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Annual Programs

Past Programs

Youth Programs

Our Programs

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Annual Programs:

International Women's Month Celebration (March) - We organize events with other local groups to celebrate women.

Iowa UNA Annual Assembly (April) - This is the annual membership meeting of the Iowa UNA.

Night of 1000 Dinners (November) - The Night of 1000 Dinners is sponsored by the Iowa UNA and other interested nonprofit organizations. It includes a dinner, a silent auction and entertainment to raise funds for landmine removal and assistant for landmine victims through the UNA-USA Adopt-A-Landmines program.

Iowa High School Model United Nations (April) - The Iowa UNA sponsors the Iowa High School Model UN held each year at the University of Northern Iowa.

UNA-USA Model UN Summit and Leadership Conference (June-July) - Students and teachers involved in the Model UN in Iowa are eligible for scholarships to the national UNA-USA Model UN Summit and Leadership Conference sponsored by the Iowa UNA and the Stanley Foundation. The Conference is held each year in New York City.

Iowa Youth Symposium on the United Nations (October) - High School students from around Iowa attend the Iowa Youth Symposium to develop, negotiate and pass resoulution on the US role on major global issues.

UN Day (October) - UN Day, October 24, is the anniversary of the day the treaty creating the United Nations went into force. An annual celebration of the United Nations is planned by the Iowa UNA, Iowa's chapters, and the chapters around the country.

United Nations at the Iowa City Public Library (October) - The Iowa UNA provides a display with information related to United Nations and its agencies through October in connection with UN Day celebrations.

UN Day at Sinsinawa (October/November) - This day-long event at the Sinsinawa Catholic Retreat Center for Catholic middle school students is sponsored by the Iowa UNA. Discussions and workshops touch on the full range of the UN's role in confronting global issues.

American Model United Nations (November) - College students from Iowa State University, Drake University, and the University of Iowa attend the American Model UN in Chicago each year in November. The Iowa UNA helps support their transportation costs with the help of the Stanley Foundation. Grinnell and Coe Colleges also attend.

UNA YPIC - YPIC is a social network of young adults interested in global issues and foreign affairs.

Student Alliance - Campus groups dedicated to promoting understanding of global issues in the UN.

Collection of Funds for UN Agencies - The Iowa UNA has various programs that help raise funds for UNICEF and the World Food Program throughout the year.

Presentations and Discussion Forums - In addition to the above programs, the Iowa UNA holds discussion forums and has presentations on various global topics throughout the year.

Other Projects - The Iowa UNA is also working on an Immigration project and an Indicators for Women and Girls' Well-Being project. Students do research and write articles for the quarterly newsletter on various topics.

University of Iowa Volunteer Fair (January and August) - The Iowa UNA has a table at the Volunter Fair for students to sign up to volunteer for projects.

Iowa Council for the Social Studies Conferences (October) - The Iowa UNA has a table with information on teaching about the UN in the schools.

UNA-USA Essay Contest - The Iowa UNA facilitates the national UNA-USA High School Essay Contest on the local level.

University of Iowa Cultural Diversity Fair (February) - The UNA sponsors a table with information and activities.

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Past Programs:

2005: United Nations at 60 Celebration - The Iowa United Nations Association celebrated the UN at 60 with a dinner and panel with music on October 18 at the Botanical Center in Des Moines. Hearings on "Building a Safer World: The People Speak on Poverty, Hunger, and Health" with twelve nonprofit activist groups taking part were held in connection with the celebration. The proceedings were then published as a part of the celebration.

2004: Indicators for Women's and Girls' Well-being - The Iowa UNA, the Iowa Women's Foundation, and the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women held two conferences and developed measurements on the status of women and girls in Iowa.

2002: Sustainable Futures for Iowa - Forty five students from the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and Grinnell College took part in the "Sustainable Futures for Iowa" program. They produced twelve papers describing their vision for a sustainable Iowa. Eight students attended the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa.

2000: Curbing the Global Arms Trade - Tuesday, October 24, 2000. On UN Day, U.S. Representative James Leach spoke on "Test Ban: Policy vs Partisanship."

1999: Taking on the Challenge of Climate Change - A series of three conferences and a final hearing in the Capitol Building in Des Moines, Iowa resulted in a publication documenting Iowa's views on the climate change issue. The first conference at the University of Iowa included scientific experts on climate. The second was a Model UN Summit on Climate Change at the University of Northern Iowa. with high school and middle school students. The third was a workshop in connection with I-Renew's annual fair. It reviewed pratical solutions. The final hearing heard a range of testimony from groups in Iowa on the issue.

1998: The Struggle for Human Rights - Thursday November 12, 1998. Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Rigoberta Menchu Tum gave the keynote address while immigrants from Iowa gave their own testimony on their experiences in Iowa. You can order a video of Rigoberta Menchu Tum's address and/or the Iowa immigrant testimony.

1997: A Social Agenda for Iowa for the 21st Century - This Workbook for Citizen Action summarizes the goals of the seven UN conferences held since 1990 (Children, Environment, Human Rights, Population, Social Development, Women, and Habitat) and appraises Iowa's progress in each of these seven areas.

1996: The United Nations and Children

1995: The UN at 50: Preferred Futures for the United Nations - This document is a vision of what the UN should be. It is the result of a conference held on the 50th anniversary of the UN.

1994: Priorities 95: Anticipating the UN World Conference on Women in Beijing - This document puts forward Iowa's views and input into the Women's Conference of 1994.

1993: Earth Charter and Agenda 21 for Iowa - This document was published after the Earth Summit in 1992 and indicates how Iowans feel environmental issues should be handled. Iowans want not only the INFORMATION needed to make informed choices, but the OPPORTUNITY to become involved in determining what is to be done.

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Youth Program:

The Model United Nations is held each spring at the University of Northern Iowa. Students from high schools all across Iowa form delegations representing member nations of the United Nations and take part in General Assembly, Security Council, and various Committee meetings.

College Model UN: Iowa State University, the University of Iowa and Drake University have student United Nations groups. They attend college level Model UNs in Chicago or St. Louis. The University of Northern Iowa has a student group that manages the Iowa High School Model UN at the University of Northern Iowa in each April. College teachers from other schools in Iowa also send groups to Model UNs to learn about the United Nations.

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