UNA Events
The UNA screens films from the Travelling UNA Film Festival at the Avenidas Senior Center in Palo Alto at 2pm on the second Monday of the month. Admission is free.
The UNA Book Club meets on the 3rd Tuesday of the month in Mountain View, focusing on United Nations issues and related topics. See the list of upcoming books, dates, and location.
The UN has 4 main purposes:
- To keep peace throughout the world;
- To develop friendly relations among nations;
- To help nations work together to improve the lives of poor people, to conquer hunger, disease and illiteracy, and to encourage respect for each other’s rights and freedoms;
- To be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations to achieve these goals.
The United Nations is an international organization founded in 1945 after the Second World War by 51 countries committed to maintaining international peace and security, developing friendly relations among nations and promoting social progress, better living standards and human rights.
Due to its unique international character, and the powers vested in its founding Charter, the Organization can take action on a wide range of issues, and provide a forum for its 192 Member States to express their views, through the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and other bodies and committees.
The work of the United Nations reaches every corner of the globe. Although best known for peacekeeping, peacebuilding, conflict prevention and humanitarian assistance, there are many other ways the United Nations and its System (specialized agencies, funds and programmes) affect our lives and make the world a better place. The Organization works on a broad range of fundamental issues, from sustainable development, environment and refugees protection, disaster relief, counter terrorism, disarmament and non-proliferation, to promoting democracy, human rights, gender equality and the advancement of women, governance, economic and social development and international health, clearing landmines, expanding food production, and more, in order to achieve its goals and coordinate efforts for a safer world for this and future generations.
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations, (MORE....)
Chapter Blog
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House Bill H. R. 2829
by Jane Miller Chai How is it that people in so many countries of the Middle East have had the courage, with little expectation or facility, to stand up against their powerful dictators of many decades? What provided the hope they could succeed and be part of a better world? Individuals felt they had a [...]
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Battling nuclear inertia goes beyond sanctions
by Jeffrey Laurenti “If I had known it was going to be this popular, I would have done this a long time ago,” President John F. Kennedy is said to have joked with aides when enthusiastic audiences cheered his mentions of the partial nuclear test ban treaty in 1963. Fast forward fifty years, however, and [...]
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Long Overdue
by Mary Granholm What do the U.S., Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Naura, Palau, and Tonga have in common? You may be surprised at the answer. They are the only seven countries that have not ratified CEDAW. And what is CEDAW? It’s the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women that was [...]