News

UNA-NCA is committed to connecting members to global and local resources in support of Afghan refugees and the ongoing crisis. The mission of our organization is to bring global activism and policy change to the local level, and in doing so, build a stronger and unified world.

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By Anna Garbar, UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee Co-Chair

SMYAL is a DC-based local organization that works to support and empower LGBTQ youth. Through youth leadership, SMYAL creates opportunities for LGBTQ youth to build self-confidence, develop critical life skills, and engage their peers and community through service and advocacy. SMYAL’s programming is free of charge for participants. To learn more about SMYAL’s mission and how to get involved, click here.

Like many staff members in the organization, both Hancie and Sultan have a strong personal connection to the organization’s mission. They both believe in giving back to the community by showing young people that there is a place for them in this city.

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An Essay by Lynn Sicade

When 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?

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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;

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Former First Lady’s 137th Birthday & Legacy Celebrated

By UNA-NCA’s Human Rights Committee Members Shuyang Wang and Ian Sloan

On 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.

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By Nakita Laiteng, Member, UNA-NCA Human Rights Committee

On 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.

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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.

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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 Norris

By 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.

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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.

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By Adam Wolf, Chuck Wooldridge, Pauline Placide, Patrick Realiza and Micayla Costa

Organized 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.

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