Welcome to Santa Barbara & Tri-Counties Chapter of UNA-USA!
The United Nations Association - USA is a membership organization dedicated to building understanding of and support for the work of the UN, founded in 1945. Our mission is to educate the public to strengthen US involvement in the United Nations.
We are your United Nations Association, focused on bringing the work of the United Nations to our community, and our community’s concerns to the United Nations. We welcome you to become a member and join our upcoming meeting to discuss important conversations affecting our world.
For more information, please read about us or contact the chapter by e-mailing info@unasb.org. You can join us directly, too, through our membership page.
2025 Chapter Monthly Meeting Calendar
Our meetings are held each month on the 3rd Tuesdays, 5:30 PM PST on Zoom.
-
December 8: Human Rights Day Celebration (In-person)
2026 Meeting Calendar
-
January 20th - Human Trafficking Prevention Month
-
February 17th - Board Meeting
-
March 17 - International Women’s Day
-
April 21 - Earth Day
-
May 19 - Board Meeting
-
June 16
-
July 21 - Board Meeting
-
August 18
-
September - 10th Annual Peace Prize
-
October 24 - UN Day
-
November 17
-
December 10 - Human Rights Day Celebration
Volunteer Opportunities
Sign up today and be part of the change: info@unasb.org.
Stay Connected & Subscribe to our Newsletter!
Celebrate Human Rights Day
We are honored to invite you to UNA Santa Barbara’s December Chapter Meeting, dedicated to celebrating Human Rights Day and reaffirming the values that unite us all.
Human rights are positive, essential, and attainable. They shape our daily lives protecting our safety, expanding our opportunities, and elevating our shared humanity. In a world facing uncertainty, human rights remain our steady foundation and our collective call to action.
This year, we are delighted to welcome renowned human rights advocate Joshua Cooper as our guest speaker. His global work and inspiring leadership remind us that human rights begin with us, our voices, our choices, our willingness to stand for dignity and justice.
Date: December 8, 2025 5:30-6:30pm
Location: In-person
CEC's Environmental Hub
1219 State Street, Suite A
Santa Barbara, CA 93101
Guest Speaker: Joshua Cooper
Public is welcome!
Nancy Martin
Chapter President's Welcome
Hi! Thank you for coming to see us. We are happy to welcome you. It is my privilege to serve as the Santa Barbara & Tri-Counties ( Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties) Chapter President. The United Nations Association-USA is one of over 200 chapters in cities and universities across the country. There are currently over 100 UNAs across the world.
Many of the members are under 26 years old. Our Chapter is one of the oldest in the country. Our task is to educate, inspire, and encourage you to take action and stand up for what you believe. Our work is to support the United Nations in creating a fairer, more just World.
The United Nations and UNICEF have always been part of my life. I have spent my life as a teacher, beginning in the Peace Corps in Africa, then becoming a Montessori teacher, and later teaching in Santa Barbara, Venezuela, and Singapore. I have had the honor of serving as the Co-Chair of the UNA Human Rights Affinity Group for the last three years. My goal for our local chapter is to focus on Human Rights for all, the Sustainable Development Goals, and peace through dialogue.
I want to encourage you to join us in learning and becoming an active participant.
Why the UN Matters
The United Nations itself is one part of the UN System. Cooperation between the UN and the other entities of the UN system is essential in order to achieve the purposes of the Organization laid out in the UN Charter.
Since its Charter was written, the United Nations has been mandated to do new work which was not envisioned at the time of its creation. The Organization has set goals to build a more sustainable world, and it has agreed to collective action to slow down climate change.
As the problems facing humanity have grown, the work of the United Nations has also grown.
