Aung San Suu Kyi, and other stories from the San Francisco Freedom Forum

SAN FRANCISCO — I am here at the San Francisco Freedom Forum, which is one of a host of forums around the world sponsored by the Human Rights Foundation. Tonight the Freedom Forum is honoring Burmese opposition leader Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for her work in helping Burma make a transition to democracy. There is still much work to do, as she is expected to share tonight in her speech.
The all-day conference here will include many great heroes around the world fighting for freedom, including Egyptian journalist Mona Eltahawy, Iranian author and prisoner of conscience Marina Nemat, and Russian democracy activist Garry Kasparov.
I will try to send a stream of posts to offer some of the insights and amazing stories of the people who are here to be honored by the Freedom Forum and share their stories. Others who have been honored include Somaly Mam, who was forced into prostitution as a child in Cambodia and established an NGO to help other victims and survivors. And my friend Ahmed al Omran, who I first met at Columbia Journalism School. He writes the Saudi Jeans blog and is a passionate advocate for rights in Saudi Arabia. Another honoree is Urmila Chaudhary, a Nepalese women's rights activist who is fighting against a form of indentured servitude in Nepal known as 'kamalari."
There are so many stories to tell and so little time. But I will do my best to bring you inside this extraordinary and important gathering.
More from GlobalPost: Opening up to Myanmar: Proceed with caution to protect the people
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/commentary/opening-myanmar-proceed-caution-protect-the-people