Houston Area Chapter
The United Nations Association-Houston Chapter (UNA-HOU) is proud to be one of the oldest chapters in the nation. In 1955, Eleanor Roosevelt travelled to Houston to speak on behalf of the U.N. to the newly-formed chapter. She also presented the U.N. flag to the City of Houston.
The United Nations Association-Houston, the local chapter of the national non-profit organization UNA-USA, is a membership organization dedicated to building understanding of and support for the ideals and vital work of the United Nations among the American people.
Its educational and humanitarian campaigns, which include teaching students about international affairs through Model UN and Global Classrooms programs, addressing the UN Millennium Development Goals through the UNA International Fim Festival (UNAFF TRAVELING FILM FESTIVAL), engaging young professionals in humanitarian outreach projects (YPIC), offering cultural educational events to bridge diversity understanding, and providing information sessions on critical humanitarian issues and actions, allow people to make a global impact at the local level. In addition, its policy and advocacy programs stress the importance of nations working together and the need for United States leadership in the United Nations.
Mission Statement
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| Hon. Teta Banks President |
Our Chapter’s mission is to educate people about the UN’s role in international affairs, how it impacts individuals and communities, and to strengthen US support for this institution whose purpose is to promote social justice the foundation for universal peace. UNA Houston achieves this through its various programs including Global Classrooms, UNA Film Festival (UNAFF TRAVELING FILM FESTIVAL), Know Your UN series, Cultural Dinners series, Young Professionals for International Cooperation (YPIC) programs, Advocacy Alerts and training, outreach lectures and programs.
Its distinguished Board of Directors and volunteers are dedicated to the work of the UN. Many of the members have served in some capacity with the U.S. government, international governments, the United Nations, the UN Foundation, and international businesses.
The UNA-HOU advocates for the ideals and mission of the United Nations through its various educational, advocacy, and cultural programs. With the global vision of world peace, the UNA-HOU acts locally by partnering with organizations to educate, advocate, and advance this goal.
Recent Events
This Model UN Session was held on April 5, 2012 at the University of Houston. Five hundred students from Houston area middle schools and high schools participated, and 15 area university students served on the Secretariat. 
Global Classrooms is a focused program for urban schools that combines the experience of Model United Nations simulations with a curriculum that can be integrated into a high school or middle school social studies classroom. The goal is to integrate an understanding of global issues while also developing academic and workplace skills in leadership, research, writing, problem solving, public speaking, and negotiation skills. This is a great program and if you would like your school to participate in next year’s global classroom or simply more information about the program, Please email us at globalclassrooms@unahouston.org
March 21st was
International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimanion
This UN acknowledged event is observed anually on March 21st. On that day in 1960, police opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration in Sharpeville, South Africa, against the apartheid pass laws. Proclaiming the day in 1966, the United Nations General Assembly called on the international community to redouble its efforts to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination.
For more information on International Day please visit the following link.
UN International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
The picture to the right depicts mourners at a funeral ceremony for the victims of the 1960 attacks. Photo taken by the UN in Cape Province, South Africa.
3rd Traveling United Nations Association Film Festival Houston (UNAFF TFF)
The UNA proudly presented the Third Traveling UNAFF TFF Film Festival Houston on weekend of Feb. 3rd-5th, which was originally conceived to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was founded by Stanford educator and film critic Jasmina Bojic with the participation of the Stanford Film Society and the UNA Midpeninsula Chapter, a grassroots, community based, nonprofit organization.
The 3rd UNAFF Traveling Film Festival Houston is part of the UNAFF traveling program which presents year-round screenings in the US and around the world.
The UNAFF year round screenings through our Traveling Film Festival have taken place in San Francisco, Berkeley, Monterey, Santa Cruz, Davis, Saratoga, Sonoma, Sebastopol, San Diego, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Honolulu, Philadelphia, Chicago, Washington DC, New York, Burlington, New Hampshire, Bellevue, La Crosse, Houston, Durham at Duke University, New Haven at Yale University, Waukesha at University of Wisconsin, Boston and Cambridge at Harvard University and internationally in Paris, Venice, Belgrade, Phnom Penh and Abu Dhabi.
UNAFF celebrates the power of films dealing with human rights, environmental themes, population, migration, women's issues, refugees, homelessness, racism, health, universal education, war and peace. UNAFF has screened some of the most awarded and talked about documentaries in the industry including five that went on to win Academy Awards.
Go to the film festival page for Houston
Download brochure
UN Day 2011
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Hon. Esther Brimmer
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Hon. Esther Brimmer, Assistant Secretary for International Organizations, US. Department of State, was the keynote speaker at the UN Day Dinner in Houston on October 24, 2011 held at the Federal Reserve Bank. The occasion marked the annual celebration of the ratification of the United Nations Charter by the United States of America and 50 other nations on Oct. 24, 1945.
UN Day recognizes our common hopes and aspirations for the United Nations to provide the venue for countries to balance global interdependence with national interests to promote peace and security, democracy, economic development, global health, and human rights around the world.
Other participants at the event included students from the Global Classrooms Program, members of the Consular Corps of Houston, the United Nations Association International Choir, the Director of the Federal Reserve Bank at Houston, the Office of the Mayor of Houston, Rotary International, Houston Public Radio , and officers of the United Nations Association-Houston.
Houston's Citizenship Week 2011
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| Hon. Gillian Sorensen |
Hon. Gillian Sorensen, Former UN Assistant Secretary-General for External Relations and Current Senior Advisor at the United Nations Foundation, was the keynote speaker at the UNA Citizenship Week Event on November 15, 2011. The event was a part of the City of Houston's 3rd Annual Citizenship Week, Nov. 13-19,2011. This year's theme was "Celebrating the Many Faces of Houston." The event celebrated the many social and economic contributions and accomplishments made by the vast, diverse population in the nation's third largest city.
The programs highlighted the integration of culture with civic duty through a series of events and activities planned throughout the city to build bridges of understanding, cooperation and awareness of Houston's unique multicultural community. More than 100 events by as many civic organizations participated in the week-long program.
UNAIC Holiday Concert
The United Nations Association International Choir (UNAIC) and the Houston Brass Band presented on December 11, 2011 "A World of Holidays." UNAIC featured music associated with various holidays celebrated by diverse cultures and people around the change of the calendar year: Christmas, Hanukah, Kwanzaa, Lunar Year, Gita Jayanthi, and the Winter Solstice.
As usual, the choir sang all of their music in its original languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Swahili, Vietnamese, Hindi, Hebrew, and Latin.
