“Events like this are going on around the world to commemorate the founding of United Nations,” Hess said.

At the Sunday celebration, Yoko Koizumi, a Mid-Michigan resident who grew up near Nagasaki, Japan, who is promoting a documentary to improve U.S.-Japan relations, and East Lansing City Councilmemeber Nathan Triplett were given the 2010 Heroes of Humanity awards for their work in the community.

Social Affairs Officer Amson Sibanda of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs in New York also presented during the celebrations at MSU on Monday.

Sibanda discussed the UN’s recent report, “Rethinking Poverty,” which examined how poverty is defined and how the UN plans to deal with it.

“We have been working on (eliminating) poverty in academia, government and policy for many, many years,” Sibanda said. “The world is on track to cut the number of (impoverished people) in half by 2015.”

Hess said MSU plays a key role in the goals of the UN and the celebration helped bring awareness.

“(The purpose of the event) is to educate and inform people on campus of what the UN (Association) and what MSU as an international university are doing to support work of UN,” Hess said. “MSU is a great partner of United Nations in education and research.”

Students from MSU host the annual Michigan State Model United Nations Conference, which brings together high school students from across the country. The conference has been held about 10 years.

MSU faculty members also are involved with the UN. Forestry professor David Skole led part of the $12 million Carbon Benefits Project alongside the UN. The project focuses on carbon assessment.

Skole said by working to solve the issue of climate change, the project can help to alleviate global poverty.

“What we’re trying to do is link the solution of climate change to the solution of poverty,” Skole said. “That’s the real opportunity.”

Dean of International Studies and Programs Jeffrey Riedinger said the anniversary of the UN and the celebrations are important to furthering student understanding of global issues.

“It’s a different perspective of what the big challenges are in the world and how the university and students (can) better understand how to solve these challenges,” Riedinger said. “It’s an important venue for multi-country discussion of some of the challenges to peace.”

Hess said by raising awareness, MSU is promoting one of the goals of the UN: to solve international problems without war.

“The more people from other countries understand each other, the more likely they are to promote peaceful solutions to international conflict,” Hess said. “A lot of people buy into the ‘let’s go to war’ idea out of ignorance of the issues.”