February-March

F E B R U A R Y - M2018,
ARCH 2018 ISSUE 1
Issue 1

"It was a great start"

WIMUN NYC 2018: OUTSTANDING AFRICAN DELEGATION , SECOND TIME IN A ROW

The UCT WFUNA International Model United Nations ( WIMUN 2018) delegation was greatly successful, 
winning, a diplomacy award ( Mashao Seabella, representing Indonesia)  and  for the second time in a
row, the "Outstanding African Delegation" award. We believe that the competition for these awards was
intense and we applaud our delegates' commitment and dedication. We are immensely proud of their
outstanding achievements and it is our wish that our future delegates continue the chapter's reputation
of excellence.
 O-WEEK: A SUCCESS

O-week :  12-14 of February. This year, we saw our membership climb a new record as more and more
students showed interest in the society's mission to create awareness and to facilitate discourse about
current and international affairs that shape the future of South Africa and the world at large. At UNASA
UCT, we acknowledge that a successful membership organization is a highly engaged community,
Therefore, increasing membership engagement is one of our most important goals for this year and we
count on every member's skills and expertise as we attempt to promote the goals, vision and principles
of the UN and its agencies.

OPENING EVENT: FUN, FOOD AND NETWORKING

 OPENING EVENT : FUN , FOOD AND NETWORKING

March 6th: Our opening  event was successful and we were delighted to welcome such a great group
of individuals to the society. Our members had the opportunity to hear some introductory words from
our chairperson, Reon Van De Merwe, who highlighted UNASA UCT's contribution to its members and
its surrounding communities. Attendees also had the chance to network with each other and share
some good food.  The night was full of fun and we thank those who attended  the opening event and
those who helped to make it a huge success. This is just the beginning of creating a highly active and
connected society of leaders who are interested in discussing current global issues and  We will
endeavor to provide a platform to achieve that goal.
 MODEL UNITED NATIONS TRAINING WORKSHOP

On the 15th of March we hosted a  Model United Nations training workshop  in preparation of our  first
Mini-MUN conference. Participants had  the  opportunity to engage with the UNASA UCT Model UN
Director, Zahra Rashid and WIMUN 2018 delegate, Abdud-Dayyaan Badroodien on the changes taking
place in MUN at UCT as well  familiarizing  themselves with the procedures and practices that will be
followed on the conference day. It was an interesting and engaging night and we look forward to a
successful Mini-MUN conference.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDG) EDUCATION

2018 is the first year of UNASA UCT’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Education Portfolio and we 
hope for the year ahead to weave SDG education into all of UNASA UCT’s exciting work. We intend to do
this by connecting the UNASA UCT community with initiatives and events on and off campus that relate
to the SDG and through organizing our own events that tackle the SDG we’ve assigned to the university
calendar. In addition, we wish to use this space in our newsletter to provide you with more
understanding of the SDG of the month.
In the month of March we will be focusing our attention to the importance
of Goal 6 of the SDG, that of Clean Water and Sanitation. Our choice of this
goal to kickstart our work is self-explanatory in the context of the Western
Cape. Talk of Day Zero, the day taps in Cape Town will be turned off and
residents will expected to queue for an allocated 25 liters per person, is
inescapable. Day Zero is currently calculated to be July 9th, with a
possibility of Day Zero only arriving in November if Cape Town residents
continue to use 50 litres of water a day.
This near-dystopian reality is not isolated to Cape Town alone. The UN reports that 2.1 billion people live
without safe drinking water at home; affecting their health, education and livelihoods. The topic of water
insecurity is also a climate change issue as well as an issue of resource equity and access, and one of the
i                                                                                                     
governance and management of our natural resources.Thus in 1993 the United Nations General
Assembly, to tackle this expansive issue, officially designated March 22 as World Water Day. World Water
Day is coordinated by UN-Water in collaboration with governments and partners.

We will be hosting a talk on campus localizing these important matters in the evening of March 22nd,
and we hope for you to join us in these necessary discussions. In the meantime be sure to check out the
following links to articles and events if you are keen to learn more about the global water and sanitation
crisis:

 
 Mike Muller’s “What about the day after Day Zero?”
https://mg.co.za/article/2018-02-09-00-what-about-the-day-after-day-zero
This opinion piece from adjunct professor at the Wits School of Governance and former director general
of the water affairs department from 1997 to 2005, Mike Muller, unpacks the impact of water
management on our current reality.
Rosa Lyster’s “Counting Down to Day Zero in Cape Town”
https://www.newyorker.com/tech/elements/counting-down-to-day-zero-in-cape-town
A touching piece from Cape Town-based writer Rosa Lyster on finding the space for environmental
worry amidst caring about the rest of our country’s issues. 

The SA Eco Film Festival

https://www.facebook.com/events/377002896084690/
The festival in its fifth year of showcasing creative film content from South Africa and around the globe
highlighting environmental issues that affect us all returns to Cape Town from March 22 - 30 at the
Labia Theatre.
WWF’s “Water Files”
http://www.wwf.org.za/bucket_list.cfm
The World Wildlife Foundation’s South African branch publishes weekly newsletters, available in
English, Afrikaans, and Xhosa, of information pertaining to preparation for Day Zero as well as a
number of discussion points relating to water issues.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND UN DAYS

March 21:    Are you a MUN-enthusiast? or just a young person interested in spreading awareness around
pressing global issues?  We are delighted to invite you to our first Mini-MUN of the year. The topic will be
'Protecting the Rights of Refugees in Africa' and the committee in session will be the UN Human Rights
Council. Join us as we commemorate South African Human Rights Day!
March 21:  International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Theme: Promoting tolerance, inclusion, unity and respect for diversity in the context of combating
racial discrimination
March 22nd:  World Water Day.
Theme:   Nature for Water
M arch 23rd: International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave
Trade.
April  2nd: World Autism Awareness Day
April 7th: -Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the Rwanda Genocide
                    -World Health Day
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