We keep hearing feedback from you folk calling for the return of our trademark “discussion sessions”. Well wait no longer!

When: Next Thursday, 4 September

Time: 2pm - 2:50pm

Where: Wordsmiths Cafe, Staffhouse Road, UQ St Lucia

Topic: the Georgia-Russia Standoff

For those who aren’t familiar with the concept, UNSA discussion meets are a great way for internationally-minded students to get together in a casual and social setting to engage in conversation and debate over the issues of the day. One of our members gives some context and analysis of the issue and facilitates a discussion.

There’s no obligations, stress, or tutors taking participation marks: just a healthy forum for different ideas and perspectives and a great way to meet and mingle with other UNSA members. No prior knowledge of the issue is required or expected, and please feel free to drag along any curious friends / bystanders.

So if coffee, muffins and engaging conversation appeal to you it would be great to see many of your smiling faces on Thursday.

Just look for the UNSA flag and pull up a chair.

Visit our facebook event

To launch the first edition of Contribute, UNSA’s biannual magazine unites six thought-provoking student articles on a range of contemporary global issues under the theme of human rights.

Celebrate this wonderful event by kicking back and taking in three short thought-provoking films, kindly donated by the Human Rights film festival event.

Lyari: The Lyari River in Karachi, Pakistan, is the site of a massive infrastructure development project; the Lyari Expressway. While promising to improve accessibility and economic development for the city’s population of 16 million, it comes at a heavy price for the 200,000 people who have made their homes on the river’s banks, who face forced evictions and limited support.

Forbidden Rights Looks at young people growing up in Palestine and covers their thoughts and feelings on subjects such as curfews, punishments, and education.

Now We Are Fearless Women, community development and the caste system. How ‘untouchable’ and tribal South Indian women use collective action to successfully fight injustice and discrimination.

14 August 6pm—9pm
Kathleen Room: UQ Staff & Grads Club
$5 entry - incl. canapés+ magazine
Cash bar only
Please RSVP: at either our facebook event or by sending an email to unsa.uq@gmail.com

Open to anyone and everyone! This Thursday UNSA UQ will be hosting a general meeting from 12-1 in Steele Building, room E329.

This is a great chance to come along and meet other members and catch up with the 2008 executive. It is also a wonderful opportunity to hear about the upcoming AMUNC 2009 and the ways in which you can assist in hosting this special event. So if you’re keen, you are sure to benefit from hearing about the wide range of opportunities on offer and be better able to decide how you would like to get involved - particularly for the upcoming SydMUN and AMUNC09.

See you there!

This is an event that brings together for the first time UNICEF, Oxfam UQ, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit (ATSIS unit UQ), Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR Queensland), EcoBug Food and Engineers Without Borders (EWB) to raise awareness of child health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and to give everyone the opportunity to voice their support for health equality, and learn about inspiring initiatives to ‘CLOSE THE GAP’ in child and maternal health from around Australia.

Join in displays and activities and enjoy our BBQ (kangaroo and vege options) and fairtrade cafe (chai, chocolate, cakes and snacks).

Event: UQ Unites for Indigenous Child Health
When: Tuesday 5 August
Time: 10am to 2pm
Venue: Grassy Knoll, Campbell Place UQ

Volunteers are needed on the day for setting up and staffing so please e-mail unsa.uq@gmail.com if you are available to help out anytime between 8:30am and 2:30pm or if you would like to bring a cake to contribute.

See you there!
UNICEF ULO UQ

A chance to catch up after AMUNC, set the agenda for this semester and organise upcoming events, the General Meeting is open to everyone.

More information coming soon.

Hosted by the University of Sydney, SydMUN is the next nation wide MUN in Australia. Held December 5-7, 2008 SydMUN is a great opportunity to introduce yourself to the world of MUN, catch up with friends made at AMUNC or just participate in yet another fun filled event.

For more information go to usydunsociety.org/sydmun or add
“SydMUN” on Facebook.

On September 1, 2008 UNIFEM will be holding the annual SPRING WALKS campaign starting in the Great Court on the UQ Campus. The walk aims to raise funds for ‘peace scholarships’ which give opportunities for young women from the Pacific to study at Australian Universities through your donations or your friends’ sponsorship, so come along and have a great time. Meet other UNSA members and likeminded students for a tour around the campus!

Contact Amy Beech for more information at unifem.uq@gmail.com.

Check out our plans for this semester at our stall in the Heath Room, this Wednesday July 23rd from 9-3.

We’ll have the UNSA stall, Unifem reps and AMUNC stall all on hand!

We have a fantastic schedule lined up for Semester two and now’s a great time to get on board!

On July 11 of this year, the University of Queensland was awarded hosting rights to the largest and most prestigious model United Nations conference in our corner of the world – the Asia Pacific Model United Nations Conference (AMUNC). This special event will bring over 500 University students together from around the Asia Pacific region and beyond for a massive week of debating international issues, guest speakers, career development and the always memorable social events.

No matter what you’re studying, AMUNC is a great introduction to the global forum of ideas – the diverse array of topics have application in arts, engineering, environmental science, law, economics, medicine, indigenous issues and many more.

AMUNC 2009 has been endorsed by the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, UQ Vice Chancellor Paul Greenfield, Lord Mayor Campbell Newman, head of UQ POLSIS Gillian Whitehouse and CEO of Green Cross Australia Mara Bun.

If you think you would like to part of the organising team for this fantastic opportunity, there are a range of avenues in which we are presently seeking assistance: IT, Finance (with a budget well over 150k), Marketing, Sponsorship, Event Planning, Environmental Sustainability, Customer Service, we’ve got it all!

This is a great way of meeting new people and making life-long friends. It’s also a fantastic chance to broaden your horizons and as an internationally recognised conference, you’ll get kudos from your employers and give your CV a competitive edge.

Click here for more info!

2008 is by far the most successful year for any UQ delegation to have attended the Asia Pacific Model United Nations Conference.

Totalling over 30 delegates, UQ provided the second largest delegation to this years event.  Furthermore, UQ managed to pick up a number of best delegate awards, a great result for our University.

The delegation itself benefitted significantly from the generous support from the American Embassy and Brisbane City Council, who donated a number of ‘I heart BNE’ t-shirts which made a great splash at the conference. 

However, the greatest news of all is that after a lengthy process, AMUNC 2009 has officially been awarded to UQ! Announced at the finale ball of 2008, the entire UQ delegation made their way on to the stage to celebrate the culmination of 12 months of dedicated hard work.