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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

UNA-NY Congratulates St. John's University as
2012 Student Alliance Winner

On January 18, the Board of Directors of the United Nations Association of New York selected the St. John's University UNA-NY Student Alliance in Support of the UN Millennium Development Goals as the most successful student alliance among schools in the UNA-NY Chapter.

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

Ban Stresses Role of NGOs in Helping Transitional Countries Build Institutions

26 October 2011 | Meeting representatives of the NGO community at UN Headquarters in New York, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stressed that non-governmental organizations can play a crucial role in supporting countries in transition as they work to build and strengthen their fledgling institutions with the assistance of the United Nations.

Mr. Ban noted that many countries in the Middle East and North Africa undergoing the Arab Spring reform movement face major challenges like organizing elections, drafting new constitutions, promoting democratic practices, building independent judiciaries and developing free media.

"There can be no success without a healthy civil society. Please, do your part. Help these women's groups, social media activists, human rights defenders and others to take their rightful place in society — in government, in parliament, in every public institution," he said in his statement.

Read the full story or watch the video

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

2011 UN Day Gala Address by Ban Ki-moon
Praises Maternal Care Efforts

In his address to the attendees at the recent United Nations Day Gala Dinner, held annually by the United Nations Association of New York, the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon praised the honorees who were given this year's Humanitarians of the Year Awards.

"This issue is close to my heart," he said in his statement. "I did not learn about the risks to mothers and children from a policy brief or a documentary. I have been aware of their struggle for as long as I can remember. As a young boy in the Republic of Korea, I saw fear in the eyes of women going into labour; fear that they — or their babies — might not survive. My own mother lost two children before I was born."

Read Ban's full statement here

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

UNA-NY 2011 Annual UN Day Gala
Honors Three Global Leaders

In the autumn flush of mid-October, diplomats, business leaders, local dignitaries and other distinguished guests attended The United Nations Association of New York Annual UN Day Gala. The event honored Humanitarians of the Year, Sheri McCoy of Johnson & Johnson and Supermodel Christy Turlington Burns. Also announced was the Inaugural Social Entrepreneur and Philanthropist of the Year Award.

See more photos and read the full story

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OPINION

The Lessons of Budrus — Seven Years Later

Dr. Alon Ben-Meir, NYU Professor of International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies, appeared as a guest speaker at our recent Screening the Issues presentation of the documentary BUDRUS, which is named after a Palestinian village in the West Bank. Having followed the events in that small village as they unfolded in 2003-04, today Dr. Ben-Meir is moved to ask: what lessons have Israelis and Palestinians learned from this compelling story of nonviolent resistance against occupation?

Read Ben-Meir's full article

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

2011 International Women's Day and
“The Ivorian 7” of Côte D'Ivoire

In a press conference in honor of the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, executive director Michelle Bachelet of the newly-formed UN Women, discussed her plans for the new organization, the challenges facing women in Libya and Côte D'Ivoire, and why women and girls need to stay on top of the international agenda.

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NEWS HIGHLIGHT

UNA-NY Co-Sponsors Two Panels
on Women and Diversity Partnerships

In early spring The United Nations Association of New York co-sponsored two parallel panel discussions, as part of the 55th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women.

The first panel, Women in Technology: The Past, Present, and Strategies for the Future, was followed by a second parallel panel on Diversity and Inclusion: Strengthening Partnerships Between the Business Sector and NGOs.

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GET INVOLVED!

Last September, United Nations member states reaffirmed their commitment to achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. This historic initiative brought together governments, private sector leaders, international organizations, financial institutions, donors, and civil society groups, among others, to continue their unified global efforts to accomplish these goals.

Students and educational faculty can join this very important and historic global campaign by establishing a United Nations Association of New York Student Alliance at your school. Student Alliances are action-oriented school programs that encourage globally-minded high school, undergraduate and graduate students to educate, inspire and mobilize Americans and the U.S. government to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations.

Read more and get involved!

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Join the UNA-NY Community on Facebook!

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United Nations Association of New York:
Bringing the U.N. to You

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SCREENING THE ISSUES
UNA-NY Film and Discussion Events

As an effective way to educate and motivate a community, Screening the Issues has been promoting the work of the United Nations with events that serve a dual purpose: to commend the intelligence of filmmakers who have the courage and passion to address crucial human concerns while presenting important global issues to a culturally aware New York audience. The mission of UNA-NY is to educate, inspire and mobilize the NYC community and to raise awareness of the vital work of the United Nations.

Read more about these events