postconflictdevelopmentblog-blog

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FPCD & UN Global Compact Communications on Engagement - Part 2

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FPCD & UN Global Compact Communication on Engagement - Part 1

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From the FPCD’s latest team meeting - bringing people together from across 3 continents to plan and discuss how best to help post-conflict nations!

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*UN DPI-NGO session, 18 January, 2018, as attended by FPCD*

Briefing: "Stop Sexual Exploitation and Abuse: One-on-One with the Assistant Secretary-General, Victims' Rights Advocate for the United Nations"

The well-attended session was opened by Jeff Brez, Chief, NGO Relations, and moderated by Raeshem Nijhon, media manager and women's advocate. Ms. Nijhon has partnered with the UN Foundation, the Gates Foundation, and the NYU Department of Public Health, among others.

Ms. Jane Connors, the UN's Victims' Rights Advocate on sexual exploitation and abuse, was the featured speaker. She has also served as Director of International Advocacy for Amnesty International as well as with the UN at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. An academic, Ms. Connors has published widely on the rights of women and children. She spoke on the plight of victims and the challenges in dealing with these very sensitive situations.

The UN's own approach to this issue is "No Excuse, Zero Tolerance." The rights and dignity of victims are its top priority. The UN Charter requires that all personnel must maintain the highest standards of integrity and professional conduct.

After her talk, Ms. Connors took questions from the attendees. Not surprisingly, the "MeToo" movement and current climate in the U.S. were quickly brought into these discussions.

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Identity Drift Drowns the Maldives

Marc Dominianni 17 September 2017 INAF 6921 Magazine Writing

Hundreds of militants fighting with the Islamic State and Al Nusra Front in Syria and Iraq begin their journey in an island paradise a world away. The Maldives is second worldwide in number of citizens per capita joining these violent extremist groups. Even Maldivian women and children—so-called ISIS families—have been apprehended on Turkey’s southern border. They are driven to the caliphate in part by bad government policies at home.

The Maldives, a country of over a thousand tiny islands, sits in the center of the Indian Ocean, southwest of Sri Lanka, east of the Horn of Africa. The nation’s 400,000 people occupy a total land area roughly the size of the borough of Queens. The Maldives’ economy depends on foreign tourists attracted to luxury resorts on unspoiled beaches. If current rates of sea level rise continue, the islands, with an average elevation of just five feet, could be completely uninhabitable by 2100.

One Maldivian, Hassan Mohamed, age 27, has not been to his home since 2010. The apartment that he goes to on annual leave from his resort job, hundreds of miles away across pearly atolls and turquoise seas, was built for his family by the national government. His true home, the town where he grew up, was abandoned, its old houses, mosques, and football pitches left to the Indian Ocean’s unremitting breakers that raze memories brick by brick.

On Fanidhoo, his old island, in the north of the country, Hassan and his father used to catch fish. His mother, like many women in town, wove thatch from palm fronds and spun fibrous coconut husks into cord. Resort developers across the Maldives purchased such products to give their facilities a local flare. Fanidhoo’s houses, built long ago from coral stone and coconut timber, offered large courtyards along wide streets to accommodate these crafts, alongside rich gardens and communal space.

Hassan’s new place isn’t a house but a flat, one in a chain of identical blocks housing families just like his, former residents of small islands given no choice but to relocate into planned new towns. The blocks, tightly packed, provide no room for crafts, so women no longer generate income. Men abandon traditional professions in favor of more lucrative employment far away to make up the difference.

Some men of working age, like Hassan, find occupation in real life desktop backgrounds: Maldivian resorts. Landscaping and custodial work pay well. Others move to the capital city, Malé, in hopes of a more modern life, only to be disappointed by pollution, congestion, and astronomical costs of living rivaling New York but with an earning potential more typical of South Asia. A way of life is destroyed.

Over two hundred young men are known to have gone even further afield in seeking livelihood and fulfilment while coping with these challenges. They alight in Syria and Iraq, leaving the tropical breeze of one paradise to join groups promising an entirely different kind of paradise if duties are fulfilled.

What could possess a young person like Hassan to leave his home, his way of life, his family and friends, to join such a cause? What if his home was taken, his way of life made obsolete, his family relocated and dispersed, his rights violated? Literature exploring the prevention of violent extremism says that people experiencing such challenges can suffer from “identity drift,” their sense of self lost or destroyed. Extremist recruiters offer people like Hassan new identities to fill that void.

Americans see a similar process in their prison systems with gang recruitment. The violent gangs of Malé, a rough and tumble town despite its tropical setting, also prey on young people whose lives have been shaken. Some gangs intermingle with Islamist groups at home and abroad. Connections are made and Maldivians leave their islands to fight in foreign wars.

But why would the Maldivian government expose its citizens radicalization and violence? This is an unintended consequence of attempts to mitigate risks of climate change. Hassan and his family were relocated because Fanidhoo, their old island, did not have a fortified port or protected shoreline, and thus rising sea levels threatened it. The new city built for relocating families offers all this and more feasibly; an island of just 300 people would not make the expense of seawalls worthwhile.

Hassan’s sentimental attachment to his heritage home does not protect against rising sea levels. But in its haste to adapt to a changing climate, the Maldivian government has overlooked the social outcomes of its relocation policies. For now, at least, Hassan earns money to support his family. But each new cultural loss the government facilitates could further separate him from his past and a healthy future. Without new, smart policies, identity drift caused by the Maldivian government could drown it before the seas have the chance.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Marc is currently studying Economic & Political Development and International Conflict Resolution at Columbia University’s School of International & Public Affairs. He recently contributed to political and conflict analysis with the Peace and Development Advisor (PDA) in UN Maldives’ Resident Coordinator’s Office and with UNFPA’s Humanitarian and Fragile Contexts Branch.  He has supervised small business development projects in rural Tanzania. Marc will graduate in May 2018. 

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UN Academic Impact March Newsletter

FPCD Supports the UN Academic Impact.

By Supporting the UN ACADEMIC IMPACT the FPCD agrees to the following:

1. A commitment to the principles inherent in the United Nations Charter as values that education seeks to promote and help fulfil;

2. A commitment to human rights, among them freedom of inquiry, opinion, and speech; 3. A commitment to educational opportunity for all people regardless of gender, race, religion or ethnicity; 4. A commitment to the opportunity for every interested individual to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for the pursuit of higher education; 5. A commitment to building capacity in higher education systems across the world; 6. A commitment to encouraging global citizenship through education; 7. A commitment to advancing peace and conflict resolution through education; 8. A commitment to addressing issues of poverty through education; 9. A commitment to promoting sustainability through education; 10. A commitment to promoting inter-cultural dialogue and understanding, and the “unlearning” of intolerance, through education.

Read the UN Academic Impact March Newsletter here:

http://outreach.un.org/unai/files/2011/10/Newsletter-March1.pdf

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TALK BUSINESS 360 Interview with The Foundation for Post Conflict Develo...

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TALK BUSINESS 360 Interview with The Foundation for Post Conflict Develo...

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Press Release: Mary David Recognized by Diplomatic Courier

MEDIA ADVISORY

September 10, 2013

Washington, DC

 Diplomatic Courierand YPFP Recognize Mary David on “99 Under 33”

 WASHINGTON, DC:  The Diplomatic Courier and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy are pleased to announce that Mary David, Director of Public Relations, Foundation for Post Conflict Development, has been recognized on the 2013 “99 Under 33,” an international list noting the most influential foreign policy leaders under the age of 33. The complete list is available at: www.diplomaticourier.com/99Under33.

 The 99 Under 33 recognizes the distinctive impact each of the honorees has on his or her community today and their promise of potential as a leader in the future. This list uniquely offers insight into the creativity, determination, and passion of the diverse young people who are already tackling the world's critical global challenges. By design, this list is broad and diverse, which reflects the belief that foreign policy in the 21st century is made by leaders from all sectors.

  “Mary David is a remarkable champion on all aspects of human trafficking. She is an asset to our Foundation and to our global society” said Claudia Abate-Debat, Founder and Executive Director of the Foundation for Post Conflict Development.

 “Mary David has made it her mission to aid the poor and disadvantaged in areas recovering from conflict. As a Shaper, Mary has altered the public conversation on collateral damage and encouraged the world to remember the people swept into war,” highlights Ana C. Rold, Editor-in-Chief, Diplomatic Courier.

 The “99 Under 33” recognizes seven leadership archetypes that define the list:

·        A Catalyst is from a field not typically associated with foreign policy who has had an impact on international affairs.

·        A Convener brings people together in creative ways to address a pressing international issue or enhance the foreign policy community.

·        An Influencer mobilizes people in the foreign policy community with bold new ideas.

·        An Innovator designs a new solution to a critical global challenge.

·        A Practitioner changes foreign policy from the inside through extraordinary professionalism and skill.

·        A Risk-taker takes a chance and sees it pay off.

·        A Shaper changes the public discourse on an aspect of foreign policy or raises awareness on a critical issue.

Follow the 99 on twitter: #99Under33. With questions or to interview Mary David or Mrs. Rold, please contact Press Officer Kathryn Floyd at press@diplomaticourier.org.

###

About Us: The Foundation for Post Conflict Development is a 501 (c) (3) not for profit organization that strives to fulfil the Millennium Development Goals in Post Conflict areas.Our landmark project is the Prince Rainier III Maternity Clinic in Timor-Leste. The FPCD website is www.postconflictdev.org

About Us: The Diplomatic Courier is the global affairs magazine that connects the diplomatic and policy establishment to the next generation of leaders in diplomacy and foreign policy. The Diplomatic Courier publishes six print issues per year, as well as weekly online at www.diplomaticourier.com and a daily blog, On Point. The Diplomatic Courier is an independent publication both in its voice and its organization. Publishing opinions from all political spectrums, the Courier adheres to the ideals of freedom of expression, individualism, and fair and balanced journalism.

  >>>>>>

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PEACEJAM, Nobel Laureates, Youth and YOU

 FPCD Supports PEACEJAM

 Nobel Laureates

Youth

and YOU

 Watch this informative Tedx Talk by PEACEJAM Founders

Dawn Engle and Ivan Suvanjieff

 and learn how to get involved in the

1 Billion Acts of Peace Campaign

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FPCD at MALALA DAY

FPCD Participates in MALALA DAY at the United Nations

 Amanda Nesheiwat, FPCD Youth Representative, presents her perspective here.

"On July 12th, I had the opportunity to attend the first ever Malala Day at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City.  Nearly 1000 youth from around the world gathered for a Global Youth Takeover of the General Assembly and called upon world leaders to understand the importance of educating our youth. I was happy to be there in support of Malala Yousafzai and what she represented as well as being in a room filled with youth representatives from 75 nations who made their way to NYC to have their voices heard on an issue we consider very urgent.

 (Amanda Nesheiwat, far right, with Youth Representatives from around the world)

The event started with words by the UN Special Envoy for Global Education and the President of the General Assembly. Then Secretary General Ban Ki- Moon told us all his incredible story of how he was a child in poverty and education was everything to him and how the United Nations helped him learn to read by providing books to children. As Malala made her way to the podium, all of the youth delegates stood up including Malala’s parent’s and sang Happy Birthday to her since the UN intentionally made Malala Day on her 16thbirthday. 

(Secretary General Ban ki-Moon speaks at the podium)

As we all sat down with anticipation of hearing what she had to say, she told us that Malala Day is not in fact a celebration for her, but for all of the boys and girls in the world who raised their voices for their rights. She spoke of how the Taliban shot her in the head and thought that they would silence her and her friends, but instead created courage and strength among millions of people. She spoke of the tragedy and how common it is for young people to go to school in war ridden areas and talked of the many challenges that young woman in some parts of the world must go through to go to school.

 Unfortunately, there are currently 57 million children in the world who do not have access to education.  Perhaps the most memorable quote from her inspirational speech was when she told us that our books and pens are our most powerful weapons saying that extremists are afraid of women and the power of education. These powerful words brought some of us to tears including the Secretary Ban, his wife and Malala’s parents. No child should ever have to go through such a traumatic experience just to get an education, our human right. The youth presented a “Global Youth Resolution: The Education We Want” to the Secretary General and the US Special Envoy for Global Education that we had all put together previous to the event.  The resolution resonated with the Millennium Development Goals and laid out a plan for fair and affordable universal education. Since Malala Day, world leaders have recommitted to prioritizing education. I feel so honored to have been at Malala Day with so many inspiring and passionate young people who are shaping the outcome of our future.  

(A standing ovation from the world's youth for Malala)

 By: Amanda J Nesheiwat

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FPCD supports International Day of Charity

The FPCD supports the United Nations efforts to create an International Day of Charity.

 Please find herewith, the text of the General Assembly Resolution on this important international day.

 "

International Day of Charity

The General Assembly,

Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,1 which states that

  recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all

members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the

world,

Recalling the goals and objectives of the Declaration2 and Programme of

Action3 on a Culture of Peace,

Reaffirming Economic and Social Council resolution 1980/67 of 25 July 1980

on international years and anniversaries and General Assembly resolutions 53/199

of 15 December 1998 and 61/185 of 20 December 2006 on the proclamation of

international years,

Reaffirming also the recognition, set forth in the United Nations Millennium

Declaration4 adopted by the Heads of State and Government at the Millennium

Summit, of the fundamental value of solidarity to international relations in the

twenty-first century,

Deeply concerned that poverty persists in all countries of the world,

particularly in developing countries, regardless of their economic, social and

cultural situation,

__________________

* Reissued for technical reasons on 14 December 2012.

1 Resolution 217 A (III).

2 Resolution 53/243 A.

3 Resolution 53/243 B.

4 See resolution 55/2.

A/67/L.45

2 12-64506

Recognizing the work done by Member States and the United Nations system

and the role of charity in alleviating humanitarian crises and human suffering within

and among nations,

Affirming that charity may contribute to the promotion of dialogue among

people from different civilizations, cultures and religions, as well as of solidarity

and mutual understanding,

Recognizing the efforts of charitable organizations and individuals, including

the work of Mother Teresa,

1. Decides to designate 5 September as the International Day of Charity;

2. Invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system

and other international and regional organizations, as well as civil society, including

non-governmental organizations and individuals, to commemorate the International

Day of Charity in an appropriate manner, by encouraging charity, including through

education and public awareness-raising activities;

3. Requests the Secretary-General to bring the present resolution to the

attention of all Member States and organizations of the United Nations system.

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Secretary-General of the United Nations' Address to the General Assembly

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, General Assembly, 22 January 2013

Let me start today’s discussion by thanking you for your support and encouragement throughout 2012. At the beginning, I offer you my best wishes for your continued good health and success throughout 2013 and beyond. Ladies and Gentlemen, For several years now, we have come together in January for dialogue on our shared efforts to meet our shared goals. This year, we meet amid tremendous turmoil and uncertainty. From armed conflict in Africa and the Middle East, to economic and environmental distress across the globe, we are being tested every minute of every day. One year ago, with waves of monumental change surging around us, I called for equally dramatic steps to transform the human condition. I identified five areas where needs are greatest and where collective action can make the greatest difference. They are: sustainable development; prevention; supporting nations in transition; building a more secure world; and empowering women and young people. These imperatives -- these generational opportunities -- flow naturally from the eight priorities the General Assembly has set for the United Nations. They are: sustainable development, peace and security, human rights, humanitarian assistance, disarmament, justice, the development of Africa, drug control, crime prevention and combating terrorism. My fervent hope -- and our common urgent need -- is that we can stop moving from crisis to crisis, from symptom to symptom, and instead address the underlying causes and inter-relationships, and recognize the flaws in many of our approaches. I am pleased to report today on what we have achieved together in some of the areas – and where concerted action today can yield great gains tomorrow. Excellencies, Mesdames et Messieurs, 2012 fut une année de turbulences, mais aussi de gains tangibles. À la Conférence sur le développement durable, Rio +20, nous avons fait un grand pas dans la bonne direction. Le mois dernier, à Doha, nous avons maintenu sur les rails les négociations sur le climat. C’est une priorité pour moi et, l’année prochaine, j’entends inviter les dirigeants du monde individuellement et collectivement, à mobiliser la volonté politique nécessaire à l’adoption, d’ici à 2015, d’un instrument fort, complet et contraignant sur les changements climatiques. Les débats relatifs au programme de développement pour l’après-2015 ont démarré en force l’an dernier. Quarante-quatre pays ont adopté des plans d’accélération des activités axées sur les objectifs du Millénaire pour le développement. La croissance économique est restée robuste en Asie, en Afrique et en Amérique latine, ce qui a permis à des millions de personnes d’échapper à la pauvreté et à la marginalisation. L’Assemblée générale a adopté une résolution phare sur les mutilations génitales féminines, et nous avons célébré la première Journée internationale de la fille, ouvrant ainsi la voie à des progrès dans la protection des enfants contre la discrimination, la violence, le mariage précoce et la circonscription forcée. Mon initiative « L’éducation avant tout » a mis plus encore l’accent sur l’égalité des chances pour tous les enfants et, la semaine dernière, j’ai annoncé la nomination du premier Envoyé des Nations Unies pour la jeunesse, le Jordanien Ahmad Alhindawi. L’opération de maintien de la paix qui était déployée au Timor-Leste a mené à bien sa mission. Des élections ont eu lieu en Sierra Leone, marquant une autre étape importante. Soucieux de faire une place plus grande à la prévention et aux interventions rapides, nous avons déployé des spécialistes de la médiation dans 22 pays. Avec l’assistance de l’ONU, la Libye, la Somalie et le Yémen ont consolidé leurs acquis démocratiques. En appuyant les pays en transition, dont ceux qui sont inscrits à l’ordre du jour de la Commission de consolidation de la paix, nous avons contribué à améliorer les perspectives de paix à long terme. Nous avons noué des liens plus étroits avec des organisations régionales, de l’Union africaine à l’ASEAN en passant par la Ligue des États arabes et l’Union européenne. L’Assemblée générale a adopté une résolution majeure sur la sécurité humaine. Nous avons rendu plus rigoureuse la procédure de sélection du personnel des missions des Nations Unies. Au titre du Fonds central pour les interventions d’urgence, qui aide les pays touchés par des catastrophes naturelles et d’autres sinistres, des montants plus importants que jamais ont été versés à plus de pays que jamais, ce qui montre qu’il s’agit réellement d’un mécanisme pour tous, financé par tous. L’an dernier, l’ancien Président libérien Charles Taylor a été condamné pour crimes de guerre et crimes contre l’humanité; ce fut une nouvelle étape dans la consolidation de la justice pénale internationale, qui montre que nous sommes à l’ère de la responsabilité. Par ailleurs, la déclaration ambitieuse adoptée à la première réunion de haut niveau que l’Assemblée générale ait jamais consacrée à l’état de droit devrait aider les pays et la communauté internationale à renforcer l’action qu’ils mènent en faveur de la paix et de la sécurité, du développement et des droits de l’homme. Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, These achievements, and many more like them, spanned the full range of UN priorities. We responded to crisis, tried new approaches and built new foundations for a better future. I am encouraged -- but I am far from satisfied. The stresses of our times, the pressures on our planet, the pain of the people we serve – all this demands that we do better in 2013. We can start next Wednesday at the Syria Humanitarian Conference that I am convening in Kuwait. I appeal to Member States to send high-level delegations and come forward with generous pledges. I call on Syria’s neighbours to continue to allow those seeking refuge to cross borders to safety. And I thank His Heiness Emir of Kuwait for his very generous position to convene this meeting together with me. We must do everything we can to reach Syrians in need. We must intensify our efforts to end the violence through diplomacy, overcoming the divisions within Syria, the region and the Security Council. I call again for all states to cease sending arms to either side in Syria. We remain a long way from getting the Government and opposition together to make the key decisions about the country’s future that only Syrians can make. In the meantime, we must make it clear that all perpetrators of atrocity crimes in Syria will be held to account. Syria is one among several crises that have led to the largest refugee flows since the Kosovo crisis 13 years ago. Other large-scale displacements are taking place in Mali and the Sahel. Mali is under threat from terrorists, with regional and global repercussions. Addressing these challenges requires political, security and humanitarian efforts. At the same time, in calibrating the extent of its own involvement, the United Nations has to carefully take into account the human rights, safety and security issues at stake. Working with African and international partners, we must do our part to help fully restore Mali’s constitutional order and territorial integrity. Meanwhile, we continue to work towards an integrated strategy for the Sahel region that would address the mix of extremism, poverty, drought and governance challenges that is causing such profound misery and dangerous insecurity. This year we must also re-consider our approach to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. I have been in close contact with President Kabila of the DRC and other leaders of the Great Lakes Region to establish a new peace and security framework to break the appalling cycle of violence. I hope the Framework will be signed at the upcoming AU Summit. 2013 will be a critical year for the Middle East Peace process. As illegal settlement activity continues and Israelis and Palestinians remain polarized, five key priorities stand out: first, we must renew collective international engagement; second, we must resume meaningful negotiations; third, we must preserve stability in Gaza; fourth, we must make progress on Palestinian reconciliation, and fifth, we must prevent the financial collapse of the Palestinian Authority. Concerted action is essential if we are to salvage the two-state solution. Excellencies, We need to do more to advance the Responsibility to Protect in the face of grave crimes and incitement – and avoid un-doing the great progress we have made. In both Syria and Mali, we must do everything we can to keep those conflicts from generating reprisal killings that escalate into widespread ethnic and sectarian warfare and even genocidal activities. And we need to advance the rule of law on disarmament and non-proliferation. I urge you to bring the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty into force. Conclude negotiations on an Arms Trade Treaty in March. Fulfill the Action Plan adopted at the 2010 NPT Review Conference. Begin negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament without further delay. And convene a conference this year on establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, We will press ahead in 2013 on the paramount challenge of sustainable development. In September, there will be a special event on the Millennium Development Goals to assess progress and discuss the contours of an ambitious, practical and coherent post-2015 development framework. Toward this end we will draw on the work of my High-level Panel of Eminent Persons, which will report to me at the end of May. Global consultations and other processes will also be key parts of this process. I am pleased to note the imminent adoption by the General Assembly of a resolution establishing an Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals. Let us do our utmost to inspire and mobilize the world behind this effort. In September the General Assembly will hold high-level meetings on migration and on the rights of people with disabilities. We will prepare for conferences on the least-developed countries and small-island developing states to be held in 2014. And we will advance preparations for a World Humanitarian Summit to be held in 2015. We continue our campaigns against violence based on sexual orientation. I urge Member States to come to the March session of the Commission on the Status of Women with specific plans to end violence against women, including through UN Women’s new COMMIT initiative. And we have high hopes for ESCWA’s recently launched work with regional bodies to establish an Arab Women’s Observatory to monitor and promote progress, protection and participation. Our work at the national and international levels requires solidarity and mutual understanding. Next month at its forum in Vienna, the Alliance of Civilizations will continue its work to counter extremism and hatred. Whether on the world stage or in their communities, leaders have a responsibility to speak the language of tolerance and respect, not division and defamation. Excellencies, Lasting solutions to global problems no longer lie in the hands of governments alone. The United Nations of the 21st century must think in terms of networks and coalitions. I am pleased to report that the Every Woman Every Child alliance has generated more than $10 billion in new resources on life-saving health interventions. The Scaling Up Nutrition movement is making inroads against malnutrition and childhood stunting. The Sustainable Energy for All initiative will bring in more partners and pledges in 2013. We will continue to explore where else to apply this model. I am putting forward a proposal to the General Assembly, through the Regular Budget process, for a UN Partnership Facility to accelerate our efforts. I ask for your strong support. I reiterate my gratitude to the Member States for the generous investments in the Capital Master Plan. We have returned to a modernized Secretariat building. The renovation of the General Assembly will begin in May this year, and is expected to be finished late next year, along with the renovation of the conference building already under way. We are moving ahead, with your blessing, on the deployment of our Enterprise Resource Planning system, Umoja, and the implementation of International Public Sector Accounting Standards, called IPSAS. Other major change management efforts include the integration of research, training and library services, and the moves towards a digital Secretariat through technological solutions such as the paper-smart concept, which I saw in action at the Doha climate change conference. I look forward to your approval of the proposed mobility framework in March. The sooner the Organization can enjoy the benefits of a truly global workforce and Secretariat, the better. I also look forward to continued dialogue on reforming the backstopping and funding of our political missions. We in the Secretariat are well aware of the severe financial constraints that define our work. As I told the staff at a town hall meeting earlier this month, no one can afford so-called a greenhouse mentality in which there is always sun and water to nourish what we do. It will be very difficult to cut a further $100 million from the budget for the next biennium, over and above the efficiencies I had already identified, as you have asked. But we are, of course, committed to budget discipline. At the same time, as demands continue to grow, it is unrealistic to think that substantial budget reductions will have no impact. It is unsustainable for Member States to add and add while the Secretariat is asked to cut and cut. I urge you to consider reviewing mandated activities that may have been fulfilled or overtaken by new developments. I appeal to you to review your practices, and find efficiencies there, too. Let us work together to weather the current financial storm. Mr. President, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, This is no time for business as usual. To shape the future we want, we will have to think and act innovatively and differently. We will have to throw off another brake on our common progress: the tyranny of the status quo. Too often, Governments and our international machinery operate on auto-pilot. Issues remain in their silos; worrying trends are allowed to persist and unfold, all because “that is the way things have been done”, or because true change is seen as costly or unrealistic, or entrenched interests have a hold on the legislative machinery. This Organization has a solid record of achievement. UN staff across the world continue to perform heroically, often under daunting circumstances. But we must do more than save lives, central as that is to our mission. We must save our very future. Let us make the year ahead one in which we rise above disunity and the lowest common denominator, and show the world that good international solutions are in the national interest. I repear that: international solutions are in the national interest. The decisions we take -- or fail to take -- in the crucial next few years will shape the world for decades to come. Let us be wise, responsible and forward-looking. Let us work as one to deliver for all. Thank you very much for your leadership.

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UN DPI goes High-Tech with "Iphone App"

From the UN Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York:

"United Nations Online Volunteers AND Staff Launch Free, New Interactive

iPhone ‘App’ of Organization’s Activities, Events, Information

A new iPhone app developed by the United Nations Department of Public Information with a team of United Nations online volunteers is now downloadable for free.  Illustrating the breadth of activities of the United Nations system around the world, the UN Calendar of Observances app uses the international days as a basis to show users, through photos, videos and weblinks, what the United Nations does.

The app, which can be fully integrated into a user’s iPhone calendar, features United Nations observances that promote awareness of political, social, cultural, humanitarian and human rights issues, as well as ways to get involved.  It also provides interactive features relating to United Nations achievements, links to videos and photos, and options for sharing information via e-mail and social media.  It may be downloaded through https://unp.un.org/calendar.

The app is the electronic version of The United Nations Making a Difference 2013 educational calendar, which highlights United Nations achievements through high-resolution photos and text bullets.  The United Nations online volunteers who developed the electronic version of the calendar — at no cost to the United Nations — have backgrounds in software development (Christopher Bell, New Zealand), information technology management ( Aveline Sodji, Canada) and software engineering (Andrew Thornton, United Kingdom).

“Working for the United Nations in any capacity is an honour, but doing so on a voluntary basis, even in this small way, seems to be the purest way to give back to an organization committed to world peace, socioeconomic development and human rights,” said Mr. Thornton, the coordinator of the volunteers.  Similar United Nations online volunteering opportunities can be found at http://www.onlinevolunteering.org.

“The volunteers brought professional expertise and experience that we did not have in this area,” said Finn Summerell of the Department of Public Information’s Publications and Editorial Cluster, which spearheaded the project.  “They helped determine the app’s critical features, functions and appearance, and offered solutions to technical problems that cropped up along the way.”  Department staff and interns created app-specific icons and provided development support, as well as content.

Fittingly, the product is being launched in connection with the celebration of International Volunteer Day for Social and Economic Development, 5 December (http://www.volunteeractioncounts.org/en).  The celebration, organized by the United Nations Volunteers Programme, the United Nations Department of Public Information and the AARP — an organization that offers volunteer opportunities to its 37 million members in the United States — will take place at 2:30 p.m. in the North Lawn Building, Conference Room 4. 

The observance will feature Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information; Maher Nasser, Director, Department of Public Information’s Outreach Division; Kevin Gilroy, Director, Peace Division, United Nations Volunteers; and Josh Collett, AARP Vice-President for International Affairs.

For further information, contact Orrin Summerell, Department of Public Information, e-mail:  summerell@un.org, or tel:  +1 212 963 8293."

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International Day for Tolerance

The Foundation for Post Conflict Development Aligns with the United Nations Secretary General on the Occasion of the International Day for Tolerance. Please read this important message here:

THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

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MESSAGE FOR INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR TOLERANCE

16 November 2012

Building tolerance and understanding is fundamental for the twenty-first century.  In an increasingly globalized world – in which societies are growing more diverse – tolerance is central to living together. 

Yet tolerance is being tested.  In the face of economic and social pressures, some seek to exploit fears and highlight differences to stoke hatred of minorities, immigrants and the disadvantaged.  To counter the rise of ignorance, extremism and hate-based political appeals, the moderate majority must speak up for shared values and against all forms of discrimination.

Our goal must be more than peaceful coexistence.  True tolerance requires the free flow of ideas, quality education for all, respect for human rights, and the sharing of cultures for mutual understanding. As we advance these values, let us draw strength and guidance from the UNESCO Universal Declaration on Cultural Diversity.

Tolerance is both a condition of peace and an engine for creativity and innovation. In our evermore interconnected world, promoting tolerance is the way to build the  harmony we need to address pressing challenges and secure a better future.