Better World Fund

Programs: The united nations association international choir is a multicultural group of singers who inspire, educate, and bring joy to audiences through world music. It performs international choral works in their unique styles and languages. The choir celebrates its cultural diversity as part of the greater houston community through its collaborative environment of camaraderie, learning, and growth. The choir comprises over 100 singers, teenagers to octogenarians, who represent more than 30 national origins and 20 primary languages. As the united nations association international choir launched its 17th season in the fall of 2014, it completed efforts to spin off the choir program to an independent operation. The choir helped to establish international voices houston, a newly incorporated, 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. The final concert of 2014, "celtic colours," was a jointly produced holiday program with the new organization. The choir awarded a substantial grant to international voices houston in the fall to support four projects: (1) the "celtic colours" concert, (2) "zimbe! " - a concert of the music of africa, to be presented in spring 2015, (3) a choral performance tour to vienna, prague, and bratislava in summer 2015 - organized by international voices houston, the tour will feature singers from various houston choirs, and will showcase the global diversity of choral music in houston, and (4) the choral scholars program, which supports young international and national choral scholars in houston, affording them the opportunity to gain practical experience working in a multicultural choral setting. At the end of 2014, the united nations association international choir program ceased operation, and most of its singers and volunteers became active participants in international voices houston. The transition will enable the choir to pursue funding and other resources available to texas organizations that were unavailable to it as a program of an out-of-state organization, and will afford it greater flexibility as it continues to grow and expand its reach.

for over 35 years, the houston area model united nations and, more recently, the global classrooms program engage area middle and high school students in the exploration of current world issues through interactive simulations and curricular materials. These team-based programs cultivate literacy, cross-cultural competencies and leadership skills. (total impact: over 350 students & teachers; 2014)

the annual un day banquet featured as guest speaker the hon. Stephane dujarric, spokesperson for the un secretary-general, with remarks by ambassador edward p djerejian, founding director of the james a baker iii institute for public policy. The event celebrated the establishment of the un, the accomplishments of the global classrooms program, the various un -una programs, and featured a performances by the united nations association international choir, beca organization (building education culture and progress), impande ye africa, and dr yung-chiu wang. The event aims to develop collaborations and partnerships between the una-hou and area international organizations. In addition, the event helped to raise funds to support the ongoing operation of the chapter (over 200 area leaders, una members and guests attended).

other activities included the second tuesday series (cultural dinners/know your un; 80/200 participants, respectively), the young professionals program, "ypic" (over 50 participants), civic observations of citizenship week (total impact: 10,000; 200 participants at una events) and the annual humanitarian fundraiser wines around the world (over 120 participants and hundreds positively impacted in rural villages outside oaxaca, mexico).