UNA Coventry News June 2016

Announcing Coventry Peace Day

We thought June was going to be busy but it wasn't...

It was completely hectic!

We have a lot of exciting news to tell you. The headline is that are going to run the first-ever Coventry Peace Day on 21 September, which is International Day of Peace. Part of this day will be a meal we are calling Feast for Peace. You are warmly invited to attend.

We are still finalising the details, but we are hoping to have some leading personalities and we will also use the event to celebrate not only Peace Day but also the creation of the UNA Coventry Branch.

For on 25 June, Coventry Branch was finally recognised by the Board of the United Nations Association as an affiliated Branch! We will be inaugurating the Branch at the Feast.

If you might be able to attend our Feast, please express your interest by writing to feast@unacov.uk

United Nations Coventry Feast for Peace 2016

This feast will be organised by the United Nations Association Coventry Branch on International Day of Peace (21 September 2016) and hosted at a major venue in Coventry. Enjoy some wonderful food, some brilliant company and show the world that the citizens of Coventry really care about Peace and Reconciliation! This feast will be part of Coventry Day of Peace 2016, a programme run …

Coventry Peace Day

The Feast for Peace will be part of Coventry Peace Day which UNA Coventry will be organising for the first time. We hope people will spend a few moments on that day celebrating peace and reflecting on what it means and what they can do to encourage it.

There is a shortcut to the main page at covpeaceday.uk

Coventry Peace Website

Working with the Lord Mayor's Committee for Peace and Reconciliation and others, we have created a website where the many organisations working for peace in the city can have a presence and the visitor can easily identify what is going on.

The new website is coventrycityofpeace.uk.

International Understanding

Many people were disappointed by the results of the EU Referendum, including many of those who voted "Leave" never expecting that they would actually win! The following is the UNA-UK's response to the result.

UNA-UK statement on outcome of EU referendum

UNA-UK was founded in 1945 by British citizens who were passionate about global co-operation. Inspired, after years of war, by the rallying cry of peace, development and human rights for all, they pledged to support an organisation – the United Nations – that would bring countries together, confident that their government would play a leading role in delivering this vision. …

UNA Coventry's response to the Referendum will be to work even harder for international understanding. As part of this we have decided to become affiliated with CAIF.

UNA Coventry to Affiliate with Coventry Association for International Friendship

International peace depends to a large extent on the peoples of different nations respecting and understanding each others different cultures, religions and histories. In order to help promote international understanding, UNA Coventry will become an affiliated with Coventry Association for International Friendship. For over 50 years this group has promoted international friendship and understanding by meeting together regularly for social events, by fundraising and …

Volunteers Needed

We hope you will agree that UNA Coventry is a dynamic Branch, and we would welcome any help you can offer to organise events, no matter how little time you can spare us.

Either visit the volunteer page at unacov.uk/volunteer or write to philip@unacov.uk with your contact details and we will arrange to talk to you, either by phone or in person.

Forthcoming Events

We have already mentioned some events during CovPeaceDay. Here are some more you might be interested in.

Online Peace Concert

Coventry United Nations Association is putting together a 1 hour concert consisting of classic peace-related videos and new material with some guest appearances. You will receive an email on Coventry Peace Day (21 September 2016) with the web address where you can watch and listen to the concert. All your ticket money will be given to our selected charities which …

Send a Free CovPeaceDay Ecard

Choose an ecard to send to a friend to tell them about Coventry Peace Day. Or design your own image and email it and your name and age to peacecard@covpeaceday.uk We will add it to our list of ecards! Go here to send your card

Pray for Peace 2016

We invite people of faith to pray for Peace on International Day of Peace 2016, and perhaps to raise money for charities in Coventry related to Peace and/or Reconciliation. Your prayers will be part of Coventry Day of Peace 2016, a programme run by Coventry United Nations Association and other organisations. Please take part and show the world that the citizens of Coventry really care …

Play for Peace 2016

We invite you to play a game, take part in some sport, perform some music, stage a theatrical piece or even just go for a walk during International Day of Peace 21 September 2016. Your event will be part of Coventry Day of Peace 2016, a programme run by Coventry United Nations Association and other organisations. Please take part and show the world that the citizens …

Stories from June

Female Gential Mutilation (FGM)

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a practice that involves altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons, and it is internationally recognized as a human rights violation. Globally, it is estimated that 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone some form of FGM. Although FGM in declining in the majority of countries where it is prevalent, most …

Big Iftar in Coventry Cathedral

Big Iftar is an event to encourage neighbourliness and community through the sharing of Iftar (an evening meal taken by Muslims at sunset to end their days Ramadan fast during). In 2016 it was celebrated in Coventry Cathedral on the evening of 20 June. After a welcome by the Dean of Coventry, the very Rev John Whitcombe and Imam Usman Qureshi of the Eagle Street …

Refugee Discussion

This is a podcast of an event held in the Chapter House of Coventry Cathedral on 23 June 2016. Former Coventry City football club star Cyrille Regis MBE and the leader of Coventry Refugee and Migrant Centre Sabir Zazai describe their life experiences and discuss what it means to be a migrant and a refugee. They answer questions about how …

Submit Video to UN for International Day of Peace

INVITATION FOR YOUTH TO SUBMIT VIDEOS TO THE UNITED NATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PEACE The Education Outreach Section of the United Nations Department of Public Information invites young people from around the world between the ages of 15 and 24 to submit 10- to 15-second videos in English on how the Sustainable Development Goals can build peace. When …

UNA Candidates in London

This event was produced on 3 June 2016 in partnership between UNA-UK and the Guardian newspaper. Participants António Guterres – Former UN High Commissioner for Refugees and former Prime Minister of Portugal Vuk Jeremić – Former Foreign Minister of Serbia and former President of the UN General Assembly (2012-13) Igor Lukšić – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration …

Lord Wood is new Chair of UNA-UK

UNA-UK is delighted to announce that Lord (Stewart) Wood of Anfield is the new Chair of UNA-UK, after Sir Jeremy Greenstock completed his five-year term on 30 June 2015. Lord Wood brings a wealth of experience to UNA-UK. He is a member of the House of Lords and a Lecturer at the University of Oxford. From 2007-2010 he was the …

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