''Hey, Lady. Where do you think you're going?" As Sister Marie Elena, appropriately wearing her new photo ID, entered the side door of the UN General Assembly building, that was the greeting she expected to hear. In fact, for a whole week, she approached the guarded entrance expecting someone to stop her. Of course, it never really happened. The New York United Nations compound includes three large buildings with numerous offices, meeting rooms, a post office, a library, publication offices, media rooms, three restaurants, a store, several lobbies, a meditation chapel, and 40 floors of winding, unfamiliar corridors. Sister Marie Elena's early months as the first Federation NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) delegate to the UN were spent learning the physical geography, the culture and vocabulary, proper procedures and etiquette, current issues, several pages of acronyms, government representatives and country headquarters, all specific to the UN world.

Sister Marie Elena's only requirement of the Federation, before accepting the NGO position, was that each congregation appoint one liaison to meet semi-annually with her. This would keep her apprised of specific issues of interest and provide a method of keeping the Sisters informed and involved in the mission. The team of liaisons proved invaluable as they provided a clear conduit to the Sisters and gave her vital advice regarding justice issues which impacted their ministries.

At the first NGO issue meeting with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Sister Marie Elena met several other representatives of religious congregations. Finally, she had others to chat with and learn from. The Sisters represented the Josephites, Dominicans, Franciscans, and Loretto Sisters. As each new NGO rep arrived, she/he had to learn the way around the campus individually. So, at the end of her first year, she suggested organizing a monthly meeting of religious NGO reps, which would provide support and camaraderie. They started out with a group of five. By the time Sister Marie Elena completed her term, RUN (Religious at the UN) numbered more than 45 congregations. The purpose of RUN was mutual support and idea-sharing, but not lobbying. For lobbying governments, they each joined with other NGO groups, for example, NGO committees on women, on environment, on human rights, on aging, etc. RUN has provided many of us with long-lasting friendships.

All UN meetings (except those of the Security Council) were open to NGOs affiliated with the DPI. All had access to UN publications and library, participated in monthly information-sharing meetings, and joined officially recognized NGO issue-oriented groups. In return, they were expected to share UN information and programs with their members. Sister Marie Elena soon learned that a higher membership would add to our ability to influence global issues. The Sisters of Charity Federation should apply to be an Economic and Social Council NGO (ECOSOC). The application process required completion of a long questionnaire, accumulating all newsletters from member congregations, a financial report, and an in-person meeting with a government panel of 19 members. At this interview, the NGO applying sat on the stage while the government reps sat in the audience and asked questions. As an ECOSOC affiliate, the Federation served as an initiator of a new NGO committee on Financing for Development, assisted with cancellation of many poor countries' debts, spoke at GA meetings and conferences, wrote UN-published interventions, conducted special workshops for government and NGO delegates, as well as for Federation congregations.