Uncommon Union

Uncommon Union (UU) provides technology and communication services for clients working in the areas of economic development, human rights and international justice.

About Us 

Uncommon Union (UU) provided technology and communication services for clients working in economic development, international justice, and human rights. UU worked closely with complex and transitional communities to bring together diverse stakeholders and advance long-term systemic change. The team received recognition for initiatives serving Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, high-level communications related to the Colombian peace negotiations, the development of technologies for evidence-gathering in war zones to support terror victims, and the production of feature films.

Uncommon Union was based at Newlab in the historic Brooklyn Navy Yard. Uncommon Union’s work continues at Newlab through Pull.City, a new platform supporting the future of place-based networks.

History

Uncommon Union evolved from an interactive firm founded in 2004 by Paul Rene Johnson and Elizabeth Schaeffer Brown. In our first year of operation, we functioned as an independent laboratory that worked with agencies and cultural institutions. Read more >

Media

UN Summit of the Future | Power in Her Voice: Reimagining a Gender-Equal Future

Just Security |  Support Grows for Gender Justice at UN Session on Draft Crimes Against Humanity Treaty.

NYT | The Brooklyn Navy Yard Has Become a Lab for Planet-Saving Tech

Deadline | The Inspiring True Story Of The All-Girls Robotics Team From Afghanistan

More Media Archives

  • A worker at the Brooklyn Navy Yard produces disposable face shields for healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The collaboration between businesses in the Yard to create PPE during this critical time inspired the creation of UU's Pull.City—a platform designed to help business communities build sustainable local supply chains, supported by advancements in automation and machine learning.
  • Prime Minister Trudeau meets with the Afghan Girls' Robotics Team at the Library of Parliament. Since 2015, UU has supported educational initiatives for Afghan girls.
  • Maiden Nation, co-founded by Uncommon Union, featured the first ever product by feminist icon Gloria Steinem with other luminaries such as Yoko One, Lauren Bush and Rachel Roy.
  • As part of a global effort to seek justice for victims of ISIS, UU co-produced the Oscar-nominated, Sundance Award-winning documentary On Her Shoulders. The film tells the powerful story of Nadia Murad, a Yazidi advocate and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, who courageously raises awareness about the atrocities committed against her people while calling for accountability and justice on the world stage.
  • FARC leaders and President Juan Manuel Santos shake hands during the signing of the historic Colombian Peace Agreement. UU assisted the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in coordinating communications for the events leading up to this milestone, aimed at ending decades of conflict between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
  • UU helped organize the Women in Global Health Security Summit, in partnership with Foreign Policy, Women in Global Health, and the Wagner Foundation, during UNGA 2020. This effort resulted in over 40 global institutions and government commitments to improve health security initiatives, with a particular focus on empowering women leaders in this field.
  • Nobel Peace Prize 2018. UU helped spearhead a global public relations campaign for ISIS prosecution and Yazidi genocide recognition, culminating in UN Resolution 2379 and the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to team member, Nadia Murad, in 2018.
  • In September 2014, Dr. Paul Farmer, Dr. Raj Panjabi, and a small team of clinicians traveled to Liberia to assess the Ebola outbreak and determine the best response strategies for Partners In Health and Last Mile Health in facing this historic challenge. During this crisis, Partners In Health became a client of UU and helped mobilize resources and raise awareness about Ebola. Since then, UU has continued its collaboration with various organizations to advocate for the strengthening of health systems and the achievement of universal healthcare access.
  • Uncommon Union facilitated a collaboration between the United Nations Foundation's "Girl Up" program, Cara Delevingne, and Prinkshop atelier to amplify global awareness and advocacy for girls' and women's rights.
  • Designer Chan Luu trained artisans in Haiti for Maiden Nation's launch at Glamour's Woman of the Year event. Co-founded by Uncommon Union, Maiden Nation was a marketplace that sourced jewelry madeby female artisans from around the world.
  • Nobel laureate Nadia Murad and human rights lawyer Amal Clooney speak at the United Nations Security Council alongside Dr. Denis Mukwege and the Nadia’s Initiative team during the session that led to the adoption of Resolution 2467 on April 23, 2019. The resolution, focusing on sexual violence in conflict, emphasized survivor-centered approaches and accountability for perpetrators. It was one of Nadia’s Initiative’s key accomplishments in its first year. Uncommon Union helped Nadia Murad found the NGO in 2018, with our UU co-founder serving as a co-executive director.
  • Hugh Jackman is drinking coffee with Ethiopian coffee farmer Dukale, who was the inspiration behind Jackman’s Laughing Man Coffee & Tea brand. Uncommon Union provided community outreach, media, and press relations for the brand until its acquisition by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters.
  • David Beckman with members of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team at theBRITE Initiative, 2022 Doha Forum: Uncommon Union helped spearhead the BRITE Initiative at the 2021 DOHA Forum, showcasing the work of the Afghan Girls Robotics Team and advocating for girls' education in STEM on a global platform. This initiative aimed to foster collaboration, share best practices, and inspire action among international stakeholders to support girls' education in STEM. 

  • The International Legal Foundation (ILF) was founded to hold justice systems accountable to their commitments by training and supporting public defender systems around the world. UU has provided communications and technology advisory services to the ILF since 2014.
  • Presented by UN Women and the United Nations Foundation, Uncommon Union helped to produce the 20th Anniversary of the historic Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing.