Our Mission The United Nations Association of Rochester is dedicated to strengthening the United Nations system and the role of the United States in that system, and to promoting multilateral efforts to advance the goals of the United Nations Charter. History On October 21, 1945, at the end of World War II, the United Nations was born out of the desire to replace the League of Nations with a more successful international peace organization. Later that same fall, a group of Rochesterians met and formed RAUN, the Rochester Association for the United Nations. RAUN included many prominent local leaders, and soon was growing rapidly. Along with supporting the UN concepts of global cooperation and interdependence, RAUN focused on strong local programs. We supported discussion and education through the Great Decisions study groups and an active speakers bureau. To support young people becoming involved in international affairs, we built a strong Model UN program. In this program, high school students simulated the UN General Assembly. To show international journalists the "real" America, we participated in the Visiting Journalists Program. Journalists from developing nations spent a weekend in Rochester, living with a Rochester family and learning about daily life in America. In 1995, RAUN was renamed United Nations Association of Rochester, or UNAR, to show our membership and support for the United Nations Association of the United States of America, or UNA-USA. In the year 2000 and beyond, UNAR is determined to serve our community and nation in the struggle for international cooperation and peace. As our slogan says, Communicate, Educate, Advocate! With the support of the Rochester area, we can do it!
UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF ROCHESTER, Invites you to join 191 Countries and their citizens: to seek an active method to cohabit this planet with respect for each other, our children, and our children’s children, to understand and use the many systems of the United Nations, to conduct business and buy goods from one another, to help 900,000,000 world citizens learn to read and write, to teach youth about global issues through Model UN/Global Classrooms, to fight disease and not one another.
Model UN: Gives teens the opportunity to learn diplomacy, research, debate and writing skills, and to develop mediation and resolution ability. This popular program now exists in 45 area High School Clubs, involves 700 students and teachers and culminates in a March conference at St John Fisher College, with opportunities to attend other conferences.
Great Decisions: Adult discussion groups are held all over the Rochester Area based on materials developed by the Foreign Policy Association. Participates are, employed, homemakers, college students, live within retirement communities, and they explore by reading, viewing a video and discussing eight major international topics each season.
Visiting Journalists: Each Fall 15 Journalists from developing countries are invited to the UN in NYC to study the General Assembly and the operations of the UN. One week-end they stay with a typical family in a Typical American City, Rochester, NY. They stay in private homes and share their stories with the public one evening while they are here.
Night of
a Thousand Dinners/Minefield Clearing:
UN Day: October 24th we celebrate and rededicate ourselves to the mission of the UN, “The peoples of the United Nations”, to the development of the body of world law, to strengthen methods of justice, to peaceful settlement of international disputes, to assist individuals everywhere in achieving a higher standard of living, to develop a world point of view among all people. We join with other groups to remember the UN Charter.
Membership Opportunities:
The United Nations needs your skills to prosper.
In Peace, Richard Sarkis, President; Margaret Corbin,
Past President |