UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF BOULDER COUNTY
ADVOCACY
The UNA-Boulder Advocacy Program educates various constituencies and the general public on issues of importance to the United Nations. The overriding purpose of UNA Advocacy is to support the United Nations, promote its successes, and defend its resolutions, funding, and reports from violation, attack, and neglect.
We prepare Op-Ed pieces and letters to the editor. We correspond and meet with Colorado’s U.S. Senators and Representatives. Our UNA chapter events are venues for advocacy committee members to solicit support, signatures, and solidarity.
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Over the years, we have advocated for action on climate change, U.S. payment of UN dues, contributions to the UN Population Fund, and ratification of UN Conventions. In 2008, the advocacy team began working on Population Control, Consumption, and US/Cuba relations.
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In 2012 we gathered signatures and submitted a petition to Congress to ratify The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). We are now a leading force with Cities for CEDAW.
STAND UP AGAINST PRESIDENT TRUMP’S PROPOSED BUDGET CUTS TO US FUNDING FOR THE UN
Dear UNA-Boulder County Members:
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Our world is facing a growing number of challenges, from heartbreaking terrorist attacks in the UK, to the Syrian refugee crisis, to more than 20 million people facing starvation and famine in South Sudan, Yemen, Somalia, and Nigeria. Additionally, there are over 60 million displaced persons and outbreaks of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. International development experts declare that we haven’t seen this scale of humanitarian disaster since WWII.
Despite these challenges, the US released a budget proposal last week that takes a hacksaw to foreign affairs funding and significantly decrease US funding for the UN. If enacted it would eliminate US funding for the World Food Program, the Green Climate Fund, and UNICEF. It would also slash US contributions to UN Peacekeeping Missions by 37%; and cut our participation in vital global health programs by a quarter.
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Please fight against these proposals and CALL Senators Gardner, Bennet, and your House Representative. Urge them to reject the President’s proposed budget cuts to the United Nations, which would severely jeopardize American national security and foreign policy objectives. If adopted by Congress, such reductions would cripple vital counter-terrorism, peacekeeping, humanitarian, health, and development programs at a time of increased challenges to global security and stability. Urge them to fully fund the UN to protect our world and ourselves.
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Senator Gardner – 202-224-5941
Senator Bennet – 202-224-5852
Rep. DeGette – 202-225-4431
Rep. Coffman – 202-225-7882
Rep. Perlmutter – 202-225-2645
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Even if the budget does not pass, the funding levels in the proposed budget may become the new baseline for expenditures in future budgets. We need to support current or increased spending on U.S. foreign assistance programs, including our contributions to the UN, in order to address the global challenges of poverty, conflict, disease, environmental problems, and the displacement of people.
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Thank you for supporting the mission of the United Nations,
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Robert McNown
PROMOTING AMERICAN LEADERSHIP AT THE UNITED NATIONS: SPOKESPERSON TOOLKIT
On May 23, the Administration will release its full budget proposal. The budget request will include deep funding cuts to foreign assistance and multilateral organizations, including the United Nations, as was outlined in the March “skinny budget.” This toolkit includes a series of materials that you can use when communicating with the media, policymakers, and your constituencies.
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Promoting American Leadership at the United Nations
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CHECK OUT THE WOMEN’S COLLABORATIVE OF BOULDER COUNTY AND ALL THE GREAT WORK THEY DO FOR THE BOULDER COUNTY AREA!
The Women’s Collaborative of Boulder County, launched in 2016, is a chapter of the Women’s Collaborative for Colorado. Our mission is to educate and activate the women of Boulder County, Colorado to become involved and influential citizens. We work to guide our state lawmakers as they define and create a positive, sustainable framework for our future. We are a growing group of organizations in our county that support women and work to improve their lives through service, advocacy, financial assistance and other forms of outreach.
THE PARIS AGREEMENT ON CLIMATE CHANGE
On December 12 2015 at the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, countries that adopted the Paris Agreement agreed to work towards limiting the rise of global temperature to below 2 degrees Celsius. This is an incredible step towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals! Climate change affects everyone, everywhere. The White House is expected to make a decision after the G-7 Summit this year so let’s take this extra time to advocate for our environment!
THE BETTER WORLD CAMPAIGN
The Better World Campaign works to foster a strong relationship between the U.S. and the UN to promote core American interests and build a more secure, prosperous, and healthy world. The Better World Campaign engages policymakers, the media, and the American public alike to increase awareness of the critical role played by the UN in world affairs and the importance of constructive U.S.-UN relations.
UNA-USA HISTORY BOOK PROJECT
A Message from Former President, A. Edward Elmendorf:
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
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When members of the UNA-USA History Project team spoke at UNA history book events across the country, we mentioned a website then in gestation with details and background materials on the history of UNA-USA. Thus I’m pleased now to inform you that the UNA-USA History Book Project website has gone live.
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The site contains interview transcripts, photos, excerpts from the book, and background materials, including polling data on American public opinion towards the UN over the past 70 years. Further material will be added, including UNA-USA policy studies, as resources permit.
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The website and the UNA-USA Collection at Seton Hall University will become increasingly valuable as new materials are added. Thus I encourage chapter leaders to inform their members about the website and possibilities for contributions to the UNA-USA Collection.
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For specific information about the contribution of further materials to the UNA-USA Collection at Seton Hall, along with research options, UNA-USA members should feel free to contact: Alan Delozier, University Archivist/Education Coordinator – Archives & Special Collections Center, Seton Hall University.
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I want to take the occasion of this email to thank the Seton Hall University School of Diplomacy and International Relations, including Dean Bartoli and the many faculty and staff members who have facilitated the UNA-USA History Project and made the website possible. Finally, thanks go to the many UNA-USA chapter leaders across the country who organized and facilitated history book events.
Regards, Ed
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A. Edward Elmendorf
Past President, United Nations Association
1901 Wyoming Avenue, NW, Apt. 61
Washington DC 20009
202-462-4989
PRIDE PAD
PRIDE Sanitary Pad was established in Ghana by RECFAM to produce organic and biodegradable sanitary pads for women and girls who lack access to proper menstrual hygiene products and education.
THEIR MISSION
Access to safe menstrual hygiene products is not a privilege; it is a right. We ensure that girls and women in Ghana have access to affordable, safe, and environmentally-friendly sanitary pads in order to increase school attendance and gender equality. We also provide education and work to de-stigmatize this natural and healthy process of the female body.
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A MESSAGE FROM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF UNA-USA, CHRIS WHATLEY
Good Afternoon UNA Leaders:
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As I hope you’ve seen already, UNA-USA just launched our new digital petition that encourages Americans to sign-on in support of full U.S. funding for the United Nations. A fun feature of our petition is that supporters sign-on using their Facebook or Twitter profile photos. You can see a screengrab of the petition below. We’ll host the petition for two months and will deliver the signatures to Members of Congress to show Americans’ support of strong U.S. engagement at the UN. After only a few hours, the petition has already received 100+ signatures. Our goal is to get 1,000 signatures, with supporters from all 50 states. We need your help in spreading the word! Not only is this petition an important advocacy tool (we will deliver printed state petitions showing the faces of UN supporters to every Senate office during our lobby day in June), but it will also help us recruit new UNA members from across the country. We’ll receive the contact information of all signers and be able to determine who is not yet a member. We’ll follow-up with these signers, providing them with membership information and helpful contacts and resources.
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After you sign, please use the pop-up that follows to share your support on Facebook and Twitter. Please also encourage your members, friends, and family to sign and share their support on social media.
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Let me know if you have any questions, and thanks for your help in making this a success!
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Chris
Chris Whatley,
Executive Director, UNA-USA
MARCH 2017 PANEL ON CONVENTION ON THE ELIMINATION OF ALL FORMS OF DISCRIMINATION AGAINST WOMEN
Representatives from each state attended and shared information, discussed strategies, identified how to support each other, and planned a way forward. Colorado Representatives included Veronica Hrutkay, UNA BC, and Sharon Simmons of Colorado BPW.
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