A world of wealth

I caught the train from Stuttgart to Basel and then another on to Geneva, to attend the UN youth delegates’ evaluation meeting which the Swiss national youth council kindly agreed to host.

Since I actually arrived the night before our event began, I took the opportunity to look round this fascinating city. Geneva is a playground for the rich and famous; one of the world’s best-known tax havens, it is full of exactly what I’d expect to find in such a place. Casinos, designer fashion outlets, “Private Banks” (branches of international firms dealing with only a handful of carefully selected clients), luxurious apartment buildings, private yachts and grand hotels were everywhere to be seen. One of these is named after former US President Woodrow Wilson, quite a fitting title in my opinion: as one of the world’s most idealistic ever leaders, he would surely have loved the world of glitz and glamour Geneva is today.

After finding the hostel and getting arrangements sorted out, I had a long walk around the local area. There were no real specific destinations: I simply headed in the direction which tempted me most, usually towards well-lit landmarks near the vast and impressive Lake Geneva.

Although cold, it was a very clear night and I got some great photos of the illuminated attractions. There were a couple of very interesting modern-arty things, but from an architectural perspective Geneva definitely isn’t as grand as Prague. However, this is compensated for by the sheer sense of wealth and luxury that permeates the atmosphere – unfortunately this didn’t extend to the hostel, but it was at least a friendly place and there were no major complaints.

The next day our meeting began. Other youth delegates arrived and we had lunch at the hostel before visiting the UN. This is the original location of the organisation – the main headquarters before the move to New York. It’s a lot smaller in scale than NY, but the building has a much nicer design and there are some wonderful views of the lake from inside. The grounds are also very pleasant; land was donated from a rich philanthropist, who made the condition that peacocks be allowed to roam freely. Many of the numerous UN branches (or “arms”) dealing with different issues are still based in Geneva, although most of the main legislating activity is now across the pond.

One of the topics mostly dealt with in Geneva is human rights. Its main base is the Palais Wilson by the lake and when going past there we stumbled across a group of protesters from Tibet, demonstrating against China and saying they wanted justice. From what I read in the literature thrust upon me, the situation is very complicated and Tibetans are not being treated fairly.

Our evaluation meeting was very successful; it was well-organised and there was a clear emphasis on concrete action points. Unfortunately the numbers were relatively low, especially compared to the massive amounts of youth delegates in NYC, and there were a few which had been confirmed who sadly cancelled at the last minute. But having a smaller group can bring advantages: we managed to get through the agenda in good time and everyone had the chance to make meaningful contributions.

Another activity planned into our schedule was a tour of the city. Rather than having an actual guide or anything like that, we just wandered around up into the old town and about. It was particularly interesting to do this on December 10, because the Genovese were celebrating 'Escalade'. This annual festivity marks a victory in 1602 over French soldiers trying to occupy the territory. Its well-known symbol is a cooking pot, resembling one of the first acts of the conflict: the soup a Genovese woman threw on invading forces from a high window.

Natives indulge in fine chocolate and there are ceremonial concerts, staged shootings and fancy-dress parties all over the city. It was a nice coincidence that our meeting was taking place on the same weekend as Escalade as this gave a fascinating cultural aspect to the trip. The French-speaking Genovese people are clearly very proud of their heritage.

However, to me there seems to be a slightly paradoxical situation. There are huge celebrations for a victory over the French, but in many ways Geneva and its people are like just another part of France. Linguistically and culturally, it seems they are trying to duplicate the country; it definitely seemed more like being in Paris than Switzerland.

Then again, Switzerland is a very diverse country. For a start, there are three official languages: French, German and Italian – which are all spoken in different places. A few years ago I visited the lakeside resort of Lugano, which is on the border with Italy and uses that language, so very similar to Geneva in that it seems less like Switzerland and more like somewhere else.

It was great to see some of the people I’d worked with in New York again and we had a good time at the meeting. A report has been produced, which will be sent to all UN Missions, containing our recommendations for the youth delegate process in future. Hopefully it will become a valuable lobbying tool and stimulate the inclusion of many more young people in national delegations.

Weather-wise, it will be nice to escape the blistering winds of Geneva. The town has little protection from seemingly gale-force conditions, which turn the normally tranquil lake into a frenzy of waves and threaten to lift people off their feet. This especially applies when walking near the water – many were holding onto their hats or clinging to nearby railings for reassurance.

Next stop for me is Basel, a German-speaking area, where I will stay for two nights with my aunt and uncle. I have visited before, but that was a few years ago and I’m looking forward to having another chance to see the place. Unsurprisingly, I can’t really remember much because I was quite young, so it will be good to explore properly this time. It’s also a nice way to relax again for a couple of days, before moving down south to Italy for a students’ convention event.