WFUNA staff and volunteers in Geneva implemented our Fortune Cookies Initiative on 7 March 2013 at the Palais des Nations.
The World Federation of United Nations Association in Geneva conducts trainings for members of the United Nations Associations on the UN human rights system, instruments and mechanisms and implements capacity building session in advocacy, awareness raising and project management related to human rights.
Objective
- Increasing WFUNA’s visibility with stakeholders of the international community in Geneva;
- Raising funds for the our human rights trainings Civil Society in Action for Human Rights and So, You Want To Be The Next High Commissioner. Any benefits will be used to sponsor participants from developing countries to attend our workshops in Geneva.
Civil Society in Action for Human Rights
With the emergence of new economic and political forces, civil society will play a crucial role in ensuring that development policies and actions, at home and abroad, are pursued according to international human rights standards. One of WFUNA's latest projects, Civil Society in Action for Human Rights, has been launched in 2013, and aims to ensure that the United Nations Associations are fully equipped to address today's human rights challenges.
So, You Want To Be The Next High Commissioner?
Through our annual UNA Human Rights Trainings, WFUNA aims to empower UNA youth members to take a leading role in upholding human rights in their communities and around the world. We inform and educate young UNA/UNYA members about human rights standards, human rights instruments and related implementing mechanisms, and train them on how to conduct effective human rights education and awareness raising activities within their communities.
Results
Fortune Cookies were sold individually or in bags of six pieces to individuals at three different locations in the Palais des Nations (Door 6, Door 40 and Cafeteria entrance). The UN Headquarters in Geneva has been particularly busy with the second week of the Human Rights Council's 22nd session and a number of side events on the agenda. This allowed for some very interesting discussions on our human rights work with representatives from the international community in Geneva.
While we would have hoped to raise more funds to sponsor participants to come our human rights trainings, we have definitely reached our target of raising awareness and increasing the visibility of WFUNA in the Palais des Nations. We have sold more than 950 cookies during the day and 63 people signed up for our monthly newsletter with updates on our activities.
WFUNA could count on the great help and commitment of our interns and 8 highly motivated volunteers, some of them former interns or participants in our trainings and some curious to find out more about our organization. Their engagement and positive attitude largely contributed to the success of this initiative.
