Itchy Skin and Mental Health: Why Skin Health Deserves Global Advocacy Thomas Boakye, 2025-26 Iowa UNA College Ambassador from Iowa State University The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (Article 25)  establishes a human right to an adequate standard of living necessary for health and well-being. Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights  codifies a human right to health. In global discussion of health as a human right, much focu

Student Protests in Serbia and Democratic Hopes in Eastern Europe Andrew Corrow, 2025-26 Iowa UNA College Ambassador from Drake University   An earlier version of this blog appeared in the December 2025 edition of Advocacy News , the Iowa UNA’s biannual newsletter.   In the years following the collapse of Yugoslavia and the various crises throughout the Balkans that followed, some may be tempted to view a consistent democratic stability as beyond the reach of many of the coun

The Human Right to Education and Immigration Enforcement in the United States: ICE in Schools Carissa Phan, 2025-26 Iowa UNA College Ambassador from Drake University   The Trump Administration’s aggressive approach to enforcement of U.S. immigration laws has drawn global criticism about U.S. compliance with international human rights commitments. In January 2026, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a statement  charging that the administration’s polic

International Women’s Day: One Story, Many Girls Ifrah Mohamed, 2025-26 Iowa UNA College Ambassador from the University of Iowa   Every year on March 8, International Women's Day  reminds us to celebrate women’s achievements, but it also calls attention to the barriers that still hold many women and girls back. It’s a day to think not just about progress but also about the challenges that prevent girls from living safely, going to school, and supporting themselves and their f