Nominations Closed for Gibbard Award

Thank you to all of those who nominated a youth or youth group in the metro #Vancouver area working to make positive changes in the world globally or locally with a global focus. Nominations are now closed.

Each year on the occasion of United Nations Day, the United Nations Association of Canada, Vancouver Branch recognizes the work of a young student or group of students for their dedication and commitment to working towards a better world.

The John Gibbard Memorial Award is presented in memory of John Gibbard, who was a supporter of the League of Nations from its creation in 1919, in the wake of the First World War.

The Award is given to youth up to 25 years of age in recognition of their dedication and commitment to working for humanity and a better world locally or internationally.

Previous winners include Andrew Sheroubi, Red Cross Student Movement,  Gurkiran Mann, founder of Youth Transforming Society (2016), Anjali Katta, CEO of Girlsco. (2015) and Ta’kaiya Blaney, indigenous and environmental activist/singer & songwriter (2014).

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See our website for details and the nomination form: https://unavancouver.wordpress.com/john-gibbard-memorial-a…/

Thank you for your support

The Vancouver Branch of the UN Association in Canada held their Annual General Meeting to review their achievements of 2018. The branch welcomed long-time and new members and supportive guests as well as inducting Jeff Brooks to a co-President position alongside continuing co-President Deirdre Moore, and Rhiannon Dominy-Pergentile as Secretary. Dedicated board members Jessica Steele and Jessie Sunner (co-Vice Presidents), Rosio Godomar (Treasurer), George Somerwill (Past President), Greg Neumann (Past President) and Directors Karen Truscott, Melanie Walker, Greg Doudican, Jocelyn Pittel (Giving), and Shirin Yadegiri with Honorary Director Dr. Patsy George will continue to inspire and advocate for United Nations ideals and related events as board members in 2019-20.

The meeting took place inside the inspirational LuluLemon offices in Kitsilano. Thank you to Safeway and Starbucks; both companies donated refreshments for our meeting.

The Vancouver Branch is run entirely on volunteer efforts and is funded through your donations, memberships and partnerships. All members of the public who wish to see more public engagement on global issues are encouraged to become members. Visit unac.org, click the “Get Involved” tab, “How to Donate or Join”, then scroll down to “Become a Member”. Under “Messages” indicate you wish to join the Vancouver Branch. Additionally, you may “Donate” to by specifically indicating “Vancouver Branch”. We thank you for your support as always. Please contact unacvancouver@gmail.com for more information.

Annual General Meeting: April 1st

The Vancouver Branch of the UN Association in Canada (UNAC-V) welcomes all local members to attend the Annual General Meeting taking place Monday, April 1st from 7pm until 8pm with refreshments at 6:45pm. The meeting will convene in the office space of Lululemon’s Vancouver headquarters located at 1818 Cornwall Avenue, Vancouver. Please RSVP to unacvancouver@gmail.com. 

The UN Sustainable Development Goals provide the framework for the continued work we do in the areas of gender equality, peacekeeping, development, poverty reduction, and reducing inequalities to name a few. We would like to share with you these successes as well as the challenges we face moving forward.

We believe that the work of UNAC-V is very important: ensuring Canadians understand and support the goals and ideals of the United Nations.

The UN Association in Canada, Vancouver Branch, is a volunteer-run organization. All membership fees and donations go towards the hosting of public events and advocacy work. We welcome you to join our organization as a member; to become a member visit the website of our national organization and be sure to indicate under messages that you are joining the Vancouver Branch.  

Announcement from UNAC Vancouver

It is with great regret that UNAC Vancouver acknowledges that four members of the UNA Canada family died earlier this morning in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 en route from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya. There were no survivors among the passengers or crew.

Our condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with the families of these four talented young Canadians. One was a UNAC staffer and the other three had volunteered in their communities. They were heading to Nairobi to represent Canada at a conference as part of Canada’s Service Corps.

UNA Canada CEO Kate White remembered the four for “their compassion, leadership, and dedication to making the world a better place.”

We will share more details as they become publicly available.

From Denmark to Rwanda: Celebrating International Women’s Day 2019

The views expressed by the authors on this page reflect their personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNA Canada.

Source: https://canadiandimension.com/articles/view/international-womens-day-2018-iwd2018

The United Nations Association in Canada joins the world today in celebrating International Women’s Day, a holiday established to draw attention to the economic, political, social and cultural inequalities between women and men. The Socialist International first established this holiday at its 1910 meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. On March 19th, 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated with demonstrations and rallies in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark. Thirty-four years later, at the San Francisco Conference, four women delegates helped establish what would become the largest intergovernmental organization ever, the United Nations. These founding women pushed for the inclusion of Article 8 in the Charter of the United Nations, i.e., for women’s equal opportunity to participate in the UN. Notable women within the U.N. system include Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (first female president of the General Assembly), Canada’s own Louise Frechette (the first Deputy Secretary-General), and the current President of the General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces.