News
The Latest from UNA-NCA
November 1, 2021
An Essay by Lynn SicadeWhen the UNA-USA DC chapter called to inform me I had been selected for the Tex Harris award, they also asked for a piece of writing to include in the program. It is not an exaggeration to say they were surprised when I asked if they could use a UN resolution rather than a journal or academic piece. I could be mistaken, but I think they were even more surprised to learn that I have not published a piece. So as an alternative they asked that a piece be written about my journey. How does one write about their journey? Where to start?
October 22, 2021
Creating A Blueprint For A Better Future
Whereas, 2021 marks the 76th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations since the Charter was signed in San Francisco on June 26, 1945, and came into force on October 24, 1945;
October 21, 2021
Former First Lady’s 137th Birthday & Legacy Celebrated
By UNA-NCA’s Human Rights Committee Members Shuyang Wang and Ian SloanOn October 13th, 2021, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., the UNA-NCA’s Human Rights Committee hosted a celebration of Former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s 137th birthday. With a warm welcome from UNA-NCA’s President Paula Boland, tributes from guest speakers, and breakout room interactions throughout the night, this event celebrated Eleanor’s impact on human rights protection and advocacy efforts for the second consecutive year via Zoom.
September 30, 2021
By Nakita Laiteng, Member, UNA-NCA Human Rights CommitteeOn Tuesday, September 21, UNA-NCA, through its Human Rights Committee, hosted a virtual conversation on “Human Rights in the Practice of Diplomacy”. The event welcomed current UNA-NCA members for an exclusive off-the-record conversation. The featured speakers were a US Foreign Service Officer employed by the State Department and a Regional Representative working for the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights.
September 23, 2021
UNA-NCA is a bridge—between constituents and Congressional affiliates, between change and changemakers, and between global and local goals.UNA-NCA’s advocacy work is underpinned by an enrichment and empowerment of local stakeholders and advocates seeking to advance the universal principles of rights and dignity for all persons, citing the Global Goals for Sustainable Development (SDGs) as a framework for engagement and evaluation. Local partners and levels of government possess a uniquely advantageous flexibility and network to support advancement of SDGs at city-level; as such, cities across the United States have begun to assess the status of their local goals and social policies through the SDG framework.
September 8, 2021
A Review of The Enduring Struggle – The History of the U.S. Agency for International Development and America’s Uneasy Transformation of the World, by John NorrisBy A. Edward Elmendorf and Richard Seifman, Members, UNA-NCA Board of Directors
This is an important book for those who care about the world, and the role of the United States and the United Nations in our common future. Commissioned by the USAID Alumni Association which instructed the chosen author, John Norris, to produce an independent and unvarnished assessment of American foreign assistance, both good and bad. The book does this and could not be more timely.
August 26, 2021
This Sunday, August 29, is the annual International Day against Nuclear Tests, a day designated by the United Nations General Assembly to increase awareness about the devastating effects nuclear testing poses to humans, animals, and the environment. The day is an opportunity for civil society activism to drive global action on nuclear disarmament and a nuclear-weapons-free world.
August 24, 2021
By Adam Wolf, Chuck Wooldridge, Pauline Placide, Patrick Realiza and Micayla CostaOrganized by the UNA-NCA Peace and Security Committee in partnership with the UNA-NCA International Law Committee and All Souls Church, Unitarian of Washington, DC
“The voices of civil society continue to form important conversations on nuclear disarmament to this day.” - René Holbach, United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs (UNODA)
The United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA), through its Peace and Security Committee and International Law Committee, hosted a panel discussion, entitled “Toward a Nuclear Weapons-Free World: Ethics, Social Justice, and Civil Society Activism” on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, in partnership with All Souls Church, Unitarian of Washington, DC. The event took place virtually and welcomed panelists and participants from across the United States and Japan. The panel was moderated by Mr. Melvin Hardy, President of the Millennium Arts Salon, and Ms. Karen Mulhauser, UNA-NCA Past President and UNA-USA Past National Council Chair.
August 11, 2021
The Arms Control Association estimates that 13,500 nuclear weapons are still stockpiled in military arsenals, enough to destroy the world several times over. Despite the potentially catastrophic immediate and long-term humanitarian consequences these weapons pose, efforts to disarm them have become stalled. However, after many years of negotiation, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into force in January 2021, setting the stage to alter the global nuclear landscape and change how the United States and other nuclear powers not party to the TPNW will interact with the treaty’s supporters.
July 28, 2021
By Hank Burke-Manwaring, UNA-NCA Program AssistantOn Tuesday July 20th, UNA-NCA, in collaboration with Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) held a moderated panel discussion that delved into expectations of the Biden-Harris Administration’s approach to foreign policy and international organizations such as the United Nations. The Panelists also reflected on Biden’s successes since his inauguration.