Walking through the office of President Kasaba Korosi, the children – who ranged in age from toddlers to high-school teenagers – pulled up the UN and Hungarian flags that hung in the office with the UN seal and on the balcony. Ran around to look at the skyline outside. . Meanwhile, the parents tried to prevent them from touching anything and looked nervously at a glass table that usually holds talking points for meetings with heads of state and government.
One of the children asked the president, “Will there still be a world until we have children.”
“That’s what the work of the General Assembly tries to guarantee,” replied Mr. Corosi, who sometimes mentions his now-adult daughter in speeches, recalling the inspiration she gave her in the world. Given to keep moving forward for a sustainable change.
Inspires the next generation
The group’s next stop was a tour of the United Nations, led by Jonathan Mitchell, a United Nations tour guide who helps lead UN children’s tours twice a week.
Sitting the multilingual group in front of world flags affixed to a wooden tree, Mishal discussed the importance of the United Nations to global cooperation: “This is the one place in the world where countries at war are right next to each other. sit down, go down for coffee, and discuss why they disagree.”
The group then visited the General Assembly, where they sat in member state seats and posed for photos at the podium where world leaders and invited guests spoke.
Mr. Mishal also noted the importance of youth engagement at the United Nations, citing Malala and Greta Thunberg – both of whom addressed the chamber.
Dr. Realizing the King’s dream
The setting was known to older children, whose parents work for the UN, and who grew up in international settings speaking Arabic, French, English, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Mandarin, Romanian and Spanish.
Comfortable in their surroundings, the children offered suggestions for improving world affairs on the local stage – “My parents don’t always listen to me” – to improve the actual General Assembly –
Large translation ear pieces to accommodate large earrings.
Mr. Mishal continued the tour, with a nod to MLK Day, by discussing discrimination.
Martin Luther King Jr. visited the United Nations in 1967, meeting with senior UN official and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ralph Bunche to discuss the state of civil rights in the United States.
In a tweet for the day, President Korosi said that Dr. King’s vision aligns with the UN ideals of human rights, economic and social justice, and worldwide peace: “As we look to crisis management and transition, the General Assembly has a task. Inspired by her courage and conviction. “
Earlier in the day, President Korosi welcomed the second group of Youth Fellows – six young women and men from developing countries who will work in his office until September.
