07/03/2026
Reflecting on the arrival of the United States’ 250th birthday, I am grateful to have moderated a panel discussion in the UN Plaza one week ago entitled “The Past, Present and Future Role of the United States in the Community of Nations”.
I appreciate the Baha’i International Community and the U.S. Baha’i Office of Public Affairs for hosting this forum. I took with me former UN Ambassador Chris Lu’s vision of a maturing perspective on American exceptionalism, Anna Fierst’s commitment to carry forward her great grandmother Eleanor Roosevelt’s contributions to the establishment of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and Karenna Gore’s ability to draw on her father Al Gore’s environmental activism and the intellectual and spiritual contributions of indigenous people to shape a path towards ecological cooperation and reciprocity.
It is very uplifting to know that so many conscientious, thoughtful and collaborative people are contributing to an ever-advancing USA.