News
The Latest from UNA-NCA
July 22, 2020
By Henry Webster-Mellon, UNA-NCA Program AssistantOn Tuesday, July 7, UNA-NCA and New Story Leadership (NSL), a non-profit committed to bridging the cultural and political divide between Israeli and Palestinian young leaders, convened a panel of four young Palestinian and Israeli leaders as well as over 80 guests to consider the status of Israeli-Palestinian conflict and explore what role of the United Nations should play in the peacebuilding process.
July 20, 2020
As we commemorated Nelson Mandela International Day on July 18th, another champion and advocate for human rights left this nation and earth. Throughout his life, Congressman John Lewis was an example of someone who truly walked the talk and was deeply committed to social justice and equity, helping shape the civil rights movement and keeping it alive until today.
July 9, 2020
The Partnership for Transparency (PTF) and the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA) jointly hosted a virtual forum on July 1, 2020. The purpose was to investigate sextortion, a pervasive yet underreported and underrepresented form of corruption and gender-based violence.
June 24, 2020
Although the pandemic has restricted the ability of the Global Classrooms DC team to host in-person Model UN sessions, our leaders of tomorrow remain committed to solving today’s global issues.
June 4, 2020
By Stephen F. Moseley, President, UNA-NCADear Friends, We had planned that this year, the 75th anniversary of the UN, 2020 would be an opportunity to review the organization’s history and progress since its establishment in 1945 at the end of the Second World War. There is much to celebrate across the UN’s past 75 years: the maintenance of peace and security, the promotion of social and economic development, the championing of human rights, and now its ability to commune nations so that they may collectively address the challenge of climate change. On the occasion of the UN’s 75th anniversary, the UN Secretary General has called upon the world’s citizens and leaders alike to review and recommend the ways to strengthen the UN between 2020 and 2050.
June 2, 2020
This has been a traumatic week for our nation. We write to you today to both reflect on these national tragedies and reaffirm our commitment to the safety and well-being of our members and community. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and so many others have brought to the surface racial inequities that continue to impact our society. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionately devastating impact on the health and economic status of our communities of color. It has also confirmed what we already knew—that deep racial disparities continue to exist in our nation.
June 1, 2020
by Hon. Teta V. Banks, Ed.D. Chair, National Council United Nations Association of the USA Member, World Federation of UNAs
The United Nations Association of the United States of America extends our condolences to the family of George Floyd and all other victims of racial violence. As we advocate for human rights, we condemn those who deny those rights to any men and women - in this case, to men and women and children based upon the color of their skin. The protests, demonstrations, and riots we now see in the streets of our nation are demands for justice and change. The cry, once again, is “No justice, No peace.” While we advocate for civic action, we know that violence begets violence. However, we also know, as Dr. King stated that “violence is the language of the unheard.” And we know that the struggle for civil rights in America has continued into the 21st century.
May 21, 2020
Despite the cancellation of the Spring 2020 Model UN Conference, Global Classrooms DC has remained committed to providing global education engagement opportunities for their network. In the effort to adapt, the GCDC team hosted a virtual Professional Development (PD) session via Zoom on May 14th for educators involved in the GCDC program. The PD session typically happens during the Spring Conference, and serves as an open forum for educators to build skills relevant to their Model UN programs.
May 19, 2020
On April 27th, the 2020 cohort of UNA-NCA Graduate Fellows completed their semester-long examination of the United Nations system and its role in addressing the pressing global issues of our time. Led by UNA-NCA’s Nancy Donaldson, Tom Bradley, Soonhoon Ahn, and Ed Elmendorf, the 23 Graduate Fellows, hailing from twelve countries and nine universities, examined various global issues from the perspective of the UN, participated in weekly conversations with UN thought leaders, and collaborated with Soonhoon and volunteer mentors on their professional development.
May 18, 2020
Late last year (2019), UNA-NCA’s Board of Directors appointed a Bylaws Task Force to review the organization’s Bylaws and provide recommendations to ensure one of the organization’s governing documents reflected current and best practices (the Bylaws were last amended in June 2015). The review was also necessitated by a desire to update position descriptions and titles of the President and Executive Director to better reflect their roles, as well as reflect practices of similar organizations. In addition, UNA-USA had recommended several changes as part of their chapter review that required updating. UNA-NCA’s Board of Directors reviewed several iterations of the Bylaws revisions, providing feedback and recommendations throughout the process, and strongly endorses the amendments before you.
