Pushing for progress

I will be heading to Berkeley tomorrow for a UNA-USA (United Nations Association) meeting. One of the big issues that will be up for discussion will be the issue of human rights around the world. Several guest speakers, including an ACLU attorney, we be there as well. I plan on suggesting an idea for a resolution to the board of directors. Basically, I'd like to come up with a resolution pressing for unity among the international community regarding the situation in Iraq.

Seems like it would be a lot of work right? Well, that's what I figured when I took a trip to Europe last Summer. One night, when I was in Dublin, Ireland, I got the opportunity to have several drawn out political debates while I was having a drink at one of the pubs. Obviously, its no secret that Europeans are very unhappy with the Bush Administration and America's current standing in the world. However, we seemed to agree on one thing: that it would be best for everyone if their is success in Iraq. Now, they don't believe that will happen, at least not so long as Bush is in the White House, but everyone seemed to agree that a stable Iraq would be a good thing. During my three week stay over there, I never felt like anyone I exchanged views with actually wanted to see failure in Iraq just to make George W. Bush look bad. In the end after all, that's not what this is about. This war, to me, is about taking a stand against genocide, terrorism, and tyranny. I continue to believe that Iraq, and Afghanistan as well, will be much better off if the international community around them sends a message to the extremists that we will all work together and will not be divided.

So maybe it is possible. Maybe one person can make a difference. Among other things, I'd like to bring up the situation in Russia, as well as Myanmar and Sudan, where the long list of human rights violations is growing everyday.