Organizations Participating in the Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration

Participating Organizations comprise three broad categories: professional societies, educational institutions, and public policy agencies. Participating organizations are committed to organizing and carrying out (or sponsoring) activities during the centenary year. Participating Organizations are not required to make a financial commitment to the central organizing committee. However, each participating organization will be expected to organize and host activities commemorating the legacy of Dr. Bunche using its own resources. Under special circumstances, the Organizing Committee and a participating organization may wish to co-sponsor a particular event.

To date, the following organizations have agreed to participate in the centenary commemoration:

Professional Societies

Public Policy Organizations

Educational Institutions

Professional Societies


Academic Council on the UN System (ACUNS)

During its 16th Annual Meeting, which took place on June 14, 2003, ACUNS held a special luncheon to commemorate Dr. Ralph Bunche's centenary. The luncheon speakers were Dr. Lawrence Finkelstein (Northern Illinois University, ret.), Dr. James Jonah (CUNY Graduate Center), Dr. Benjamin Rivlin (Ralph Bunche Institute, CUNY Graduate Center), Dr. George Sherry (International Peace Academy), and Angela King (UN, Asst. Secretary-General).

Back to top

African Studies Association

The African Studies Association during their 46th Annual Meeting that will be held in Boston from October 30 to November 2, will recognize Ralph Bunche with a roundtable titled “Ralph J. Bunche, Africa and African Studies.” Robert Edgar, Howard University, will chair the roundtable. The speakers are Pearl Robinson, Tuft University, Herchelle Challenor, Clark Atlanta University, James Jonah, Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, City University of New York. Discussants will be Benjamin Rivlin, Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, City University of New York and Elliot Skinner, Columbia University.

For forward information, please visit: http://www.africanstudies.org/PreliminaryProgram2003Opening.html

Back to top

American Political Science Association (APSA)

The American Political Science Association is commemorating the centenary in several ways:

Centennial Lecture

The "Ralph Bunche Centennial Lecture" will be delivered by Fareed Zakaria at the 2003 Annual Meeting, in Philadelphia August 28-31, 2003. Dr. Bunche was a former president of APSA, and this meeting coincides with the APSA Centenary celebration.

For more information about the APSA Annual Meeting, click here.

Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University

Named in honor of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize winner, and under the direction of Professor Paula D. McClain at Duke University, the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI) is a five week, academically intensive summer program designed to stimulate the graduate school experience, provide mentoring, and expand academic opportunities for African American, Latino/a and Native American students. For over a decade, the RBSI has helped talented minority students between their junior and senior year of college excel and go on to graduate school, many with full fellowships and teaching assistantships. Five former Bunche students have earned Ph.D's and now hold university level teaching positions in political science and over 40 are working on or have completed a master's degrees. A number of RBSI students have also won prestigious fellwships including the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, the APSA Minority Graduate Fellowship, and awards/fellowships within individual institutions.

* For further about the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute, please contact Mr. Robert Hauck, Executive Director, American Political Science Association, 1527 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, Washington , DC , 20024

Back to top

The American Society of International Law

July 9, 2004
Seeking Justice in Sierra Leone : Is the Special Court Working?

Speaker: Jane Stromseth, Professor of Law, Georgetown University Law Center

The ASIL, as part of the Ralph Bunche Centenary Program, organized two briefings on subjects that reflected Ralph Bunche's life and work. On July 9 Professor Jane Stomseth talked on the Special Court in Sierra Leone . On July 30, ASIL organized a program on the Crisis in Darfur with Jerry Flower and Gayle Smith. On both occasions, Kathleen Wilson, ASIL Director of Outreach and Research noted that Ralph Bunche was a member of the American Society of International Law even serving on the Society's Membership Committee in 1958.

July 30, 2004

Crisis in Darfur : International Law and the Prevention of Genocide

Speakers:
Jerry Fowler
Staff Director of the Committee on Conscience at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Gayle Smith
Senior Fellow at the Center for American Progress
Former Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council

This program examines the current humanitarian crisis in the Darfur region of Sudan from the perspective of both international law and international diplomacy. Do events in Darfur meet the legal definition of "genocide"? Does international law impose an obligation on Sudan or other countries to take action? From a policy perspective, what factors are guiding the international response to the killing and displacement of civilians in this region? Is the U.N. system an aid or an obstacle?

For more information about the American Society of International Law, please visit http://www.asil.org/

Back to top

Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training

On February 26, 2004 , UNA-USA's former chairman, John C. Whitehead, was given the Ralph J. Bunche Award by Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Awards Dinner in Washington .

"Indeed, this is a fitting time to remember Ralph Bunche," said Armitage. "Not only because it is the centenary year of his birth, but also because, in this time of change, of tragedy and unusual opportunities, we still have much to learn from his legacy." Armitage observed that Bunche "was a passionate defender of human rights and racial equality at home and also around the world. But there was a simple common thread that linked all of his various roles together. He was, as he once put it, a professional optimist. Optimistic, he clarified, in the sense of assuming that there is no problem which cannot be solved."

Back to top

International Political Science Association (IPSA)

A Ralph Bunche commemoration was included in the program for the IPSA 2003 Congress. The 19th Congress of IPSA was held in Durban, South Africa, from June 29th to July 4. IPSA has dedicated a plenary session on the contributions of Bunche to political science and international affairs. The session was titled “Ralph Johnson Bunche: Scholar, Diplomat, Activist” and was chaired by Paula D. McClain, Duke University.

The papers presented during the session were:

“Ralph Bunche: A Political Scientist for the 20th Century”
D.M. Pinderhughes, University of Illinois

“Ralph Bunche in 2003: Hopes Dashed or Fulfilled”
C.E. Rudder, George Mason University

“Ralph Bunche: An African American in South Africa”
R.R. Edgar, Howard University

For more information about the 19th Congress of the IPSA, click here.

Back to top

International Studies Association (ISA)

ISA will offer a set of panels revolving around Bunche’s work at their 2004 annual meeting, along with a formal dedication and recognition during their plenary session. The ISA 2004 meeting will be held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from 17-20 of March. The panels will be chaired by Professor Lawrence S. Finkelstein.

Back to top

The Middle East Studies Association ( MESA )

MESA will host a panel discussion on Dr. Bunche at the 2003 MESA meeting, which will be held in November in Anchorage, Alaska. The title of the roundtable is “Reflecting on Ralph Bunche’s Palestine/Israel Legacy: A Roundtable Discussion.” Dr. Rivlin, Director Emeritus of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, City University of New York, will chair the panel.

For forward information, please visit: http://fp.arizona.edu/mesassoc/MESA03/mesa03.htm

Back to top

Midwest Political Science Association ( MPSA )

The Midwest Political Science Association (MPSA) will offer a set of panels revolving around Bunche’s work at their 2004 annual meeting. The MPSA 2004 meeting will be held in Chicago at the Palmer House Hotel.

Program:
April 17, 2004, 8:30 to 10:15 am
Panel: Ralph Bunche – Nobel Laureate, Scholar and Domestic Activist
Chair: Joseph Stewart, Jr.
Paper: TBA
Professor Paula D. McClain, Duke University
Paper: Ralph Bunche: A Political Scientist for the 20th Century
Dianne M. Pinderhughes, University of Illinois
Overview: A critical reevaluation of Ralph Bunche’s role and contributions as a political scientist.
Paper: A World View of Race
Charles P. Henry, University of California, Berkley
Overview: What lessons are to be drawn today from Ralph Bunche’s evocative 1936 study of race worldwide?
Disc.: Joseph Stewart, Jr., University of New Mexico

April 17, 2004,1:30-3:15 pm
Panel: Ralph Bunche – Nobel Laureate and International leader
Chair: Lawrence Finkelstein
Paper: A Critical Evaluation of Ralph Bunche as International Civil Servant
Yves Beigbeder, Webster University, Geneva
Overview: Ralph Bunche is widely thought to have been an exemplar of excellence in public service. The paper will systematically apply relevant criteria in examining his international civil service in hope that doing so will be helpful to practitioners and of interest to scholars.
Paper: Ralph Bunche and Peacekeeping
James Jonah, City University of New York
Overview: Ralph Bunche served fro decades as the UN’s main peacekeeper. He fought for peace in the trenches and he was a central theorist of UN peacekeeping. His contributions deserve consideration as the UN consider how it can serve the peace in today’s circumstances.
Paper: Ralph Bunche and Africa
Princeton Lyman, Council on Foreign Relations
Disc.: Paul Diehl, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

For more information, please visit: http://mpsa.indiana.edu/

Back to top

Public Policy Organizations


The American Academy of Diplomacy

The Philip Merrill Fellowship

The American Academy of Diplomacy, in collaboration with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Washington , DC , announces the Philip Merrill Fellowship to be awarded for the best essay on the practice of American diplomacy. The Academy is a private, non-profit society of 100 men and women who, during their careers in government, played major roles in the conduct of American diplomacy. Its members, now retired from government (including all living former Secretaries of State), work to enhance the quality of that diplomacy and build better public appreciation for its critical role in the pursuit of American interests abroad.

The 2003 Philip Merrill Fellowship was awarded to Daniel P. O'Neill who wrote about Dr. Ralph Bunche's role in establishing the first United Nations-led peacekeeping force in the Sinai in 1956.

The contest is open to U.S. citizens who are applicants to the two-year M.A. program at SAIS . To compete for the fellowship, which will provide $12,000 toward SAIS tuition for each of the two academic years, applicants must submit an essay.

For further information about the contest, applicants may contact the SAIS website: http://www.sais-jhu.edu

or the American Academy of Diplomacy website: http://www.academyofdiplomacy.org

Back to top

Council on Foreign Relations


The Council on Foreign Relations has established an endowed chair in Africa Policy Studies on January 6, 2003. This chair has been named in honor of Ralph Bunche who was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. This is the first endowed chair in Africa Policy Studies at any U.S. Think Tank or Public Policy School. The chair holder will bring together existing American talent on Africa with new American talent and with African leaders to address Africa's problems. "The new chair shows the Council's commitment to addressing African issues and represents a clear statement by the Council's Board and members that Africa should be and will be a top priority for US foreign policy," said Council President Leslie H. Gelb.

The Council on Foreign Relations has endowed the chair with $3.2 million in lead gifts to date. The major donors have been the Hurford Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company, and Vincent A. Mai, Chairman, AEA Investors, Inc. Princeton Lyman will be the first holder of the newly endowed Ralph Bunche Chair in Africa Policy Studies.

Back to top

Foreign Policy Association

Colin Powell Presents Foreign Policy Address At CCNY

Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, one of the most distinguished graduates of The City College of New York, delivered a policy address at CCNY on Monday, November 10, 2003, in commemoration of the centenary of Dr. Ralph Bunche, the great Civil Rights advocate, world statesman and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

The address, which was attended by over 1,000 people in The Great Hall of Shepard Hall, was sponsored by CCNY President Gregory H. Williams and the College’s Colin L. Powell Center for Policy Studies, in cooperation with the Foreign Policy Association.

To view the full text, click here.

Back to top

Global Alliance for Women’s Health

Global Alliance for Women’s Health (GAWH) will hold a symposium dealing with social and political consequences of the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. The first topic will be the economic impact of the HIV/AIDS in African countries. A second will be the impact of HIV/AIDS on gender relations and gender issues. A third will be the impact of HIV/AIDS in Africa on the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria. A fourth will be equitable access to treatment: Pharmaceutical interventions.

On March 2, 2004, GAWH is also sponsoring a symposium at the UN Headquarters on “Diabetes and Global Women’s Health Concerns” in commemoration of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, who had diabetes, and on the Occasion of the 48th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of the Women. The goal of the meeting is to address diabetes as a global disease, and to broad the international education and advocacy base concerning diabetes.

For more information please see the attached flyer. To RSVP, please email to ghislaine@gawh.org or telephone at 212-286-0424

Back to top

Historical Research Repository, Inc

The Historical Research Repository, Inc, Publishers African American History have issued a poster honoring all black Noble Prize recipients, and they are planning to hold a commemoration of Ralph Bunche on August 7, 2004

Back to top

International House

International House on March 29, 2004 , will hold a speaker event as part of the centenary celebration of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, who served on International House's Board of Trustees from 1954 until his death in 1971.

The centenary honors the legacy of Dr. Bunche as an internationalist and dedicated civil servant to the United Nations, a peacemaker, a civil rights leader, a scholar of Africa and the first person of color to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. This program is also part of a year-long programmatic series on human rights.

Dr. Francis Mading Deng will talk on “The Plight of the Internally Displaced: A Challenge to the International Community”

Francis Mading Deng has served as Representative of the UN Secretary-General on Internally Displaced Persons since 1992. He is also a Research Professor of International Politics, Law and Society at the Johns Hopkins University and the Director of a newly established Center for Displacement Studies. He has served as Human Rights Officer in the UN Secretariat, as Sudan 's Ambassador to Canada , the Scandinavian countries and the U.S. , and as Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. Since leaving his country's Foreign Service, Dr. Deng has served in academic and research appointments at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, the Brookings Institution and the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.

For more information and R.S.V.P. please call Ms. Susan Storms by March 26th at 212-316-8472 or e-mail at sstorms@ihouse-nyc.org

Back to top

International Peace Academy (IPA)

International Peace Academy (IPA) intends to dedicate one of its policy fora to Ralph Bunche in 2003.

Back to top

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has featured a “Ralph Bunche Theme Park” at his annual convention in Miami Beach Florida, July 12-17, 2003. The Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration Committee (RBCCC) has participated in the convention showing William Graves’ documentary Ralph Bunche an American Odyssey and distributing information regarding the centenary.

During the NAACP 95th Annual Convention in Philadelphia, The RBCC participated in the convention with a Ralph Bunche photo exhibit and a book display in the Ralph Bunche International Park and Embassy Row at the Information Exchange Center.

Back to top


The New York Public Library

The New York Public Library will offer a public lecture at the NYPL Celeste Bartos Forum in the Spring of 2004.

Back to top

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture will recognize Ralph Johnson Bunche with an exhibition and public program series, as 2003 marks the centenary year of the achievements, intellect, and vision of this remarkable scholar and statesman. Drawn from the Schomburg Center’s Ralph Bunche Papers, the exhibition will be on view from August through October 2003 and will include photographs, documents, and artifacts from Bunche’s extraordinary life.

For further information, please visit: http://www.nypl.org/research/calendar/exhib/sch/relistsch.cfm or contact Mr. Christopher Moore, Research Coordinator, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, 515 Malcom X Boulevard, New York, NY 10037. E-mail: cpmoore@nypl.org.

Back to top

Activities Held by the United Nations

Issuance of the Ralph Bunche UN Stamps at the UN

From left to right: Congressman Charles Rangel, Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Ambassador James Cunningham, NYC Commission to the UN Marjory Tiven. Standing from left to right: Sir Brian Urquhart, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs, Ms. Joan Bunche, George F. Saddler, president of the AFICS, Dr. Rivlin, co-chair RBCCC

The Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration Committee and the United Nations officially launched the centenary commemoration of the birth of Ralph Johnson Bunche on August 7, 2003, with a ceremony at UN Headquarters in New York. The official launch of the Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration was held in the Trusteeship Council Chamber at UN Headquarters with a First Day of Issue Ceremony sponsored by the United Nations Postal Administration, which issued a set of three stamps commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth. The stamps, available in United States dollars, Swiss francs and Euros are based on charcoal portraits by Leo Cherne and adapted by Rorie Katz.

Chaired by the New York Centenary Committee chair George F. Saddler, president of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants, the ceremony featured remarks by Secretary-General Kofi Annan, United States Congressman Charles B. Rangel, the Deputy Permanent Representative of the United States, Ambassador James B. Cunningham, and Sir Brian Urquhart, former UN Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs.

Remarks of Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the ceremony marking issuance of the United Nations Stamp commemorating Ralph Bunch

To see the statements of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Sir Brian Urquhart, Dr. Benjamin Rivlin, and the stamp background information, please click here.

Exhibit held by the UN Department of Public Information

The UN Department of Public Information has developed an exhibit dedicated to Ralph Bunche working closely with the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, The Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, and the Queens Museum of Art.

The exhibit alternates text, photographic images, and objects. It began October 8 and closed November 22, 2003. To visit the photo gallery, view the video of the opening of the exhibit, and read the UN Secretary-General's remarks, please visit: http://www.un.org/events/UNART/bunchegallery/bunche.htm

United Nations Ralph Bunche Centenary Lecture Series

The United Nations Department of Public Information, in association with the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies of the City University of New York Graduate Center, has arranged a series of three lectures to mark the birth centenary of Ralph Bunche and to honor his legacy. The three seminars are:

•  Septembers 4, 2003 from 1:00pm to 3:00 pm , workshop on Then and Now: Ralph Bunche and the Question of Palestine.
Keynote Speaker: Deniss Ross

•  November 20, 2003 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm , workshop on Then and Now, From Ralph Bunche to Lakhdar Brahimi: The Future of Peacekeeping and Mediation.
Keynote Speaker: David Malone

"From Ralph Bunche to Lakhdar Brahimi: The Future of Peacekeeping and Mediation" , was held on 20 November 2003 in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium. Mr. David Malone, President of International Peace Academy, was the keynote speaker and H.E. Mr. Kishore Mahbubani, Permanent Representative of Singapore , and Dame Margaret Anstee, former Under-Secretary-General, who served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Angola and Chief, United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III), were the discussants. Sir Brian Urquhart, former Under Secretary-General, moderated the event, which was introduced by Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

•  February 5, 2004 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm , workshop on Then and Now: Ralph Bunche and the Integrity of the International Civil Service.
Keynote speaker: James O.C. Jonah

"Ralph Bunche and the Integrity of the International Civil Service" , was held on 5 February 2004 in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium from 1 to 3 p.m. James O.C. Jonah, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Senior Fellow of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, was the keynote speaker. Catherine Bertini, Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Management, and George Saddler, Chair of the New York Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration Committee and President of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants (FAFICS), were the discussants. Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, introduced the programme, moderated by Sir Brian Urquhart, former Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs. Members of Permanent Missions, Secretariat staff, representatives of inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the media were invited to attend and to join in the discussion following the presentations. [Archived Video]

The lecture were held in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium. Brian Urquhart, former United Nations Under Secretary-General, moderated the events, which were introduced by Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. The programme was open to questions from, and discussion with, the audience. Members of Permanent Missions, Secretariat staff, non-governmental organizations and the media were invited to attend.

Back to top

United Nations Association - Australia

The UNA Association in Australia has endorsed the anniversary plans and has publicized the anniversary among its branches and left it to their discretion whether they can include some appropriate activities marking the anniversary.

Back to top

United Nations Association of Greater Boston

On UN Day, October 24, 2003, the UNA-GB will honor the legacy of Dr. Ralph Bunche at their Annual Luncheon. For more information , please contact the UNA-GN at info@unagb.org.

On February 22, 200 , as part of the centenary celebration, UNA of Greater Boston has hosted the screening of William Greaves film Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey. The movie was followed by a discussion with Professor Lawrence Finkelstein.

Back to top

United Nations Association – Maine

The United Nations Association, Maine Chapter, plans to sponsor an event commemorating the Ralph Bunche Centennial on the occasion of UN Day 2003. The event, a symposium about Bunche the man and the international civil servant, will be held on Saturday October 25th from 2:00 to 4:00pm in the First Universalist Church in Yarmounth and will be co-sponsored by the church.

Discussion at the symposium will be led by two retired senior UN officials who worked with Dr. Bunche in various peacekeeping activities, Messrs. John Olver and Bruce Stedman. They will be joined by General E. Talbot, a student of African American history in Maine and the first black to be elected to the Maine state legislature.

For further information, please contact Mr.Bruce R. Stedman at 167 Fowles Point Road, Westport Island, ME 04578, e-mail: brooz@wiscasse.net

Back to top

United Nations Association - New Jersey

The UNA-USA, New Jersey Division is organizing an event to commemorate the Ralph Bunche Centenary at The Newark Museum on Saturday, April 24, 2004 . The Program, co-sponsored by Young Professionals for International Cooperation and other organizations, will include distinguished presentations about Ralph Bunche as a progressive intellectual, global statesman, peace mediator and civil rights leader.

Progressive Intellectual:  He earned his Doctorate in Government and International Relations from Harvard University ; founded and served as chairperson of the Dept. of Political Science at Howard University , and served as President of the American Political Science Association

Global Statesman:  Dr. Bunche served as a U.S. State Department official, helping to create the UN. He then served as Director of the UN Division of Trusteeship and Under-Secretary General for two decades, playing a leading role in the conception and conduct of the UN's peacekeeping functions.

Peace Mediator:  Bunche received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his role as the UN Acting Mediator in Palestine , facilitating the 1949 Rhodes Armistices between Israel and Egypt , Jordan , Lebanon and Syria .

Civil Rights Leader:  Dr. Bunche was also a life-long activist on race issues and civil rights. In 1936 he was a founder of the National Negro Congress.  He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Selma to Montgomery , and was among the leaders during the March on Washington .

Presenters and Discussants:

Rep. Donald M. Payne, who will receive the Ralph Bunche Global Citizenship Award in recognition for serving as a Congressional Representative to the UN, promoting sustainable peace, development and good governance; interpreting local and global concerns; providing leadership for Cyprus, Haiti, and on African affairs in several countries.

Patrick Hayford, Director for African Affairs, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, United Nations.

Dr. Adolph Reed, Professor of Political Science at New School University ; author and editor of several books on American and African American politics and political thought, urban politics, and American political development, including Without Justice for All: The New Liberalism and the Retreat from Racial Equality.

E. Diana Cassells. Associate Director of the Ralph Bunche Centenary Secretariat, Ralph Bunche Institute , City University of New York Graduate Center . Caribbean Security and Development Scholar.

Tomoko Yakoi, Young Professionals for International Cooperation.

Special Event participants are welcome to arrive early for complimentary viewing of Newark Museum exhibits. A Jazz Ensemble from the Newark Teen Arts Festival will be performing for UNA-USA guests from 1:30 to 2:00 .

UNA-USA New Jersey Division Ralph Bunche Centenary planning committee includes Prof. Robert Manley (chair), Elizabeth Jefferson, Stanton Johnson, Vivian Nilsson, Nancy Porter

RSVP to JimNelsonGlobal@yahoo.com not required, but would be appreciated. For more information, special needs, or to recommend other persons/groups to receive notices, contact Jim L. Nelson at JimNelsonGlobal@yahoo.com

Back to top

United Nations Association - United Kingdom

UNA-UK has organized a Ralph Bunche Lecture to celebrate the life and contributions of Ralph Bunche. Sir Bian Urquhart, a close colleague of Ralph Bunche at the UN for many years and writer of a major biography of him, will deliver the lecture on “Ralph Bunche: the Person.” The lecture, to be followed by a reception, will be delivered on Wednesday 5 November, 2003 at 7:00pm in the Grand Committee Room, House of Commons. Also speaking, on why the values espoused by Ralph Bunche are relevant to young people today, will be Hafsat Abiola, a Nigerian human rights worker and daughter of the late Moshood Abiola, the elected President of Nigeria.

For more details information, please visit:
http://www.una-uk.org/NewWorld/Newworld1003.pdf

Back to top

United Nations Association - USA


Since the UNA-USA works closely with the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University , they are also organizing a joint symposium on the life of Ralph Bunche at Seton Hall for next Fall.

UNA-USA Announces the Top 3 Winners of their High School Contest On the Legacy of Ralph Bunche

UNA-USA has dedicated the 2003 National High School Essay contest to Ralph Bunche. The topic of the Essay Contest is: To what extent is Ralph Bunche's vision for the international system the best by which we should measure the effectiveness of the United Nations today? The deadline for submission was March 12, 2003 . On June 11, 2003 the three National Prize Winners were announced.

The 3 U.S. winners were honored in New York City , at the Essay Contest Banquet on Thursday, July 10, at New School University . The banquet took place during the week-long Model U.N. Summit & Leadership Conference, also organized by UNA-USA. The Summit & Leadership Conference ran from July 8-13, also at New School University in New York City . The keynote speaker at this year's banquet was William Greaves, executive producer/director and writer of "Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey", a documentary on Dr. Ralph Bunche, former U.N. Under-Secretary-General and the subject of this year's Essay Contest. "It's most unfortunate that Ralph Bunche has been otherwise overlooked," said Greaves. "Bunche is a spectacular example of what one individual can do to make the world a better place for all humanity. His input in current world disputes is sorely needed."

This year's 3 national winners are:

First Place award winner Jason Dean Crowe with his mother, Cindy, Ambassador Luers and William Greaves.

1st Place: Jason Dean Crowe ; Sky Flight Academy; Newburgh, IN
(Above, with his mother, Cindy, Ambassador Luers and William Greaves)

2nd Place: Julien P. Dumoulin-Smith ; Hastings High School; Hastings-On-Hudson, NY

3rd Place: Ryan Villanueva ; Mission Viejo High School; Coto de Caza, CA
(Below, with his father, Paul (left), Ambassador Luers, William Greaves, his mother Agnes and his grandfather Pedro)

Third Place award winner Ryan Villanueva with his father, Paul (left), Ambassador Luers, William Greaves, his mother Agnes and his grandfather Pedro.

For further information, please contact Ms. Suzanne DiMaggio, Senior Advisor, UNA-USA, 801 2 Avenue, New York, NY 10017 E-mail: sdimaggio@unausa.org and check the UNA-USA website.

UNA-USA (Queens, NY Chapter )

UNA-USA (Queens, NY Chapter ) has held an event on June 7th, 2003 recognizing Queens high school students and their educators who have brought to life Dr. Bunche’s vision for International peace through mediation. Dr. Benjamin Rivlin, Director of the Ralph Bunche Centenary Secretariat, presented the awards to the Queens high school students who participated in the essay contest.

2003 National Forum on the United Nations

During the 2003 National Forum on the United Nations a special session will be dedicated to the Ralph Bunche Centenary. The session will be held on Friday, June 27, at 7:00 pm . The session, Ralph Bunche : On Improving Human Relations , will consist of a presentation of the life of Ralph Bunche , a short video from the producer of the PBS special “Ralph Bunche : An American Odyssey,” and a discussion on the significance of Dr. Bunche's life.

Moderator : Jerry Prince , Human Rights Officer, Baha'is of the United States

Speaker : Lawrence Finkelstein , Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration

For further information regarding the National Forum please click here.

.

UN Day Celebrations – Westport Chapter

UNA-USA, Westport Chapter is co-sponsoring the presentation of the documentary film, Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey, at the Westport Library on Oct. 26th. Introducing the film will be its executive producer/director and writer, William Greaves.

Also attending will be Ralph Bunche's daughter, Joan Bunche, and George F. Saddler, chair of the New York Region Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration Committee, and president of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants.

UNA-USA (Frankfort Chapter)

"An overview of African American History Month and International Black Leaders" will be the program at the next Frankfort Chapter UNA-USA's monthly meeting on Monday, February 23, at 7:30 p.m. in the Alumni House at Kentucky State University. Dr. Anne Butler and Dr. Gashaw Lake, KSU professors, will present the program and focus particularly on Dr. Ralph Bunche, the most prominent African American who worked at the United Nations.

Back to top

United Nations Association – Westchester

On Sunday, February 29th, from 2 – 4 p.m., the United Nations Association of the U.S.A., Westchester County Chapter, together with several co-sponsors, will host a program on “Dr. Ralph J. Bunche, Jr. (1903-1971): The U.N.’s African-American Diplomat for Troubled Times.” The event will be held at the Scarsdale Public Library, 54 Olmsted Road at Post Road (Route 22). The public is cordially invited.

For questions or information, call: Phil Reynolds (914) 472-5490 or philreynolds60@hotmail.com

Co-sponsors for the event include the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies of the City University of New York, the Westchester Martin Luther King Jr. Institute for Non-Violence, the Westchester County Chapter of The LINKS, Inc., the Association of Black American Ambassadors, the African-American Men of Westchester and the Interracial Women’s Leadership Roundtable.

George F. Saddler, Chair of the New York Dr. Ralph J. Bunche Centenary Commemoration Committee, will speak on “The Legacy of Ralph Bunche.” Dr. Larry Spruill, Principal, Mount Vernon High School and Historian, City of Mount Vernon, will speak on “What Ralph Bunche means for African-Americans Today.” Margaret K. Bruce, UNA-USA Westchester Chapter board member and an original member of the staff of the United Nations, who was personally acquainted with Mr. Bunche, will speak on “Remembering Ralph Bunche.” Prominent local speakers and panelists will make presentations on what Ralph Bunche might make of our world today.

More information visit: www.stratdev.com/UNA-USA/

Back to top
Educational Institutions

Brandeis University

Brandeis University in order to commemorate Ralph Bunche's centenary has organized a Ralph Bunche Lecture on March 18, 2004 . The event has been co-sponsored by the African and Afro-American Studies Department, the International Center for Ethics, Justice, and Public Life American Studies and Politics. Brenda Gayle Plummer, Professor of History and Afro-American Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has given a presentation on Black Americans and U.S. Foreign Affairs.

Back to top

Boston University

The African American Studies Program and the International History Institute at Boston University have jointly sponsored a conference “Ralph Bunche and the American Experience.” The conference was held on March 19, 2004 and celebrated the centennial of the birth of distinguished diplomat and civil right leader Ralph J. Bunche. The conference was open by Ronal K. Richardson, Director of African American Studies and by Dennis Berkey, Provost of Boston University.

The morning panel was on “The American Dilemma: Ralph Bunche as Activist” and it was chaired by Ronald K. Richardson. Benjamin Rivlin talked on Ralph Bunche: the Man and His Time, Cedric Robinson on Ralph Bunche and The American Dilemma, Ronald Walters on Ralph Bunche and Civil Rights.

The afternoon panel “The International Dilemma: Ralph Bunche as Diplomat” was chaired by William R. Keylor. Lawrence Finkelstein talked on Ralph Bucnhe and the United States; Hon. Hermann Fr. Eilts, spoke on Ralph Bunche and Decolonization. William R. Keylor offered the closing remarks.

As part of the centenary celebration, Boston College has hosted the screening of William Greaves film Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey. The movie was followed by a discussion with Professor Lawrence Finkelstein.

For further information, please visit www.bu.edu/afam or www.bu.edu/ihi

Back to top

Colgate University

Colgate University has decided to hold a symposium on the “Life and Times of Dr. Bunche”.

For further information, please contact Dr. Nigel Young, Director of the Peace Studies Program, Colgate University , 116 Alumni Hall, 13 Oak Drive , Hamilton , NY , 13336 /1398

Back to top

Colin L. Powell Center for Policy Studies, CCNY

COLIN POWELL PRESENTS FOREIGN POLICY ADDRESS AT CCNY
Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, one of the most distinguished graduates of The City College of New York, delivered a policy address at CCNY on Monday, November 10, 2003, in commemoration of the centenary of Dr. Ralph Bunche, the great Civil Rights advocate, world statesman and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

The address, which was attended by over 1,000 people in The Great Hall of Shepard Hall, was sponsored by CCNY President Gregory H. Williams and the College’s Colin L. Powell Center for Policy Studies, in cooperation with the Foreign Policy Association.

Back to top

Duke University

Ralph Bunche Summer Institute at Duke University

Named in honor of the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize winner, the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute (RBSI) is a five week, academically intensive summer program, designed to simulate the graduate school experience, provide mentoring, and expand academic opportunities for African American, Latino/a, and Native American students.

The program, under the direction of Professor Paula D. McClain at Duke University , is supported by both the Cross-Directorate (Research Experience for Undergraduates) and Political Science Programs at NSF.

For over a decade, the Institute has helped talented minority students between their junior and senior year of college excel and go on to graduate school, many with full fellowships and teaching assistantships. At least nine former Bunche students have earned Ph.D's and now hold university level teaching positions in political science. Over 40 Bunche graduates are working on or have completed a master's degree. A number of RBSI students have also won prestigious fellowships including the National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, the Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, the APSA Minority Graduate Fellowship, and other awards and fellowships within individual institutions. Headed into its eighteenth year, the RBSI is an annual opportunity for promising undergraduates to develop their analytical, writing, and quantitative skills. The academic environment is challenging, yet supportive. Students learn what is necessary to be successful in a graduate program and a successful scholar. Most students who attend the Ralph Bunche Summer Institute excel in their senior year and go on to graduate school, many with full graduate fellowships and teaching assistantships.

For more information, visit: http://www.apsanet.org/about/Minority/rbsi.cfm or email minority@apsanet.org

Back to top

Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines de Bangui

A Committee has been established in Bangui, Central African Republic, in order to celebrate Ralph Bunche Centenary. The Committee is chaired by the Dean of the Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines de Bangui. The Committee is organizing a symposium which is to be held at Faculté des Lettres et Sciences Humaines during the UN Day, October 24 and 25, 2003.

The symposium is organized as follow:

I Introduction par le Général Lamise CISSE, Représentant du Secrétaire général des Nations
Unies en Centrafrique

II Contexte general et données historiques par le Professeur Joachim Guelembi, Spécialiste
en Lettres anglaises, Vice-Recteur de l’Université de Bangui

2.0. Probléme Afro-Américain
2.1. Cadre general du probléme
2.2. Repéres historiques de la question: 800-1861; 1861-1865; 1877-1975; 1916-1954; 1954-1970; 1970 et plus
2.3. L’Afro-Américan stereotype et catégorisé
2.4. Le probléme de l’éducation des Afro-Américans

III Ralph Johnson Bunche <Inter Pares>
Frédéric Douglas; Booker I. Washington; W.E.B. BuBois; George Washington Carves; Louis Armstrong; Jesse Owers; Martin Luther King; Andrew Young; Marshall Thurgood; Colin Powell

IV Qui était Ralph Bunche? Par le Professeur Simplice Sarandji, Doyen de la Faculté des
Lettres de l’Université de Bangui
4.1 Les débuts dans la vie d’un talent terrible
4.2 Activités académiques
4.3 Militantisme engage
4.4 Fonctionnaire National U.S.
4.5 Fonctionnaire international

V Les Grands idéaux du Dr. Bunche par le Professeur Ismael Sy, Maître de Conférences,
Professeur de Droit à L’Université de Bangui
5.1. La liberté et l’indépendance
5.2. Lajustice
5.3. L’égalité
5.4. La Paix
5.5. La confiance en soi

VI Hommages rendus au Dr. Bunche par le Professeur Bernard Kouzoumma, Maître-assistant
en Lettres anglaises, Spécialiste des Etudes américaines à l’Université de Bangui
6.1. Direct U.S.A.
6.2. De par le monde
6.3. Distinctions honorifique

VII Projection du film sur Ralph Bunche

Back to top

Georgetown University

The Center for Contemporary Arab Studies and the Institute for the Study of Democracy at Georgetown University to honor Ralph Bunche’s legacy, are co-hosting a conference on United Nations and Unite States diplomacy in the Arab-Israel Conflict: “Negotiating Middle East Peace: From Bunche to Bush.”

The conference will take place on January 22, 2004 at the Copley Formal Lounge at Georgetown University, Washington.

WELCOME (9-9:15am): Casimir A. Yost, Director, Institute for the Study of Diplomacy

Panel I (9:15-10:15am): RALPH BUNCHE AND MULTILATERAL DIPLOMACY
Chair: The Honorable Donald McHenry, Professor, Edmund A. Walsh
School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University. Former Ambassador and
US Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Speaker: Sir Brian Urquhart, Former Under-Secretary-General for
Political Affairs, United Nations

Panel II (10:30-12:30pm): AMERICAN DIPLOMACY AND THE ARAB-ISRAELI CONFLICT
Chair: Michael C. Hudson, Director, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Panelist: The Honorable Samuel Lewis*, Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel
Panelist: Dr. William B. Quandt*, Professor, Edward R. Stettinius Chair & Vice Provost for International Affairs, University of Virginia. Formerly on the National Security Council staff, Carter Administrator
Panelist: The Honorable Edward Djerejian*, Director, James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy, Rice University. Former U.S. Ambassador to Israel and Syria

RSVP: CCASEVENTS@GEORGETOWN.EDU OR (202) 687-6215
For more information, please visit: www.ccasonline.org/events

Back to top

Howard University

On October 27, 2003, the Most Honorable P. J. Patterson, Prime Minister of Jamaica, delivered the Ralph J. Bunche Legacy Lecture in the Business School Auditorium at Howard University. Following a well received welcome from Dr. Alvin Thornton, Associate Provost, and tributes to Bunche from sponsoring organizations, the Prime Minister spoke on "The Relevance of the United Nations in the 21st Century," delivering his remarks in honor of his mentor, Dr. Bunche. The Minister lauded Bunche for his role in the formation of the UN and most particularly for his contribution in developing concepts of human rights and peace-keeping, In discussing the current Middle East situation, Mr. Patterson asserted the need for Ralph Bunche "here today".

This program, which is part of the Howard University Bunche Centenary Series, was sponsored jointly by the National Coalition on Caribbean Affairs, featuring retired HU professor E. Leopond Edwards as MC; the United Nations Association, National Capitol Area; TransAfrica Forum; and the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center.

Ralph J. Bunche Centenary Conference
"Moral Dilemma: A Dialogue in Contemporary Issue in Domestic and International Affairs."
Blackburn Center Howard University
October 14, 2004, 8:00am – 5:00pm

“True, we continue to pay lip service to the “sacred” concept of the “natural rights of man,” and its international corollary, the “rights of people.” But the dominant peoples and powerful nations usually discover that such concepts cut sharply against their own economic and political interests. So with these favored groups, who knows well how to use them for their own profit, such doctrines come to assume a strange role.” ( A World View of Race ,” Ralph J. Bunche)

Morning Program

9:30-10:00am Opening

Moderator: Dr. Alvin Thorton
Welcome: H. Patrick Swygert, President Howard Univeristy
Remarks: Ambassador Terry Todman, ret., Co-chair Ralph Bunche
Centenary Committee

10:00-11:50am Panel I: The Moral Dilemma in Domestic Issues

Moderator: Dr. Elliott Skinner, Columbia University , ret.
Presenters: Dr. Herchelle Challenor
Dr. Emory Tolbert, Howard University
Dr. Dr. Hanes Walton, University of Michigan

12:00-2:00pm

MC: Ambassador Horace Dawson, Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center, Howard University
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Charles Henry, University of California, Berkley.
Remarks: Dr. Lorenzo Morris, Interim Chair, Department of
Political Science, HU

2:15-3:30pm Panel II: The Moral Dilemma in International Issues

Moderator: Dr. Ron Walters, UMCP
Presenters: Dr. Michael Nwanze, Howard University
Ambassador Ruth Davis, Dept. of State
Ronald Palmer, US Ambassador, ret.

3:45-5:15pm Panel III: The Continuing Moral Dilemma: The Intellectual Legacy of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche

Moderator: Dr. Hanes Walton, University of Michigan
Presenters: Dr. Karen Stanford, University of California
Northridge
Dr. Clarence Lusane, American University
Dr. Alvin Thorton, Howard University

5:30-7:00pm

Closing Remarks: Keith Kenton , US Ambassador (ret.), President, American Black Ambassadors Association.

Back to top

Northeastern University

On February 19, 2004 as part of the centenary celebration, Northeastern University has hosted the screening of William Greaves module A Black Scholar Investigates Colonialism. The module was followed by a discussion with Professor Lawrence Finkelstein.

Back to top

Northwestern University

The Department of African American Studies and the Alice Berline Kaplan Center for the Humanities at Northwestern University, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Ralph Bunche, sponsor a lecture on “The Politics of Escape: Ralph Bunche on Black Leadership in the 1940s.” The lecture will be held on Monday, October 27, and will be delivered by Jonathan Holloway, Professor of African American Studies and History at Yale University.

Back to top

Queens Museum of Art

The Queens Museum of Art, located in the original New York City Building at the 1939 World’s Fair, which served as the meeting hall for the UN General Assembly from 1946 through 1951, will develop and host an art exhibit that will link art and history.

Ralph Bunche: Diplomat for Peace and Justice, which will run from April 11 – July 4, 2004, is both an historical and artistic investigation of the remarkable life and times of Dr. Ralph Bunche. The historical aspect of the exhibition is organized by a timeline that incorporates texts, images, and objects and spans the years of his life (1903-1971). The timeline will uniquely envision the weight of personal, professional, and global issues that shaped Bunche’s career and policymaking. From the 1940s until his death, Bunche lived in Queens, nearby the Queens Museum of Art, which served as the home of the United Nations General Assembly from 1946-1952, where the partitioning of Palestine was signed into effect. Contemporaries such as Romare Bearden, Elizabeth Catlett, Augusta Savage and Jacob Lawrence, as well as lesser-known contemporary artists including Radcliffe Bailey, Brad McCallum, and Jacqueline Terry will contribute works interpreting themes that were closest to Bunche—civil rights, the Middle Eastern conflict, and decolonization—giving visual form to his extraordinary legacy.

Opening Reception, Sunday, April 18, 3:00-6:00 pm

For further information, please contact Ms. Lauren Schloss, Director of Education, Queens Museum of Art, New York City Building, Flushing Meadows, Corona Park Queens, New York, 11368-3398. E-mail: lschloss@queensmuseum.org

Back to top

The Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies (RBIIS)

The Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies (RBIIS) jointly with the UN Department of Public Information (DPI) will co-sponsor during the Centenary:

Three one-day seminars with 2-3 papers commissioned for each about a) the Arab-Israeli conflict; b) UN peacekeeping; c) the integrity of the international civil service; d) African-Americans in and around the UN. The format will be a speaker with two discussants. The seminar will be moderated by Sir. Brian Urquhart.


•  Septembers 4, 2003 from 1:00pm to 3:00 pm , workshop on Then and Now: Ralph Bunche and the Question of Palestine.
Keynote Speaker: Deniss Ross

•  November 20, 2003 from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm , workshop on Then and Now, From Ralph Bunche to Lakhdar Brahimi: The Future of Peacekeeping and Mediation.
Keynote Speaker: David Malone

"From Ralph Bunche to Lakhdar Brahimi: The Future of Peacekeeping and Mediation" , was held on 20 November 2003 in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium. Mr. David Malone, President of International Peace Academy, was the keynote speaker and H.E. Mr. Kishore Mahbubani, Permanent Representative of Singapore , and Dame Margaret Anstee, former Under-Secretary-General, who served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Angola and Chief, United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM III), were the discussants. Sir Brian Urquhart, former Under Secretary-General, moderated the event, which was introduced by Mr. Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.

•  February 5, 2004 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm , workshop on Then and Now: Ralph Bunche and the Integrity of the International Civil Service.
Keynote speaker: James O.C. Jonah

"Ralph Bunche and the Integrity of the International Civil Service" , was held on 5 February 2004 in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium from 1 to 3 p.m. James O.C. Jonah, former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs and Senior Fellow of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, was the keynote speaker. Catherine Bertini, Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Management, and George Saddler, Chair of the New York Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration Committee and President of the Federation of Associations of Former International Civil Servants (FAFICS), were the discussants. Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, introduced the programme, moderated by Sir Brian Urquhart, former Under-Secretary-General for Special Political Affairs. Members of Permanent Missions, Secretariat staff, representatives of inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the media were invited to attend and to join in the discussion following the presentations. [Archived Video]

The lecture were held in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium. Brian Urquhart, former United Nations Under Secretary-General, moderated the events, which were introduced by Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. The programme was open to questions from, and discussion with, the audience. Members of Permanent Missions, Secretariat staff, non-governmental organizations and the media were invited to attend.

The Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies & The Center for Humanities, CUNY Graduate Center are co-sponsoring two lectures during the Centenary. The Lectures, which are part of Ralph Bunche. Le Legend and the Legacy. The U.S. Commitment to the United Nations: Then and Now will take at the CUNY Graduate Center:

• April 13, 2004 , 6:30-8:30 pm , Then: International Cooperation in 1945
Steven Schlesinger
Director, World Policy Institute

• April 21, 2004 , 6:30 - 8:30 pm , Now: In the Wake of Iraq and the Election in 2004
Edward C. Luck
Sir Brian Urquhart
Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani
Ambassador Gert Rosenthal
Thomas G. Weiss

The Ralph Bunche Institute exhibit on Ralph Bunche


Congressman Charles Rangel views the exhibit

The Ralph Bunche Institute, in recognition of the Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration (August 7, 2003 - August 7, 2004), will hold an exhibit at the CUNY Graduate Center. The exhibit, "Ralph Bunche: The Legend and the Legacy," will officially open on December 10, 2003 and end in February 28, 2004. The exhibit incorporates texts, images, and objects. The timeline will uniquely envision the weight of personal, professional, and global issues that shaped Bunche's career and policymaking. Ralph Bunche's record of achievements will emerge from the display: a leading scholar of race relations; a key player in shaping the process of decolonization, particularly in Africa; a driving force behind the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; a fighter for civil rights in his own country; a master international mediator who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950 for the agreement he negotiated in the Middle East; and a father of United Nations peacekeeping.

The opening on December 10 is hosted by the the Ralph Bunche Centenary Commemoration Committee, the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, the CUNY Graduate Center, Sir Brian Urquhart, and Congressman Charles B. Rangel. The guest speakers are: Prof. Thomas G. Weiss, Director of the Ralph Bunche Institute, Dr. Frances Degen Horowitz, President of the CUNY Graduate Center, Congressman Charles B. Rangel, and Dr. Benjamin Rivlin, Co-chair of the Ralph Bunche Centenary and Director Emeritus of the Ralph Bunche Institute. The opening will also feauture a short film by William Greaves Production and a reception.

View the exhibit online.

For more information and to attend the opening, please RSVP at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at:

tel: 212-817-2100, fax: 212-817-1565, e-mail: RBInstitute@gc.cuny.edu

Back to top

Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center , Howard University

International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program

The Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center host the Ninth Annual International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program (IASEP) for high school students from July 7- 25, 2003.

Unlike many conventional summer programs, IASEP is unique in its hands-on approach to instruction. As opposed to spending the summer inside a stuffy classroom, IASEP couples instruction with field trips, and interaction with International Affairs professionals on site. Since Howard University is located in Washington , DC , IASEP students have the opportunity to visit major international decision-making headquarters like the Department of State, the World Bank, CNN and Intelsat. Furthermore, students are briefed at various embassies in the area and go on a day trip to New York so that they may visit the United Nations. When they aren't in route to these exciting locations, students are developing foreign language skills, debating current policy issues, or learning about other international and study abroad opportunities.

 

IASEP is designed to stimulate interest in international affairs among minorities nation-wide. The Program focuses on all aspects of international affairs, including business, law, public health and medicine, journalism, and international development.

Deadline to apply to the IASEP program is May 15th , 2003 . Please mail to the attention of Ms. Lanisa Kitchiner

If you have any questions or comments regarding the Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program (IASEP) or would like to have an application mailed directly to you, please call 202-806-4363.

For more information, please visit: http://www.howard.edu/rjb/IASE/

Back to top

School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), John Hopkins University

The Philip Merrill Fellowship

The American Academy of Diplomacy, in collaboration with the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies of Johns Hopkins University in Washington , DC , announces the Philip Merrill Fellowship to be awarded for the best essay on the practice of American diplomacy. The Academy is a private, non-profit society of 100 men and women who, during their careers in government, played major roles in the conduct of American diplomacy. Its members, now retired from government (including all living former Secretaries of State), work to enhance the quality of that diplomacy and build better public appreciation for its critical role in the pursuit of American interests abroad.

The 2003 Philip Merrill Fellowship was awarded to Daniel P. O'Neill who wrote about Dr. Ralph Bunche's role in establishing the first United Nations-led peacekeeping force in the Sinai in 1956.

The contest is open to U.S. citizens who are applicants to the two-year M.A. program at SAIS . To compete for the fellowship, which will provide $12,000 toward SAIS tuition for each of the two academic years, applicants must submit an essay.

For further information about the contest, applicants may contact the SAIS website: http://www.sais-jhu.edu

or the American Academy of Diplomacy website: http://www.academyofdiplomacy.org

Back to top

Smithsonian, National Museum of American History

The National Museum of American History is planning a celebratory biographical exhibition about the life and work of Dr. Ralph Bunche in conjunction with the centennial of his birth. The exhibit, Ralph Bunche: African American/Global Visionary will run from September 3, 2004 to January 24, 2005.

Back to top

SUNY Cortland

SUNY Cortland has hosted a Ralph Bunche Centennial Celebration Lecture Series in honor of the late African American scholar, civil rights leader, dedicated civil servant and recipient of the 1950 Nobel Prize for Peace.

The Centennial Celebration talks took place on March 2, April 2, and April 29, 2004 in the Sperry Center and were free and open to the public.

George Saddler, chairman of the New York Ralph Bunche Centenary Committee began the series on March 2 with a lecture on “Ralph Bunche: Man of Peace.” Victor Sidel, M.D., the 1985 recipient of the Noble Prize for Peace, on April 1 discussed “A Physician’s View on Peace and Justice.” Benjamin Rivlin, director emeritus of the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies, on April 29, lectured on “The Civil Rights: Decolonization Continuum in Ralph Bunche’s Thought and Action.”

The lecture series was supported by the Campus Artist and Lecture Series Committee, Auxiliary Services Corporation, Black Student Union, Center for Multicultural and Gender Studies, Dean of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Provost, and Office of the President. The Program was organized by the Cortland Ralph Bunche Centennial Celebration Committee, which includes: Seth N. Asumah, political science and coordinator of African American Studies; James E. Bugh, professor emeritus of geology; Ram P. Chatuvedi, physics, Elizabeth Davis-Russell, provost and vice president of academic affairs; and Bernard Jackson, philosophy.

Back to top

The Bunche Center for African American Studies, UCLA

Academic Symposia Honoring Bunche's Contributions to American Intellectual Life and to African Independence, Spring, 2004

Two separate conferences are planned:

• UCLA's Bunche Center for African American Studies will host a Feb. 20-21 conference that will focus on Bunche's contribution to the landmark 1944 study “An American Dilemma: The Negro Problem and Modern Democracy,” the most comprehensive look to date at American race relations. The detailed program can be found in the attached pdf file.

For more information, please contact Alex Tucker, (310) 206-3986, atucker@caas.ucla.edu.

• UCLA’s African Studies Center and Globalization Research Center-Africa will host a Spring, 2004 conference on Bunche’s tremendous impact on the decolonization of Africa.

Contact: Letisia Marquez, (310) 206-3986, lmarquez@suppport.ucla.edu.

Back to top

The School of International Service and Multicultural Affairs, American University

The School of International Service and Multicultural Affairs at American University in Washington has established an annual Ralph Bunche Tribute Award in honor of the life of Dr. Ralph J. Bunche and his commitment to humankind. This award will be given to the individual who best exemplifies Bunche like qualities and is engaged in peacemaking, equality, and justice for all humanity. This year (2004) the award recipient is Ron Walters. The award ceremony will be on Wednesday, February 25 at 6:00 pm at the American University , University Club.

For more information you can e-mail: ralphbunchetribute@hotmail.com

Back to top

The Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts (PARC) The Maxwell School of Syracuse University

United Nations and Conflict Resolution
Speaker: Professor Thomas G. Weiss

March 16-19, 2004
Civil Rights and Civic Responsibility
Speaker: Professor Paula McClain

The Program on the Analysis and Resolution of Conflicts (PARC) at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University has organized two lectures as part of the Centenary Celebrations. Both lectures were followed by one day discussion between the speaker and the students.

Back to top

The United Nations International School (UNIS)

The United Nations International School (UNIS), in order to celebrate the Bunche centenary, will dedicate the school-wide UN Day celebration in October 2003 to Ralph Bunche. UNIS will plan events in each school that will focus on his life and work. The events will include student assemblies, speeches, displays, and classroom activities. Students will be also asked to participate in the Ralph Bunche High School Essay Contest.

Back to top

The University of Oklahoma

The Centennial of the birth of Ralph Bunche, a key architect of United Nations peace-keeping diplomacy and the first African-American to win the Noble Peace Prize, has been celebrated at a public forum at the University of Oklahoma (OU), on February 24, 2004.

A panel discussion featuring distinguished OU faculty has explored the institutional and diplomatic legacies of Bunche’s career. The panel was chaired by Ben Keppel, associate professor of history. Joshua Landis, assistant professor of history and an expert on the postwar Middle East, has discussed the challenges to achieving peace in that region. Suzette Grillot and Renee de Nerves, assistant professors in the Department of Political Science and the School of International and Area Studies, each delved into the role of the United Nations in modern peacekeeping and social development, issues that were of special importance to Bunche.

The panel was followed by the showing of William Greaves’ internationally acclaimed documentary, “Ralph Bunche: an American Odyssey. The vent was a joint effort of OU’s International Programs Center and the College of Arts and Science’s School of International and Area Studies, Department of History, African and African American Studies and Film and Video Studies Program.

Back to top

United Nations University (Japan)

The United Nations University will hold a public lecture on October 24, UN Day 2003. The Keynote speaker will be Mr. Yasushi Akashi, former Undersecretary General of the United Nations. The United Nations University will also offer an international course on “International Civil Service” in May-June 2004 in commemoration of Ralph Bunche's exemplary international civil service.

The United Nations University will also offer a course on “The United Nations System: International Civil Service and Contemporary Global Challenges” in commemoration of Ralph Bunche’s exemplary international civil service.

The courses will be held from 17 May to 27 June 2004. The complete brochure, including an overview of all four courses that will be offered this year, is accessible at http://www.unu.edu/ic/spring2004/brochure2004.html

Back to top

Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University

The Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown University is holding a forum commemorating the life and work of Ralph Bunche on October 23, 2003. The forum topic is: Working in the United Nations System. Challenges of International Public Service.

Current and former United Nations officials will share their experience of the challenges and rewards of international public service. The panelists are: Antonio Donini, former United Nations official and currently Senior Visiting Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies; Norah Niland, on leave from the United Nations, Currently Visiting Fellow at the Insitute of Human Security, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; Michael Soussan, Brown class of 1994 and former Program Coordinator, United Nations Office of the Iraq Program, 1997-2001. Currently US Bureau Chief, African Geopolitics, a quarterly journal of African Affairs published in Paris.

As part of the Watson Institute and Brown’s commemoration of Ralph Bunche’s Centenary, three lectures have been also organized:

4 December 2003 "The Implications of Iraq for Future Humanitarian Action." A panel discussion with Jennifer Leaning, MD of Harvard University and Physicians for Human Rights, Peter Walker, Director of the Feinstein International Famine Center of Tufts University, and Antonio Donini, a former UN official and currently a Senior Fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies. The panel will take place in the McKinney Conference Room, at the Watson Institute at 4 pm.

26 February 2004 "Trusteeship Then and Now." A panel discussion of the history and future of international trusteeship featuring Martin Indyk, former US ambassador to Israel, and Neta Crawford, Associate Professor (Research) at the Watson Institute. The panel will take place in the Joukowsky Forum, at the Watson Institute at 4 pm.

On March 15, 2004 , Sir Brian Urquhart delivered the keynote address at the Institute celebration of the Ralph Bunche Centenary. In his talk, "The Future of the United Nations: From the Promise of San Francisco to the Reality of Baghdad", Sir Brian commented on the state of the UN in light of Dr. Ralph Bunche's considerable legacy to that institution.

During the event, the Institute's first Ralph Bunche United Nations Internship Grant was awarded to Brown senior Elizabeth Goodfriend, she has been a student research assistant with the Watson Institute's Targeted Financial Sanctions and Targeting Terrorist Finances Projects.

The award offers support for a three-month internship for a graduating senior in the United Nation's Department of Peacekeeping Best Practices Unit. The $2,500 award may be used to defray the expense of living in New York City while working at the United Nations as an intern.

For more information regarding these activities please visit: http://www.watsoninstitute.org/news_detail.cfm?id=154

Back to top

Albuquerque
University of New Mexico

Model legacies like Dr. Ralph J. Bunche serve to remind us about the value of higher education, public service, and leadership as well as the need to develop cultural, human, and social capital. To celebrate Ralph Bunche's memory, the University of New Mexico , on June 5, 2004 , has organized a commemorative celebration. The UNM African American Student Services Gospel Choir opened the event with the Black National Anthem. Wm. Scott Carreathers, Director of UNM African American Student Services, and Mr. Harold Pope Sr, Associate Director of UNM Recruitment Services welcomed the guests. Mr. Alan Armijo, Chair of Bernalillo County Commissioner, read a Proclamation. Dr. Harold Bailey, Director of the Office of African American Affairs and Wm. Scott Carreathers introduced Ralph J. Bunche Jr., who gave his personal recollection comments. Mr. James Lujan, Principal of Eugene Filed Elementary, introduced the keynote speaker, Dr. Benjamin Rivlin. Ms. Joycelyn Jackson, APS Coordinator of the Multicultural Programs, presented the closing remarks.

Back to top

University of West Indies

The University of the West Indies , Jamaica , in order to commemorate Ralph Bunche Centenary, will hold on February 27, 2004 a seminar. The name of the event is “Ralph Bunche's Centenary Seminar.” The Venue is the University of the West Indies , Mona Campus. Julius Coles, Benjamin Rivlin, Rupert Lewis, and Ivan Cesar will present papers. Among the attendees will be the Vice Chancellor, the University Principal, the Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the UN representative in Jamaica , the American Ambassador and the Head of the Department of Government. The event will be covered by the national media.

Back to top

Whittier College

Professor Charles Henry delivered a thoughtful and stimulating keynote address on Ralph Bunche to the 54 th Session of Model United Nations conference in Burlingame , California on April 15, 2004 . Approximately 450 students were in attendance. Professor Henry raised awareness about Ralph Bunche's contributions to American society and the international community, and he helped create an energy among the delegates that carried through to the end of the conference. The event was also accompanied by the showing of William Greaves movie Ralph Bunche an American Odyssey.

Back to top

Williams College

Massachusetts Teachers Association Summer Conference
Ralph Bunche: 100 th Anniversary

Most people who have heard of Ralph Bunche know him as the first person of color to win the Noble Peace Prize. He was much more than that. He was a pioneer scholar and activist about race, civil rights, and colonialism. A firm supporter of the rights of all workers, he was out on the picket lines in the 1930s and marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. The first African American to be appointed to senior positions in the OSS and the U.S. State Department, he was a founder of the United Nations and served it as a model international civil servant and as its front-line troubleshooter until his death in 1971. Perhaps most of all, he was the very model of an American black of humble origin forgoing with total integrity a matchless career of service to humanity.

The workshop proposes a penetrating examination of that career, based on a showing of the prize-winning film, “Ralph Bunche: An American Odyssey,” narrated by Sidney Poitier. The workshop facilitator knew Dr. Bunche well, having served with him in the State Department and the U.N. He is founding member of the Ralph Bunche Centenary Committee.

Presenter: Professor Lawrence S. Finkelstein.

Back to top

York University

York University will hold a symposium on March 22, 2004 that will address Dr. Bunche’s leadership in public service both nationally and internationally. The guest speaker for this special lecture will be Dr. Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information at the United Nations.

Back to top