UN Sunday
Following World War II, the United Nations was founded on 24 October 1945. The UN is a global association of governments that facilitates cooperation in international law, security, economic development, and social equality. With aims to protect human rights and achieve world peace, it is a center for governments to communicate and develop strategies to reach these ends. Since its founding, October 24 has been called United Nations Day. In 1971, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recommending that the day be observed as a public holiday by Member States.In celebration of this annual event, the UU-UNO invites congregations and individual UUs to deepen their understanding of the United Nations by devoting one service in October to reaffirming the connections between UU principles and vital issues dealt with at the UN. Usually, congregations organize a UN Sunday for the last Sunday in October, but any Sunday in October would work.
For a brief and ingsightful history of United Nations Day and the UU-UNO, check out “They called it UN Day” by Frank B. Frederick a UU lawyer who was involved with starting UN DAY and the UU-UNO.
The theme for this year’s UN Sunday Resource Packet is “Empower Women for a Better World”. The UU-UNO offers the UN Sunday packet as a resource for congregations to plan a meaningful UN Sunday.
Download the 2011 UN Sunday Resource Packet (PDF)
Please give us your feedback on this year’s packet at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/32JFTSF
Check out our weekly UN Sunday Readings contributed by fellow UU’s that you can use during your UN Sunday Service!
Care about Women’s Empowerment? Apply for the annual 2012 Dana Greeley Award sermon competition. The 2012 Dana Sermon will be given at General Assembly in Pheonix, Az.
We have also speeches and presentations from our 2011 Spring Seminar available as a resource:
Spring Seminar: Standing on the threshold of Human Development (doc)
“Genocide in India: A Human Problem” (powerpoint)
Female Genocide in India: A Human Problem- Rajani Ghosh’s full presentation notes (doc)
For further examples:
Download the 2010 UN Sunday Resource Packet (PDF)
Download the 2009 UN Sunday Resource Packet (doc)
What You Can Do
We encourage Ministers, Lay Leaders as well as Youth and Adult Envoys to take advantage of our prepared materials and/or develop your own ideas for a UN Sunday service. Often, a UU-UNO Envoy or even a special UN speaker presents the sermon. We especially encourage children and youth to participate in UN Sunday. Check out our UN Religious Education curriculum.
Additionally, we ask congregations to dedicate their UN Sunday offering to support the work of the UU-UNO, and to inform their members of the benefits of membership. The UU-UNO exists to provide a unique UU perspective at the United Nations. We depend on individual and congregational support. We hope to receive your support, your involvement, your engagement and your enthusiastic membership to change the world so that every person can enjoy a safe and dignified life.
The Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office thanks participating congregations for their time and commitment to the values shared by both the UUA and the UN. As the activist Dorothea Dix said, “Where there is so much to be done, there must be something for me to do.”
May each UN Sunday be inspiring to all.
