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Model UN Takes on Climate Change
Written by: Kelly Miliziano
Earth Day, April 22, was commemorated by UNA Tampa Bay through our Model UN Program for middle and high school students. The USF Model UN Team hosted 175 middle and high schools students at the USF Marshall Center. We were fortunate to have a dynamic Keynote address from Susan Glickman, the Florida Director of Southern Alliance for Clean Energy. Ms. Glickman energized the audience and challenged the young delegates to consider how they can make a difference in addressing climate change issues.
Throughout the conference students tackled various global issues by simulating the following UN bodies and topics:
High School
SG - Security Council – Ecological Terrorism UNEP – Climate Change
Middle School
GA – Financing for Development, Non Self Governing Territories ECOSOC – Youth Employment for Sustainable Development, Education in Post Conflict Situations
Participating Schools
Franklin Middle School Middleton High School
Freedom High School Palm Harbor University
Guinta Middle School Steinbrenner High School
King High School Walker Middle School
Liberty Middle School Wilson Middle School
A special thanks to our Award Winning University of South Florida Model UN Team.
The UNA Tampa Bay Chapter would like to recognize the important work of the USF MUN Team in organizing and staffing this event. The experienced, enthusiastic professional staff made this conference a spectacular success.
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Human Rights Day at UT
Written by: Marcus Arvan
On Saturday April 23rd, University of Tampa (UT) and UNA Tampa Bay hosted a joint all-day conference on human rights and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in UT's Vaughn Center. The event, organized by Marcus Arvan and Bruce Friesen, with assistance from Riyza Jose, featured keynote speaker Jamil Dakwar (Director, ACLU Human Rights Program), as well as Tampa City Council member Lisa Montelione (District 7) and representatives from the League of Women Voters, Florida Department of Health, Equality Florida, YWCA, Enterprising Latinas, Radiant Hands, Pepin Academies, Eckerd College, and University of South Florida.
Prior to the event a film screening and panel discussion were held of the 2015 film, “Escaping Syria”. There was also an art showing of the Red Sand Project, which displays activist artwork created by activist and artist Molly Gochman that uses participatory sidewalk interventions and earthwork installations that convenes to create opportunities for people to question, connect, and take action against human trafficking.The event concluded with a screening and moderated discussion of the PBS documentary, “Rape in the Fields.”
We thank all those who joined us and participated on this event, we hope to see you again next year!
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Cities for CEDAW in FLORIDA
Written by: Elizabeth Scott Osborne, Esq.
Chair – Cities for CEDAW
Gulf Coast Chapter – UN Women - USNC
Three municipal areas in Florida are already bringing CEDAW to the Sunshine State.
Miami-Dade County is the first Florida jurisdiction to pass a binding CEDAW ordinance. This ordinance focuses on three key areas of concern for women: economic development, health, and education, and asks the Commission for Women to work with the County Auditor to analyze and report back on these indicators.
As Commissioner Levine Cava aptly described it: “The purpose of the ordinance is to track the status of women and girls comprehensively in Miami-Dade County so that the Commission can make sound public policy based on objective data. By tracking these critical indicators, we will have access to objective, empirical data to better evaluate local public policy, particularly as it relates to pay parity and reducing violence against women.”
In Sarasota, the CEDAW campaign is also pushing for a full binding ordinance. Led by the local chapter of UN Women/USNC, representatives from the CEDAW campaign are meeting with local officials, religious leaders, NGOs, and members of the business community to inform and educate. Once there is greater awareness of CEDAW in the community, the City Commissioners will be asked to craft a suitable ordinance. A fascinating, short, and informative PSA describing the local CEDAW movement, filmed by Sarasota high school students, can be viewed here.
And further north, the City Councils of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg have already passed non-binding resolutions in support of CEDAW. Led by the United Nations Association of Tampa Bay (UNA-Tampa Bay), the campaign has also created a public petition to register support. Sign the petition here!
Former USF President Betty Castor and a number of prominent NGOs have all voiced their support for CEDAW, increasing the likelihood of moving to full binding ordinances there soon.
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Click video: Successful action on Climate Change depends on engaging women as stakeholders and planners to ensure that both women and men have opportunities in the new green economy.
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Gender, climate and disaster resilience
Women are disproportionately impacted by climate change and disasters, both through loss of livelihood and physical harm, and they also play central roles in rebuilding homes and communities after disasters. Systematic inequalities overall exacerbate the impact of disaster and climate-related shocks and impede sustainable development.
Women’s involvement in key disaster risk reduction initiatives, including for early warning, contingency planning and long-term recovery, is the best way to build community resilience and ensure that gender-specific needs and concerns are addressed.
UN Development Programme supports partners to:
• Strengthen the participation of women and attention to women’s concerns in local, national and global decision-making and policy processes on climate adaptation, mitigation and disaster risk reduction;
• Mainstream gender equality and women’s empowerment in disaster and climate risk reduction policies and plans, as well as in the budgetary frameworks of key sectors, such as water, agriculture, energy, health and education; and,
• Ensure that disaster risk reduction, climate mitigation and adaptation programs support women in developing their resilience to disasters and climate change. Securing their rights and tenure to land, water, forests, housing and other assets is critical to this effort, as is ensuring their access to clean and green alternative livelihoods.
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UNA-Tampa Bay Seeks Fundraising Director to Join Board of Directors
The United Nations Association-Tampa Bay Chapter is searching for a fundraising director to join the board of directors. The all-volunteer board which meets monthly oversees education and advocacy programs that foster an understanding of the United Nations and its goals. We service Pinellas, Pasco, Hillsborough and Polk counties. Our chapter has more than 250 members and coordinates outreach through a social media network of more than 6,000. Read our chapter mission statement here. The Director serves as the lead on two major annual fundraising initiatives: the ambassador cup golf tournament and the Better World 5K. Review a brief summary of the primary responsibilities below.
Interested in applying? Submit your resume to our chapter president Dr. Mark Amen at amen@usf.edu
Primary Responsibilities
- Develop an annual strategic fundraising plan for the Chapter.
- Build, coordinate, and design fundraising initiatives to maintain existing and initiate new fundraising relationships with corporate, community, and individual sponsors.
- Coordinate major fundraising initiatives including the ambassador cup golf tournament and better world 5k.
- Identify new and innovative funding sources for the Chapter
- Coordinate with the Strategic Communications and Publishing directors to ensure effective marketing and communication of our fundraising efforts and their benefit to Chapter programs.
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