The Swiss Life

Dori, myself, Valentina, and Veronica

After months of preparation and anticipation, I have finally begun my mission in Geneva, Switzerland.  From April until the beginning of July, I will be working with the VIDES and IIMA Human Rights Office, both of which are NGOs with special consultive status for the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.  There are three other volunteers serving with me: Veronica and Valentia, who are both from Italy, and Dori, from Hungary.  Technically, Valentina and I are VIDES International volunteers while Veronica and Dori are here to volunteer for IIMA, but there is no difference in the work we do (just in the range of languages we speak!)

Veyrier Center

Life in Veyrier is a change of pace from my previous missions in San Antonio, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic.  Veyrier is a small community on the Swiss/France border that enjoys the benefits of a quiet countryside setting with luscious landscapes as well as its proximity to one of the biggest economic centers in the world.  Needless to say, this is not a poverty-stricken area – the opposite in fact.  The educational systems, public facilities, transportation, and security are all very developed and advanced.  I must admit that I have been enjoying the benefits of such luxuries, using the parks and running paths scattered about the city, enjoying the convenient bus routes, and breathing in the fresh mountain air. 

The small community that we live in is composed of three Sisters: Sor Lucia, Sor Guiseppina, and Sor MariaGrazia, all of whom are Italian-born.  With Valentina and Veronica volunteering here as well, the main language spoken in the house is generally Italian, which French as a close second.  Though I have been trying to pick up a little bit of Italian, Dori and I do not speak it, so oftentimes translations for conversations are provided by Valentina or Veronica, who can speak English as well.  When it comes to French, everybody in the house can use it effectively…with the exception of yours truly.  Together, we make up a fun, diverse, and sometimes quirky little community.

Not a bad view of Geneva

I mentioned that Veyrier is an affluent community, but I should take an opportunity to highlight this.  It’s an affluent suburb of Geneva, one of the most affluent cities in the world.  I have seen no less than 10 different Ferraris as well as a handful of Aston Martins, Bentleys, and other luxury European cars that I’ll never come close to owning.  As a volunteer, I have mixed feelings about this: it’s interesting and fun to see so many fine crafts in one area, but has anyone ever told you how expensive Geneva is?  Especially when your budget is the same as a college student living off Ramen noodles and Mac ‘n Cheese, (which was what I did for a while in college) planning and deciding what you can afford is a must.  For instance, we stopped by a Starbucks on a rainy day and I paid the equivalent of $7 for a medium coffee.  Luckily, the Sisters take care of our housing and food: a charity of immense proportions as the fusion of Italian and French cuisine at no expense is reason enough to travel here…but that was not my intention, I promise!  Really though, despite the high costs, I’m enjoying the laid back Swiss life, the chocolate, the landscapes, and the work that I am doing here. 

At first you're blown away by the exotic cars, but after
seeing Ferraris, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Bentleys,
Rolls-Royces, etc. you grow accustomed to it.  Somehow.

I have been on the job for a month and a half but, like my other missions, cannot paint a perfect picture of the day-to-day life.  The diversity of work and range of tasks keeps things feeling fresh and new even though

I know I am halfway through my time here though it does not feel that way; it feels as though I’ve just begun.  When working in the office, generally we’re preparing documents and reports from the UN to disseminate to the Salesian Sisters, NGOs and other benefactors throughout the world.  The importance of our work is twofold: we act as a medium between the UN and grassroots work in various countries and also promote the work of the Sisters, giving a voice to the voiceless.  Oftentimes, we’ll attend a meeting at the UN discussing a particular country or topic that the Sisters have interest in (such as the right to education) and generate a report for the Sisters in that country / area of interest.  We do this work to inform the Sisters in those areas what is being acted on at the higher level as well as bringing serious issues the Sisters are facing to light at the UN. 

Effective communication is a must when all work is based around the passing along of information in an accurate manner.  This can get tricky when working with many languages, but has also proven to be a beautiful challenge.  Throughout the day, we work in Spanish, English, Italian, and French.  Each volunteer and Sister has his or her own proficiency in each language making teamwork and collaboration a must as well.  For example, it is my duty to proof-read all English documents before they are finalized as I am a native English speaker.  However, I do not speak French although it is the language of preference in Geneva.  We each have strengths and weaknesses with a wide range of skill sets.  Learning as a team has been fun, interesting, sometimes frustrating, but ultimately rewarding knowing that this is a new experience for each one of us, so it does not feel like a hierarchy but more a circle or series of circles that lets us share our success and failures together. 

Ahh...the Swiss Life.

There is more to come about the UN, my travels, and the differences between this and my other missions.  In the meantime, stay well and keep us in your prayers.  Thanks!