“Partnerships to End Poverty and World Hunger”

Last Updated on Tuesday, 07 April 2009 16:24 Written by Administrator Wednesday, 01 April 2009 17:22

Congratulations to YPIC, which began its Haiti Project with a fundraiser, held on March 25 at 92Y Tribeca, a community facility that's a downtown branch of the 92nd Street Y. A sizeable crowd of over 140 YPIC members and friends joined in to learn about the upcoming Haiti Project. Patricia Sacristan, YPIC Chair, welcomed the group and introduced the YPIC's Flagship Program: The Haïti Expedition Project. She also introduced Conor Bohan, the founder and board president of HELP, one of the key NGOs that has partnered with YPIC on education to undertake this endeavor. See the link for more about the project and the groups in Haiti with which the YPIC team will work when they visit Haiti in late fall.

Kevin Jamison, director of YPIC's European Affairs Committee is one of the team leaders of the project and helped organize the event, including acquiring artwork for the silent auction which included two pieces from Peter Brangino and Kevin Corcoran and two from peace artist Richard Rapaport, as well as dinner for two from Industria Argentina. The launch was clearly a team effort with Michelle Chaplin, YPIC Vice Chair, serving as MC to introduce Martina Bruno, the Haitian-American vocalist, who performed Summertime and a lively call-and-response piece. All the while, the African Affairs committee, the Career Development committee, the Economic Development committee and the Marketing committee actively participated as volunteers, making the evening a true success.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 10 March 2009 12:19 Written by Administrator Monday, 09 March 2009 22:00

You can view the video feed from the February 6th "Year of Change" UNA Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference on The Century Foundation website at http://www.tcf.org/list.asp?type=EV&pubid=246.  This week should also have there a 5-minute "highlight moments" video from the morning session, as well as the results of the survey questionnaire about foreign policy priorities that participants have recommended to President Obama.

Last Updated on Sunday, 15 February 2009 14:56 Written by Administrator Sunday, 15 February 2009 13:21

Year of Change: New Prospects for America at the UN, held at the UN on February 6, brought together some 600 participants from throughout the New York - New Jersey - Connecticut area.  The Conference also served as Members' Day at the UN for UNA members.  Students and faculty from some 20 colleges and universities attended.

Co-sponsors were The Century Foundation, UNA Riverdale Chapter, New York, the UNA Southern New York State Division, and UNA YPIC Southern New York.  The Century Foundation taped the event, and the full conference as well as highlights will be available soon on its website at www.tcf.org . 

Photos of the conference are available below, at right, in the Event Image Gallery, or go directly to the Southern NY State Division's Flickr account, at http://www.flickr.com/photos/unasouthernny/ .  Click on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Conference Set.

Jeffrey Laurenti, Mid-Atlantic Regional Director, UNA-USA Board of Directors, presided at the opening session and gave an overview of the conference. Ambassador William Luers, President of UNA-USA, welcomed the participants and gave an address on US foreign policy.  Other speakers included Ramu Damodoran, Deputy Director, Outreach, UN Department of Public Information; and Ambassador Rosemary DiCarlo, US Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs to the UN, who replaced Amb. Susan Rice, who was unable to attend. She spoke on "American Priorities at the United Nations."  US Senator Robert Menendez of New Jersey could not attend because of the negotiations and vote on the Stimulus Package at the US Senate. 

Laurenti, who represented also The Century Foundation, also moderated the Panel on Peace and Security.  Speakers included Amb. Maged Abdelaziz, Permanent Representative of Egypt to the UN; Amb. Karen Pierce, Deputy Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland to the UN; and James Traub, Contributing writer for New York Times Magazine and Policy Director, Global Center for the Responsibility to Protect.  

Catherine D. White, President of the UNA Southern NY State Division, presided over the afternoon sessions.  Jackie Shapiro, UN Committee Chair for Zonta International, moderated the Panel on Human Rights.  Panelists included Amb. Peter Maurer, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the UN; Shamina de Gonzaga, Chair, 61st Annual DPI/NGO conference on "Reaffirming Human Rights for All: the Universal Declaration at 60"; Craig Mokhiber, former Deputy Director, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, New York Office and Chair of the Action 2 / Human Rights UN Task Force; and Joanne Sandler, Deputy Executive Director, UN Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM).

Marcia Brewster, former Senior Officer for Water Resources, Division for Sustainable Development, UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and Vice President, UNA Westchester Chapter, moderated the Panel on Climate Change.  Panelists were:  Dr. Tariq Banuri, Director, UN Division for Sustainable Development, UN-DESA; Bonnie Harken, President, Nautilus International Devleopment Consultants, Inc.; and Heather Kendall-Miller, Athabascan Native Village of Dillingham, Alaska Conservation Foundation and an attorney with the Native American Rights Fund.  

Jeff Laurenti closed the afternoon session with encouragement for members of the audience, including especially college students, to recognize to take action by joining or forming UNA chapters and becoming involved as UNA members in its action program.   Graduate students may wish to joing YPIC - Young Professionals for International Cooperation.

The Conference Planning Committee included:  Jeffrey Laurenti, Catherine D. White, Jim L. Nelson, President, New Jersey Division, UNA-USA, and Dr. George Garland, Executive Director of the Conference.

Special Thanks were given to:  Arnold Gallardo, Sangya Sing, Marcia Brewster, Mona Alawadhi, Peg Shannon, Roger Nokes, Liubov Grechen, Jeanne Betsock Stillman, Lilli Schindler, Vivian Bernstein, Reena Vadehra, Patricia Sacristan, Michelle Chaplin, David Cockroft, Lester Wilson, Mark Blackman, Leila Doss, Bonnie Roundtree, Joan Levy, Sharlene Ratcliff-Korenica, Elizabeth Wilhelm and Akin Salawu.

Last Updated on Tuesday, 13 January 2009 19:06 Written by Administrator Tuesday, 13 January 2009 18:37

Photos of Board members who attended the January 12 meeting can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/unasouthernny (or go to Event Image Gallery, at bottom right.) Photos of board members who could not attend, including YPIC representatives, will be taken at the next meeting and added here.