Presentation Sisters Union North East Ireland Union of Sisters of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary
The 58th UN Commission for Social Development has just come to an end on Wednesday, 19th February in New York. This World Summit for Social Development was initiated to address emerging societal challenges to the implementation of 2030 Agenda.
Amongst the global participants at this Ministerial Forum was Sr. Ann Marie Quinn, pbvm International Presentation Association (IPA Executive Director), with Dr Despoina Afroditi Milaki who is the full-time IPA NGO Representative at the UN, based in New York, and Sr. Mary Therese Krueger, pbvm the IPA Program Action Leader. See Link to IPA UN involvement
UNANIMA International were also actively present at #CSocD58, presenting their research which showed that women and children/girls, globally, are vulnerable to the personal and familial circumstances, and structural/systemic causes of Family Homelessness. As they said: “These are just two of the faces we will be advocating for!”
This summit and its panel discussions provided a way to educate and influence policy makers at the global level and work for systemic change to achieve a more just world.
The UNANIMA International Women of Courage Award
L-r: Ann Marie Quinn, PBVM Executive Director (IPA), Mrs. Mary McAleese (former President of Ireland) with Jean Quinn, DW and Barbara Spears, SNJM UNANIMA Board.
Annually UNANIMA International presents an Award named The Woman of Courage Award, beginning in 2008. HERE
On Wednesday 12th February former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese received the UNANIMA International Woman of Courage Award at the United Nations in New York from Jean Quinn, DW – Executive Director of UNANIMA International. In her keynote address at the UN Commission for Social Development in New York, Mrs McAleese said “in the month before the national election held last week, for the first time, the homelessness figures showed a slight drop”.
Former president Mary McAleese told the UN conference that “it is hard to credit” that homelessness in Ireland grew by 150 per cent in the four year period that followed a 2013 pledge by the then government to resolve the problem”. However, she said “it would be a brave person who would claim as in 2013, that we are now on top of the situation and can look forward soon to an end to homelessness”.
Mrs McAleese said she took heart from the fact that during the election campaign “successive opinion polls showed that the public sees the provision of affordable and adequate housing along with the ending of homelessness as top priorities for government action”.
Woman of Courage 2019 Recipient, Mary McAleese and UNANIMA International’s Executive Director Jean Quinn, DW were both speaking at #CSocD58‘s High-level panel discussion on the priority theme: “Affordable Housing and Social Protection Systems for all to address Homelessness” on Monday the 10th of February. See Irish Times Article HERE
Links
See International Presentation Association (IPA) Facebook Link to follow activity @internationalpresentationassociation HERE
UNANIMA International are a Non–Governmental Organisation (NGO) advocating on behalf of Women and Children, Homeless and Displaced, Migrants and Refugees, and the Environment primarily at the United Nations. To find out about UNANIMA International see https://unanima-international.org/