Group Meets Locally to Build Peace Globally

No one really knows when they got started or exactly how many members they have, but for those involved with the United Nations Assn. of Ventura, their mission could not be more important.

Once every two months, a handful of members meets in a cramped Ventura law office to update one another on current U.N. activities and plan strategies on how to promote worldwide peace, understanding and cooperation.

“The world is becoming increasingly interdependent, and I think what we do is important,” said 73-year-old Warren Faue. “Things that go on in Burundi or Malaysia affect us here, so we need to keep people informed about what the U.N. is doing.”

At a recent meeting, Maria Mahmoodi, a flight surgeon at Point Mugu Navy base, talked to the group about her experiences as a refugee.

Mahmoodi, an Iranian Bahai who fled Iran after the Islamic Revolution and the execution of her mother, said she decided to join the U.N. group out of concern for human rights and because members “want to make the world better than it is.”

At the meeting, group members also discussed how to get the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to approve a U.N. convention eliminating discrimination against women, which has languished in committee for more than 16 years.

Although members agree there is little they alone can do to affect change in U.N. policy, they say it’s important that the public be aware and informed.

“We’re needed to build an awareness among citizens about the United Nations and act as a liaison between the U.N. and the public,” said chapter President Tom Higgins. “I don’t think there’s any more important organization than the U.N., and to keep it relevant we have to increase knowledge about it and build support.”

Every year, the Ventura organization hosts a United Nations Day celebration at its Chestnut Street headquarters featuring speakers and U.N. diplomatic personnel. The group also directs the educational model-U.N. program for high schools and colleges in Ventura County to introduce students to the rigors and challenges of international diplomacy.

In addition, the Ventura group runs an annual fund-raising drive during the holiday season for UNICEF, which aids impoverished children worldwide. Last year, the group collected more than $5,000 for the program.

Nationwide, the organization, which is independent and self-supporting, boasts more than 30,000 members in 175 chapters. Although it primarily works as an advocacy group for the world body, the organization also serves an advisory role.

Every chapter is encouraged to submit reports on U.N. policy effectiveness and make recommendations on future plans. Those reports are compiled by the national office and submitted to the General Assembly for review.

The Ventura County chapter will hold its next meeting March 8. For more information, call Higgins at (805) 653-5947.