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This Week In World Affairs
This week’s news from across the world covering Russia-Ukraine, NATO and Trump, India, Pakistan and China. https://youtu.be/7J5qNmJuut0
Why Rules-Based Orders Fail
Why Rules-Based Orders Fail - by Ben Steil
For a brief period after the Cold War, Americans persuaded themselves that the liberal order had become self-sustaining. And yet, any rules-based system elaborate enough to govern and interpret its own operations will eventually confront questions that its rules cannot answer.
Originally published at Project Syndicate
The UN as a Force Multiplier for American Interests
It's easy to think of UN dues as money that leaves the country. The reality is closer to the opposite: U.S. investment in the United Nations is one of the most cost-effective tools in the American foreign policy toolkit, because it leverages resources from 192 other member states to advance goals the United States would otherwise have to fund - and staff, and defend - entirely on its own…
The Sustainable Development Goals: Guiding Stones, Not Just Global Ideals
Critics sometimes frame the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as distant, aspirational, or irrelevant to American communities. In practice, the 17 SDGs function more like guiding stones or a shared compass for measuring progress on poverty, health, education, clean water, gender equality, and economic opportunity, and that compass points just as usefully at Boulder, Denver, and Pueblo…
Colorado's Return on Investment On The UN.
Here's where the abstract case for the UN becomes concrete for our members. These figures (based on 2024 data) show that U.S. investment in the UN isn't a one-way transfer - it circulates back into American, and specifically Colorado, communities and businesses…
Shawn Dahl “Space Weather Storms, Global Risks, History & International Collaboration”
The presentation will cover space weather storms and detail the global risk of impactful events. The talk will detail how the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) provides decision support to critical technological infrastructure operators, government leadership, and emergency response staff when warranted.
United Nations Peacekeeping in Kosovo
Steve Janko, a resident of Colorado Springs and a retired attorney who specialized in international law presents on how he took the fall 2000 semester off from his international law studies at the University of Miami and volunteered to join a United Nations peacekeeping effort to help refugees return to their homes in Kosovo.
The Board of Peace and the United Nations Security Council: Cooperation or Conflict?
Discussion on the Board of Peace and the United Nations Security Council: A Cooperation or Conflict? Ed Elmendorf took a deep look at the recent Trump initiative for peace in the Middle East against the backdrop of the traditional role and capability of the UNSC.
The Reshoring Trap and Inequality: Can Technology Transfer Survive Automation?
Jonathan Moyer is the Director of the Frederick S. Pardee Institute for International Futures and an Associate Professor at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He leads the continued development and application of International Futures (IFs), the integrated global modeling system that serves as the backbone for much of the UN system’s long-term forecasting and policy analysis.
Injury in Immigration Enforcement:Examining Colorado’s Bill to Protect Immigrants against Injury during Enforcement
If an individual is injured during a civil immigration enforcement action, it may be difficult to find a straightforward legal pathway. SB26-005 (Rights Violation in Immigration Enforcement Remedy) would create a state-law cause of action when a person’s federal constitutional rights are violated in the context of civil immigration enforcement
A Complex Choice: Examining Colorado’s Bill to End Child Marriage.
Colorado law currently allows 16- and 17- year-olds to marry with a judge’s approval. Senate Bill 26-048 proposes removing this exception and establishing 18 as the uniform minimum marriage age. While the bill passed its first committee hearing on a 3-2 party-line vote, it has sparked a complex debate that goes beyond simple partisan lines, forcing lawmakers and advocates to weigh child protection against potential unintended consequences (Colorado General Assembly, 2026).
UNA-BC Advocacy Starter Guide
Smoke drifts over the Divide and the Air Quality Index spikes. Your neighbor’s kid needs a vaccine that’s suddenly hard to find. A friend’s cousin arrives after fleeing conflict and just needs a safe place to start over. None of that stays tidy inside county lines. So who coordinates the big stuff when the big stuff refuses to stay local?
UNA-BC’s Second Intergenerational Model UN Conference
On January 24th, 2026, members from Boulder High School MUN, CU MUN, and Kent Denver School MUN joined residents from the Academy at Mapleton Hill, Frasier Meadows, and the Balfour Senior Living community to collaborate on the crisis in Myanmar/Burma during an Intergenerational Model UN (IMUN) Security Council meeting.
November 29th- International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People
UNA-BC's Response to the cut of SNAP benefits
2025 International Human Rights Awards
UNA-BC’s First Intergenerational Model UN Conference
An ongoing historical documentation of UNA-BC’s Bill Kellogg Discussion Series
For 20 years, as the Bill Kellogg Discussion Series has analyzed topics ranging from “Exploring the Quality of leadership at the UN”, to “The High Cost of Trump’s Tariff Games”, Bill Sackett has been a steadfast presence, not just as a participant, but as its unofficial historian. His commitment to documenting the series' rich history has created an invaluable archive, a testament to the power of consistent engagement and a deep appreciation for community knowledge. Please find the archive of discussion topics here.
“The High Costs of Trump's Tariff Games.”
Keith Maskus is Arts and Sciences Professor of Distinction in Economics, Emeritus, at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He was Chief Economist of the US State Department from 2016 to 2017 and a Lead Economist at the World Bank from 2001 to 2002. He was a Research Fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and a consultant for international organizations. He received his PhD from the University of Michigan in 1981.
United Nations Day 2024 - Mountain Strong AgainstTrafficking: A Colorado UN Day Summit Recap
Our UN Day 2024 event, Mountain Strong Against Trafficking, brought together passionate advocates, experts, and community members at St. Aidan’s Episcopal Church in Boulder to address the pressing issue of human trafficking. The day was filled with powerful stories, insightful discussions, and a shared commitment to action.
From survivor testimonies to expert-led panels, the summit shed light on both the challenges and solutions in combating trafficking. Organizations like New Horizons House International, ALIGHT, and the Colorado Department of Public Safety provided invaluable resources, while speakers such as KC Wagner and AnnJanette Alejano-Steele shared their expertise on local and national anti-trafficking efforts.
The event concluded with a moving spoken word performance and a reflective discussion, leaving attendees with a renewed sense of purpose. Thank you to everyone who participated and supported this initiative—we are truly Mountain Strong in this fight!