Uniting for Peace in Vienna

 UNIS/INF/282 – 19 September 2008

Students Mark the International Day of Peace, 21 – 24 September 2008

VIENNA, 19 September (UN Information Service – deutsch) – Under the theme „Uniting for  Peace“ 60 students from Southeast Central European capital cities will

1. gather  in  Vienna
2. to share experiences,
3. learn from each other,
4. discuss and debate  issues  of  intercultural cooperation and cross-border dialogue.

On the  occasion  of  the International Day of Peace (21 September)

A Student Forum,  jointly  organized by the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) Vienna  and  the  City  of  Vienna, offers a platform for young people from Belgrade,  Ljubljana,  Podgorica,  Sarajevo,  Skopje,  and  Zagreb  to come together  in the international hub of Vienna to discuss questions of common concern, revisit the past and look towards a peaceful future.

The students Programme

The studends will spend four programme-packed days in the Austrian Capital at the invitation of the host city, as member of the Union of Capitals of the Central and Southeastern European Countries (UCSEEC), supported by UNIS Vienna and a number of other partners and sponsors. The programme kicks off on the International Day of Peace (Sunday, 21 September) with a colourful youth peace festival in the Vienna
Museumsquartier hosted and organized by ‚Willfriede‚, an initiative of the
City of Vienna’s youth office (Jugend in Wien: www.jugendinwien.at.

22 September is the group’s ‚day at the UN‘: at the Vienna International
Centre,  the  students  will  listen  to lectures about the United Nations,
peacekeeping and peacebuilding measures, as well as the work of the various
UN  offices  and  entities  in Vienna. After

1. a brief guided tour, the group will  be joined by UN senior management and staff members
2. to ring the Peace Bell  in  the  Memorial Plaza at 12 noon — a symbolic gesture to call upon all nations to work harder to build and preserve peace and to observe a Day of Ceasefire.

Tuesday, 23 September) includes hands-on workshops  at 

1. the  Diplomatic  Academy  Vienna and
   
2. the Modul University on Kahlenberg;
3. a visit to the offices of the OSCE and
4. talks with private  business  representatives  on  career  opportunities  and economic development.

To  round off the day, and as a visual record of the project, each  city  group  will  produce  parts  of  a larger picture during an art workshop.On their final day in Vienna, the students are invited to a reception at the  Vienna City Hall. The formal programme and agenda will be supplemented by  a  number of cultural and informal activities, allowing the students to explore  their  host  city  and  to build bridges between the participating capitals.

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