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On November 29^th the UN will once again be celebrating the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. The day was mandated by UN General Assembly Resolution 32/40 B of 1977. Since the UN was founded in 1945 – with the express aim of reducing or eliminating conflicts around the world – the Palestinian conflict, starting with the founding of Israel in 1948 has been one of the longest-lasting and most intractable conflicts which the UN has ever had to deal with. Much discussion and debate have taken place at the UN Security Council and General Assembly over the years and yet the Palestine matter is one of the issues about which the UN has been unable to reach an agreement since 1948.

After numerous formal and informal efforts over the decades to resolve issues between the Jewish and Arab peoples of the Middle East, the conflict has still not been resolved. Several wars have been fought on this land which is considered to be holy by three of the world’s most prominent religions, yet no permanent resolution to the conflict has ever been found. Many young people today fall short in recognizing the importance of the Palestinian conflict in the world’s current political and cultural atmosphere.

The conflict is clearly a highly political issue and many world leaders have tried to find a solution, but very few have paid much attention to the people actually living in the area. Talks of negotiations and deals have been in the works for decades, as well as several United Nations resolutions that were often ignored by one side of the issue. Although the United Nations is an international organization best known for trying to mediate conflicts politically, it is also an organization that is home to one of the world’s most impressive humanitarian and advocacy efforts. That is why in 1977 the UN General Assembly passed its resolution declaring November 29^th of each year to be a day of solidarity with the Palestinian people. This day would remind the whole world of the plight of displaced Palestinians.

While an international day of observance may not, in the end, solve the Palestinian conflict, it does a lot of good. Dedicating such a day to show the UN’s commitment to the humanitarian aspects of the conflict has been important in keeping the Palestinian conflict relevant. Thanks to this day of observance, many young still know about it today. The date of November 29^th has kept people all over the world remembering that there is still a very serious issue going on in Palestine.  There are real people suffering, and there is still an urgent need for a solution.

Join in the effort to keep the Palestinian conflict front and centre before today’s generation of young people. Learn more about the issue. Educate yourself and people around you by following the links below and participate in the events held on November 29^th by United Nations branches all over the world.

Sources

https://interactive.aljazeera.com/aje/palestineremix/timeline_main.html

http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/studentactivity/20090109gazahistory.pdf

https://israelipalestinian.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000031 

About the Author

Raheil Inaim is a volunteer website writer for the United Nations Association in Canada–Vancouver Branch. A graduate of Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Art in Criminology, Raheil is interested in continuing a career as a writer. Raheil is Palestinian-Canadian; having lived in both countries for years at a time. The often-contradicting ideals of these two diverse countries have given Raheil a special perspective on global issues, which she enjoys sharing with the world.

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On Wednesday, November 21^st at 7pm the Vancouver Branch of the UN Association in Canada partnered with the Burnaby School District to host Dr. Joanna Ashworth and screen her documentary to an audience of UNAC-V-V members, and Burnaby students and parents. UNAC-V-V co-Vice President Jessica Steele provided opening remarks which can be read, in part, below.

We are honoured to have Dr. Joanna Ashworth, the filmmaker, joining us tonight for post film comments and a Q and A after the screening. We are gathered here on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Coast Salish Peoples including the Squamish, the Musquem and the Tsleil-Waututh Nations. Indigenous Peoples have been taking care of this place since time out of mind and it is our responsibility as settlers, immigrants and new comers to Canada to continue to take care of these lands and waters.

Earlier this year, a landmark scientific report was released by the IPCC, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC report laid out the impacts of our planet warming by 1.5 to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Increased warming, they said, will result in up to 400 million people being affected by drought. Warming to this level will result in regular ice-free summers in the arctic and the disappearance of virtually all of the world’s coral reefs. Already, with a global temperature increase of 1.1 degrees, we are seeing extreme weather events, weather pattern changes and sea level rise—and these are affecting poor and vulnerable communities the most. For those who hadn’t been taking climate change seriously, this report was an urgent call to action—the report stated “we need rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society” to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

In Paris, in 2015, at the 21^st Council of Parties (known as COP 21) for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement was adopted. This monumental agreement set up goals to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. In just a couple weeks, parties of the UNFCCC will meet again for COP 24 in Poland. They will be discussing how to take the goals of the Paris Agreement and put them into action. If countries, including Canada, lay out ambitious action plans to address climate change, we could see a substantial move away from fossil fuels and a system of support for those communities most affected by climate crises.

While the high-level meetings of COP 24 are occurring, there will be many side events being run by academia, non-profits, NGOs and others. This is where I expect to see real inspiration and innovation. While it may seem like change needs to occur from the top (and it does), change is spearheaded at the grassroots level. And this sustainable change is being led by those who are often not represented as much as they should be in these high level meetings—women and young people.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are a collection of 17 global goals set by the United Nations General Assembly. The UN SDG 13 is “Take Urgent Action to combat climate change and its impacts”. As with all UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDG 13 needs people from all walks of life to take a stand. As you will see in this film, inspirational change is coming from women right here in our community. If we want to see positive change for our climate then women need to be at the forefront of these conversations. Youth need to be at the forefront of these conversations. And we need to take action, individually and collectively. Because this positive change will ripple through our communities, cities, provinces and country. Currently, there is an upward curve in global temperature. Let’s learn and be inspired by these incredible women featured in this film. From UN high-level meetings like COP 24 to small steps you can take in your school or workplace, together we can take the necessary urgent action to bend the curve on climate change.

BIOGRAPHY: Jessica Steele is the co-vice president of the United Nations Association in Canada–Vancouver Branch. A graduate of the University of Victoria with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology, Jessica is a passionate environmental educator and climate justice activist. Jessica has worked for Ocean Wise Conservation Association as a Mobile Programs educator, crossing the country connecting communities to the oceans, and as a G7 Oceans Youth Challenge Coordinator. She currently coordinates Ocean Wise’s Ocean Bridge program where she empowers youth and young adults across the country to participate in ocean conservation service projects. Jessica sits on the KAIROS Canada Ecological Justice Circle and will be representing KAIROS at COP 24 in Poland this December.

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You are invited to attend a free film event offered by the UN Association in Canada (UNAC-V-V) in partnership with the Burnaby School District. On Wednesday, November 21st from 6:45 pm to 9 pm, Dr. Joanna Ashworth will be in attendance at the screening of her recent documentary, “Women Bending the Curve on Climate Change” which will take place in the Centre for Dialogue in Byrne Creek Community School – 7777 – 18th Street in Burnaby.

Come out and support the local branch of the UN Association, watch a local documentary and join the post-screening discussion with the filmmaker. Climate change is a number one priority for the United Nations, and we hope to provide a new lens to view it through. This film is receiving excellent reviews and large audience attendance. Help us build the momentum.

The event is free. However, please register by sending your name and how many will attend to [email protected] . Donations to UNAC-V-V will be accepted at the door.

See more information here: https://globallearninginburnaby.com/2018/11/16/free-district-event-local-filmmaker-to-attend/

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In 1998, Vancouver gained DOXA, a non-profit society dedicated to presenting innovative documentaries to local audiences. The Vancouver branch of the UN Association in Canada (UNAC-V_V) is proud to have sponsored films for the Justice Forum category of this festival since 2012.

This year, UNAC-V-V has chosen, “The Cleaners” to support. A film about social media and its hidden secrets, it is especially relevant to global issues when considering recent news about the impact of disinformation and subsequent national, even international events. The film will be screened Wednesday, May 9th at 6pm. The location is 149 West Hastings Street in the SFU Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. Please visit representatives of UNAC-V-V at their table located on the 3rd floor near the entrance of theatre! We would love to see you there. We are always looking for supporters to join which would assist us financially in supporting important local events such as DOXA.

Social media breathes life into democracy; Arab Spring and #BlackLivesMatter comes to mind. Unfortunately, more sinister forces are cultivated using social media, sometimes consciously and often inadvertently,  but seemingly unabated. A United Nations report has blamed social media for genocide in Myanmar, with concern about “high levels of hate speech…particularly on social media”. Facebook has declared it has clear rules against hate speech and the incitement of violence, and that efforts have been improved to keep it off the platform. It’s what makes up these efforts at cleaning up Facebook that is the subject of this DOXA film, “The Cleaners”.

This year, 2018, is the 70th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights. In honour of this most important international document let us consider the ways that human rights are breached, and then support the UN in prevention and eradication efforts of these breaches. By supporting and joining the UN Association in Canada, you would be contributing to this important process of education and action. (Tip: Use the Google Chrome browser to see the online form.)

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UNAC-Vancouver is pleased to be sponsoring the May 9th screening of The Cleaners, a documentary film about the unseen impact of outsourcing the ethics of social media on workers, democracy and the role of technology in our lives. The Wednesday, May 9th screening is part of the Justice Forum Series and will include a post-film discussion with a selected voice from the field.

Directed by Hans Block (Germany) and Mortiz Riesewieck (Brazil), their work starts with investigations and end up as striking, complex narrations. In The Cleaners, they have revealed the dark underbelly of our globalized social media culture and the people employed to determine what is unacceptable.

Tickets are on sale now: Buy Tickets.

Venues for screenings of this documentary include:

To see other films included in DOXA’s 2018 program: See Festival Schedule. DOXA runs from May 3rd to May 13th. Watch the trailer below, and join us on May 9th.

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