly with this year’s Human Rights Day theme of non-discrimination.  Additionally, CEDAW’s 30th anniversary is next week, making the topic even more timely for the Secretary of State’s speech.

CEDAW was passed by the UN General Assembly in 1970 and was signed by President Carter in 1980.  However, the US has failed to ratify CEDAW and is keeping company with known human rights violators such as Sudan, Somalia, and Iran.  The speech on Human Rights Day is the perfect opportunity for the US to express our support for CEDAW and that we are willing to work towards ratification.

For more information on Human Rights Day, click here.

For more information on CEDAW, click here.

The Copenhagen climate talks began today amid much excitement, anxiety and hope. As representatives from around the world negotiate key issues such as emissions reduction commitments and monetary assistance to developing countries, they should keep in mind one goal that will facilitate the agreement to and monitoring of all other climate deals: establishing a common metrics for measuring and declaring emissions reductions.

Citizens for Global Solutions has advocated the establishment of such a common metrics, and today the Washington Post released an article making the same point. Fredd Krupp of the Environmental Defense Fund said that climate change mitigation efforts should be “measured in the same units -- tons of carbon” in order to facilitate private capital investments for mitigation funds to assist developing countries. This editorial demonstrated one of the many beneficial effects of setting a standard of how to measure emissions reductions.

Currently, countries use different methods of measurement when announcing climate change action. Most use a percentage reduction in emissions below a base year, but even the base year used by countries is not uniform. For example, the U.S. has announced targets of reducing emissions to 17% below 2005 levels by 2020, and the European Union has talked about accepting cuts of 30% below 1990 by 2020. Moreover, when individual countries make commitments in terms of percentage reductions, it is extremely difficult to calculate how close the total global emissions reductions are to the level that the scientific community says we need to achieve to avert the worst effects of climate change. Setting a common language to speak about emissions reductions needs to be on the Copenhagen Agenda! Read more here

Today, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., Rosemary A. DiCarlo, made a statement expressing concern over the tragic conflict in Darfur. Significantly, she conveyed the importance of resolving the issue through the lens of the International Criminal Court and its crucial role in ending impunity for heinous crimes such as those committed in Sudan.

DiCarlo emphasized the Sudanese government’s non-cooperation with the ICC. U.N. Security Council Resolution 1593 referred the Darfur situation to the ICC, providing the court with jurisdiction in the area. Since the resolution was adopted under Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, it is binding an all U.N. members regardless of whether they are State Parties of the ICC, which neither the U.S. nor Sudan are. DiCarlo lamented Sudanese non-cooperation despite this resolution, and noted the government’s responsibility in prolonging the conflict by killing civilians and impeding the improvement of the humanitarian situation.

Most importantly, DiCarlo recognized that the ICC’s greatest value lies in its being the only permanent international institution capable of bringing to justice the leaders of mass atrocities around the world, such as that in Darfur. She said, “we believe that the ICC's prosecution of the key architects of the conflict in Darfur remains critical, "and added: “Those responsible for these atrocities must be held accountable.”

Finally, DiCarlo reiterated the U.S.’s newly initiated engagement with the ICC, noting that the U.S. participated for the first time in the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute as an observer- a move that Citizens for Global Solutions welcomes and has strongly advocated. DiCarlo said: “This decision reflected the U.S. commitment to engage with the international community on issues that affect our foreign policy interests. Ending impunity for crimes against humanity—including crimes on the staggering scale of those committed in Darfur—ranks high among our commitments. The United States will therefore continue to be supportive of the ICC’s prosecution of these cases, to the extent consistent with U.S. domestic law.”

The U.S.’ acknowledgement of the ICC’s importance and the re-opening of U.S. engagement with the court after former President Bush shut it down are extremely vital developments. The Obama Administration is on the right track here.

Next step: ratify the Rome Statute and become a member of the ICC.

Read DiCarlo’s full statement here

Act NOW to Support strengthened US engagement with the ICC!

The US and Russia pledge to have a new nuclear missile treaty worked out very soon. Negotiators from both countries say they are very close to completing a successor to the Cold War-era agreement that has cut both countries stockpiles of nuclear weapons, START. The current START treaty, created in 1991, expires at midnight tonight, amidst ongoing negotiations for a new treaty. Kremlin sources have been optimistic that some agreement can be made while President Obama is in Europe next week to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Washington has expressed hopes of having an interim agreement in place until a new treaty can come into effect if necessary.

The details of the new agreement have not been finalized, but Obama’s National Security Advisor said both sides are “down to the last few paragraphs and sentences.” After a new treaty agreement is announced, both countries must still ratify the treaty. This process could take up to months. Even if a treaty does not fully go into effect for months, both countries have indicated their willingness to uphold current nuclear arms arrangements until the new treaty is in place using a bridge agreement.

It is encouraging to hear that both nations are presenting the negotiation of a new nuclear arms treaty in such a positive light. The Cold War is long over, and these two Cold War superpowers recognize the importance of nuclear disarmament as a matter of international security more than ever. The sooner an agreement can be reached, the more legitimate Obama’s ambitious strategy on nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament becomes. Even though a new treaty will not be in place when the START treaty expires at midnight, the negotiation of an agreement, which most likely will have even deeper reductions in nuclear stockpiles than START is an accomplishment in itself.

Learn more about Citizens for Global Solutions' policy suggestions on nuclear weapons here.

ACT NOW in support of Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaties!

UN Secretary-General  Ban Ki-Moon gave a positive response today to Obama’s Afghanistan decision.  The United Nations believes that any plan that would increase the capacity and institution-building of Afghanistan is a step in the right direction. Mr. Ban believes that President Obama’s new Afghanistan plan will do just that. The Secretary-General’s spokesperson was quoted in this article on the UN News Centre from the full statement that you can read here.

On Sunday, President Obama issued orders to send 30,000 additionalAmerican troops to Afghanistan.  He will address the nation tonight to explain his decision and rally an American public that “no longer sees the war as worth fighting,” according to the Washington Post.

The article cites public opinion polls to back up this claim.  However, according to commentary by Worldpublicopinon.org, “there are no polls that show a majority wanting to withdraw.” Instead, these polls reflect a divided public; one that is uncertain about our future in Afghanistan.

A  poll conducted by the Washington Post on November 15 asked, “considering the costs to the United States versus the benefits to the United States, do you think the war in Afghanistan has been worth fighting, or not?” 52% responded that the war is not worth fighting.  While this is a majority, it only indicates the percentage of the public that thinks the benefits of the war don’t outweigh the costs.  According to Worldpublicopinion.org, “this does not tell us whether or not Americans have decided to cut their losses and quit, stay in the game, or even to raise their bets.”  

Thus, this poll does not necessarily mean that the public wants out of Afghanistan and has no reflection of President Obama’s decision.  Not to worry, though, evaluations of his decision will be in abundance after his address tonight.  Only then can we determine the true opinion of the public.