Samantha Power, the new U.S. ambassador to the UN, wants to know: how can she best promote American values and human dignity? What should the U.S. stand for in the world?
Now is your chance to tell her directly — through tweeting with the hashtag #WhatMatters. She’ll respond at a Twitter Town Hall this Thursday (Aug. 15) at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time. See below for details.
Pres. Obama and former Sec. Hillary Clinton made abortion and sex (particularly homosexuality) top foreign policy priorities. A few years ago I was asked to give a speech at the UN on how marriage and family benefit women. A U.S. delegate came with a prepared statement criticizing me for not promoting sexual and reproductive rights.
It was an odd, angry and arrogant statement. And made the U.S. appear obsessed with sex and abortion to the point that it would not allow a meeting to proceed without mention.
Other countries are “fed up” (as they put it) with this “obsession.” This spilled into the open recently when discussions on migration trends got overwhelmed with 40 references to sexual and reproductive issues, while food, health, education and other basic needs got only one or two mentions.
“We don’t want migrants to think that their only/most important right is to sexual and reproductive health,” a delegate politely objected.
Are there higher priorities for human rights and dignity? What are American values? Now is your chance to tell the new Ambassador.
Here is how:
U.S. Mission to the United Nations: Media Advisory: Ambassador Power to Host a Twitter Town Hall with the Public
08/12/2013 03:51 PM EDTUnited States Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power will host a Twitter Town Hall this Thursday, August 15 at 3:00 pm EDT. From her @AmbassadorPower Twitter account, the Ambassador will respond to tweets and questions that use the hashtag #WhatMatters, originally introduced in her August 10th speech at the Fourth Estate Leadership Summit in Los Angeles. Members of the public are invited to submit ideas from now until Thursday’s Twitter Town Hall on how Ambassador Power and the U.S. Mission can best continue to promote American values, human rights and human dignity by using the hashtag #WhatMatters on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Ambassador Power is committed to engaging members of the public on issues of importance to them and on what they want the United States to stand for in the world. By broadening the foreign policy conversation, the Ambassador seeks to advance the United States’ work at the United Nations and amplify the voices of citizen activists across the world.
For questions or additional information, please contact Anthony Deaton at the United States Mission to the UN at [email protected]. Follow @AmbassadorPower and @USUN for updates.
LifeNews Note: Wendy Wright writes for the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. This article originally appeared in the pro-life group’s Turtle Bay and Beyond blog and is used with permission.
