Days 10 - 11: Geneva

Since the internet hasn’t been the greatest here in Geneva, I have only been able to make one blog post using my left over Franks to pay for it. Annoyance, but hey, I need to spend my cash on something and I can’t fall behind again. So here is two days packed into one.

Yesterday was a traveling day. We enjoyed presentations of other people’s resolutions (mine will be presented tomorrow as we head towards Paris.) It was very exciting and interesting to see what people had chosen to write about. When we arrived in Geneva it was very misty and a little cold. We visited the International Confederation of the Red Cross (ICRC) Museum and met with a very interesting guide. He spoke English as a second or perhaps third language but was very enthusiastic and eccentric to say the least. I really enjoyed his company and his knowledge and entertainment as we discovered the history of the ICRC. There were some great artworks with moving and thought provoking messages. A very interesting tour indeed.

For dinner we were treated to African. I’ve never had African food before so it was a very different experience to what I have normally had. I tried Chicken and Onions in interesting sauce with rice. It was a bit spicy for my taste, but still a lovely meal. The atmosphere was very exciting. Another interesting note was a couple of men who entered the restaurant selling roses. This has happened once before on our trip and it was very interesting, as this sort of thing doesn’t happen in Australia. Another wonder of Europe.

Today was a day jam-packed with meetings and tours. We started the day very late (thankfully) and left to experience a tour of the UN building in Geneva. This building was originally constructed for the League of Nations (the organization preceding the UN) and now serves as like a second home for the UN. After this we met with a former UNYA member who now is serving a 3 month internship with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. She was a fascinating and inspiring speaker.

After this our busy day continued with a visit to Australia’s Permanent Mission to Geneva. It was amazing to hear some Australian accents after all this time. Both of the diplomats were on their first posting and had come into the post via different routes. The Deputy Commissioner had once been out on a boat writing a PhD on humpback whales whilst the other diplomat came through the graduate programs that are set up in Australia.

Finally, at dinner, we met up with a relative of one of our delegates who works in the contagious diseases crisis area of the World Health Organisation. He was a very impressive man and a thought provoking speaking and I am thrilled to have met him. I am now very tired from a long day, although I am looking forward to Paris, where we are heading tomorrow.

Hopefully, better internet. Until next time

Elyse