With the aim of improving the visibility of the non-governmental sector by enhancing the communications skills of its leaders and Public Relations (PR) people, the UNO Baku team conducted a master class titled “Effective Communications: Public Relations Training for NGOs” on 25 April.

The main objective of the training, which also served to boost NGOs’ efforts in meeting the challenges of modern times with an open mind and readiness, was to demystify the media and empower participants with sound working knowledge of the various “dos & don’ts”  in their dealings with journalists. The session took place as part of the long lasting awareness raising and capacity building work of DPI with large, small and mid-sized NGOs and other local partners in Azerbaijan.

For the workshop trainer, Rovshan Bagirov - “PR is the key to efficient organization management and it is essential that civil society groups build a healthy relationship with the public to achieve their goals”. To show ways of building effective communications with public, as well as to expose common mistakes made during the press interviews, Bagirov delivered an interactive presentation with case study samples. Vibrant discussions over what should be avoided during a press conference followed the demonstration of the video episode from a controversial press conference.

“This training offered practical know how about the communication tools and sparked true enthusiasm to work further on my own presentational skills”, said Mrs. Valida Abbasova, Head of the Public Union for Support of the Disabled People. “I am genuinely thankful to the DPI team for this opportunity and certainly look forward to participate in similar training in the future to further improve my skills and the overall external affairs of our NGO.”

“We also very much appreciate the partnership with the non-governmental sector which provides us with valuable links to ordinary people and helps them to better understand the work and aims of the United Nations,” said the UN DPI Representative in Azerbaijan, Envera Selimovic. She also brought into the training session tangible examples out of her unique experience from the extensive work as journalist as well as working from the other side of the camera as UN spokesperson and communications specialist. Selimovic also underlined that for the DPI office, “these sessions clearly anticipate building further the capacity of NGOs, and providing as many as possible NGO representatives with tools beyond the basic dealings with media. We want to boost their unique role in facilitating development and encourage them to share acquired knowledge and help the wider community.”

Every child in the world has the right to a quality education and no child has a chance of realizing that right without an effective teacher. The Global Campaign for Education (GCE) runs a Global Action Week every year, and since its inception in 2001, this campaign has brought together tens of millions of people and raised awareness on these issues. This year the campaign was co-organized by the National Coalition for Education (NCE), UNESCO India, the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) for India and Bhutan and CARE.
 
Several Members of Parliament presented strong messages in support of education-related initiatives such as these. UNESCO Director and Representative for India Shigeru Aoyagi also pledged the ongoing support of his office to this very effective campaign.
 
The event was attended by teachers and students from government schools, many of whom had created placards carrying messages in English and Hindi. UNIC Director, Mrs. Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman congratulated them on their efforts. “Education is the basic building block of every society”, she said. “It is a fundamental human right, not a privilege of the few”. She pointed out that education is the critical thread tying together all our hopes for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the six internationally agreed Education for All Goals (EFA). She reminded the audience that on 26 September 2012, during the UN General Assembly in New York, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon launched a five-year initiative to bolster global action on education and it sought to generate a renewed push to reach the education goals set for 2015 – the Global Education First Initiative, GEFI. He urged governments to spare no effort to achieve the MDGs by 2015. “We have three years and three months. We must intensify our work. This is our collective responsibility”, he said.
 
UNIC National Information Officer Rajiv Chandran moderated a riveting media interaction, together with UNESCO National Programme Officer Huma Masood.

Damian Cardona. Director Centro de Información Naciones Unidas

En el salón Protocolario del Palacio de San Carlos, sede de la Cancillería, la Ministra de Relaciones Exteriores, María Ángela Holguín, y el Director del Centro de Información de las Naciones Unidas en Colombia, Damián Cardona, presentaron el libro ‘Diplomacia Preventiva: Recuperando el Capítulo VI de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas’.

A lo largo de su presentación, la Ministra Holguín reiteró la importancia de la diplomacia preventiva en la solución de las controversias en el mundo e hizo un breve recuento de los orígenes de los conflictos, advirtiendo que las soluciones preventivas son el mejor camino.

Durante la presentación, la Canciller señaló que el libro es el resultado del trabajo en equipo del Centro de Información de las Naciones Unidas, la Academia Diplomática y el Centro de Pensamiento Estratégico de la Cancillería colombiana.

La Ministra detalló qué van a encontrar los lectores en este documento: “Contiene estudios diversos sobre los mecanismos de solución pacífica de controversias, el rol de las Naciones Unidas y de las Organizaciones Regionales, las relaciones con la sociedad civil y algunos asuntos puntuales e importantes”.

A su turno, el director del Centro de Información de las Naciones Unidas, Damián Cardona, destacó el aporte que hicieron varias instituciones universitarias de Colombia, y subrayó lo conveniente que puede resultar este libro. “Hoy día mundial del libro queremos –con esta publicación– aportar un grano de arena, desde la academia colombiana y desde las Naciones Unidas en Colombia, al conocimiento y reconocimiento de la Diplomacia Preventiva”, dijo.

Este libro, de 216 páginas, está dedicado a la memoria del exministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Colombia, Augusto Ramírez Ocampo, quien se caracterizó por ser un “demócrata integral, que predicaba con el ejemplo y la gestión diplomática, las virtudes del entendimiento entre posiciones distintas y la necesidad de impulsar siempre los mecanismos de solución pacífica de controversias”. Ante los diplomáticos y académicos presentes en el auditorio, la Ministra Holguín destacó al fallecido diplomático colombiano “a quien -agregó- dicho sea de paso, cada día echo de menos”.

Este libro también invita al lector a darle una mirada más amplia al capítulo VI de la Carta de las Naciones Unidas, que tiene como estructura principal la solución pacífica de controversias y cuya existencia muestra que este instrumento es un mecanismo valioso de solución y prevención de controversias.

Este documento es el resultado del trabajo en equipo del Centro de Información de las Naciones Unidas, la Academia Diplomática y el Centro de Pensamiento Estratégico de la Cancillería colombiana.

Más información completa y actualizada incluyendo fotos y registro de los eventos disponible en: http://nacionesunidas.org.co/blog/2013/04/24/lanzamiento-en-cancilleria-del-libro-diplomacia-preventiva-recuperando-el-capitulo-vi-de-la-carta-de-las-naciones-unidas/#more-7473

Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Angela Holguin

At the ceremonial hall of the Palace of San Carlos, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Angela Holguin, and UNIC Bogota's Director, Damian Cardona, launched the book 'Preventive Diplomacy: Retrieving Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations'.

Throughout her presentation, Minister Holguín reiterated the importance of preventive diplomacy in solving disputes in the world and gave a brief account of the origins of the conflict, warning that preventive solutions are the best way. The Minister said that the book is the result of team work of the United Nations Information Centre, Diplomatic Academy and Center for Strategic Thinking Colombian Foreign Ministry.

She explained what readers would find that the document "Contains various studies on the mechanisms of peaceful settlement of disputes, the role of the United Nations and Regional Organizations, relations with civil society and some timely and important issues ".

In turn, UNIC Director, Damian Cardona, highlighted the contribution made several universities in Colombia, and stressed how convenient it may be this book. "World Book Today we want, with this publication, provide a grain of sand, from the Colombian Academy and from the United Nations in Colombia, knowledge and recognition of Preventive Diplomacy" he said.

This book, of 216 pages, is dedicated to the memory of former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Colombia, Augusto Ramirez Ocampo, who is characterized as a "comprehensive Democrat, preaching by example and diplomatic management, the virtues of understanding between positions different and always the need to promote mechanisms for peaceful settlement of disputes ". To diplomats and academics in the audience, Minister Holguin said the late Colombian diplomat "who-said-by the way, every day I miss."

This book invites the reader to give a broader look at Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations, whose main structure the peaceful settlement of disputes and whose existence shows that this instrument is a valuable mechanism for dispute resolution and prevention.

More complete and updated information including photos and events registration available at:
http://nacionesunidas.org.co/blog/2013/04/24/lanzamiento-en-cancilleria-del-libro-diplomacia-preventiva-recuperando-el-capitulo-vi-de-la-carta-de-las-naciones-unidas/#more-7473