United Nations Women’s Guild - Geneva
January/February 2017
January is the coldest month of the year in the
Northern Hemisphere.
February is the shortest month of the year.
CONTENTS
3 President’s Welcome
11 Book Club
4 President’s Welcome continued
12 Languages list
5 Executive Committee
13 Activities list
6 Photos of Pakistan Coffee Morning..
14 Art Exhibition at WIPO
7 Photos of the Latin American Coffee
Morning.
15 BAZAAR photos
8 Projects from around the World.
16 Editor’s messages
9 Projects from around the World.
17 Additional Information
10 Words from Birsen Gyger.
Dear Members,
To keep our commitment to our members who do not have internet access, we will send an
abbreviated Listings of Events by post. The Newsletter will be e-mailed to other members
with internet access.
Thank you for your kind understanding.
UNWG Newsletters can also be found at http://www.unwg.ch/
The Executive Committee
English Newsletter Editor: Karen Ransome
Photographers: Margaret Tomassi and Genevieve Auroi
Distribution: Budi Maher & team
Website Management: Olga Mednikova
UNITED NATIONS WOMEN’S GUILD
Villa les Feuillantines, 8-14 Avenue de la Paix, 1211 Genève 10
Tel: 022 917 33 86 Email: [email protected]
Opening times: Monday - Friday 9.30am-12.00noon
Monday & Thursday 2.00pm to 5.00pm
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MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 2016-17
Catherine d’Arcangues,
Vice President Projects
Alexandra Demiroz
Modestova, Treasurer
Nehad Sukayri, President
Sibyl De Peic
Membership Secretary
Carmen Falaize
Hospitality
Karen Ransome
English Newsletter Editor
Patricia Murith Urcuyo
Co-membership Secretary
Senait Gebreselassie
Vice-President Activities
Farida Serir
French Newsletter Editor
Bilqueece Alimohamed
Recording Secretary English.
Geneviève Autoi-Jaggi
Public Relations
Atria Rai Tene
Education
Peta Girod,
Welcoming
French Recording
Secretary
Soontri Srisoonthornthai
Co-treasurer
PrPresidents
President’sWelcome
Welcome
President’s
Dear Members
Let me at the outset acknowledge the hard work done by
Guild members who volunteered their time and effort for
the sake of the annual Bazaar which we hope was a great
success.
The contribution of the United Nations office in Geneva,
in preparation for this Bazaar, has been remarkable, we
thank them for that and appreciate their efforts.
The participation in the annual Bazaar of diplomatic
missions is also highly appreciated.
Let me take this opportunity to extend my sincere thanks
to all of them.
The annual Bazaar is an event that provides an
opportunity to all visitors to navigate through different
cultures of the participating countries. The objective of
this philanthropic activity is first and foremost to use the
revenues of the annual Bazaar in order to help
underprivileged children in different parts of the world,
especially in developing countries, and to improve the
quality of their lives, particularly in such areas as health
and education.
Since Guild started holding such welfare events, many
philanthropic projects have been implemented and the
lives of many children have changed to the better.
Today, I can confidently say to the volunteering ladies
that, you have made the change by exerting much of
your time and effort most graciously for this noble
cause.
Ladies, you should be proud of yourselves as much as
I am proud of you.
Finally, I would like to thank Mr. Michael Moller,
Director-General of the United Nations Office in
Geneva, their excellencies the Ambassadors, the
dignitaries and diplomats who attended the Bazaar
ceremony and contributed to the success of this year's
Bazaar. I should also like to thank all Guild members
and volunteers for their invaluable efforts. Also thanks
to all participants whose participation has enriched our
philanthropic experience and led to the success that
we have proudly witnessed this year.
Nehad Sukayri
Monthly Coffee Mornings
We would like to thank the Pakistan Mission for hosting
the November Coffee Morning.
For all coffee mornings, please
present to our Welcoming team
when paying the coffee morning fee,
your 2017 membership card.
For more details contact: Carmen Falaize (Hospitality) or Peta Girod (Welcoming).
Their contact details may be found in the Guild Members‘ Directory
The Coffee Morning of 6th December was
hosted by the Ambassadors wives of Latin
America, Mrs Cesy Aguirre of Paraguay,
Mrs Pilar Chaves of Peru, Mrs Zulay de
Valero of Venezuela and the members
from Latin America of the UNWG.
The dishes were varied and served alongside
Christmas Decorations and helped to create an
ambiance. 128 people were present.
Coffee Mornings 2017
Tuesday 10th JANUARY
Tuesday 7th FEBRUARY
Information will be sent out separately
Our Projects Throughout the World
Adolescent girls training in Pakistan
Report by Vice President-Projects, Catherine d’Arcangues
The National Forum on Women's Health is
an NGO based in Karachi, Pakistan,
“dedicated to improving the quality of life
for women regardless of race, creed or
economic status."
In response to the
particular challenges faced by young
people of underprivileged areas,
particularly as they make this difficult
transition from adolescence to adulthood,
the NGO developed a programme of
empowerment and skills building, named
Subbh-e Nau or "Smile of hope".
Specifically, this 6-month programme includes three components: health awareness raising,
including sexual and reproductive health education; skills training and development in
sewing, embroidery, kitchen gardening, and English; social and cultural activities. The
programme was offered to 44 out-of-school underprivileged adolescents (10-19 y/o). UNWG
contributed to the project with educational material, 25 sewing machines, sewing material,
and gardening tools.
The programme is currently at mid-point and regular monitoring already shows significant
gains in knowledge and skills on the part of the participants. On the basis of these
preliminary results, the NGO considers that the programme is a scalable model, that will
employ, engage and empower vulnerable groups in rural areas of Karachi and Sindh. It will
thus set the ground for widespread behavioural change and increase citizen’s engagement in
community activities, thereby giving y voice to these populations.
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Our Projects Throughout the World
Receiving children in Guinea-Bissau
Report by Vice President-Projects, Catherine d’Arcangues
Migration is a large-scale phenomenon in West Africa, with the most affected being children and
adolescent victims of human trafficking or who have left for large west-African cities where they are
exposed to famine, sexual abuse, substance abuse, forced labour and criminality without any
possibility to return home.
In Guinea-Bissau, one observes an increasing number of such vulnerable children. Many are left to
themselves because of a lack of adequate facilities. A few private initiatives led to the creation of
two centres but these can hardly meet the growing demand. Thus the Child’s Friends Association
(AMIC) – a local organization dedicated to the promotion and defense of children’s rights – felt
compelled to build and equip a multifunction centre for vulnerable children in Bissau.
This centre offers a number of services: psychological, medical and nutritional support ; protection ;
literacy ; reintegration into
society, the school system and/or professional networks ; and
sensitization of children to the dangers of street life. With support from SSI (Fondation suisse du
Service International) it already includes dormitories, an infirmary, a multipurpose hall, an
administrative area and a kitchen. Basic food for the children is ensured through a community kitchen
garden. The centre wanted to develop an outdoors playground and UNWG was able to contribute to
the project with outdoor games and teaching material.
Some memories from Birsen Gyger former Honorary President of the
UNWG (1995- 1999) who died in November.
She wrote this message before she left Geneva in 1999.
Geneva, October 1999
Dear Friends,
That’s it, and the pain is no longer the same. The therapeutic and magical power of words,
that gardenship control they exercise. Already when we listen to the screams of despair,
often silent, when we only are ONE with those who suffer and even when everything
drives us to desperation, we do not lose hope. The pain is no longer the same.
Our aim is to help deprived children. We will never close our hands on them. I know we
will do our utmost. As the Honorary President of the UNWG, I thank you for your
participation and your support.
Before leaving you in about a month, I wish to thank with all my heart the whole team, the
old as much as the present Executive Committee and Bazaar Committee members for their
efficiency, their competence and their friendship.
I am going to countries that I only know
through books and stories. I am convinced
that I will equally find there the support of
friends which is the nourishment of the soul
(le corps subtil).
I hope that we will have “the happiness to live
for another day”, the day we are expecting,
and not the day that is awaiting us.
All my love,
Birsen Gyger
Book Club
Organiser: Chouhrette Bunzl
[email protected]/022 752 11 04
On Friday, 27th January 2017, at 2pm in the Villa,
we shall be discussing our book of the month:
Marrying Mozart by Stephanie Cowell.
Inspired by real events, Stephanie Cowell's novel takes us to
the musical world of eighteenth century Europe. The story
starts in 1777 in Mannheim, Germany where the Weber family
receives their musician friends in their cramped modest
apartment every Thursday evening. Among the invitees a
twenty one year old Austrian musician called Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart, accompanied by his mother Anna Maria, join
the party for the first time.
On Friday, 24th February 2017, at 2pm in the Villa,
we shall be discussing our book of the month:
Please Look After Mother by Shin Kyung-Sook.
The sixty-nine-year-old Park So-nyo and her husband are
separated in a crowded underground railway station in Seoul,
Korea. The distracted husband boards the congested train in a
hurry while his wife is left behind on the platform.
Park So-nyo's husband and her four adult children undertake a
thorough search to try to find her. Meanwhile, her
disappearance leads to a feeling of guilt and remorse by her
family who realise that they never had time to appreciate the
love and sacrifice of this kind, affable and generous woman.
How far back can we remember a human being? And how far
does the memory of a mother last? Please Look After Mother is
a hymn to maternal love.
You can read all about the books we have previously reviewed and
discussed in our monthly meetings of the UNWG Book Club and see
the list of books we will be reading and discussing in the coming
months, at my website:
http://www.1stbookreview.com
LANGUAGES
Mon
Tue
Time
Language
Group Leader
13:00 – 15:30
French B1
Hassiba Oulhaci
Room 1
13:00 – 15:30
French A2
Nadia Mehdi
Room 3
14:00 – 16:00
French A1
Emmanuelle Terretaz
Room 2
9:30 – 11:30
French Conversation
Maryse Nicora
Room 3
10:30 – 12:00
English Elementary A2
Karen Ransome
Room 1
14:00 – 16:00
Spanish Intermediate
Doris Murillo
Room 2
10:00 – 11:30
11.30 – 13:00
Spanish Beginners A1
Spanish Elementary A2
Connie Castrillon Pilo Pais
Room 2
14:00 – 15:30
Japanese
Kyoko Ohkawa
Room 2
9:30 – 11:30
German
First hour Intermediate
Second hour Beginners
Michaela Hajnoczi
Room 2
9:30 – 11:00
English Beginners A1
Ghazala Syeddah Nayyar
Room 3
13:00 – 14:00
Intermediate English
Bilqueece Alimohamed
Room 2
10:00 – 11:30
11:30 – 13:00
Arabic Beginners
Arabic Advanced
Heba Mamish
Room 1
10:30 – 12:30
English Conversation
Bertha Dubois
Room 3
Wed
Thu
Fri
Please refer to your copy of the Membership Directory for teachers’ contact details
To be eligible to register for any course or activity,
you must show your current membership card upon registration.
Bus: 5, 8, 22, 28, F, V, Z Tram: 15 Bus & Tram stop: Nations
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ACTIVITIES
Day
Tuesday
Time
Activity
Group Leader
13.15 – 16.30
Open Bridge at ILO
Eda Bankowski
Padma Srivastava
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
14:00-16:00
Handicrafts
Manila Paktian
Room 3
9:00 onwards
Hiking
Mahroughe Mary
Kazazi
Denise Maertens
Edith Mayer Wallin
10:15-11:30
Pilates at ITU
Sibyl De Peic
1st,2nd and 4th Wed of
the month
10:00-12:30
Painting and Artistic
Techniques
Chantal Andersen
Room 3
12:30 - 16:30
Mah Jong
Chantal Andersen
Room 1
9:30 – 13:30
Social Bridge
Rosaleen Nassif
Room 1
14:15-15:15
Pilates at ITU
Sibyl De Peic
Fitness training at ITU
Claudia Nonninger
3rd Friday of the month
9:30 - 11:30
Jewellery Making
Nouzha OttmaniMersaoui
Room 2
Last Fri of the month
14:00 - 16:00
Cooking
Ilona Mercz
10:00-11:00
Room 3
Last Fri of the month
14:00 - 16:00
Book Club
Chouhrette Bunzi
Room
Please refer to your copy of the Members’ Directory for Teachers’ contact details
UNWG Art Exhibition 2017 at WIPO New Building
From Monday 13 February to Friday 24 February 2017
Information for the artists:
Only members who have paid their current annual membership fee and
inscription fees (30CHF) are accepted.
The deadline is Friday 23 December 2016
Installation:
Monday 13 February 2017 at 10a.m. all work must
be ready to hang
Opening ceremony: Tuesday 14 February 2017 at 6 p.m.
Removal of artworks: Friday 24 February 2017 at noon.
For further information, please contact the following ladies:
[email protected]
Manila Paktian
tel : 079 275 17 85
Email :
Zoubida Franzoni
tel : +33 450 26 14 71 Email :
[email protected]
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Photos from the Bazaar
Editor’s Messages
You are reminded to bring your CURRENT membership card to all UNWG
led courses,events and activities as well as to our coffee mornings.
Membership card and request forms for U.N. badges will de delivered at
the Villa on presentation of proof of payment fee on Monday afternoons
14:30 – 16:30 and Thursday mornings 9:30am – 11:30.
Or ‘exceptionally’ by appointment with Sibyl De Peic at
[email protected].
IMPORTANT NOTICE
CONTRIBUTION DEADLINE
for March/April newsletter
PLEASE TAKE NOTE THAT THE BANK
Please submit photos in .jpg format only and
ACCOUNT NUMBER FOR PAYMENT OF
MEMBERSHIP HAS CHANGED. PAYMENT written text in both English and French in
SHOULD BE MADE BY E-BANKING OR
Word format only, for editing purposes.
DIRECTLY AT THE BANK (CHF
80.-). PLEASE DO NOT USE THE OLD
Email to [email protected] by
NUMBER NOR THE BULLETIN DE
31st January 2017
VERSEMENT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
Sibyl De Peic (Membership)
All information received after this date
will appear in the following edition.
BANQUE: UBS
Désignation du compte: COTISATIONS
IBAN: CH8700279279HU1192930
Thank you for your kind understanding.
BIC: UBSWCHZH80A
CONTACTS
President: [email protected]
Newsletter: [email protected]
Vice-President activities: [email protected]
Public Relations: [email protected]
Vice-President projects: [email protected]
Recording Secretaries: [email protected]
Treasurers: [email protected]
Hospitality: [email protected]
Membership: [email protected]
Monthly Meetings: [email protected]
Education: [email protected]
Additional Information
Cooking Demonstrations
In January 2017, Mme Ben AMER Mabrouka will present specialities from her country
TUNiSIA
Date: 27 January 2017
Place: Villa les Feuillantines
Time: 2p.m.
Cost: 3.00 Sw. Fr.
Information: [email protected]
Tel: 078 656 01 87
In February 2017, Mme PRADO DE CHAVEZ Pilar will present specialities from her
country PERU
et Mme BOREL Marléne will present specialities SÛISSE _ Bonus
Date: 24 February 2017
Place: Villa les Feuillantines
Time: 2p.m.
Cost: 3.00 Sw Fr.
Information: [email protected]
Tel: 078 656 01 87
We are sorry to hear of the sad new that Elisabeth Mason has lost her mother
and that Elisabeth Limousin has had an accident and has had to be hospitalised.