About "The People Speak"

I published a short article on my experience as a featured guest blogger in UNA-USA's The People Speak Initiative last month, which was published in the Fall 2006 "UN Vision". Here is the text of the article:

Last week, I was honored to be the featured guest blogger in UNA-USA's The People Speak Initiative. As part of the People Speak Initiative, each week there is a different blogger offering perspectives on peace, security and human rights. The Initiative has featured such influential thinkers as Jane Holl Lute, UN Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations and Mark Leon Goldberg, Senior Correspondent for American Prospect. The thematic question of the week for my week was: Will the new United Nations Human Rights Council have a positive impact on peace, security and human rights throughout the world? The blog focused on several intriguing questions as the new UN Human Rights Council begins its second session in Geneva , Switzerland . The discussions were critical of the Human Rights Council for its possible insufficient reforms, inaction regarding Darfur and Sri Lanka, handicap of United States noninvolvement, and bias against Israel, but also discussed optimism that the Human Rights Council may be spurred to take the necessary action on Darfur after strong rebukes by the Secretary-General Kofi Annan and U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour. Further, the blog highlighted the positive impact of the Special Rapporteurs to the Human Rights Council and their important role of addressing overlooked issues in human rights. The discussions featured multiple comments by outside sources and showed that there is profound interest in this topic.

The People Speak Initiative can be found at http://www.thepeoplespeak.org/peoplespeak and will run through November 2006.