President’s Welcome

Welcome to the Dallas Chapter of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA)!

We are a grassroots movement of North Texans who support the vital work of the United Nations through advocacy campaigns, youth engagement, outreach programs, and public events. We invite you to explore our website, learn about the rich history of our chapter, and join us at one of our upcoming chapter events.

In 1998, Ted Turner created the United Nations Foundation to steward his historic $1 billion gift to the United Nations. The gift was placed in a trust overseen by the Foundation, leveraging the energy and expertise of business and non-governmental organizations to help the UN tackle issues, including climate change, global health, peace and security, women’s empowerment, poverty eradication, energy access, and U.S.-UN relations.

UNA-USA Dallas members come from all over North Texas. They reflect the remarkable range of cultures and perspectives of the United Nations – a powerful advantage that combines global insights with deep local knowledge. We recognize that unique individuals, collaborative teams and inclusive leaders have far-reaching impact and are the engines of the new ideas needed to do our work.

"leveraging the energy and expertise of business and non-governmental organizations to help the UN tackle issues…"

Whether you are seeking partnership, considering membership, or interested in making a financial gift to support Dallas UNA-USA, we invite you in get involved. Join us by becoming a member and visiting http://www.unausa.org/membership/join-una-usa. Don’t forget to indicate that you wish to be a part of the Dallas Chapter. Stay in touch with us via social media and be sure to check back on our website often for the latest news, updates, and opportunities. I look forward to meeting you there!

Sincerely,

Avalyn Pace
President
UNA-USA Dallas

UNA-USA’s History

UNA-USA works closely with the United Nations Foundation and its sister organization, the Better World Campaign, to strengthen the U.S.-UN relationship. These current partnerships continue a long history of UNA-USA helping bolster American support for the UN.

The American Association for the United Nations, UNA-USA’s predecessor organization, grew from the League of Nations Association in 1943. A group of prominent citizens, including the first executive director, Clark M. Eichelberger, activated the association to promote acceptance of the Dumbarton Oaks proposals in the late years of World War II. Among the association’s early actions was a national tour by a number of US representatives to spread the word and gain support for American adherence to the Dumbarton proposals, which led to the creation of the UN.

When First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, a member of the association’s board of directors, completed her term as a US representative to the UN General Assembly in late 1951, she walked into the association’s offices and asked for something to do. Her offer was gratefully accepted, and in early 1953, she established an office at the association’s headquarters.

This was the quiet beginning of a major campaign in which Mrs. Roosevelt carried the message of the American Association for the United Nations across the country through personal appearances, recruitment speeches and fund-raising efforts that continued until her death in November 1962. She was elected chairwoman of the board in 1961.

In 1964, the association merged with the US Committee for the United Nations, a group of 138 national organizations supporting the work of the UN, thereby creating the United Nations Association of the United States of America. Since then, several distinguished Americans have served in positions of leadership at UNA-USA. These include Arthur J. Goldberg, former Justice of the US Supreme Court and US permanent representative to the United Nations; James S. McDonnell, former chairman of the McDonnell-Douglas Corporation; Elliot L. Richardson, former US attorney general and US representative to the Law of the Sea Conference; William Scranton, former governor of Pennsylvania and US permanent representative to the United Nations; Cyrus Vance, former secretary of state; and John C. Whitehead, former deputy secretary of state.

In 2010, UNA-USA formed a strategic alliance with the UN Foundation. Under the new alliance UNA-USA continued as a robust membership program of the Foundation. Together, UNA-USA and the UN Foundation are pooling their talents to increase public education and advocacy on the work of the UN.