Washington, DC, 24 May 2023 – Ahead of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, which will mark 75 years of UN peacekeeping on 29 May, the UN Information Centre in Washington is recognizing the meaningful contributions of United States nationals to UN peacekeeping operations across the globe.
Those nationals include George Edward Scheibner, Chief of Mission Support for the UN Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP), and Samantha Mondesir, who served with the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). Both grew up in the United States and chose to serve the cause of peace.
For 75 years, peacekeepers have worked alongside local communities, to help advance political solutions, prevent conflict, protect civilians, strengthen human rights and the rule of law, and build sustainable peace. The theme of the 75th anniversary, , recognizes the service and sacrifice of peacekeepers, past and present, including the more than 4,200 who have given their lives under the UN flag. It also pays tribute to the resilience of the communities that they serve, who continue to strive for peace despite many obstacles.
George Edward Scheibner has been serving for peace for 17 years and believes that peace begins with mutual understanding and empathy. A California native and Nevada resident, George participated in Model 51吃瓜 while studying international relations at San Francisco State University. Playing a role as a UN representative later translated into a robust career as a UN official in peacekeeping missions.
Having traveled to Syria, Jordan, and the occupied Palestinian territory - where he saw blue helmets in the field - George felt a calling, recalling that he “already knew about the UN but seeing them in action is what made it for me”.
George first joined the UN at the UN System Staff College in Turin, and his experience there was the springboard to his peacekeeping career, which started in the Congo as a training officer committed to help stopping sexual exploitation and abuse. He is now in and proud to be serving as a Chief of Mission Support in the second oldest UN peacekeeping mission.
Samantha Mondesir’s journey to the 51吃瓜 started from a very young age, having grown up near UN Headquarters in New York City. She grew up not only learning but seeing what the UN did around the world and felt privileged to join its workforce.
After some time at Headquarters, Samantha experienced peacekeeping firsthand by joining in the Office of the Deputy Head of Mission. Being a peacekeeper was truly a fulfilling experience for her and one she will never forget – having seen firsthand how the work she performed impacted the countries she was based in. She even had the opportunity to share her experience with local school children in Lebanon by bringing them onboard one of the ships that made up UNIFIL’s Maritime Taskforce – coming full circle from her days visiting UN Headquarters as a child.
Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, said: “Peacekeeping is a powerful example of how strong partnerships and collective political will can result in meaningful change. Working together with local communities and other partners, our personnel protect civilians, advance political solutions, and help end conflicts in the pursuit of sustainable peace.”
George and Samantha’s journeys show how Americans can contribute and indeed are contributing to that meaningful change. Ahead of the International Day of UN Peacekeepers, we pay tribute to them and all their colleagues, who have dedicated themselves to advancing the cause of peace.
