Who This Is Training For / Not For
Who This Is For
New representatives of your organization to the UN
If you are a new representative of your NGO to the United Nations and you have recently been tasked with supporting your organization’s outreach at the UN, then this is perfect for you. Especially if you are just beginning to learn the following:
- The structure of the UN
- It’s main organs
- How decisions are made
- Who makes which decisions
- The difference between resolutions, treaties, decisions, conventions, protocols, etc.
- How to find the relevant UN documents associated with your organization’s area of expertise
- How to find and connect with the diplomatic community focused on your area of concern
- What are the protocols that you need to know for dealing with diplomats.
- What are the best ways to ensure diplomats respond to your organizations communications
- What are the best strategies for advocacy for your organization
- etc.
You Have Interns & Volunteers Ready to Help But You Have No Time To Train Them
This one really hits the nail on the head. This is largely how this training came about in the first place.
Often I found myself with individuals wanting to help, but I knew that unless they were serious about learning about the UN, there was the potential for them to unintentionally harm our efforts than help them.
Then of course there was the simple fact that I was so busy engaged in the work I was sent to do at the UN, I had little to no time to spare to spend training the interns and volunteers.
AND YET, having a supportive team of volunteers definitely made so much of the work we were doing possible. And without them I was over-stretched.
Of course there are many other situations where having this training to plug individuals into was a god-send. Now I am sharing this with you. Take advantage of me!
You Are Looking to be a Volunteer for your organization's UN Office
If you are an intern or volunteer and you want to be put at the top of the list of those vying for an opportunity to support your organization’s outreach at the UN, then this is perfect for you. This training will turn you into a solid asset for the work at hand.
Take the initiative!
This is especially helpful if you are only generally familiar with some of the following:
- The structure of the UN
- It’s main organs
- How decisions are made
- Who makes which decisions
- The difference between resolutions, treaties, decisions, conventions, protocols, etc.
- How to find the relevant UN documents associated with your organization’s area of expertise
- How to find and connect with the diplomatic community focused on your area of concern
- What are the protocols that you need to know for dealing with diplomats.
- What are the best ways to ensure diplomats respond to your organizations communications
- What are the best strategies for advocacy for your organization
- etc.
Representatives with experience wanting to be more strategic in your work
To develop strong strategies that allow you to leverage your organization’s expertise requires an equally strong know of both the “what,” “when” and “how” of those you need to influence in order to make the international policy changes you seek.
To be effective and not waste your precious time and organization’s resources, you need specialized knowledge about the UN, how it works, how best to connect with and impact the diplomatic and UN community. And simply speaking, that requires knowledge. And not just academic knowledge but “boots on the ground” perspectives that mentors and those with experience can provide.
This program was designed to provide those who need to be effective at UNHQ NY with essential knowledge and the smart insights that come from “getting things done.”
Go-getters wanting to learn from other's experience—what works and what doesn't
If you believe that you can work smarter by “standing on the shoulders” of those who have gone before, then this is for you. 30 minutes a day for a few weeks will make the scales drop from your eyes and ensure you are moving forward as quickly as humanly possible!
This educational is designed for those who are in it for the long haul, not just visiting the UN for a day or two to get oriented.
Especially if you are not full time at the UN but your organization plans to get its voice heard, you need to optimize the time you do spend at the UN, and that is best done by learning all you can before you even set foot in the front door!
Who Is This NOT For
Wanting to satisfy my natural curiosity about the UN
If you are only a little curious or perhaps are largely focused on domestic issues, then this may not be for you. This is really for those who want to understand the practical context for global level advocacy and outreach. So descriptive information about the UN, its organs, functions, and evolution may be all that is needed.
Especially the sections that deal with protocols, UN documents and resolutions and the like, would most likely be of little interest.
However, the Mindset Module is still relevant for any person whose task it is to help “sell and market” ideas, causes, projects or programs. In this case, make sure you have at least signed up for and worked through the exercises outlined in the
In need of a quick history and overview of the UN, nothing in-depth
If this is you and you are in NY, then the best thing to do is to visit the UN and take one of their tours. These take place most days and in a number of different languages. Just go into the visitors area off 1st Avenue at 46th Street and you can sign up. Or get more information from the UN website.
In need of academic only knowledge of the UN, not "hands on, how to."
There are many books and university courses that can help you understand the UN, it’s place in recent and ongoing international affairs and more.
In this case, there is no need to distill down to core materials, the key information that is needed to be effective in person-to-person advocacy. So Amazon, your local university or Google can satisfy your specific questions.
This course walks people through the specific knowledge they need to be effective at UNHQ (NY, Geneva and in other locations) as they seek to influence global policy and policy-makers.