By Matthew Russell Lee
www.innercitypress.com/undpi1comms101609.html
UNITED NATIONS, October 16 -- To many the UN seems stand-offish, not connected with its host city New York, viewing the Internet as a one-way medium for propaganda. On Friday the UN announced that in the coming week, ten of its top officials will go speak in New York schools. It announced the five winners of its YouTube competition for videos addressing world leaders. And Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke to student, at the UN's own school, and said he'd like to move his office there, the applause was so loud.
Even in this there was criticism. A commenter on the UN's YouTube channel page wrote
"TO UN: I can't understand why all the winners are from North, South of America. Do yo think that's fair? How about other continents such as Africa, Asia? Sorry but I am totally disappointed about this judgment. It's not about me, but If you had any winners from any dictator countries, It would encourage people of these countries to have better feeling that they can spread their voice through the world."
At a press conference announcing the winners, Inner City Press read out the above and asked for the UN's response. Eric Falt of the UN's Outreach Division replied that he didn't disagree -- in naming the Canadian winner, he'd said the person lives in Tokyo -- and later provided these criteria:
• How relevant is it to the challenge: “how do we make this world a better, safer place”?
• How creative is the entry in form and content?
• Do you feel the entry merits attention from “world leaders”?
• Bonus points for aesthetic value and originality
Each was worth a maximum of five points.
Inner City Press asked if, unlike in some UN hiring, geographic balance played no part. Falt subsequently answered that "We were certainly hoping for geographic balance and hope that, next year, with more advance publicity through our network of UN Information Centers and perhaps peacekeeping operations, we can have more videos from more countries and therefore a better balance at the end."
Meanwhile, Inner City Press was among the only UN correspondents of any kind covering Ban Ki-moon's "Stand Up Against Poverty" speech at the UN International School on Friday morning. The head of the Department of Public Information Kiyotaka Akasaka was waiting in the school for Mr. Ban, along with Ban's speechwriting Michael Meyer. Ban arrived in a black luxury car, trailed by a 4 by 4 of security. Ban stopped and greeted the Press, then proceeded up to a second story auditorium. The students burst into applause. Ban said it was nice to start the day this way.
He spoke, barely looking at notes, about how lucky the students were to be able to go to school, to be in the greenhouse of primary school and then college's ivory tower. But then you must face the world, he said. He led the students in a pledge about poverty. It was not unmoving.
Four of Ban's Under Secretaries General, and six Assistant Secretaries General, will speak in schools next week:
Top lawyer Patricia O'Brien and investigator Inga-Britt Ahlenius, both of whom rarely speak to the press, will speak in Brooklyn and Manhattan, respectively. Ibrahim Gambari, arriving one imagines on Metro North from Westchester, will speak in Manhattan. Sergio Duarte will speak in The Bronx.
Among ASGs, Controller Jun Yamazaki will speak in Brooklyn, as will Warren Sach. Manhattan gets Franz Baumann and Peter Taksoe-Jensen. The Bronx claims Capital Master Planner Michael Adlerstein and Thomas Stelzer. All told, 44 schools in all five borough will have UN staff speaking. Outside of New York, children and armed conflict expert Radhika Coomaraswamy will be speaking in Kansas City, albeit at the university along with Newt Gingrich and others.
Inner City Press asked Mr. Akasaka where he would be speaking. He will be in Kuala Lumpur. What about the peacekeepers, or Political Affairs' Lynn Pascoe? Or Angela Kane who will, it's said, appear for a press conference next week?
Another Friday event at the UN about communication was an informal briefing to twenty some U.S. military personnel on their way to be spokespeople in Iraq. A representative of the U.S. mission spoke -- it is not entirely clear how the event was set up, or if all member states could do it -- along with invited journalists including Inner City Press. The questions ranged from how to deal with "bloggers" -- which the UN staffer directed to Inner City Press, while saying that the UN does not accredit bloggers, only online media -- to how to make friends with "the Arab press."
The answers involved occupation and Guantanamo Bay. Inner City Press advised the prospective spokespeople to, unlike some in the UN, actually provide answers to questions. Just another day at the UN, trying to avoid what Israel called the Goldstone report on Gaza, a tale of sound and fury -- told by an idiot -- signifying nothing.And see, www.innercitypress.com/undpi1comms101609.html
