My legal counsel at the UN this week

Owen Field & myself

I am honored to work with Peter Smith at the United Nations this week during the semiannual NGO conference.  At this conference, delegates decide which NGOs the UN will accredit and which they will not.  I am a lawyer with the Graffiti Legal Ministry (www.graffiti3.org), a Christian organization serving low-income New Yorkers.  Even though I grew up only about 2 miles away from the UN and lived here all my life, this is the first time I have seen UN operations up close and understood advocacy at this scale.

Experiencing an entire week has allowed me a glimpse of the great work that SPUC takes part in here.  I see the pressing need for a voice of the unborn as well as the need for a champion for the integrity of the family.  SPUC embraces this role in a number of ways.  Even though these meetings take on a procedural format, there are layers and layers of political undertones and moral decisions being made. These decisions may have large national and international implications and even the slightest influences can have large ramifications.

The part I have enjoyed the most is the great oration and expertise among the delegates.  Many delegates were kind enough to even spend a few minutes talking to a first-timer like me. Although it saddens me to see the committee's hostility towards NGOs that promote Biblical Christian values, I am encouraged by those delegates who are brave enough to take a stand on these issues.

Please join me as I will be praying for this profound work in the future. I hope to come again and do whatever I can to support it.