The United Nations in a world of power politics: past achievements and future challenges

Speaker: Mr Sam Daws
Date: Tuesday 29 April 2008
Time: 6:00pm
Venue: Chamber, Cambridge Union

Sam Daws is the Executive Director of the UNA-UK. He has been a senior policy adviser on UN issues for more than 18 years, including serving for three years as First Officer in the Executive Office of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Sam has degrees in social anthropology and international conflict analysis, undertook doctoral studies on UN Security Council reform at the University of Oxford, and has been a visiting fellow at Yale University, and at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law of Cambridge University. He is the author or co-editor of six books on the UN, including ‘The Oxford Handbook on the United Nations’.

CUUNA successfully launched its grand hallmark event of the academic year – our first ever UN study tour to Geneva. It was a truly unique opportunity for our members to learn about the UN at the UN from UN employees and experts through a host of exciting, specially themed talks and activities about the functions, controversies and very latest projects at and of each of the diverse range of institutions to be visited including the:

• Palais des Nations
• United Nations Conference on Trade & Development (UNCTAD)
• United Nations Office at Geneva
• Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
• World Health Organisation (WHO)
• United Nations Programme on Aids (UNAIDS)
• International Labour Organisation (ILO)
• Permanent Mission of the UK to the United Nations Office at Geneva
• United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
  
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
• International Organization for Migration (IOM)
  
• World Trade Organisation (WTO)

The tour was officially co-organised by the World Federation of United Nations Association (WFUNA), who, by its nature and location in Geneva, have the access and network that enabled us to ensure participants truly penetrated the very core, both literally and metaphorically, of each of the institutions, seeing and understanding ideas and operations that the ‘common’ tourist would simply not have the chance to!

We hope everyone on the trip had a good time! And we look forward to our next Study Tour!

Dear CUUNA members,

Here are the candidates running for a position for the CUUNA Committee 08/09.

President

1. Farzin Mirshahi
-proposed by Kai Yuen Wong
-seconded by Wan Qian Cheah

Vice-President

1. Jenny Zhao
-proposed by Sabina Ciofu
-seconded by Zahra He-Li

2. Marcus Chi
-proposed by Anthony Chan
-seconded by Wan Qian Cheah and Hui Xin Tan

General Secretary

1. Ying Tao
-proposed by Jenny Zhao
-seconded by Qasim Gulamhusein

Junior Treasurer

1. Samira Mohd Afzal
-proposed by Wan Qian Cheah
-seconded by Kenrick Ng

2. Abbas Ameli
-proposed by Qasim Gulamhusein
-seconded by Farzin Mirshahi

Campaigns Officer

1. Jenny Zhao*
-proposed by Sabina Ciofu
-seconded by Zahra He-Li

Socials Secretary

1. Zahra He-Li
-proposed by Jiayi Yew
-seconded by Jenny Zhao

Publicity & Editor

1. Amina Batool
-proposed by Memoona Khan
-seconded by Farzin Mirshahi

Webmaster
UNCONTESTED

MANIFESTOES can be found in this DOCUMENT, which contains the manifestoes of all the candidates.

Details of the Annual General Meeting:

Date: Wednesday, 5th of March
Time: 5-7pm
Venue: Main Physiology Theatre, Downing Site

Please note that you will need to be a member to vote. If you are unable to attend the AGM, online/proxy voting will be available in a short while and will end on Midnight, 4th of March. If you have not received an email with instructions on the online voting details, please email Kenny.

Voting will be done by a Single-Transferable Vote (STV) and for candidates running for two posts, the votes for their second choice position will be negated if they are elected for their first choice position.

Dear CUUNA members & friends,

Many thanks to those who came for our International Mother Language Day event! We certainly hope you enjoyed the event as much as we did and hope you went away learning something new, whether it’s a new cantonese phrase, or just having some good international food!

This event also marks the end of the year for the CUUNA committee 2007/08. We hope that you will join us for our Annual General Meeting happening on the 5th of March! If you are interested to run for the committee, please contact the relevant people - information can be found on the committee page.

Dear all,

You are cordially invited to our International Mother Language Day Event!

Date: 22nd of Feb 2008 (Friday)
Time: 2.30pm-4.30pm
Venue: Lloyd’s Room, Christ’s College
Dress code: International Dress

*Free for members, 1 pound for non-members

Highlights:
* International snacks will be served: assorted sushi, hot and spicy chicken wings etc.
* Light talk on mother languages.
* Language quizzes: come and win our grand prize!
* Two fun language learning sessions: Cantonese and Malay.
* Interesting films and videos about languages.

International Mother Language day was proclaimed by UNESCO’s General Conference in November 1999. The International Day has been observed every year since February 2000 to promote linguistic and cultural diversity and multilingualism.
Languages are the most powerful instruments of preserving and developing our tangible and intangible heritage. Today, about half of the 6,000 or so languages spoken in the world are under threat Ensuring that these languages can continue in use alongside the major international languages of communication is a genuine challenge to countries worldwide.

Come join us for a fun afternoon!
Please email Hui Xin at secretary@cuuna.org to reserve a place for this event.

Best Wishes
Wan Qian Cheah
Campaigns Office

Nominations for CUUNA committee 2008-2009 are now open. If you are interested in running for a position, please submit a manifesto to secretary@cuuna.org by 25th FEBRUARY, Monday, 12 noon.

Do contact the relevant person whose position you are running for to find out more about their post. Please read up on what the roles entails from the constitution which is available here.

We look forward to receiving your nominations. You will be required to make a short speech at the elections during our AGM. In your manifesto, you should address the following questions:

- Why you are suitable for the post
- What you intend to for CUUNA during your term.

Your manifesto should be between 500-600 words.

The voting will take place on 5th March, which will also be our Annual General Meeting. Our Vice President will make a report on this year’s activities, and this will be followed by a dinner event. If you wish to attend, please email secretary@cuuna.org. Please note you will have to be a member both to run for a post as well as to vote.

As part of One World Week 2008, CUUNA will be screening Powaqqatsi - Life in Transformation”.

With an overall focus on natives of the Third World - the emerging land-based cultures of Asia, India, Africa, the Middle East and South America, this film is a celebration of the human-scale endeavour, the craftsmanship, spiritual worship, labour and creativity that defines a particular culture.

Come join us for this critically acclaimed film which could change your life. The details are as follow:

Date: Tuesday, 5 Feb 08
Time: 7 - 9pm
Venue: Winstanley Lecture Theatre, Trinity College

Please email Hui Xin *secretary@cuuna.org* to confirm your attendance.

For our next speaker event, we have invited Martin Bell, one of the most distinguished foreign affairs reporter of his generation to come down. He will be speaking on the topic of “The United Nations : Children & War”. Details are as follow:

“The United Nations : Children & War” - Speaker Event by Martin Bell

Date: Thursday, 31st Jan 08
Time: 3pm (Registration starts at 2.30pm)
Venue: Keynes Lecture Theatre, King’s College
Cost: Free for CUUNA members, £1 for non-members.

Here are some of the achievements of Martin Bell:

-Graduated from Kings College, Cambridge with a first class degree.

-Joined the BBC in 1962, and is classed among the most distinguished foreign affairs and ‘war correspondents’ of his time. He has covered some of the world’s most difficult and dangerous news stories, for over 30 years in 80 countries, including Vietnam, the Middle East, Nigeria, Angola, and Northern Ireland.

-Became an independent MP in 1997.

-In 2001, was appointed UNICEF UK Ambassador for Humanitarian Emergencies, and in that capacity has travelled to several countries such as Tajikistan, Malawi, Iraq, Darfur, and Sri Lanka to report on the immediate emergency work being undertaken by UNICEF in the country.

-Throughout his career as a reporter and humanitarian worker, he has been the recipient of several awards including the Royal Television Society’s Reporter of the Year and 60th Anniversary Award for significant contribution to UNICEF UK in the world of media and journalism.

If you are attending the event please email *secretary@cuuna.org*

Many thanks to all who turned up for the CUUNA Speaker Event by Mr Tim Morris on “The Future of the UN”. We hope you have gained some valuable insight from your interactions with Mr Tim Morris. We look forward to seeing you at our next event!