North Carolina
2011 National Conference
Unite for Peace Conference Highlights
Highlights of the all-day conference included a spirited address by Elaine Marshall, the North Carolina Secretary of State, a panel focused on providing Generation Next's perspective, a preview of an upcoming PBS film series produced by Abigail Disney on Women, War and Peace, and sessions on social media training. Michelle Bachelet, the Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women addressed the audience in a special video message, and Antonie de Jong, UN Women Business Development Advisor, spoke passionately about the impact of UN Women’s work. A photo exhibit of “Empowered Women” from across the world, by Phil Borges, was also featured. We indeed inspired each other and bonded with each other as you can see in these photos from the conference. The conference guide provides the agenda and a full list of the speakers and panelists who participated. The materials used at the conference are also attached at the bottom of this page. The ideas submitted by the conference participants are posted on facebook for further collaboration.
We want to thank the organizations and businesses who helped us by publicizing the conference, sponsoring scholarships to the conference and participating in the conference as an exhibition sponsors. Special thank you to our premier and media sponsors listed below.
We hope you can join us in June 2012 for the next annual conference in Washington, D.C. where we will explore political participation and leadership of women.
Sign up for our e-mail list to stay informed.
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Annual Walks
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Through the UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women, UN Women has distributed more than $60 million to 317 initiatives in 124 countries since 1997. The UN Trust Fund project supports the implementation of national laws, policies and action plans that address ending violence against women and girls. For instance, in Cambodia, the Fund supports a women's organization that created a radio program to inform their listeners of laws and services to protect women from violence. Prior to the broadcast, two thirds of their listeners did not know that marital rape was a crime; in Albania, the Fund support national and regional coalitions that combat trafficking of women and girls; in Chile, Rwanda and India, the Fund projects are engaging men to find solutions and to end gender-based violence. One hundred thirty countries now have laws against domestic violence. Only 45 countries did only 8 years ago. Learn more.. The North Carolina Chapter of USNC for UN Women is planning on 5K walks/runs in Charlotte, RTP area, and Wilmington for spring of 2012 (probably April 2012). Check out the photos and more photos from previous years' walks. E-mail us at northcarolina@unwomen-usnc.org if you want to plan the walks with us, sponsor the walks, or simple walk with us. |
Film Screenings
Women, War and Peace
"Where women are educated and empowered, economies are more productive and strong. Where women are fully represented, societies are more peaceful and stable." Ban-Ki Moon, UN Secretary General
“If you insist upon fighting to protect me, or ‘our’ country, let it be understood, soberly and rationally between us, that you are fighting to gratify a sex instinct which I cannot share; to procure benefits which I have not shared and probably will not share; but not to gratify my instincts, or protect either myself or my country. For, the outside will say, in fact, as a woman, I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world...” Virginia Woolf, Author
This fall, we are partnering with Fork Films and ITVS to educate and engage the public on the changing roles of women in war and peace. Join us on September 17th in Chapel Hill or on September 20th in Wilmington, or on September 28th in Greensboro to learn more about the new documentary series Women, War and Peace, to support International Peace Month, and to meet others like yourself interested in human rights for women and empowerment of women.
Chapel Hill
Join us for an evening of fun, fellowship and fantastic food as we discuss the changing role of women in war and peace around the world and how the women are at the center of peace-building communities. Please RSVP so we can inform Vimala, owner and chef of the restaurant, how many people she can expect.
Date/Time: Saturday September 17th, 2011 5:30PM to 8PM
Location: Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe
431 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
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While there is no admission fee to join us, the dinner at Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe is around $12 for vegetarian and $15 for buffet with chicken. You can also purchase bars of "UN Women USNC" natural soap hand crafted by a woman owned local business White Pear Shops (cash or check nly).
Greensboro
Screening of clips from Women, War and Peace and a panel discussion with Pam Hogan, co-producer of Women, War and Peace; Amal Khoury, professor of peace and conflict studies at Guilford College; Maura Nsonwu, a professor who has used Pray the Devil Back to Hell in her classroom at North Carolina A&T, and moderated by Deborah Noel. The panel discussion will be broadcast on UNC-TV (date of broadcast is TBD).
"Where women are educated and empowered, economies are more productive and strong. Where women are fully represented, societies are more peaceful and stable." Ban-Ki Moon, UN Secretary General
“If you insist upon fighting to protect me, or ‘our’ country, let it be understood, soberly and rationally between us, that you are fighting to gratify a sex instinct which I cannot share; to procure benefits which I have not shared and probably will not share; but not to gratify my instincts, or protect either myself or my country. For, the outside will say, in fact, as a woman, I have no country. As a woman I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world...” Virginia Woolf, Author
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What if you looked at WAR as though WOMEN mattered? Women,War and Peace is a bold, new documentary series spotlighting the stories of women in conflict zones from Bosnia to Afghanistan, and Colombia to Liberia. Placing women at the center of an urgent dialogue about conflict and security, Women, War and Peace is a comprehensive global media initiative on the changing roles of women in war and peace. "To bring a women's eyes to the telling of the story of war - to turn the camera around and place it in her hands - is to fundamentally alther the way war looks and sounds and smells. The film series doesn't gloss over the ravages of war, but it won't leave the viewer feeling helpless and hopeless, because it also focuses on the many women showing courage, resilency and determination to change the war paradigm." Abigail Disney, co-producer of Women, War and Peace UN Women's women, war and peace programs focus on peacebuilding, security and justice, sexual and gender-based violence, and post-confict and humanitarian planning. |
This fall, we are partnering with Fork Films and ITVS to educate and engage the public on the changing roles of women in war and peace. Join us on September 17th in Chapel Hill or on September 20th in Wilmington, or on September 28th in Greensboro to learn more about the new documentary series Women, War and Peace, to support International Peace Month, and to meet others like yourself interested in human rights for women and empowerment of women.
Chapel Hill
Join us for an evening of fun, fellowship and fantastic food as we discuss the changing role of women in war and peace around the world and how the women are at the center of peace-building communities. Please RSVP so we can inform Vimala, owner and chef of the restaurant, how many people she can expect.
Date/Time: Saturday September 17th, 2011 5:30PM to 8PM
Location: Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe
431 W Franklin Street, Chapel Hill
.
While there is no admission fee to join us, the dinner at Vimala's Curryblossom Cafe is around $12 for vegetarian and $15 for buffet with chicken. You can also purchase bars of "UN Women USNC" natural soap hand crafted by a woman owned local business White Pear Shops (cash or check nly).
Greensboro
Screening of clips from Women, War and Peace and a panel discussion with Pam Hogan, co-producer of Women, War and Peace; Amal Khoury, professor of peace and conflict studies at Guilford College; Maura Nsonwu, a professor who has used Pray the Devil Back to Hell in her classroom at North Carolina A&T, and moderated by Deborah Noel. The panel discussion will be broadcast on UNC-TV (date of broadcast is TBD).
Date/Time: Thursday September 29th, 2011 7PM
Location: Dana Auditorium, Guilford College 5800 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro
(see campus map - Dana Auditorium is at the corner of Quadrangle Road and Levi Coffin Drive)
This event is organized by UNC-TV, Fork Films and Guildford College.
Wilmington
Join us for an evening of fun, fellowship and fantastic food as we discuss the changing role of women in war and peace around the world and how the women are at the center of peace-building communities. Our guest speaker is Rachel Fox from ONE organization who recently returned from Kenya and will share her experience. Please RSVP so we can make sure we have enough space.
Date/Time: Tuesday September 20th, 2011 6:30PM
Location: McAlister's Deli
740 S. College Road #A, Wilmington
While there is no admission fee to join us, you can purchase dinner at McAlister's Deli. You can also purchase bars of "UN Women USNC" natural soap hand crafted by a woman owned local business White Pear Shops (cash or check only).
This event is organized by NC Chapter of UN Women-USNC, Coastal Carolina Chapter of UNA-USA and Links Inc.
Board of Directors
The board members of North Carolina Chapter of UNIFEM/USNC are volunteers elected by North Carolina Chapter members to lead the organization. The board positions are two-year term and the election is held in May. Please e-mail us at northcarolina@unifem-usnc.org if you are interested in serving as a board member.
Younghee Overly
President
Elaine Burgwyn
Secretary
Dana Mangum
Treasurer
Jean Billman
Vice President of Research Triangle Park Area
Gloria Monroe
Vice President of Wilmington Area
Linda Schrum
Vice President of the Greater Charlotte Area
Programs and Events
Local Programs and Events:
In collaboration with our partners, we host educational and fund raising events September through May in various cities in North Carolina. Last fall, we showed "Taking Root", a documentary film telling the story of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai. During the spring, we walk and run together to raise funds for UN Trust Fund to end violence against women and girls. In April we will host our annual 5K walk at Durham and Wilmington. You can find more information here.
This year, we are starting a new program: "serve locally for a global cause". We want to partner with local organizations focused on environmental sustainability, ending domestic violence, ending the spread of HIV/AIDS, and developing women leaders. E-mail us at northcarolina@unifem-usnc.org for more information and to see if we can partner.
National Programs and Events:
2010 Annual National Conference was held in NYC on June 11th and 12th. The U.S. National Committee for UNIFEM (now part of UN Women) partnered with The National Council for Research on Women to present this conference with a focus to build collaborations to understand the intersections between violence against women and key social investiments: the economy, health and education. This year's Annual National Conference will be here in Raleigh, North Carolina at North Carolina State University on June 11th, 2011. If you are an organization in North Carolina focused on ending violence against women and want to see if we should partner for the the U.S. National Committee for UN Women's 2011 Annual National Conference, e-mail us at northcarolina@unifem-usnc.org. If you are an individual or someone representing a philanthropic organization or a business or academic institution interested in sponsoring the U.S. National Committee for UN Women's 2011 Annual National Conference, e-mail us at northcarolina@unifem-usnc.org. For more information on the conference look here.Global Programs and Events:
Ten representatives from the North Carolina Chapter and WomenNC attended the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (UN CSW) and NGO Committee on the Status of Women in NYC in March. The UN CSW undertook a 15 year review of the implementation of the Beijing Platform for Action, an agenda for women's empowerment. Emphasis this year was placed on the sharing of experiences and good practices, with a view to overcoming remaining obstacles and new challenges, including those related to the UN Millennium Development Goals. UN Member States, representatives of non-governmental organizations and UN entities participated in the session. A series of parallel events provided additional opportunities for information exchange and networking. We plan to attend UN CSW and NGO CSW again in 2011 in NYC. E-mail us at northcarolina@unifem-usnc.org if you want to join us.WomenNC hosted several parallel sessions where four university students from North Carolina reported on their findings on CEDAW, North Carolina laws on domestic violence, best practice on solution to domestic violence, and women's health. Learn more about WomenNC sessions.
Sponsors and Partners
We want to thank the organizations and businesses listed below for publicizing or sponsoring this year's UN Women USNC National Conference "Unite for Peace". See you on June 11th!
| A Ban Against Neglect |
| Albemarle Hopeline |
| American Association of University Women |
| Ashe County Partnership for Children |
| Baha'I International Community |
| BC/DC Ideas |
| Bennett College |
| CARE |
| Charlotte Observer |
| Clear Connections |
| Creative Philanthropy |
| Crossroad Women & Family Services |
| Curryblossom Café |
| Duke Global Health Institute |
| Duke University Women's Center |
| Durham Crisis Response Center |
| East Carolina University |
| Emory University |
| Encanto Salon |
| Family Crisis Council |
| Family Resource Center of Raleigh |
| Family Violence Prevention Center of Orange County |
| FHI |
| Girl Scouts |
| GSK |
| Hope Harbor Home Brunswick County |
| IBM |
| IEM |
| Interact |
| International Association of Administrative Professionals |
| IntraHealth International |
| Islamic Association of Raleigh |
| Islamic Center of Raleigh |
| Kiran |
| Latin American Women's Association Legal Aid of North Carolina |
| Liberia Crisis Center |
| Meredith College |
| National Domestic Violence Hotline |
| NC Coalition Against Domestic Violence |
| NC Coalition Against Sexual Assault |
| NC Community AIDS Fund |
| NC Community Foundation |
| NC Council for Women |
| NC Gives |
| NC Governor's Crime Commission |
| NC Safe Space |
| NC State University |
| NC Stop Human Trafficking |
| NC Women United |
| NCGives |
| NCSU African American Cultural Center |
| NCSU Women's Center |
| News and Observer |
| Next for Women |
| Palm Beach State University |
| Park Foundation |
| Philanthropy Journal |
| Progress Energy |
| Saint Mary's School |
| Sheville.org |
| Shout2Stop Trafficking |
| Soroptimist International |
| StrataForce |
| Super Women's Group |
| Technical Services Inc |
| Triangle Global Health Consortium |
| UN Association |
| UN Model - UNC Wilmington |
| UNC Chapel Hill |
| UNC Chapel Hill Women's Studies |
| UNC Greensboro |
| UNC Greensboro Women's Studies |
| United Family Services |
| Uzima Springs Massage and Wellness |
| Wake Forest University |
| Women President's Organization |
| WomenNC |
| Women's Independence Scholarship Program Inc |
| Women's International League for Peace and Freedom |
Volunteer Opportunities
Donating money is one way to stop the plights of women and girls around the world. Volunteering your talent and time is another way! North Carolina Chapter of the U.S. National Committee for UN Women is an all voluntary organization and we are looking for volunteers and interns passionate about the issues UN Women is focused on.
Committees
We are currrently seeking volunteers for the communication committee, annual walks, and a "film club" program.
Communication:
The role of communication committee is to aid in the development and dissemination of UN Women-USNC North Carolina information to members, the media and the public. The committee will be composed of volunteers who are committed to marketing, public relations and social media. The work of this committee will take place via quarterly meetings and via e-mail between the meetings. Please contact Emily Clabaugh at eclabaugh@gmail.com if you want to volunteer as a communication committee member. Please specific the role you are interested in in your e-mail.
SOCIAL MEDIA: Implement social media strategy using the NC Chapter of UN Women-USNC 's facebook and twitter feed. Write timely posts announcing relevant news, upcoming events and help to promote the organization and partnering organizations. Manage posts, photos and repond to tweets.
PUBLIC RELATIONS: Write and disseminate materials to the media, members and the public. Conduct specific and strategic media relations surrounding the NC Chapter of UN Women-USNC and its activities and events.
Walk:
Assist with planning, publicizing, working at and wrapping up the annual 5K walks in Charlotte, RTP and Wilmington. The annual 5K walks are NC Chapter's primary fund raise events, usually held in April. We raise fund for UN Trust Fund to End Violence Against Womenl Please e-mail northcarolina@unwomen-usnc.org if you want to volunteer as a walk committee member. Please specify whether you want to volunteer for the walk in Charlotte or RTP or Wilmington.
Film Club:
Women and girls everywhere are stepping into leadership roles, working to improve their communities, and innovating in science, the arts, business, and governance. Yet there is still much to do to deliver on the promise of equal access, freedom, and opportunity for women and girls worldwide. Our partner ITVS' Women and Girls Lead is a strategic media initiative to support and sustain a growing movement to empower them, their communities, and future generations.
NC Chapter would like to leverage the Women and Girls Lead film collection to educate and inspire the public to empower themselves and others to end violence, poverty and inequality. Please e-mail northcarolina@unwomen-usnc.org if you want to develop a film club around Women and Girls Lead film collection.
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors for the North Carolina Chapter of UN Women-USNC serve a two year term and election for new board members are held in May every year. Special welcome to the NC Chapter 2011-2012 board.
Younghee Overly
President
President-Elect and Fund Development
Cristiane Hilkner
Treasurer
Stacey Sandeford-Lyons
Vice President, Greater Charlotte Area
Beena Koshy
Vice President, Research Triangle Park Area
Yolanda Norwood
Vice President, Wilmington Area
Dana Mangum
Outreach
Emily Clabaugh
Communication
Sheila Smith McKoy
Charity Magnuson
Learners to Leaders program
Welcome!
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The North Carolina Chapter of the U.S. National Committee for UN Women is a 501c3 not-for-profit, all volunteer organization whose goals are to educate the public, raise funds, and advocate for US policies to support UN Women's mission. The North Carolina Chapter was launched in June 2008. UN Women is the UN organization dedicated to gender equality and empowerment of women. If you are interested in supporting UN Women, join us today! |
This fall, we are partnering with Fork Films and ITVS to educate and engage the public on the changing roles of women in war and peace. Join us on September 17th in Chapel Hill or on September 20th in Wilmington or September 28th in Greensboro to learn more about the new documentary series Women, War and Peace, to support International Peace Month, and to meet others like yourself interested in human rights for women and empowerment of women. Find out more.
The North Carolina Chapter had the honor of hosting USNC for UN Women's "Unite for Peace" national conference this year. Over 250 participants representing 80+ organizations from all over the country gathered together to inspire each other. It truly was a "heart and soul touching" event for many of us as you can see in these photos.
| Join the North Carolina Chapter of the U.S. National Committee for UN Women Facebook Group to be informed of the North Carolina Chapter's upcoming events and to engage other like-minded citizens of North Carolina to stop the plights of women and girls across the world. E-mail us at northcarolina@unwomen-usnc.org if you want to be informed of our upcoming events and news. |  |