I was put behind bars yesterday my friends, and I can tell you that even for those few minutes while photographers snapped, it didn't feel very pleasant. I sat in my 'cell' with youth delegates and Socialist International President and former foreign minister of Greece, George Papandreou. In our hands, placards depicting the images of our friends, imprisoned civil society activists from around the world. As I mentioned yesterday in my column, this was part of a wider campaign to remind the Assembly and the wider world of the plight faced by our colleagues and calling for their immediate release.

Not known for my musical talents, I found myself carried along last night on the crest of a choral wave. At the end of another long but highly stimulating day of discussion, debate and dialogue at the World Assembly, the words of a new piece of music rang especially true. As I sang the lyrics about hope in the requiem penned by my colleague Sylvia Borren from Oxfam Novib, I felt rejuvenated by the energy one gets from joint action, from acting together. The performance has been captured on video, just like our plenaries and some other events.