The Austin chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) is part of a much larger organization supporting the vital work of the U.N. Nationwide, the UNA-USA supports 120 local chapters with the primary mission of supporting the U.N. through education, advocacy, mobilization, local leadership, and fundraising. Without the hard work and dedication of these local chapters, the UNA-USA would not be able to provide the kind of support the U.N. has come to expect from us.
A Brief History
The United Nations was formed in 1945 to replace the failed League of Nations, which was seemingly ineffective at preventing the start of the Second World War. From its inception, this new global organization was created to help stave off future global military conflict by promoting human rights, working to establish social and economic development, and providing direct aid in the event of natural disasters, epidemics, famine, and regional armed conflicts.
The U.N. operated without the help and support of the UNA-USA until 1964. That’s when our national organization was formed by combining the American Association for the United Nations and the U.S. Committee for the United Nations into a single entity. Since then, our organization has been honored to have been led by some well-recognized individuals from government, business, and education.
What We Do
As one of the 120 UNA-USA chapters, our primary function is to advocate on behalf of the U.N. in Austin. The goal is for all of the chapters to work together to strengthen the U.N. system by encouraging individual citizens to get involved at every opportunity. Citizen engagement leads to community engagement which, in turn, leads to a stronger national commitment to the U.N.
In fulfilling our mission, we offer the following:
- Education opportunities for learning more about what the U.N. does around the world
- Youth engagement programs to encourage young people to get involved as early as possible
- Public events designed to encourage entire communities to get involved
- Fundraising opportunities for some of the U.N.’s most pressing projects.
For 70 years, the UNA-USA has been one of the leading advocates for the U.N. at the local level. Here at the Austin chapter, we are thrilled to be part of such an important mission to make the world a better place for every citizen. Furthermore, we are proud to know that so many of our local citizens want to get involved in this work. We have always known that Austin is a wonderful place to live, and we have the opportunity to see it every day in the lives of the people we come in contact with.
The UNA-USA is a worthwhile organization that we hope you will support. For more information about our national organization or the local Austin chapter, please feel free to contact us or stop by and visit. We would love for you to be involved in the very worthy cause of promoting a safe, free, and healthy world for everyone.