Guided Tour

Works by artists such as Hundertwasser, Nitsch and Hrdlichka adorn the walls of the Vienna International Centre, the base of the United Nations headquarters in Vienna, but most staff pass by every day without even noticing them.  Now they can join one of the regular Art Tours, initiated by the Visitors Service of the United Nations Information Service Vienna and find out more about them. 

Since March this year the Art tours have become a regular feature of the Visitors Service programme and have already become a hit with staff and visitors alike.  

“I pass pictures and sculptures every day, but I never realised that I work in a building so rich with art. And that these art works can teach us so many things. This Tour has taught me to appreciate my working environment and its art collection more highly,” one staff member enthusiastically reported after the tour.

Painting by Hundertwasser

There has been a real desire to know more about the art surrounding the daily work of the 4,000 staff working in the Vienna International Centre.  The growing realization that we are privileged to work in a living museum with works of art which are connected in a real way to the mandates of our work has also struck staff in Vienna.

It started as a collection of Austrian art of 1960s and 1970s procured for the inauguration of the building which opened in 1979. Over the years Member States have donated various examples of their national art to honour our work or commemorate special events and anniversaries. Today, the Vienna International Centre houses a collection of more than 200 pieces.

The works of art in the Vienna International Centre are as diverse as the United Nations itself. They remind us of our mandate and the hopes and wishes of the founders of this organization. They give daily inspiration to the staff working in Vienna and remind us of the way ahead of us and of the Charter of the United Nations which refers to “We the peoples of the United Nations”.

This understanding of art often symbolizes the work and the mandate of our global organization.  Our work at the United Nations is also universal and crosses national boundaries: it is present in times of peace as well as of conflict. It uses its own vocabulary, which speaks to people around the world without the need for words. In reality, it is the essence of human existence, a witness and a companion of humankind.

The “Living Book Day” organized by UNIPort – the career advisory body  at the University of Vienna -- turned the beautiful reading room of the University of Vienna Library into a exciting venue of exchange.

66 personalities from different fields -ranging from CEO’ s, the chiefs of HR, Journalists, Professors, Marketing Directors, Film Produces, and even UN representatives - were ready to act as living books telling students in a 25-minute one-on-one “speed-date” about their profession and experiences in life – what they achieved and how, where they came from and how they got there.

From 4 till 7.30 the “Living Books” were available for rent and there was a great rush in the entrance room where about 500 Students were wanting to speak to their most favoured books.

The books covered all fields, from the field of education, media, international organizations, NGO’s, and also big private businesses like the Austrian railways, the ÖBB, or the Austrian petrol giant, OMV, as well as the cosmetic company L’Oreal, and the telephone giant, T-Mobil.

The experiences, and the different steps in life which lead each Living Book to their current situation were meant to give the students hope for the future and help them understand the different creative options they have in life. It was not primarily a talk about what steps would lead to the right career but more a talk to understand the different paths of life.

Many students, notably ones at the end of their studies and already writing their thesis felt this was the perfect opportunity to finally have a view of life from a different perspective than the lecture rooms and get a glimpse of the real working life.  They were also anxious to know what options they have and what chances they could take. If it was wise to join a big company or to try to start one’s own business.  This was a perfect place to get to know interesting people and be able to engage with them in a personal dialogue. 

While students may have been the ones benefitting from the short encounters, it was also obvious from the enthusiasm of each Living Book and their willingness to be lent out again and again that they enjoyed the event as much as their “readers” if not more.

Janos Tisovszky and Irene Hoeglinger-Neiva - the Living Books from the United Nations Information Service, Vienna – were fully booked through out the 4 hours, with students coming to them even in the breaks to ask about the different career paths and possibilities at the UN. Students were especially interested to understand how Irene and Janos got into the Oranization and how then they advanced in their careers and in turn wanted to know what they have to do to get there.

Many students from communication science were very keen to understand how UN communication works and many of them were indeed encouraged to apply and join UNIS as Interns in order to comprehend how the UN works from the inside.

UNIS Vienna’s regular film project -- Ciné ONU Vienna – addressed the Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative with the screening of “The First Grader” by  Justin Chadwick. The film, draws attention to the educational crisis the world is currently facing and demonstrate the importance for people – adults as well as children - to receive education as a way towards a better life.

The screening, organized in cooperation with Topkino and “this human world film festival”, was followed by a panel discussion with Cristina Pitassi from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Martina Kopf a Researcher from the Institute for African Studies at the University of Vienna and Isabella Thurin, a Fellow from the organization Teach for Austria. The discussion was moderated by UNIS Vienna Director Janos Tisovszky.

The film, the First Grader, tells the story of a small, remote mountain top primary school in the Kenyan bush where hundreds of children are jostling for a chance for a free education as newly promised by the Kenyan government. One new applicant causes astonishment when he knocks on the door of the school. He is Maruge, an old Mau Mau veteran in his eighties, who is desperate to learn to read at this late stage of his life. He fought for the liberation of his country and now feels he must have the chance of an education so long denied to him - even if it means sitting in a classroom alongside six-year-olds. However parents and the authorities find it difficult to accept his presence in the class room and try everything- including threats- to keep him away from school. His courage and perseverance set an example for the whole society in Kenya and the world, showing the importance of education and learning regardless of age.

The invited experts gave valuable insights on the topic of the film both in remote underdeveloped areas such as Africa as well as in Austria. The role of education in enhancing empowerment and building strong societies, and the slow but gradual process of governments to perceive basic education (and also secondary education) as one of the most important priorities of a country.

Martina Kopf a researcher on African studies also raised the language issue in education especially in African countries after the colonial period which was mentioned in the film. Furthermore she said that education in Africa has always important but never the first priority for governments.

Christina Pitassi working for UNIDO’s Rural Entrepreneurship Development and Human Security Unit mentioned the programmes initiated by the organization providing technical assistance for education in order to promote economic transformation in developing countries. She stressed that it not merely about acquiring knowledge at schools but more the capability to make practical use of that knowledge.

Coming back to Austria Isabella Thurin spoke about the initiatives in Austria for children coming from disadvantaged social backgrounds such as organizations like Teach for Austria and Gemeinsames Lernen. She also brought up an important question: is education a privilege or is it a duty?

The audience raised various questions and comments on issues as the commitment to improving education, the importance of primary education, and the chances of good secondary education, as well as the question of identity.
The panel experts and the audience agreed that the emphasis should be put on the quality of education. They also concluded, that through education, people from difficult socio-economic backgrounds receive the opportunity to choose their own identity and find better options in their own life. So in terms of the education of every child, of every person even that of an 84 year old man matters.    

The third annual Budapest International Model United Nations (BIMUN) opened its doors to 400 delegates from 25 countries for a five-day long conference in beautiful Budapest, the capital of Hungary. High school and university students from every corner of the world gathered at the Eötvös József Secondary School, one of the most prestigious secondary schools in Hungary, where the committee sessions took place.

As Iván Bába, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Hungary said in his opening speech, participating in the BIMUN would provide an opportunity to gain experience of how international forums operate, the complexity of the global agenda and the interrelated nature of national interests. At the opening ceremony, the Deputy Mayor of Budapest Miklós Csomós, warmly welcomed all participants to the city, and emphasized the importance of BIMUN and education in general talking proudly of great Hungarians who were once enrolled in Eötvös József Secondary School.

Then János Tisovszky, the Director of the UN Information Service (UNIS) Vienna inspired the audience with his opening address. The Director highlighted that every year 100,000 students take part in Model UNs who are not just leaders of tomorrow but leaders of today. He said that this generation is at home in a world of diversity and able to understand how to transcend cross-cultural differences. Mr. Tisovszky mentioned that working for and with youth is one of the five key priorities of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon demonstrated by his recent appointment of the first-ever United Nations Envoy for Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi from Jordan and by the deepening of the focus on youth by existing UN programmes on employment, political inclusion, protection of rights and education. He added that besides recognising the general importance of education, the UN aims to ensure that children are enroled in schools and also get quality education.

This year the topics under negotiations during the BIMUN 2013 ranged from possible measures to resolve the long-term and complex dispute between Pakistan and India; achievement of complete transparency on military expenditures,; the economic and financial effects of trade embargos; finding an effective solution to reach the Millennium Development Goal no. 6. on combating HIV/AIDS, Malarai and other diseases without using anti-homosexuality legislation; assessment of the relevance of the 2005 General Assembly resolution on the Responsibility to Protect; the future and possible resolution of the World Trade Organization Doha round; moral aspects of genetic engineering and cloning; to the question of euthanasia, giving the participants the change to understand negotiations, conflict, compromises and work towards  peaceful solutions of our global challenges.