The City that Never Sleeps and Neither Do I

After 12 hours of Plenary Sessions, Briefings, listening to interpreters, deciphering numerous schedules, and reviewing summaries, I am full of what I don't have time to write about, but will share highlights.
We began the day with Morning Prayer in the UN Church Center. Each day a different denomination will lead prayer, and this day was Anglican. Scriptures were read in the readers native language and then read again in English. Here is a picture of the Chapel:


The opening session was impressive merely from the realization that "Wow, I am in the UN as a delegate," and how that hits you when you walk into the Conference room brimming with people of all color, religions, languages, and dress. There we are, inches from one another while many of our people are at war with one another overseas. I watch the women from Sudan, the Congo, and many places in Africa and wonder what they have sacrificed to get there. I didn't see if Iraq was represented. It's snowing here in New York and many flights were cancelled and delegates were not there to speak. I hope they will still be heard.

It is interesting to note for you that the US is the only developed country that has NOT ratified the The Convention of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. More on that later...and there are very few US Caucuses or involvement on a governmental level, although there is a delegation.

At many of our debriefings at the end of the day, we hear from the women of other countries about their concern for the US and how we should not be going overseas to "help" so much any more, but we need to pay attention to what is happening in our own country as we seems to be going backwards.