Last week I was fortunate enough to attend the CARE 2010 National Conference here in Washington, DC. It was an action packed two days of learning and then applying that knowledge on Capitol Hill as hundreds of us descended on the halls of congress for a lobby day to advocate for the world’s poorest people.
One of my favorite parts of the conference was when Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave the keynote address to the group. Secretary Clinton discussed the importance of development as part of our foreign policy, and noted that a sound foreign policy focuses on the three D’s: defense, diplomacy and development. Secretary Clinton stated that, “We believe by creating conditions that families and communities can thrive we can promote stability, opportunity and progress far beyond one community or even one country.” For me it’s really exciting that the Secretary of State has prioritized development and recognizes the links it has to our overall work around the world.
Check it out:
Secretary Clinton wasn’t the only person at the conference with experience as a first lady either. The first ladies of Mozambique, Sierra Leone and the wife of the Prime Minister of Kenya all participated in the conference as well. Women are agents of change and these first ladies are using their influence to push for advances in maternal health, women’s empowerment and girls’ education in their countries.
Overall I had an amazing experience at the CARE Conference and am reminded not only of the importance of fighting extreme poverty but also that there are so many other like-minded folks across the country working for the world’s poorest people.
