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UNA Boulder County Rebrands As UNA Rockies
Same mission. A bigger horizon.
We’re excited to announce that the United Nations Association Boulder County is now United Nations Association Rockies to grow our statewide impact.
So welcome to UNA Rockies! Together, we can make a difference from Colorado to the world.
The Children Who Will Inherit Our World
From the delicate shadows of autumn leaves to the long and tender work of rebuilding after the Marshall Fire, children have their own understanding of the places they call home. For seventeen years, Mara Mintzer and Growing Up Boulder have helped bring their experiences and imaginations into the decisions shaping their community, honoring the voices of a generation that will one day inherit its future.
Celebrate UN Day with the United Nations Association of Boulder!
Celebrate locally. Think globally. Join the United Nations Association of Boulder for an inspiring celebration of the United Nations and the people making a difference locally and globally.
To mark UN Day, we’re bringing together our board members, interns, volunteers, and special guests for an online UN Day Lightning Talk Programme, featuring short presentations on international development, community engagement, sustainability, innovation, and the future of the United Nations.
Bringing Clean Water to Kagola, Kenya: A Community Project in Development
An initial report on the need for reliable drinking water in Kagola, Siaya County — and an invitation to help find a sustainable solution. A community in need of reliable water In Kagola, within the Sakwa Kapiyo area of Bondo, Siaya County, Kenya, access to fresh drinking water remains a daily challenge for local residents…
Beyond the Hype — Why Humanitarian Engineering and Human-Centered Design Must Lead the AI Era
Whether you're a founder scaling a company in Denver, an engineer coding in Boulder, or an investor allocating capital across the Front Range, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by today’s AI hype cycle. But innovation isn't just about build speed—it's about real-world impact. Colorado has quietly become a premier hub for global…
Part Three: Building the United Nations We Need — A Reform Agenda Worth Supporting
Imagine a United Nations in which fewer resources are spent on administration, programmes are judged by results rather than the number of meetings held, and peacekeeping missions have clear objectives, proper oversight and a realistic strategy for eventually withdrawing…
Part Two: Accountability Is Essential to Trust — Why UN Reform Cannot Wait
There is a familiar response whenever the United Nations comes under criticism: without the UN, the world would be a more dangerous place. That is probably true. But it is not an answer to allegations of waste, misconduct or institutional failure…
The Overfishing Crisis of the Sea Cucumber
Sea cucumbers are an often overlooked marine animal. They help vacuum and redistribute sand, protect coral reefs, recycle nutrients, and filter water. They also support the health of other organisms in the ecosystem, such as emperor shrimp, pearl fish, and especially coral reefs, as the cucumber contributes to reef health and fertilization. However, mass overfishing and the black market surrounding this integral creature have led to a shift in and out of water. The keystone species and their high demand in luxury food markets have introduced challenges for sustainable development, illegal trafficking, and international cooperation.
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Part One: The United Nations at 81 — A Crisis That Could Become an Opportunity
The United Nations is under attack. At least, that is how much of the current debate is presented. President Donald Trump's decision to withdraw American support from dozens of international organizations has prompted warnings that he is dismantling the international order the United States helped build in 1945…
Part Four: Who Gets to Write the Rules of the AI Age?
Perhaps the most important question emerging from this year's United Nations debate over artificial intelligence is not whether AI needs rules. A remarkable number of governments now appear to accept that some form of international governance will be necessary.
Part Three: How Artificial Intelligence Reached the Top of the Global Agenda
This year, 128 heads of state mentioned artificial intelligence during their General Assembly speeches. According to the President of the General Assembly, AI was discussed by more delegations than either climate change or human rights….
Part Two: The UN Stories We Missed While Watching the Big Speeches
The largest stories from this year's United Nations General Assembly were easy to identify. The relationship between the United States and China dominated one part of the coverage. Israel, Gaza and the wider Middle East dominated another. Russia's war in Ukraine remained a constant backdrop. Yet some of the week's most consequential diplomatic activity received far less attention…
Part One: What Really Happens When the World Comes to the United Nations?
Every September, the television version of the United Nations General Assembly is fairly predictable. Presidents and prime ministers take turns speaking from the green marble podium. Allies applaud one another, adversaries trade accusations, delegations occasionally walk out, and journalists search for the sentence most likely to make the evening news…
Attending the UN General Assembly Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament
Sierra Bulk, a Boulder County delegate intern, was nominated to represent UNA-USA at the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Disarmament in New York City. In her article, she shares what she witnessed as more than 80 member states spoke, from Pacific island nations living with the legacy of nuclear testing to nuclear-armed states framing disarmament as a gradual process.
2026 Human Rights Awards Nominations are now open!
The United Nations Association of Boulder County is excited to announce that nominations are now open for the 2026 Human Rights Awards. Beginning in 1996, the awards have celebrated the people of Colorado who work to honor the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
A Bunch of Cilantro Walks Into a Fridge…
September 29 is the International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste—an opportunity to consider how the food we grow, buy, prepare, share, and sometimes discard connects to a much larger global system.
Finding Peace in Chaos, Good News This Week
In a world where looking at the news feels like constant negativity, a positive story rarely reaches the headlines. Although it may feel surprising at times, people and organizations all over the world are working toward peace.
The Fragile Promise of Homecoming
Every fall, Boulder puts on its black and gold and comes home to itself. There are old friends, familiar streets, traditions carried forward, and the unmistakable feeling of returning to a place that remembers you. But around the world, home is becoming harder to hold onto. In Nepal, melting glaciers and increasingly dangerous floods are reshaping communities that have called the Himalayas home for generations. Here in Boulder, the Marshall Fire gave us our own glimpse of how quickly a place can change, and how long it can take to find a way back. This Homecoming, I’ve been thinking about what it means to protect not only the places we love, but the possibility of returning to them.
Keeping the Peace Without Finding Peace
In the middle of Nicosia, the capital of Cyprus, streets suddenly end at barriers, buildings sit abandoned, and United Nations peacekeepers patrol a buffer zone dividing the city. Decades later, Cyprus still has no final political settlement, but it has avoided returning to widespread violence. This raises an important question: can a peacekeeping mission be considered successful if it keeps the peace without actually achieving peace?