DEFINITION AND AIMS OF UNESCO CLUBS
The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) clubs are an associative movement in support of UNESCO's ideals, whilst contributing to their dissemination in various circles. They undertake activities directly related to the ideals and principles of the organization.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
The first UNESCO club was set up at Sendai-Japan in July 19, 1947. Two years later in 1949 the first UNESCO club was founded in Lebanon, being among the leading UNESCO clubs established in UNESCO member states. Much later The World Federation of UNESCO Clubs and Associations (WFUCA) was founded in July 1981.
CATEGORIES OF UNESCO CLUB:
UNESCO Clubs fall mainly into the following three categories:
1) Clubs in school
2) Clubs in Universities
3) Other clubs: adult clubs, cultural clubs, social clubs..
Irrespective of the category that the UNESCO club belongs to, it should have its statutes and bylaws as well as a general assembly and an executive committee.
THE ROLE OF A UNESCO CLUB:
The function of a club may be summed up in three words:
Training, information and action; training the club members, informing the members and general public by disseminating information about national and world issues, and taking action and implementing activities essential to the continued existence of a club.
CONDITIONS TO ESTABLISH A UNESCO CLUB:
The Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO is the only authorized body in Lebanon that is entitled to establish a UNESCO Club in Lebanon, and to see to its proper coordination with WFUCA and UNESCO. So any request to file for a UNESCO club in Lebanon ought to be processed through the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO.
In addition, the following ought to be observed:
1) Avoiding any political activities,
2) Adhering to the principles and goals of UNESCO in planning activities,
3) Presenting the formal request to the National Commission along with the statutes and bylaws and list of names of the general assembly and the executive committee,
4) Making reference to UNESCO in all activities to be undertaken
nominating a coordinator to liaise between the National Commission and the club.
ACTIVITIES OF UNESCO CLUBS:
The activities of a UNESCO club vary in accordance with the age bracket of its members, its focus of interest and mainly the financial resources available to it.
Activities however could cluster around the following:
1) Organizing cultural seminars on human rights, democracy, environment, tolerance, etc...
2) Organizing exhibitions, trips to historical and natural heritage sites
3) Planting trees and protecting the environment
4) Celebrating international days, weeks, and years...
UNESCO CLUBS IN LEBANON:
A number of UNESCO Clubs were established in Lebanon, the present ones are the following:
UNESCO Club Nabatieh Social Service Committee (1995)
UNESCO Club Zrarieh Youth Club (1996)
UNESCO Club American University of Beirut (2002)
UNESCO Club Lebanese American University (2002)
UNESCO Club Saint Joseph University (2002) restructured (2006)
UNESCO Club Lebanese University Institute of Fine Arts Architecture Department (2006)
UNESCO Club Haigazian University (2006)
The UNESCO Clubs participate in activities of national, regional and international levels:
I- National :
October 2006-March 2007:
Working together for Lebanon recovery & citizenship capacity building”: In the aftermath of Israeli war on Lebanon in July 2006, the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO organized a joint project for UNESCO Clubs titled “Working together for Lebanon recovery & citizenship capacity building” a press conference were organized to announce the implementation of the project and to distribute certificates to the participants.
40 University student members of the UNESCO Club participated in all of the 7 workshops that comprised that project. Their respective themes were as follows:
- 25-29/10/2006, Nabatieh: “Interpersonal Conflict Resolution & Group Dynamics and Planning a developmental project” in cooperation with the two NGO’s Lebanon Conflict Resolution and Master Plan
- 17-19/11/2006,Al-Abbassieh-village-South-Lebanon: “Community Service: Reconstruction of Abbassieh village” in cooperation with the NGO Offre Joie
- 16 -17/12/2006,
- 6-7/1/2007, Mount-Lebanon: “Group Facilitation Workshop” in cooperation with the NGO Lebanon Conflict Resolution
- 13-14/1/2007 ,
- 3/3/2007,
- 4/3/2007,
- 16/3/2007: A Press Conference at the Lebanese National Commission offices: to brief the media about the project
Individual projects were executed by the UNESCO Clubs as means of applying the acquired skills: The following is the list of projects executed by the UNESCO Clubs:
- Nabatieh UNESCO Club:
Collaborating with
- AUB UNESCO Club
Organizing a UNESCO Quiz Tournament based on a series of questions related to UNESCO humanitarian, cultural, global and youth matters issues.
- LAU UNESCO Club
Organizing a series of activities to create awareness among the LAU students with regards to the concept of conflict resolution
- USJ UNESCO Club
Establishing a library in
- Haigazian UNESCO Club
Conducting a Workshop on “Group Facilitation” whereby the UNESCO members passed the skills they learned, via the various workshops, to students coming from a number of schools in
1-3 February, 2002, Seminar on” Regional Meeting of UNESCO Clubs of the Arab States " :
The Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO organized under the patronage of the Minister of Culture, Dr. Ghassan Salameh, and in collaboration with UNESCO Division of the relations with national commissions and new partnership and the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs, Centers and Associations (WFUCA), the Regional Meeting of UNESCO Clubs of the Arab States from February 1 till 3, 2002.
UNESCO Arab federations and clubs were presented as follows: Egypt (UNESCO Club- Faculty of Education-Ein Chams University) - Kuwait (UNESCO Club - Kuwait)- Lebanon (UNESCO Clubs-Nabatieh social Establishment ; UNESCO Club- Youth Club of Zrarieh; Cultural Arab Club - Youth Committee)- Palestinian Authority (National Federation of UNESCO Clubs)- Sudan (National Federation of UNESCO clubs)- Tunisia (UNESCO ALECSO Club of Tunis) also observers from Arab national commissions: Jordan- Syria- Yemen.
The WFUCA was represented by the secretary general, Mr. Patrick Gallaud, while UNESCO was represented by : the Assistant Director-General, Mr. Ahmed Sayyad, on behalf of the Director General of UNESCO; the Director of the Division of Relations with National Commissions and New Partnerships, Mrs. Marie-Louis Kearney; the program Specialist in the Section of UNESCO Clubs and New Partnerships, M. Kuni-Aki Yamashita; the Program Specialist in the Sector for Culture, M. Salem Hasan; the Regional Information Officer in the Office of Public Information, Mr. Bassam Mansour.
The Meeting lasted for three days where number of issues were tackled during the working sessions of the first day among which, the role of UNESCO Clubs in the medium-term strategy 2002-2007, the clubs activities in the Arab states, the proposition for organizing common activities, the importance of the creation of Arab federation, the world Charter of UNESCO Clubs, the strategy of the WFUCA as a partner of UNESCO, the perspectives of the world Congress of the WFUCA of 2003.
The second day, on the occasion of the adoption of UNESCO universal declaration on cultural diversity, and a round table was organized on cultural dialogue, which was presided by Dr. Fadia Kiwan, the president of the Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO and had four speakers, three professors from different universities in Lebanon being; Dr. Fawaz Traboulsi- from the Lebanese American University (LAU), Dr. Hassan Krayem- from the American University of Beirut (AUB), Dr. Antoine Messara- from the Lebanese University (LU), also a member of the Commission, in addition to M. Salem Hasan- the Program Specialist in the Sector for Culture.
The third day, the participants adopted the recommendations of the meeting being classified into three categories those addressed to UNESCO. To National Commissions and WFUCA and to UNESCO federations and clubs of the Arab States of the recommendation was the appeal for solidarity in favor of the Palestine National federation of UNESCO Clubs.
The most outstanding recommendations of the meeting were as follows:
Adopt the opening speech of H.E. the Minister of Culture, Dr. Ghassan Salameh as one of the Meeting documents, and to highlight his recommendation "to consider the cultural factor as a key element in world economy as well as the world politics. Also to hold the participants accountable for, being responsible for the culture and being friends of UNESCO or members of his clubs, defending the cause of UNESCO and ALECSO, and the other world organizations and to strive, to enhance their roles.
Invite UNESCO to incorporate in its program, and budget moral and financial support to the WFUCA being a partner of UNESCO, and to the UNESCO Clubs in fulfillment of their mission.
Work towards the establishment of UNESCO clubs and national federations in the Arab states that don't have them.
Invite the national commissions to work for the establishment of UNESCO clubs in the universities, coordinating in that with UNESCO and the ministries concerned.
Invite the WFUCA to organize for workshops with the objectives of empowering the supervisors and members of UNESCO clubs in the Arab States.
Invite the UNESCO clubs in the Arab states to adopt the UNESCO universal declaration on cultural diversity and to push towards a serious dialogue among civilizations.
Invite the UNESCO clubs in the Arab states to support "the preparatory committee" composed of
2003, Workshop for UNESCO Clubs on Planning and Project management.
2003, Women's rights in the lebanese law at the AUB UNESCO Club.
2002, Meeting on Preventive Education ; Lebanese Modern Institute.
2002, Training Session on Human Rights at AUB UNESCO Club.
2002, Workshop for members of UNESCO Clubs in some lebanese universities on "Interpersonal Conflict Resolution Skills" UNESCO Palace- Beirut- Lebanon.
2002, Workshop for members of UNESCO Clubs in some Lebanese universities on "leadership and human relations" Broumana- Lebanon.
2002, Introductory Meetings in some universities on UNESCO, Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO, UNESCO Clubs .
2000, consultative meeting for UNESCO Clubs executives in order to advise them on how to design and organize projects on heritage preservation.
1998, workshop to train UNESCO Clubs members on how to plan, program, finance or raise funds for project implementation.
1997, workshop to train the animators of UNESCO Clubs.
II- Regional:
2002, Regional meeting of UNESCO Clubs of the Arab States- Beirut -Lebanon.
III- International :
2007, October 25th,
For the first time within the framework of the General Conference, an international forum of civil society was organized by UNESCO in order to highlight the growing role of the civil society in global governance.UNESCO Clubs in Lebanon were represented by Dr. Mustafa Badreddine, president of Nabatieh UNESCO Club and Vice-President of the Middle East region of the Arab Federation of UNESCO Clubs.
Representatives of UNESCO Clubs called for more meetings between club federations in different regions to encourage concerted action.
2007, October 12th-13th,
The UNESCO Youth Forum brings together young delegates from all over the world to exchange views, share experiences, reflect together and, above all, detect common preoccupations and problems. UNESCO Clubs in
2007, July 11-13, Athens-Greece, World Congress of the WFUCA,
A Lebanese Delegation composed of the president of the AUB UNESCO Club and the secretary and treasurer of the LAU UNESCO Club participated in this event representing the UNESCO Clubs in
The president of the AUB UNESCO Club, the Head of the delegation was nominated to represent the Arab region in the credentials committee at the world congress while the secretary and treasurer of the LAU UNESCO Club participated in the Arab Region meeting.
The Lebanese delegation prepared the Lebanese stand dedicated to the activities of the UNESCO Clubs in
On the last day, the general assembly of the world congress elected the executive board. Mr. Georges Christophides (
On the last day, the general assembly of the world congress elected the executive board. Mr. Georges Christophides (
2007, June, 23-24, Rabat-Morocco: Regional Meeting of UNESCO Clubs –2nd session,
the president of the Nabatieh UNESCO Club an the UNESCO Clubs National Coordinator participated in this meeting organized by the Arab Federation of UNESCO Clubs in cooperation with the Moroccan national commission for UNESCO and the Moroccan Federation of UNESCO Clubs . This meeting adopted the financial and the internal regulations of the Arab Federation of UNESCO Clubs and ratified it .
/2005 July 18-20, Paris, World Conference of UNESCO Clubs and the extraordinary session of the World Conference .
The president of Nabatieh UNESCO Club and the UNESCO Clubs National Coordinator participated in this conference that aimed to inform the representatives of UNESCO Clubs of the works of the special committee to reform the World Federation in order to renovate the World Federation and to discuss the draft status of the World Federation prepared by this committee. The World Conference ended by adopting the establishment of a committee to follow the renovation of the World Federation of UNESCO Clubs and to prepare the World Conference of 2007
2005, May 28-29, /Alxandria-Egypt: Regional Meeting of UNESCO Clubs, 1st session .
The president of the Nabatieh UNESCO Club and the UNESCO Clubs National Coordinator participated in this meeting that launched the Arab Federation of UNESCO Clubs and adopted the Constitutive Act and Bibliotheca of Alexandria as the main headquarter .Dr. Badreddine was elected vice-president for the Middle East Region of the Arab Federation
2004,August, 27-30, Tunis: Conference for Arab UNESCO Clubs,
2001, World Youth Encounter of UNESCO Clubs on "the role of young people in democracy building"- Manresa- Spain.
2000, Inter-Reginal meeting of UNESCO clubs on: "Human kind- Nature- Technology: A New World Arising"- Germany.
1999, The Fifth International Conference of WFUCA- Russia.
1999, Regional meeting of UNESCO clubs of the Arab region- Tunisia.
1995, International conference on UNESCO clubs- Paris.
Source: www.lncu.org
© 2007 Lebanese National Commission for UNESCO
