UNIS/Visitors Service Vienna joins the UN Day celebrations at the American International School in Vienna
At the invitation of the American International School in Vienna (AIS), UNIS Vienna joined the school's celebration to mark the United Nations Day on Thursday, 21 October 2010. The United Nations Day is celebrated around the world this time of the year to mark the anniversary of the entry into force of the United Nations Charter on 24 October 1945.
UNIS Vienna's Visitors Service ran a United Nations information-stand at the school on that day, joining 14 stands representing different countries. Two UNIS Tour Guides interacted with students and communicated the function and aims of the United Nations in a playful way: Guessing capital cities and country flags, playing pairs card games and making UN-Day buttons. Students learnt about the rights of the child, endangered species and other tasks performed by the UN around the world.
UNIS-Director Maher Nasser thanked the American International School students and staff for celebrating the UN Day on this activity-filled day and for inviting him to join them on this very special day. In his brief remarks to a large crowed of elementary school students, their parents and teachers, he said: "The United Nations will be 65 years old on Sunday 24 October 2010. Some may say that at 65, may be it is time for the UN to retire! I would argue that with so many global problems still around that only the UN can deal with, we cannot afford to send the United Nations into retirement. In fact, if it did not exist today, we would have to create it, or something like it. Our world still suffers from poverty and hunger, not all children have access to schools and many people do not have access to energy and other basic services that you/we take for granted. Climate change and other global challenges cannot be dealt with by any one country alone". He hoped that may be in 65 years, or less, humanity will have overcome these global challenges and may be then we can talk about the retirement of the organization.
As part of the celebrations at the AIS, elementary students of various ages, dressed in their respective national costumes, performed songs and dances including one dedicated to the Rights of the Child.
"The UN Day was a great success. The students enjoyed the activities at the stands. It was worth the efforts," Susan Enge, the organizer of UN-Day at the American International School, summed up the day's activities.
In addition to joining the UN Day celebrations at the American International School in Vienna, UNIS Vienna organized under the UN4U outreach programme nine lectures at universities and schools in and around Vienna and Bratislava delivered by staff from UNIDO, IAEA, CTBTO, and UNIS.
