United Nations Association of Australia - SA

31/10/2026

UNAASA is pleased to invite members and our broader network to a cocktail reception under the warm hospitality of local food icon Andy Clappis to commemorate our immediate Past President Lidia Moretti. A celebration of her life and achievements and fittingly, we will be also highlighting 2026 as the UN International Year of the Volunteer for Sustainable Development.

South Australian Artist Tiziana Rinna will be exhibiting a new collection of art dedicated to Lidia at the cocktail reception with part of the proceeds going to UNAASA.

Lidia was a passionate advocate for the community and for youth. Her achievements in education, the slow food movement, cultural exchange, international issues, social justice, the environment, radio and community engagement deserve to be recognised.

The event is open to all to attend.

🌟Tribute Event for Lidia Moretti in the UN International Year of the Volunteer for Sustainable Development 🕊️

🗓️ Fri 20th November 2026 | 6-8pm

📍Andy Clappis's Our Place At Willunga Hill

💰$60pp Italian inspired dinner canapes | $30pp Return Bus from C*D to Willunga Hill (optional)

RSVP: Fri 13th November

DRESS CODE: Cocktail

🎫: https://www.trybooking.com/DQZXG

23/10/2026

Happy UN Day on Saturday 24 October 🌏🕊️Founded in the devastating aftermath of World War II, for 80 years, the United Nations remains steadfast in its commitment to peace with justice; grounded in international law and the human rights of all people.

“The United Nations is an essential part of the fabric of our world.

And it’s needed more than ever.”

Secretary-General António Guterres stresses the organization's indispensable role in protecting and improving the lives of people around the world.

Saturday is UN Day.

https://medium.com/we-the-peoples/why-the-un-matters-more-than-ever-fefdfcaf0a37

06/10/2026

Thank you to our outgoing Chief Patron Governor Frances Adamson AC.

At the end of Her Excellency’s distinguished five-year term - we take the opportunity to recognise her dedication to service and to the South Australian community. Alongside Mr Bunting, she has made people from every walk of life feel welcomed, valued and represented.

Since October 2021, Her Excellency has honoured the role through countless conversations and unwavering commitment to South Australians.

We congratulate Mr Grant Stevens APM as the Governor-designate recommended by SA Premier Peter Malinauskas and approved by King Charles III. We look forward to his appointment as the 37th Governor of South Australia on 9th October 2026.

25/09/2026

What a delightful evening we had to recognise 2026 as the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer

Major "Moogy" Sumner AM, UNAASA Indigenous Advisor gave a generous welcome to country and Martin Haese, former Lord Mayor of the City of Adelaide, Chair of the Premier’s Climate Change Council, Special Envoy to Singapore and Southeast Asia eloquently provided the UN Secretary’s message. We were ably entertained by UN Youth SA President Julia Overeem with a few country tunes!

We were so fortunate to have the Hon Katrine Hilyard MP attend in her capacity as Minister for Women and speak about rural women and their multiple roles and their often unrecognised contributions to farming and life on the land.

Our Keynote Robyn Verrall award winning farming entrepreneur, author and community leader was an absolute treat, reminding us to provide a seat at the table and to encourage the next generation of leaders.

It was a pleasure to present charity Harvesting Potential with a donation to support rural girls reach their goals, and have some outstanding examples in attendance.

Thank you to Robyn Verrall and Foodbank SA & Central Australia their generous support for this event, our generous donors and to Woodlane Pantry for sponsoring our new member prize.

Thank you to Del De’Salisbury for the beautiful photos and our Vice President Rob Dempsey who was our wonderful MC for the night

24/09/2026

Interested in the United Nations? The United Nations Association of Australia will take a small group study tour for the first time to
United Nations Headquarters in Bangkok 28 FEBRUARY - 6 MARCH 2027

Bangkok serves as the major regional hub for the United Nations in the Asia and Pacific region. The UN Country Team (UNCT) in Thailand consists of 21
UN agencies and is dedicated to advancing all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasising the importance of SDG localization to bring the
global agenda to the local level for impact.

23/09/2026

Thank you to our new member Woodlane Pantry!

Woodlane Pantry is a South Australian business based in Mannum that rescues surplus produce from local farmers, growers and backyards, and turns it into nourishing, shelf-stable meals. By taking Australian produce that would otherwise be wasted or go to landfill, Woodland Pantry supports local farming and sustainability! Founder Kelly Johnson was awarded the South Australian AgriFutures Rural Women's Award winner in 2025 in recognition of her work to establish Woodlane Pantry - amazing stuff 💛

For more information about Woodlane Pantry see https://woodlanepantry.au/

15/09/2026

It was a pleasure to attend the SA Evatt Grand Finals at Parliament last week! 🤝🕊️📝

Convened by UN Youth Australia, the Evatt competition combines diplomacy, strategy and negotiation skills. On display were talented SA high school students representing member states in model UN Security Council negotiations and resolutions on international peace and security.

UNAASA President Annie Ngo was delighted to attend.

Congrats to UN Youth on facilitating this impactful initiative and we look forward to the upcoming 2026 Evatt National Finals to be hosted in South Australia from 3–9 December 2026.

10/09/2026

The United Nations Association of Australia (SA Division) was proud to support youth leadership across our state at the Student Leaders Forum: From Voice to Impact (Empowering Youth Leadership in a Digital and Diverse World) at Adelaide University. 💻📱

Organised by Pinnacle College and Dr Mehmet Aslan, the forum brought together inspiring voices from across South Australia to explore how the next generation can translate passion into meaningful, lasting action.

A core message of the forum centred on how young leaders define their approach to leadership—built on foundations of responsibility, active listening, authenticity, and curiosity.

Gabrielle Anand our committee member elect attended on behalf of UNAASA.

At UNAA SA, we believe that empowering young people to step up with empathy and shared purpose is essential to creating inclusive, resilient communities and advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals locally.

09/09/2026

🥁 And the winner is Narelle Zanker 🎉

South Australian dairy farmer Narelle Zanker is Australia's AgriFutures 2026 Rural Woman of the Year.

Narelle is a former teacher with a passion for farming.

Growing up on the family dairy farm on the banks of the Murray River near Mannum, Ms Zanker always wanted to be a teacher. But four years into her new career, she realised she could merge her love for teaching with her love for farming. And so, with the support of her husband and family, Dairy Adventures was born in 2024.

"[Dairy Adventures] is a fun, educational, interactive experience for families and school groups to come onto the farm and bottle-feed the calves, milk the cows, tour the farm and learn about where their food comes from, from paddock to plate," Ms Zanker said.

Australia's Rural Woman of the Year was announced at Parliament House Canberra on Tuesday, September 8.

In the UN international year of the woman farmer, we congratulate Narelle for her novel, nationally leading agritourism venture!!

Congratulations Narelle 👏👏

South Australian dairy farmer Narelle Zanker has been crowned Australia's AgriFutures Rural Woman of the Year at Canberra's Parliament House.

She is a former teacher with a passion for farming.

Read more: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-09/narelle-zanker-rural-woman-of-the-year/107126242

The only agritourism venture of its kind in South Australia, Ms Zanker said Dairy Adventures addressed a massive gap between farmer and consumer.

The Rural Women's Award, originally established by ABC Rural in 1994 and now in its 26th year as an AgriFutures initiative, recognises women who are shaping the future of rural and regional Australia through innovation, enterprise and leadership.

06/09/2026

On the eve of our Annual fundraising dinner to celebrate the UN International Year of the Woman Farmer ( ) we wish SA nominee for the national AgriFutures Australia Rural Women’s Award Narelle Zanker the best of luck! We are really looking forward to our event on 17th September which will feature two past award winners at the State level Robyn Verrall (2022) and Kelly Johnson (2025) as our guests.

Australia's Rural Woman of the Year will be announced in Canberra on Tuesday, September 8.