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NEW!
Launch of new uniform,
2001
Previous
Press Releases:
"Italian
company provides footwear for United Nations Guides at Headquarters
and in Geneva" (PI/1349 22 May 2001)
"New
guides join multilingual tour operation at United Nations
Headquarters" (Note
No. 5654 15 March 2001)
"UN
launches guided tours web site in six languages"
(Note
No.PI/1345 May 2001)
What's
New
Note
No. 5680
26 September 2001
Note to Correspondents
UNITED NATIONS TOUR GUIDES TO ASSIST AMERICAN RED CROSS, OTHER
UNITED NATIONS STAFF JOIN RELIEF EFFORT AS VOLUNTEER INTERPRETERS
The
United Nations tour guides will help to staff information
kiosks being set up around New York City by the American Red
Cross in the United Nations' first official input to the city's
relief operations following the terrorist attack on the World
Trade Center on 11 September. Responding to an offer of assistance
made by Secretary-General Kofi Annan when he visited the disaster
site with New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and Governor
George Pataki, the American Red Cross approached the United
Nations to see if some of its staff could be made available
to provide information to New Yorkers, family members of the
missing and visitors to New York on a variety of subjects
related to relief operations.
The project, sponsored by the Red Cross, is in fact part of
a pioneer project, a partnership with Microsoft and Compaq,
entitled: "Register to let others know you are OK". The Family
Registration Web site at www.redcross.org will allow people
to self-register with the Red Cross so that the organization
can respond to the thousands of inquiries received from concerned
friends and family nationwide. It will be possible to inquire
about a family member by calling the Mayor's Hotline at (212)
560-2730. While much of the initial interest in such information
may have subsided, the project is being seen by the Red Cross
as a test run should such a need arise in the future.
Kiosks will be set up in various locations around the city.
So far, 27 locations have been identified. Most of them are
in Manhattan, but there are other locations in Brooklyn, the
Bronx, Queens and Staten Island. The kiosks are located mostly
in banks (several Dime banks), Starbucks, and government buildings,
including borough halls and court buildings.
Since
United Nations Headquarters is currently closed to visitors
and the Department of Public Information's guided tours are
temporarily suspended, the guides seemed a perfect match for
a task that can benefit from their client orientation and
language skills. Reaction among the guides has been overwhelmingly
enthusiastic: "I'm grateful for this opportunity to be of
use in this time of tragedy in any way possible." "It means
doing something, helping out, even if it is indirectly. In
addition, it is not very different form what we usually do,
meaning, informing people."
On a related note, more than 100 United Nations staff members
have responded to a request from the Office of the Mayor of
New York, offering their time and language skills as Volunteer
Interpreters in an effort coordinated by the Office of Human
Resources Management. Covering 38 different languages, these
staff members have volunteered at such sites as the Family
Assistance Center at Pier 94. A similar effort is also being
undertaken by the United Nations Development Programme.
For
further information, please contact the Chief of the UN Guided
Tours Unit, Helene Hoedl, at 963-3242.
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