I’m not much of a reader of poetry – prose is more my thing. But I recently ran across a passage from the great American poet, Wallace Stevens, that I really liked:

He must say yes because
Beneath every no
Lay a passion for yes
That has never been broken.

I can’t think of a better way to summarize what Citizens for Global Solutions is all about. At a time when far too many of our elected officials seem to focus on the "no", we at Citizens for Global Solutions have embraced the passion – and the genius – of the "yes".

Margaret Mead put it another way – “Never doubt the power of a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens to change the world – in fact, it is the only thing that ever has.” She recognized that it does not take many to harness the power of the "yes".

In this spirit, I would like to offer each of you a challenge – three things you can do today to unleash the power, the genius, the passion of “yes.”

• Oppose efforts to weaken the United Nations: The United States and the UN not only need each other; they cannot succeed without one another. However, recently, the House passed and sent to the Senate the UN Reform Act of 2005, a reckless piece of legislation that orders the Secretary of State to cut America’s annual contribution to the UN in half in absence of reform.

What you can do: Call your Senators in Washington – (202) 224-3121 (ask for your Senator’s office when they answer) – and tell them they should oppose S.1394, “The UN Reform Act of 2005.”

• Make sure we are prepared for a potential bird flu pandemic. One of the biggest challenges we face today is the Avian Flu virus, a disease that challenges scientists, can disrupt lives and mocks our concept of national sovereignty. Recently, President Bush announced a new $7.1 billion initiative to help prepare the country for an outbreak. However, only a small part of the funds – $251 million – are set aside to help other countries detect and control outbreaks in humans, birds and farm animals.

What you can do: Call your Member of Congress – (202) 225-3121 – and tell them you want more funds allocated to international coordination and response. Then call your local officials and demand that they hold a town hall meeting to brief citizens on what they are doing. If they refuse, organize one yourself.

• Make sure your community is addressing climate change. In the absence of action by the federal government, cities from across the country are stepping up to confront climate change and other environmental challenges. Thus far, more than 50 mayors worldwide have signed the Urban Environmental Accords, and more than 175 U.S. mayors have signed the Climate Protection Agreement.

What you can do: Call your mayor to find out whether he/she has signed on to these important initiatives. If he/she has, thank them and ask what they are doing to make these new commitments real. If he/she hasn’t, ask why. Organize your community to urge your local elected leaders to sign on to both agreements.

By taking these actions, you can help us promote global solutions. In the spirit of Wallace Stevens and Margaret Mead, I urge you to act today. And when you do act, you can be assured that Citizens for Global Solutions will continue to stand up, to speak truth to power, to serve as a voice for the voiceless. 

Working together, we can push and hold accountable those who remain silent in the face of injustice. We can encourage and support those who speak up for what is right. We can help ensure that our global institutions are capable of responding to the threats and challenges of a new century. We can connect the global to the local. And when we do, we will – we shall – build better communities, a stronger nation, and a safer and saner world.

Updated December 15, 2005