It is with great regret that UNAC Vancouver acknowledges that four members of the UNA Canada family died earlier this morning in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET302 en route from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya. There were no survivors among the passengers or crew.

Our condolences, thoughts, and prayers are with the families of these four talented young Canadians. One was a UNAC staffer and the other three had volunteered in their communities. They were heading to Nairobi to represent Canada at a conference as part of Canada’s Service Corps.

UNA Canada CEO Kate White remembered the four for “their compassion, leadership, and dedication to making the world a better place.”

We will share more details as they become publicly available.

The post Announcement from UNAC Vancouver appeared first on United Nations Association in Canada.

The views expressed by the authors on this page reflect their personal opinions and do not necessarily reflect the views of UNA Canada.

The United Nations Association in Canada joins the world today in celebrating International Women’s Day, a holiday established to draw attention to the economic, political, social and cultural inequalities between women and men. The Socialist International first established this holiday at its 1910 meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark. On March 19th, 1911, the first International Women’s Day was celebrated with demonstrations and rallies in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Denmark. Thirty-four years later, at the San Francisco Conference, four women delegates helped establish what would become the largest intergovernmental organization ever, the United Nations. These founding women pushed for the inclusion of Article 8 in the Charter of the United Nations, i.e., for women’s equal opportunity to participate in the UN. Notable women within the U.N. system include Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit (first female president of the General Assembly), Canada’s own Louise Frechette (the first Deputy Secretary-General), and the current President of the General Assembly, Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces.

On this International Women’s Day, gender equality is everywhere far from being a reality. According to leading organizations such as the UN, the World Bank, and the World Economic Forum, in 2018, women on a global level earned 32 percent less than men, occupied only 24 percent of the available parliamentary seats internationally, and women constituted over two-thirds of the world’s illiterate people. Moreover, women were targeted at a pandemic scale as violence against women and girls affects 1 in 3 worldwide. In Canada, the 2018 picture is still bleak: according to the Government of Canada, women earned 23 percent less than men, behind their counterparts in Namibia, Rwanda, and Nicaragua, took up 26 percent of the parliamentary seats (which is below the global average) although they make up 50 percent of the population, and fell victim to 87 percent of all sexual assaults.
The United Nations Association in Canada works to promote the fulfillment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the fifth being the establishment of gender equality by 2030. All Canadians can contribute in a multitude of ways to help achieve the fifth SDG. Informing yourself and others about gender inequalities, be they fundamentally societal and/or cultural which manifest economically and/or politically, is an easy first step. Moreover, know the rights of women and girls and stand up for them, as discriminating based on sex is prohibited in the Canadian Human Rights Act (1985). Vote in politicians who stand for gender equality in Canada and abroad. Finally, get involved. Volunteering for gender-focused NGOs can provide immediate help. Some organizations supporting women in Vancouver include the Women in Leadership Foundation, the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter, the Society for Canadian Women in Science and Technology, the Pacific Immigrant Resources Society, and the Pacific Association of First Nations Women. Together we can bring about Planet 50:50!

About the Writer:

Dolores Cviticanin is a Volunteer Website Writer for the United Nations Association in Vancouver. Dolores holds two Bachelor degrees, one from Sciences Po Paris and another from the University of British Columbia. Her studies have focused on Political Science, History, and Philosophy. She has worked with UNICEF and an NGO providing free legal aid to migrants in Eastern Europe and has volunteered for numerous organizations on three continents. Currently, Dolores is a Programme Intern at the United Nations Women Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia in Istanbul, Turkey.

Sources
http://www.un.org/en/events/womensday/history.shtml
https://www.thoughtco.com/international-womens-day-3529400
http://www.un.org/en/sections/un-charter/chapter-iii/index.html
http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Vijaya-Lakshmi-Pandit
https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/louise-fr%C3%A9chette-former-deputy-secretary-general
http://www.unwomen.org/en/news/in-focus/commission-on-the-status-of-women-2012/facts-and-figures
http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_GGGR_2018.pdf
http://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/socialdevelopment/brief/violence-against-women-and-girls
http://fede.qc.ca/sites/default/files/upload/documents/publications/wsc_by_the_numbers_vaw.pdf
http://www.canadian-universities.net/Volunteer/Women-British_Columbia-Vancouver.html
https://international.gc.ca/world-monde/issues_development-enjeux_developpement/gender_equality-egalite_des_genres/empowerment-autonomisation.aspx?lang=eng
http://www.canadian-universities.net/Volunteer/Women-British_Columbia-Vancouver.htm
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/h-6/

The post From Denmark to Rwanda: Celebrating International Women’s Day 2019 appeared first on United Nations Association in Canada.

Applications are now open for the Green Spaces Programme!

DEADLINE APRIL 4^th, 2019

Green Spaces is a wage-matching programme that works together with organizations in the sustainable development sector across the country to place talented students in positions that will elevate their knowledge, passion, and experience of working in Canada’s Green Economy.

Participants will undertake work-integrated learning placements across Canada with organizations in a variety of sectors, including private companies, non-profits, governments, Indigenous-based organizations, post-secondary institutions, and other associations.

Quick Facts:

• Employer partners receive a wage subsidy of approximately 50% to subsidize a portion of the participant’s wages
• Placements are 8 to 16 weeks in length and run now through August 31^st, 2019

Student eligibility criteria is as follows:

o   Between the ages of 15 – 30 (at intake)

o   Canadian citizens, permanent residents, or those who have been granted refugee status in Canada

o   Be enrolled as a full-time student in the previous academic year, and intend to return to school after the placement in the upcoming academic year

o   Be legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations

• Green Spaces is proudly funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) through the Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy

 Students and interested employer partners should visit our webpage http://unac.org/green-spaces/ for more information.

UNA-Canada thanks you for your support and cooperation. We encourage you to forward this call to other organizations, faculties, and students that may be interested in this exciting opportunity.

 Les demandes sont maintenant ouvertes pour le programme Espaces verts!

DATE LIMITE: 4 AVRIL 2019

Espaces Verts est un programme de jumelage des salaires qui collabore avec des organisations du secteur du développement durable à travers du pays afin de placer les étudiants talentueux à des postes qui leur permettront d’améliorer leurs connaissances, leur passion et leur expérience de l’économie verte au Canada.

Les participants entreprendront des placements d’apprentissage intégrés au travail à travers le Canada avec des organisations de divers secteurs, dont des entreprises privées, des organisations à but non lucratif, des gouvernements, des organisations autochtones, des établissements d’enseignement postsecondaire et d’autres associations.

Faits brèves :

• Les partenaires employeurs reçoivent une subvention salariale d’environ 50%pour subventionner une partie du salaire du participant
• Les placements durent de 8 à 16 semaines et se déroulent maintenant jusqu’au 31 août 2019
• Les critères d’éligibilité des étudiants sont les suivants:

o   Avoir entre 15 et 30 ans (à l’admission)

o   Être un(e) citoyen(ne) canadien(ne), un(e) résident(e) permanent(e) ou une personne désigné comme réfugié en vertu de la Loi sur l’immigration et la protection des réfugiés

o   Être inscrit comme étudiant(e) à temps plein pendant l’année scolaire précédente et avoir l’intention de poursuivre les études à temps plein au cours de la prochaine l’année scolaire

o   Être légalement autorisé à travailler selon les lois et règlements provinciaux ou territoriaux pertinents

• Espaces verts est fièrement financé par Emploi et Développement social Canada (EDSC) dans le cadre de la Stratégie emploi jeunesse du gouvernement du Canada.

Les étudiants et les employeurs partenaires intéressés sont invités à visiter notre page webhttp://unac.org/espaces-verts/ pour plus d’informations.

L’Association canadienne pour les Nations Unies vous remercie pour votre soutien et votre coopération. Nous vous encourageons à transmettre cet appel à d’autres organisations, facultés et étudiants intéressés par cette opportunité passionnante.

The post Green Spaces Call for Applications appeared first on United Nations Association in Canada.

Article 41 of UNDRIP states that “the organs and specialized agencies of the United Nations system and other intergovernmental organizations shall contribute to the full realization of the provisions…through the mobilization…of financial cooperation and technical assistance. Ways and means of ensuring participation of indigenous peoples on issues affecting them shall be established.”

On the heels of new federal legislation passed May 30, 2018, to ensure that Canada’s laws are in harmony with UNDRIP, British Columbia has promised to introduce legislation which will endorse UNDRIP.

The post UNAC Vancouver in Support of UNDRIP appeared first on United Nations Association in Canada.

Tickets are now available for Think Global, Link Local 2019! This is a Networking Breakfast, hosted by the United Nations Association of Canada – Vancouver Branch. Students and recent graduates will get the opportunity to meet and learn from professionals in local charities, non-profit and civil society organizations. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to build connections and get to know some of these amazing organizations!

GRAB YOUR TICKETS HERE

Early bird tickets are only available until February 12^th for $25, any tickets purchased after will be $30 (plus fees)!

Follow us on all our social media for more info, updates and ticket & raffle purchases:

Grab your tickets HERE

Facebook: @UNAVancouver

Twitter: UNACVanvouver

Instagram: unacvancouver

Website: https://global2local.ca/

Location and time:

Holiday Inn, 711 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC.

Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 8 AM – 10:30 AM

The post Think Global Link Local 2019 – Grab Your Tickets Now! appeared first on United Nations Association in Canada.