UNA-Canada Toronto Branch

Water is a Human Right - Dec 9

2011-12-01T02:08:10Z

In celebration of the International Human Rights Day, UNACTO invites you to

Upcoming UNACTO Meetings - November

2011-10-30T14:54:33Z

Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
Metro Hall, Room 314

Committee Meetings: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Board Meeting: 7:15pm - 9:00pm

How not to get voted off the UN Security Council (Again)!

2011-10-30T14:55:03Z

To celebrate 66 years of working for peace and development, officially recognized, as United Nations Day on October 24th, you are invited to a Keynote Address by Paul Heinbecker,
Former Canadian Ambassador to the UN, based on his latest book, followed by a panel discussion & audience Q&A.

Moderator
Dr. Alistair Edgar, Executive Director, Academic Council of the UN System

Speakers
Prof. Helmut Burkhardt, Council on Global Issues
Dr. Adele Buckley, Canadian Pugwash

Date: October 24th,2011
Time: 7 – 9pm
Venue: Toronto City Hall, Committee Rm #2
100 Queen Street West at Bay
Toronto, Ontario M5H 2N2

Has Canada lost its place in the world? Are we destined for a future as a middle power, denied a seat at the “grown-ups’ table”? Some would argue yes, that decades of neglect and inattention have rendered Canadian foreign policy ineffective at best and non-existent at worst. Paul Heinbecker disagrees. The golden days of Lester B. Pearson may be long gone, he contends (and perhaps they weren’t quite as “golden” as we’d all like to remember), but Canada still has a part to play. In Getting Back in the Game, Heinbecker presents his vision for a future in which Canada can work both with the United Nations and apart from it; in which our government can take a stand and effect change on issues of the day from climate change to the Middle East; in which this country has a key role to play in the rehabilitation of global governance.

Can’t make the event but would like a signed copy? Please email us..

RSVP: info@to.unac.org Subject Line: Getting Back in the Game

Paperback copies now available.

Upcoming UNACTO Meetings - October

2011-10-16T16:33:56Z

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011
North York Civic Centre, Committee Room # 3

Committee Meetings: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Board Meeting: 7:15pm - 9:00pm

Upcoming UNACTO Meetings - August

2011-08-01T10:26:43Z

Wednesday, August 10th, 2011
Metro Hall, Room 302

Committee Meetings: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Board Meeting: 7:15pm - 9:00pm

UNACTO President’s Comments at its AGM on June 2, 2011

2011-07-04T12:08:27Z

I have been honoured to serve as President of the Toronto Region Branch of the United Nations Association during 2010-2011. With the guidance of the Association’s head office, I believe we have over the year succeeded in making a small contribution in support of the broadly-framed United Nations objectives and those of the Association. And I will try to identify several activities with which we have been intensively involved at our Branch, which we typically refer to as UNACTO.

I would like to start by saying a big, big thank you to Aqeel Saeid, my immediate predecessor as president. With an extraordinary investment of volunteer time, Aqeel has been very effective in engaging UNACTO in a coalition with other sponsoring organizations called the New Horizons: Healing and Hope Coalition whose goal is to help youth and children who have come to Canada from war-afflicted countries and been traumatized by war and migration and can benefit from educational programs teaching self-confidence, teamwork, problem-solving, adapting to new surroundings, and so on. This coalition in which Aqeel has played a key role has obtained funding from the federal and Ontario governments as well as the local business community. And the exciting news for me and other Directors is that, although Aqeel is stepping down as a Director at this Annual General Meeting after having served as our President for two years and involving us in the coalition since early 2009, Aqeel has very generously agreed to continue his association with UNACTO as a creative programmer and fundraiser. Thanks again, Aqeel, for your wonderful leadership, and I would like to present you with this token of our esteem.

I would also like to thank all the other Directors on our 14-member Board for their many contributions during the past year. The Board members have been very active and I particularly appreciate the leadership by the Directors who have served as Officers and as Committee chairs — several Vice-Presidents, our Treasurer, our Secretary who recorded the minutes of many meetings and also another Officer who on occasion assisted with the minutes, and the Chairs or Co-chairs of a number of our standing committees, namely, on human rights, youth and education, the environment, volunteer co-ordination, communications, special events, fundraising, refugees, internal governance, and the International Day of Peace which I will refer to momentarily. And the Board has also appreciated the participation of the non-Board-members who have volunteered on these Committees and have often joined us at our monthly Board meetings to which typically we have invited them.

I will briefly mention several special other program activities. In October, 2010, for the UN’s International Year of Youth, we assisted the national office represented by Kate White with the presentation in Toronto of the film Adventures of Power with its director Ari Gold. This was in conjunction with AMC Theatres.

In December, 2010, for International Human Rights Day, there was a presentation of National Film Board documentaries on child poverty in Canada, on education at an Ontario juvenile detention centre trying to break a cycle of violence, and on aboriginal youth gang members and their reform, and the films were followed by a lively panel discussion.

Starting several years ago, UNACTO has been working with a number of other organizations in organizing the celebration of September 21st in Ontario as International Peace Day. This is an annual date established by the UN for focussing on this very important issue. One aspect I would refer to is the leadership effort of UNACTO with other organizations to persuade the three Ontario political parties to pass unanimously a bill in the Ontario Legislature that would formally designate September 21 of each year as International Peace Day. With the benefit of a resolution to this effect having been introduced in the Legislature in its current session, it is now hoped to arrange for the introduction of a bill in the Legislature in the fall after the pending election.

And I should conclude by thanking again all the wonderful volunteers who have collaborated in generating a raft of creative ideas essential to our achievements.

Larry Hebb,
President, UNACTO
June, 2011

Upcoming UNACTO Meetings - July

2011-07-03T13:08:29Z

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Metro Hall, Room 314

Committee Meetings: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Board Meeting: 7:15pm - 9:00pm

A Better World Starts HERE

2011-08-01T10:23:24Z

The United Nations Association in Canada (UNAC) is a national charitable organization which was established in 1946 with the mandate of engaging the Canadian public with the challenges, difficulties and successes of the United Nations and highlighting the critical issues which affect us all. We accomplish our goals with the help of a dynamic staff at the National Office in Ottawa and a network of volunteer-driven regional branches.

Our Toronto branch strives to raise awareness in the Toronto area of international issues concerning human rights, youth and education, refugees, poverty, gender equity, the environment, drug-use abuse, health, sustainable development, peace, and many others. We try, through seminars, workshops, and other events, to keep ourselves and the general public informed and educated about the current challenges.

A couple of examples re our programs: UNACTO is proud of being a member of the New Horizons: Healing and Hope Coalition since 2008. The coalition consists of 15 non-profit organizations that serve migrants and refugees. Our role in the coalition is to facilitate a set of group sessions for kids and youth who have been traumatized by war and/or migration through non-therapeutic playing named Playing with Rainbows.

Another key focus in the last few years has been on world peace. We have made some progress in having the Province of Ontario declare September 21 of each year as International Peace Day with supportive events on that day

I would like to invite anyone in the Toronto area who is possibly interested in our focus to consider getting involved with us and actively taking part in our events and activities. UNACTO always welcomes volunteers some of whom may wish to become members of the Association and so support the organization financially. Participation with UNACTO helps us to better serve fellow residents of the Toronto area and to work toward helping to accomplish the challenging and noble mission of the United Nations.

Larry Hebb, President of UNACTO
president@unacto.org

Annual General Meeting - June 2, 2011

2011-05-17T13:02:13Z

You are invited to attend the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF MEMBERS of the Toronto Region Branch of the United Nations Association in Canada (UNACTO) which will be held on Thursday, June 2, 2011 at 7.00 p.m. in Committee Room 3 of the North York Civic Centre (which is at 5100 Yonge Street on the west side of Yonge, five blocks north of Sheppard Ave., and very close to the North York Centre subway station).

Our guest speaker will be ALMAS JIWANI, who is President of the Canadian National Committee of UN Women – Canada (the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women).

The Meeting will be open to the public as well as UNACTO Members.

The Nominations Committee appointed by UNACTO`s Board will recommend 2011-12 Directors for election by the Members. Signed nominations to be considered by the Nominations Committee must be received by Friday, May 20 and must also have been signed by two other Members.

Nomination forms can be found at http://to.unac.org/volunteer/ by clicking on “Download Nomination Form” at the bottom of the page. Completed forms may be emailed to info@to.unac.org or mailed to the address provided in this letter.

UNACTO`s governing by-law provides for the nomination of Directors of reasonably varied backgrounds and, as stated on the Nomination form, each nominee is “expected to remain an active member for the next year”. Currently there are fourteen Directors and the by-law imposes a maximum of 20. If a qualified Member present at the Meeting wishes to serve as a Director but was not on the slate of persons recommended by the Nominating Committee, that Member may be included in the election of Directors if supported in writing at the Meeting by two other Members.

At the Meeting there will also be a review of the activities of UNACTO in 2010-11 and a financial report for 2010. Refreshments will be served.

Upcoming UNACTO Meetings - May

2011-05-07T16:25:59Z

Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
Metro Hall, Room 314

Committee Meetings: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Board Meeting: 7:15pm - 9:00pm