Events from 2009
October 26, 2009: An Evening in Honor of Hans Blix
Join the UNA-GP in honoring Dr. Hans Blix (left) for his lifetime of dedicated work for peace, human rights, nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament.
A former professor and prominent author, Dr. Hans Blix has served as Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs. From 1981 to 1997, he was the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and served as Chairman of the UN Monitoring, Verification, and Inspection Commission from March 2000 to June 2003. Dr. Blix currently chairs the international Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission and serves as President of the World Federation of United Nation Associations.
The event will take place from 6-9 PM at the DoubleTree Hotel. Please see the Project for Nuclear Awareness website for more information: http://projectfornuclearawareness.org
November 2, 2009: Women in War Zones: A Doctor's Perspective
The Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia and the UNA-GP,
in collaboration with:
present
the unseen suffering of women and girls in eastern Congo
a film and a testimony
by
Dr. Nzanzu (Akin) Kipata Anatole
November 2nd, 6PM
1906 Rittenhouse Square
The event will start with the showing of an award-winning documentary from the Philadelphia-based group Women in War Zones followed with a short talk by Dr. Nzanzu Akin, who trained and works in Eastern Congo.
The evening is meant to raise awareness about the plight of the civilian population in eastern Congo and to alert the audience to the many ways help can be steered towards local NGOs working in that region. Light refreshments will be served.
Women in War Zones takes an intimate look into the lives of two young women who become sisters during their time at Panzi Hospital. Helene Wamuzila (22) and Bijoux Mateso (13) support each other in their struggle to maintain hope and dignity as they come to grips with their violent and tragic past. They look for hope in each other, God, and the upcoming presidential elections – the first in over 40 years.
Read more about this award-winning documentary at www.womeninwarzones.org.
November 11, 2009: UNA-GP Board Meeting
Come join us at our November Board Meeting! To do so, please e-mail us at info@una-gp.org.
November 16, 2009: "Drain the Ocean, so that the Fish Cannot Swim"
DIARY OF THE BURMESE UNDERGROUND: The untold stories of illegal Burmese migrant workers, refugees, and internally displaced people
with
Hong Truong & Sagar Shah
November 16th, 6PM
1906 Rittenhouse Square
This summer, four young Philadelphians traveled to Thailand and Burma (Myanmar) and documented the agony of a people trampled by a blind dictatorship, exploited by the Thai elite and forgotten by the world. With renewed determination to introduce the world to these seemingly invisible people, Hong and Sagar will take you through one day in the lives of each of the victims of hatred, ignorance, and exploitation they met in Thailand.
The cast of characters includes victims of landmines, torture, and slavery; child soldiers and political prisoners; and sex workers and other forced laborers. But they will go beyond simple exposing cases of human brutality; amidst the darkness and indifference to suffering that is so endemic to Burmese society, there is hope for change, and Hong and Sagar will suggest many tangible solutions to problems that have existed for over sixty years. They will show that small amounts of support – when targeted specifically to a population’s needs – can significantly enhance people’s lives and, simultaneously, harvest a newfound sense of hope in a generation that has never tasted it.
Please come and listen to the voices of the Burmese underground so that together, we can make a difference in their lives. Meanwhile, read some of Hong's insight through her piece titled "Draining the Ocean, so the Fish Can't Swim" in the July/August 2009 Newsletter.
November 19, 2009: World Toilet Day
Write a poem while sitting on your throne, thinking about the 2.5 billion people who have no access to proper sanitation.
Poems should be send to info@una-gp.org. Three winners will be chosen by members of the Water Ambassadors Program of PGWI. Pictures of the winners, alongside their poems, will be displayed on World Water Day, March 20, 2010, at the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center.
Read more about the purpose and meaning behind World Toilet Day and The World Toilet Organization, a global non-profit organization committed to improving toilet and sanitation conditions worldwide.