Tom Miller |
The President’s Corner:
Dear UNA-USA Members:
I want to let you know that March 15, 2010, will be my last day at UNA-USA as I relinquish my position as president and chief executive and take up a new post with a different organization in Washington.
Read more.
 Peacekeeping Doubles Its Female Mission Chiefs,
From One to Two
By Barbara Crossette
In the annals of the UN, the names of women at the top of peacekeeping missions are few and far between. After more than half a century, there are still only two among the top civilians coordinating 16 major missions around the world, working as special representatives of the secretary-general. Read more.
Afghans work on road construction under the auspices of the World Food Program’s food-for-work project, which also includes fixing irrigation canals, ponds and water channels. UN Photo/WFP
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By Irwin Arieff
The global economy may still be drifting downward, but at the United Nations, spending and jobs are on the rise. Read more.
United Nations Headquarters garden on a snowy day in New York City. UN Photo/Mark Garten |
US Public to UN: We Support You But Do Better
By John Washburn
Americans told the United Nations in Gallup Poll results released on Feb.19 that the UN must do better. Only 31 percent of the respondents thought that the international body is “doing a good job,” up from 26 percent the previous year, marking the highest approval rating since 2005, when George W. Bush was president. Read more.
Featured Video: Video Message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the occasion of International Women's Day 2010.
Courtesy of  Advocacy News
Members in the Media
UNA-USA members from across the country are actively engaging others in discussion about the UN by writing opinion pieces and letters to the editor for their local newspapers and publications. Recent letters to the editor cover UN efforts in Haiti, US-UN funding and other subjects. Also included are tips on how to write opinion letters and letters to the editor, work with the media, and find your local media outlets. Read more.
News and Notes 
Anthony Lake
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US Proposes Anthony Lake for Unicef Post
By Dulcie Leimbach
Anthony Lake, a foreign policy expert for the United States and currently a distinguished professor in the practice of diplomacy at Georgetown University, has been backed by the US government to become the next executive director of Unicef. Read more.
Women who returned to their hometown of Louboutigue, Chad, talk to UN representatives. UN Photo. |
Cities, Where Half the World Calls Home
By Elsie Akwara
The World Urban Forum’s biannual conference this month in Rio de Janeiro will circle around a theme that never goes away: the life of the city in all its permutations. Given that half the world’s population lives in towns and cities, and that in the next 50 years, two-thirds are projected to reside in these areas, cities will surely become ever more complicated. Read more.
In the Field:
The United Nations Association
of the USA
UNA-USA’s Members Day Tackles Thorny Subjects
By Roger Nokes
More than 550 members and prospective members of UNA- USA convened on Feb. 19 at the UN for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference and 2010 UNA-USA Member's Day. The occasion was organized by members of the UNA-USA Southern New York State Division as well as other members from the mid-Atlantic region. This year's event was titled "A Year of Crises: Opportunities for Change," a theme that framed the conversations between panelists and the audience, who discussed Afghanistan, the global economy and nuclear proliferation, among other issues. Read more.
Students from Global Classrooms Los Angeles with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. |
Students from Global Classrooms Los Angeles program met UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at the Global Creative Forum on March 1. The daylong event brought together United Nations officials with leaders from the entertainment industry and featured discussions on how empowering women is crucial for achieving global peace and prosperity and the critical role that the artistic community can play in helping the UN achieve the Millennium Development Goals.
Ban gave students from Carson High School, Lawrence Middle school and the International Studies Learning Center, all in the Los Angeles Unified School District, a pep talk for their upcoming Model UN conference on March 5 at UCLA. The secretary-general also wished them luck in the debates and told them "you are the world's future leaders, and I have great faith that you will one day help solve many of today's global issues."
View the Complete UNA-USA Calendar
UNA-USA's Grassroots Voices
UNA-USA's Grassroots Voices is a forum for UNA members to voice their opinions on a wide range of subjects concerning US foreign policy and the United Nations.
Submissions are judged on the quality of the writing, supporting materials and other criteria, outlined in the author's guide, available below. Submissions are accepted on a rolling basis and edited at the discretion of UNA-USA. Please read the author's guide for more details.
To respond to writers in Grassroots Voices, please e-mail your letters, no more than 150 words, to Roger Nokes, Coordinator of Chapter Relations, rnokes@unausa.org, with your name, address and phone number.
Letters may be selected for publication in future Grassroots Voices but may be edited for space constraints.
The views expressed in this E-Newsletter do not necessarily represent those of the United Nations Association of the USA. | March - July
"UNA-USA Membership Drive"
Help UNA-USA reach more Americans by participating in our 2010 Membership Drive. UNA's chapters and divisions and individual members are invited to create personal membership drive Web pages to track their recruitment efforts. On July 1, UNA will tally the results and offer our top participants exclusive membership benefits -- ranging from recognition in UNA-USA publications to $500 chapter development grants. For more information on the drive and membership resources, please click here.
March 10
“Crisis of Character: Building Corporate Reputation in the Age of Skepticism,” a book launch by United Nations University; 3 to 5 p.m., Conference Room E, Temporary North Lawn Building. For more information, click here.
March 11
“CEDAW and the Beijing Platform for Action: Empowering Women,” a Council of Organizations (UNA-USA) event featuring Ann Warner of the International Center for Research on Women and June Zeitlin of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. At the Church Center for the UN, 10th floor conference room, 777 UN Plaza (44th St. and 1st Avenue); 2 to 3:30 p.m. Register: jhartl@unausa.org; 202-462-3446, ext. 12.
March 11
“Water for a Healthy World: The Challenges of Producing Clean Water,” a DPI/NGO briefing at UN Headquarters, New York (location to be determined); 10:15 a.m. to noon. Information: un.org/dpi/ngosection or 212-963-7233.
March 11
“Broadcasting in UN Blue, The Unexamined Past and Uncertain Future of Peacekeeping Radio,” a lunch discussion of the book by Bill Orme. Featuring the author and others; presented by the Center for International Media Assistance at the National Endowment for Democracy; noon to 2 p.m., 1025 F Street, NW, Suite 800, Washington. RSVP: IMA@ned.org.
March 22
World Water Day, featuring international events, including “The World’s Longest Toilet Queue,” organized by the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council and other groups. Information: www.worldtoiletqueue.org and worldwaterday.org.
March 25
“The Year Ahead in US-UN Relations,” a Council of Organizations (UNA-USA) event featuring Minh-Thu Pham of Better World Campaign. At the Church Center for the UN, 777 UN Plaza (44th Street and 1st Avenue), 2nd Floor Conference Room; 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. Register: jhartl@unausa.org;
March 25
“International Careers With the US Government,” a Center for Global Affairs/New York University program. Featuring representatives from the US Mission to the UN (Press and Diplomacy Section); Peace Corps; and State Department (Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues); 15 Barclay Street, 4th floor 6:30 to 7:45 p.m.; free. Register at scps.global.affairs@nyu.edu or 212-992-8380.
Write to Us
We'd like to hear your thoughts on current world events, US-UN relations and the UN at work.
Email us at publications@unausa.org or write to the editor:
Dulcie Leimbach
dleimbach@unausa.org
International Day Observances:
March 8
International Women's Day
March 21
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
March 22
World Day for Water
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