Girls With Books is helping South Sudanese girls access education, develop leadership skills, and become peacebuilders in their communities. When we think about education, we often picture classrooms, textbooks, and exams. But education is about much more than academics. It can create opportunities, build confidence, and give young people the tools to make a difference in their communities. As an advocacy intern with UNA Boulder, I've learned about organizations working to address global inequalities. One that particularly stood out to me is Girls With Books, a nonprofit dedicated to educating South Sudanese girls to become leaders and peacebuilders. After reading its 2026 Mid-Year Report, I wanted to highlight some of theorganization's recent accomplishments and reflect on why this work matters.

Fast fashion makes it easy and affordable to keep up with trends, but inexpensive clothing can come with extreme environmental costs. Learn how the fashion industry contributes to global waste and how more sustainable clothing choices can help drive change among younger generations.

Human trafficking is a serious issue in Colorado that affects both adults and children. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 192 cases involving 246 victims were identified in Colorado in 2025. The Common Sense Institute also reported that preliminary Colorado Bureau of Investigation data recorded 110 human trafficking offenses in 2025. Of those, 87 involved sex trafficking and 23 involved involuntary labor. The report also identified 48 victims under the age of 18. These numbers show that human trafficking is not just something happening in other countries, but it is also happening in our communities here in Colorado. It is important to remember that these numbers only include cases that were reported or identified, so the actual number of victims could be higher.

By Sierra Bulk, this post examines India’s emergence as a global power under Prime Minister Modi, covering its rapid economic growth, shifting foreign relations, and the BJP’s Hindu nationalist agenda that has targeted the Muslim minority. It then turns to the persistent human rights crisis of caste discrimination against Dalits, which continues despite legal bans and international attention.

Daryl (President of UNA Rockies) walks through the history of the UN from its inception in 1945 through its eight phases of evolution (decolonisation, peacekeeping, the shift to sustainable development, etc.). He looks at the tangible impact of the UN and the journey from the Millennium Goals to the SDGs, highlighting what has worked and where we are still falling short. He then maps the historic phases of the UN to the six pillars of the UNA’s work.  He brings it to a month-by-month account of what the chapter has done over the last year and what’s in store for the future (discussion series, the Human Rights Award, the school-wide MUN rollout, etc.). He finishes by mentioning the roughly 30 volunteers in the chapter and inviting people to get involved.

Jill Wilson touches on her experience in finding community at UNA Rockies. She begins by discussing the 17 SDGs and actually doing the work on the ground…and in the water. She then goes through the various ways you can get involved with UNA Rockies (internships, Model UN, the Peace Faire, UN Day, the Human Rights Awards, advocacy workshops, and volunteering) and find your community. She finishes on the theme of 'Think Global. Belong Local”.

Robert covers the charity and humanitarian work of the chapter. The International Human Rights Award (which has been running since 1986, with the 2026 nominations closing 20th November) is one of the major initiatives. There's also ongoing work to fundraise for Bidii Primary School in the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya. He's involved with the Kellermann Foundation’s work with the Batwa people and Bwindi Community Hospital in Uganda. Project C.U.R.E. medical supply donations are another area of activity, as are the broadband sign-up events we've had for refugee and Latino families in the area of Denver. There is a clean water project in Kagola, Kenya, which is still looking for partners. The final appeal is to the audience to nominate, volunteer, or donate.

Ashley shares findings from her Georgetown University research exploring how children ages 7–14 imagine helping their communities during disasters, and how adults shape their opportunities to contribute. Through conversations, visual prompts, and drawings, children imagined caring for neighbors, designing emergency shelters and medical facilities, and supporting families through recovery. Yet children also acknowledged that they sometimes hesitate to share their ideas. Building on these findings, Ashley explores how children's perspectives might inform Boulder County's ongoing Hazard Mitigation Plan update, with a potential second phase focused on co-designing a preparedness activity. Her work draws on Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Sendai Framework, and SDG 16.7, inviting us to reconsider whose voices help shape community resilience.

Maile’s advocacy project and lightning talk touched on the state of maternal and newborn health in South Sudan, using WHO and UNFPA data. Her slides show a maternal mortality ratio of around 692 per 100,000 live births and about 60% of births occurring without the attendance of a skilled person. She outlines the main risks to mothers and to the newborn and the gaps in both antenatal and postnatal care. She goes on to describe how the conflict, displacement, looting of health facilities, the destruction of roads, and food insecurity all have the effect of cutting people off from care, with a particular focus on Jonglei State in 2026.

Edward's talk is structured in three parts: looking back, the state of play today, and looking forward. The history is traced from the Marshall Plan and the OECD’s Development Assistance Committee through to the move from the MDGs to the SDGs. The current situation is that we're ten years in and about two-thirds of the SDG targets are still way behind. There's a funding gap of over $4 trillion a year and less than five years to 2030. He positions the present as a choice between “chaos and decline or renewal" with reference to a US retreat and the potential for new ways of working. 

Gabi’s presentation touched on IMUN 3 (a simulated international negotiation) where high schoolers, university students, and senior community members all sat at the table. It's not a traditional Model UN with pre-prepared speeches. It's a live negotiation through the opening statements, shuttle diplomacy, a crisis, a final round, and a decision. The scenario touched on the Black Sea Grain Framework. She makes the case for mixing the generations. She finishes by inviting people to come and sit at the table.

Emilia looks back at her time in the UNA-USA community at Webster University, which was built on the principle of identifying a gap and then working out the solution. She asks what it was that attracted people to the community and goes on to list her key takeaways. Her core question is: How do small things actually lead to community building? For the growing UNA Rockies chapter, she suggests several practical things that could be done: a shared group chat, introducing people to one another, and just making people feel welcome. 

Audrey (UNA Rockies intern) explains how the chapter's communications work. She (along with other interns) are responsible for publishing the weekly blog posts and the newsletter, running the Instagram account, promoting events, and sharing international news and UN perspectives. She describes the social media function as one of reach, remind, and connect. Looking forward, she has three things on the agenda: promoting the new UNA Rockies rebrand across all channels, a “tiny mic' project to expand our audience with Libby, and a communications page. 

Can the Amazon rainforest be protected while creating economic opportunities for the people who depend on it?

Three CU Boulder researchers will explore how governments, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and businesses can work together to conserve tropical forests, reduce carbon emissions and build sustainable local economies. Drawing on their work with the Governors’ Climate and Forests Task Force, the discussion will highlight practical approaches that combine environmental protection, Indigenous rights and economic prosperity.

From Vik Gopalan: This article explores how impact investing can help close the developing world’s $4 trillion annual Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) financing gap. Drawing on a Colorado Startup Week panel, it examines the evolution of sustainable finance, the tension between long-term global challenges and short-term political and corporate priorities, and the lessons history offers for managing technological change. Ultimately, it argues that lasting progress requires patient capital, stronger institutions, and sustained collaboration among governments, businesses, investors, and civil society.

As audiences increasingly turn to social media platforms and AI tools for information, the institutions that once helped establish a shared understanding of events are under growing pressure. Drawing on Susan Abbott’s experience in international media development and information integrity, this article explores how algorithm-driven feeds, fragmented news consumption and AI-generated content …

Step Into the Room Where Food and War Meet

Eighty seats. One morning. One deal that could feed millions - or fail.

Third Intergenerational Model United Nations  |  Saturday 0800-1330  23 January 2027 

Venue: Academy Mapleton Hill, Grand Hall |  Breakfast & Lunch Provided

Opening Remarks From Mark Udall, Former US Senator

FREE REGISTRATION