United Nations Association Greater Seattle Chapter

Our kick-off Global Citizens Gathering was held on April 5th at the iLEAP center in Wallingford.  The event set us off to a wonderful start.  Discussion surrounded the topic of what it means to be a Global Citizen and how it relates to citizens living in Seattle.

Please check out the article in the latest newsletter about the event.

We are very excited for this initiative, and your collaboration and energy! Please stay tuned for upcoming events.  We hope you and your friends can join us!

The UN Millennium Development Goals were the central topic for a course in the 2012 winter quarter at Seattle Pacific University. On Monday, March 12, students displayed their work at the SPU Art Gallery.

These projects were the final product of a quarter-long visual design project that hwlps by a team of five group advisors, including UNA Seattle’s own Board Member, Eugene Martin. The students were tasked with researching background information, formulating a message to communicate, idetifying a specific audience to reach, and narrowing down the objective and purpose for the project. The results were displayed in full-page magazine spreads, posters, videos, online, and even on water bottles!

The projects were truly beautiful and inspiring!

Coming the last weekend in April:

Activist, Organizer Bruce Gagnon wil speak to UNA audiences regarding

“The Military Industrial Complex, Nuclear Power and Weapons in Space:  How will we ever end America’s addiction to war?” 
 
Gagnon is a co-founder of the Global Network Against Weapons and Nuclear Power in Space and hosts a popular East Coast TV show The Issue.  He is also a recipient of the Benjamin Spock Peacemaker Award.

Watchthe unaseattle website for details on date, place and time!

Inspiring Presentation by Lily Ghebrai

Lily Ghebrai, a local high school student, presented before UNA Seattle members, board members and the public a speech and slideshow of her recent trip to Iran. Lily’s trip was sponosored by UNA Seattle, who helped her to raise the funds necessary to participate.

Lily’s presentation about the trip was nothing less than inspiring.  Lily captivated the audience as she told stories from her trip and shared pictures she had taken.  Lily reflected on the mannerisms and customs of the local people, many of whom asked her to ‘go back to America, and tell them we are nice.’  After Lily’s presentation, a Q & A session was held and it was obvious that everyone was intrigued by Lily’s experience.

The United Nations Association of Greater Seattle will celebrate the 66th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations on October 22, 2011.

The program, “Global Rhythms Uniting Nations,” will feature two separate, yet equally intriguing programs. The first program, beginning at 11am, features guest speaker Will Davis, Director of the United Nations Information Center.

Later, at 2pm, the United Nations of Greater Seattle welcomes five groups of multicultural performers representing music and dance from four continents.

The programs will be held at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. Tickets for the  11am program are $35 and include lunch and beverages. Tickets for the 2pm music program are $45. Tickets combining both events are $65 and include a one-hour admission to the Museum of History and Industry. 

The United Nations Association of Greater Seattle is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that supports the work of the United Nations and encourages active civic participation in the most important social and economic issues facing the world today.

As the nation’s largest grassroots foreign policy organization and the leading center of policy research on the UN and global issues, UNA-USA offers Americans the opportunity to connect with issues confronted by the UN from global health and human rights to the spread of democracy, equitable development, and international justice. Through the work of the Greater Seattle chapter, we educate the community about the work of the United Nations, and encourage public support for strong U.S. leadership in the UN.

Featured Guest:

Will Davis is currently the Director of the United Nations Information Center in Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he is the United Nations Secretariat’s senior representative in Washington, serving as a spokesman for the organization and working with officials in the executive branch, the Congress, the media, civil society and the business community to further the relationship between the UN and its largest contributing member state.

Performers:

The evening’s entertainment will feature award-winning virtuoso guitarist Andre Feriante, Silk Strings – a Japanese koto ensemble, Steve Thoreson – a high-caliber tenor, and runner-up at 2011’s Sweden’s Got Talent, Cuban music ensemble Charanga Danzón, and Leif Totusek & Freestyle Candela – a cross-culture fusion of rumba, soukous, and Latin.

Purchase tickets at: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/201497.