Middle School Students Discuss new UN Environmental Force, in Honors MUN -- the Green Helmets

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Dear <<First Name>>,

Tuesday, May 18, 2021

Civitas Newsletters will not be every week in the summer.

A Dynamite Day of Diplomacy

We all know about the important role the United Nations Peacekeepers play in the world, helping countries navigate the difficult path from conflict to peace and providing security to civilians in the area. Their iconic blue UN hats represent comfort across the globe.

Well what if the UN created a similar response team called Greenkeepers to provide on-the-ground assistance to climate and environmental emergencies? Who would they be? Where would they go? What circumstances would require their assistance? How would they be trained and paid?

Creating a United Nations Greenkeeping Response Team (UNGRT) was the morning task this past Saturday of a select group of middle schoolers who were identified as especially engaged during their Model UN sessions this spring. Over 800 students from 18 middle schools participated in Model United Nations this school year and about 10% of them received an invitation to the “Honors” MUN session. The result was an amazing group of students from all over the metropolitan area thinking, discussing and planning for two hours. The morning began with a draft of a resolution, intentionally flawed, presented to everyone and then each of the 4 operative clauses was discussed, revised, and voted on separately with a final vote on the entire resolution at the end of the session. The creativity and prior knowledge shown during Speakers Lists was astounding, as was the respectful tone all students shared throughout the event. A great time was had by all, including the Civitas staff who agreed it was one of the best Honors sessions ever!

Click here to see the final resolution of the morning. Everything in red indicates permanent changes agreed upon through discussion and voting.

Calendar

Wednesday, May 19, 6:00 - 7:00 PM

United Nations Association of STL discussion on gun violence in the St. Louis Region (by ZOOM)
Click here to register

Monday, June 7, 9:00 AM - 12:00 Noon

First Day of 2021 Civitas Summer Internship at Drury Inn - Creve Coeur (map) or by ZOOM

Note: All 2021 Civitas Summer Internship Positions are filled; be a Civitas Game Changer next school year to apply for Summer, 2022

Tomorrow evening--an event Advocating for Gun Safety

Every single day we wake up to another news story of a gun shooting in our city and/or in our country. Like most Americans, you might be wondering what is being done to stop the violence. Join Civitas and UNA-STL tomorrow evening, May 19, for a virtual discussion on the topic of gun violence in the St. Louis region with a local representative from Moms Demand Action, a grassroots movement that advocates for increased public safety measures to create a culture of responsible gun ownership. The event will begin at 6:00 pm and last an hour.
CLICK HERE to register for this important gathering.

Become a United Nations Association (UNA) Member

The United Nations Association of the USA (UNA-USA) is a movement of Americans dedicated to supporting the United Nations. With over 20,000 members (60% under the age of 26) and more than 200 chapters across the country, UNA-USA members are united in their commitment to global engagement and their belief that each of us can play a part in advancing the UN’s mission.

Membership is FREE if you are under the age of 26.

Click here to join UNA-USA. Please select St. Louis as your community chapter.

UNA-USA Week of Action:
Building a Better Global Future

Once you are a UNA member, an ongoing schedule of free virtual events advocating support for the United Nations will be available for you to attend throughout the year. The 2021 annual Week of Action is June 6-11 and will include daily informative sessions about urgent issues at the UN, as well as times to meet virtually with Missouri’s Members of Congress to advocate paying USA dues to the UN. The Keynote Speaker on Monday, June 7 will be U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas Greenfield.

Once a member of UNA-USA, you will receive an email inviting you to register for the Week of Action.

Picture of the Week

A fire rages in Khan Yunis, Gaza, following an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday, May 12. Tensions between Israelis and Palestinians escalated this week as Palestinian militants in Gaza fired hundreds of rockets into Israel, which in turn ramped up airstrikes across Gaza. The militants say they fired their rockets in response to the actions of Israeli police who fired stun grenades inside the Aqsa mosque, one of Jerusalem's holiest sites. For several weeks now, Jerusalem has seen repeated confrontations between Palestinians and Israeli police across the city. Youssef Massoud/AFP/Getty Images

This past week at the United Nations