Niles-3/9/10-Conference on the Status of Women and Gun Violence at the U.N

Today, we had a very important conference at the U.N.  We were speaking to people who came to this annual event and this was the first time any teenagers or kids had ever spoken at this event.  It was in Conference Room C in the North Lawn Building.  We were all pretty cool before we got to the building.  We had rehearsed the night before and earlier that day.  But, once we got up there and realized how many people would be there, (around 70) and how important it is, (this being the only conference of this type at the U.N every year) my group and i got nervous.  But, we had practiced many times and were very well prepared for the event.  There were 7  people on the panel that we were on.  These people were somewhat  well known and had been working to help stop gun violence for up to 15 years.  The coolest part of our panel was that all of us panelists brought a different perspective to gun violence.  One women was from Congo and talked their gun violence problems, Another women was from Columbia and talked about their problems, Another was from Guyana and talked about their problems.  Then, the U.N Ambassador for dissarmament affairs spoke and he talked on a worldwide and international scale.  Saying stats and views of people in many different places across the globe.  But, even with all of those esteemed professionals there, and the media surrounding them taking pictures, we seemed to intrigue the pople the most.  It was our perspective, our views, our statistics that seemed to hit home the hardest.  When we spoke we got the loudest appalause because the people around us realized how serious we were about gun violence prevention.  Many people, who were from places overseas that had gun violence problems were surprised to hear about America’s gun violence problems but they do exist and is something tha needs to be adressed by the president, by the Senate, the House, our governors and our mayors.  Because if we dont act now soon there will be no hope to act upon.