Becoming a Member of the Delegation

            Today was my first day of work and I could not be more excited about what I am going to be doing during my time in Geneva!

            My morning began with breakfast in Home St Pierre. I ate with a few girls who have been here long term and I am very excited that I have already started to meet people in the house! After that, I left for my commute to work! I have about a 5-10 minute walk to the bus stop and then the bus ride takes around 20 minutes depending on traffic. I was a little nervous about finding my way across the city by myself but luckily I did it, and had enough time to spare to stop and grab a sandwich for lunch! J

            When I arrived at the office where the Dominican Delegation works (which is right across the street from the UN) I was finally able to meet Fr. Olivier, who I have been communicating with for months! He was able to explain a little bit to me about the Dominican Delegation and what exactly my role will be in it! One of the things that really struck me was him saying that I am now considered a member of the Dominican Delegation. I knew that I was going to be working with the Dominican Delegation but had no idea that I was going to be considered a member of it! As a result, everything that I do and say while at the United Nations will be considered the official position of the Dominican Delegation and as a result, I have to be very careful about everything I say and do. Fr. Olivier and I also went over my goals for my time with the Delegation as well as his goals and expectations for me.

            What I considered one of the most enlightening parts of the day, was the discussion Fr. Olivier and I had regarding the goals of the Dominican Delegation. He explained to me that the main goal of the Delegation is human rights. Since humans are created in the image of God, the Delegation is striving to put humans at the center of policies in nations around the world. He explained their role as trying to influence the law making process of states in the way of the Gospel, without explicitly mentioning it. This statement reminded me of the quote that is traditionally attributed to St. Francis, “preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.” Although the Delegation is using words in the form of the statements that they release, I think that this quote really relates to the work that the Delegation is doing in trying to educate others in the Gospel, specifically about issues of human rights, without having to overtly quote the Bible. As a result of this single goal of promoting human rights, the Delegation will work with other groups that are completely different from themself if they share in the common goal of promoting human rights. Fr. Olivier mentioned that I would be surprised when I saw come country or non-governmental organization alliances but that I should keep in mind that groups may be aligned on only one single and important issue.

            After meeting with Fr. Olivier, Evelyn and I went to the United Nations where I got a badge with my picture on it, very exciting! After that, I was given the opportunity to visit the room where the Human Rights Council is meeting. Just as we walked into the room, Evelyn saw the representative to the UN from the Vatican and I was able to meet him! It was very exciting! The council was in session and I was able to sit in the area where I will be able to observe the council meetings from and take notes to bring back to the Delegation. I am not allowed to take pictures inside the meeting room but found a picture of the room online! The section that I sit in is to the left of the tv on the left between the 1^st and 2^nd columns (counting from right to left!). While I am sitting in on the meetings of the Human Rights Council, I listen to the proceedings on a headset that translates into a number of languages and will be taking notes on what the different Delegations are saying.

(The UN Human Rights Council)

            After sitting in on a little bit of the council meeting. Evelyn gave me a tour of the United Nations buildings that I will be working in! There are a number of different libraries located within the two main buildings that I am very excited to explore! Finally, we went to a brief meeting about an event that a few NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are planning for next week!

            As the day was winding down, Evelyn and I returned back to the office of our Delegation and I met with Fr. Olivier again. We spoke more about the Dominican Delegation as well at the Order of Preachers. What struck me most about this conversation was his mention of the goal of preaching. He explained to me that Dominicans, as the Order of Preachers, are given the role of preaching the Gospel. However, he explained to me that this preaching can take many different forms. I have encountered Dominicans preaching in the classroom and he told me that the preaching that he and other Dominicans are doing at the UN is no different. I was very excited to learn this because one of my main objectives in traveling to Geneva was to learn more about the role of the Dominicans at the UN and I was intrigued to learn that it is not much different from their role at Providence College!

Finally, Fr. Olivier and I finished discussing the specific roles that I will play while with the Delegation. One of the jobs I am going to have is creating a database of the members of the Dominican Order. Fr. Olivier explained that the Dominican Delegation is like the Embassy for the Dominican Order. But, since positions (Provincial, for example), change so often, it is very difficult to keep in touch with everyone. As a result, he wants to combine multiple databases and create a comprehensive database of all of the Dominicans across the world, which will be one of my main tasks. Another task I am given is sitting in on the meetings of the Human Rights Council and preparing small briefs of what exactly is going on and what different member states are saying. If I am not able to go to the meeting because I have something else scheduled, I will use the minutes of the meeting to summarize the proceedings. Finally, I am going to be writing at least one article weekly about what I am seeing and experiencing at the United Nations for the Delegation to post on its blog and facebook page. My main objective in doing this is to educate those who are unfamiliar with the United Nations and the Dominican Delegation as to what we are doing and what we are trying to accomplish. There are definitely going to be other tasks that pop up but those are the main ones for now! J

            I had an incredible first day at the UN and am very excited for the remainder of my time here! I am also very glad that at the end of the day I have a much more clear definition of the work that I will be doing and I cannot wait to get started!