Summary: Welcome Ceremony
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14 July 2002, 16:00-17:00; Updated VK 12:20 PM 8/2/2002;
Updated RS 21:59 15-Sep-02 |
| Location: |
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ICCG 1 |
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Moderator(s): | | • Mr. Sébastien Ziegler, President of the World Civil Society Forum Steering Committee, Mandat International (MI)
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Presenters/ Participants: | | • Mr. André Hediger, Mayor, Ville de Genève
• Ambassador François Nordmann, Swiss Confederation
• H.E. Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary-General, United Nations Office in Geneva (UNOG)
• Ms. Micheline Calmy Rey, Republic and Canton of Geneva
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| Reporter: |
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Zhenying Wu, ICVolunteers |
| Key words: |
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welcome, ceremony, opening, Geneva, cooperation, NGO, UN |
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After a musical introduction by the Sidney Children's Choir and a greeting from
Mr. Sébastien Ziegler, Chair of the Forum Steering Committee, the first World Civil Society Forum officially opened its doors with welcome speeches by representatives from Switzerland, the Canton and the City of Geneva, as well as the United Nations system.
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| The first World Civil Society Forum officially opened
on Sunday, 14 July 2002. |
The first World Civil Society Forum officially opened on Sunday, 14 July 2002.
In his welcome, Mr. André Hediger, Mayor of the City of Geneva, emphasized the involvement of the city in projects with NGOs and developing countries (Burkina Faso); its youth education programs in Benin, Brazil, Israel and Paraguay; and the commitment of the City to its role as a partner of various associations and other cities.
Ambassador François Nordmann, Representative of Switzerland to the UN in Geneva, then talked about the historic position of Switzerland as a place where civil society organizations have found the conditions to flourish, giving as an example the International Committee of the Red Cross. He then stressed the importance of NGOs in solving global problems.
HE Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary-General of the UN in Geneva, spoke about the importance of defining future strategies to expand cooperation between the UN and civil society, stressing that solutions to local problems are to be found through international initiatives. He identified two challenges lying ahead: the need for the UN to integrate a growing number of NGOs in their work, and the necessity to assist NGOs in expanding their role in developing countries. Finally, Ordzhonikidze insisted on the importance of broad civil society participation and expressed his satisfaction that the WCS Forum would support this objective.
Ms. Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of the Council of the Republic and Canton of Geneva, referred to the historic role of Geneva as a city of tolerance and dialogue. She described it as an ideal venue for the WCS Forum. Mentioning some of today's challenges, such as anti-personnel mines, HIV/AIDS, and the right to food and education, Calmy-Rey insisted on the need for action to follow speeches. She stressed that the Forum should be oriented towards the practical side of issues, and serve to facilitate the realization of projects.
The welcome speeches were followed by a theatrical performance called "Les Maîtres du Monde" (The Masters of the World), a thought-provoking children’s play performed in English, French and Spanish. It showed the evolution of mankind in relation to the four elements, water, air, fire and earth. In the play, human beings become arrogant and neglect the
elements. When the elements become angry, the supposedly civilized humans fall back into a state of misery for having exploited nature rather than preserving it for future generations. The spectators were left with a clear message: regardless of how powerful humans may think they are, the elements are always much more powerful and may seek revenge if humans exploit them.
Original
Documents Available   14.01_hediger_andre.doc (100 K)
14.01_nordmann_francois.doc (27 K)
14.01_ordzhonikidze_sergei.doc (100 K)
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