UNIC @ Work
Transcript of UNIC @ Work
Newsletter of th e global network of Unit ed N ations Information Centres
UNIC @ Work May 2015 Issue No. 4
Page 1
In this issue
In Spotlight
New, innovative projects
Sights @ Work
A tour of where we work
In Focus
Get to know our priorities
Teams @ Work
Highlights of our activities
Creativity @ Work
New information materials
Social Media @ Work
Social media initiatives
Experiences @ Work
Staff views and experiences
New Faces @ Work
Our new colleagues
In Spotlight ¿Did you know? With the Ebola outbreak in West Africa coming to a close, Dr. David Nabarro, the UN Special Envoy on Ebola, met the Philippines press via video link from New York to express the UN’s gratitude to the Philippine Government for its contribution of USD 2 million to the Global Ebola Response Fund. He was explicit in his appreciation, given the humongous tragedy brought about by Hurricane Haiyan that left thousands dead and many other homeless and maimed. The press conference attracted more than 20 journalists and partners who attended and asked questions on the progress. Dr. Nabarro was joined by Dr. Julie Lyn Hall, World health Organization Country Representative in the Philippines and together they responded to questions from the Philippine media. This effort resulted in the publication of at least 10 articles and national television coverage. Some of these articles were published in the local language.
Since 1948, there have been 71 UN peacekeeping missions. Currently
(as of April 2015), there are 16 ongoing missions. The budget for 1 July 2014 - 30 June 2015 is around
$ 8.47 billion. The top 5 troop contributors in April 2015 are: Bangladesh, Pakistan, India,
Ethiopia and Rwanda.
Sights @ Work
Bahrain: The Grand Mosque is the largest place of worship in Bahrain and among one of the largest mosques in the world at 6,500 square metres. Built by the late Amir of Bahrain Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa in 1987 it fits up to 7 000 worshippers.
India: The Peacock is India’s national bird. These fine specimens have adopted the UN House as their nesting grounds and frequently peck at UNIC’s windows – another sign that UNIC truly represents the UN-India Connect!
Russian Federation: The majestic building of the musical theatre “Helikon-Opera” is located in a XVIII century palace, an architectural monument. The theatre has just opened its doors after almost 8 years of restoration works.
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May 2015 Page 2
In Focus
On my way to … “reconversion”
Looking at my PHP, a colleague in the
Executive Office, Rimona McGinnis,
exclaimed: “Wow! You have had an
amazing career at the UN. You have
worked in many exciting places and few
colleagues have had the same
opportunity. This is impressive. You
should consider yourself lucky!”
Looking back and measuring the long path
I walked, I can only be proud and grateful
for the experience I have acquired and the
exposure I got. When asked which
position I enjoyed the most, I took a pause
before responding. Every position I held
gave me the opportunity to learn
something, even when I thought that I was
not. In retrospect, walking though the
valleys and climbing the mountains forged
and strengthened my character.
In the Visitors’ Section I had the
reputation of being tough – I turned a deaf
ear and gave a stern look at colleagues
who had French as a second language and
who begged me to postpone sending them
out on their first guided tour in French. In
the Secretary-General’s Office, my
attention to details became part of me -
transitioning me nicely to my time in ICS
where colleagues were a little frustrated
whenever they saw their drafts returned
marred in red for correction.
Unfortunately, they did not have any
alternative but to put up with me:-) And
trust me, I truly understand their
frustration as I was in their shoes when I
was Focal point for Indigenous People and
Human Rights. At the UNDP, I enhanced
my knowledge about development issues
and management and established fruitful
cooperation with Resident Coordinators.
And last but not least, the Information
Centres Service (ICS) and the UN
Information Centres (UNICs). As they say
in French … “la cerise sur le gâteau” – the
icing on the cake! It has been a privilege
for me to work with you and for you. The
past few years were amazing. I have been
close to you in turmoil, pain, joy and
anxiety and developed long-lasting
friendships. We have worked and laughed
together, shared stories, exchanged ideas
and I learned a lot from you. This is what
brought us together. Despite you being
thousands of miles away, you were never
too far... WebEx was here and it made a
heck of a difference. It brought you close
to my heart.
Working for the UN has been such a
rewarding experience. This is a special
place. I thank my supervisors as I was
allowed to be. This is what made a whole
lot of difference. Before leaving, I want to
acknowledge your professionalism,
commitment and innovative ideas.
When some of you heard that I was
leaving, a flood of emails and phone calls
came my way. Questions, sighs, disbelief.
“I am reconverting” I answered calmly
and with a big smile. “Reconverting….
What do you mean? “
There is life after the UN and a lot awaits
each of us. It’s time to say “arrivederci, au
revoir, sayonara, ى قاء إل ل ,or До встречи ال
नमस्ते!” but certainly not “adios” or
“kwaheri” (Swahili). By the way, thanks a
lot for the touching messages that came
from every corner of the world. I heard
that it is the first time ever that UNICs did
not need a reminder to comply with a
request and that you all answered
promptly. I have started to read them …
in between laughter and tears. I thought I
was working but your warm and
humorous farewell messages have left me
convinced that instead, I was busy making
friends globally. How will I be able to
answer your many invitations? Only God
knows! I will keep in touch and soon you
will hear from me when visiting your city!
For those who want to keep in touch, my
email address: [email protected].
Cheers.
Danielle
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Teams @ Work
Armenia
Crime Congress Round-table
UNO Yerevan jointly with the Inter-
Agency Working Group on Anti-
Trafficking in the Republic of
Armenia, dedicated a special session to
the agenda item Human Trafficking of the
13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention
and Criminal Justice. The meeting took
place at the National Library of Armenia
with journalists and youth also in
attendance, 8 April.
Public Discussion dedicated to Cyber
Crime
UNO Yerevan together with the UN
Development Programme “Kolba
Labs” innovation labs organized a public
discussion on Cybercrime - another theme
of the Crime Congress 2015. Young
people, Information Technology
specialists and social media enthusiasts
gathered at the UN house to listen to
experts on cyber wars/cybercrime and
from information and
telecommunications legislation field. Brief
information on Crime Congress and video
screenings preceded the discussion, 10
April.
Argentina
Briefing for Elementary Students on
the Work of the UN
UNIC Buenos Aires held a briefing for
elementary school students on the work
of the UN at the UNIC Library. 10 April.
Special Screening of the Movie Refugee
UNIC Buenos Aires held a special
screening of the movie Refugee at the
National Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The
movie, winner of the "UNiTE to end
violence against Women" award at the
Habana Film Festival of 2014, was
presented by the UN in Argentina Gender
Group as a tool for training initiatives and
presenting the Secretary-General’s UNiTE
Campaign,, 18 March.
Australia
Visit by the Executive Secretary of the
UN Framework Convention on Climate
Change
As part of her visit to Australia, the
Executive Secretary of the UN Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
Ms. Christiana Figueres, held a media
round-table at UNIC Canberra, She also
held a range of meetings with members of
the Australian Government, private
sector, and civil society. UNIC played a key
role in supporting the delegation's visit by
arranging media appearances meetings,
as well as trip logistics, 7 May.
Austria
A New Interactive Guided Tour in
Vienna
UNIS Vienna's Visitors Service has
developed a new interactive guided tour
for young people -on sustainable
development - as part of its activities for
UN70. One focus is on the role of
sustainable energy as championed by the
Sustainable Energy for All Initiative,
which is headquartered in Vienna. The
tour will formally be launched on 26 June
2015.
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Teachers’ Workshops on Teaching the
United Nations
UNIS Vienna in cooperation with the
University of Teacher Education in
Vienna, organized two teachers’
workshops, with the aim of inspiring
teachers as well as advising them on how
to integrate global issues, such as
sustainable development, climate change
and refugee protection into their
curricula. Thirty-five teachers from
different schools in Vienna attended the
workshop held at the Vienna International
Centre, 14 April.
Ciné ONU Film Screening and Interview
on Albinism for UN Radio
After screening the film In the Shadow of
the Sun, as part of UNIS Vienna's monthly
Ciné ONU screenings, UNIS conducted a
short interview with Harry Freeland, the
director of the documentary on the
subject of the film albinism. Freeland
elaborated on how the film aims to dispel
myths about people with albinism. The
interview can be downloaded from UN
Radio.
Bangladesh
World Autism Awareness Day
Celebrated in Bangladesh
In observance of World Autism
Awareness Day, UNIC Dhaka and the
Bangladesh Protibondhi Foundation
(BPF) jointly organized a cultural show
and discussion with the participation of
around 200 children, parents, teachers
and guests took part in the event. An art
exhibition was also opened at the
beginning of the event, 5 April.
Educational Outreach Training
Programme on UN and Information
Literacy
An educational outreach training
programme on UN and Information
Literacy was jointly organized by UNIC
Dhaka and the Centre for Information
Studies at Savar Girls High School,. Forty
students and teachers of the school took
part in the training programme. Various
sources of information were also
highlighted in the training sessions, 17
and 18 April.
“UN 70th Anniversary Lecture Series”
In commemoration of UN70, UNIC Dhaka
in consultation with the UN
Communication Group has planned to a
number of lectures throughout the year
titled “UN 70th Anniversary Lecture
Series”. Each event will focus on the
activities of different UN agencies in
Bangladesh. The first programme was
organized at UNIC with two UN agencies -
UNAIDS, and UN Office on Drugs and
Crime (UNODC), giving lectures. UNIC also
spoke about the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs) and Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs), 30 April.
Belarus
Road Safety Week Campaign
UNO Minsk joined the UN Global Road
Safety Week under #SaveKidsLives
hashtag inviting all UN agencies in Belarus
to support the campaign. During the week,
photos of the participants were published
on social media, 4 – 10 May.
“GYMUN 2015”
Minsk Gymnasium №12 hosted “GYMUN
2015,” the International Gymnasia
Conference on modelling the work of the
UN. The Conference organized in
cooperation with UNO Minsk was
attended by 200 participants from 20
schools and gymnasiums of Belarus.
This year, the students simulated the
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May 2015 Page 5
work of six UN committees and discussed
such issues as illicit trade in small arms
and light weapons, use of economic
sanctions as a means of political coercion,
as well as the problem of drug abuse, 2-5
April.
Bolivia
Model UN explosion in Bolivia
The Model UN carried out by the Anglo-
American Cultural Center in Bolivia
(CCAAMUN) is now in its fifth year and is
an integral part of the academic
programme, in the country. From four in
2004, to more than forty in schools and
universities all across Bolivia, every year,
starting in May, an average of 6 000
Bolivian students get in touch with UN
values, world issues, and discover their
own leadership strengths through the
participation in domestic, inter-
institutional, local or national Model UN,
May 2015.
Burkina Faso
Ceremony: Reflecting on the Genocide
in Rwanda
As part of the commemoration of the
International Day of Reflection on the
Genocide in Rwanda, UNIC Ouagadougou
in partnership with the Rwandan
community in Burkina Faso held several
activities including: a mass in memory of
the victims of genocide; a March with lit
candles and an official ceremony during
which genocide survivors testimonies
were read. About 300 people attended the
ceremony, 10 April.
Exhibition: Reflecting on the Genocide
in Rwanda
To commemorate victims of the Genocide
in Rwanda, UNIC Ouagadougou organized
an exhibition of photographs, posters,
brochures, books, films and international
texts related to the genocide in Rwanda.
About 2,000 people visited the exhibition,
7 to 10 April.
Lectures: Reflecting on the Genocide in
Rwanda
In the framework of the commemoration
of the Genocide in Rwanda, UNIC
Ouagadougou in partnership with the
ministry for Human Rights promotion in
Burkina Faso, gave lectures in five high
schools located in Ouagadougou. The
lectures were about the causes and the
consequences of the Genocide in Rwanda
and the UN efforts and initiatives to
prevent genocides in the world, to 9 April
Burundi
Outreach Activity: Reflecting on the
Genocide in Rwanda
UNIC Bujumbura involved the Office of
High Commission for Human Rights and
the Rwanda Embassy in Burundi to an
educational outreach activity to
commemorate the 21st anniversary of the
Rwanda genocide. Around 200 students
from two secondary schools participated
in a briefing which took place in the UNIC
Library. The students were touched by the
story as Burundi shares the similar
history with same ethnic problems as
Rwanda, 9 April.
Visit by the UN High Commissioner for
Human Rights
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, paid a three-day
visit to Burundi – his first official country
visit as the UN’s top human rights official,.
UNIC Bujumbura organized media
coverage and organized a press
conference and arranged for exclusive
interviews with key local and
international journalists, 12 to 15 April.
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Cameroon
Conference-debate on Human Rights
and the Culture of Peace
The UN System organized a Conference-
debate on Human Rights and the Culture
of Peace at the International Relations
Institute of Cameroon (IRIC) in Yaoundé,
on the theme: “Role of Youths in the
Culture of Peace”. Panelists and
participants concluded that only a
sustained culture of peace, built on the
respect for human rights can enhance the
relative economic growth rate currently
being witnessed in Africa, 24 April.
Congo (Republic of)
Information Session to Promote the
13th UN Crime Congress
The role of the public in strengthening
crime prevention and criminal justice was
at the centre of an information session
UNIC Brazzaville promoted the 13th UN
Crime Congress. Eighty people including
media and civil society representatives,
and universities students as well attended
the activity, 10 April.
Egypt
Briefing on the Outcome of the 13th UN
Crime Congress
UNIC Cairo’s bimonthly media meeting
hosted the UN Office on Drugs and Crime
(UNODC) Regional Director, who briefed
the media on the smuggling of refugees in
the Mediterranean and the key outcomes
of the Doha Crime Congress that took
place on 12 to 19 April. The Director
stressed the need to strengthen
international cooperation to address
emerging crimes such as cybercrime, wild
life crimes, etc, 5 May.
France
Screening: Reflecting on the Genocide
in Rwanda
UNRIC’s Desk for France screened the
documentary 7 jours à Kigali, la semaine
où le Rwanda a bascule, by Jeremy Frey
and Mehdi Ba, for the remembrance of the
Genocide in Rwanda. The screening took
place at the Centre Wallonie Bruxelles in
Paris, with 80 guests in attendance, 7
April.
Georgia
Third UN Global Road Safety Week in
Georgia
In celebration of the third UN Global Road
Safety Week, UNO Tbilisi and the Georgia
Alliance for Safe Roads organized a road
safety awareness event to raise awareness
and generate action to better ensure
children’s safety on the roads. A Public
Service Announcement (PSA) Safe Kids
Lives was screened after the event, 4 May.
Conference on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice Issues
UNO Tbilisi, the Centre for Crime
Prevention of Georgia and the European
Law Students Association jointly
organized a conference dedicated to the
13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention
and Criminal Justice. The conference
brought together students from Tbilisi
and Gori universities, policy-makers,
educators and experts to discuss crime
prevention and criminal justice issues, 17
April.
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Use Your Power! Earth Hour 2015 in
Georgia
UNO Tbilisi, the UN Development
Programme (UNDP), Ministry of
Environment and Natural Resources
Protection of Georgia, Wild World Fund
(WWF) Caucasus, Caucasus
Environmental NGO Network (CENN) and
Caucasus Nature Fund (GNF), organized a
traditional celebration of Earth Hour with
a live music concert and fire-show which
was open to the public, 28 March.
Germany
Cine-ONU Screening of The Supreme
Price
UNRIC Brussels screened The Supreme
Price at Museum Ludwig in Cologne,
Germany, a documentary by Joanna
Lipper that traces the evolution of the
Pro-Democracy Movement in Nigeria, an
initiative for female empowerment. The
film focuses on the fight for social justice –
or, as one of the female activists puts it: "If
I can make one little difference, I must do
it", 9 April.
Greece
Thessaloniki International Model UN
About 500 participants of the
Thessaloniki International Model UN
(MUN) - ThesISMUN - held banners with
the UN70 logo during the opening
ceremony of the MUN, to show their
support to the UN for its 70th Anniversary,
15 April.
India
Painting Competition to Raise
Awareness on Road Safety
UNIC New Delhi in collaboration with the
Automobile Association of Upper India
(AAUI), under the umbrella of the UN
Decade for Action on Road Safety,
organized a painting competition to
spread awareness for the UN Secretary-
General’s campaign #SaveKidsLives.
Awards were given to the winners during
a ceremony held on 15 April.
Month-long UN Football Tournament in
New Delhi
UNIC New Delhi organized a month-long
UN Football Tournament to
commemorate the International Day of
Sport for Development and Peace During
the month, over 60 matches were played
in 48 schools across New Delhi, raising
awareness on the values of equality,
acceptance of rules, mutual respect and
fairness which the UN upholds, 23 April.
6th UN Young Changemakers Conclave
The 6th UN Young Changemakers Conclave
in Mumbai was organised by UNIC New
Delhi in collaboration with the
Thincquisitive Foundation on the theme
"Age of E: The Role of Technology in
Governance, Business, Media and Social
Media." The conclave acts as a platform
for selected young professionals, students,
changemakers and entrepreneurs to
engage with eminent achievers from the
fields of business, politics, sport, Indian
cinema, media and the arts, 18 April.
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Iran
Seminar: Reflecting on the Genocide in
Rwanda
UNIC Tehran in cooperation with the
Iranian International Studies Association
(IISA), organized a conference to mark the
International Day of Reflection on the
Genocide in Rwanda. About 150
university students, researchers and
professors were in attendance, 20 April.
Seminar: International Mother Earth
Day
On the occasion of International Mother
Earth Day, the Foundation for
Environmental Education, in partnership
with UNIC Tehran, organized a seminar
attended by teachers and students from
11 Eco-schools from different districts of
Tehran as well as Government officials, 22
April.
Ceremony Marking Day of
Remembrance for All Victims of
Chemical Warfare
Tehran Peace Museum (TPM) and UNIC
Tehran organized a ceremony marking
the International Day of Remembrance for
All Victims of Chemical Warfare at the
Tehran Peace Museum and in Park-e-
Shahr (City Park). More than 50
participants including journalist,
diplomats, victims of chemical attacks and
their relatives were in attendance, 29
April.
Italy
Events in Milan and Turin: Reflecting
on the Genocide in Rwanda
The UNRIC Desk for Italy took part in the
commemoration of the 21st Anniversary of
the genocide in Rwanda by attending two
events in Milan and Turin respectively.
The events drew participants from all
over Italy and featured religious services,
candle lighting and laying of flowers, 7
and 9 April.
Japan
UN70 Seminar Series
UNIC Tokyo Director gave a lecture titled
“Your United Nations: Past, Present, and
Future”, a second instalment in a series of
seminars that commemorate UN70, at
Meiji University. The lecture was delivered
to students from UN Academic Impact
member universities to let them make the
UN relevant to themselves particularly in
the context of human rights and women’s
empowerment, 20 April.
Guidance on UN Documents
UNIC Tokyo organised as part of its
monthly series at UN University, a
document guidance session comprising of
an introduction to the topic of the Security
Council and practical instruction on the
examination, 16 April.
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Kenya
2nd Annual Governors Devolution
Conference
The Governor of Machakos County visited
the UN in Kenya stand, during the 2nd
Annual Governors Devolution Conference
held in Kisumu, organized by the
Government. UNIC Nairobi and UN
Volunteers manned the UN's stall
showcasing how the UN is Delivering as
One in support of devolution in the
country, 21 to 23 April.
Lebanon
“Bike Tripoli 2”
UNIC Beirut partnered with Social Way
NGO in Lebanon in launching “Bike Tripoli
2”, a cultural, environmental and sports
event aimed at spreading the bicycle
culture, creating safe routes for bikes in
cities and villages, encouraging clean
transportation and raising awareness
about road safety. The event entailed a
12-km bike ride in the northern port city
of Tripoli with about 2 000 participants
26 April.
UNIC Beirut Partners with AUB in NGO
Conference and Exhibition
The Centre for Civic Engagement and
Community Service (CCECS) at the
American University of Beirut (AUB), in
partnership with UNIC Beirut, launched
the “AUB 2015 NGO Conference and
Exhibition”. Nine UN agencies operating in
Lebanon took part in the Exhibition that
brought together 100 local and
international NGOs 29 and 30 April.
Madagascar
Conference on Human Trafficking
Within the framework of the Crime
Congress held in Doha, UNIC
Antananarivo co-organized with the
AEDIFP (a university students’
association), a conference on Human
Trafficking, in partnership with the
International Organization for Migrations
(IOM) and the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR). More than 300 guests were in
attendance, 15 April.
Validation Workshop of the Draft Law
Relating to the Code of Communication
UNIC Antananarivo supported the
validation workshop of the draft law
relating to the Code of Communication,
which results from a series of national
consultations and workshops under the
lead of the Ministry of Communication,
Information and Relations with the
Institutions and the partnership of UNIC,
UN Development Programme (UNDP) UN
Educational Scientific and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO), and the Office of
the High Commissioner for Human Rights
(OHCHR), 8 April.
Ceremony: Reflecting on
the Genocide in Rwanda
A ceremony to mark the International Day
of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda
was organized by UNIC Antananarivo in
partnership with the Rwandan diaspora at
the UN Common House. It consisted of a
silent walk, candle lighting and official
speeches, 17 April.
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Mexico
Volunteer Fair
The National Autonomous University of
Mexico Campus Acatlán, organized a
Volunteer Fair, where UNIC Mexico
promoted the UN Crime Congress
reaching more of 1000 students. Students
of Law, Journalism and International
Relations demonstrated great interest in
the working for the UN not only in Mexico
but also abroad, 29 April.
Launch of the Regional Report on the
World’s Women
The launch of the Regional Report -
Progress on the World’s Women 2015-
2016 - was organized by UN Women and
UNIC Mexico City. Over 120 people
attended the launch, including major
television and newspaper reporters. UNIC
produced a webcast, photo gallery, video
and a UN Radio interview with the
Regional Director for the Americas and
the Caribbean. UNIC also taped a TV
interview for Brazil’s largest media outlet,
Globo. Its sister company GNT has the
most important programme on gender
issues in the country, 27 April.
Knowledge Fair
For UN70, a knowledge fair was set in one
of Mexico City´s most iconic avenues
reaching over 10 000 people. UNIC Mexico
was in charge of the "Welcome Tent".
Mexico's Foreign Affair Minister as well as
the President of the Senate, among other
Government and local authorities and
general public, lined up to take a photo
with a paper replica of the Secretary-
General, 21 March.
Nigeria
Observance on World Press Freedom
Day
The Director of UNIC Lagos, called on
stakeholders to allow journalism to thrive,
at an event to mark the World Press
Freedom Day. UNIC Lagos organized the
observance in collaboration with Media
Awareness and Information For All
Network (MAIN) and the Department of
Mass Communication, University of Lagos,
5 May.
UNIC wins Lagos State Government
award of recognition in support of its
school initiative
The Lagos State Government through its
Ministry of Education has given an award
to the United Nations Information Centre
(UNIC) Lagos in recognition of its support
to the government’s schools’ Initiatives.
According to the Ministry, the award
plaque, signed by the Honourable
Commissioner for Education, Mrs
Olayinka Oladunjoye, was presented to
UNIC Lagos ‘for partnering with the State
Government in support of our Schools’
Initiative. The Government and People of
the Centre of Excellence appreciate your
support.”
Morocco
"Morocco, Land of African Migration"
UNIC Rabat organized jointly with the UN
Resident Coordinators Office,
International Organization for Migration
(IOM), UN High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), UN Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO), International Labour
Organization (ILO) and the UN Economic
Commission for Africa (UNECA), a panel
in the framework of a Forum organized by
the University of Law Rabat-Agdal under
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May 2015 Page 11
the theme “Morocco, Land of African
Migration”, 29th April.
Pakistan
Signing of Memorandums of
Understanding with the Institute of
Peace and Diplomatic Studies
UNIC Islamabad signed
two Memorandums of Understanding
(MOUs) with the Institute of Peace and
Diplomatic Studies (IPD) and with the
Inter-University Consortium for
Promotion of Social Sciences, Humanities
and Arts (IUCPSS) for enhancing
dissemination of values and core
messages of the UN among the young
people of Pakistan. The partnerships will
focus on the joint development of several
initiatives, including the UN Corner, the
UN Wall campaign, the Academic Impact,
an internship programme and
commemoration of the UN Days. The
IUCPSS consisting on 26 universities
representing all regions of Pakistan, is the
largest autonomous network of the
public/private sector universities in the
world, 8 April.
Communication Workshops to Enhance
Understanding of the Work of the UN
After holding communication workshops
in three provinces - Gilgit Baltistan;
Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwah -,
the UN Communication Group, led by the
Director of UNIC Islamabad, enhanced its
outreach to Punjab and organised
communication workshops in Lahore. The
objective of the workshops was to
enhance the common understanding
about the development and humanitarian
assistance programmes of the UN in
Pakistan and strengthening relations with
different stakeholders at the provincial
level, 14 and 15 April.
Mother Earth Day in Pakistan
UNIC Islamabad celebrated Mother Earth
Day by joining a tree planting initiative
with the Federal Minister for Climate
Change and partners from the Centre for
Climate Research & Development (CCRD),
COMSATS University Islamabad and the
French Embassy in Islamabad, 22 April,
Peru
Workshop on Gender Equality
Continuing with the promotion of
Beijing+20 and other gender issues, UNIC
Lima organized a workshop for 50 school
students about gender equality. The
workshop was delivered by a Specialist in
Gender and Social Communication.
Students participated by improvising
plays. Some videos on the theme were
also screened, 13 April.
Model UN at Newton College
UNIC Lima supported the organization of
the UN Model at the Newton College in
Lima. Participating schools were from a
network of English speaking schools
therefore all the committees worked in
that language. A total of 180 students
from 9 schools participated, 18 April.
UN70 Presentation
UNIC Lima offered a presentation about
UN70 at the Faculty of International
Relations of the San Ignacio de Loyola
University as part of a series of talks on
the subject to be delivered during the
year. The film We the Peoples was
screened followed by a Q&A. session, 29
April.
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Poland
International Model United Nations in
Poland
The Officer-in-Charge of UNIC Warsaw
gave a speech at an opening ceremony of
the International Model UN (MUN) under
the theme “Threats to International
Security”. Over 100 students took part in
the event at the Wroclaw University of
Technology, including youth from Czech
Republic, Germany and Great Britain. The
event was organised by the MUN
Association of Poland with the support of
the Centre for International Debate in
Wroclaw. It was held within the Polish
observance of UN70, 10 - 12 April.
“Poland and Contemporary World
Knowledge” essay contest
This year “Poland and Contemporary
World Knowledge” essay contest under
the theme “The Role of the UN in Shaping
International Order” was held within the
Polish observance of UN70 and under
honorary patronage of the President of
the Republic of Poland. The nation-wide
event is the most prestigious undertaking
in the history of Polish education,
organized for over 50 years. In her speech,
UNIC Warsaw Officer-in-Charge stressed
the importance of global education and
the role of youth in building peaceful
future for all people. About 10 000 high
school students applied to participate, 15
March.
Russian Federation
Open-door Event for University
Students at the UN House
UNIC Moscow organized an open door
session at the UN House for a group of
university students - champions of the
Moscow International Model UN - 2015.
The series of briefings with heads of UN
agencies focused on the challenges of
sustainable development, human rights,
protection of refugees, public health
emergencies and HIV/AIDS, 24 April.
Holocaust-Related Events in Nizhny
Novgorod
Three interlinked Holocaust-related
events were held in the city of Nizhny
Novgorod with support from UNIC
Moscow. Two interactive "open lessons"
were held at the Hessed Sara Charity
Foundation and the Nizhny Novgorod
State University while the third event
featuring an exhibit of students' posters,
was organized at Nizhny Novgorod
Pedagogical University. The events were
held in collaboration with the Russian
Jewish Congress (RJC), 27-28 April.
World Press Freedom Day 2015
UNIC Moscow organizeda special event,
under the theme "Let Journalism Thrive!”,
dedicated to World Press Freedom Day
and centered around the political
cartoons exhibit. This was a joint activity
with other UN agencies, specifically, the
Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR) Moscow Office.
The participants had a good opportunity
to celebrate the freedom of expression as
one of the fundamental tenets of the
Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
29 April.
Sudan
Orientation Workshop on the 13th UN
Congress on Crime Prevention
UNIC Khartoum, in collaboration with
Teeba Press and with support from the
Ministry of Justice, the Police Department
for Combatting Human Trafficking, UN
High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) and the International
Organization for Migration (IOM),
organized an orientation workshop for
the national media to promote the 13th UN
Congress on Crime Prevention and
Criminal Justice held in Doha, 7 April.
UNIC @ Work
May 2015 Page 13
Tanzania
Candle Lighting Ceremony: Reflecting
on the Genocide in Rwanda
UNIC Dar es Salaam in partnership with
the Rwanda High Commission to Tanzania
organized a candle lighting ceremony to
mark the International Day of Reflection
on the Genocide in Rwanda with over 500
people in attendance. UNIC also
undertook educational outreach to over
100 students from two schools raising
awareness on genocide as a crime against
humanity, 8 – 16 April.
Graduation Ceremony for Senior
Journalists and Editors
UNIC Dar es Salaam supported a
fellowship programme empowering eight
senior journalists and editors to report on
serious issues that will help Tanzanians
combat drug trafficking and drug abuse.
Tanzania’s Attorney General awarded
certificates to a total of 18 fellows
including ten women who undertook a
separate fellowship on promoting
Millennium Development Goals
awareness in Tanzania, 17 April.
Togo
Elections in Togo
The UN system was involved in the
election process in Togo through different
trainings of local representatives and
journalists. UNIC Lome played an
important role of linking the media and
the UN Country Team whose members
were observers on Election Day, 15 April.
Tunisia
Annual Forum of NGOs Partners
In the framework of the Annual Forum
with more than 200 local NGOs partners
of the UN System in Tunisia, this year
UNIC Tunis seized the occasion to launch
UN70 celebrations. An exhibition of
posters and photos was organised
focusing on UN achievements in the world
and in Tunisia, 7 April.
Turkey
Students from Niğde Meet UNIC Ankara
As part of UNIC Ankara’s educational
outreach activities, a group of 30 students
from the Niğde University visited the UN
House in Ankara. The group which was in
Ankara as part of a tour of several
government ministries and think ta-
thanks, discussed the post-2015
sustainable development agenda and
UN70, 20 April.
UN Military Observer Course in Ankara
UNIC Ankara’s Information Officer, made
a presentation on the “Introduction to UN
and UN Peacekeeping Operations”, to a
group of 49 officers from 21 countries
including: Bosnia, Jordan, Nigeria. The
group was in Ankara at the invitation of
the Turkish government, 28 April.
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe International Trade Fair
UNIC Harare participated in the
Zimbabwe International Trade-Fair as a
member of the UN Communication Group.
Over 3 000 people visited the stand. These
included school-teachers; students from
both primary and secondary schools and
from universities; researchers;
government officials and members of the
public. UN70 banners were prominently
featured in the booth, 29 April to 2 May.
UNIC @ Work
May 2015 Page 14
Experiences @ Work
India
By Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman, Director,
UNIC New Delhi
Over 100 000 children. Staggering figures
indeed! An International Children's Film
Festival of nine days with over 100 000
students viewing a selection of 430 films?
Unbelievable?
The City Montessori School (CMS),
Lucknow, together with UNIC New Delhi,
upheld this challenge, worthy of a go at
the Guinness Record. Amazing, but twice a
day busloads of students arrived to watch
the screenings, every participant
documented by the school, and
accompanied by teachers and parents.
With eight venues showing diverse
selections from the 430 films chosen out
of 1 020 entries from 80 countries, just
ensuring that everyone had drinking
water and restroom facilities was a small
miracle. Nearly 100 shuttle buses made
two trips a day for nine days.
Dr. Jagdish Gandhi, Founder Manager of
CMS had a dream; that children's films
should have no violence nor scenes unfit
for young minds. This translated into an
amazing festival, now among the world's
largest at a school, and absolutely free!
Great celebrities from Bollywood
attended, including famous child actors,
script writers, filmmakers; ministers,
diplomatic community from Delhi and
even a recent Miss India who hails from
that city.
As Chair of the international jury
comprising award-winning filmmakers
and critics from around the world, this
was an incredible experience. The values
of peace and harmony that we expect the
children to imbibe, closely match the UN
dream of making the world a better place,
to create the future we want. The festival
was a perfect advocacy and awareness
raising tool. The films, a rainbow of
diversity and richness, covered almost
every imaginable subject, from education,
to discrimination, to sustainability, to
culture, to street children, to the girl child,
disability, social issues and much more.
Extensive media coverage every single
amazing day of the festival demonstrated
its impact. What a great collaboration and
wonderful experience for UNIC!
New Faces @ Work
Monica Villela Grayley, (right) with the Director of
UNEP in Mexico City
Monica Villela Grayley arrived at UNIC
Mexico City mid-April to take her
assignment as the Acting Director for the
Centre which also serves Cuba and the
Dominican Republic. Before her work at
the UNIC, Monica led the Portuguese Unit
of UN Radio where she oversaw a
multimedia daily news operation
including TV and internet. She also served
DPI as the Acting Chief of the Partnerships
Unit between 2009-10. Currently, the
team in Mexico City and Monica are
working together with UN agencies based
in the country to help improve even
further the awareness of the UN work.
UNIC Mexico colleagues have already
started producing more content for not
only for UN Radio but also to enhance
their presence in social media with the
help of Mexican students who volunteer at
the UNIC. Monica is a Brazilian national
with a Master’s Degree in Linguistics and
Political Sciences, she is scheduled to
defend her Ph.D. thesis in Political
Sciences later this year, in Portugal. She
speaks English, German, Portuguese and
Spanish and is currently learning French.
Creativity @ Work
Armenia
UNO Yerevan has produced a banner and two folders in Armenian and English with their respective language contents (factsheets and press kit) all dedicated to the 13th UN Congress on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
Two short videos were also translated into Armenian, subtitled, shared and used during the events on Crime Congress What is corruption and Cyber Security.
Austria
UNIS Vienna has produced postcards to
promote the updated and extended
teaching material called “Together
Strong”. It provides educational material
in German on “Teaching the UN” with
additional learning tools on sustainable
development, human rights, humanitarian
assistance, peace and security, and
international law. See more here.
UNIC @ Work
May 2015 Page 15
Bangladesh
UNIC Dhaka has produced a poster in
connection with UN70 in Bangladesh.
UNIC is planning a year-long lecture series
with the participation of young students
and other partners. Different UN agencies
are scheduled to deliver presentations
during the lecture series.
Belarus
To advocate UN70 in Belarus UNO, Minsk
has produced a set of commemorative
cups, writing pads, pens and business card
holders under the logo “Strong UN, Better
World” in the Russian language.
UNO Minsk and MITSO University
conducted an essay contest "70 Years of
the UN. My World: Sustainable
Development Agenda Beyond 2015". The
Essay Contest was an opportunity for
talented, bright secondary school students
of Belarus to present their perspective
and opinions of the activities of the UN
and post–2015 global development
agenda.
Belgium
UNRIC Brussels Info Point and Library has
issued a special edition of its Library
Newsletter focussing on UN Research
Guides developed by the UN Libraries in
New York, Geneva & Vienna: PDF version.
In addition, a new one-stop access to all
research guides has been created as part
of the Info Point & Library website:
English; French; Spanish.
UNRIC Brussels has translated the Time
for Global Action 2015 logo into
Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Finish,
Greek, German, Portuguese and Italian.
UNRIC also created promotional web
banners (into Norwegian, Swedish,
Danish, Finnish, Greek, German, Italian,
French and Spanish) posted on the UNRIC
language websites to promote the official
Global Action website.
Elyx is a virtual character drawn in a very
simple style, Elyx can express a great
number of different expressions.
Created three years ago by the French
artist YAK, Elyx does not speak, has no
nationality, race or sex, and is therefore a
universal character, comprehensible by all
everywhere.
In partnership with the artist, UNRIC
Brussels is using Elyx to highlight a series
of international observances. For the
month of April Elyx helped UNRIC mark
three International Days: World Book and
Copyright Day, World Jazz Day and
Mother Earth Day.
Brazil
UNIC Rio de Janeiro was fully involved in
the production and dissemination of
information materials in Portuguese of
the UN Crime Congress and created a
special webpage. The information was
also shared through all UNIC Rio social
media channels. One of the spots on
combating illegal wildlife trade alone had
more than 370 000 views and was shared
UNIC @ Work
May 2015 Page 16
10 000 times on Facebook, showing the
interest this matter raised in Brazil.
Congo (Republic of)
UNIC Brazzaville has produced and
displayed the UN 70 logo on its panel
which is facing a very popular crossroad.
India
UNIC New Delhi has created unique artwork to memorialise the victims of the Rwandan genocide for the 21st commemoration ceremony held in New Delhi. Visualised in two parts, the images of the gory past of the genocide was presented through a series of words that captured memories of that horror. The top segment presented images of modern day Rwanda. Sutured together with thick string the two halves presented the concept of Kwibuka - Remembrance and Beyond! Japan
UNIC Tokyo has made three webpages: a). featuring the latest situation in Yarmouk, with a video of UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Commissioner-General Pierre Kra henbu hl’s visit to the area, subtitled in Japanese. b). a webpage in the lead-up to the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
c). a webpage with an overview of the
Secretary-General’s visit to Japan for the
Third UN World Conference on Disaster
Risk Reduction in March.
To commemorate the International
Decade for People of African Descent
(2015-2024), UNIC Tokyo created a flyer
in Japanese. It will be distributed at
screenings of the movie Selma which will
be released in Japan staring in June 2015.
UNIC has published its quarterly
magazine Dateline UN Vol.89. It features
the Secretary-General’s visit to Japan in
March, Japanese staff’s career experiences
in the UN, and the campaign “2015: Time
for Global Action”.
Lastly, UNIC has promoted on its website
an op-ed published in the Japan Times on
the 2015 Crime Congress written by Yury
Fedotov, executive director of UNODC. The
article highlighted the significance of the
Crime Congress in the UN’s efforts to
improve criminal justice around the
world.
Pakistan
The Urdu version of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights was
launched in Islamabad at a session jointly
organised by the UN System in Pakistan
and the National Book Foundation in
Islamabad on 24 April.
Peru
UNIC Lima has prepared the following banners in Spanish to promote: UN70 and the indigenous peoples forum.
Thinglink (interactive website) with key
data about the Permanent Forum on
Indigenous Issues 2015.
UNIC Lima has also produced a poster to
raise awareness on malaria and
UNIC @ Work
May 2015 Page 17
promotional banners for My World survey
and Action 2015.
Banner on My World Survey
Action 2015 promotional banner
Russian Federation
UNIC Moscow has produced the Russian
translation of the address by Mr. Michael
Møller, Acting Director-General of the UN
Office at Geneva, to participants in the IV
Moscow Conference on International
Security, 16 April.
Turkey
UNIC Ankara translated into Turkish the
Secretary-General’s Synthesis Report
titled “The Road to Dignity by 2030:
Ending Poverty, Transforming all Lives
and Protecting the Planet”.
Zambia
UNIC Lusaka officially launched its
electronic registration system as part of
its ongoing green initiative in April 2015.
The new system allows clients to book a
free computer terminal, keeps a
permanent record of each client and is
automatically logged-in at the point of
entry. It is also capable of generating
various statistics similar to those used on
the CIMS platform thereby making it
easier UNIC to record more accurately on
the CIMS platform every month.
Social Media @ Work
South Africa
In response to the recent surge of
xenophobic violence against foreigners in
South Africa, UNIC Pretoria launched an
anti-xenophobia social media campaign
#WeAreYou #SayNoToXenophobia to
stand up against xenophobia and promote
the equality of all human beings
regardless of their nationality. Supported
by the UN in South Africa staff, the
campaign demonstrates the position that
the UN in SA has taken against
xenophobia and showed solidarity with
the victims.
For more activities of the global network of UN information centres, visit the UNIC Activity Blog.