On April 28, I had the chance to attend the Senate Foreign Relations Confirmation Hearing of Harold Koh for the position of Legal Adviser to the State Department. John Kerry chaired the hearing and welcomed Koh warmly. Kerry reviewed Koh's impressive record: he has a Law degree, two Masters degrees and he has served in Democratic and Republican Presidential Administrations. Under Clinton, Koh was unanimously confirmed to be the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor at the State Department. Koh would leave his current position as Dean of the Yale Law School to work at the State Department.

Koh was introduced by Senator Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) who are his neighbors and friends in Connecticut. Both Lieberman and Dodd encouraged their Senate colleagues to confirm Koh. In Koh's opening he promised to hold the United States to its own highest standards, use smart power , commit to rule of law, respect checks and balances in his foreign policy, and most importantly he would keep promises internationally.

Koh also cited Somali piracy as a "global problem that requires a global solution". Throughout the rest of the hearing Koh discussed his opposition to torture and his desire to promote the Geneva Convention. Koh also discussed the importance of engaging all actors in the international community, even North Korea. Koh left an overall impression of a man who would lay aside his personal opinion to give the best legal guidance to the United States possible.

My Experience at the CGS Conference in Washington D.C., March 19-21, 2009

By Stefanie A. Hausheer

Before attending the Citizens for Global Solutions (CGS) conference in Washington, D.C., I understood in an abstract way that by voting, I helped send representatives to the nation's capitol to speak for me, but the experience of lobbying on Capitol Hill marked a turning point in my experience of American citizenship. As we walked past the countless senators' and representatives' offices and as my group met with staff members inside some of these offices, I felt so close to the seat of legislative and political power. Never before have I felt so connected to the government, and never before have I felt that we, the people, have so much power to affect the actions of our elected officials.

In addition to the empowering experience of lobbying, the incredible array of speakers that presented on various topics provided me with a wealth of fascinating information. Gillian Sorenson of the United Nations gave me fresh evidence of the U.N.'s important role in the international system, but she also reminded me that we Americans must push our government to be far more involved in the U.N. so that we can take advantage of the multilateral initiatives that it offers us.

During a breakout session that discussed nuclear abolition and more effective peacekeeping, I was reminded of the threat that we all face since so many nation-states are armed with nuclear weapons. I also enjoyed the breakout session that discussed several treaties that have stagnated in the American legislative system and have not been ratified by the senate. I was dumbfounded to learn that the United States has not yet ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). I also learned a great deal about the Rome Statute and the ICC, and I was startled to learn about how little the United States has done to cooperate with the ICC.

The final panel, which dealt with the notion of a world government, was fascinating because many of the speakers presented ideas that I had never heard before. I was intrigued by the idea of a world parliament, and after hearing from a panel of experts, I would like to do further research on the matter.

Although I loved lobbying on Capitol Hill and hearing the speakers during the conference, perhaps my favorite part of the entire trip was interacting with CGS members and staff. I felt so lucky to spend a few days with such brilliant, well-informed, dedicated, and remarkable people! Everyone I spoke to wanted to get to know me and exchange ideas. I felt so inspired just by talking to the CGS delegates at the conference.

In sum, the entire experience at the CGS conference in Washington, D.C. was fantastic. I will not soon forget the information that the speakers and the attendees shared with me, and coming to the conference definitely motivated me to become more of an activist in my own life. Even though some of the information I learned was negative or frightening, I now feel equipped to do something about the issues that concern me. Attending the conference has also spurred me to check out several books from the library so that I can build on the knowledge that I gained from the trip. I am so grateful to have been chosen to embark on such a wonderful adventure!

About 30 international students from North Carolina State University hustled themselves out of bed on a Saturday morning to talk about what it means to be a Global Citizen. CEO Don Kraus met with the students at the CGS office in Washington, D.C., where he emphasized the need to be engaged with the rest of the world by learning, lobbying and traveling.

He demonstrated those points by showing the group the winning videos and animations from our 2008 Multimedia contest.

He also rolled out the first video in our new campaign, "What does it mean to be a Global Citizen?" The massive effort features video of people from all ages and professions, explaining in their own words, the need for global engagement, and the reasons they have decided to become more involved with world issues. The initial video features people ranging from original United World Federalist member Ed Rawson who lives in a Washington, D.C. suburb, to a college student who grew up on an isolated island off the northwestern coast of Washington state.

Don also read the group a quote by Thomas Jefferson that
is engraved on the Jefferson Memorial here in Washington, D.C.:

"as new discoveries are made, new truths disclosed, and manners and opinions change with the change of circumstances, institutions must advance also, and keep pace with the times. We might as well require a man to wear still the same coat which fitted him when a boy, as civilized society to remain ever under the regimen of their barbarous ancestors."

Don pointed out that the world is at a major crossroads and the key challenge of the next decade that the students will face is how to how to address "the most dangerous deficit facing humanity;" the gap between the need for effective collective action at the global level and the ability of the international community to satisfy that need.

The U.S. government has now taken some major steps towards that goal: recently, the Obama administration announced that the U.S. will run for a seat on the U.N. Human Rights Council; the Administration began the process of reducing our nuclear weapons stockpile to the lowest level since 1955; and the U.S.Senate voted to increase funding for the International Affairs Budget.

These are major achievements that resulted from decades of hard work
by armies of supporters. By speaking to groups of students like these, Don is helping to ensure that the work will continue in the decades to come.

We are in a rare, open moment of history.

Consider this. During the last week:

• President Obama has begun the process of reducing nuclear warheads to the lowest number since 1955.
• Secretary of State Clinton and U.N. Ambassador Rice have announced that the U.S. will run for a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council.
• The Senate has agreed to accept a $4 billion amendment to restore President Obama's full International Affairs Budget request.

As I write, world leaders at the G20 are discussing fundamental changes to our international institutions. It's not a question of if they will change, but rather of how and when.

I never recall having this much good news at one time. Yes, I know we face daunting economic and security challenge. But this a moment to savor the wins. We are building momentum to advance the creation and empowerment of international institutions and laws more than at any point since the founding of the U.N. This is very good.

Now back to work ...

Today, the Washington Post's lead editorial jumped on Arab states that welcomed Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir to the Doha Arab League summit. The Post observed the Leagues' call for the:

"international community to prosecute those responsible" for alleged 'war crimes' committed by Israel in its recent offensive in Gaza."

As well as the Leagues':

"ardent defense of Sudanese dictator Omar Hassan al-Bashir -- who was welcomed to the Doha summit despite an outstanding arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court on multiple war crimes charges."

However, the Post has failed to point out the Obama administrations' own double standard. While U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice has strongly endorsed the Court's decision to issue the Bashir arrest warrants, the rest of the Administration has remained silent on the responsibility of other nations to honor those warrants and deliver Bashir to the Court, as well as the United States responsibility to do so. Instead the U.S. has continued to fund those nations, for example sending $1.3 billion to Egypt.

If the United States is to elevate the importance of human rights, as it did yesterday by announcing it will run for the Human Rights Coucil, it should demonstrate its own commitment to holding the world's most heinous criminals accountable for their actions by increasing its cooperation with the ICC.

This includes: supporting the arrest of al-Bashir, an alleged mastermind of mass-murders, rapes and other horrendous crimes; formal cooperation with other ongoing investigations in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and elsewhere; active and constructive attendance at the ICC Review Conference in 2010 and at the meetings preparing for it; and reinstatement of the US signature of the Court's Rome Statute.

Why should Arab leaders and those of other nations feel inclined to respect the ICC's actions when the United States remains ambiguous about the Court?

Citizens for Global Solutions is thrilled to hear that the U.S. has officially announced its candidacy for Human Rights Council elections in May. Currently, the HRC is the primary global intergovernmental body able to address human rights issues - the U.S. has never been a member or an active participant. CGS has advocated that the U.S. run for a seat for a long time and we are now looking forward to the elections. The U.S. will compete for the seat with Belgium, Norway and New Zealand. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, Susan E. Rice, echoed our sentiments when she stated:

Those who suffer from abuse and oppression around the world, as well as those who dedicate their lives to advancing human rights, need the Council to be balanced and credible. The U.S. is seeking election to the Council because we believe that working from within, we can make the council a more effective forum to promote and protect human rights. We hope to work in partnership with many countries to achieve a more effective Council.

Congressman Howard Berman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee also issued a statement supporting CGS views:

I strongly support the administration's decision to engage with the United Nations Human Rights Council by running for a seat this year. This global forum has become increasingly dysfunctional and politicized, with virtually no guidance from the United States… The time is ripe to take a more positive and active role in challenging the Council and in speaking out about genuine human rights atrocities.

Serious, constructive candidacy will enable the U.S. to generate goodwill worldwide concerning human rights issues. If elected, the U.S. will be in a better position to reclaim its leadership role in international institutions and empower the Council. Historically, U.S. participation in international forums has increased the level of effectiveness of the forums. Responsible U.S. engagement either as a member or an observer in the HRC would enable the U.S. to present itself to the world as a moral authority in both speech and action and encourage the HRC to live up to its fullest potential.

The name of our organization, "Citizens for Global Solutions" has two concepts built into it: "Citizens" and "Global Solutions." We put a lot of energy into thinking about global solutions. But today I want you to spend some time thinking about the first term, 'Citizens'. We are gathered here today as citizens of states from across the nation: from California to Maine. And we are here as proud citizens of the United States of America. (It's nice to be proud again.) But we are also here as global citizens.

The very definition of citizenship contains the concepts of loyalty and protection. We are loyal to a clan, a state, a nation, and for us the world - and in return for our loyalty we expect that by banding together and working within a common set of rules we will be able to make ourselves and our families more secure. But we are still working all this out at the global level. From our economy, to weapons of mass destruction, pandemics, genocide, to the very environment we exist in - we are not there yet. We are still exploring what the rules are and how we can work together. But we know that it is imperative that we accomplish this task. We are global citizens in a time of turmoil.

Moises Naim, the editor of Foreign Policy magazine said, "The gap between the need for effective collective action at the global level and the ability of the international community to satisfy that need is the most dangerous deficit facing humanity."

Today, we're going to concentrate on that deficit, our goals for the coming year to address it, and strategies for achieving them. We'll meet with experts, representatives from other organizations that are working on the same goals, hear what they're planning to do, and see how we can join our efforts together to increase our effectiveness. This morning, you can choose between three panels; one will examine the next steps we should take towards peace, another will discuss ways to promote a healthy environment and sustainable development, and the third will look at how to stop mass atrocities and bring those suspected of masterminding them to justice. You'll find more information on them in our program, as well as information on the speakers who will be participating.

After that, we'll take a break for lunch and also take a few minutes to hear from the winners of our 2008 Multimedia contest, which focused on the crisis in Darfur. Then it's off to the afternoon sessions where we'll look at the pros and cons of establishing a U.N. Parliamentary Assembly , and you'll be able to choose between two more panels; one will look at how to get more people involved in our work while the second panel will talk about ways to increase U.S. support for a variety of international treaties, including the CEDAW, the ICC treaty and, of course, the Law of the Sea .

These treaties are all awaiting ratification by the U.S. Congress, and they all demonstrate exactly what Citizens for Global Solutions stands for -- a commitment to work with other nations in solving our problems. Last year, then- presidential candidate Obama told a crowd in Europe, "the burdens of Global Citizenship bind us together.""

We know that many of our problems cannot be solved by any one nation alone. We must work with international organizations, like the United Nations, to find solutions that are good for all countries - not just one. When a parent in one country pollutes the air, a child in another country breathes it. When one country becomes embroiled in political unrest, the terrorism and criminal activities spawned there will soon spread abroad.

Recently veteran U.S. diplomat & Harvard professor Jonathan Moore said, "We are so tightly and dangerously tied to one another across the globe that it would turn out to be suicide to advance one's own survival at the expense of others."

Global citizens know this --- that the only way to protect ourselves, our families and our country is by making other countries safe and prosperous.

Global citizens know that helping less-developed countries establish better educational systems, fairer and more responsive governments and a means for those who are wronged to obtain justice provides security for us here in the U.S. It also means that we feel an obligation for our country to settle disputes with other nations as equals, by peaceful means, rather than by force of arms.

But simply knowing that nations need to work together is not enough. We have to work to ensure that they do. Too many governments in the world decide that the political cost of tackling long-term problems is too high, so they ignore them. Thus, our glaciers and ice caps continue melting, our nuclear stockpiles remain high, and atrocities against vulnerable people continue to occur -- all because of a lack of concerted global action.

Last weekend, international financial leaders and bankers met in England to try to craft a solution to the global financial crisis, but they were unable to reach an agreement. Each faction demanded that the others do more; each felt that it was already shouldering more than its share of the burden. Without an agreement, each faction will go off in different directions with conflicting policies and the crisis will be solved erratically and slowly.

While the lack of concerted global action could prevent us from effectively solving the global economic problems, the preoccupation on the crisis will make it hard for the Obama administration to work on advancing longer-term goals. In the heat of solving today's problems, they will find it hard to put systems into place that will create a better world --- for all of us -- in the long-term. It's up to us to make sure that doesn't happen.

We can do that by following the advice President Franklin Roosevelt reportedly gave a group of activists who wanted him to persuade the country to take a particular action. He reportedly listened carefully, nodded respectfully and then replied: "I agree with you and I want to do it. Now, it's up to you to make me do it." In other words, he was telling them that it was up to them to go out and generate the political support needed for their cause.

President Obama has made it clear that he wants to launch a new era of international cooperation, but it's up to us generate the political will for that to happen. Mindless cheerleading will not be sufficient. As Roosevelt understood, politics are made up of interlocking interests and constituencies that have to be brought to bear on certain goals. And that is why we're here this weekend -- to establish our goals and to figure out which interests and constituencies can help us achieve them. Then we will have to develop strategies on how to bring these groups together in support of our common goals. This is what we'll be looking to achieve over the next couple of days. I look forward to working with you on this during this conference and in the months to come.

Thanks to everyone who came to our 2009 Annual Meeting at Gallaudet University last weekend! We had a great time, applauding the achievements of our supporters during the past year; going over goals for the upcoming year; and looking at some long-range issues that we may want to begin working on.

Congressman Joe Sestak (7th-PA) made time to talk to our supporters about his goals for international engagement on Thursday, answering questions listening to our concerns. Many other Members of Congress arranged for their foreign policy staffers to meet with our members, to discuss the ICC, the Law of the Sea, and CEDAW. On Friday, we had a series of incredible panels, begining with a discussion of nuclear disarmament and peacekeeping. Joe Cirincionne of the Ploughshares Fund, Ann Richard of the International Rescue Committee, Peter Yeo of the U.N. Foundation's Better World Campaign, and our own CEO Don Kraus discussed a variety of policy initiative and fielded questions.

Easily the most animated discussion was the panel on whether the world is ready for an elected United Nations parliament. Legal expert Andrew Strauss, CGS Minnesota chapter leader Joe Schwartzberg, Faye Leone of the World Federalist Movement, Argentine parliament member Fernando Iglesias and Jeffrey Laurenti of the Century Foundation all debated the advantages and problems of setting up a global assembly.

We want to thank them, as well as all our other great speakers: Congressman Joe Sestak, Eric Schwartz, Gillian Sorensen, Sarah Albert, John Washburn, Heather Hamilton, Margaret Hayes, Joseph Cirincione, Anne Richard, Peter Yeo, Tyson Slocum, Hilary French, Jason Patlis, Morton Halperin, Elisa Massimino, Bassam Haddad and Susan Myers for taking the time to talk to us last weekend.

We'll be posting videos of many of the panels over the next few days, as well as summaries of some of the discussions and speeches, so keep checking here for updates. We now have the largest group ever of elected officials who support our goals, but the world economic crisis is taking up much of their attention.It's up to us to make sure that our issues stay in the spotllight and to generate the political will that will allow our elected representatives to support our goals.

Reaction is pouring in to the International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued on Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir. Several members of Congress issued statements calling for stronger U.S. engagement with the ICC and Darfur. Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) said:

"Today, the International Criminal Court took the first step towards bringing the perpetrators of the violence in Darfur to justice. For far too long, President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has violated human rights and committed heinous acts of violence against civilians in Sudan. We cannot afford to delay or stall while innocent people continued to be slaughtered in Darfur. Today, the International Criminal Court has demonstrated its moral authority by holding accountable those who are responsible for war crimes and now the United States must demonstrate its leadership in global justice by renewing its commitment to the Court's mandate. Only then will the International Criminal Court have the tools at its disposal to prosecute and try those who commit mass murder and other crimes against humanity around the world'."

This echoed CGS's statement made earlier today.

On the House floor, Congressman Frank Wolf (R-VA) called on President Obama to take rapid action:

Madam Speaker, today the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Sudan's President Bashir'charging him with seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity. This is the first time the court has accused a sitting head of state of war crimes.

The world knows what's been happening in Sudan and Darfur. Yet, the Obama Administration has failed to appoint a special envoy to Sudan.

The Tribunal's spokeswoman said the crimes included "murdering, exterminating, raping, torturing and forcibly transferring large numbers of civilians and the pillaging of their property."

And yet, the Obama Administration has failed to appoint a special envoy to Sudan.

According to the UN, an estimated 300,000 have been killed since the Darfur conflict began in 2003 and 2.7 million displaced.

And yet, the Obama Administration has failed to appoint a special envoy to Sudan.

As recently as yesterday, AP reported that in recent weeks 26,000 people have fled their homes in Darfur and flooded Zamzam refugee camp'already home to 50,000 people.

Time is short. The killing and devastation go on. The administration must act. This cannot wait.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA) released this statement in response to the arrest warrant:

"The decision by the court's judges will add international legal weight to a long obvious truth - primary responsibility for the atrocities in Darfur rests with the regime that President Omar Hassan al-Bashir heads.

"The international community, led by the United States and other members of the United Nations Security Council, must make absolutely clear that the Government of Sudan will be held responsible for any retaliatory action against civilians, humanitarian aid workers, or United Nations and Africa Union peacekeeping forces.

"Additionally, the Security Council must resolve that it will not allow Khartoum to hold hostage the CPA, Sudanese civilians or the international operation to alleviate suffering caused by the Sudanese government. The various Darfur rebel movements must also understand that any attempt to use the ICC decision as an excuse for offensive military action is unacceptable and will only result in greater suffering for the Darfuri people.

"Moving forward we must pursue a comprehensive, negotiated peace in Sudan that builds on the framework of the CPA and takes into account the needs and rights of all citizens. Ultimately, the problem of Darfur cannot be resolved unless the problem of Sudan is resolved.

"For its part, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) must take this opportunity to abandon its disastrous policies in Darfur and elsewhere and rehabilitate its relationships with the international community. For that to happen, it must end its attacks against civilians and its support for the janjaweed militias; cooperate fully with the UN-AU peacekeeping force (UNAMID); end impunity in Darfur; allow refugees and internally displaced persons to safely and voluntarily return home; negotiate in good faith with the rebel movements and Darfuri civil society to ensure equitable political rights and economic development and; fully implement the CPA.

"The people of Darfur are counting on us for help. My colleagues and I stand ready to work with the Obama Administration to address this issue and bring about swift resolution."

Unfortunately, the response from the Obama administration has been tepid at best. At a press briefing, a reporter asked, "Does the President support the arrest warrant issued today against President Bashir of Sudan? And how is the administration planning for the possibility of retaliation as a result of this against Darfurians, a possible collapse of the peace in the south, and international workers in Sudan?" White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs dodged the question saying:

"Let me -- without getting specifically into this, the White House believes that those who have committed atrocities should be held accountable; that as this process moves forward, that we would urge restraint on the part of all parties, including the government of Sudan; that further violence against civilian Sudanese or foreign interests is to be avoided and won't be tolerated. The President and this White House are determined to support the pursuit of an immediate cease-fire and long-term peace in the region. Obviously there are many efforts that are ongoing in the region to help those that have been displaced, and the President believes those efforts should and must continue."

President Obama - you need to do better than that.

I first became active in the World Federalist Association, predecessor to Citizens for Global Solutions, in 1983, when I lived in the Boston area. One of the objectives on our radar screen at that time was the creation of an International Criminal Court, but at the time it seemed almost as close to science fiction as would have been a full-fledged world federation. One of the global circumstances we Federalists deplored was the almost complete lack of accountability for crimes against humanity committed outside of responsible national jurisdictions. Yet there seemed virtually no interest anywhere in creating institutions to deal with this problem.

And yet, by the late eighties, a consortium of Caribbean countries, supported by Federalists around the world, introduced the idea of an International Criminal Court in the General Assembly. And within ten more years, in August, 1998, the ICC treaty was created in Rome. Now, in its approaching indictment of Sudan's Omar al-Bashir, for the first time in history a sitting head of state is facing likely prosecution by a global legal authority.

Just today, a young staffer in CGS's Washington office asked me what the prospects were for a United Nations Parliamentary Assembly, which could become a global legislature with democratically elected proportional representation. It's an idea gaining momentum in Europe, Canada and Latin America, but not much yet in the United States. "At this point, it's still science fiction," I started to say.

If the International Criminal Court can come to fruition in less than a quarter century, it's reasonable to believe the same can occur with a U.N. Parliamentary Assembly. Almost 3,000 people have signed the appeal from the Campaign for a U.N. Parliamentary Assembly and that number continues to grow every day. Through continued work on the issue, perhaps the dream of a world federation could soon be within our grasp.