2011 Peace Calendar - Format You Prefer?
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The immediate response to disasters of this magnitude has to consist of: (1) search and rescue of survivors, as well as the provision of (2) potable water, (3) essential food supplies, (4) basic sanitary facilities, (5) emergency medical supplies and care, (6) dignified, safe body disposal, and (7) shelter and clothing against the elements. These must be accompanied, however, by restoration of (8) communications, (9) transportation, and (10) security, without which the first seven relief items are practically impossible.
A specific, critical responsibility of the World Health Organization, through its regional Pan American Health Organization, is to anticipate, detect, prevent, and ultimately help control the outbreak of disaster-related communicable diseases, such as dysentery, cholera, typhoid and malaria. Many of these are water-related. WHO's job is to be sure the right science is brought in and applied to the problem, irrespective of who provides or pays for the drugs, vaccines or equipment.
In carrying out this responsibility, WHO advises and works closely with local and national officials, UN sister agencies, aid agencies, NGOs, churches and charitable groups, to ensure swift, appropriate, science-based response, and set in motion the eventual rehabilitation and longer-term strengthening of the local, district and national health systems - long after the international media have lost interest and gone home.
As we shall soon see in Haiti, natural disasters lead to further man-made disasters: crime and violence by desperate people, calling for responsible police action and peace-keeping.. Here the US military, if they have "boots on the ground," must tread carefully, to "do no harm," and not appear as an invading or occupying force (as we do in Afghanistan and Iraq). In the longer term, the overall efforts will shift to reconstruction of housing, infrastructure, democratic institutions and the economy - in short, the re-building of a nation.
Read more: Insight: Haiti Relief Shows the UN and the USA at our Best
The UN, The Status of Women, and What You Can Do!
Join UNA-USA on Tuesday, April 6th at 6:30 pm EST for a nationwide conference call to discuss the UN, the status of women and what you can do! Present on the call will be multiple experienced UNA-USA activists and members who will discuss women's issues, important UN institutions, and their experiences at the recent 54th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW54), and how we can push for U.S. ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).
Conference Call is Scheduled for Tuesday April 6th, 6:30pm EST
Call: 1-866-844-6898 Passcode: 881558
Please RSVP via e-mail to Roger Nokes at
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If you care about the status of women worldwide, do not miss this important discussion!
For more information and important resources, please visit: www.unausa.org/april6
United Nations Association of the United States of America
The United Nations Association of the United States of America (commonly abbreviated UNA-USA) traces its founding back to 1943 with the establishment of the American Association for the United Nations (AAUN), a citizen-based organization led by former U.S. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. AAUN merged with the U.S. Committee for the United Nations in 1964, creating the United Nations Association of the USA as it is known today. Membership in the UNA-USA is open to any U.S. citizen or resident who is committed to the purposes of the United Nations Association of the USA.
About UNA of Connecticut
The United Nations Association of Connecticut (commonly abbreviated as UNA-CT) is the official Connecticut state chapter of the United Nations Association - United States of America. It is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to building understanding of and support for the ideals and vital work of the United Nations among American people. Its educational and humanitarian campaigns, including teaching students in urban schools, clearing minefields and providing school-based support for children in African communities that have been hurt by HIV/AIDS, allow people to have a strong influence at a local level.
In addition, UNA-USA’s highly regarded policy and advocacy programs stress the importance of nations working together and the need for American leadership at the United Nations. The association is affiliated with the World Federation of United Nations Associations, which was established in 1946 as a public movement for the UN. We are heavily invested in youth, with our Model UN's; essay contests; UN Day advocacy programs at high schools, colleges and universities; UN NGO visits; and school outreach programs. The CT division has five official chapters, including New Haven, Hartford, Southwest, Northwest, and Northeast, and a sibling chapter in Westminster, England, with whom we collaborate on projects such as the annual Peace Calendar.
Our Mission
We are dedicated to educating, inspiring and mobilizing Americans to support the principles and vital work of the United Nations, strengthening the United Nations system, promoting constructive United States leadership in that system and achieving the goals of the United Nations Charter.
