The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to building understanding of and support for the ideals and work of the United Nations among the American people. Throughout the month of October, UNA-USA chapters host over 200 events to celebrate the anniversary of the UN's founding (October 24). The resolution, sponsored by Texas Senator Thomas Connally, was adopted with broad bipartisan support in November 1943 giving the Roosevelt administration the mandate it needed to launch the San Francisco Conference where the UN Charter was ultimately signed in 1945. This feature is in beta and may change with future updates. Since 1999, William H. Luers has been the president of UNA-USA. You could also do it yourself at any point in time. ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability is an international organization of local and regional governments that have made a commitment to sustainable development. Their first topic? What’s going on around the world has an impact on what’s going on here. Population Connection is a non-profit organization in the United States that raises awareness of population challenges and advocates for improved global access to family planning and reproductive health care. [1] It is a member of the World Federation of United Nations Associations, which comprises other national UN advocacy organizations. It considered itself the direct successor of the League of Nations Association, which was founded in 1923. A program of the United Nations Foundation, its mission includes advocating for greater U.S. leadership at the UN, improving and enhancing the UN system, and implementing the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Charter in both the U.S. and globally. As local ambassadors for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the nineteen women athletes have chosen to highlight and raise awareness for the goals they are most passionate about. UNA-USA works to accomplish its mission through its national network of chapters. The Temple of Understanding is an interfaith organization founded in 1960 by Juliet Hollister and located in New York City. Along with its sister organization, the Better World Campaign, UNA-USA is the world's largest UN advocacy network. Would you like Wikipedia to always look as professional and up-to-date? The World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) was founded in 1946 as a Federation of national associations. It will enhance any encyclopedic page you visit with the magic of the WIKI 2 technology. [letter 1] At that time, the term "United Nations" referred to the allied nations fighting against fascism, but some leaders had already begun to embrace it as the brand name for a new international organization. When former First Lady of the United States Eleanor Roosevelt completed her term as a US Representative to the UN General Assembly in 1953, she walked into the association's New York office and volunteered to help. ", Today, the UNA-USA has "more than 20,000 members spread among 175 local chapters in 43 states.... [and is now] comprised of a number of affiliated organizations, including the Business Council of the United Nations, which promotes greater cooperation between the United Nations and the business community; the Council of Organizations, a program of affiliation for national organizations supporting the work of the UNA; and Adopt-A-Minefield, which helps the United Nations' effort to resolve the global landmine crisis by raising funds for mine clearance and survivor assistance. The United Nations Association of the United States (UNA-USA) was founded in the midst of World War Two,[4] in order to build American support for a new international organization designed to sustain the peace once the war was won. In addition, UNA-USA provides free online teaching materials to enable teachers to put kids who may never hold a passport into the shoes of a diplomat by transforming their classrooms in to UN Security Council negotiations. Mrs. Roosevelt was instrumental in building the association's national network of chapters on college campuses and in communities across the US, an effort that continue until her death in 1962. Throughout the month of October, UNA-USA chapters host over 200 events to celebrate the anniversary of the UN's founding (October 24). Congratulations on this excellent venture… what a great idea! These members carry out programs and advocacy campaigns at the local level through a wide range of programs and events. [3]. Through their global advocacy and community programs MPV enlighten Muslims and non-Muslim populations globally. In addition, UNA-USA provides free online teaching materials to enable teachers to put kids who may never hold a passport into the shoes of a diplomat by transforming their classrooms in to UN Security Council negotiations. The merger created the largest network of UN advocates worldwide. This was the quiet beginning of a major campaign in which Mrs. Roosevelt carried the message of UN across the country through personal appearances, recruitment speeches, and fundraising efforts. Representatives of the then 191 member states met in New York City for what the United Nations described as "a once-in-a-generation opportunity to take bold decisions in the areas of development, security, human rights and reform of the United Nations.". At the San Francisco Conference, the association (renamed in 1945 as the American Association for the United Nations) served as Secretariat for a coalition of 42 national organizations who were appointed by the State Department to provide input into the negotiations. These events are frequently tied to major International Celebration Days such as International Women's Day, Earth Day, and Human Rights Day and often feature community leaders, such as human trafficking task force members or private sector sustainability champions, who's local mission has a global impact.