Newsletter of the global network of United Nations Information Centres UNIC @ Work November 2016 Issue No. 10 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? A study using data from 219 Sustainable Development Goals promoted at Japan’s largest fashion event “Tokyo Girls Collection” countries from 1970 to 2009 found that, for every one additional year of To commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Sustainable Development Goals, UNIC Tokyo education for women of reproductive supported the Autumn/Winter Tokyo Girls Collection fashion show in September 2016 with 17 of age, child mortality decreased by 9.5 Japan’s top models advocating the importance of the Goals to approximately 31,000 guests and per cent. over 1 million online streamers. Sights @ Work Mexico: This fisherman is looking for the catch of the India: The Taj Mahal which means “Crown of the Palace” is a day in the early morning at Playa Azul (Blue Beach) United States: The UN Headquarters in New York. marble mausoleum on the south bank of the Yamuna river in The four buildings are on international territory the Indian city of Agra. The tomb was commissioned in 1632 in Michoacán State, Mexico. Lazaro Cardenas_Mich_Pescador by UNIC Mexico/A. Nieto and include: the Secretariat, the General by the Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan (reigned 1628–1658), to Assembly, Conference Area (including Council house of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. It is the centrepiece Chambers) and the Library. of a 42-acre complex, which includes a mosque and a guest house, and has formal gardens as well. Page 1 UNIC @ Work In Focus Memorable visit to UNICs Harare and Windhoek I was greeted at the United Nations Information Centres (UNICs) in Harare and Windhoek by the very visible Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) banners and posters. “It is very nice to welcome a colleague from our Headquarters to the Centre”, commented the National Information Officer of UNIC Windhoek, Anthea Basson, appreciating the visit which both Centres noted was overdue. Of course it was nice to be back at UNIC Harare, home, where I started my career with the UN. My colleagues at the Centre were eager to share with me their impressive work in Zimbabwe which I immediately saw through the visuals decorating the walls and the SDGs products they handed me. The story was right in front of me, showing also the diverse audiences that are part of UNIC Harare’s activities, including Government, media, youth and civil society among many others. The interaction with the students began with a short video on how the UN contributes to peace worldwide through peacekeeping operations. It was now time for the students to reflect on what they had learned by writing a postcard to a student outside Namibia explaining the young people’s role in maintaining and keeping peace. The writings shared with the group later were so personal and touching, For instance, one read “I now understand and know how vital peace is for me and you to continue My interaction with the UN Communications Group in Zimbabwe during with our education to contribute to the development of both our its monthly meeting introduced me to how the UN System, together with countries, and the world at large”. the Government, have aligned the SDGs to existing national development plans and development cooperation framework. UNIC Windhoek was going to send the postcards to several selected countries through UNICs and start a viable peace pals’ network. “The 71st anniversary of the UN provided yet another unique platform to advance the ongoing discourse and public mobilization for the My visit underlined how so much is happening out there with the implementation of the SDGs”, said the Coordination Adviser in the passionate and professional contribution of the UNICs. A visit to the Resident Coordinator’s Officer. Centres opened my eyes even wider to the realities that colleagues go through on the ground. As noted by the National Information Officer of In Namibia, the focus of the UN Country Team is also the SDGs and UNIC Harare, Tafadzwa Mwale, “we need such visits regularly, to poverty eradication. effectively communicate with each other, in addition to the other channels of communication”. The highlight of my visit to UNIC Windhoek was the educational outreach at a local school focusing on peace and the role of young people. UNIC Staff distributed their peace pals post card which has all the 17 SDGs with a caption ‘writing for sustainable development’. Goal 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions stands out on the post-card to signify the focus on peace. November 2016 Page 2 UNIC @ Work in mid-August and the negative effects of Teams @ Work this incarceration on the detainees, Highlights of our activities particularly on children. In other parts of the Pacific, she highlighted disability rights and violence against women as Argentina central to her work. UNIC also interviewed a representative for UN Radio, 14 September. Summit for Refugees and Migrants Ahead of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants, UNIC Buenos Aires, along with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and International “Sustainable Brands” Meeting Organization for Migration regional offices, organized a press conference to The Director of UNIC Buenos Aires was a discuss and analyse the reality of refugees keynote speaker during the “Sustainable Visit by the UN Special Rapporteur on and migrants in Argentina, the Americas Brands Buenos Aires” meeting, a the situation of Human Rights and the world. Representatives from the renowned event in the country on issues Defenders to Australia national government and UN agencies of sustainability. Her presentation on the were part of the panel of experts, Sustainable Development Goals agenda UNIC Canberra assisted with logistical moderated by the UNIC Director. Seven and what it means for the private sector arrangements and organised a press media representatives attended the event was made in front of an audience of over conference for the Special Rapporteur on and four articles came out as a result. 1,000 people and was widely echoed on Human Rights Defenders during his visit to Australia. The press conference was social media. Launched in 2006, Australia “Sustainable Brands” is a global learning, well attended and media coverage was collaboration, and commerce community widespread throughout Australia, the of forward-thinking business and brand region and globally, 4 to 18 October. strategy, marketing, innovation and Armenia sustainability professionals, who seek to enable brands to shift the world to a sustainable economy, 13 September. Visit by the Regional Representative for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to Australia UNIC Canberra arranged a diplomatic briefing with the Regional Representative Educational Outreach Event at Berd for the UN High Commissioner for Human High School Rights during her visit to Australia. The Representative spoke about human rights UNO Yerevan joined the Office for the challenges across the Pacific, including a Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, recent visit to the Nauru detention centre November 2016 Page 3 UNIC @ Work World Food Programme and the Office of In the framework of the International the UN High Commissioner for Refugees Decade for People of African Descent, on a fact-finding and outreach mission to UNO Yerevan organized an interactive the town of Berd in the north-east Tavush event for the high school students of Berd province of Armenia. The aim was to visit town of Tavush Province. After a brief the border-line communities raising introduction on Africa, tolerance, racism public awareness among youth on the and human rights the students watched a World Humanitarian Agenda, “One film. This was followed by an interactive Humanity” campaign, and the Sustainable role play where the students displayed Development Goals. About 60 students their negotiation skills. In the end they participated in the “World’s Largest received promotional materials prepared Ciné-ONU Vienna screening of “The Lesson” educational event, 28 August to on the Decade, 30September. Anthropologist” September. Austria UNIS Vienna devoted its monthly Ciné- ONU Vienna series to the impact of climate change on indigenous communities around the world by screening the documentary The Anthropologist. More than 250 people joined the Ciné-ONU screening and three additional screenings, engaging with the Co-director of the film, Seth Kramer, and International Literacy Day in Dilijan other experts in a lively discussion after the film. UNIS Vienna also arranged for On the occasion of International Literacy Celebration of Peace Day with “Young interviews with local media and UN Radio, Day, UNO Yerevan jointly with the Central Danube Bridges Vienna” 26 September. Bank of Armenia Knowledge for Development Centre in Dilijan, organized More than 45 young people from six another “World’s Largest Lesson” for the different countries in the Danube Region high-school students of Dilijan and six of gathered in Vienna to take part in an its surrounding communities focusing event called “Young Danube Bridges specifically on Goal 4 – Quality Education. Vienna” and joined a special programme Over 100 students, teachers and parents at the UN to mark the International Day of participated in this event demonstrating Peace. UNIS Vienna offered a free guided their enthusiasm in finding solutions for tour and a lecture on peace and the Goals, the problems raised, 4 September. inviting the participants to take pictures with their preferred Sustainable Development Goals and share on social “Long Day of Flight” Event media, 15 September.