When the United Nations was created at the end of World War II its founders and supporters feared that it would fail in its mission to prevent another world war unless the United States took a leadership role in it. Toward that end a number of citizens groups were formed to educate the public about the goals and principles of the UN. One of those groups, established in 1943, was the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA). It played an instrumental role in the creation of the UN’s charter and its ratification by the US Congress.
When Eleanor Roosevelt retired in 1953 from her role as US Ambassador to the United Nations, she became a champion of UNA-USA. During the remaining years of her life she traveled around America speaking to groups about the work of the UN and inspiring local activists to form chapters. The Wake County chapter of UNA-USA owes its beginning to Beatrice Anderson who, along with Charles Blanchard and Polly Williams, formed a group in Raleigh in 1956. They and the members who led and sustained the chapter up until a decade ago were people who had endured life in a world at war and were committed to saving future generations from the scourge of war. Among those dedicated souls were Isabelle Buckley, I. T. Littleton, James Roush, Ed and Ruth Klimmer, Hanna Ridgeway, Cy and Carolyn King, Slater Newman, and others.
During its sixty-four years the Wake Chapter has engaged in numerous activities to promote the UN and its principles. In 2005 it organized a full-day conference to celebrate the 60-th anniversary of the UN. The event was held at the Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh and was attended by nearly 200 people. Three years later the Wake and West Triangle chapters of UNA joined forces to create a major conference titled “Human Rights: An Endangered Concept”. It consisted of two plenary sessions and six breakout sessions and it raised $15,000.
In addition to its large events, the Chapter maintains an ongoing series of programs in support of the UN. These include efforts to sustain education about the UN in the public-school curricula; assistance to Model UN clubs in high schools and colleges; exhibits and member recruitment at local events, such as the Raleigh International Festival; fundraising for UN sponsored activities, such as Adopt-A-Minefield; joining with like-minded local organizations such as WomenNC to achieve common goals; and educating the public about the work of the UN’s many programs and agencies and the concurrent world events that they face.
The last of these efforts has been conducted primarily through monthly dinner programs with speakers ranging from ambassadors to former CIA officials talking about topics ranging from the Arab Spring to the International Criminal Court. The series culminates each year near UN Day, October 24, with a celebration dinner.
In the end the goal of it all is a world at peace and a life of dignity for all its inhabitants.