UN Practicum Blog - Laura Briese

Stop. Think. Listen.
Why am I here? It is a question I have been asking myself for the past week.  What am I doing here, at the 57th Commission on the Status of Women, as a practicum participant for WILPF?  If you asked me this question prior to leaving my Iowa City apartment, I would have said I was attending the conference to learn about advocacy through experience and shared goals.  However, when I arrived in New York, after a slew of trying travel arrangements, I was less sure of myself.  And now, four days into the conference, I find myself still grappling with the purpose behind my participation.  As I was reflecting on this idea, I remembered something Sean Southey, a communications specialist said at the NGO Consultation Day event, that we are living in an age of the story.  But what does that mean?
Merriam-Webster defines a story as “a statement regarding the facts pertinent to a situation in the present.”  In this sense, everyone has a story.  Everyone has experiences in their lives that lead them to have certain perceptions and perspectives.  Through the individual connections made through this CSW, the sharing of individual stories, I have finally come to be comfortable in recognizing what I see as my purpose in being here.  Today, I had the incredible privilege of hearing the stories of Mia and Eran, two Israeli citizens who spoke of their experiences in Israel in regards to the Israel-Palestine situation.  These two people shared their experiences so openly, and in such a heartfelt manner, that I can only be in awe of their willingness to share their amazing activist work.  Their stories are just two of the most recent stories that I have had the incredible privilege of hearing this past week, from the individual stories of my courageous fellow practicum/ faculty members to those of the people I have participated in sessions with.  I have come to realize now, perhaps more than at any other point in my life that everyone has their own story, their own experience that instills in them a drive, a desire, a passion for change. 
So often, it seems, that we get so caught up in our own agendas, in doing the work that we deem to be of utmost importance and urgency that we fail to recognize the equivalent value that others place on their own work.  Whether that means in conversation, in workshops, or in menial interactions, each of us has a story to tell.  We all carry our personal challenges and stories into our everyday interactions.  The person who shares a strong opinion may have personal experience with a particular issue; the person who sits silently may not be ready to confront their own challenges with an issue because the wound may be too recent.  These life experiences create our stories.  They allow us to create perspectives and grow.  By sharing our experiences, we can learn from each other, and appreciate each others’ pain. Not only that, but we can work together to ensure that others need not experience the same pain.  Sean was saying that we each have a story to tell.  And I believe that to be entirely true.  By truly taking the time to listen to each others’ stories, and consider the individual perspective of those we encounter, we can be so much more responsive to the world around us.  If we can do this on an individual level, imagine how responsive we could be to the needs of the world on a political level.  If we truly take the time to listen, imagine how much of a voice can be given, and be heard, if we really stop and make the effort.  If we each just committed to make a conscious effort to listen, imagine how different the world could be.  Imagine what the world would look like.  Take a moment.  Imagine the possibilities.  Stop. Think. Listen.
 
Laura Briese

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