UN Day 2019

Please join the UNA-USA Northern New Jersey chapter on October 24 for a panel discussion entitled “The SDGs in Action: Building Inclusive, Resilient and Sustainable Cities and Communities”. Anchoring the event will be a keynote address by UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights Philip Alston on a 2017 report he authored on extreme poverty and human rights in the US.

The event is being held on UN Day, which marks the anniversary of the ratification of the UN Charter by a majority of its signatories. In 1971, the UN General Assembly recommended that the day be observed by Member States as a public holiday. 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are an urgent call to all countries to join a global partnership to end poverty and improve health and education, reduce inequality, spur economic growth, tackle climate change, and preserve our oceans and forests.

UNA-USA is a movement of Americans dedicated to supporting the United Nations and working to advance its effort to achieve the SDGs by 2030. The Northern New Jersey chapter serves the counties of Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, Passaic, Sussex, Union, and Warren.

Welcome: Haris Melendez, President, UNA-USA Northern New Jersey Chapter 

Keynote Speaker: 

Philip Alston is UN Special Rapporteur for Extreme Poverty and Human Rights. The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert, appointed by the Human Rights Council, who conducts country visits and reports on poverty and human rights in those countries. He will discuss a report he authored in 2017 that examined whether the persistence of extreme poverty in America undermines the enjoyment of human rights by its citizens.

Moderator:  Sheryl Steadman, Youth & Community Education Chair, UNA-USA Northern New Jersey Chapter 

Speakers:

•  Karen Brown Stovell is Executive Director of Forward Ever Sustainable Business Alliance, the first urban affiliate of over a hundred entrepreneurs and business networks. Forward Ever’s mission is to provide a support network for local independently-owned businesses that facilitates cooperative promotion and purchasing, rebuilds local supply chains and food systems, and leads to “Buy Local” initiatives, sustainable communities, and job creation. 
• Zenobia L. Fields is Director of Government and Community Relations at the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT), where she keeps the New Jersey congressional delegation, state legislature, and local officials informed of transportation projects and improvements. Prior to joining NJDOT, she spent over a decade with the North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority, where she oversaw regional planning programs in transportation, environmental and sustainability initiatives.
• Dorinda Walker is CEO of Cultural Solutions Group, a marketing consultancy that provides strategic insights and solutions for brands to engage diverse consumers. In 2018, she was named one of the 25 African American Leaders making a difference in New Jersey, as well as one of New Jersey’s Leading Women Entrepreneurs. She is author of the award-winning book “Protected by Purpose”.
• Tobias Fox is Founder and Managing Director of the community-driven nonprofit Newark Science and Sustainability, Inc. He also organizes the Newark Community Food System (NCFS), a collective of Newark-based agriculturalists. Fox has earned many accolades for his work, including an Exemplary Service Recognition by the Greater Newark Conservancy for Community Organizing.
• Monica Palid is Program Associate for the Global Policy team in the UN Foundation New York Office, where she is responsible for tracking and analyzing UN meetings, major debates, and briefings on a range of UN topics. She also coordinates the foundation’s collaboration with permanent missions to the UN, UN staff, and think tanks to support implementation of the SDGs. 

Please register by October 23. 

Questions: Haris Melendez, UNA-NNJ (info@unausannj.org).

UNA-USA MEMBER, VOLUNTEER and EVENT GUEST POLICY: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1P8KpsSm4W7PR_7RhNKZzn_Y0uE3whiBZ/view?usp=sharing