By Susan Adelman

U - United Nations

In its essence the United Nations (UN) is a family, a family of nations. And at the heart of its millennial missions is the family. As a result, for 2015 an emphasis on the family motivated the UN to invite families from its member nations to take part in the issues affecting them and the world. Humanity is diverse, and the UN recognizes that diversity is not just about skin color. Different abilities paint the landscape of humanity as much as color and gender. How we, as a society, treat our most underserved is reflective of who we are.


About the UN

As an international organization founded in 1945 with 193 member states, and unique international diversity and charter, the UN’s charter is to:  1.) To maintain international peace and security.  2.) To develop friendly relations among nations. 3.) To achieve international co-operation in solving in international problems of an economic, social, cultural, or humanitarian character.  4.) To be the center for harmonizing the actions of nations in the attainment of these common ends.

 

 To this ends the UN also provides a forum for its members to express their views. The hope in having a forum that is in its essence, a microcosm of the world we live in, is to encourage discussion in fostering cooperation regarding issues affecting our world. The millennial goals of the UN include, 1) Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger. 2.) Achieve universal primary education. 3.) Promote gender equality. 4.) Reduce child mortality. 5.) Improve maternal health. 6.) Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases. 7.) Ensure environmental sustainability. And 8.) Global partnership for development.

About World Down Syndrome Day

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The United Nations has observed World Down Syndrome Day since 2012 as a global awareness day.  WDSD website (as a single global meeting place to share WDSD World Events), is coordinated by Down Syndrome International, as is the WDSD Global Video Event “Let Us In!”, the  WDSD Conference held at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, USA on 21 March, the LOTS OF SOCKS campaign and the WDSD Awards

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In 2015 the Down Syndrome International (Dsi), the International Down Syndrome Society, National Downs Syndrome Society, the UN welcomed families and people from all over the world to New York on March 20st. We were brought before the UN assembly to pass on the message of inclusion and value.Inclusion is a way of life, a way of looking at the world in a way that allows one to see the value in everyone. World Down Syndrome Day provided the UN an opportunity to see how treating persons with Down syndrome with the respect and value they deserve they are exercising the heart of why the UN is in existence. Raising Expectations for ourselves and those around us.  

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