I’ve recently returned from Washington D.C., where I met with my local Representatives and California Senators discussing about issues that may seem far from home, but are near and dear to core American values.

One of them is the vital importance of supporting United Nations peacekeeping operations, particularly in nations like the Central African Republic (CAR) — a country teetering on the brink of genocide. UN peacekeepers are desperately needed there—and in other volatile and terror-plagued nations around the globe—to restore law and order and save countless lives.

Fortunately, the UN Security Council, with support from the United States, has approved a robust peacekeeping mission in CAR. But currently, the U.S. is in the red on its UN peacekeeping dues, and this year’s federal budget underfunds UN peacekeeping by $350 million. During our meeting, I urged our local Reps to address this growing concern and provide full support for peacekeeping funding.

I am not alone in this conviction—a recent bipartisan poll found that two-thirds of Americans support full and timely payment of UN dues, including for peacekeeping operations. That includes Americans like me and hundreds of others who traveled to Washington for the annual meeting of the United Nations Association of the USA, an organization dedicated to informing, inspiring, and mobilizing the American people to support the ideals and work of the UN.

As our representatives consider an FY’15 spending bill, we must fully fund all peacekeeping needs, including this newest mission in CAR.

I also had an opportunity to bring up my concern about dangerous actions of China Government has been directly endangering peace in Vietnam, Philippine and Japan – at the UNA meeting hold by Sir S.Grosz (Deputy Chief of Operation, Plan Section for the Military Component of the UN Mission) and Sir Nedialko Kostov (Political Affair and Policy Officer). The current dangerous situation began on May 2, 2014, when China placed oil rig HD-981 in Vietnam’s EEZ with a flotilla of 80 military ships to ships, attacking Vietnamese patrol vessels working in the area. I strongly believe that, “It isn’t enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn’t enough to believe in it. One must work at it.”Eleanor Roosevelt

Advocacy Day at Capitol Hill, USA 

UNA-USA members worked at Capitol Hill to let their members of Congress know that people in their districts care about the UN. This is an opportunity to tell our elected representatives about the important work the United Nations performs every day, and how vital it is that the U.S. continues to fund the UN.