Today I took an earlier bus to WSBA to host the webcast Comparative Human Rights: Tanzania, featuring Anna Henga of the Legal and Human Rights Centre. This was organized by other Section members; my job was to introduce the speaker, ask questions at the end, and generally be available for issues.
There were no issues. The technology people had everything set up and the Sections Liaison was at the door at the appointed time to let me in (as the WSBA wasn't open until 8am.) The speaker had a lot of interesting things to say and the audience (although small by our standards) provided plenty of good questions to ask. The only stumble - and it was a small one - was that when one question asked what we as Americans could do to help Tanzania with their human rights issues, I felt obliged to preface my remarks with a comment that we needed to make this offer with humility since (A) much of Henga's presentation dealth with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which the USA has not yet ratified, and (B) must of the rest concerned Female Genital Mutilation which is illegal nationwide in Tanzania but not in parts of the USA (the federal statute having been recently struck down on the idiotic basis that it is not a matter of interstate commerce). My point being both complicated and unexpected - who expects humility from an American discussing human rights? - I think it was lost but we got the conversation back on track and I feel that 89 of the 90 minutes were truly great.
I'm better at this than I was last year, if only because I've learned from Toastmasters to speak more slowly and to use pauses.
Back at home I worked on cleaning house a bit. I am resolved to get the living into a condition that will allow for visitors; I'm not sure whether this will involve buying furniture but it certainly requires getting rid of a lot of detritus. Fortunately Buy Nothing Highland Park is ready to help me move on things I no longer need, and if no one takes them by Monday I'll try St. Vinnie's.
I also rested and played with the cats, which is important.
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