Conference Starts

It's tempting to describe this assembly as a United Nations of people and organizations but that would using a cliché to describe the real thing. But what else can I say to tell you what it is like to be surround by men and women from more than 90 contries from the 6 populated continents, in a world capital as beautiful as Paris? How can I not us hyperbole to tell you about meeting in a place where the cafeteia has a view of the Eiffel Tower beyond the Ecoile Militarie parade grounds where I can eat tarte aux asperge and (if I chose) get a glass of wine from a dispenser that in the US you would recognize as holding water or lemonade.

So I must quickly adjust to operating against this international backdrop and focus on what I can learn from about the United Nations and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organizations (UNESCO) and from the other NGOs (non-governmental organizations) present. I appreciate those here who are looking beyond the chance to lobby on behalf of their issue or constituency to those who take this gathering as an opportunity to cooperate and share their strategies for successful progress on the challenges their group addresses. I respect and listen closely to those who are here to teach and to collaborate rather than those who are here to pontificate and orate. I also am listening closely for opportunities for potential partnerships with Soroptimist International locally, nationally and internationally.

I'm trying to follow my own advice and start from what I know and take small steps in the right direction. I suggest anyone who is starting from near total ignorance -as I did- to start by reading the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and to think about what it means to your circumstances, your own work and those you care about. There is so much more to read and learn beyond that but for the purposes of this event this document underpins everything.