Top Stories from the United Nations
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Human Rights
GBV (Gender Based Violences) is happening at a much higher rate than most realize—not just in remote villages around the globe, but right in our backyards. Also, due to the nature of power dynamics along with cultural and societal norms and local laws, it is disproportionately underreported compared to other crimes and abuses.
Read more >>
Sustainable Development Goals
Pointing to climate change, inequalities and other serious challenges, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed told a forum on Thursday Development that “the clock is ticking” down, to making the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
Read more >>
Economic Development
The impact of high levels of debt on development efforts “cannot be overstated”, the head of the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP)
told
a Ministerial Breakfast Meeting on least developed countries (LDCs) on Saturday.
Read more >>
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Connecting Purpose, Profit, and Culture
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Post by: Ellen Firestone, UNA-GP Board Member
Part I: Aligning Businesses with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Why Businesses Should Care and How They Might Benefit
More and more studies show that doing good contributes to a company of any size doing well. Social Responsibility, beyond making the world a better place, also benefits companies in their recruiting and retention of staff and in their consumer marketing efforts. A Nielson Global Survey of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) found that more than half of people surveyed would “choose products and services by companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact” and two-thirds would rather work for such a company. (
6 Socially Responsible Companies to Applaud,
by Allison Gauss)
According to a
2018 Benevity Engagement Study
, turnover dropped 57% in employee groups that most deeply connected to their companies’ giving and volunteering efforts.
Harvard Business Review’s, The Business Case for Purpose
stated 89% of executives surveyed said a strong sense of collective purpose drives employee satisfaction.
Accenture’s 2018 Global Consumer Pulse Research
found 62% of global consumers want companies to take a stand on issues they are passionate about and 64% find brands that actively communicate their purpose more attractive. (statistics from
https://engageforgood.com
)
People want to do business with and work for companies that care. And the world needs businesses in action around human rights and important social causes now more than ever.
How the Universal Declaration of Human Rights Came into Existence
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by the United Nations on December 10, 1948, came about in response to the atrocities perpetrated by fascist Germany before and during World War II. The intention of the Declaration was to promote peace, build a better world, and to prevent those types of horrific crimes against humanity from ever happening again. Yet today, many people have not even heard of the document or can name more than 3 of the 30 Rights that we are all entitled to simply by the fact of being born. These rights do not have to be earned or given to us; they are ours!
Fast forward to 70+ years after the United Nations adopted the Declaration and you can look around and observe the current condition of humankind across the world-- including our own country and local cities. Human Rights violations like human trafficking, domestic violence, poverty, dangerous drugs released into society creating epidemics, electroshock, refugee crises, illiteracy/poor education, torture, and discrimination of all kinds, just to name a few, are wreaking havoc on our culture. Still today, many people have not heard of the document. Do you and your staff know your 30 human rights and are you putting them into action?
Who is Responsible for Ensuring Human Rights Are Known and Protected?
The short answer is all of us—each one of us contributes to the larger global culture. Our economic system is divided into three main sectors: Public (governments), Private (business) and the Third or Volunteer sector (Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), Non-profits, Charities, Civil Society). It takes all three sectors to ensure human rights are promoted and protected for all human beings. In the Preamble to the Declaration, the UN General Assembly proclaimed: “this Universal Declaration of Human Rights as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms…” This blog series is focused on the Private/Business sector.
You have more influence than you may think. What you do here and now does matter!
Stay tuned for
Part II
where I’ll bring this idea closer to home with some actions that a local business is taking.
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2019 Global Leadership Summit
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June 9-11 2019 at the International Trade Center in Washington DC
It's your moment to fight for what you know is right—standing with refugees, demanding equality for women, protecting LGBT rights, combating climate change, eradicating extreme poverty, and so much more.
This is an unparalleled opportunity to hone your advocacy skills and learn from high-ranking U.S. Government and UN officials about some of the world's most pressing challenges. On the final day of the Summit, you'll head to Capitol Hill to personally ask your elected officials to support full funding for the UN. Don't let your moment pass.
Register here >>
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WASH Conference
March 21, 2019
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Lack of clean water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) is still a global crisis associated with excess deaths among children, high morbidity, and crippled development. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #6 is to provide access to clean water, adequate sanitation and hygiene for everyone by the year 2030. Access to WASH is a stated public policy goal of all nations, yet every single country still experiences WASH inequalities and inequities. On March 21
st
, the Global Water Alliance, along with IGEL and the Water Center at Penn, hosted a conference to tackle these worldwide issues. Entitled "Solving US and Global Water Inequities: Sharing Solutions from Around the World", it brought together professionals from a variety of backgrounds with students from around Philadelphia to have a conversation about how to solve the pervasive issues of water inequality and water inequity.
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Throughout the day, we heard from experts like Eleanor Allen from Water for People, and Mustafa Ali, a former leader of the Hip Hop Caucus. Each speaker brought their own expertise and nuance to the larger picture. Some talked about community outreach and giving management authority to women from the community in order to create a sense of responsibility surrounding new water projects. Others spoke to the technical aspects of potential solutions, discussing groundwater viability and the importance of sanitation when creating new water systems. We closed the day with a brainstorming activity where students and professionals teamed up to concoct and present possible projects around the theme of women and water. These ideas ranged from improvements in data collection systems that would involve women to better investment in STEM education for women, especially in rural areas. If you would like to read more about the conference or learn about the Global Water Alliance, please visit
our website.
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Throughout the past year, a group of students participating in the United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia have been working on the Global Leaders Program, a new initiative that consists of a series of lessons for high school students designed to introduce students to social justice concepts in a global perspective. The programs objective is to introduce students to issues of global importance and relate the work of the United Nations to student’s lived experiences. So far, the program reached 30 students at SLA Beeber. Over the summer, the program will be implemented by the Sai Temple Community Center for a group of 25 students.
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Luis Bravo, the creator and coordinator of the Global Leaders Program, is excited about the program’s progress and is hopeful about its future. “We started this project with the intent of empowering Philadelphia’s high school students to join contemporary social movements around global issues and the hopes of fostering the next generation of global citizens. Since its inception, the program has received an overwhelming positive response by students and teachers. We hope the Global Leaders Program will remain a central part of the UNA-GP’s educational outreach efforts and are excited about continuing to increase our community partners in the next year.
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ILO Declaration of Philadelphia
Anniversary Event
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This event was organized to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the International Labour Organization (ILO) as well as the 75th anniversary of the landmark ILO Declaration of Philadelphia in 1944 at Mitten Hall, Temple University. The 26th session of the ILO’s International Labour Conference (ILC) was held in Mitten Hall of Temple University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) in 1944. On May 17 of the same year, the Declaration of Philadelphia was signed in the Oval Office of the White House in the presence of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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The Declaration set out the key principles for the ILO’s work after the end of World War II. These include that “labour is not a commodity,” and that “all human beings, irrespective of race, creed or sex, have the right to pursue both their material well-being and their spiritual development in conditions of freedom and dignity, of economic security and equal opportunity.Speakers Greg Vines, Deputy Director -General of the ILO James Kenney, Mayor of Philadelphia Martha Newton, US Department of Labor Kelly Ross, Deputy Director AFL – CIO Ronnie Goldberg, US Council for International Business. Rosemary Connors - NBC 10 Philadelphia moderated the event.
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Have any ideas for fundraising events? We're all ears! We are always in need of volunteers, no matter how much or how (seemingly!) little time you have to devote. Volunteers with all types of skill sets are welcome to work with the UNA-GP, short or long term. If interested, please contact Manisha Patel, Volunteer Coordinator and President, at
mpatel@una-gp.org
.
Please donate whatever you can to the UNA-GP, and in turn, Philadelphians and beyond!
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United Nations Association of Greater Philadelphia | (215) 241-5738 | 1501 Cherry St, Philadelphia, PA 19102 |
https://una-gp.org/
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