Inside this issue

UNA Tampa Bay Program...........1

Human Trafficking ......................2
News at the UN ...........................3
UNA-USA United Nations Association
Events & Information..................4
Tampa Bay Chapter
www.unatampabay.org

“Working Together for Peace, Freedom and Justice” Volume XXXII, No. 2 Feb 2008

THE UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION

Presents
AN EVENING OF INTERNATIONAL WINES &
SILENT AUCTION
TRE AMICI @ THE BUNKER, YBOR CITY, TAMPA
WHEN: SATURDAY FEBRUARY 23, 2008 TIME: 7:00-10:00PM
The silent auction will
1909 19th Street Tampa, FL 33605 (813) 247-6964 FOR DIRECTIONS: www.yborbunker.com
consist of various Asian
items from countries such
as India and China.

TICKETS FOR THIS

EVENT ARE ONLY INTERNATIONAL ITEMS SUCH AS THIS CHINESE JADE PENDANT, THE INDIAN BRASS URN,
AND ORIENTAL CERAMICS WILL BE AVAILABEL FOR ALL TO BID ON AT THE AUCTION.
$10
Please RSVP at The Tampa Bay Chapter invites you to enjoy an evening of wine and hors d’oeuvres. Make this an
www.unatampabay.org evening to network with the international community of Tampa Bay as we raise funds through wine,
silent auction & raffle, which consist of items from various countries and various sponsored gifts. The
money raised will go towards Global Classrooms and UNA programs that will help educate students
in the Greater Tampa Bay area of the international conflicts taking place in the world. Several lucky
winners will go away with lots of interesting items. Make the most of this opportunity to enjoy some
Raffle tickets limited international wines ($7-12 a glass) amongst Tampa’s international circles.
$2/ticket
$5/3 tickets STUDENTS PREPARE FOR GLOBAL CLASSROOMS-MODEL UN
$20 for an arm’s length of Students who have dreamed of being a world and also to meet some of Tampa Bay’s
tickets diplomat or working in the United Nations will students who have an interest in global affairs.
$30 for a wingspan length be able have this opportunity through the For more information on Global Classrooms
of tickets Model UN Global Classrooms, which takes contact kelly.miliziano@sdhc.k12.fl.us
place at the Tampa Convention Centre in
downtown Tampa on April 16, 2008. Students
will be debating, discussing and drafting
resolutions and simulations, which will be staged
and for a day, the world’s destiny will be in their
hands. The students will be representing a
country either on the Security Council, the
Human Rights Commission, the Political and GLOBAL CLASSROOMS TRAIN AND DEVELOP STUDENTS
Disarmament Committee etc. Global TO AQUIRE VITAL LIFE LONG SKILLS TO DEVELOP A
Classrooms is far more than just a UN simulation, GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE GLOBAL DYNAMICS
this event is a great opportunity to discover the TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL PEACE.

The Vienna Forum to
Fight Human Trafficking
takes place on
Feb 13-15, 2008 in the
Austria Centre Vienna
For more info go to:
http://www.un.org/Pubs/c
hronicle/2005/webArticles
/110905_Trafficking.html
A scene from the mini-series
"Human Trafficking".
Photo/Lifetime Channel
“Justice consists not in
being neutral between
right and wrong, but in
finding out the right and
upholding it, wherever
found, against the wrong”.
-Theodore Roosevelt
More information about
United Nations efforts to
combat human
trafficking is available
at www.unodc.org.
FOR UNA CONTACT INFO.
GO TO :
www.unatampabay.org
ANOTHER TYPE OF TRAFFIC PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
THAT NEEDS TO STOP!
The Vienna Forum to
Forum to Fight Human
Trafficking
13 - 15 February 2008
The Austria Center Vienna
A teenage girl screams in terror as she is
beaten by a man twice her size. Trapped
in a squalid basement in a foreign
country, bruised and bleeding, she is at
the complete mercy of her captors.
Having been repeatedly raped and
forced into prostitution, the continued
psychological torture has pushed her to
the depths of despair.
A victim of human trafficking—the forced
movement of people across international
borders—her story of sex slavery for many
would ordinarily be considered too
shocking to bear contemplation.
Human trafficking is the acquisition of
people by improper means such as force,
fraud or deception, with the aim of
exploiting them. Human trafficking is a
crime against humanity. The UNODC
Global Programme against Trafficking in
Human Beings (GPAT) assists countries in
their efforts to combat this crime. Virtually
every country in the world is affected by
trafficking for sexual exploitation or
forced labour.
The International Labour Office (ILO)
estimates that there are over 12 million
people trapped in forced labour around
the world, one fifth of them are victims of
human trafficking. This illicit industry
generates as much as $32 billion in
revenue each year.
Source: UN Chronicle & www.UNODC.org
Tampa Bay Chapter
Greetings UNA-USA members! Congratulations to
YPIC Chair Ryan Nevel for organizing a moving
presentation on International Rights of the
Mentally Ill. Those who attended were privy to
quite an informative presentation. This month, we
are excited to hold our first fundraiser of the year
on Saturday, February 23 from 7-10 pm at Tre
Amici @ The Bunker in Ybor City. International
music, food, and great atmosphere will bring us
together to raise money for the Global
Classsrooms. For those of you who might not
know, Global Classrooms is a UNA-USA curriculum
designed to teach our youth about the United
Nations. The culminating activity is a Model
United Nations Conference on April 16th at the
Tampa Convention Center, where over 900
middle and high school students simulate the
workings of the U.N. We are also co-sponsoring
an event on February 20th, with the Florida Center
for Survivors of Torture-Gulf Coast Jewish Family
Services, Inc. The program, Breaking the Silence:
Torture Survivors Speak Out, is a film followed by a
speaker.
An important function of local chapters is to
stress the importance of nations working together
and the need for United States leadership in the
United Nations. This year’s advocacy theme,
adopted by the UNAUSA National board of
directors is “Restoring U.S. Credibility through
International Cooperation”. In support of this goal,
the following issues were identified:
1. Abiding by international rule of law;
2. Supporting human rights;
3. Constructive U.S. engagement in the
UN climate change framework; and
4. Paying our fair share at the UN.
Your board fully embraces these goals, and has
adopted a framework for planning how best we
can educate and mobilize our membership and
the public at large. We look forward to your input
and engagement as we work to carryout our
plan. I look forward to seeing you at our
upcoming events.
~Kelly Miliziano
 Tampa Bay Chapter

From the Editor…. ASIA-PACIFIC READY TO

THE CRISIS: EDUCATION
Florida's state universities and community colleges
are in a serious crisis. Education in the State of Florida
is taking a cut in 2008 and its one of the deepest
budget cuts to take place in 15 years. This cut will
total more than $140 million in all 11 state universities,
which inevitably leads to enrollment freezes. This
reduction in the budget is at a time when the state's
population is growing and pushes the state university
system to the brink. What is happening to universities
around the nation is a microcosm of what is
happening to American society at large and we are
in a downward spiral. Already the UNA Global
Classrooms held in Tampa Bay is being affected
financially for 2009 and the source for it’s funding
remains uncertain. A program such as Global
Classrooms shapes the minds of future generations
and works towards jobs that help in building our
international relations and globalization. If Florida
wants to keep up globally and improve its economy,
financing higher education and programs such as
Global Classrooms is the most viable option. Florida
already ranks last in the nation with its student-to-
faculty ratio of 31-1, while the national average is 25-
1. There’s no doubt that many of Florida’s problems
stems from the poor quality of education. John F.
Kennedy states it best “Our progress as a nation can
be no swifter than our progress in education. The
human mind is our fundamental resource”.
~Jill-Isaac Johnson, Editor
FACE SUB-PRIME
UNCERTAINTIES IN 2008
DID YOU
Bangkok (United Nations Information KNOW?
Services) – The robust economic growth in
Afghanistan
the Asia-Pacific region will continue in
produces and
2008, despite uncertainties in the United
trades more than
States and continued appreciation of
90 percent of the
regional currencies. Strong growth in
world’s illicit opium.
China and India, sound economic The size of the
fundamentals and buoyant commodity opium economy is
prices will underpin the region’s resilience. around 30 percent
The positive outlook was presented by the of licit GDP, and
millions of Afghans
United Nations Economic and Social
benefit directly or
Commission for Asia and the Pacific
indirectly from it.
(ESCAP). Developing economies in Asia-
Opium is the most
Pacific registered an impressive 8.2 per valuable
cent growth in 2007, despite a agricultural
challenging international environment of activity, and it
financial market instability, which muted provides income
external demand and appreciated and employment
for hundreds of
currencies. In 2008, developing
thousands of
economies in the region are expected to
Afghans.
grow at a slightly lower but still robust rate
of 7.8 per cent. Despite the positive
outlook, ESCAP warns of risks for the Asia-
Pacific economies arising from an
unraveling of the United States sub-prime
mortgage problem and a slowing U.S.
economy. There is a need to tread
carefully given the signs of financial
market volatility over the year ahead, UN
economists warn.
-Source: www.unesca.org

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROCLAIMS 2008 INTERNATIONAL

YEAR OF LANGUAGES -The UN General Assembly proclaimed 2008 the
International Year of Languages recognizing that genuine multilingualism promotes unity in
diversity and international understanding, Acting without a vote, the Assembly recognizes that
the United Nations pursues multilingualism as a way of protecting and preserving diversity of
languages and cultures globally, and emphasized the paramount importance of the equality of
the organization’s six official languages (Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish).
The Assembly also requested the Secretary-General to ensure that all language services were
given equal treatment and were provided with equally favorable working conditions and
resources.
Tampa Bay Chapter Please mark your calendars for the Tampa Bay chapter’s upcoming events

2008 DATES SPEAKER & TIME VENUE

DIRECTORS Betty Castor -International Water Day Hillsborough Community College

Kelly Miliziano -President MAR 20th 11:00 am

Dr. William McReynolds-1st VP Ambassadors Luncheon 12:00-1:00pm Tampa Convention Centre

VP Gov’t. & Advocacy APRIL 16th Global Classrooms 9:00 am-5:00 pm
VACANT -VP Membership Florida Division Annual Convention Eckerd College
Rajeev Ratra –VP Technology MAY 10th 9:00am-5:00pm Contin. Education Centre
Greg Rublee- VP Education
Kimberley Williams-VP Programs
Membership Application/ Renewal
Suja Chetty-Treasurer Name: ___________________________________
Jennifer Kon-Secretary Address:________________________________ City:_________________ State:__________ Zip:__________
Telephone: _________________ Email: _______________________
Dr. Mark Amen
Jill Isaac- Johnson-Editor Annual Membership (select one)
Introductory Individual ___ $ 25 Student ___ $ 10 Patron ___ $500
Susan James Individual Renewal ___ $ 35 Organization ___ $ 40
Dr. Tim Kennedy Family ___ $ 40 Sponsor ___ $ 100

Maja Lacevic-University Rep.

Yes! I want to make a donation of $________ to help the work of UNA-USA.
Ryan Nevel – YPIC Chair All dues and donations are tax deductible. Please make checks payable to: UNA-USA and send to:
Paul Yingst-Former President UNA-USA, 801 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10017-4706.

Non-Profit Organization
U.S. Postage Paid

UNA-USA Tampa Bay Chapter

www.unatampabay.org

TIME SENSITIVE MATERIAL