State Department Releases Human Rights Reports

Vodpod videos no longer available.

more about "State Department Releases Human Right…", posted with vodpod

February 25, 2009

SECRETARY CLINTON: I apologize for being a little late. This is such an important event in the annual calendar of the State Department.You know, human progress depends on the human spirit, and this inescapable truth has never been more apparent than it is today. The challenges of this new century require us to summon the full range of human talents to move our nation and the world forward.

Guaranteeing the right of every man, woman and child to participate fully in society and to live up to his or her God-given potential is an ideal that has animated our nation since its founding.It is enshrined also in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and was reflected in President Obama’s Inaugural Address when he reminded us that every generation must carry forward the belief that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.Our foreign policy must also advance these timeless values which empower people to speak, think, worship and assemble freely, to lead their work and family lives with dignity, and to know that dreams of a brighter future are within their reach.

Now, the promotion of human rights is essential to our foreign policy, but as a personal aside, I have worked for many years and in various capacities on the issues that are encompassed under the rubric: human rights. It is of profound importance to me and has informed my views and shaped my beliefs in ways large and small.As Secretary of State, I will continue to focus my own energies on human rights, and I will engage as many others as I can to join me, both through traditional and untraditional challenges. I am looking for results. I am looking for changes that actually improve the lives of the greatest numbers of people. Hopefully, we will be judged over time by successful results from these efforts.

To begin, not only will we seek to live up to our ideals on American soil; we will pursue greater respect for human rights as we engage other nations and peoples around the world. Now, some of our work will be conducted in government meetings and official dialogues. That’s important to advancing our cause. But I believe strongly we must rely on more than one approach as we strive to overcome tyranny and subjugation that weakens the human spirit, limits human possibility, and undermines human progress. We will make this a global effort that reaches beyond governments alone. I intend for us to work with nongovernmental organizations, businesses, religious leaders, schools and universities as well as individual citizens, all of whom can play a vital role in creating a world where human rights are accepted, respected, and protected.

Our commitment to human rights is driven by our faith and our moral values, and by our belief that America must first be an exemplar of our own ideals. But we also know that our security and prosperity and progress is enhanced when people in other places emerge from the shadows to gain the opportunities and rights that we enjoy and treasure.

It is now my pleasure to bring to the podium Karen Stewart, Acting Assistant Director* for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, who will present the report and take your questions. Karen?

Thank you. Thank you all very much.

Advertisement

Caroline, a cold, clunky cacophony of cataclysm..

For many, the simplistic fall back for Caroline’s continued awkward foray into the world of politics seems to have arrived at the consensus, it’s sexism , mainly because of her lack of a noodley appendage.

In other words if Caroline were imbued with a noodley appendage, then all would be well and she would be accepted with open arms by the locals as the next senator from NY and any Negative PRESS would magically DISAPPEAR! Hmm.. in this case calling sexism, just isn’t a good fit for Caroline. She has been given far greater latitude by the Press in expressing herself when responding to questions than any of the other female politicians who have gone before her. I’d call it turning a Blind Eye and giving her a big, fat, pass!                                                                 

Remembering the article posted here is from the UK.

Thankfully there are other observations that do, more or less, give us pause, that ‘sexism’ isn’t necessarily always culpable. . The observations made by UK reporter Tim Reid writing in from Washington undeniably focus on the articulation of thought put into succinct pleasing words that comfort the auditor’s sense of understanding good grammar rather than furthering any explorations suited to a ‘sexism’ catchall.

This from Tim Reid:

“Caroline Kennedy’s quest to enter the US Senate has suffered a self-inflicted blow in a series of interviews in which she can only be described as . . . um . . . excruciatingly, you know, unerudite.” (A link to the video of that interview and article is here at the link.)

“During a series of meetings with the New York press, one of which was recorded and is now being admired on YouTube in all its ineloquent awkwardness, the daughter of President Kennedy was vague, unconvincing and displayed a potentially ruinous verbal tic.”

“In one sequence, lasting 2 minutes and 27 seconds, Ms Kennedy, 51, revealed that she had inherited none of the eloquence, energy or charisma associated with other members of America’s foremost political dynasty: she used the phrase “you know” no fewer than 30 times.

“Asked to justify her candidacy – after days spent with handlers advising her on how to fill Hillary Clinton’s vacant New York Senate seat – she began in a dull monotone: “Um, this is a fairly unique moment both in our, you know, in our country’s history, and, and in, in, you know, my own life, and um, you know, we are facing, you know, unbelievable challenges, our economy, you know, healthcare, people are losing their jobs here in New York obviously um, arh, you know. . . ”

“Yesterday The New York Times, which published the interview with Ms Kennedy on Sunday – calling her forceful, but vague and largely undefined – released the full 8,500-word transcript of the encounter, revealing a verbal landscape knee-deep in “you knows”. She used the phrase a grand total of 144 times.”

“Michael Goodwin, a veteran columnist with the New York Daily News wrote: “Fantasy is giving way to inevitable truth. The truth is that Kennedy is not ready for the job and doesn’t deserve it. Her quest is becoming a cringe-inducing experience.” ( no grumbling about the NYDN… you have to admit, sometimes a truism emerges that is undeniable)

Tim Reid focuses on a salient point while Mr. Goodwin puts a finer point on the pencil and I believe their analogies, much to my “sexism” relief, are spot on!