2011

2011 Chapter Activities

SECOND ANNUAL UNA-OC HUMAN RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL OCT. 9
Five compelling films have been selected for the Orange County chapter’s second human rights film festival on Sunday, October 9. The films, ranging from 12 to 72 minutes, come from Senegal, Congo, Nepal, Ghana, and Kazakhstan. Some are serious and some are more lighthearted, but all deal with women’s issues of concern to men and women of all ages and all are vivid portrayals of important topics. The 2011 festival, coordinated by UNA Board member Jaclene Roshan, is again being hosted by the Dodge College of Film and Media Arts at Chapman University. The Folino Theatre, at 283 N. Cypress Street in Orange, is a perfect venue for this event. The doors will open at 12:15, and the first film will begin at 1:00. The event will conclude at approximately 5:45. Free parking is available in the lot behind the film school building and on adjacent streets. Local merchants are again being asked to donate snack foods and drinks, which will be available in the lobby before the first film and during intermission. Income from both snack and ticket sales will help the UNA-OC chapter continue its work in 2012. UNA interns Casey Webb and Stephanie Jansen are visiting eateries around the Orange Plaza to arrange meal discounts for festival attendees who choose to have dinner at one of the participating restaurants after the final film screening. A list of participating restaurants and a map of the Plaza showing their locations will be available at the ticket pick-up table in the lobby.

BEACH WALK FOR CHILDREN’S HEALTH SEPT. 25 On September 25 at 8:00 a.m., parents and students from Oak View Elementary School, along with their friends and neighbors and members of the Orange County chapter of the UNA, gathered on the beach across from the Hyatt Regency Resort for a leisurely 5-k walk. Sponsored by the FANA Global Foundation, the money raised goes to projects designed to build public awareness of children’s health issues worldwide—from starvation to obesity. Jim Stanbery at Irvine Public Library June 25th THE UN—MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER Thirty-six members and friends of the OC chapter gathered at the Heritage Park Library in Irvine on June 25 to hear a dynamic presentation by Jim Stanbery, Professor of History and Political Science at Harbor College. Offering a political analysis of American and international laws that support the United Nations, he suggested that the U.S., over the past thirty or so years and for a variety of reasons, is no longer the primary moral authority in the world. Instead, public opinion in other countries tends to see the U.N. as the most respected moral force at the present time and for the foreseeable future. Stanbery predicted that, in our lifetimes, just as the U.S. Constitution serves to restrain abuses of power on the domestic level, we will also see the U.S. Supreme Court begin to support the notion that certain Constitutional provisions can be applied in the international arena. World realities will bring this to pass, he maintained, whether or not the American public supports it at first. The future will see incremental departures from current practice and reinterpretations of the language in the United Nations Charter in such a way that the U.N. will slowly but surely become the hub of a world confederation of independent member states. “The process is stronger than any individual nation,” Stanbery said, adding as one example that the International Court of Justice is doing just fine without the participation of the U.S. Members of the audience were intrigued by his closing observation that, since progress is a spiral rather than a straight line, sometimes it may feel as if we are going backward—but we’re not; we’re just curving around the spiral to further progress.

Family fun at Soka University on May 7 Stop by the UNA-OC table at the 10^th annual International Fair to buy a UNA pin, a small country flag, or just to chat. Between 10:30 and 5:30, over 700 musicians and dancers will be performing on three stages and 150 nonprofit and craft exhibitors will give you plenty to see, do, and think about. This event is part of the OC Imagination Celebration and draws a festive crowd to one of OC’s loveliest campuses. Admission is free, but parking is $10 (cash—no credit cards).

Great American Write-In to be April 9 UNA-OC will have a table at the Great American Write-In again this year—come to the Lakeview Senior Center in Woodbridge Community Park in Irvine between 9:30-1:00 and stop by our table to chat about UN issues and the current projects of our chapter. We will have your congressperson’s local office address, and of course there will be tables nearby where you can sit and write a note—which we will mail for you—about your UN-related concerns. This year, our chapter is focusing primarily on the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), but you might prefer to urge congressional support of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Law of the Sea Treaty, or the International Convention on Climate Change—all of which have yet to be ratified by the U.S. Senate.



2011 membership brunch enjoyed by all Members and friends of the Orange County chapter of UNA-USA gathered on January 23 for the annual champagne brunch fundraiser at the Hacienda Restaurant in Santa Ana. Once again, event organizer and chapter member Joyce McFadden orchestrated a lovely afternoon. In addition to a successful silent auction that raised funds for 2011 chapter activities, the membership voted to endorse the Board’s slate of officers for the coming year: Gerri McNenny, president; Opal Richardson, VP for Membership; Carl Mariz, Treasurer; and Virginia Bernal, Secretary. They were then sworn in by past president Suzanne Darweesh. The position of VP for Programs remained open, awaiting a volunteer from among the active chapter members (if you are interested, contact Gerri at mcnenny@chapman.edu ) Following the buffet lunch, chapter president Gerri McNenny welcomed the attendees noting, in particular, two guests from the Sisters of St. Joseph community in Orange—SSJ supports the chapter by providing office space and a room for its monthly Board meetings. She then summarized the many chapter activities of 2010, and encouraged everyone to become more involved in 2011. Following a musical interlude provided by Chapman University musicians Adam Borecki & Kira Roden, a challenging keynote address on “Lawless Finance, Failing States, and the Unfinished Agenda of the United Nations” was given by law professor Tim Canova. As always, student interns were involved in helping Joyce McFadden with the many advance tasks that are necessary if such an event is to come off looking effortless and classy. This year, UNA interns Nicole Tellier (Chapman) and Casey Webb (U. LaVerne) provided assistance with the silent auction arrangements and also did the event photography. Above Left: the Hacienda is a lovely venue Above Right: Officers for 2011: Gerri, Opal, Carl & Virginia Left: Member Ann Nguyen and UNA intern Nicole Tellier