I walked by the White House today. Since I work in Washington for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, that’s not unusual. But today was special.
I had just come from a briefing sponsored by the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign about the impact of the Presidential Election on foreign policy—particularly international development and humanitarian issues. The White House was very much on my mind as I walked up Pennsylvania Avenue.
When I got to the White House, I saw hundreds of people gathered outside—a diverse crowd of individuals of all descriptions, including visitors from other countries. They were there because—inside the White House at that very moment—the current and future First Families were meeting to discuss the transition to the new Administration. President-elect Obama and his wife Michelle also were seeing the new quarters they will be occupying after January 20, 2009.
As a Washington veteran, I’ve been by the White House many times, but I couldn’t miss the excitement of this occasion. In the cool autumn air, you could feel the anticipation, the energy, and, yes, the hope of the people pressing against the fence. Behind us, workers were building the stands where President Obama will review the Inaugural Parade in just a few weeks. Physical reminders of the transition surrounded us.
We didn’t get to see the President-elect today, but we were reminded that we live in a time of transition—and a time of opportunity. Having just come from a foreign policy discussion, the scene outside the White House underscored for me the need for all of us to ask our new President to take the lead for the world’s children through a Presidential Initiative to Accelerate Child Survival.
So please, use this moment of transition to tell President-elect Obama that the world's children need his leadership too. Put your name on the line for child survival. Sign the petition today.
