Tina Butler: Getting to Know the Irish - Who is Samantha Power?

She is an author, journalist, diplomat, human rights scholar and served as the 28th United States Ambassador to the United Nations. She was born in London but raised in Dublin until she was nine and then her family emigrated to Pennsylvania.

Power holds degrees from Harvard Law school (Mass.) & from Yale University (Ct.) She is described as courageous, intelligent, compassionate, ambitious, driven & a woman of integrity. Power began her career as a war correspondent covering the Yugoslav Wars before starting an academic career. She was the executive director of the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School where she later served first Anna Lindh Professor of Global leadership and Public policy. She was an advisor to Senator Barack Obama. Power joined the Obama State Department transition, she served as Special Assistant to the President for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights on the National Security Council.

To give some background on the United Nations. It is a global organization that aims to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations & achieve international cooperation. It aims to protect human rights, deliver aid and uphold international law. It is the largest international organization in the world. The UN headquarters is in NYC and other main offices are in Geneva, Switzerland, and The Netherlands.

The UN was established after WW II with the aim of preventing future wars. The world has seen wars after WW II unfortunately. (Bosnian war, Iraq war, Korean war etc.) In 1945, 50 governments met for a conference and drafted the UN. UN membership grew significantly following widespread decolonization. Since then, 80 former colonies have gained independence.

The UN specialized agencies include the World Bank, the World Health Org, the World Food program, UNESCO and UNICEF. UN’s chief administrative officer is the, Secretary General currently Portuguese politician and diplomat Antonio Guterres. The current United States Ambassador to the UN is Kelly Croft from Kentucky.

The UN has won many peace prizes and several Nations benefit from the UN. However, some people say the UN is corrupt and not making a big difference in the world or that they don’t do what they claim they do. A few weeks ago, Ireland won a seat on the United Nations security council. It is well deserved because Ireland for a small Nation has contributed enormously to the U.N.’s peacekeeping mission around the world.

In 2016 Power was listed as the 41st most powerful woman in the world by Forbes. This past January Power was honored at “Nollaig na mBan event, Women’s leadership in Boston. Power is a subject of the documentary “Watchers of the sky” a documentary about the prevention of genocide. Other documentaries Power is a part of include, The Final year, The Armenian Genocide & Sergio. (about UN diplomat Sergio Viera de Mello. Books by Power, “A Problem from Hell”, “Chasing the Flame”, & “The Education of an Idealist ~A Memoir”.

I want to say go raibh mile maith agat Your Excellency Madam Ambassador Samantha Power for your work & being a role model to so many in the States, Ireland & around the world. Spreagann tu go bhfuil aon rud indeanta. (you inspire that anything is possible.)  

Gaelic for the Month
Author-udar
Humanitarian-daonnuil
United Nations-Na Naisiuin Aontaithe

“History is laden with belligerent leaders using humanitarian rhetoric to mask geopolitical aims. History also shows how often ill-informed moralism has led to foreign entanglements that do more harm than good.” Samantha Power

“Countries that intervene militarily rarely do so out of pure altruism.” Samantha Power

“When dictators feel their support slipping among adults, it is not unusual for them to alter school textbooks in the hope of enlisting impressionable youths in their cause.” Samantha Power

I would like to wish my parents, Tom & Mary Butler a very Happy 52nd Wedding Anniversary, I hope they have many more special years ahead.

I would also like to say Happy 3rd Anniversary to my darling husband Mike, you are my daily dose of sunshine. “So, I love you because the entire universe conspired to help me find you.” Paul Coelho

If you have any questions/comments, please find me at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.