Rajagopal P. V. and Jill Carr-Harris visited Geneva in November 2017. A meeting with Rémy Pagani, the mayor of Geneva, was held at the official reception hall at La Grange together with a meal with a dozen people, to show their support for the forthcoming Jai Jagat
2020 action. The former Mayor and his wife, who helped in coordinating this meeting, were also present. Mayor Pagani indicated that since Geneva is an international city of peace, and it is befitting for the municipality to participate in this event. As a result, the city of Geneva had passed a formal resolution to welcome all participants coming to Geneva of the various Jai Jagat marches during the period of 25th of September and the 3rd of October 2020. The Mayor also noted that an application could be made with the appropriate office in the city for billeting the participants in people’s homes. Mayor Pagani mentioned that he would try to come to Delhi for the flag-off of the Indian March beginning on October 2nd,
2019.
At the City Hall of Geneva, the President of the Grand Conseil, Éric Leyvraz, along with various council members, welcomed Rajagopal, Jill Carr-Harris, Benjamin Joyeux and several members of the local support group, to announce that they too had passed a resolution for supporting the Jai Jagat action in Geneva. Rajagopal also met François Longchamp, the president of the State of Geneva, who agreed to give full backing to the 2020 action.
A meeting was held with three persons from the Kofi Annan Foundation: Program Coordinator, Maud Roure, Project Coordinator, Declan O’Brien and External Relations Officer, Michal Khan.
A meeting with Ms. Isabelle Durant, Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in which she gladly
accepted to be part of the Honorary Advisory Committee of Jai Jagat. She took interest in the decentralized and local economy agenda (nonviolent economy).
Jill Carr-Harris and Benjamin Joyeux met with two officers in the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR): Christine Cheung, of Asia Field Office, in charge of India and Pakistan, and Erik Friberg, officiating on Human Rights training.
Jill Carr-Harris met Maria Butler, the Director of Global Programs of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, to see how WILF could collaborate with the Jai Jagat in Geneva in 2020 and how they may be involved in the Georgian women’s meet.
Jill Carr-Harris met with Manuela Teixeira Pinto, the Portuguese Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
One press briefing was held at the Geneva Press Club. There were two civil society meetings at the Impact Hub, and there was a conflict resolution seminar with students and faculty in the University of Geneva. There was also a meeting with refugee communities (New Swiss) and local activists at an employment and
training center.
