UN UNO Envoy for UUCH
UUCH has a UU UNO Envoy. Valerie Chapman is now serving in that position.
To contact Valerie on matters related UN UNO issues, please e-mail: vchapman@ns.sympatico.ca
UU-UNO History
The UUA's involvement in the United Nations can be traced to the early part of the 20th century. Both the Unitarians and the Universalists were active in the League of Nations Association and later closely monitored the creation of the United Nations.
In 1946, the American Unitarian Association appointed Elvira Fradkin as an official delegate to the United Nations. In the 1950's, the Universalist Church of America and the American Unitarian Association adopted resolutions in support of the United Nations.
In 1956, Universalists and Unitarians convened the first annual UN Seminar at the Church Center. With the merger of the two denominations in 1961, the Unitarian Universalist Association formed an Advisory Committee on the United Nations.
In 1963, the UUA Principles and Purposes were merged into one document with marked similarity to the United Nations Charter (1945) and to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948).
The UU United Nations Office is a membership organization of individuals, congregations, and institutions in the United States and Canada. Leadership of the UU United Nations Office resides in a Board of Directors, an Executive Director, an Advisory Council, and Communications, Development, and Program Committees, ably assisted by a group of committed member volunteers and several energetic interns each semester.
With its own board, budget, and programs, the UU United Nations Office speaks, acts and bears witness on behalf of Unitarian Universalists at the United Nations and within the governments of Canada and the US.
The current director of the UU UNO, Bruce Knott was unanimously voted in as the new chair of the United Nations Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Human Rights Committee. As UU's we can be very proud of our Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office.
Read Valerie Chapman's latest report from the UU UNO office:
What is happening at the UU-UNO? (September, 2010)
Of significant importance is work to support LGBT
Ugandans who are not only being persecuted, jailed,
and killed, but also the need to overturn the
proposed 'Anti-homosexuality' law.
Uganda is not the only African country with such
draconian practises, 37 African countries
criminalize LGBT people.
This past February Rev. Patricia Ackerman visited
Uganda, UU United Nations Office staff member,
and an outspoken lesbian activist to meet with
groups of LGBT Ugandans who are being battered
by anti-gay violence fomented by state and USA
foreign actors. They are however remarkably strong
and joyous, but also very scared.
.
Since Rev. Ackerman's return there has been a
consultation held at the Church Center for the
United Nations to discuss strategies to end
homophobia and oppression on sexual orientation
and gender identity. Forty top human rights experts,
religious leaders, LGBT activists, and Dutch,
Swedish, Norwegian, and British Permanent
Representatives to the UN, including many other
high ranking religious and human rights workers
participated. This significant group explored the
connection between religion, faith based activism
and violence against sexual minorities. The
consultation provided an arena for human rights
activists and members of different faith traditions to
come together to strategize on how to combat the
incitement of homophobia through religious
manipulation.
The UU UNO is in daily communication with the
LGBT community in Uganda and is also working to
support them through the United Nations and civil
society.
Valerie Chapman,
UU UNO Envoy for UUCH
Click here for the UU UNO web site: www.uu-uno.org/
Click here to view videos on UU UNO You Tube Channel:
www.youtube.com/user/uuunoffice
Click Here for the UU UNO LGBTO Sogi Blog: uu-uno-lgbt.blogspot.com/