UNAU Newsletter

August Summer Newsletter 2010

Edited by Lynda Sayge – – (801)561-1663

Summer Newsletter 2010

Short and sweet, just like summer.

President’s Report – by Kent Staheli: (801)277-8724;

Best wishes to all as we start a new year. We have great expectations for the year ahead.

Lynda Sayge will continue as our excellent Newsletter Editor so we will have good information for all.

We are excited about our programs this year for Marsha Pilgeram will be our Program Chairperson.

Our contract with Embassy Suites has been renewed and we will continue to meet there the fourth Tuesday of every month (except December) for the same charge as last year, $20 for the dinner. As always, the presentation only is no charge.

New members are a premium and we are going to have Linda Adams as our Membership Chairperson. She will do a great job but she will need our help.

My wife, Lauralee, and I attended the Annual Meeting of the UNA-USA in Washington, DC. It was most interesting and it appears that the alliance between the United Nations Foundation and UNA-USA will be formulated with great benefit for both. We will have more information about this later on.

I have been concerned about several misunderstandings regarding the International United Nations. We should be very proud of our association for the following reasons:

• The UN today does more, more effectively, with more significance in more parts of the world than at any time in history. It is very important because of the help it extends to all peoples of the world. I am appalled at the apathy of some people of our State.
• Every year the UN's World Food Program (WFP) feeds more than 6 million people.
• Human Rights Representatives visit annually about 51 nations in order to improve human rights in those countries.
• The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) to End Fistula is working successfully in 45 countries.
• The Roll back Malaria initiative of the UN is very successful. Every 30 seconds a child somewhere dies of malaria.
• The Measles initiative, a joint effort with UNICEF, will be explained by our UNICEF chairperson Katherine St. John.
• The Eradication of global polio Initiative has saved an estimated 5 million children from this disease.
• The UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) in 30 countries has save thousands of civilians from injury or death.
• The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is helping to change global attitudes on climate change.
• The UN's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and its inspectors found Iran's secret nuclear weapons program in 2003.

I could go on and on about the UN's work. One more thought, the regular budget of the UN is about $22 billion/year. The USA pays about 23% of the total. We spend this much in 3 - 4 weeks in Afghanistan and Iran. The US contributes less, as a percentage of our national product or our capacity to pay, than most wealthy countries. We need to tell people of our commitment to the UN and let them know the facts. We hope to have more information for you later.

Thank you for your membership in a terrific world service organization.

Kent Staheli

Ø August 10^th, Tues. - Exec. Board meeting, 6pm. Home of Andy Schoenberg, 3690 E. Millcreek Rd.

Ø August 17^th, Tues. - Board "Getting-to-know-you" meeting, 6pm. Home of Kent Staheli, 4480 Abinadi Rd. Soup and salad will be served

Ø September 7^th, Tues. - Board meeting, 3-5pm, Holladay Library, 2150 E. Murray Holladay Rd (4730 South)

President - Kent Staheli – (801) 277-8724

President Elect - Andy Schoenberg

Treasurer – Kathy Horvat

Recording Secretary - Lauralee Staheli

Corresponding Secretary – Cherry Wong

At Large – Don Wilkerson

Past President – Marsha Pilgeram

Committee Chairs:

Advocacy – Pat Cutting

Archivist – Al Kessler

Endowment Fund – Carol Farmer & Ryan Jenkins

Membership – Linda Adams & Renate Westfall

Model UN – Andy Schoenberg

Newsletter Editor – Lynda Sayge

Nominating – Cherry Wong

Programs – Marsha Pilgeram

Public Relations/Calling – Maxine Haggerty

UNICEF – Kathering St John

UN Regional Director – Kathy Horvat

WebMaster- Steve Ritchey

A Free Documentary Film Screening and Discussion with Director Lucy Walker Commemorating the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki

‘COUNTDOWN TO ZERO’

Presented by the SLC Film Center, Salt Lake Film Society and the Utah Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (UCAN)

This 2010 Sundance Film is a fascinating and frightening exploration of the dangers of nuclear weapons, exposing a variety of present day threats and featuring insights from a host of international experts and world leaders who advocate total global disarmament.

August 5, 2010, 7:00pm
Broadway Centre Cinemas
111 East Broadway
Salt Lake City

For more information about this screening visit the SLC Film Center at
www.slcfilmcenter.org