Ambassadors Urge Secretary of State to Put an End to Law that Obstructs Peacebuilding
Former Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs and Ambassador and Representative to the United Nations Thomas Pickering, and former Deputy National Security Advisor and Ambassador to the United Nations Nancy Soderberg, have published an op-ed on CNN's website encouraging Secretary of State John Kerry to sign an order to change a 2010 Supreme Court decision that has hindered peace builders from doing their jobs. In Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project, the Supreme Court decided that "material support" not only included arms and military training, but also support aimed at promoting peace, like training students in conflict resolution through peaceful dialogue. Ambassadors Pickering and Soderberg argue that, having been involved in previous peace negotiations, they value the work of nongovernmental organizations and individuals, who often have more leeway, as they are not constrained by the same politics government officials must consider.