What is F.U.N and how did it begin?

F.U.N was born when a friend asked how he can help the United Nations? "What does the UN need most" he asked? Friends are what the UN needs most, was our answer, and it just happens to spell F.U.N.

The Peace Knott

So we asked a Belgian designer, Jean-Paul Knott to design the first blue F.U.N bracelet. The bracelet has the first three words of the UN Charter printed on it in thirteen European languages: 'We the Peoples'.

We wrapped it around a blue post card, with the same three words on it, and  sent it out as UNRIC's 2006 Season's greeting card.

Jean-Paul Knott has called his bleu bracelet the Peace Knott.

In a second stage, we started to actually name some people F.U.N, by giving them a bracelet, a post card and a certificate naming them Friends of the United Nations. It is a democratization of the UN Good will ambassador concept, except that you don't have to be celebrity to become F.U.N. and there are no strings attached on either side. It is a loose network of Friends of the UN in Europe. When you wear the bracelet, you show that you are a supporter of the UN, a global citizen. The list of European F.U.N is growing.

The second F.U.N bracelets was created by the French- Moroccan designer Claude Sabbah, who wanted 'We the Peoples' in Hebrew and in Arabic

Printed on the bracelets. Sabbah calls his bracelet L'anneau de la Paix.

We have since contacted other designers asking them to design their version of the blue bracelet. If you are interested in designing your own version of the F.U.N. bracelets, send us your ideas.

Be F.U.N!

F.U.N List

POLITICIANS, DIPLOMATS AND OFFICIALS:

France

Sylvie Bermann - Director of United Nations Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Mario Bettati - Senior advisor to the Foreign Minister

Didier Gonzalez - UN and International Organization, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Bernard Kouchner - Foreign Minister

Jean-Maurice Ripert - Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations in Geneva

Michel Rocard - Former French Prime Minister, Member of European Parliament

Rama Yade - Minister of State (October 2008)

Germany

Richard Arnold - Director, Representation of the state of Baden -Wurttemberg to the EU

Italy

Simonetta Fichelli - Head of International Relations Office, Ministry of Public Education

Giovanni Scancarello - Head of New Technologies Office, Ministry of Public Education

Peru

Ignacio Higueras- Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Peru

Senegal

Claude Mademba Sy - Former Ambassador of Senegal and Officer of the ONUC

Spain

Jose Antonio Alonso - Minister of Defense

Ion de la Riva - Ambassador of Spain and Director of Casa Asia

Fernando Fernandez-Arias - Director, Office of Human Rights, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Juan Manuel Gonzalez de Linares - Deputy Director, UN Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Trinidad Jimenez - Spanish Secretary of State for Latin America

Arturo Laclaustra - Director, UN Desk, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Miguel Angel Moratinos - Minister of Foreign Affairs

Leyre Pajin - Vice Minister of International Cooperation

Luis Yanez-Barnuevo - Member of European Parliament

United Kingdom

Peter Mandelson - EU Commissioner on Trade

Peter Power - Spokesperson of Peter Mandelson

INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS:

Italy

Brenda Barton - Head of Communications Department of WFP Rome HQ

Vicky De Marchi - Desk Officer for Italy WFP

Daniela Salvati - UNICRI Italy

Switzerland

Taysir Al-Ghanem Mustafa - Head of Information and Advocacy, External Affairs Department, IFAD President's Office

Majid Chaar - Chief, Media Relations - Information Department, FAO

Farhana Haque-Rahman - Chief of Media Relations, Special Events and Programmes, IFAD

NGOs:

France

Fiona Coe - President of Metissage Organization

Italy

Monica Ardizzone- Mediterraid

Gilberto Gerra - Rapporteur, INCB

Antonello Fratoddi- Mediterraid

Rachele Schettini (Rome Ponitifical University)

Mr. Antonello Fratoddi (Mediterraid)

Ms. Monica Ardizzone (Mediterraid)

Mr. Paolo Foradori (Trento University)

Mr. Andrea De Guttry (Pisa University)

Portugal

Maria Barroso Soares - President of Pro Dignitate Foundation

Spain

Jose Antonio Gimbernat - President of Federation of Spanish Human Rights Association

Angels Mataro - Director UNA Spain

Business:

Belgium

Jean-Paul Peers - Vice President SIEMENS

Netherlands

Jacob Gelt Dekker - Dutch social entrepreneur

Media:

Holy See

Maria Brigini - Head of Secretariat, Vatican Radio

Father Federico Lombardi - Pope's spokesperson, Vatican Radio

Italy

Gaetano Barresi - Chief Foreign Editor, RAI Radio

Sandro Casalini - Deputy Chief Foreign Editor, RAI Radio

Piero Di Pasquale - Deputy Director, RAI International

Arts and design:

France

Patrick Alessandrin - Film director, 4U2 Productions

Natasha Dubrovskya - Film producer, RedHead Films

Romuald Sciora - Film director

Cyrille Varet - Designer

Henri d'Anterroched - Blast Machine

Fleur Chretien - Blast Machine

Italy

Human Rights for All Directors:

Carlo Lizzani

Giobbe Covatta e Paola Catella

Giorgio Treves

Claudio Camarca

Emanuele Scaringi

Daniele Cini

Tekla Taidelli

Anne-Riitta Ciccone

Fiorella Infascelli

Ivano de Matteo

Costanza Quatriglio

Marina Spada

Nello Correale

Mohsen Melliti

Daniele Lucchetti

Giovanni Veronesi

Matteo Cerami

Luciano Emmer

Giuseppe Ferrara

Antonietta De Lillo

Antonello Grimaldi

Wilma Labate

Vittorio De Seta

Saverio di Biagio

Roberta Torre

Pasquale Scimeca

Liliana Ginanneschi

Fausto Paravidino

Antonio Lucifero

Citto Maselli

CARTOONISTS:

Algeria

Ali Dilem - Cartoonist

Belgium

Pierre Kroll - Cartoonist

Gal - Cartoonist

Democratic Republic of Congo

Thembo Kash - Cartoonist

Denmark

Lars-Ole Nejstgaard - Cartoonist

Egypt

Bahgory - Cartoonist

France

Plantu - Cartoonist

Iran

Hassan Karimzadeh - Cartoonist

Israel

Michel Kichka - Cartoonist

Lebanon

Rita Moukarzel - Cartoonist

Stavro - Cartoonist

Russia

Mikhail Zlatkovsky - Cartoonist

Switzerland

Patrick Chappatte - Cartoonist

USA

Jeff Danziger - Cartoonist

Academia:

Greece

Professor Paroula Naskou-Perrakis - Tessaloniki International Student Model United Nations, University of Macedonia

The University of Macedonia- Represented by its Rector Mr. Elias Kouskouvelis

Emeritus Professor Emmanuel Roukounas

Portugal

Professor Adriano Moreira

Spain

Professor Antonio Blanc - University of Lleida

SPORT

Belgium

Paul Van Himst - Ex football player (OCTOBER 2008)

Robert Sterckx - Secretary-General of the Belgian Jupiler Pro-League (Jan 09)