One of the first things Bush did on his first day in office was to reinstate the "Global Gag Rule" . The Global Gag Rule has cut funding for many, many women's rights NGOs around the world, thus undermining all women's rights. I would like to see, as a symbolic and literal opposite of what Bush did on his first day, the new President unsign the Global Gag Rule on her or his first day. I think it will serve the new President well to do the opposite of what Bush did on his day one on their day one
"America did not invent Human Rights. Human Rights invented America."
-US President Jimmy Carter
US standing in the world has receded as America's human rights record has been dealt blows by a failure to observe the rule of law and scandals like Abu Ghraib and the military prison in Guantanamo, Cuba. The US must repair its record and standing in the world.
THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN PROGRESS www.americanprogress.org
On Day One, I would tell the president to obey the Constitution, which means not engaging in torture or spying without a warrant. I would restore the confidence that the U.S. has lost in the world by letting the world know that America respects the law: our Constitution, international law, and human rights. We need to become a beacon of human rights again, and that means talking to our enemies, because you can never solve a problem without at least talking to people. www.RadioInsideScoop.com
Human rights are an important guiding principle for our nations and other nations throughout the world! Make human rights a priority of U.S. domestic and foreign policy.
On Day One, I would like to see the president of the United States of America start renegotiating the North American Free Trade Agreement, as well as other trade agreements, to make sure they respect and take into account labor, environmental and human rights and prioritize the interests of ordinary people over the interests of corporations.
On Day One, the next U.S. president should submit to the Senate for ratification the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women. The U.S. is the only industrialized nation not to have ratified this convention, which is crucial to preventing and redressing abuses against women and girls and to helping the U.S. regain its status as a global human rights leader.
The next president should also live up to our commitments to fund UNFPA and should contribute to -- instead of undermining -- women's global health, and promote reproductive and human rights within the UN system.
1. announce a schedule for withdrawal from Iraq, pending negotiations with neighboring countries and major Iraq factions.
2. initiate worldwide ban of all nuclear weapons, disarm US nukes.
3.apologize to the world for the human rights violations of previous administrations, vow adherance to Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
4.Begin catching up to the world on global warming.
5.Close down Gitmo, bring all detainees to stateside civilian courts of law, charge them or send them home.
My recommendation for our next president, on Day One of his or her administration, is - after hopefully already having boycotted the Olympics - to urge the Chinese to have a dialog with the Dalai Lama, to give Tibetans autonomy, and to stop the oppression and genocide. We should also work with the Chinese on other issues, like Darfur and other human rights issues, as well as on economics. It is time to talk with the Chinese and work with the world community to apply pressure on them.
