Congresswoman Velázquez – Brooklyn UN Supporter Is In The House
Lat month, as part of UNA’s “Day on The Hill,” June 14, I had the pleasure of meeting with Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY-12), my representative in the U.S. Congress. I was joined by UNA executive director, Patrick Madden and several other UNA members from New York State. Overall, Congresswoman Velázquez has a stellar voting record in support of the United Nations and multilateralism and communicated her continuing commitment to promoting a strong US-UN relationship.
Center: Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, UNA Members Left to right: Robert Klein (Rockland County), Margaret Shannon (Queens Chapter vice president), Marcia Brewster (Westchester Chapter president), Gabriel Levitt (Brooklyn Chapter president), Patrick Madden (UNA executive director), Carl Murrell (Manhattan)
We focused on the core UNA advocacy agenda during our meeting: full funding for the UN regular and peacekeeping budgets; continued engagement with the Human Rights Council, maintaining foreign aid appropriations in support of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); and support for the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). As in the past, Congresswoman Velázquez supports full funding for the United Nations and foreign aid in support of our MDGs. However, she is concerned that due to the national priority for steep federal budget cuts full funding for the UN may prove difficult this next year.
Some members of congress are seeking to withhold funding to the Human Rights Council – which would mean flouting our responsibilities under the UN charter – and cutting off funding to the UNFPA. Such selective withholdings and funding cuts will only weaken our position within the UN and among our allies and abdicate our responsibility to protect and improve women’s health. I believe Congresswoman Velázquez strongly opposes such actions and look forward to continuing a dialog with her on these issues.
I told Congresswoman Velázquez about the Brooklyn Chapter’s plan for UN Day, to invite Brooklyn’s teachers to an event to learn about the Model UN. Congresswoman Velazquez encouraged us to reach out to her staff in Brooklyn to work together on this educational initiative, which we will certainly do.
Congresswoman Velazquez talks with UNA Brooklyn Chapter in her Washington Office
This is the second consecutive year that Congresswoman Velázquez has made time to meet, listen to, and talk with the United Nations Association’s Brooklyn Chapter. Her openness and open mind is a reflection of the diversity and creativity of the constituency she very strongly represents. We hope that she uses these traits to share her global perspective on U.S. foreign policy with fellow members of congress by encouraging them to vote against reactionary policies that lead to unilateralism and isolationism and for progressive policies that enhance U.S. engagement in the United Nations, and project a long-term multilateral approach to protecting our national interests.
UNA Annual Meetings 2011 Recap and Thoughts for the Future
The UNA Annual Meetings were held two weeks ago in Arlington, VA, June 11-14, 2011, bringing together approximately 200 members representing 62 chapters from 27 states. Members served as Chapter delegates, voting on changes affecting UNA’s structure and policies and signed agreements to finalize new UNA chapter affiliations, policies and procedures. For instance, the Council on Chapters and Divisions was re-named the Council on Chapters and Regions. The CCR is charged with recommending policies to the UNA national office to help guide its programmatic and advocacy efforts. The Young Professionals for International Cooperation was renamed as UNA Young Professionals to clarify its status as a part of UNA. The chapter affiliation agreement binds chapters to follow new requirements and meet certain criteria, including abiding by membership terms found in the Chapter Handbook. As a testament to the importance of the UNA, Ambassador Susan Rice, Permanent U.S. Representative to the UN, was the featured speaker. Ambassador Rice vehemently communicated her belief in the centrality of the UN to our national security interests, and that UNA was integral to creating support among the American people for the UN.
Members attended workshops on chapter development and operations, such as using social media to enhance chapter communications, and promoting Model UN programs throughout our local communities. Members also attended expert panels on the most pressing UN/global affairs issues, such as peacekeeping, global health, and energy, which were very helpful for chapter leaders to get up-to-speed on UN current affairs and policy, ask questions, and share their own ideas.
Special presentations were given on UN Foundation-sponsored programs Girl Up and Nothing But Nets. Girl Up is a relatively new initiative that focuses on improving the lives and extending the opportunities of girls living in impoverished and oppressive conditions through the fundraising and communications efforts of American girls. Nothing But Nets, now in its sixth year, raises funds to purchase special medicated bed nets to save people from Malaria, which is contracted through mosquitoes.
UNA’s Day on the Hill followed one day after the annual meetings during which UNA members meet with their elected representatives in Congress to communicate their positions on the UN and global affairs issues. This year members advocated for full funding to the UN, continued leadership in the UN Human Rights Council, maintaining a foreign aid budget that keeps us on track for meeting the Millennium Development Goals, and pushing back against attempts in congress to defund the UN Population Fund (UNPFA). I met with Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez (NY-12), who has a stellar voting record in support of UN activities and US-UN leadership. A blog post will follow to more fully cover the meeting with Congresswoman Velazquez.
Last year’s annual meeting focused on the proposed alliance between UNA and the UN Foundation (UNF) and the negotiations that were unfolding at a rapid clip. This year was the first UNA Annual Meeting held under the auspices of a merged UNA-UNF. As UNF’s CEO, Kathy Bushkin Calvin, stated during her speech, the alliance is a “work in progress” and the two parties bring different strengths, and “baggage”, to the table. Like Ms. Calvin, UNA members are generally optimistic and forward thinking about UNA’s future. For a strong understanding of the nature of the alliance read the Chapter Handbook.
I believe that by combining the strong organizational and financial position of the UN Foundation with the UNA’s grassroots experience and activism, as exercised by its chapters and divisions, our voice with the American people and the U.S. government is greatly amplified. We are strengthened in our ability to further the position that the UN is indispensable in confronting our world’s most difficult problems and in the managing and oversight of many areas of international activity.
My experience is that UNA annual meetings serve to re-energize, motivate and renew our commitments to the UNA and its cause of a strong US-UN relationship as the basis for an effective and strong United Nations.
Latvian UN Ambassador Hosted By UNA Brooklyn Chapter
From Left: Latvian UN Ambassador Normans Penke; UNA Brooklyn Chapter President, Gabriel Levitt, UN Advanced Graduate Certificate Program Director Professor Lester Wilson
Last Wednesday, March 16th, as part of efforts to raise public awareness about the United Nations, the United Nations Association Brooklyn Chapter was honored to co-host Ambassador Normans Penke, Permanent Representative from Latvia to the UN, as a guest speaker at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus, in Downtown Brooklyn. The event also was co-hosted by LIU’s UN Graduate Advanced Certificate Program as part of its Distinguished Speaker’s Series.
Ambassador Penke’s talk centered on Latvian’s historical development as a sovereign state and on how concepts of national self-determination and of multilateralism together contributed to its gaining independence. Since the Middle Ages Latvia found itself under the domination of foreign powers, such as Germany, Sweden, Poland and Russia. It first obtained independence in 1921 only to fall soon thereafter under the Soviet sphere during World War II.
Ambassador Penke spoke of the political ethos of national self-determination, as espoused by President Woodrow Wilson, which brought a short-lived independence to Latvia and the other Baltic states of Estonia and Lithuania. However, as Ambassador Penke explained, what engendered Latvia’s more recent re-birth and security were modern multilateral institutions of the Post-World War II era: the United Nations and later the European Union and North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
After a politically volatile period starting in the late 1980s, through which Latvians struggled in a tug of war with a disintegrating Soviet Union, Latvia regained its independence in 1991. On September 17 of that year, it became a member of the United Nations, which according to Ambassador Penke said was widely celebrated in Latvia.
Ambassador Penke commented that UN accomplishments seem to go under-reported and unrecognized in the United States in comparison with the European Union, where UN success stories are more frequently found in the newspapers of European capitals. This should not come as a surprise, as most states of Europe, such as Latvia, are part of the world’s most developed multilateral polity – the EU – and are therefore more comfortable with mutltilateralism generally. The United States is historically skeptical of international institutions, despite its global interests and involvement, and role in creating the UN. These contrasting attitudes toward mutlilateralism reflect the contrast in media coverage found in the US and EU.
The lecture was followed by a question-and-answer period, and refreshments, providing the opportunity to meet and talk further with the ambassador.
Among approximately 40 people attending the event were members of the UNA Brooklyn Chapter, residents of the Latvian-American community, professors of international affairs and political science, LIU graduate students, and others sharing interests in the views of the UN ambassador and in the United Nations Association.
Attendees seemed very enthusiastic about Ambassador Penke’s presentation and motivated to participate in future UNA programs and events.
UNA Brooklyn Chapter member Peg Byron and Professor Lester Wilson, director of LIU’s UN Graduate Certificate Program, deserve special credit for their roles in planning the event. Thanks as well to chapter Vice President Carla Hung, Secretary Bob Worth, and new member Adam Grabowski. Finally, thanks to chapter member Uldis Blukis for making the evening possible by reaching out to Ambassador Penke.
Our gratitude is extended to the Latvian Mission to the UN for lending its ambassador to us for a wonderful evening. The greatest thanks is reserved for Ambassador Normans Penke for taking the time to meet with our chapter and sharing his experience and wisdom.
Latvian Ambassador to the UN, Normans Penke Comes to Brooklyn
Latvian Ambassador to the UN Speaks in Brooklyn
Latvian Ambassador to UN Speaker Event and Other Chapter News
(Re-print of email message sent 1-23-11)
Dear UNA Brooklyn Chapter Members and Interested Parties:
A belated Happy New Year to you and your families. It’s my hope, and I undertake, to improve on the work that we started last year in making the Brooklyn Chapter more active and influential in bringing attention to the importance and good works of the United Nations. On to business…
Please mark your calendars: The Latvian Ambassador to the United Nations, Normans Penke, has agreed to speak at a UNA Brooklyn event on March 16th to be held at our home base: the Brooklyn Campus of the Long Island University. The event will go from 7-9pm. The Ambassador will speak at 7p, followed by a Q&A period, which should last to about 8p, at which time coffee and dessert will be served.
Thanks to Peg Byron’s editorial and media relations skills, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle published an Op-Ed about the UN submitted for the UNA Brooklyn Chapter: http://www.brooklyneagle.com/categories/category.php?category_id=10&id=40740.
New leaders in the House of Representatives are proposing legislation that could dramatically hinder US/UN relations; UN Secretary General will meet with members of congress to defend UN’s record. Specifically, the new Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida, has introduced legislation to make funding for the UN fully voluntary, which would be a major departure from the current practice under which the United States, like all other members of the UN, pay assessed contributions based on their economic output. Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen believes such measures are necessary to bring greater reform to the UN. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet with congressional leaders to explain that significant UN reforms have actually occurred under his tenure, and cutting funding to the UN will not serve U.S. national interests.
We’ve experienced the damage that an anti-UN Congress can inflict on our national security interests. The damage is subtle but pervasive: our international influence declines when our allies and other member-states of the UN see the U.S. shirking its treaty obligations to the UN. Due to this new wave of, or return to, reactionary policies and politics in Congress, your support for and work with the UNA has become far more important.
Gabriel Levitt
President
UNA Brooklyn Chapter
UNA Brooklyn Meets Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-11)
As part of our Advocacy Program, UNA Brooklyn Chapter members Peg Byron and Gabriel Levitt met with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke at her office in Ditmas Park on October 26th. Congresswoman Clarke was joined by staff members Anita Taylor (District Director) and Veronica Aveis. Our main goal was to introduce the UNA and our Brooklyn Chapter to Congresswoman Clarke, listen to her thoughts and positions on the UN and related issues, and create a foundation for an ongoing relationship to advance support for the UN. I believe we were successful.
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke with UNA Brooklyn Chapter members Peg Byron, left, and Gabriel Levitt, right
Peg Byron began the meeting with general introductions and by recounting what motivated her to join the UNA. Byron emphasized the UN’s good works in improving global health and development efforts geared toward women as core motivations for joining the UNA. This focus is very much in line with Congresswoman’s Clarke’s own interests demonstrated by her lead sponsorship of the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act of 2010, which serves to revise existing legislation to bring the U.S. in line with international standards that can improve the global delivery of health services to women.
Gabriel Levitt provided an overview on the UNA and its programs, highlighting its history as our country’s bedrock of support for the United Nations and force to combat reactionary ideologies that promote unilateralism and disdain for international organizations. Levitt emphasized the importance of the grassroots make-up of the UNA as a membership-based organization consisting of about 130 chapters and divisions with over 10,000 members nationally.
Congresswoman Clarke showed a deep concern for and interest in a variety of global issues, including the natural disaster in Haiti and war in Afghanistan, the economic development and concerns of small island nations, and, as mentioned above, global women’s health issues. As a member of the Committee on Homeland Security, Congresswoman Clarke is chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, Science and Technology. Her committee efforts focus on domestic preparedness for attacks on the United States, but also on larger issues relating to combating terrorism. We pointed out that efforts at the UN include building a global consensus for fighting terrorism, enshrined in former Secretary General Kofi Annan’s Uniting Against Terrorism: Recommendations for a Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy.
In our discussions, it was clear, in a very pragmatic manner, that an ongoing relationship between Congresswoman Clarke and the UNA Brooklyn Chapter could be mutually beneficial. She communicated the challenges of having to consider and vote on legislation affecting wide-ranging foreign and defense policy matters without having as much time and information as she would like. We communicated our desire to serve as a resource on UN and global affairs issues and have already undertaken to provide her office with some background information about current or potential UN actions affecting small island nations and plans for Afghanistan’s economic development.
In turn, we spoke about our chapter’s plans for 2011 and invited Congresswoman Clarke to participate in UNA Brooklyn Chapter events. As Congresswoman Clarke has worked to help and is highly concerned about Haiti, we’re very much hoping she will join us for our 2011 event to focus on the UN’s role in Haiti. Also, having the congresswoman speak at or even just attend our “Brooklyn Celebrates the UN” event, planned for UN Day 2011 would lend the event greater prestige.
For those of you following this blog and the work of the chapter over the past year, you may have noticed that we did not focus on our core advocacy agenda in our meeting with Congresswoman Clarke. At the suggestion of board member Cristina Grisham, who was instrumental in planning the meeting, we eschewed a rigid advocacy focus and, after introducing the UNA and Brooklyn Chapter, turned the meeting into a more open discussion about the UN, global affairs, and U.S. foreign policy. Our approach, as I see it, enabled us to strongly communicate the importance of the UNA and the Brooklyn Chapter. In return, we went away with a far greater understanding and appreciation for the work of Congresswoman Clarke as it relates to foreign policy in the context of how to continue our relationship to further advocate for the UN.
Please rest assure that we did bring up the basic points of our agenda, and emphasized the UNA’s laser-like focus on publicizing and advocating for the Millennium Development Goals, not to mention full funding for the UN, and unsigned or unratified treaties, such as the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, among others. We also left behind a strong two-page overview of our core advocacy issues and will submit more issue briefs and action points as a follow-up to our meeting.
Congresswoman Clarke’s interest and enthusiasm were clear from the outset of the meeting and it’s not far-reaching to write that we’ll definitely be working with the Congresswoman in the near future. Finally, Congresswoman Clarke eloquently described, discussed and was proud of the diversity of the 11th district, which includes African-American, Caribbean, East European, Haitian, Hispanic, Indian, Jewish, and Pakistani communities (sorry if I forgot one). And that is very meaningful to our chapter. We find ourselves in a real global village right here in Brooklyn, which is fertile ground to rally around and support the work of the United Nations. It’s our hope that we do so in a continuing alliance with Congresswoman Clarke.
UNA Brooklyn Past, Present, and Future
Happy UN Day to UNA Brooklyn Members and Other Interested Parties -
As part of our UN Day advocacy program, we’re pleased to report that the chapter is meeting with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (D-NY) on Tuesday, October 26th. Congresswoman Clarke represents the 11th district, which includes the neighborhoods of Brownsville, Crown Heights, Flatbush and Park Slope. A Brooklyn native of Jamaican heritage, she is a champion to the causes of affordable housing, the rights of immigrants, and healthcare reform.
UNA member, and constituent of Congresswoman Clarke, Peg Byron, and Gabriel Levitt, UNA Brooklyn Chapter President, will attend the meeting. We’ll give Congresswoman Clarke an overview of the United Nations Association, the work of our chapter, and our chapter’s advocacy issues. A major “thank you” to board member and former chapter secretary Cristina Grisham for making this meeting possible.
UNA Brooklyn Annual Meeting
The UNA Brooklyn Chapter held its annual meeting on Thursday October 14th to take care of chapter business, such as elections, meet new members, and plan for 2011. It was an excellent meeting. The chapter has new members who are highly dedicated and experienced and will greatly improve our efforts to promote the UNA in Brooklyn, build support for the UN, and raise awareness about our global community.
We have a lot to celebrate this UN Day. Let’s review what we’ve accomplished over the past year
- The UNA Brooklyn Chapter was re-established just over one year ago after having lost its chapter status in early 2009.
- Our membership increased from about 30 to 40 members.
- We created a chapter blog.
- We created a chapter website.
- We opened a chapter bank account.
- We developed chapter letterhead
- We organized and hosted a documentary screening about the formation and practice of the International Criminal Court.
- We helped and supported a YPIC documentary screening about the modern slave trade.
- We’ve begun advocacy efforts by developing issue briefs on issues of importance to the UNA.
- We’re meeting with Congresswoman Yvette Clarke on Tuesday, October 26th.
Chapter Elections
I’m very pleased to welcome Bob Worth as our new Chapter Secretary and board members and Javier Enriquez as a new board member.
UNA Brooklyn Events 2011
We voted to hold the following events in 2011:
1. A speaker event featuring the Latvian Ambassador to the UN, H.E. Mr. Normans Penke. This event is due to the outreach of Uldis Blukis, UNA Brooklyn Board member and former member of the Latvian Mission to the UN. Projected Date: Late January/Early February.
2. UN day 2011 will also be “Brooklyn Celebrates the UN”. The event’s general purpose is to educate Brooklyn residents about the indispensable work of the United Nations and promote membership in UNA. We foresee the event being held at a university or community center in Brooklyn. Gabriel Levitt undertakes to lead in the planning of this event.
3. An event bringing attention to the UN’s work in protecting the rights of indigenous persons with a focus on Columbia perhaps other Latin American countries as well. Javier Enriquez undertakes to lead in the planning of this event.
4. An event dedicated to the work of the United Nations in Haiti. Carla Hung and Jay Hammond undertake to lead in the planning of this event.
Advocacy 2011
It was decided that advocacy, continual outreach to and meetings with our elected representatives in Washington, will be an ongoing initiative and critical part of the UNA Brooklyn Chapter’s work.
I’m confident that this next year will be an incredible one of the UNA Brooklyn Chapter.
Gabriel Levitt
President
UNA Brooklyn Chapter
UNA Brooklyn Annual Meeting Called for October 14th
Dear UNA Brooklyn Chapter Members -
Each year UNA chapters must have one annual meeting in which all members are invited to attend. This year’s will be held on Thursday, October 14th at 6:30, probably in the Jonas Board Room at the Brooklyn Campus of Long Island University – details are forthcoming.
As a membership-based organization, by definition, UNA-UNA cannot exist without the members! The dues you pay each year allow UNA to do the great work it does to build more and stronger bridges between the U.S. and the UN, and improve the world body itself through education advocacy, and policy development. The fact is that paying membership is all you’re required to do. But it is essential for a Chapter’s existence that its annual meeting reaches its quorum, as per Chapter by-laws. So please make your best effort to attend this meeting.
At the meeting, we will discuss the alliance between the United Nations Association and the United Nations Foundation; review the work of our chapter in 2010; and vote on Board members and officers for 2011. Snacks and beverages will be served!
Gabriel Levitt, President, UNA Brooklyn Chapter
UNA Brooklyn Chapter Delegates
The UNA Brooklyn Chapter delegates to vote on UNA Brooklyn affiliation with the United Nations Foundation/Better World Fund will be Gabriel Levitt and Carla Hung. The voting date, which has not been finalized, will likely occur this coming October.
In the last blog post I wrote that there would be a chapter vote for members volunteering to be delegates. Since there were only two volunteers, and the Brooklyn Chapter is alloted two delegates there was no need for a vote.
I encourage all members to read the current draft of the affiliation agreement and comment on this blog.
UNA Brooklyn Chapter Delegates Needed For New UNA-UNF Alliance Vote
On this blog, and through emails, I’ve informed the UNA Brooklyn Chapter (UNABC) membership of the proposed alliance between the United Nations Association of the U.S.A. and the United Nations Foundations. Now the UNA-USA is requesting its affiliated chapters to pick delegates to vote on the proposed alliance in October.
What will delegates do? They will vote on behalf of the UNABC to officially affiliate itself with the newly reformed UNA-USA, under the umbrella of the United Nations Foundation’s Better World Fund. You can read the agreement published here.
Picking Delegates
The UNABC is allotted two delegates. Any member of UNABC is eligible to become a delegate by informing me of his or her wish to be so. Once we have the list of interested parties, we will vote for delegates by email. The two members with the most votes will become UNABC’s delegates.
Unless members object to this delegate selection plan, choosing delegates will proceed as follows:
1. Any UNABC member is eligible to become a delegate. If you wish to be a delegate then please alert me by August 31, 2010.
2. The list of members who are “running” for delegate will be announced on this blog on September 5th with a call for a vote.
3. Votes for delegates can be emailed to unabrooklyn@gmail.com or placed on our website here. Details will follow on September 5th.
4. I will announce the selected delegates on September 13th.
The voting will take place in October, through email or other online medium, as determined by UNA-USA.
Gabriel Levitt
