UNITED NATIONS ASSOCIATION OF ATLANTA

Sustainable Coffee Talk 5: Women Leading Climate Equity and Resiliency

2/28/2022

About the Keynote Speakers

Her Royal Highness Princess Dr. Moradeun Ogunlana, a recognized leader on women empowerment for Africa in the United States and around the world, is the President/CEO of Innovative Global Consulting (IGC) Group, an Infrastructure, Agriculture, Energy, Business, and Economic Development corporation connecting businesses in Africa to the World. During the late 2000s, she assumed the chairmanship of The Global Summit Group, which works on economic equity issues affecting women through groundbreaking research and training programs. Her commitment to women’s economic empowerment has extended to the global arena as UN Ambassador for Peace, where she has provided a forum through the Global Council of Women for Development to exchange best practices in accelerating women’s economic progress.

Widely recognized for her outstanding leadership of providing access to health and wellness for women and children in rural areas, she was awarded the Arkansas Governor’s Volunteer Excellence Award in the late nineties for AWHPI's works in the community as well as overseas. As the Founder/CEO of African Women’s Health Project International - AWHPI, she leads an international non-profit group that focuses on empowering women globally thru access to healthcare, economic empowerment, agriculture and trade associations, cultural developments, and partnerships.

The Princess is descended from one of the oldest and most distinguished Royal Family lines of Lagos, Nigeria, and the Royal House in the Republic of Benin respectively. She is the granddaughter of His Royal Majesty, David Ajasa Ogunlana, the 10th Obanikoro of Lagos, in Nigeria, who ruled from 1938 to 1969. She is also the great-granddaughter of the ninth ruling King of Remo Kingdom, Ogun State, His Royal Majesty, King (Oba) Liyangu Owabagbe Adenuga. The King of Lagos, His Royal Majesty, the late King (Oba) Adeyinka Oyekan was her beloved Uncle.

Long known for her coalition work, Princess Ogunlana has served on numerous boards of directors and advisory boards of global organizations such as the Sister Cities Commission, Eternal Care Foundation of Nigeria, Leaders Without Borders, Sino-Africa Economic Development Forum (UN), and Fight Cancer Global.

As Executive Board member of Fight Cancer Global, she supports Fight Cancer Global management and other Executive Board members through collaboration and strategic planning of global initiatives while communicating plans and progress to stakeholders.

Specialties: Government Liaison, Import and Export, Infrastructure Development

Kimberly King is a global impact entrepreneur and established thought-leader in the fields of public-private partnerships, sustainability, and innovation eco-systems. Her passion is the intersection of business, strategy and social impact, creating ground-breaking marketing and financial models generating more than $4B dollars in revenue to date.

King’s diverse experience reflects 20+ yrs as a leader in multi-sector joint ventures. Her clients/partners have included American Express, Credit Union National Association, Coca-Cola, AT&T, NBC, AARP, the Cities of Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Juan, the Govts of Mauritius, Slovakia and United States, World Trade Center Association and the United Nations.

Ms. King is the CEO of HumanTec and CoFounder & Director of One Island Institute. She serves as a Special Projects Consultant to the United Nations, and Global Advisor to the Deep Blue Institute and World Digital Foundation.

As a committed champion for DEI and women and girls, Kimberly serves as an NGO Representative to the UN Commission on Women and Advisor to the International Women's Think Tank. She is a Member of the G100 Global Women's Network and Co-Founder of WIESD - Women in Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Sustainable Development - a community-driven startup accelerator launched in Sweden and the US.
Ms. King is an international speaker, media producer and co-author of “The Power of Team”. She has worked and traveled to over 70 countries and is an honored recipient of the Eleanor Roosevelt Global Humanitarian Award.
www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlyking2

Susan Varlamoff is a biologist, author, lecturer, mother, and grandmother who has worked more than 40 years on environmental issues. After earning an undergraduate degree in biology, she was a research assistant at Columbia University’s Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory examining past climate cycles to predict future trends. As a young mother she spearheaded a community effort to shut a toxic landfill in her Minnesota neighborhood in a precedent setting case. In Georgia she worked with State Senator David Scott to prevent the expansion of a landfill in his African American community. After obtaining a Master’s degree in Environmental Pollution Control, Susan worked as pollution control specialist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and part time as Executive Director of the nonprofit Georgia Environmental Organization. For 18 years, Susan was on the faculty of the University of Georgia; her last position as the Director of the Office of Environmental Sciences. While working at UGA, Susan co-wrote an Action Plan for Pope Francis encyclical Laudato Si with a group of interdisciplinary and interfaith scientists. This Action Plan is being used throughout the country by other Archdioceses. Susan Varlamoff serves on the Atlanta Archdiocese sustainability team implementing the updated Action Plan.
Co-Author: Laudato Si Action Plan
Author: Sustainable Gardening for the Southeast
Author: The Polluters, A Community Fights Back
LinkedIn: Susan Varlamoff

This webinar is free and open to the public. Registration required.

Co-hosts

Partners

The 2022 International Women's Day webinar builds upon the successes of the 2021 Women's Empowerment Roundtable Summit, connecting social good influencers with communities. The Child Well-Being Initiative was created as a result of the 2021 Women's Empowerment Roundtable Summit, where children from Western High School (Baltimore, MD, USA) are participating in cultural exchange initiatives with their peers at the Sister School Global Initiative (Lagos, Nigeria). Please click HERE to learn more.

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United Nations Day 2021 (#UN76)

10/15/2021

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CELEBRATE #UN76 with us! You’re invited to virtually join UNA-Atlanta, Ray C. Anderson Foundation & Drawdown Georgia via Zoom on October 28th at 4:00 P.M. EST, for a celebration of the United Nations' 76th Anniversary. We'll have a conversation on Georgians' state-of-the-art efforts, which deserve to be heard on a national and international level, with a special themed event, UN DAY 2021: Creating a Blueprint for a Better Future: Drawdown Georgia and Local Climate Action.

You can find out more about Project Drawdown here.

John Lanier, American philanthropist, is passionate about bringing people together to accelerate action toward climate change mitigation efforts. In the above video, he explains WHY he is passionate about climate action. Now, what is your WHY?

John Lanier is committed to working with local partners and joining forces with civil society, companies and people on the frontline of climate change to inspire local inclusiveness and local actions.

We are all here to "KEEP OUR PROMISE" and "UNITE OUR FORCES" to create a better future for everyone in the world.

UNA-Atlanta is honored to feature the Drawdown Georgia Project which is funded by Ray C. Anderson Foundation to create a blueprint for a better future first at home.

Come celebrate this year's UN DAY with us.

#climatechange #unsdgs #unday

#UN76 #unday #unsdgs #climatechangemitigation #climateaction

UN Day 2021 Speakers

Honorable Keynote Speaker

Mariyam Midhfa Naeem is the Deputy Chef De Cabinet at the Office of the President of the seventy-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly. She provides strategic direction to the President of the General Assembly in executing his priorities and mandates, in particular for the Sustainable Development thematic cluster. She is also the principal focal point for the Asia Pacific Group. Prior to joining the Office of the President of the General Assembly, Midhfa was a Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, handling the India Division, where she was responsible for advising the Minister of Foreign Affairs on the Maldives-India relationship, overseeing development projects and other collaborations between both countries. She began her career as a Foreign Service Officer in May 2007 and has worked in several roles within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This includes several portfolios within the International Affairs Department, including as head of the United Nations Division, and as the Director of the Foreign Service Institute of the Maldives where she planned and executed several new programs under the Institute’s Action Plan. From 2015 to 2017, Midhfa worked as a Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Maldives to the UN in New York, where she was the lead negotiator for the Alliance of Small Island States on sustainable development. She shaped and executed negotiation strategies for Small Island Developing States on sustainable development issues, especially on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Reduction, and the New Urban Agenda. Midhfa has a Master’s in public policy from the Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy, NUS, and a Bachelor of Arts in Politics and International Studies from the University of Warwick.

Keynote Speakers

Laura Turner Seydel is a Board member of the United Nations Foundation. She is an international environmental advocate dedicated to creating a healthy and sustainable future for our children. Laura is chairperson of the Captain Planet Foundation and co-founder of the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Mothers and Others for Clean Air. Laura serves on the boards of the Turner Foundation, United Nations Foundation, Nuclear Threat Initiative, Turner Endangered Species Fund, Environmental Working Group, League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, Children & Nature Network, Waterkeeper Alliance, Project Drawdown and is a Patron of Nature with the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

John A. Lanier is the Executive Director of the Ray C. Anderson Foundation, a Georgia-based private family foundation honoring the legacy of the late Ray C. Anderson. Lanier joined the organization in May 2013 to lead the Foundation that bears his grandfather’s name. Ray was a globally recognized industrialist and pioneer for environmentalism, and Lanier continues his legacy today through Foundation programs that seek to create a brighter, more sustainable world. From 2011 to 2013, Lanier worked in Atlanta as an Associate Attorney in the federal Tax Practice Group of Sutherland Asbill & Brennan LLP, now Eversheds Sutherland. Lanier currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Southface Institute, a leading southeastern nonprofit working to advance green building and a regenerative economy. He is author of Mid-Course Correction Revisited, an updated edition of his grandfather’s first book. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Virginia School of Law and he holds Bachelor of Arts Degrees in History and Economics from the University of Virginia.

Panelists

Kim Cobb is the Georgia Power Chair and Professor in the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at Georgia Tech. She is the Director of the Global Change Program at Georgia Tech, and serves as the ADVANCE Professor for diversity, equity, and inclusion for the College of Sciences. In her climate research, she uses observations of past and present climate to advance our understanding of future climate change impacts, with a focus on climate extremes and coastal flood hazards. She received her B.A. from Yale University in 1996, and her Ph.D. in Oceanography from the Scripps Institute of Oceanography in 2002. In her research, Kim has sailed on oceanographic cruises and led caving expeditions in the Borneo rainforests. She received a NSF CAREER Award, a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, and the Hans Oeschger Medal from the European Geosciences Union in 2019. She is a Lead Author for the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, released in August 2021. As a mother to four, Kim is a strong advocate for women in science, and champions diversity and inclusion in all that she does. She is also devoted to the communication of climate change to the public through media appearances, public speaking, and social media channels, and enjoys frequent exchanges with policymakers about climate impacts and solutions.

Allie Kelly is Executive Director at The Ray, which has developed an 18-mile stretch of interstate in Georgia, where they’re using renewable materials; building clean energy for clean transport; testing road connectivity, improved lighting and signage; and collecting traffic, weather, collision and pollution data to make the roads of the future. Working with Georgia DOT and FHWA, Allie has guided more than a dozen projects from concept to construction on The Ray Highway. The nonprofit organization is now working with more than 24 agencies in 15 states, scaling innovations from the I-85 testbed across the country. Following in the legacy of Ray Anderson, The Ray believes that the technologies exist to make transportation Zero Deaths, Zero Carbon and Zero Waste. Previously, Allie held senior roles at the Georgia Conservancy, and as a Founder and Executive Director at Georgia Watch. Allie serves on the boards of the Fulton Technology and Energy Enhancement Authority as chairman, as incoming chairman of the ASPIRE Center Executive Advisory Board, and as a board member for HUB404.

Cyrus Bhedwar serves as the Energy Efficiency Policy Director for the Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance. He has more than fifteen years’ experience working on energy efficiency and sustainability issues at the local, state and regional levels. He currently leads the energy efficiency policy team at SEEA that emphasizes reducing energy insecurity throughout the Southeast by sharing best practice information, convening stakeholders and identifying the challenges and resources essential to making progress.

Shelby Busó is the Chief Sustainability Officer for the City of Atlanta. In this role, she leads the sustainability team within the Mayor’s Office of One Atlanta. The team is tasked with addressing the energy burden for Atlanta’s residents, implementing the Clean Energy Plan, assessing waste diversion innovation, and increasing food access for the most vulnerable populations. This work touches upon key impact areas within energy efficiency, materials management, urban agriculture, and transportation. Prior to working for the City, Shelby was the Director of Community Advancement and Market Transformation with the US Green Building Council. She managed state-wide initiatives for the USGBC while working regionally on key account management, advocacy, technical support, marketing, and market development. In Atlanta, she has worked for Central Atlanta Progress as the Director of Sustainability and Midtown Alliance as well as The Clean Air Campaign. Shelby holds a Masters of Environmental Law and Policy along with a Juris Doctorate from Vermont Law School. She was a Judicial Law Clerk for the United States Federal District Court of Puerto Rico and National President of the International Law Students Association. She completed her undergraduate work in Anthropology, Environmental Studies, and Spanish from Wake Forest University. Shelby is a part of the 2019 Class of the Institute for Georgia Environmental Leadership, is a former member of the Georgia Sierra Club’s Executive Committee and on the Board of Directors for the Community Farmers Markets of Atlanta. She lives in Decatur, Georgia with her husband and three children.

Panel Moderator

Blair Beasley is the director of climate strategies for the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. Her work focuses on supporting Drawdown Georgia, a state-specific climate solutions roadmap.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Blair worked as a consultant for Emory University. In that role, she served as a member of the Georgia Climate Project Leadership Team and on the Research Team for Drawdown Georgia.

Blair spent seven years with the Energy Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center in Washington, D.C., including as the project’s acting director. In this role, Blair advised state and federal regulators on policy pathways to reduce carbon emissions. Before joining the Bipartisan Policy Center, she worked at the D.C.-based think tank, Resources for the Future.

Blair holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master in Public Policy from Georgetown University.

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Sustainable Coffee TALK 4

8/15/2021

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United Nations Association of Atlanta and the Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development of Greater Atlanta K-12 Action Group invites you to our fourth installment of the Sustainable Coffee TALK Series
Community Engagement, Impactful Internships, and Mentorships
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
4 PM - 5 PM EST

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MAMI WATA RISING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

8/2/2021

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August 6, 2021~4th ANNUAL
MAMI WATA RISING INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Susie King Taylor and Sadako SasakI : Heroines of War and Peace

Susie King Taylor was born on August 6, 1848, enslaved on a plantation in Liberty County, Georgia. On August 6, 1945, an atomic bomb destroyed Sadako Sasaki’s hometown of Hiroshima, Japan. Susie King Taylor’s escape to freedom at age 13 is just part of the great, uplifting story of survival by one of history’s great champions of literacy. Sadako Sasaki survived the destruction of Hiroshima, but died from radiation fallout a decade later at age 12. Sadako attempted to fold 1,000 origami peace cranes as a wish to get well, inspiring the adoption of the paper crane as an international symbol and call for world peace.

Please join Susie King Taylor Women’s Institute and Ecology Center and Nuclear Watch South to celebrate these heroines of war and peace.

Friday, August 6 10AM - 12 noon LEST WE FORGET | HIROSHIMA OBSERVANCE

Opening ceremony at Sugar Mill tabby ruins followed by peace vigil at Kings Bay Trident Nuclear Submarine Base, St. Marys, GA.

Directions to Kings Bay: I-95 exit 3, Hwy 40E to Kings Bay Rd. to Stimson Gate at Hwy Spur 40. Park at Sugar Mill Park.

1:30 - 3:30 PM Susie King Taylor Birthday Celebration & Escape to Freedom Hike
Guale Preserve, Village Drive, St. Simons Island, GA

RESERVATION REQUIRED www.susiekingtaylorinstitute.org or 404-587-3182 $50 suggested donation includes lunch and souvenir poster. Proceeds benefit the Susie King Taylor Escape to Freedom Underground Railroad Park campaign

Monday, August 9 7 - 8:30 PM SEEDS OF PEACE | NAGASAKI OBSERVANCE

Bring your inspirations, prayers, dances, songs and poems to create a circle of hope. Participate in this special Atlanta tradition with Dances of Universal Peace and musical guest The Wild! Jimmy Carter Presidential Library & Museum Rose Garden, 441 John Lewis Freedom Pkwy, Atlanta, GA

EVENTS ARE FREE (unless otherwise noted) AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC | SOCIAL DISTANCING PROTOCOLS WILL BE OBSERVED

CO-HOSTS Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace • Beyond Trident • Dances of Universal Peace • Nuclear Watch South • Susie King Taylor Women’s Institute and Ecology Center • Unitarian Universalist Congregation Atlanta Peace Network • United Nations Association of the USA, Atlanta Chapter

For more information contact Nuclear Watch South, 404-378-4263, www.nonukesyall.org

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Women’s Empowerment Roundtable Summit 2021: Achieving Global Goals, Best Practices and Lessons Learned

2/25/2021

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Co-Hosts of Women's Empowerment Roundtable Summit 2021

Women’s Empowerment Roundtable Summit 2021
(Sustainable Coffee TALK 3)
Achieving Global Goals, Best Practices and Lessons Learned

Friday, March 19, 2021
9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST

Ensure a sustainable future by empowering girls and women. Speakers on gender equality with local and global experience will share their best practices and lessons learned in advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in their communities.

Keynote Speakers

Gail Greezakwah Farngalo
Senior Advisor and Lead on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment and Focal Point for UN Women and the Commision on the Status of Women in the Office of the President of the United Nations General Assembly

Ms. Farngalo is a Minister Counsellor in the Liberian Foreign Service and brings to OPGA ten years of experience covering the Third Committee (Social Humanitarian and Cultural Affairs) in the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Liberia to the United Nations. She also served as Election Officer and Liaison for Military, Police and Corrections Affairs (supporting Liberia’s peacekeeping efforts in UN Peacekeeping Missions), as well as focal point for all gender and Third Committee related matters.

With the responsibility of covering health issues in the Liberian Mission, Gail served as focal point and coordinator for the Mission’s engagements during the Ebola epidemic, participating in the United Nations preliminary response coordination meetings as well as meetings of the Ebola Multi-partner Trust Fund and successive meetings of Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s Panel on Health Systems Strengthening in the wake of the Ebola Health Crisis.

For the complete bio, please visit Ms. Farngalo's UNGA webpage

H.E. Lady Sandra Williams, FMC, DCL, MSc., Dip. M, MCIM, BA.
Governor General’s Goodwill Ambassador and President of the Antigua and Barbuda China Friendship Association; President and Founder of The Halo Foundation

Her Excellency Lady Sandra Williams was born Sandra Louise Scotland in St. John’s, Antigua on July 15, 1963 to parents Jasper (Bobby) Scotland and Mary Scotland (née Royer-Dublin). She attended nursery school in Antigua before moving to Ottawa, Canada at the age of 3 with her family -- and later on, to Toronto. After returning to Antigua for two years, she then moved to North Wales, United Kingdom and later to Guyana, South America where she completed high school.

Lady Williams enrolled at Saint Mary’s University in 1981, where she pursued a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Department of Modern Languages and English, attaining distinction (cum laude) in her selected double major and minor. She was later awarded a Commonwealth Scholarship to pursue a Master of Science Degree in Tourism Management at the University of Surrey in the United Kingdom and earned her Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing, also in the United Kingdom. She is a full member of the Institute, and over the years has pursued various career-related courses in Japan, Austria, Spain, Germany, France and Barbados.

Lady Williams has held significant senior managerial positions, including Director of Marketing for a regional Caribbean airline and Antigua and Barbuda’s Director of Tourism to the United Kingdom and Europe. She operated from Frankfurt, Germany for two years as a Project Tourism Executive for the Eastern Caribbean, under an Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) initiative. Additionally, she provided consultancy services to both small boutique hotels and large resort operations for a number of years.

She is currently the Governor General’s Goodwill Ambassador and President of the Antigua and Barbuda China Friendship Association. She is also the President and Founder of The Halo Foundation, an umbrella charity established in December 2014 that addresses the needs of 32 charities under the patronage of the Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda.

Some of the initiatives of the Halo Foundation include:

~ “Colours of Charity”, an event for the various local charities headlined by HRH Prince Harry (Duke of Sussex) on his visit to Antigua in 2017 – and later organizing a function in London at which Prince Harry was introduced to a cellist of Antiguan descent, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who was eventually invited by the Duchess of Sussex to perform at their wedding ceremony in Windsor;
~ a 2-year antibullying campaign currently being executed in 6 pilot schools;
~ full 4-year university scholarships for students from Antigua and Barbuda who have exhibited acts of kindness of bravery to St. Mary’s University;
~ scholarships to local institutions for children with special needs;
~ the provision of musical instruments to a local youth orchestra;
~ part sponsorship of Team Antigua Island Girls’ row across the Atlantic ocean;
~ partnership with the Prince’s Foundation, the Calvin Ayre Foundation and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda to build and furnish homes for those families left without shelter following the ravages of Hurricane Irma.
~ the creation of a youth arm of the Halo Foundation, known as Generation Y, which focuses on sensitizing young people to the importance of helping others;
~ and much more.

In 2018, Lady Williams was awarded the Faithful and Meritorious Cross for outstanding voluntary service to the nation of Antigua and Barbuda. She received a Doctor of Civil Law (DCL) honorary degree from Saint Mary’s University in Nova Scotia, Canada in 2019, and accepted a Vigor Unsung Hero Award in Toronto in that same year.

She is the spouse of the Governor General of Antigua and Barbuda, His Excellency Sir Rodney Williams and has one son, Brent.

Monica Delores Hooks
Executive Director at the City of Atlanta Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative

Monica Delores Hooks built her career at Sony Music Entertainment with front line P&L experience in Product Management, International Marketing and Business Affairs roles; then in entrepreneurship with business development roles in new media, entertainment and technology startups. She has over 20 years of expertise in content marketing and brand management focusing on projects and brands driven by youth culture and social influencers. As Executive Director of Atlanta’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative, Ms. Hooks is responsible for innovation policy, entrepreneur workforce programs, financial capacity building, as well as entrepreneur retention and development as it pertains to women’s entrepreneurship throughout the City of Atlanta. Ms. Hooks is also Founder and CEO of m-oracle LLC d/b/a The Marketing Oracle, a marketing innovation agency offering strategy and market research. m-oracle LLC is a graduate of the City of Atlanta’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Initiative (WEI) inaugural class and winner of the 2017 Microsoft Innovation Bots and Cognitive Services Award. The Marketing Oracle’s mission is to connect business, media, technology and culture. Ms. Hooks is a graduate of Georgia Public Schools and received her bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College in Government where she earned the Dean’s Award. She has an MBA in Finance and Marketing from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business. She is currently co-lead for the Atlanta Chapter of Black Women Talk Tech, a member of the public service organization, Delta Sigma Theta Inc. and Radcliffe Presbyterian Church located in Atlanta, GA.

Honorary Guest Speaker

Consul General Michel Gerebtzoff
Consulate General of Belgium in Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Michel Gerebtzoff was born in Geneva on March 3, 1972, into a family with Russian and French roots. He graduated as a Water and Forestry Engineer from the Faculty of Agronomic Sciences in Gembloux, Belgium.
He first started a career in the private sector, as a specialist in geographic databases and earth observation systems.

At the age of 30, he passed the diplomatic competition and joined Foreign Affairs, becoming Embassy Secretary in Geneva (WTO and WIPO, from 2005 to 2008) and then in Beijing (2008-2012). After a year at the Directorate General of European Affairs (trade policy department), he returned to China, to Guangzhou , to head the office for the promotion of exports and investments of the Walloon Region (2013-2016). During that time he was also appointed to the Governing Board of the American International School of Guangzhou.

Upon his return to Brussels, he became an advisor at the Permanent Representation of Belgium to the European Union, in charge of trade, research and space (2016-2017), after which he became Chief of Staff to the Deputy Permanent Representative of Belgium to the European Union (2017-2019).

In 2019 he joined the cabinet of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Didier Reynders before becoming Deputy Chief of Staff to Minister of Foreign Affairs Philippe Goffin (2019-2020). In that capacity, he sat on one of the main pandemic management bodies.

Michel Gerebtzoff took office as Consul General of Belgium in Atlanta on August 1, 2020. He is married and the father of two daughters.

Roundtable Discussion #1
The Wellbeing of Women and Children: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women and Children, and Our Future

Dr. Angela Maria Wakhweya
Senior Director, Health, Equity and Rights (HER), CARE, Atlanta, GA

Dr. Wakhweya recently joined CARE after more than two decades of work across the development and public health sector in the United States and internationally, most recently as Founder and Executive Director of Global Public Health Linkages, a US based non-profit tackling extreme poverty among families affected by HIV/AIDS, with a special focus on children, girls and women. Throughout her career, Dr. Wakhweya has sought out leadership positions that have allowed her to utilize her extensive knowledge in health planning, financing and policy in order to solve complex global issues.

Dr. Wakhweya has been working domestically at the forefront of organizations such as the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene where she served as Deputy Director of the Infectious Disease and Environmental Health Administration, Deputy Director of the AIDS Administration and Health Officer of Anne Arundel County, the fifth largest district in Maryland. In Maryland, she also served as Chief School Health Officer for Health Services, Policy and Innovation for Prince George’s County Public Schools, the second largest school district in Maryland, where she led efforts to transform the paper based system to an online electronic school health electronic record system in nine months.

Prior to joining the State government, she served internationally as Senior Technical Officer for Family Health International and as HIV/AIDS Advisor for Save the Children Federation. While there, she provided technical assistance for HIV/AIDS and OVC (orphans and other vulnerable children) programs funded by the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Global Fund for AIDS, Malaria and TB. Earlier, Dr. Wakhweya served as Assistant Professor of International Health at Boston University School of Public Health; Research Associate/Project Scientist for Harvard Institute for International Development (HIID); and Africa Regional Program Manager for Oxfam America. She first joined the United States public health scene as a Senior Health Policy Analyst with the Massachusetts Division of Health Care Finance and Policy.

Dr. Wakhweya has a Doctor of Medicine degree (MBChB) from Makerere University Medical School in Kampala, Uganda; and, a Master of Science in Health Planning and Financing, jointly awarded by the London School of Economics and Political Science, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, in the United Kingdom.

Michelle White
Principal, Western High School, Baltimore, MD

Michelle White, a Baltimore native and proud graduate of Baltimore City Public Schools, has been an educator for 20 years. After eight years of teaching Chemistry and Biology in Baltimore County Public Schools, Ms. White joined the City Schools team to serve as Science Academic Content Liaison for secondary schools. Following her passion to directly support students, Ms. White became an Assistant Principal at McKinley Technology High School in Washington, D.C., and later returned to Baltimore City to serve as Principal of her alma mater, Western High School. She is also a graduate of Villa Julie College and Towson University, where she earned her Bachelor and Master of Science degrees, respectively.

Ms. White has worked to enrich the educational opportunities of Baltimore City students by teaching masters level STEM courses to teachers seeking STEM certifications at Notre Dame University and Johns Hopkins University. She is a board member of the Baltimore Urban Debate League (BUDL) where she helps to ensure that Baltimore students have adequate opportunity to discover their passions and find their voice and agency through high quality educational experiences.

A passionate educator committed to improving students’ life outcomes, Ms. White is the recipient of several awards, including the College Bound Administrator of the Year Award.

Colette Cottman
Community development Specialist, Engagement & Training Lead, Microsoft in Metro Atlanta

Position: Colette Cottman is a Community Development Specialist, Engagement &Training Lead for Microsoft in Metro Atlanta. She represents Microsoft locally. She and her team are dedicated to supporting educators, young minds and educational institutions that develop the ingenuity, innovation and intellectual curiosity of our young adults.

Education: She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems Management, a Bachelor of Arts degree with concentrations in Organizational Psychology/ Business Administration, and a Master of Arts degree in Human Resources Management.

Experience: Colette is an experienced Human resource Professional, Corporate Trainer and a decorated Veteran. She served in the US Army from 2001-2015 holding 6 progressive ranks in her tenure ranging from Private to Captain. Colette finished top 10 in her class at Initial Military Training; top 3 in her Signal (IT) Officer Basic course and was selected to Command a unit immediately following her HR Advanced Course. She held 2 Commands (generating force and headquarters), was a Network Support Manager and a Central Hub Signal Officer in Iraq, and served as HR Manager, Training & Development Manager, Family/Career Readiness Officer and Army Community Service (ACS) liaison.

Activities: Colette has pioneered leading-edge campaigns for transitioning military members and female warriors with her Life-Skills Expo, Female Mentor Network and Women’s Warrior Challenge Course. She volunteers in the community with many organizations supporting youth, education and wellness and currently provides support with digital transformation and remote learning by facilitating and directing training in M365 Applications, 21st Century Career Readiness, Coding and sought-after next generation digital skills.

Cheri-Ann Taylor
Director of Student Behavioral Health and Well-Being, Clayton County Publics School System, Georgia

Cheri-Ann Taylor, Ed.S is a certified School Psychologist who has worked with children and adolescents for 18 years in several capacities. Her journey as a mental health provider to youth began at Community Education Partners in Orlando, FL. There she served a Behavior Aide and Discipline paraprofessional from 2001-2003 while earning a Bachelor’s of Arts in Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Her graduate studies began at Georgia Southern University where she worked at the Regents Center for Learning Disorders as a testing assistant from 2003-2005. Through this work she began to realize the need for quality mental health services to minority youth in the K-12 setting and became drawn to the calling of creating access for students. Upon graduation in 2006 with an Educational Specialist degree in School Psychology she relocated to the Metro-Atlanta area (Fulton and Troup County) and has served the youth of Clayton County Public Schools since 2007. She has also worked with private agencies in order to gain valuable experience with the provision of mental health services to varied populations.

The 9 years served in Clayton County Public Schools as a School Psychologist have been in all settings from the Pre-school diagnostic center to the Alternative School, Mrs. Taylor has strived to be versed in each setting. She served as the Lead School Psychologist for 4 years before being appointed Director of Student Behavioral Health and Well-Being in 2020. Cheri-Ann has a desire for each student in Clayton County Public Schools to have the resources they need to take charge of their own Well-Being.

A specific area of interest for Mrs. Taylor is Mindfulness. She feels that especially at this time it is important to empower our students with tools needed for them to feel in control of their environments. Cheri-Ann is a dedicated mother and wife. She is a member of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and believes in the value of philanthropy, respect, and perseverance.

Chinita Allen
Founder and Education and Advocacy Consultant, Chinita Allen Education and Advocacy Consulting, LLC, Georgia

Chinita Allen is the Immediate Past President of the United Nations Association of Atlanta, Alumnae Director at Large Barnard College, Columbia University and President of Cobb Democratic Women. Ms. Allen is a dynamic speaker, leader, award winning educator, consultant and political strategist. Her expertise includes leadership and organizational development, education policy, innovative pedagogical practices, advocacy and campaign strategic planning, and community engagement and collaboration.

In addition to her expertise, Allen’s most recent accomplishments include: 2021 Senior Campaign Advisor to current Cobb County Sheriff and Cobb County District Attorney, 2021 Higher Heights for America Civic Senior Executive Leadership Fellowship, 2021 Cobb County Board of Commissioners District 2 Community Outreach Advisor, 2020 National PTA position statement regarding institutional racism and schools, 2017 Atlanta Families Award of Education Excellence, 2016 Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching and Georgia Department of Education STEM Laureate.

Ms. Allen resides in Marietta, Georgia with her husband and three children. In her free time, she enjoys reading and learning to garden.

Madinah S. Ali
President & Co-Founder, Safe PC Cloud Atlanta Co-Lead for The Women in Technology (WIT) Network, Microsoft Business Partner Channel, Atlanta, Georgia

Madinah S. Ali is the President & Co-Founder of SafePC Cloud. The company primarily focuses on data backup and recovery for midsize, enterprise, and government IT environments with an emphasis on cybersecurity. Ms. Ali formerly served as The Women in Technology (WIT) Chair/Board member for the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP) Atlanta Chapter and currently serves as the Atlanta Co-Lead for The WIT Network. Safe PC Cloud, was recently selected to participate in the Women in Cloud Accelerator for 2019.
Safe PC Cloud is a Managed Service Provider that focuses on data backup, IT security, and cloud-based applications. Ms. Ali received her Master of Applied Economics degree from Cornell University. She is a Magna Cum Laude Graduate of Florida A&M University. She is currently completing her Microsoft Certified Trainer designation as a part of the Microsoft Learning Partner Program, which is comprised of the premier technical and instructional experts in Microsoft technologies, including Azure Data Backup and Recovery. Ms. Ali is currently a member of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord which promotes a safer online world by fostering collaboration among global technology companies that are committed to protecting customers and users against malicious threats.

Over two years ago, she created the EdTech (Education Technology) Division with the focus of bridging the digital divide among women, African Americans, and Hispanics. To learn more about Safe PC Cloud’s Ed Tech division, you can go to their website, and her recent initiative with Microsoft Reskilling and upskilling initiative.

Carolyne Akinyi Opinde, Dr. h.c. (Roundtable Moderator)
Founder and CEO, The NGO Whisperer™, United Kingdom

Dr. Carolyne Akinyi Opinde is an award-winning global consultant and social entrepreneur providing technical support to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Africa, Europe, North America, Latin America, and the Caribbean so they can successfully impact people's lives.

Dr. Opinde believes that socio-economic development within low-income communities can be achieved by “Connecting People, Raising Funds, and Impacting Lives™”.

Dr. Opinde is a seasoned Resource Mobilization and Business Development Specialist with over 15 years’ experience in the nonprofit sector. Her knowledge and expertise in international development has impacted communities across the globe. She has raised over US$ 100 million and managed various projects worth US$ 20+ million.

Dr. Opinde’s commitment to making a difference in people’s lives, especially among women, girls and children in underserved communities led her to establish The NGO Whisperer™ in 2018, as a consulting business with a global reach that provides technical support to nonprofits and social enterprises, so they can successfully impact people’s lives.

As the Founder and CEO of The NGO Whisperer™ Global Consulting, she leads a team of consultants to provide technical support to nonprofits in Resource Mobilization, Project Management, Governance and Organisational Management, Compliance and Enterprise Risk Management, and Executive Coaching and Masterclasses for leaders.

As the Editor-In-Chief of The NGO Whisperer™ Magazine, she works with a team of highly respected subject-matter experts to provide high-quality content, industry best practices, and share stories of women and men who are impacting lives within their communities and across the globe.

As the Host and Producer of The NGO Whisperer™ Show, she interviews women and men who are impacting lives within their communities and across the globe. Notable personalities featured in The NGO Whisperer™ Magazine and The NGO Whisperer™ Show include H.E Prof. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, the first Female President of the Republic of Mauritius, H.E Lady Sandra Williams, Governor General ‘s Goodwill Emissary, President and Founder, The Halo Foundation, Inc., Antigua and Barbuda and Lillian Barnard, Managing, Director of Microsoft South Africa, among others.

International Speaker and Evangelist for social entrepreneurship:
Dr. Opinde is an international speaker and evangelist for social entrepreneurship. She has spoken to audiences of over 5 000, sharing the stage with Former President Bill Clinton, Bishop T. D. Jakes, Deepak Chopra, and Founders and CEOs of leading fortune 500 companies such as PayPal, Nike, Walmart, Yahoo and Hollywood celebrities to name a few.
She has interviewed among others, Former President H.E. Prof. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Nelson Mandela’s grandson, Ndaba Mandela, and Hollywood actor, Charlie Sheen, among others.
She is also a certified Project Management Professional® (UK) and Certified Scrum Product Owner®, among other accreditations.

Dr. Opinde currently lives with her husband Jose, in Manchester, United Kingdom. She enjoys cooking African and Portuguese delicacies and running.

Roundtable Discussion #2
Women and Entrepreneurship: Re-visioning Your Business Through Partnerships and Co-Branding

Mary Ehrsam
President, Operation HOPE Partnerships, New York

As President of Operation HOPE Partnerships, Mary Ehrsam drives the cultivation of revenue streams and avenues for growth and sustainability while furthering the overall mission of HOPE. Mary is responsible for structuring development opportunities, oversight of partnership relations, and the execution of the scalability and sustainability strategy. Prior to joining HOPE, Mary began her career in strategic economic development and poverty alleviation by launching the Los Angeles affiliate of Habitat for Humanity - growing the organization from a $35,000 budget to $3.2 million and constructing 64 homes in partnership with recipient homeowners.

Mary expanded her focus to comprehensive revitalization of underserved communities as Vice President, Chief of Operations for Operation HOPE. In her role Mary oversaw the development of the HOPE Financial Dignity Centers and was responsible for operations, legal, fiscal management, compliance, community and political affairs, and financial development.

Mary is a 22-year member of the HOPE legacy team. She developed and launched the HOPE youth programs, expanded the HOPE Inside model nationwide, and led the global expansion in South Africa and the Middle East. Working with the Global Dignity Co-Founders, Mary developed the base “A Course in Dignity” curriculum that has since been delivered, in partnership with the World Economic Forum of Young Global Leaders, in 100 countries on four continents.

She received a degree in economics from Gettysburg College, and currently serves on the boards of directors of Gettysburg College, Art & Soul, and the Gettysburg ESii. Mary is an advisor for the SaveThe Arts Foundation and a member of the ODE National Economics Society.

Farhana Hasan
Founder and CEO, HerWILL, Atlanta, Georgia

Farhana Hasan is the Founder and CEO of HerWILL, a US based social enterprise for women’s empowerment that focuses on breaking social barriers to success through education, advocacy, discussion, and innovative technology. HerWILL is committed to helping to achieve gender equality, the UN SDG goal #5, by 2030.

Farhana was a senior leader in global aviation for almost 20 years, with experience in data science applications, , business intelligence, aviation technology, and leadership development. She led the technology implementation for partnership development at Delta Air Lines, in collaboration with Delta’s strategic partners around the world. She has also served in SkyTeam IT Executive Board for five years.

Farhana was in charge of multi-million-dollar technology investments for partnership integration for joint ventures and equity investment. Farhana’s team has built the first on-time performance forecasting model for Delta Air Lines, which was endorsed by the US Department of Transportation.

Farhana has consulted for multiple for-profit and non-profit organizations in the US, Asia, Europe, and South America. She also taught Business Intelligence for Executive MBA at Georgia State University.

Her recent endeavor has been launching an international consulting firm that is dedicated to Data Science and Leadership Development. Farhana is trained by Leadership Management International in Total Leadership in addition to earning her Six Sigma Master Blackbelt.

With HerWILL, Farhana has married her passion for women’s empowerment, innovative technology, and data insight. Her cross-cultural and multiple industry leadership experiences have made her well-suited for founding the social enterprise she is now leading.

Farhana.hasan@Herwill.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhanahasan1/

Professor Thuli Madonsela
Founder, The Thuli Madonsela Foundation (Thuma), South Africa

Professor Thulisile “Thuli” Madonsela, an advocate of the High Court of South Africa, is the law trust chair in social justice and a law professor at the University of Stellenbosch, where she conducts and coordinates social justice research and teaches constitutional and administrative law. She is the founder of the Thuma Foundation, an independent democracy leadership and literacy public benefit organization and convener of the Social Justice M-Plan, a Marshall Plan-like initiative aimed at catalyzing progress towards ending poverty and reducing inequality by 2030, in line with the National Development Plan (NDP) and Sustainable Development Goals (SGGs). She is a monthly columnist for the Financial Mail and City Press/Rapport, and occasionally writes for other newspapers.

A multiple award-winning legal professional, with over 50 national and global awards, Thuli Madonsela has eight honorary doctor of laws degrees, one of which was awarded by the Law Society of Canada. She holds a BA Law from Uniswa, a Bachelor of Laws from Wits University and a Harvard Advanced Leadership Certificate, and has been trained in legal drafting, leadership, strategic planning, scenario planning, gender mainstreaming, mediation and arbitration, and training facilitation, among other things.

Thuli Madonsela was the Public Protector of South Africa from 2009 to 2016. She is credited with transforming the institution by enhancing its effectiveness in promoting good governance and integrity – including ethical governance and anticorruption in state affairs – through her reports, jurisprudence on the powers of the Public Protector and introduction of ADR. She is the architect of the OR Tambo Declaration on the minimum standards for an effective ombudsman institution and cooperation with the African Union on strengthening good governance and co-founder of the African Ombudsman Research Centre (AORC) at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and served as AORC’s founding chairperson. As a full-time commissioner of the South African Law Commission, she supervised several investigations – among them Project 25 – on aligning all laws with the Constitution and participated in the drafting of several laws. She chaired and later project-managed the Equality Legal Education Training Unit (ELETU), which provided foundational training for Equality Court judicial officers. She is the co-founder and one of the inaugural leaders of the South African Women Lawyers Association (SAWLA).

Thuli Madonsela is one of the drafters of South Africa’s Constitution and co-architect of several laws that have sought to anchor South Africa’s democracy. She also contributed to the conceptualization and quality assurance of laws such as the Promotion of Administrative Justice Act, the Domestic Violence Act, and the Repeal of the Black Administration Act. Her policy contributions have focused on the transformation of the judicial system, the promotion of equality – particularly gender equality – and the Victims Charter. She has also participated in the drafting of several international instruments, mainly on human rights, gender, race, disability, development, and gender-based violence, in addition to participating in the preparation of country reports and representing the country.

Robbin Jorgensen (Roundtable Moderator)
Founder and CEO, Women Igniting Change®

Robbin Jorgensen is the Founder and CEO of Women Igniting Change® - a global, purpose driven organization that unleashes the contribution of women around the world. She is a status quo disruptor, human rights activist, and global citizen. She is a sought-after global speaker and social impact strategist with 25+ years of experience in sales and marketing, training and business development.
Robbin's expertise has been delivered in 14 countries on 6 continents. Her company is trusted by major brands including General Electric, Bank of America, Deloitte, Oracle and many more.

Robbin was honored as a Human Rights Champion by the United Nations Association of the USA, is the U.S. Ambassador for AVEGA Agahozo in Rwanda and has been featured by the Cartier Women's Initiative, Voyage ATL, the Dana Barret Show, OWN IT Magazine and the Atlanta Small Business Network (to name a few). She delivered the keynote address for the 170th Anniversary of the first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY joining the ranks of previous speakers who included Hillary Clinton.

Robbin is also the Founder of the CORA Women’s Center, an economic empowerment initiative in Rwanda that leverages a gender transformative approach to address women’s inequality.

Mistress of Ceremonies

Ramona Houston, Ph.D., PMP
Host of The Empowerment Zone

Ramona Houston, Ph.D., PMP, is on a mission to inspire social impact. A scholar, social impact strategist, speaker, and host of The Empowerment Zone podcast, Ramona combines her interests and talents to advance Black and Brown relations, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I), and racial and social justice.

A US historian, Ramona specializes in American race relations, specifically its African American and Mexican American dimensions. Through her publications and presentations, Ramona seeks to dismantle systemic racism and reduce racial disparities primarily affecting the Black and Brown communities.

A social entrepreneur, Ramona truly believes in the power of social responsibility—the business practice of contributing to the well-being of society. That is why businesses and public figures hire Ramona to help them to design and execute their social impact visions. Through collaborating with Ramona, businesses positively impact lives, strengthen their community, advance the social causes they believe in, enhance their brand, and, ultimately, grow their businesses through social impact.

A passionate educator, Ramona also speaks often, enlightening audiences through her podcast, lectures and trainings, and serving as a subject matter expert on various types of programs.  Whether Ramona is producing scholarship, coordinating community engagement projects or speaking, one theme remains constant: social impact.

Devoted to social impact, Ramona is persistently working to fulfill her professional mission of “Inspiring minds, connecting communities, making social impact and transforming the world.”

A graduate of The University of Texas (PhD in History) and Clark Atlanta University (BA in Spanish and History), Ramona is a native of Brownwood, Texas, and currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia. To contact or learn more about Ramona, visit www.ramonahouston.com.

Resources From Our Speakers:

International Women’s Think Tank https://www.iwthinktank.org (You are invited to a virtual Tea Social)

United Nations Association of Atlanta http://www.una-atl.org
Upcoming Event: March 22, 2021 at 12 PM EST, On The Road to Dakar, Recruiting the Voices of Youth for the 9th World Water Forum (this webinar is hosted by Global Water Alliance with support from UNA-Atlanta)

RCE Greater Atlanta https://rcega.org

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals https://sdgs.un.org/goals

Results from UN 75 survey, a global survey on people’s hopes and fears for the future and how to address the challenges we face: https://un75.online

Nirvana Tea Inc. http://Nirvana-tea.com

Women Igniting Change® www.womenignitingchange.com

Parking BOXX https://parkingboxx.com/

Ramona Houston, PhD, PMP https://ramonahouston.com/

The Empowerment Zone https://smarturl.it/ramonahouston

The NGO Whisperer™ https://ngowhisperer.com
Masterclass April 2021: https://ngowhisperer.com/masterclass
Magazine Issue, Jan – Mar 2021: https://ngowhisperer/magazine

Her WILL (contact Farhana Hasan)

www.facebook.com/Herwill.org (FB Page - open to all)
www.facebook.com/groups/Herwill (Women only FB Group)
     Insta Handle @HerWILL_Global (Follow us)
     YouTube Channel – HerWILL (Subscribe)
     www.herwill.org (Website coming soon)
     https://www.linkedin.com/in/farhanahasan1/ (feel free to connect)

Clayton County Public Schools, Department of Student Behavioral Health and Wellbeing https://sites.google.com/clayton.k12.ga.us/ccps-sbhw/home

Clear Strategy Group www.clearstrategygroup.consulting
Contact: Chinita Allen
     Email: callen@clearstrategygroup.consulting
     Phone: (678) 592-4163
     Upcoming Event: March 28, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST, Unsung Sheroes

Western High School https://westernhighschool.org
Upcoming Event: April 29, 2021 at 7:00 PM EST: From Girls to Gamechangers

CARE https://www.care.org/ I'm Every Woman - Chaka Khan & Idina Menzel | IWD 2021 https://youtu.be/Jb9aamNfTLU
Accelerate Atlanta University/ Safe PC Cloud https://www.safepccloud.com/education/aau/

Operation Hope https://operationhope.org/

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Webinar Recording: UN75 - Shaping Our Future Together

11/24/2020

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View our UN75 webinar by clicking on the image below

Please click on the image above to view a recording of UN75: Shaping Our Future Together

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STEM Quest Show

11/17/2020

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United Nations Association of Atlanta, RCE Greater Atlanta K-12 Action Group & BETT AWARDS 2020 winner ed-tech start-up Twin Science would like to invite you to a live-streamed STEM Quest Show themed “Sustainable World” on Saturday, November 21st at 10AM EST.⠀

This show is suitable for ages 8-13 but all children are welcomed to participate and answer questions during the YouTube live-stream.⠀Kids will have fun while learning about scientific approaches and rational thinking methods. Free, educational robotics and coding toys will be gifted after the show.

We invite all children and their families to our youtube/TwinScience Channel to participate in this entertaining educational show.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW STEM QUEST SHOW ON NOVEMBER 21, 2020 AT 10 AM EST

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SCT 2: Advancing Climate Action and Social Equity

11/17/2020

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United Nations Association of Atlanta, in partnership with Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development of Greater Atlanta (RCE Greater Atlanta), created the Sustainable Coffee Talks (SCT) as an initiative to provide networking and educational opportunities for members, partners, and the general public. Each talk focuses on one or more Sustainable Development Goals.

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Goalmakers Atlanta: Empowering Girls as Global Citizens

11/10/2020

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Goalmakers 2020 initiative is a nationwide effort by GlobalWA, spanning across 7 cities, to advance the United Nations’ Global Goals. United Nations Association of USA, Atlanta Chapter has been selected as the host organization for Goalmakers Atlanta.

COVID-19 stunted the progress made to reach the global goals, including Gender Equality. Before the pandemic, there were improvements on this goal as fewer girls were forced into an early marriage and more women were in leadership roles, but full gender equality remains unreached. According to the United Nation’s progress report, “women already spend three times as many hours as men on unpaid care work at home. The closure of school and day-care centers requires parents, women in particular, to care more for children and facilitate their learning at home.” Women are underrepresented in pandemic-related leadership roles across governments, even though women account for 70% of health and social workers. “The promise of a world in which every woman and girl enjoy full gender equality and all legal, social and economic barriers to their empowerment have been removed remains unfulfilled.”

If the future generation of girls become global citizens, imagine what kind of world they can create, advancing all of the 17 global goals. But they would need to be empowered first.

Please REGISTER HERE for your webinar's login information

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#UN75: Shaping Our Future Together

10/21/2020

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Join UNA-Atlanta in the celebration of the United Nation's 75th anniversary with a talk on international identity and multilateralism as important factors in creating a more sustainable and peaceful world.

Oct 29, 2020 05:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_BXpx-7d1Sji_iDqZ5OvqIw

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

About the Keynote Speakers:

Dr. Ángel Cabrera
President, Georgia Tech
On Sept. 1, 2019, Ángel Cabrera became the 12th president of the Georgia Institute of Technology. Cabrera came to Georgia Tech after serving for seven years as president of George Mason University (GMU) in Fairfax, Virginia.

A top-10 public research university in the U.S., Georgia Tech has outstanding programs in business, computing, design, engineering, liberal arts, and the sciences. With 40,000 students and more than 170,000 living alumni who work in business, industry, and government throughout the world, Georgia Tech has become internationally recognized for the quality of its educational and research programs.

Under his leadership for the past year thousands of members of the Georgia Tech community have contributed to a new 10-year strategic plan to be launched fall 2020. The plan is grounded on a new mission statement that reaffirms Tech’s commitment to “developing leaders who advance technology and improve the human condition.”

He is leading the Institute through one of the most critical times in its history in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, internally to prioritize the health and safety of the Tech community and externally to develop innovative solutions to combat the disease.

Under his leadership at George Mason, the university accounted for more than half of all enrollment growth in Virginia, increased student outcomes, and joined the top tier of research universities in the Carnegie Classification. From 2004 to 2012, Cabrera served as president at Thunderbird School of Global Management, now part of Arizona State University. Prior to that he was dean of IE Business School in Madrid.

As a business educator, Cabrera has played a key role in advancing professional ethics, internationalization, and corporate social responsibility. As a senior advisor to the United Nations Global Compact, in 2007 he was the lead author of the “Principles for Responsible Management Education,” now adopted by more than 700 schools around the world. He is also a co-founder of the University Global Coalition, a global network of universities working in partnership with the United Nations in support of the Sustainable Development Goals.

He’s been named a “Young Global Leader” by the World Economic Forum, a “Star of Europe” by Businessweek, “Henry Crown Fellow” by the Aspen Institute, and “Great Immigrant” by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He has received honorary degrees from Miami Dade College and Universidad Politécnica of Madrid.
Cabrera serves on the boards of the National Geographic Society, the Atlanta Committee for Progress, the Bankinter Foundation for Innovation, and the Metro Atlanta Chamber.

Cabrera earned his M.S. and Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Georgia Tech, which he attended as a Fulbright Scholar. He also holds a telecommunications engineering degree (B.S. and M.S. in computer and electrical engineering) from Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. He has published extensively in academic journals and has been featured or quoted in leading media around the world.

He is married to management scholar and Georgia Tech classmate Elizabeth. Their son Alex is a recent Georgia Tech graduate and currently a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University. Their daughter Emilia is a senior at Harvard University. Cabrera is the first native of Spain to serve as president of an American university.

Ambassador Farrukh Khan
Deputy Chef de Cabinet to the 75th President of the United Nations General Assembly

Ambassador Farrukh Iqbal Khan has over 25 years of diplomatic career with the Foreign Service of Pakistan. Prior to joining the Office of the President of the General Assembly, he was leading the United Nations Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Pakistan), as its Director General. Earlier, and amongst various other national and international positions, he served as a Senior Manager in the Executive Office of the Secretary General (EOSG) at the United Nations; Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN in New York; Director (United Nations) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad; and Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN in Geneva.

Ambassador Khan brings to OPGA robust experience in advancing priorities on sustainability, climate change, human rights, and peace and security issues. He has chaired and served on the UN and other international committees, and multilateral funds.

A graduate of the National Institute of Management (Pakistan) and a former UN Disarmament Fellow, Farrukh has also served as a Senior Fellow at the Mossavar Rehmani Center for Business and Government, Harvard Kennedy School. He holds a Master of Law (LLM) from Columbia Law School and a Master of International Affairs (MIA) with specialization in International Economic Policy from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University. He holds a BA from Government College, Lahore, and an LLB (Bachelor of Law) from the University of the Punjab, Lahore. He has written for international journals as well as international and local newspapers.

About the Panelists:

Ayse Lokmanoglu is a Ph.D. candidate in the Communication Department and a Presidential Fellow in the Transcultural Conflict and Violence Initiative focused on violent extremist groups and the process of state building. She works as a research assistant on five Department of Defense, Minerva Grants and a Facebook Phase Two Content Policy Research Grant -- conducting research on terrorist social media and propaganda. Lokmanoglu earned her M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard University and her B.A. in Economics and Near Eastern Studies from Cornell University. Her primary area of research assesses the mechanisms of propaganda and persuasion used by violent extremist organizations and how they manipulate institutions and resources, such as monetary economics, to create proto states. She has six articles and book chapters published and has presented her research in conferences including: American Political Science Association (APSA) 2020, International Studies Association (ISA) 2020; Society of Terrorism Research (STR) 2019; VOX-Pol Violent Extremism, Terrorism, and the Internet: Present and Future Trends Conference 2018; and Middle Eastern Studies Association (MESA) 2018.

Volker Franke is Professor of Conflict Management at Kennesaw State University (KSU) and the Founding Director of KSU’s PhD program in International Conflict Management. Dr. Franke is also Founder and Chairman of TRENDS Global, an Atlanta-area based nonprofit dedicated to research and engagement in diverse communities. Previously, Dr. Franke served as part-time Visiting Professor with the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute at the U.S Army War College in Carlisle, PA (2016-19) and as Director of Research at the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), one of Germany’s premier peace and conflict research and capacity building institutes (2006-2008). From 1998-2007, he was Director and Managing Editor of the National Security Studies Case Studies Program at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs. Dr. Franke holds a Ph.D. in political science from Syracuse University’s Maxwell School, a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from North Carolina State University and a MA in political science and sociology from Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, Germany. He is the author of Preparing for Peace: Military Identity, Value-Orientations, and Professional Military Education (Praeger 1999) and more than 40 journal articles, book chapters, case studies and research reports on issues related to peace and security studies, conflict management, civil-military relations, development policy and social identity. He is also the editor of Terrorism and Peacekeeping: New Security Challenges (Praeger 2005) and Security in a Changing World: Case Studies in U.S. National Security Management (Praeger 2002), and co-editor Understanding Complex Military Operations (Routledge 2015), Conflict Management and “Whole of Government:” Useful Tools for U.S. National Security Strategy? (Strategic Studies Institute 2012) and Conflict Management and Peacebuilding: Pillars of a new American Grand Strategy? (Strategic Studies Institute, 2014).

Melissa Kilby is the Executive Director of Girl Up, the global leadership development organization transforming a generation of girls to be a force for gender equality and social change.

Since 2010, Girl Up has developed 75,000 girl leaders in 120 countries and all 50 U.S. states, and has raised more than $27 million for girls’ leadership programs and impact partners at the United Nations. Melissa joined Girl Up in its first year, and during her tenure with her team, has built the organization into the force that it is today.

Melissa is a leading expert on next gen leadership and youth activism. Recently named to Fortune Magazine’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020, Melissa is also currently Chair of the Board of Directors of Girls on the Run, Washington DC. Prior to Girl Up, Melissa served as a National Director for OP3, where she helped raise an average of $45 million each season managing a nine-city, multi-day fundraising walk series benefiting the Avon Foundation for Women. Melissa holds a Bachelor of Journalism in Strategic Communication from University of Missouri – Columbia. In 2014, she was selected to participate in a highly competitive program for non-profit leaders through Harvard University’s Kennedy School. Melissa sits on the U.S. Advisory Group for UN Women’s WE EMPOWER G7 and the Steering Committee for Women in Dev.

Melissa has appeared on MSNBC, written articles for Huffington Post and Harvard International Review, been quoted in many national and international press outlets and speaks regularly as an expert on leadership, activism and Gen Z girls. Recent speaking engagements include TEDxQuincy, Women in Dev, UN Women International Women’s Day events, and various other Girl Up events and at the UN.

Dr. Sevgin Eroglu is a faculty member in the Robinson College of Business, Departments of International Business and Marketing, Georgia State University. She specializes in the fields of marketing, retailing and international business. Dr. Eroglu’s research has been published in many academic journals including the Journal of Business Research, Journal of Personal Selling and Sales Management, Journal of Retailing, International Marketing Review, Marketing Letters and Journal of Consumer Psychology. Her extensive teaching, consulting, speaking and training activities span a variety of organizations (commercial and academic) and geographies (Europe, Asia, North Africa and the Americas). Dr. Eroglu specializes especially in the MBA and executive teaching levels and has been the recipient of numerous teaching awards. For the past two decades, she has led the international curriculum of the Executive MBA at Georgia State University which has been consistently ranked among the top programs worldwide by Financial Times. Her consulting work spans the spectrum from marketing research to marketing strategy in both domestic and international contexts. In Turkey, Dr. Eroglu continues to maintain her long-term affiliations with many academic and commercial institutions including those in Brazil, Egypt, France, Italy and Turkey.

Leonard E. Robinson, a proud father and grandfather, has traveled a very distinctive career path in his life. Currently residing in Atlanta Georgia, he has a successful track record in the private, public and non-profit sectors with over forty-five (45) years of experience in environmental management and sustainability. He has run the unusual path of wastewater treatment plants to superfund sites to steel mills to radio studios to working for Governors giving him a unique, holistic perspective in the environmental/sustainability field. When asked about his unique career path, he remarks, “I didn’t find my career…my career found me”. He is a much sought-after speaker; consultant; strategist; radio talk show host and lecturer specializing in the opportunities and challenges of a Circular Economy.Currently, he serves as the Sustainability Strategist for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. He is entrusted with creating a Sustainability vision; mission and program for 103 parishes and missions, 277 diocesan and religious priests, 62 seminarians, 18 archdiocesan Catholic schools, 1.2 million Catholics in north central Georgia. He is also a partner with the sustainability consulting firm SEMCO with offices in southern California and the greater Atlanta area.Mr. Robinson has served as an appointee for four (4) California Governors in Executive positions at the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the Colorado River Board of California. He was part of the Executive Team that created California’s Climate Change and Green Chemistry policies. Prior to his State service he was the Environmental/Safety Manager for TAMCO Steel, the only steel mill in California. Mr. Robinson was inspired by his parents who taught him to “always leave your room in better condition when you leave than it was when you arrived." He made the environment his “room."

Jennifer McCoy, PhD, is Professor of Political Science at Georgia State University. Her current research project on Polarized Politics aims to identify the causes, consequences and solutions to polarized societies around the world, including the United States. She coined the term “pernicious polarization” to refer to the political polarization that divides societies into mutually distrustful “Us vs. Them” camps, and undermines the capacity of democracies to address critical policy problems.

McCoy served as Director of the Carter Center’s Americas Program (1998-2015), leading projects on democratic strengthening, mediation and dialogue, and hemispheric cooperation. She led over a dozen international election observation missions to Latin America. Dr. McCoy has authored or edited six books and dozens of articles. Her recent volumes include Polarizing Polities: A Global Threat to Democracy, co-edited with Murat Somer (2019) and International Mediation in Venezuela, with Francisco Diez (2012).

Dr. Jennifer Hirsch is an applied cultural anthropologist recognized internationally for fostering university and community engagement in sustainability and climate action. Since August 2015, she has served as the inaugural Director of the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Serve-Learn-Sustain (SLS) is the Institute’s Quality Enhancement Plan - a campus-wide academic initiative preparing students to use their disciplinary expertise to “create sustainable communities” in partnership with community, nonprofit, business, and academic stakeholders.

Dr. Hirsch’s research and teaching interests focus on: 1) equity in the sustainable built environment; 2) grassroots sustainability innovation; and 3) sustainability in cross-cultural perspective. At Georgia Tech, she leads the equity petal work for the GT Living Building – the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design – and runs the SLS Innovating for Social Impact Program.

Dr. Hirsch is also a founding leader of RCE Greater Atlanta – a Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development - officially acknowledged in 2017 by the United Nations University. She is also Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgia Tech’s School of City and Regional Planning. She serves on the faculty of The Asset-Based Community Development Institute hosted by DePaul University and on the Board of Directors of AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education).

Before coming to Georgia Tech, Dr. Hirsch worked in Chicago as Associate Director of Study Abroad at Northwestern University; as Urban Anthropology Director at The Field Museum of Natural History; and as an independent consultant with clients such as the City of Cleveland, Enterprise Community Partners, the U.S. Green Building Council, The Institute of Cultural Affairs, University of Illinois at Chicago, and Joliet Junior College. Dr. Hirsch received a Bachelor’s degree in American Culture from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and a Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

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UN Day 2021 Speakers

Keynote Speakers

Honorary Guest Speaker

Roundtable Discussion #1 The Wellbeing of Women and Children: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women and Children, and Our Future

Roundtable Discussion #2Women and Entrepreneurship: Re-visioning Your Business Through Partnerships and Co-Branding

Mistress of Ceremonies

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Archives

Roundtable Discussion #1
The Wellbeing of Women and Children: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women and Children, and Our Future

Roundtable Discussion #2
Women and Entrepreneurship: Re-visioning Your Business Through Partnerships and Co-Branding