To the New Secretary of State,

The United States, like any good doctor helps to lower the pain level of the patients. Same goes for any good government, US government must lower the pain level of the world if they can. You can use the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, protective statues and covenants to bolster the country’s pro human rights efforts. To you personally, I want you to be the best ever to serve in this capacity.

An overall policy could be to lead with a woman’s human right policy. If successful, in any way, that policy will advance all the other rights in some significant way.

Stick to the no torture rule and avoid serious damage to the USA. When drone strikes are fired, be sure the numbers of innocents killed are recorded and made public.

Get out of the civil war in Yemen. Feed Yemen rather than attack. Bring Iran back into the six-nation agreement to stop their nuclear capacity. Seek a cooling off period between the Sunni/Shite tensions through diplomacy.

Keep a sticky note on your computer to keep a list with the top ten nations with the highest number of political prisoners. Support and visit dissidents when you visit a nation as a matter of course especially in Russia.

In Asia, seek to protect the status quo of Taiwan and Hong Kong. Push China to ease the pressures on the Uighurs. The Rohingya of Myanmar should be given a real path to be able to return home from their exile next door.

Reinvest into the two-state solution for the Israeli and Palestinian conflict. Both nations need to be secure and safe.

Bring friendlier nations closer to the USA and find some new friends if you can to help as well. Use soft power when and where you can.

Set up a special desk in the Latin American division to help the indigenous peoples of all the Americas to receive better treatment from their governments.

Provide support in southern Africa to a viable economic region of agriculture, tourism and manufacturing.

Have a strong Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights; someone of stature and listened to her/him daily. Ask President Biden to print the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the American passport.

While I could go on, I just want to wish you luck with the new gig. Lowering the pain level of the world is worth thinking about. I hope these suggestions get you going in that direction.

Good luck and God bless.

Jack Healey

Human Rights Action Center