Hello Again

Now that the UN meetings are over, I'll be blogging over at my usual blogspot:  hanna-manna.blogspot.com.  It's where I muse about life, books, spirituality, art, and food.  It would be a pleasure to see you there.  Thank you for reading along about the UN experience---it has been an honor and I'll continue to explore how I can give back from what I learned to enrich my local community and the international community.

10 Highlights from the UN

It's hard to believe but last week flew by.  I'm already in Boston in recovery.  Last Saturday after we said goodbyes to each other, I realized that I felt like a bus had run me over several times.  The emotional and physical toll of everything that had happened in the past week came to a head.

So much happened last week that it's almost better to ask, what didn't happen?  When people ask me, how was the UN--I am flooded with images, emotions, and memories.  I felt anger, mourning, inspiration, and awe.  I felt empowered, seen, and connected to a powerful community of women.  It was an incredible, complex experience that I will surely pick out for months to come.

Here are 10 highlights from my trip to the UN Commission on the Status of Women meetings as a young adult delegate from the Episcopal Church.

1.  Met with Bishop Katharine for a 45 minute conference with our delegation.  I sat next to her and felt a strongly centered presence from her.  I had expected her to be strong leader but I had not expected to feel such a peaceful and spiritual energy from her.

2.  I made incredible friends from my delegation.  At the end of the week, we had our closing lunch and it felt like summer camp.  We were all crying and telling each other how much we loved each other.

3.  Listening to Serene Jones, President of Union Theological Seminary talk on the role of faith in feminism and social action.  She rocked my world. 

4.  Listening to Archbishop Tutu give a children's homily.  He's so strange.  He made lots of strange animal noises.  I like that he's strange.

5.  Eating at Cafe Olympia for lunch in between sessions--a warm buffet deli run by Koreans.  Really helped.

6.  Sitting in the official plenary sessions of the UN!

7.  Meeting women from all over the world:  a lawyer from Argentina, a financial officer from Lebanon, a radio producer for girls from Liberia, a woman from Bangladesh.

8.  Laughing hysterically with my delegates at the end of a long day.

9. $10 manicure and martinis.  Hot pink.

10.  Feeling empowered, impassioned, and getting tons of ideas for children's books.  I am so full, I cannot wait to pour it out into art.

Cold Weather

I was most afraid of the cold before leaving for NYC.  Good thing it's easy to conquer.

1.  It gives me cheekbones.  My face does really well in cold weather.

2.  It makes me walk fast.

3.  It makes me feel alive.  Nothing like a little nip to give you a little kick.

Today I listed to adolescent girls talk about what the Commission on the Status of Women means to them and what they need as a girl and woman.  I also went to a session on education for women and learned about the role of narrative in healing from illness and giving a deeper political and social context for understanding what brings about illness in bodies.

The whole thing is amazing, overwhelming, and just awe-inspiring.  Yesterday I spent the whole day crying in every session because everything I have been learning here has been speaking to the core of my being.  I'm not alone though. My whole delegate seems to be crying at one time or another as we become aware of our privilege and enter into solidarity with women around the world over issues of violence and injustice on all levels.

Will write more later.

Meditation

In NYC, I am surrounded by a cacophony of noise and movement.  Buildings filled with people rise on all sides of the street.  People rush to and fro.  Cars are merging, and trucks are honking.  I am surrounded by people with countless agendas, and it feels easy to feel insignificant.  Yet my heart is burning and alive with the pain of women around the world, and I do not feel alone or insignificant.  I'm learning that this is what social action with faith looks like.  It is dynamic and ever present, painful yet hopeful, healing and renewing.

Today, I went to the opening plenary session at the UN and although I was in the overflow room next door, I was in awe that I got the opportunity to sit in that familiar room with chairs and microphones and desks lined in semi-circles.  I saw African female deputies and delegates speaking with passion and conviction about ending violence towards women.  I experienced what it's like to be a part of an international body, and I committed to having a global perspective and not just an American one.  Even though we were in the overflow room, there were men and women lined up along the walls until there was nowhere else to stand or sit.  I myself was sitting on a stairwell next to African sisters.  We were packed in and you could sense the desperate delight of women willing to stake their lives on fighting for women's rights.  I was reminded of the story of the lame man who was lifted down through the roof of a house where Jesus was teaching because there was no other way to get inside the packed house.  The building could not contain all who wanted to sit and listen, and I yearned for all my brothers and sisters out there who want to be a part of the conversation to be allowed inside.

I never imagined that I would come to the UN as a delegate with a church.  But I would not have it any other way.  The faith community here is articulate and strong.  I see now how faith can work with social action to breathe life into it, to give it resources and values, to provide courage, strength, and healing.  I'm seeing a new way of strong female leadership here--one that is clear and present, assertive and persistent.  My cup overflows.

Day 3: Riverside Church and the National Council of Churches

We worshipped at Riverside Church today and to be honest (I think by this point it's clear I'm not a politically correct blogger), the service fell short of my expectations.  I had always heard it was a dynamic congregation but the energy in that place was anything but dynamic.  Maybe it was the lenten season but the choir was classical and almost muted in volume and the sermon was about finding ways to get "nailed" in the city like Jesus and then moved into political action stuff (which was pretty cool).  I really got the Baptist and UCCC interplay.  The church is so big that all of the announcements felt like they were coming from across a football field.  The building was incredible though, just incredibly beautiful.  I had no idea how beautiful it was inside.  It reminded me of Notre Dame.

It made me think though--how is a place like this even sustainable?  The overhead must be huge, the place was not packed by any means, and I just couldn't see how it would attract a large constituency.  I know it has a vibrant past and history but there was a real lack of energy.

After that, we went to the National Council of Churches building and met with all of the other young adult delegates from different organizations such as the NCC, the World Christian Student Federation, and the Presbyterian Church.  I met Monika from Lebanon, Joe from Wales, Monica from Bangladesh, Facia from Liberia, and Ilea from a Native American sovereign nation in Nebraska (drats, can't remember her tribe name).  We're gathered under the organizing body of the Ecumenical Women,  and we spent the afternoon planning a dynamic worship service for tomorrow morning's chapel.  I participated in the artistic expression group and helped create a symbolic visual presentation of women in bondage overcoming barriers with audience interaction.

Interesting fact:  The Episcopalian Delegation is the biggest religious delegation at the UN.
Fact #2:  The Episcopalian Young Adult delegation is the biggest young adult delegation from any religious group.

Again, we were in that room all day long.  Dear Lord.  Everyone was a bit stir crazy, and we leapt out of there.

And from there?  Back to our hotel for another meeting over pizza, and then another meeting about scheduling, and then another meeting for worship and compline. Ending at 10pm.  Can you see how this is making me feel a bit crazy?  Literally, there is not a single moment for individual time unless you miss something.  I'm learning to skip out.  I ate dinner on my own down the street and it restored my sanity.

The thing I love about my delegation group is that they are hysterical, warm, strong, passionate, and walking in their gifts.  It feels like such a gift to be with women and men who are talented, articulate, and led by their Episcopalian spirituality in a freeing and affirming way.

We're doing a group blog here.  Check it out and get to know some of the other delegates.  They're amazing.

xoxo.  peace.

Holy Cow: Day 2

Saturday started with an 8:30am worship service at the  chapel and offices for the Ecumenical Women at the UN and as soon as I walked in, I was a bit speechless.  The whole thing was like one big campy ecumenical feminist affair.  It was SO campy.  There were women dancing, other women clapping and letting off high pitched shrieks, other women singing and drumming, another woman telling everyone to get up, dance, break down barriers and gather our energy.  We were asked to wave our arms around and symbolically move the walls.  I was so tired (It was 5:30am L.A. time) and I'm not a morning person.  There was even a Korean woman dancing in modest Confucian style in her white sheer hanbok.  Huh?

It was so un-Episcopalian and even though I've been a part of my share of loud and raucous services, this one was really interesting.  It was liberal, progressive, international, and it was about feminine empowerment.  It translated into something that felt primal and well, campy.

BUT, as time wore on, I was touched.  I got into the swing of things, and I realized that I was part of something pretty special and counter-cultural.  There was a modern dance about being freed from bondage and reinterpreting Proverbs 31 (about the perfect wife/woman) and I think we all watched with awe and tears.

The rest of the day was a doozy.  We went upstairs to a room with views of the UN (across the street) until 5pm getting a crash course on the EW's talking points on violence against women and how to do advocacy at the UN.  I heard some amazing female leaders speak (like the world president of the YWCA and an African theologian) and really started to get a feel for the bureaucratic machine.

A few things I learned:

1.  Each female delegate at the UN represents 1 million women.  Staggering.  There is a mandate on us to advocate for our sisters.

2.  The UN is a very bureaucratic place, concerned with law.  They like to use the word "advocacy," but basically, the whole place is like one big lobbying conference.

3.  Language is uber important.  Every group is trying to push a very specific phrase or wording of their agenda because the language will get incorporated into laws and be interpreted in certain ways.

4.  The Ecumenical Women are pretty darn amazing.

By the end of the day, I had heard so much about violence against women that I needed a seriously stiff drink.  It was hard stuff to take in emotionally and most of the advocacy training was over our heads.  At one point in our mock interview with the ambassador of Pakistan, I just had to ask, what was the point and what the heck were we doing?  Most of the lobbying we were being asked to do seemed like pointless "this is what you need to do" kind of pitches which makes me feel uncomfortable.  Nobody could answer my question.  Many people seemed passionate about being there but other than yelling and voicing their passion, they couldn't explain how this actually translated into constructive change and diplomatic relations.

I got my wish for a stiff drink.  I had read about the $10 martini and manicure bar in a Frugal Traveler article in the NYTimes.  My co-leaders, Jason and Karen, and Andrea joined me at the Beauty Bar and 30 minutes later I was their new favorite person.  We had a blast.

Then it was time for bed.

p.s.-  i'm taking pictures but unfortunately, the wifi here is so slow and taking away from sleep time.  I'll try again later.

Hello Manhattan!

Ladies and gents, I have arrived in the great city of New York.  After a week of packing, moving, unpacking, preparing for the UN trip, I was exhausted, nervous and anxious about facing the cold and the trip.  But as soon as I got here (and got over that first blast of frosty wind), I was in love.  I love it here.

The whole city is one big slush pile on the ground and a giant snow globe by air.  The snowflakes are unbelievably big and best of all, I'm not cold and miserable.  My borrowed coat from the Rev. Martha is actually doing the trick (thank you M.!).

Today, I checked into the Seafarer's Guest House, visited the Episcopal Church Center at 815 2nd Ave., and went to the UN to register as a delegate.
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I stood in a bureaucratic line for a pass and id. 

I met up with my good friend Michelle who is on furlough from Bangkok and passing through NYC. 

We met up for soup dumplings at Joe's Shanghai.

And then I met the rest of my teammates and went through a whirlwind of an orientation about all things UN that left us wide-eyed.  I'll have to fill you in about that more later when I'm more awake.

I'll be tweeting a lot more than I ever have for this next week.   See you on this blog and in tweetland!