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- By Beth O'Connell, USA, ICUUW UN Advocacy Committee co-chair
At UN headquarters, four of six candidates for Secretary General on the stage were women. I attended that recent candidate forum and listened to the women give smart and thoughtful answers to the questions. And I wondered: Could it be possible, after 80 years, for a woman to be elected to head this global organization?
There's been a definite push to choose a woman for the next Secretary General starting January 2027 as current SG Antonio Guterres finishes his second five-year term. Also, if regional tradition is followed, the next SG should come from Latin America or the Caribbean.
The only thing is the nominee is chosen by the Security Council with all the five veto-power countries – France, Russia, China, Britain and the United States – having to agree. Then the nominee is presented to the General Assembly for a vote.
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- By Gabor Kiss, USA
Here are three simple, yet important, email hygiene habits that you might consider to protect yourself and to avoid inconveniencing others.
Examine links in an email before you click them
Emails often contain links which you can click to go to a website, fill out a form, etc. It’s dangerous to click the link without knowing where it will send you. Sometimes the link simply says “click here” and sometimes it looks like an actual URL. There are two ways to examine the link before you click. One is to hover over it, and look at the lower left corner of your browser for the actual URL. It may be small and hard to read. A better way is to right-click the link and select “copy link address”, then paste the link into Notepad or another text editor, to examine it at your leisure.
If you are not satisfied that the link goes to where it claims to go, then don’t click the link.
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- By Rev Erika Orbán, Hungary, ICUUW Board Member
My parents were very careful about spending money. Yet, I never felt that we were poor—even though I often heard the word used at home. Today, as an adult, I understand why: through a proper alignment of values, a clear sense of priorities, and character built on self-discipline, our family’s inner compass ensured we had everything we truly needed.
As I write these lines, I do not know who will read them. I might not know you, the reader, personally. I might not know where you live, what you do, or what joys and hardships you are facing. Perhaps you belong to a Unitarian or Unitarian Universalist community, and perhaps we share similar views on humanity, God, the world, and our religious worldview. Perhaps... What is highly likely, however, is that you also earn your money through hard work and effort, and that you also think carefully about how you spend it.
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- By By Tina Huesing, Germany/USA, ICUUW President
This article is based on an interview Geri Kennedy gave Tina.
Geri enjoys gardening, both in her own garden and volunteering in a Japanese garden not far from where she lives in the Northwest of the United States. Geri has also been serving our organization as treasurer for more than seven years. She’s determined that this is her last year. I interviewed her and asked her about her role:
When you hear the word treasurer, what comes to mind? Someone sitting behind a large desk surrounded by spreadsheets, calculators, and very serious-looking documents?
In our organization, the treasurer is much more likely to be someone who believes in both accountability and possibility—and perhaps knows a thing or two about growing things.
Geri says a treasurer needs to balance what is dreamed of and what is possible. She sees herself as the voice of reason, looking at short-term needs and long-term plans. Just as she tends her gardens—planting, watering, pruning, noticing what needs attention, and patiently allowing things to grow—she has helped our organization grow and flourish.
So, what does a treasurer actually do?
In simple terms, the treasurer helps make sure that the organization's financial life is healthy, transparent, and aligned with its mission. Together with her committee, and supported by a bookkeeper, she keeps track of income and expenses, monitors the budget, reviews financial reports, pays attention to cash flow, prepares or oversees financial statements, and helps the board understand what the numbers are telling us. She also makes sure that our financial practices meet appropriate legal, ethical, and organizational standards.
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- By Tina Huesing
Over 40 members and friends from Bolivia, Canada, France, Greece, Hungary, India, Kenya, Romania and USA joined us for our annual members meeting.
Dear ICUUW Members and Friends,
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this year's Annual Member Meeting. It was wonderful to come together to reflect on our accomplishments, celebrate our community, and look ahead to the opportunities before us.
If you were not able to join us, please enjoy the recording of the meeting.
Hearing updates about the work ICUUW does in its committees and projects filled us with a deep sense of pride and optimism. At a time when our world is experiencing so much conflict, division, and uncertainty, ICUUW offers a welcoming community where we can come together, support one another, and take meaningful action to address some of the world's most pressing challenges. Our shared commitment to creating a safer, more just, and more equitable world, especially for women and children is what makes ICUUW truly unique.
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- By Pooja Banerjee, India/USA
I am excited to share our Summer 2026 newsletter with you, along with highlights and updates from an eventful first quarter! ICUUW has always been a space where we come together to advance women’s leadership and self-determination. If we are to truly achieve this goal, we must also bring more men into the conversation. Advancing gender equality requires all genders to work together, walking hand in hand to challenge and end discrimination in all its forms.
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- By Rev. Jessa Pakner, Philippines
This year’s annual conference of the UU Women Association (UUWA) in the Philippines was held in March with the theme “Arise and Shine: Women Leading with Love and Purpose”. The event gathered women leaders and participants from various congregations for a time of learning, empowerment, and collaboration.