Children Uniting Nations National Conference for Children's Issues In DC- Slated for July 19th

Online, July 18, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Los Angeles/Washington DC (7/2012) - Children Uniting Nations (CUN), one of the premier non-profit institutions working with at-risk and foster youth has set the date of July 19th 2012, for their 7th Annual National Conference; Keeping the Promise to Our Children. The National Conference is renowned for bringing top researchers, international experts, non-profit leaders, legislators and policy makers together to discuss the most urgent needs of our youth. They join advocates in the media, entertainment and business worlds to bring awareness to key legislative issues and begin nonpartisan dialog and discussion on new policy. The National Conference strives to inform federal legislators on compelling issues affecting our youth, synchronize efforts between legislators and community towards change and provide programs that offer solutions.

Honorable Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, will co-chair the conference along with Senator Mary Landrieu and Karen Bass. Several legislators, celebrities, performers and media members will be in attendance. Confirmed legislators throughout the day include: Congresswoman Karen Bass, Congressman Adam Schiff , Congresswoman Linda Sanchez , Congresswoman Judy Chu , Dr. Eruviel Villegas, Governor of the State of Mexico, Congressman Xavier Becerra , Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Congresswoman Maxine Waters with more expected to confirm.

Visionary bicultural entrepreneur and the co-owner and president of Chivas USA, Antonio Cue, will receive the CUN Humanitarian Award at the CUN Gala at the prestigious Ronald Reagan Building, for his dedication to children's issues and dedication to keeping sports programs in our schools. Cue will use this platform to inspire and challenge other sports club owners and athletes to dedicate resources to this crucial legislation.

Legislative issues to be highlighted include:

1. The "National State" of Physical Education in America's Public Schools (FIT Kids Act H.R. 1057 and S. 576)

Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids Act or FIT Kids Act - Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to require annual state and local educational agency report cards to include specified information on school health and physical education programs

2. Bullying in America (H.R. 1648): To amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to address and take action to prevent bullying and harassment of students.

3. Foster Care Mentoring Act of 2011 (S. 420)

Children Uniting Nations Founder and National Conference Chairwoman Daphna Ziman remarked, "We are dedicated to advancing legislation that helps our youth, by inspiring passion within our legislators, non-profit organizations, Corporate America and empowering the entire country to take a step towards positive change. We serve America thru educating America on the topics affecting our youth and empowering each of us to work towards solutions that make a better world today and for our future. "

The National Conference consists of a media breakfast and press conference which begins at 8:00 AM on the19th, five panel discussions and a grand dinner gala later that evening. The press conference and panels will be held at the Congressional Auditorium at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center while the dinner gala will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building, DC that evening.

Past Congressional participants have included: Congressman Dennis Cardoza, Senator Dianne Feinstein, Congressman Xavier Becerra, Senator Loretta Sanchez and Senator Mary Landrieu, former House Majority Leader Richard Armey, Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, Senator Evan Bayh, Congressman Joe Crowley, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Mary Landrieu, Honorable Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Adam Schiff, Senator Olympia Snowe, Senator John Kerry, Senator Barbara Boxer, Congresswoman Diane Watson, Congressman Howard Berman, and Speaker of Assembly Karen Bass. Past celebrities supporters include: Terrance Howard, Russell Simmons, David Archuletta, Vivica Foxx, Quinton Aaron, Sean King and Gabriel Union.

The conference is hosted by Children Uniting Nations (CUN), a 501(C)(3) not for profit organization dedicated to the well being of at-risk and foster youth, in collaboration with DLA Piper US LLP, Casey Family Programs, The Adoption Coalition and the California Endowment. The deans of social work and education from a number of America's prominent research universities will attend and participate as panelists.

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Editor Notes:
As a result of the work completed during the National Conference, Children Uniting Nations has seen significant legislative achievements in support of mentoring for at-risk children. An amendment to provide loan forgiveness to community college students who mentor at-risk youth in their communities was passed by the House as part of the College Opportunity and Affordability Act in 2008, and an amendment to support the mentoring of children in foster care was passed unanimously in the Senate as part of the recent Serve America Act (2009). CUN looks forward to building upon these successes in the coming legislative session.

Children Uniting Nations
CUN is a nonprofit, nonpartisan proactive organization created to bring attention to the plight of at-risk and foster youth. The goal is to reach as many children in out-of-home care by offering role-model support, guidance, a sense of community and promote the importance of an education. Inspired by the Day of the Child, CUN wanted mentoring to be more accessible to children living in foster care and therefore created a mentoring program to be administered in every city nationwide. Pioneered in Los Angeles, CUN's central mentoring program known as the Mentoring Partnership for Los Angeles Youth (mPLAY) has become the model program for the rest of the country. Children Uniting Nations continues to support and make possible the efforts of mPLAY by providing advocacy, funding, producing large- scale recruitment events and serving as the fiscal agent to the partnership. mPLAY is dedicated to providing children in the foster care system with highly trained mentors that are compassionate, steadfast and have an unconditional desire to give of themselves in order to make a positive difference in the lives of our most vulnerable children. CUN was founded by philanthropist and activist, Daphna Ziman.

Antonio Cue:

Antonio Cue Sánchez-Navarro is the Owner of Club Deportivo Chivas USA, Major League Soccer's Los Angeles-based club, the only Mexican-owned team in major professional sports in the United States. A visionary business venture of bicultural, binational and bilingual proportions, Chivas USA brings one of Mexico's most powerful brands - and one of most beloved soccer brands worldwide - to the U.S. sports landscape.

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