Southern California Regional Council of Organizations

Affiliated with the United Nations Association, Southern California Division

Background & Mission

2012 List of Participating NGOs

SCRCO ANNUAL REPORT 2008-2009 - June, 2009

The work of the Southern California Regional Council of Organizations (SCRCO) for 2008 began in late 2007 on organizational plans for continued development and refinement of the mission statement, operational guidelines, scheduling of meetings and other administrative tasks. The Executive Committee meets monthly and the Council meets every month except in mid-summer.

The Southern California Regional Council of Organizations (SCRCO) continues to improve the organization for the benefit of our NGOs, organizations , the Council, the Southern California Division UNA-USA and the UNA-USA. This year, the opportunity is open to us to support more fully the COO (Council of Organizations, New York and Washington D.C.).

An invitation was issued to SCRCO to participate in Interim Executive Committee Meetings with COO to consider directions for future strategy of our Councils by Jessica Hartl, Coordinator, Council of Organizations UNA-USA. Meetings have been held in person and via conference call with Jessica Hartl, and the members of the Interim Committee who are as follows:

Tasha Coleman, NAACP, Carole Coners, League of Women Voters, Leticia Diaz, National Association of Social Workers, Etra Aaron, B’nai B’rith International, Elizabeth Latham, US Committee for UNDP, Vivian Love Jones, Church Women United, Carl Murrell, National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha’is of the US, Louisa Rahmani, Americans for UNFPA, Pat Scharlin, Rainforest Alliance, Jackie Shapiro, Zonta International, Lawrence Smith, Karen Smyth, UN Informational Center, Williams Smith Mignon, Global Associates for Health Development, and Suzanne Burger, SCRCO.

The goals being addressed by the Interim Executive Committee are as follows:

1. Educate: To provide information about the UN to Council members in order to inform their respective stakeholders throughout the United States about the UN,
2. Build Community: To allow organizations to network amongst themselves and create strategies,
3. Mobilize: To promote UN policies, effective US policies on the UN, and US compliance with its international commitments, as members deem appropriate – in DC, NY and at the local level, and
4. ngage and to participate in UN activities

Discussion of the goals centered on the following questions:

1. Who is our audience for this goal?
   
2. What program activity currently addresses this goal? What has and has not worked?
   
3. How can we be more effective in order to reach this goal? Change program activity? New program activity?

It is interesting that many of our SCRCO discussions are very similar to those of the New York and Washington D.C. Councils

In January 2009, Mwende May was nominated to serve on the COO Executive Committee. She will attend the COO meeting and the UNA-USA Convention in June.

In April, 2009 our annual retreat was held at the Blinn House in Pasadena with Jessica Hartl, Coordinator, Council of Organizations, UNA-USA , Washington D.C. as the speaker and facilitator. Our future plans centered mainly on Advocacy and how we relate with regard to through our respective NGOs, the UNA-USA chapters, the Southern California Division UNA-USA, COO, and finally, to UNA-USA. The discussion was productive and are building more detail on process.

Officers for 2009-2010 were elected. They are:

Co-Chair: Mwende May – Soka Gakkai International
Co-Chair: Rev. Joyce Randall – Church Women United
Division Representative to SCRCO - Rene Wilson
Vice Chair for Administration: Ginny Hatfield- AAUW , L.A. Interbranch Council
Vice Chair for Program – Joan Jackson – National Council for Negro Women, Southern California Area
Secretary – Laverne Smith – Consortium for Belizean Development
Treasurer – Hildreth Simmons – American Federation of Teachers
Past Chair – Suzanne Burger – Southern California Ecumenical Council, Zonta International

On a personal note, I am grateful for the participation and hard work of our Executive Committee and the SCRCO in getting through this continued transition period. Thanks to our Vice Chairs Mwende May, Joan Jackson, Ginny Hatfield, Secretary, Laverne Smith, Treasurer Hildreth Simmons, Membership Chair Toby Osos, Immediate Past Chair, Jane Burtis and those other loyal persons who are always there for SCRCO.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve,

Suzanne Burger, Chair
June 2009