On the occasion of the World Environment Day, which is celebrated every year on the 5th of June, the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna in cooperation with this human world (THW) Film Festival and Topkino, screened the documentary “LoveMEATender” by Manu Coeman as part of its regular film screenings series CINE ONU Vienna.

Illustrative, dynamic and provocative, this film does not aim to shock the audience with brutal scenes but raises awareness of the processes and consequences of meat production. Since the second World War, meat consumption in developed countries has drastically changed. Because meat was only affordable for wealthier people in the early post-war years, it became a symbol for people of economic security. Nowadays, it is all about producing food in larger amounts, more quickly and at a lower price. This price, however, is not as low as we might think: it costs natural resources and often our own health.

In his film, Manu Coeman presents a broad spectrum of opinions: from the impact meat consumption has on nature, the environment and the human body, to the conditions in which the animals we eat have been raised and killed. Using cartoons in a playful manner, the director presents a lot of statistics as well as shows many respected experts’ opinions in various fields.

It is difficult to imagine how we affect nature through our everyday food choices. Meat consumption contributes to climate change more than vehicles. Furthermore, it costs an enormous amount of water: meat consumption alone requires around 45 per cent of the water on the planet. On top of this it may have a dangerous impact on our health: meat consumption creates an imbalance between omega 3 and 6 in our body, which is one of the reasons behind: “… heart diseases, diabetes, chronic and clinical depression, aging of the brain, … cancers…”, says Oliver Coudron in the film. The expert Vandana Shiva says that: “Entire generations are growing up eating food that is deadly for them”. Overall, the documentary gives a new insight into the statement “I am what I eat”.

“LoveMEATender” also emphasizes the cruel conditions, in which many animals are raised and killed.  As David Waltner–Toews states, the circumstances, in which animals have been raised nowadays create a perfect scenario for epidemics.

Nevertheless, the tone of the movie is an optimistic one: it presents several approaches through which the consumption of meat can be made safer for us and for the planet: “We must ensure farming is modernized, not industrialized,” advises Baba Dioum, general coordinator of the Conference of Ministers of Agriculture of West and Central Africa (CMA/WCA).

The subsequent panel discussion featured the Deputy Chairman of the local initiative “Wiener Tafel” Peter Schauer, the Head of marketing of agricultural and speciality crops of the Chamber of agriculture Christian Jochum, the Consultant of United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP Vienna – ISCC) Eva Jelinek and UNIS Vienna Director, Janos Tisovszky.

Eva Jelinek presented this year’s World Environment Day campaign Think.Eat.Save: a partnership between UNEP, FAO and Messe Düsseldorf, and in support of the UN Secretary-General’s Zero Hunger Challenge. The main goal of this initiative is to increase the awareness on the issue of food waste and the impact it has on nature and environment. Christian Jochum also raised this issue and reminded us that most of the food waste on the planet is avoidable. He underlined the efforts and progress that has been made on a national level in Austria to increase the knowledge on this topic. One of the organizations, which is fighting food waste, is Wiener Tafel. Volunteers collect surplus food from supermarkets, markets and others and give it to those in need. In this manner, they aim to create a bridge between plenty and scarcity. Christian Jochum presented the main purposes of the organization and described the everyday responsibilities of the volunteers. All the participants underlined that there are ways to reduce food waste and simple things which we can do in our everyday lives, starting with the decision to eat happy meat.

After Assam, several hours on bumpy roads under construction, twisting up the mountainous terrain, brought UNIC New Delhi’s Director Kiran Mehra-Kerpelman to Shillong, in the State of Meghalya, where she was meeting with the State Chief Minister Dr, Mukul Sangma. They inaugurated a Mock UN General Assembly on Climate Change for the first batch of students of the Institute of UN studies of the UN Association in Shillong. The statements by the delegates were well prepared and the Minister was extremely impressed at the dynamism and enthusiasm of the young “delegates”.
 
The UNIC Director thanked the Government of Meghalaya for its most generous gesture in supporting the allocation of space for a new Resource Centre of the UN Association of Meghalaya and passed on the views of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, mainly that one of his top priorities was ‘working with and for women and young people’.

This State has a very high percentage of youth and Dr. Sangma welcomed the partnership with the UN in providing these Knowledge Centres. “We have achieved one more milestone after we opened two Centres in record time in Shillong and Tura”, he said. “This will open a new chapter of engagement and create an enabling environment for learning. We would like to work with all agencies of the United Nations to harness the benefit of their experience in other parts of the world in order to find appropriate solutions to problems of poverty, access to health care, education, among others”, he said.” We look forward to solutions which will help us create a skilled workforce and provide employment opportunities to our youth”, he added.

More than 140 students from 13 high schools in Vienna, Lower Austria and Istanbul participated in the Vienna Schools’ Model United Nations (VSMUN) which took place from 11 to 13 February 2013 at the Vienna International Centre (VIC). The VSMUN was organized by Daniel Resch from Gecko events agency and Sonja Graf, the initiator of the school project, with the support of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna which hosted the event for the fourth time.

After opening remarks by UNIS Public Information Officer Irene Hoeglinger-Neiva and Hannelore Pawlitschek from the Permanent Mission of Austria to the United Nations in Vienna, the students were invited to begin the simulation of a UN General Assembly session. 

During the three days young people had a first-hand possibility to practice their diplomatic skills while negotiating a range of topical issues. With this in mind the participants took on the role of delegates from different countries and formed ten committees. So the students had a chance to be in the shoes of high-ranking officials.
  
The topics that were the conference’s focus occupy a central place on the current UN agenda: sustainable development, climate change, combating disease and demographical changes. After discussions in small groups the “delegates” drafted several resolutions which reflected their constructive intergovernmental compromises. In this way the participants have carried out a complex simulation of a General Assembly session. In the process the students could understand what it is like to be negotiating on behalf of a Member State that they represented.

The wide range of social, political and economic questions that are covered within the framework of the United Nations will hopefully serve as a solid basis for the students in their future endeavors to respond to today’s acute global challenges.
 

On 6 August, the UN Information Centre (UNIC) in Pretoria hosted a FUN Day for 40 geography teachers at the UNIC Library. The theme for the event was climate change with emphasis on the effects of global warming. The event was lead by the UNIC Librarian, Hope Kabamba, Deputy-Director Helene Hoedl, in conjunction with Mariette Bornman, Geography Facilitator of Tshwane South, Department of Education. Information packs were distributed containing different resources on climate change, the UN and sustainable development.

The programme started off with a screening of a UN4U video. This was followed by opening remarks by UNIC Director, Evelyne-Marie Petrus-Barry, who gave a brief overview of the UN’s System with regard to addressing the issue of climate change. The programme director, Hope Kabamba, also touched on some of the activities of UNIC.  Mariette Bornman, Senior Education Specialist and Geography Facilitator of Tshwane South, Department of Education, also had a word on the topic before the screening of a short film which highlighted the role forests played in development, the green economy and climate change.

The main speaker Jessica Troni, Regional Technical Advisor Climate Change – Adaptation, East and Southern Africa, UN Development Programme, presented on climate change and adaptation. She gave an in-depth look into the causes and effects of global warming, and outlined how greenhouse gas concentrations are rising causing global temperatures to rise.

An engaging discussion session ensued, and it was apparent from the audience’s responses that substantial information had been acquired. Andrew Nchetjgeng, one of the teachers, took the platform on behalf of the educators, and the UNIC Deputy-Director, Helene Hoedl, gave the closing remarks and extended thanks to the educators for attending and showing interest in the FUN Day programme.

The educators were also encouraged to visit the UNIC Library at their convenient time in pursuing further partnerships.  Participants then had a chance to interact over refreshments.