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UNSP Program Retreat in Connecticut
On 24 October 2009, 32 students joined Professor Elizabeth Lindenmayer, Director of the UN Studies Program at SIPA, for one and a half days of discussions, presentations, enjoyable food and wine and fall foliage in Chester, Connecticut. The retreat of the UN Studies Program (UNSP) and its student-led sister organization, the UN Studies Program Working Group (UNSPWG), brought together a diverse group of people to share their experiences and perspectives and discuss the challenges facing the UN today.
One of the guests from the UN, Björn Gillsäter from UNICEF, made a presentation on the Global Impact and Vulnerability Alert System (GIVAS) – a unique system that will gather real-time data and provide new tools for the analysis of development indicators. GIVAS is also the topic of Prof. Lindenmayer’s capstone workshop in the spring. The highlight of the evening was the visit of Bob Orr, Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Strategic Planning of the UN, who in his presentation stirred up a mix of excitement, real concern, and a profound sense of urgency among students. He discussed the dangers of global pandemics, climate change, and nuclear proliferation and presented some of the UN’s successes in these areas that too often go unreported.
After a weekend full of impressions, many lessons learned, and new friendships formed, a happy bunch of SIPA students got on a big yellow school bus to return to the city.