Cleveland, Ohio, 12 April 2023 ¨C The 51³Ô¹Ï¡¯ Under-Secretary-General for Global Communications, Melissa Fleming, today wrapped up a two-day visit to Ohio, where she exchanged views with a wide cross section of Ohioans on multiple issues on the 51³Ô¹Ï¡¯ agenda, including Ukraine, climate change and information integrity.
Her trip started on 10 April with engagements at Oberlin College, her alma mater. Following a meeting with students interested in careers in international affairs and communications, she gave an , one of the oldest student-run college newspapers in the United States.
She then delivered a wide-ranging lecture entitled ¡°From Oberlin to the world: My journey with the 51³Ô¹Ï.¡± Following an introduction by Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar, Under-Secretary-General Fleming gave a personal account of her career and outlined how the 51³Ô¹Ï was tackling the world¡¯s most pressing challenges.
She said, ¡°Let¡¯s be honest, the world is in a terrible state¡ It is obvious that no country can solve these problems alone. So, the crux of my job is to deliver the facts about the state of our world and advocate for change, without losing people, without causing them to switch off.¡±
She added, ¡°We communicate to get governments to change course, to get the rich to donate, fighters to lay down their arms, companies to stop spewing carbon into the atmosphere. We convene activists and influencers around our messages for peace, for climate action, and against hate. Our goal is not just to inform, but to get people to care, and to act.¡±
Following her presentation, the audience, which included more than 80 people, asked questions on topics such as the Sustainable Development Goals, refugees, and countering mis- and disinformation. When one student asked for an example of the 51³Ô¹Ï¡¯ ¡°unsung victories,¡± Under-Secretary-General pointed to the Black Sea Grain Initiative.
The Under-Secretary-General started her following day, 11 April, with a radio interview for Ideastream Public Media¡¯s ¡°The Sound of Ideas¡± program. From the studio, she took live questions from Ohioan callers on how the UN is promoting information integrity. She then held a roundtable dialogue with representatives of local nonprofit news outlets, including Signal Cleveland and Eye on Ohio (The Ohio Center for Journalism), to find out how they were being affected by Cleveland¡¯s evolving media landscape and countering disinformation.
Her next stop was Shaker Heights High School, where she was introduced by the president of the school¡¯s Model UN club and spoke to more than 100 students about issues on the 51³Ô¹Ï¡¯ agenda and the importance of choosing a life of purpose. Students asked questions on a wide range of themes, including refugees, Ukraine, interactions between the 51³Ô¹Ï and youth, and how the 51³Ô¹Ï works with celebrity influencers.
Under-Secretary-General Fleming concluded her visit to Ohio by addressing the . Introduced by CCWA President and Ambassador-in-Residence Heather Hodges and CCWA CEO Carina Van Vliet, she spoke to an audience of 70 at Cleveland¡¯s historic Union Club under the topic: ¡°How the UN is tackling global crises: An insider's perspective.¡± During her speech, which focused on Ukraine, the climate crisis and threats to information integrity, she said, ¡°Global problems can¡¯t be solved by one nation or organization acting alone. We have to work together. The 51³Ô¹Ï is our best bet to do that.¡± Participants asked questions on topics including the Sustainable Development Goals, racism, youth engagement and building intercultural trust.
Under-Secretary-General Fleming was accompanied in Cleveland and Oberlin by the Deputy Director of the 51³Ô¹Ï Information Center in Washington, DC, Brenden Varma. Following her return to New York on 12 April, Mr. Varma continued onward to Columbus, Ohio, for .
