Dawn Breaker's Reflections

The emergency Summit of the Americas which took place last week in Monterey, Mexico, drew the divided attention of the press worldwide; news stories from around the world after the closing of this historic event were as diverse as the group of leaders from 34 nations that met for this emergency Summit. While some leaders left the Summit feeling victorious, others left feeling conspired against and oppressed. Individual leaders from some countries used the Summit to promote their personal political agendas or their unilateral or bilateral relations with other nations, while others used the Summit as a platform to further develop multilateral trade, economic and political alliances, and yet others came to the Summit with the objective of promoting the inclusion of social and economic issues in the agenda of the Organization of American States (OAS).

At the conclusion of the Summit, some were quick to criticize the vagueness and general parameters of the final declaration signed by all 34 American leaders and point out the disunity among them over several key clauses in the declaration, while others declared this Summit a great victory and a major stepping stone towards a more united Western Hemisphere despite the many obstacles that were present, such as disagreement over the establishment of the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), or the inclusion of social and economic issues on the agenda of the OAS, or the exclusion of Cuba from the Summit, among many other controversial issues.

IMHO, regardless of whether the Summit is viewed as having been all protocol or fruitful to any given measure, it will be remembered as a historical gathering of leaders which succeeded in bringing the issues of international justice, fairness and equity to the table for discussion, and in obtaining commitment from all leaders to the future establishment of free trade, raised health and economic standards, and international legislation to address issues that do not respect boundaries such as international drug traficking, terrorism, HIV/AIDS, or institutionalized corruption. Regardless of the apparent rifts in patterns of thought and differing opinions that were present, the simple fact that the leaders of all of these 34 nations willfully came together to the table to address what they believed was important for their nations individually and collectively, and addressed these issues together in a civilized and orderly manner, is an important step in the Western hemisphere toward the eventual political, economic, social and spiritual unity of its peoples. As the frequency and geographical spread of these types of Summits increases throughout the world, we will begin to observe the power of the light of unity.

To close this post, a quote from The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah to the Presidents and Rulers of the Republics of America:


Hearken ye, O Rulers of America and the Presidents of the Republics therein, unto that which the Dove is warbling on the Branch of Eternity: There is none other God but Me, the Ever-Abiding, the Forgiving, the All-Bountiful. Adorn ye the temple of dominion with the ornament of justice and of the fear of God, and its head with the crown of the remembrance of your Lord, the Creator of the heavens. Thus counselleth you He Who is the Dayspring of Names, as bidden by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. The Promised One hath appeared in this glorified Station, whereat all beings, both seen and unseen, have rejoiced. Take ye advantage of the Day of God. Verily, to meet Him is better for you than all that whereon the sun shineth, could ye but know it. O concourse of rulers! Give ear unto that which hath been raised from the Dayspring of Grandeur: Verily, there is none other God but Me, the Lord of Utterance, the All-Knowing. Bind ye the broken with the hands of justice, and crush the oppressor who flourisheth with the rod of the commandments of your Lord, the Ordainer, the All-Wise.

Baha'u'llah, The Proclamation of Baha'u'llah