nouvelles de notre association - aafi-afics - UNOG

We have done this in varying ways. In 1995, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the UN, we donated a
sequoia tree to the park of the Palais des Nations. The planting ceremony brought together leaders of the
international community and personalities of Geneva.
In 2000, celebrating the 60 th anniversary of our own Association, we had a concert dedicated to us by the
Chamber Orchestra of Geneva and we had a ceremonial lunch attended by personalities from the
Organizations and from Geneva.
In 2002, we celebrated Switzerland’s membership of the UN by offering a fellowship to a young Swiss
national for the study of the UN system. This was certainly one of our most ambitious efforts; we hope in the
fullness of time, it will lead to a network of “Fellows of AAFI-AFICS”.
We were lucky to fall on the UN’s Graduate Study Programme; this is an annual course bringing together
some 60-80 young graduates aged 23-35, for a three-week intensive study of the UN. Usually there are
about 40 different nationalities. Applications are invited from all member States and a selection is made by
an independent group; the candidates selected have to find their own financing; our Fellowship covers what
the UN estimates as normal costs for attending this course.
We selected Ms Mara di Rocco; born in the Grisons, she is a graduate of the University of Trieste, and a
student at the Graduate Institute of Higher International Studies in Geneva. We invited her to the AAFI-
AFICS lunch on 24 June so members could meet her, and she could get a better idea of our Association.
We hope we made a good impression on her! After the Study Course was over, she wrote us this piece for
the Bulletin.
The 41 st Geneva Graduate Study Programme
Mara di Rocco
Before writing about my experience at the 41st
Geneva Graduate Study Programme, I would
sincerely thank the AAFI-AFICS for having
decided to commemorate the Swiss decision to
join the United Nations and for offering me a
fellowship covering the costs of the 41st Geneva
Graduate Study Programme. It has been a honour
for me.
I had, moreover, the pleasure of participating at
an official lunch of the Association, during which I
met many former international civil servants from
different countries and from various international
organisations.
I had a long explanation and clarification about the
aims of the Association with Mr Aamir Ali, who is
the spiritual father of the fellowship I received. He
introduced me to the participants and assisted me
during the whole lunch.
I applied for the Geneva Graduate Study
Programme because I was really interested on
learning more about the roles and functions of the
huge UN family and because it was a perfect
occasion to meet people from all over the world
and observe many different experiences and
approaches to the international system.
Since I was at high school, I have been told that
the best way to resolve problems and disputes is
based on a channel called “communication”.
Moreover, former participants told me about the
“forum function” the UN would have incarnated
during the summer programme.
From the first day, I realised that my expectations
were satisfied: So many students from
everywhere and such different backgrounds! It
was a pleasure just to listen to the noise of, I do
not know, how many languages around me.
The first day I was particularly impressed:
everything was perfectly organised, big rooms at
the UN just for us… Room VII.
What I also found incredible was that Madame
Patricia Baigrie, the responsible and tutor of the
Study Programme knew the names of everyone;
whether Chinese or Russian, she called us all by
our first name. We all were so astonished.
Concretely about the program, we were divided in
three different working groups:
- Environmental issues
- Human rights
- Economic and Social Development
Patricia asked us to try to form more or less
proportioned groups; so I first chose the
Environment group because it was the less
represented; but I suddenly realised that it was
too far from my background and knowledge to
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