News
The Latest from UNA-NCA
November 30, 2022
UNA-NCA to Grant Perdita Huston Human Rights Award to Human Rights Activist and Founder of Kakenya's Dream
By Catey Vera, UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee ChairI had the honor of sitting down last month to speak to human rights champion Dr. Kakenya Ntaiya, founder and president of “Kakenya’s Dream,” a non-profit dedicated to educating girls in Kenya and ending harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation. We discussed her incredible story, her journey to human rights advocacy, and her hopes for the future.
November 23, 2022
UNA-NCA to Grant Emerging Human Rights Leader Award to Zimbabwean Scholar and Human Rights Activist
By A. Edward Elmendorf, Past President, UNA-NCAAt its annual celebration of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 9, UNA-NCA will honor Dr. Kelebogile Zvobgo as an Emerging Human Rights Leader. Her distinguished record of scholarship, media appearances, and advocacy make clear that Dr. Zvobgo is more than an emerging human rights leader: She is one already! Her name tells us a lot in the languages of Southern Africa: Kelebogile means “I am grateful'' in the Setswana language, and Zvobgo means “That which has always been” in the Shona language.
November 14, 2022
Louis B. Sohn Human Rights Award Honoree
By Catey Vera, UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee Co-Chair
I had the honor of sitting down last month with Yale Law’s Sterling Professor of International Law, Professor Harold Hongju Koh, to discuss his family, his journey to human rights advocacy, and his advice for the next generation of activists.
October 26, 2022
By Olivia Hille, UNA-NCA Graduate Fellows Program Assistant
On Wednesday, October 26th, Ambassador Jacques Pitteloud, Ambassador of Switzerland to the United States, hosted UNA-NCA and Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security, to discuss global solutions, global goals of peace, and Sustainable Development Goal 16 (SGD #16).
October 20, 2022
By Ian Sloan, UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee Member
On October 20th, 2022, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m., UNA-NCA’s Human Rights Committee hosted a celebration of Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s 138th birthday. This year’s celebration included a warm welcome from UNA-NCA’s Board Chair Jill Christianson, heartwarming speeches from Eleanor through uncovered footage and a recorded speech by Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton, and breakout room interactions throughout the night. In the third consecutive year of the celebration being virtual, the Human Rights Committee highlighted the Former First Lady’s impact on human rights protection and advocacy efforts.
October 19, 2022
By Abby Garmon, UNA-NCA Program Assistant
On Tuesday, October 11th, UNA-NCA welcomed panelists Oksana Horbunova and Gayatri Patel to discuss the humanitarian impacts of the War in Ukraine, specifically the impact on refugees and migrants. Paula Boland, President of UNA-NCA, began the discussion with a brief welcome to the panelists and audience members. She then introduced the event’s moderator, human rights attorney, Amanda Molina. In Ms. Molina’s brief description of the two panelists, she highlighted the achievements and contributions each has made to the humanitarian efforts in Ukraine. In the discussion that followed, Oksana Horbunova, a Ukrainian anti-trafficking activist, and Gayatri Patel, Vice President of Advocacy and External Relations at the Women’s Refugee Commission and Vice Chair of Advocacy at UNA-NCA, each provided important insight into the Ukrainian War, discussing themes of international cooperation, gender, and economics.
October 13, 2022
A Success for the Global Fund, for the United Nations, for the United States, and for UNA-NCA
By A. Edward Elmendorf, former Lead Health Specialist, World Bank, and Past President, UNA-NCAWhile the real winners in the 7th Replenishment of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria are the millions of marginalized people who will be enabled to survive and thrive around the world, the September 21 Replenishment Conference held in New York City was a great success, for the Global Fund, for the United Nations, for the United States, and for UNA-NCA. Why?
September 21, 2022
Making Sense of the Chaos
By Areej Zulfiqar, UNA-NCA Assistant to the PresidentIn a recent video message, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said, "Pakistani people are facing a monsoon on steroids—the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding." And during a field visit in Pakistan, he further emphasizes the urgency of developed countries providing financial support to Pakistan, the need to reflect on the global treatment of nature, and accept the reality of limited resources.
September 8, 2022
An address by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the UN, in San Francisco made remarks before a small audience, followed by a moderated conversation.
August 24, 2022
DHS Equity Action Plan: A Community Listening Session
By Areej Zulfiqar, Assistant to the PresidentThe Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Equity Task Force & Office for Civil Rights & Civil Liberties (CRCL), in collaboration with the Office for Partnerships & Engagement (OPE), and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), joined DHS senior leadership in a virtual community stakeholder listening session earlier this week to discuss the Equity Action Plan. Several UNA-NCA members and staff virtually attended for an opportunity to participate in a collaborative discussion, expressing their concerns, suggestions, and criticisms while also having the opportunity to ask questions.
