Name: Sadie Zaraya

Social Justice Group: 2023-2024, Homelessness in NYC

Date of Fieldwork: January 12, 2024

Name of Organization and person (people) with whom you met and their title(s):The United Nations

Type of Fieldwork: [69]

What I did and what I learned about my topic, activism, social justice work or civil and human rights work from this fieldwork?:

While visiting the United Nations I learned so much about all the world leaders and how they come together to make decisions about important topics. It was amazing that we could see the inside of the building where so many important figures have been while making choices that affected the whole world. I found the fact that many of the things in the U.N. were donated by different countries like Denmark and Thailand fascinating. Knowing that even though each country has different goals, so many leaders made peace a priority and agreed to make ground rules for human rights and to meet up once a year made me feel protected. At the U.N. many countries also made the climate a priority with the Sustainability goals and I am very glad that people in power are trying to solve that problem. I also learned about the different levels of power in the United Nations and how the original countries to join it, Russia, the U.S., China, the UK, and France have more power on the Security Council and can veto decisions.

The art in the United Nations was also very powerful and beautiful. In the downstairs section, the portraits made out of rugs presented by Iran really stood out to me. It was very interesting how they took everyday materials and turned them into portraits of Secretary generals in U.N, not only honoring them but creating a piece of art. I also thought that the mural made of beads showing all different races and religions together was very beautiful.