4/24/2023

My Dear Friend & POTUS, JRB,

            It’s a big day in the UCD SOE. We are having a visit from one of our 3 applicants for the Dean position. I will be in a small group session with “Candidate A” this AM. I have prepared to brief her on our land acknowledgement exploration, our discussion of our vision statement & the status of our faculty. I met “Candidate A” when she visited us last year to give a guest lecture. She’s awesome! I hope she feels the same about us.

            Speaking of awesome women, did you meet Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (EJS), former President of Liberia when she visited the WH in 2021? I learned about her today when I investigated “The Elders.” I wish more women were in that esteemed group of former world leaders seeking to end the “existential threats to humanity that require a collective response - the climate crisis, pandemics, & nuclear weapons.”

            EJS says, “nobody is safe until everybody is safe.” She believes we need “a fast-track plan to end fossil fuels.” Best of all, she champions women as vital agents for peace who are too often excluded from conflict resolution negotiations.

            I wish the Elders had sent her to Burma with former U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon to meet Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing & former President Thein Sein. Having a woman on the team would send a strong message.

            As you think about what to do about the terrible situations in Burma & Sudan, please heed EJS’ advice to “ensure women peace-builders receive proper recognition, sustainable financing, & protection.”

            BYBS,