A UNA colleague in Fort Collins, Colorado has sent a lovely note, mentioning an event held on the MDGs, with over 150 in attendance. They used the DVD "The MDG's: Dream or Reality?" She remarked that "The 'Going Global' series is a treasure. We'll be recommending it to others."
Going Global videos have been shown at UNA events in California, Texas, North Carolina, Illinois and Colorado. For information email me at: jbs@stratdev.com, or telephone 914-478-3450.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Mid-Atlantic Conference set for February 6
You can now register to attend the United Nations Association Mid-Atlantic Conference Year of Change: New Prospects for America at the United Nations. In addition to keynote speakers, panels will focus on peace and security, human rights and climate change.
The Conference will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Conference Room 3 at the United Nations. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and you should arrive early to go through UN Security at the white tent at 46th St. and First Avenue.
You must register by February 2, so that your name can be placed on the United Nations security list.
The final program will be available soon. You can link to on-line registration at www.unasouthernny.org (Click on the red "register" in the article on the conference.)
The Conference will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in Conference Room 3 at the United Nations. Registration begins at 9 a.m., and you should arrive early to go through UN Security at the white tent at 46th St. and First Avenue.
You must register by February 2, so that your name can be placed on the United Nations security list.
The final program will be available soon. You can link to on-line registration at www.unasouthernny.org (Click on the red "register" in the article on the conference.)
Monday, December 1, 2008
Dr. Susan Rice named US Ambassador to the UN
Congratulations to Dr. Susan Rice, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and the rest of the Foreign Policy and security team of the incoming Obama Administration.
President-Elect Barack Obama has named Dr. Susan Rice, one-time Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the 1990s, to the post of Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the UN. Until joining the Obama Presidential team as senior foreign policy adviser, Dr. Rice served as a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. She received the BA degree from Stanford University, and the M.Phil and D.Phil from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Dr. Rice has been known to express regret about the handling of the Rwanda Crisis, and can be expected to put Darfur high on her agenda at the UN, while working on a broad range of issues.
The UN Association of the USA has issued its endorsement of the appointment. The text appears below:
UNA-USA STRONGLY SUPPORTS NOMINATION OF SUSAN E. RICE AS US-UN AMBASSADOR; SHE EXEMPLIFIES QUALITIES NEEDED TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH UN SECRETARIAT AND MEMBER STATES
December 1, 2008. Ambassador William H. Luers, president of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), issued the following statement today concerning President-elect Barack Obama’s nomination of Susan E. Rice to become United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
UNA-USA strongly supports the nomination of Susan E. Rice to become United States permanent representative to the United Nations. In selecting Dr. Rice for this key foreign-policy position, President-elect Barack Obama is appointing one of his closest advisers to one of the world’s most important and demanding diplomatic posts. The president-elect’s decision to include the incoming ambassador in his cabinet is also important, signaling the key role that the United Nations will play in the incoming administration’s foreign policy.
Susan Rice exemplifies many of the qualities that UNA-USA believes are critical to achieving successful outcomes in the UN post. She has strong diplomatic experience, a demonstrated willingness to listen to others and an abiding interest in and concern for developments in Africa, where some of the most important UN responsibilities rest. At the same time, Dr. Rice has developed a keen knowledge and understanding of the UN’s operational capabilities during the years that she worked both in and out of government.
The Rice nomination adds further to the anticipation at the United Nations that the incoming Obama administration, including Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, will be cooperating closely with UN member states to manage and resolve many issues that the United States cannot address on its own. Virtually every major foreign-policy issue facing the United States must be dealt with under the umbrella of the UN — climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, global pandemics, achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the prevention of genocide, as well as regional challenges, particularly in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.
As the new US Permanent Representative to the UN, Susan Rice will be looked to for cooperation and leadership in strengthening the United Nations. The UN is poised to undertake an energetic renewal effort, including a broader UN Security Council more representative of today’s global distribution of power. A sympathetic US role can help move this core shift in how the UN addresses global security issues. A positive and yet not commanding US role in renewing the United Nations in many aspects is greatly needed to help the UN become far more effective in dealing with its ever-growing responsibilities. We look toward a new era of American cooperation at the United Nations to address the global issues that threaten the future of our planet.
The leadership and members of UNA-USA throughout the United States look forward to working closely with the incoming administration and its team to support a robust and effective US presence at the United Nations.
President-Elect Barack Obama has named Dr. Susan Rice, one-time Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs in the 1990s, to the post of Permanent Representative of the U.S. to the UN. Until joining the Obama Presidential team as senior foreign policy adviser, Dr. Rice served as a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution. She received the BA degree from Stanford University, and the M.Phil and D.Phil from Oxford University, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
Dr. Rice has been known to express regret about the handling of the Rwanda Crisis, and can be expected to put Darfur high on her agenda at the UN, while working on a broad range of issues.
The UN Association of the USA has issued its endorsement of the appointment. The text appears below:
UNA-USA STRONGLY SUPPORTS NOMINATION OF SUSAN E. RICE AS US-UN AMBASSADOR; SHE EXEMPLIFIES QUALITIES NEEDED TO WORK EFFECTIVELY WITH UN SECRETARIAT AND MEMBER STATES
December 1, 2008. Ambassador William H. Luers, president of the United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA), issued the following statement today concerning President-elect Barack Obama’s nomination of Susan E. Rice to become United States Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
UNA-USA strongly supports the nomination of Susan E. Rice to become United States permanent representative to the United Nations. In selecting Dr. Rice for this key foreign-policy position, President-elect Barack Obama is appointing one of his closest advisers to one of the world’s most important and demanding diplomatic posts. The president-elect’s decision to include the incoming ambassador in his cabinet is also important, signaling the key role that the United Nations will play in the incoming administration’s foreign policy.
Susan Rice exemplifies many of the qualities that UNA-USA believes are critical to achieving successful outcomes in the UN post. She has strong diplomatic experience, a demonstrated willingness to listen to others and an abiding interest in and concern for developments in Africa, where some of the most important UN responsibilities rest. At the same time, Dr. Rice has developed a keen knowledge and understanding of the UN’s operational capabilities during the years that she worked both in and out of government.
The Rice nomination adds further to the anticipation at the United Nations that the incoming Obama administration, including Secretary of State-designate Hillary Clinton, will be cooperating closely with UN member states to manage and resolve many issues that the United States cannot address on its own. Virtually every major foreign-policy issue facing the United States must be dealt with under the umbrella of the UN — climate change, nuclear non-proliferation, global pandemics, achievement of the Millennium Development Goals, the prevention of genocide, as well as regional challenges, particularly in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and Africa.
As the new US Permanent Representative to the UN, Susan Rice will be looked to for cooperation and leadership in strengthening the United Nations. The UN is poised to undertake an energetic renewal effort, including a broader UN Security Council more representative of today’s global distribution of power. A sympathetic US role can help move this core shift in how the UN addresses global security issues. A positive and yet not commanding US role in renewing the United Nations in many aspects is greatly needed to help the UN become far more effective in dealing with its ever-growing responsibilities. We look toward a new era of American cooperation at the United Nations to address the global issues that threaten the future of our planet.
The leadership and members of UNA-USA throughout the United States look forward to working closely with the incoming administration and its team to support a robust and effective US presence at the United Nations.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Horrific Attacks on Mumbai
Once again the few have attacked the many. No matter the underlying feelings of self-justification, terror is not the answer to cure perceived ills.
My sympathies go to the people of Mumbai, the people of India, and the people of the world, who have come under attack while leading their peaceful lives. It is vital that good people and governments of the world come together to work toward peace and to root out those who would create havoc and destabilize nations. It is important for the United Nations truly to unite toward the betterment of humanity and for nations, including the United States, to use multilateral cooperation and coordination to improve the lives of the billions who live in poverty. Unless there is hope for better futures the world is at the mercy of terrorists.
President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and US Ambassador to the UN Dr. Susan Rice will have their work cut out for them as the new American administration sets out to reinterpret America to the world and to build coalitions that foster peace.
My sympathies go to the people of Mumbai, the people of India, and the people of the world, who have come under attack while leading their peaceful lives. It is vital that good people and governments of the world come together to work toward peace and to root out those who would create havoc and destabilize nations. It is important for the United Nations truly to unite toward the betterment of humanity and for nations, including the United States, to use multilateral cooperation and coordination to improve the lives of the billions who live in poverty. Unless there is hope for better futures the world is at the mercy of terrorists.
President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and US Ambassador to the UN Dr. Susan Rice will have their work cut out for them as the new American administration sets out to reinterpret America to the world and to build coalitions that foster peace.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
World Maps for Today's World
A picture is worth a thousand words. And a map using today's data and asking pertinent questions gives us a whole new picture of the world. See the website http://www.worldmapper.org/
Look at the Map Categories or the A-Z Map Index to view how our world really looks in numbers. For example, you can see the numbers of elderly in the world, or midwives working, or hospital beds, or forest loss, or ecological footprint. A new software has enabled production of cartograms that let us see how whole continents or regions can bulge (Africa's malaria deaths), or disappear (dentists working in sub-Saharan Africa) or surprise (science research).
This is a wonderful resource for teaching about the world, and for understanding debates and positions taken by countries at the United Nations.
Look at the Map Categories or the A-Z Map Index to view how our world really looks in numbers. For example, you can see the numbers of elderly in the world, or midwives working, or hospital beds, or forest loss, or ecological footprint. A new software has enabled production of cartograms that let us see how whole continents or regions can bulge (Africa's malaria deaths), or disappear (dentists working in sub-Saharan Africa) or surprise (science research).
This is a wonderful resource for teaching about the world, and for understanding debates and positions taken by countries at the United Nations.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Going Global: Preparing U.S. Students for an Interconnected World
The Asia Society has published an excellent book "Going Global: Preparing U.S. Students for an Interconnected World." It can be used by teachers, administrators and parents to understand the changes that must take place to bring the American educational system to a competitive level internationally. Excerpts and case studies are available at http://asiasociety.org/education/pgl/publications.htm Going Global is a guidebook to assist secondary schools in developing students’ international knowledge and skills, and covers the areas:
Creating a global vision and culture
Finding and preparing teachers
Transforming curriculum and instruction
Expanding world languages
Internationalizing student learning experiences - including technology, travel, internships, and service learning
Identifying resources and forging partnerships
A presentation on the challenges of preparing students is available at: http://www.fi.ncsu.edu/USChina/stewart.pdf
Creating a global vision and culture
Finding and preparing teachers
Transforming curriculum and instruction
Expanding world languages
Internationalizing student learning experiences - including technology, travel, internships, and service learning
Identifying resources and forging partnerships
A presentation on the challenges of preparing students is available at: http://www.fi.ncsu.edu/USChina/stewart.pdf
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Barack Obama wins Presidency!
Congratulations to President-Elect Barack Obama, who will take office on January 20, 2009 after an historic campaign and winning a sizeable margin of electoral college votes and the popular vote. See below for his response to questions about the United Nations, which herald stronger ties to the UN and to multilateralism.
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