Like many of you, I’ve been watching the events of the last week in Iran, and I’ve been feeling a mixture of sadness, anger, and a deep wish that there was more that I could do.  Last century, more than one hundred million people died in wars and violence at the hands of another person.  I don’t know anyone who wants the same to be true when we reach the end of this century.

Here is my wish for every man, woman, and child everywhere.  It's a wish that appears in my book and I call it a Declaration of Independence, one that is truly for all people, of all ages, in all countries.  While it’s written for women, it applies to all of us:

• Live where she wants to live.
• Live how she wants to live.
• Live with whomever she wants to live with.
• Do what makes her happy.
• Not do what makes her unhappy.
• Decide what she does or does not do with her body.
• Never have to use her body for food or survival.
• Keep the money that she earns.
• Earn the same amount of money as her equally-qualified male counterparts.
• Live in a world where she is always respected, valued, cherished, loved, and safe, and is never seen by anyone as an object, possession, or servant.