A membership program of the UN Foundation, the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is dedicated to building understanding of and support for the ideals and work of the UN among the American people. The United Nations Association Southern New York State Division (UNASNY) comprises all chapters and members-at-large in the five boroughs of New York City and in the counties of Columbia, Dutchess, Greene, Nassau, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Suffolk, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester.
UNA Brooklyn UNA Mid-Hudson Valley UNA New York City (Manhattan) UNA Westchester
UNA Bronx Chapter UNA Long Island Organizing Group
UNA Brooklyn UNA Mid-Hudson Valley UNA New York City (Manhattan) UNA Westchester
UNA Bronx Chapter UNA Long Island Organizing Group
Committees and groups associated with the Division are:
UNA-SNY Young Professionals
Council of Organizations
UNA Queens Committee
UNA-SNY Young Professionals
Council of Organizations
UNA Queens Committee
2023
January 2023
Martin Luther King Day postponed to
February 2023, Black History Month -
details to come.
Exploring Racism as a Public Health Issue
Dear Everyone,
We have to postpone our January 12 meeting. We want to be able to include two Congressional representatives, as planned. The start of the 118th Congress has been complicated. We will get back to you with a new date as soon as we can. Dr. Alexandria Connelly, VP Education, is leading the team arranging this program.
2021
November-December 2021
2022-2023 Board Officer and Member Nominations
Through discussions, partnerships, and action-oriented initiatives, UNA Southern New York State Division offers its members a platform for education, advocacy, professional development in international affairs, and the opportunity to volunteer in international service. UNA-SNY, an organization aimed at educating the American public about the invaluable work of the United Nations by raising funds and carrying out activities related to the United Nations, is seeking to fill multiple positions on the board of directors.
Nominations are now open for positions as an Officer or Member at Large in the UNASNY Board for 2022-2023. You are welcome to apply or to nominate another person. All positions are open. Please reply by November 15.
Current Officers are eligible for nomination and Chapter presidents automatically become members of the board. Some of you have already indicated that you are interested in continuing your service. The United Nations and the world are facing great challenges which require the UN as never before.
A full set of Division By-laws and a description of board officers and members at large are available at these links:
https://www.unasny.org/uploads/1/1/6/5/11653096/unasny_final_by-laws_2012.pdf
https://www.unasny.org/uploads/1/1/6/5/11653096/unasny_board_of_director_positions.pdf
The positions include: President, Secretary, Treasurer and Vice Presidents for Membership, New Chapter Development, Advocacy, Communications, Education and Outreach and Partnerships, plus up to eight Members-at-Large.
If you would like to apply, or have questions, please send your resume or your inquiry to Nominating Committee members Peg Shannon, mshan4037@aol.com , Marielle Ali mariellealim@gmail.com, or Ginger Stillman, jinka.stillman@gmail.com .
The Nominating Committee will vet eligible candidates and will present a slate of its recommendations. Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting in January.
Nominations are now open for positions as an Officer or Member at Large in the UNASNY Board for 2022-2023. You are welcome to apply or to nominate another person. All positions are open. Please reply by November 15.
Current Officers are eligible for nomination and Chapter presidents automatically become members of the board. Some of you have already indicated that you are interested in continuing your service. The United Nations and the world are facing great challenges which require the UN as never before.
A full set of Division By-laws and a description of board officers and members at large are available at these links:
https://www.unasny.org/uploads/1/1/6/5/11653096/unasny_final_by-laws_2012.pdf
https://www.unasny.org/uploads/1/1/6/5/11653096/unasny_board_of_director_positions.pdf
The positions include: President, Secretary, Treasurer and Vice Presidents for Membership, New Chapter Development, Advocacy, Communications, Education and Outreach and Partnerships, plus up to eight Members-at-Large.
If you would like to apply, or have questions, please send your resume or your inquiry to Nominating Committee members Peg Shannon, mshan4037@aol.com , Marielle Ali mariellealim@gmail.com, or Ginger Stillman, jinka.stillman@gmail.com .
The Nominating Committee will vet eligible candidates and will present a slate of its recommendations. Elections will take place at the Annual Meeting in January.
March 2021
We are celebrating International Women's Day and the 65th UN Commission on the Status of Women. Register below for our March 5 event to learn about domestic and international policies and acts to promote women's health.
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_rZ59B-3OTSi4GfrabWp91g
In addition to speakers listed on the flier below,
Jeanne Betsock Stillman (Ginger) has served as a staff member or consultant with non-governmental organizations, international organizations and universities. She is VP for New Chapter Development at UNA-SNY.
She designed and led training programs for health professionals in the U.S., many sub-Saharan African countries, Tunisia, Haiti, Pakistan and for Afghan refugees. She holds a BA from American University, MSPH from the U. of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health and carried out doctoral coursework at the Columbia University School of Public Health. |
Padmini (Mini) Murthy, Professor in Division of Health Policy and Management, in the Department of Public Health and Global Health Director. She is a physician and an activist who did her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology. She has practiced medicine and public health for the past 25 years in various countries. Murthy serves as chair of the International Health Section of American Public Health Association (APHA) since November 2020. She is Global Health Lead for the American Women's Medical Association.
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Register here: https://unausa.org/events/2021-global-engagement-summit/ for the entire event. You will be able to select from many plenary sessions, panels and special events.
KEEP READING BELOW TO VIEW AGENDAS FOR FEBRUARY 19 and FEBRUARY 30 -over 70 speakers will be involved!
You don't want to miss this moment in history. February 19 marks the opening of our first ever all-virtual Global Engagement Summit, but it also marks the date the United States will officially rejoin the Paris Climate Agreement, a historic multilateral effort to reduce global emissions and combat the harmful effects of climate change.
On Friday, February 19 at 3 p.m. EST, we will be joined by U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John F. Kerry and UN Secretary-General António Guterres to celebrate this important moment. They will discuss the significance of America’s role in preserving a habitable planet and answer questions from Americans in UNA-USA’s network in a special opening plenary moderated by UN Foundation President and CEO Elizabeth Cousens. Register now to attend.
P.S. If you are motivated to take action on the climate crisis, you might enjoy our "From Paris (Agreement) and Beyond" break out session, happening Friday, February 19 at 5:45 p.m. EST
Uniting Local Change-makers with Global Leaders UNA-USA’s Global Engagement Summit,
typically held at UN Headquarters in New York City, is the largest annual gathering of UN supporters in the country, bringing together community leaders, college students, young professionals, and subject matter experts from across the country to delve into the mission and lifesaving work of the United Nations.
Our theme--
From Moments to Movements: Solidarity for Sustainability—highlights the importance of global cooperation to achieve a better world for everyone, everywhere.
View the agendas for each day.
Day 1 | February 19 Live programming: 3 – 7 p.m. ET
View Agenda
Day 2 | February 20 Live programming: 12 – 4 p.m. ET
View Agenda
Celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. Register below.
Who: Hosted by the United Nations Association Southern New York State Division and the United Nations Association Bronx Chapter
Time: Jan 15, 2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasized peace and justice. In recent months we have seen a crisis emerge in the United States, including the violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol. Join us for a panel discussion honoring Dr. King's legacy of service in the context of racial justice in the U.S. and the international human rights framework and mechanisms. Issues of racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights have emerged in new ways, including through the Black Lives Matter Movement. How can we reconcile Dr. King’s vision of peace and freedom with the violent attack on democracy at the Capitol on January 6th? What tools are available for advocates to use to advance Dr. King’s legacy at the local, state and global levels? Join our speakers, participate in Q&A, and recommend priorities for action.
Time: Jan 15, 2021 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM, Eastern Standard Time
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. emphasized peace and justice. In recent months we have seen a crisis emerge in the United States, including the violent occupation of the U.S. Capitol. Join us for a panel discussion honoring Dr. King's legacy of service in the context of racial justice in the U.S. and the international human rights framework and mechanisms. Issues of racial justice, criminal justice, and human rights have emerged in new ways, including through the Black Lives Matter Movement. How can we reconcile Dr. King’s vision of peace and freedom with the violent attack on democracy at the Capitol on January 6th? What tools are available for advocates to use to advance Dr. King’s legacy at the local, state and global levels? Join our speakers, participate in Q&A, and recommend priorities for action.
HUMAN RIGHTS EVENTS - 2020
Our Division is not presenting a Human Rights Day event this year, but there are many excellent opportunities you can join virtually.
December 9
UN75: The Journey Continues | Special Program | Dec 9
Includes keynote by Ambassador Thomas R. Pickering
Dustin Liu, UNA USA Youth Representative is among the panelists
Thursday, December 10 - 11 a.m. Central Time
Human Rights Day Program
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_biqnP-qYSNeupzEm30P_gg
Thursday, December 10 - 4 ph EST
The Artistic Approach to Advancing Human Rights- GEOS Program
https://unausa.org/event/the-artistic-approach-to-advancing-human-rights-geos/
Thursday, December 10 - 6 pm EST
Healing from Human Rights Abuses: At the Intersection of Health and Justice
http://unanyc.org/events/2020/20201210_webtalk.html
December 11
"Transnational Corporations and Human Rights: Overcoming Barriers to Judicial Remedy" registration
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Q98FKjavQkeu0r30kXxkYg
December 12
HUMAN RIGHTS DAY: RACIAL JUSTICE IN THE 21st CENTURY, Discovering the Facts on Social Media
Note Pacific Standard Time
humanrightsday2020.eventbrite.com
December 13
Human Rights in Art: An Event by UNA Westchester & Broad Street Theatre https://www.eventbrite.com/e/human-rights-in-art-an-event-by-una-westchester-broad-street-theatre-tickets-131382617947
NEW EVENT
Celebrating the 75th Anniversary of the United Nations-
Friday, October 23, 2020
This event will take place in two parts – each needs its own registration and log-in.
In recognition of United Nations Day, celebrated every 24th of October, and to commemorate the progress that has been made in the past and present over the last 75 years since its creation, UNA-USA and the SUNY Global Engagement Program will host a special program online. SUNY GEP will host the first part and UNA-USA the second part.
Part 1 – 10:30-12 noon – SUNY Global Engagement Program
Welcome: George Garland, President, UNA-SNY
Moderator: - S. Ilgu Ozler, PhD, Associate Professor, SUNY New Paltz and Director, Global Engagement Program
Students in the Global Engagement Program have selected several of today’s important topics for discussion:
Food Justice and Black Lives Matter – Ruby Olisemeka / Farmer
Police Brutality Monitoring & Right to Peaceful Assembly – Justin Mazzola, Deputy Director of Research, Amnesty International USA (Univ. of California at Berkeley Human Rights Investigations Lab - Amnesty International) Climate Change & COVID-19 –
Alan Bigelow, PhD, Climate Reality Trainer and Science Director, Solar Cookers International
Part 2 – 12 noon to 1:00 p.m. UNA-USA - UN Day 2020: Past → Present → Progress
REGISTER IN ADVANCE and you will receive an email with the log-in to be used on October 23.
UNA-USA’s virtual program will reflect on the past, celebrate the accomplishments of the present, and look forward to progress, toward a better and brighter future for everyone, everywhere. You’ll hear from high-level UN speakers, get a behind-the-scenes virtual tour of UN headquarters, and hear from UNA-USA’s annual award recipients.
Featured and distinguished speakers:
Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove, PhD, World Health Organization’s Head of Emerging Diseases Unit and COVID-19 Technical Lead
Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth Rachel Pittman, Executive Director of UNA-USA
Paula Boland, UNA-USA National Council Chairperson and Executive Director, UNA-NCA Dustin Liu, UNA-USA Youth Observer to the United Nations
TO CONNECT:
PART 1 - SUNY
SUNY GEP-UNA Joint UN Day Celebration
10:30 a.m. -12 noon
JOIN WEBEX MEETING. Sign in up to 30 minutes before the event.
https://newpaltz.webex.com/newpaltz/j.php?MTID=mad903cd66622e6a3b8637b5c86221273
Meeting number (access code): 171 439 4022
Meeting password: UN@75
Tap to join from a mobile device (attendees only)
+1-415-655-0001,,1714394022## US Toll
Join by phone
+1-415-655-0001 US Toll
Global call-in numbers
Join from a video system or application
Dial 1714394022@newpaltz.webex.com
You can also dial 173.243.2.68 and enter your meeting number.
Join using Microsoft Lync or Microsoft Skype for Business
Dial 1714394022.newpaltz@lync.webex.com
Can't join the meeting? https://collaborationhelp.cisco.com/article/WBX000029055
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Please note that this Webex service allows audio and other information sent during the session to be recorded, which may be discoverable in a legal matter. By joining this session, you automatically consent to such recordings. If you do not consent to being recorded, discuss your concerns with the host or do not join the session.
Organizer: S. Ilgu Ozler
Created by: Jeanne Betsock Stillman
PART 2 – Friday, October 23, 12 p.m. ET
noon to 1:00 p.m. UNA-USA - UN Day 2020: Past → Present → Progress
REGISTER IN ADVANCE. After registering you will receive an email with the log-in to be used on October 23.
https://unfoundation.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_-48OSNxHT0SSHH_JAMfmyQ
Follow directions in your confirmation email that you will receive after you register.
BIOS OF SPEAKERS FOR PART 1
George A. Garland, DBA
Dr. George Garland is currently President of the Board of the Southern New York Division of the United Nations Association-USA. He is a board member of HEART in Haiti.
Dr. Garland’s career with US-EPA spanned 34 years, culminating in a Distinguished Career Award. From 1988 to 1992, he was Chief Technical Advisor for Toxic Chemicals and Pollutants for the UN-WHO Regional Office for South East Asia and worked in India, Indonesia, Burma, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. He has done consultations with the World Bank and USAID in the Russian Federation to establish a national hazardous waste management system and specifically in Nizhni Tagil to improve the water supply system.
Over the last ten years Dr. Garland has held several positions in NGOs. He has been Director of the World Energy Forum, Executive Director for National Membership at the United Nations Association of the USA, and Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area.
His many publications include articles in Biocycle magazine on organics management (compost).
Recent volunteer activities include supporting NGOs designing improved cook stoves and sustainable fuel using biogas, ethanol, and coconut husks in Haiti. His numerous speaking engagements have recently been concentrated on UN Sustainable Development Goals and climate change policy. His many teaching assignments include “The Energy Puzzle” for Collegium at Westchester Community College and international affairs at EF International in Tarrytown.
Ş. İlgü Özler
Ş. İlgü Özler is the founder and Director of the State University of New York Global Engagement Program in New York City and an Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at SUNY New Paltz. Her research focuses on civic engagement as it relates to political parties, non-governmental organizations and social movements. She has done research on urban slums and squatter areas in Turkey, Mexico and Chile with her recent publications focusing on Turkish civil society organizations and political participation. She teaches courses on the United Nations and global civil society. Since 2004 she has organized and participated in over 360 briefings for her students at the United Nations. She has engaged her students in applied work in global affairs through the Global Engagement Program in affiliation with 40 different international organizations. She is the founder of Mid-Hudson Valley local chapters of Amnesty International USA (served as coordinator 2011-2017) and of the United Nations Association (served as president 2013-2017). She served as an alternate delegate for the International Council Meeting 2017 representing Amnesty USA. She has been elected to serve as a board member for Amnesty International USA (2017-2020) and is currently serving as the Secretary of the Board of Directors of AI USA. Özler received her Ph.D. in Political Science from University of California, Los Angeles (2003).
Ruby Olisemeka / Farmer
Ruby Olisemeka is an independent educator/consultant focusing on socially transformative education; food justice and incorporating African and indigenous practices into farming and food & farming education. She began her farming career as an apprentice at Stone Barns (2011) and has since built numerous school and urban gardens in lower Westchester and Harlem. Ruby has over 10 years’ experience educating children and young adults, she has worked as an educator at Edible Schoolyard NYC, Harlem Grown and various public and private schools and institutions.
‘We who do this liberation work want to bring about a revolution in our lifetime; we have deemed, with sadness, the current national and international power structure not fit to ensure and promote the full expression of life. I am part of a collective, a movement of people wanting to bring about a more just world. I am a farmer and teacher, a spiritualist and budding herbalist, an afro centrist and naturalist. My path as a farmer began with an apprenticeship at Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in 2011. I’ve kept my hands in the soil ever since, building urban, suburban and peri-urban gardens in lower Westchester and Harlem. I teach (in classrooms, gardens, spaces where people can gather) children and adults how to do the work I do on land. A farmer can rarely escape the intersections of poverty, politics, food access or justice when farming sustainably. I am an activist working to dismantle the food and health related injustices Africans and people of African descent endure.’
Bio from:
Where Women Gather: A Celebration of Women in Agriculture Conference and Symposium
When
October 23, 2019 - 8:00 AM to October 23, 2019 - 11:00 PM
Main Conference Meeting Space Omni Hotel 155 Temple Street New Haven, CT. 06510
Justin Mazzola, Deputy Director of Research, Amnesty International USA
Justin Mazzola is the Deputy Director of Research for Amnesty International USA and has worked within research for the organization since 2003. Justin covers a number of issues for the organization, including issues related to criminal justice, policing, immigration enforcement and detention, and supports the organization’s programmatic work on individual cases and the death penalty. He has also acted as a legal trial observer for the organization – most notably for the Chelsea Manning trial. Justin is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School and a member of the New York State Bar since 2004. He also holds a BA in Anthropology and Sociology from the University of Notre Dame.
Alan Bigelow, PhD
Alan Bigelow is an Innovative physicist, researcher and advocate with expertise in solar technology, accelerator and laser physics, bio-medical research and environmental sustainability. He has extensive experience in designing and conducting research projects, developing novel technology, and implementing renewable-energy solutions worldwide, particularly in regions impacted by climate change. He is a Climate Realty Trainer through the Climate Reality Corps.
Alan joined Solar Cookers International (SCI) in 2016 as Director of Science and Main Representative at the UN. He leads testing and performance evaluation programs at SCI and advocates for solar-thermal cooking at the UN and at international conferences. He has led solar cooking workshops in New York and internationally in India, Nepal and Haiti. He participated in a solar expedition in Nepal where during nine days at high altitude all meals were prepared using portable solar cookers. He designed solar-energy workshops as a Scientist-in-Residence at the Hudson River Museum and he taught and designed a course on sustainable engineering at Columbia University’s Science Honors Program
Prior to joining Solar Cookers International, Alan had a 15-year physics research career at Columbia University Medical Center developing innovative technology for radiation-biology studies. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and is listed as an inventor on a patent for a safe sterilization method that uses a specific range of ultraviolet light to selectively damage bacteria and viruses while not harming human cells.
Alan received a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of North Texas. He is an accomplished musician and co-founded a solar-powered band that combines science and music to raise awareness and educate about environmental issues and solutions. Alan is fluent in French, conversant in Thai and is learning Hindi.
| un_day_2020_suny_gep_unasny_flier.pdf |
Responses to Racism and Inequality in America (Global Engagement Online Series)
https://unausa.org/event/responding-to-racism-geos/
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UN75 Mid-Atlantic Consultation
June 11, 2020
2 pm - 3:30 PM
If you are a resident of New York or New Jersey,
please register here and share your ideas for the future of the UN and our world!
This is your chance to make your voice heard.
Keynote speaker: Bruce Knotts, Executive Director, Unitarian-Universalist UN Center
https://unfoundation.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_3-xrLX6HTLqS6NYM3IM9Sw
| nynj_una_un75-poster_final_with_speakers.pdf |
Statement on National Protests Related to the Killing of George Floyd
Statement on Nationwide Protests 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.
In the midst of the year in which we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Charter, we find ourselves in mourning and in outrage at a convergence of pandemics- the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic of racism. While we were yet in “shut down” as a country and as a world due to the novel coronavirus, the ever-present pandemic of racism ignited again the smoldering embers of 400 years with the murder of an African American man, George Floyd, by law enforcement in Minneapolis. The anger, frustration, and pain lay bare the soul of America’s original sin of slavery and its centuries-old aftermath. The convergence of this social cancer with the COVID-19 that has killed over 100,000 Americans, with a disproportionate number of African Americans, bears witness to the social disparities that now translate into medical vulnerabilities and precious lives lost.
Our reality is a conundrum far beyond a Dickensian dualism.
In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic with over 100,000 Americans dead and more than 3 million people dead worldwide, in the midst of CDC and NIH reports as well as African American scholars noting and explaining the impact disparities of the novel coronavirus on populations of people of color based on historically continuous systemic inequalities, in the midst of a fabricated friction attacking the World Health Organization, in the midst of a continuum litany of African American individuals’ deaths/murders at the hands of a nation’s law enforcement ( individually and collectively) , and now in the midst of demonstrations, protests, and violence in our cities throughout our nation, we find ourselves forced to see “more clearly” and see ”anew” the realities that are our America.
And we see this reality in a dichotomous lens. Our nation is touting the great step into space once more since a decade with the SpaceX venture to the International Space Station via publicprivate Tesla-NASA partnership, the United Nations is commemorating its 75th anniversary after its Charter that proclaims never again the “scourge of war” for succeeding generations with the commitment to protect human rights in that historic Universal Declaration of Human Rights document, nations throughout the world are in the midst of strategizing and implementing the Agenda 2030 of the Sustainable Development Goals that address every element that impacts sustenance of human life and our planet .
We are forced to see more clearly the good, the bad and the ugly. But we have seen this before. Yet, today with the “urgency of now” we must not only see but act. We must not only advocate but commit. We must not only be a voice but be a vehicle of change. Gandhi told us, “Be the change you want to see.”
How each of us chooses to be the change will be our decisions. For our UNA members, we can choose the ballot, we can choose the advocacy actions, we can choose education. We can choose to march, to teach, to speak the truth to power, to pen the ideas of change, to be social change agents. Whatever the means, we refuse to be the “unheard.” Individually and collectively we, as UNA, have a charge to keep. That charge is written into the very document creating the existence of the United Nations. It reads: “We the Peoples of the United Nations determined… to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war … to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person…”
In these times of conflict, in these wars, let us stand strong in the faith of our founding document. Let us not waver nor falter in our commitment to human rights for all. Let us not be bowed nor bent to inhumane ideologies. Let us not fear to uphold the higher laws of humanity. Let us reaffirm that the UNA stands for human rights. We stand for justice. We stand for the future of humanity
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.
In the midst of the year in which we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations Charter, we find ourselves in mourning and in outrage at a convergence of pandemics- the COVID-19 pandemic and the pandemic of racism. While we were yet in “shut down” as a country and as a world due to the novel coronavirus, the ever-present pandemic of racism ignited again the smoldering embers of 400 years with the murder of an African American man, George Floyd, by law enforcement in Minneapolis. The anger, frustration, and pain lay bare the soul of America’s original sin of slavery and its centuries-old aftermath. The convergence of this social cancer with the COVID-19 that has killed over 100,000 Americans, with a disproportionate number of African Americans, bears witness to the social disparities that now translate into medical vulnerabilities and precious lives lost.
Our reality is a conundrum far beyond a Dickensian dualism.
In the midst of the global COVID-19 pandemic with over 100,000 Americans dead and more than 3 million people dead worldwide, in the midst of CDC and NIH reports as well as African American scholars noting and explaining the impact disparities of the novel coronavirus on populations of people of color based on historically continuous systemic inequalities, in the midst of a fabricated friction attacking the World Health Organization, in the midst of a continuum litany of African American individuals’ deaths/murders at the hands of a nation’s law enforcement ( individually and collectively) , and now in the midst of demonstrations, protests, and violence in our cities throughout our nation, we find ourselves forced to see “more clearly” and see ”anew” the realities that are our America.
And we see this reality in a dichotomous lens. Our nation is touting the great step into space once more since a decade with the SpaceX venture to the International Space Station via publicprivate Tesla-NASA partnership, the United Nations is commemorating its 75th anniversary after its Charter that proclaims never again the “scourge of war” for succeeding generations with the commitment to protect human rights in that historic Universal Declaration of Human Rights document, nations throughout the world are in the midst of strategizing and implementing the Agenda 2030 of the Sustainable Development Goals that address every element that impacts sustenance of human life and our planet .
We are forced to see more clearly the good, the bad and the ugly. But we have seen this before. Yet, today with the “urgency of now” we must not only see but act. We must not only advocate but commit. We must not only be a voice but be a vehicle of change. Gandhi told us, “Be the change you want to see.”
How each of us chooses to be the change will be our decisions. For our UNA members, we can choose the ballot, we can choose the advocacy actions, we can choose education. We can choose to march, to teach, to speak the truth to power, to pen the ideas of change, to be social change agents. Whatever the means, we refuse to be the “unheard.” Individually and collectively we, as UNA, have a charge to keep. That charge is written into the very document creating the existence of the United Nations. It reads: “We the Peoples of the United Nations determined… to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war … to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person…”
In these times of conflict, in these wars, let us stand strong in the faith of our founding document. Let us not waver nor falter in our commitment to human rights for all. Let us not be bowed nor bent to inhumane ideologies. Let us not fear to uphold the higher laws of humanity. Let us reaffirm that the UNA stands for human rights. We stand for justice. We stand for the future of humanity
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Human Rights Day, December 10, 2019
In honor of Human Rights Day we are airing a video interview with the Hon. Helen Clark, former Administrator of UNDP and former Prime Minister of New Zealand. Bhavna Ann Guyadeen, president of the UNA Long Island Organizing Group, arranged for and interviewed Ms. Clark. This appears in a two-minute version and a 12 minute version. It deals with women as leaders and officeholders, climate change and human rights.
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