ECHO Issue 253, July 2015

Transcription

IAEA Staff Journal
Exclusive
INTERVIEW with
YUKIYA AMANO
IAEA Director General
ISSUE 253
July 2015
CONTENTS
IAEA Staff Journal
IAEA Staff Association News
2
4
7
10
11
12
Overview of the Pension Fund’s Activities
Staff Summer Party
42nd United Nation Inter Agency Games
Resolving Mobbing/Harassment Related Grievances:
Legal Perspectives
IAEA Souvenirs
Benefits Exclusively Available to Contributing Members
of the IAEA Staff Association
VIC Clubs
14
VIC Music Club in Action
ISSUE 253
July 2015
You will have gathered from
previous issues that ECHO has
to reduce costs to enable it to
continue as a publication. In order
to achieve this aim, the new ECHO
Editorial Committee intends to
deliver ECHO to IAEA staff and
retirees by two means:
Electronic copy in PDF format via
subscription to:
ECHO-subscribe@lists.iaea.org
Your Voice
OR
16
18
A limited number of hard copies
available for pick-up at the Staff
Council office (C0337)
Thank You UNIDO for the Garage Improvements
Without Borders
Health and Safety
20
21
22
Create A Healthier Workplace
What to Know Before You Go! Bugs Can Spread Diseases!
What's Safer and What's Not
We hope that the majority of our
readers will opt for the electronic
version. To secure your copy of
ECHO, simply send an email with
“SUBSCRIBE” in the subject line to
ECHO-subscribe@lists.iaea.org
Stories and Articles
Editorial Committee:
24
26
28
31
Imed Zabaar, Editor-in-Chief
Lydia Baben
Susan Cohen-Unger
Andrea Eschner
David Floyd
Jane Goericke
Silver Beauty. For Susan
Ian McEwan
More than Just a Sci-Fi Blockbuster: Star Wars
Tree of Hope
Inside the IAEA
32
37
38
Interview with Yukiya Amano, IAEA Director General
IAEA’s Remote Access Service
Your Library – Now and Then
What's Happening in Vienna
40
Design and layout
by Anna Schlosman
We look forward
to hearing from you at
Echo@iaea.org
Discovering Vienna Through the Third Man
Letters to the Editor
42
42
43
Garage Works
"To Jerusalem" Article
The Services of Bank Austria in the VIC
In Memoriam
44
Abul Hassan
Disclaimer:
Opinions expressed in signed
articles are not necessarily shared
by the Editorial Committee.
OVERVIEW OF THE
PENSION FUND’S
ACTIVITIES
Actuarial Valuation
Conclusions
• The Fund is in a strong financial
and operational situation as a
result of very hard work, clear
priorities, coordinated strategies
and actions, as well as effective
guidance and oversight from the
Pension Board.
• The Fund operates in a fast
changing
and
challenging
environment. It needs to continue
to modernize and adapt to the
changing environment.
In preparation for the forthcoming 62nd regular
session of the Pension Board, a meeting took place
at the VIC with the CEO of the United Nations Joint
Staff Pension Fund on 18 June 2015. Following is a
summary of the presentation given by the CEO:
Update on Participants and Beneficiaries
Key messages
GA resolution 69/113
In response to the complexities and challenges, the Fund
is undertaking a set of actions and projects in line with
the strategies and goals approved by the Pension Board.
GA endorsed Pension Board recommendations with the
exception of proposed addition to article 14 (b) of Fund’s
regulations to clarify BOA’s mandate and to establish ToR
for annual audits.
This is necessary to keep the pension promise as well as
to improve the Fund’s servicing capacity for the benefit
of its participants, retirees, beneficiaries and member
organizations.
Sustainability
• The Fund is in a good financial position.
• Assuming the expected annual 3.5% real rate of return
is earned: The principal of the Fund will not be utilized
to cover benefits gap at least for the next 50 years.
• Actuarial: Welcomed improvement in actuarial position
of the Fund.
• Investments: Noted improved investment performance
for 2013. Emphasized importance of meeting 3.5%
real rate of return.
Highlights of Valuation Results
• Required Contribution Rate = 24.42% of PR
• Compared to 23.70% actual contribution rate,
deficit = 0.72% of PR
• Improvement of 1.15% vs. rate of 25.57% disclosed in
prior valuation
• Continuing with the excellent
progress
achieved
and
maintaining the healthy financial
and operational situation of the
Fund is dependent on all of the
Fund’s stakeholders and its main
constituent parties advancing
together and supporting the
Fund in the implementation of the
strategies and goals established
by the Pension Board.
• Article 4: Approved amendment to article 4 of Fund’s
regulations to establish authority and reference to
financial rules of the Fund. Emphasized the importance
of the Board promulgating financial rules that will
govern the financial management of the Fund.
• MoU: ACABQ acknowledged that it is an internal
management exercise and called for expeditious
conclusion. GA agreed and asked to be reported the
outcome.
• ASHI: ACABQ noted differences in pension
management and health insurance management.
Maintained that it could be best resolved through
system-wide approach in which Fund could play
a key role, but probably limited to management of
investments. GA welcomed the creation of HLCM
ASHI Working Group.
• The Fund is working to address
these challenges by strengthening
its governance and operations
as per the strategies, plans and
actions mandated by the Pension
Board and General Assembly.
Benefit Payments Volumes
(monthly, lump sums and withdrawal settlements)
• Finally, Fund’s aim is to ensure
its retirees and beneficiaries are
able to fully enjoy their retirement,
secure in knowing that the Fund is
financially strong and will be able
to pay their benefits accurately
and on time and service their
growing needs.
I will be attending the Pension
Board meeting from 20 to 24 July
2015. I will keep you informed of
any important developments.
by Imed Zabaar
• Increase in Normal/Early Retirement Ages decreased
contribution rate by 1.16% of PR – source of virtually
the entire change in the contribution rate
2
– Issue 253, July 2015
– Issue 253, July 2015 3
Staff Council President, Imed Zabaar
Welcoming Message
I also thank BMS, EUREST and the Infrastructure Committee for their
great assistance and support.
This party is jointly funded by the Staff Council and the Staff Assistance
Committee. So please let’s give them all a big round of applause.
Today, we are having a party to have fun but to also celebrate our
achievements towards the mission of our organization for Peace and
Development.
As IAEA Staff, we always take pride in our work, and today, to
recognize the efforts of some of the colleagues who raised the flag of
the Agency very high during the recent United Nations Inter-Agency
Games, I would like call:
the IAEA Women Athletics team who won 1st PLACE
Welcome everyone to the IAEA Staff Association 4th Annual Staff
summer party.
I would like to also give a special welcome to our guests from the
UK, Geneva, Brindisi, Washington DC and Bonn who happened to be
in Vienna to participate in FICSA’s workshops on GS Salary Survey
Methodology and Occupational Health and Safety.
I also welcome the Presidents of the VIC Staff Associations / Unions.
I'm happy to see you here with us today.
As you know, it takes a lot of effort and time to put such an event
together. Without the hard work of our Organizing Committee we
would not be enjoying this pleasant atmosphere. So please join me
in thanking:
ATHLETICS MEN – 2nd PLACE IAEA
BADMINTON – 2nd PLACE – IAEA-1
BADMINTON – 3rd PLACE – IAEA-2
CHESS – 1st PLACE – IAEA
DARTS – 1st PLACE – IAEA-1
SWIMMING WOMEN – 2nd PLACE – IAEA
TABLE TENNIS MEN – 3rd PLACE – IAEA
TABLE TENNIS WOMEN – 1st PLACE IAEA/MONUC
TENNIS – 3rd PLACE – IAEA/CTBTO/UNOPS
VOLLEYBALL MEN – 1st PLACE – IAEA/UNIDO/CTBTO
VOLLEYBALL WOMEN – 3rd PLACE – IAEA/UNIDO/CTBTO/UNODC
Congratulations to you all!
Alexia Poriki, Elly Wynsford (Chair of the organizing Committee),
Fernand Agbogbe, John Young, Martyn Ubani (our MC), Nebi Bekiri.
Also all Security Officers who have been working very closely during
the last months with our organizing committee. For your safety, a
team from Medical Service is also available assisting us throughout
the duration of this party. Thank you.
4
Before we get started, I would like to remind you that smoking is not
permitted on the Plaza. Smokers should please use the terrace on the
M-Building. We should have enough drinks for everyone but please
drink responsibly, have a great, great party.
Marty, It is Showtime.
– Issue 253, July 2015 5
BANDS
B
MEMBERS
Bagpipes
B
Craig Parker, Graeme Hood, and friends from the Vienna
Pipes and Drums
Classical
C
Pedro Ortiz Lopez and Keiichiro Endo
JJapanese Song
Michio Hosoya
Acoustic Alma
A
Bruna Lecossois and Matthew Van Sickle
VVienna International
Q
Quintet
Matt Marth, Imre Karbuczky, Daniel Bridi, Stefan
Rauchegger, and Alex Silva
M
Mexican
Enrique Estrada and Mariachi Band
TThe Wild Ones
Corinna Herden, Sixt Pokorny, Bruna Lecossois, Brian Bales,
Sergio Pines Martin, Petra Hlinkova, and Erik Sichra Copello
B
Bauer & Durst Blues Band
Johannes Durst and friends
TThe Pink Floyd Tribute
Riccardo Rubini, Marco Giuttari, and friends
Just the Troubles
Amanda Kratochvil, Ines Weiss, Jim Regula, Drew
Cannavan, Alex Silva, and Niek Nigg
Surprise Bollywood Dance
Show
Deepali Suryawanshi and Neha Agarwal
DJ Music
"DJ Loyz Carter & DJ N-Tone (PressPlay Crew)"
by John Young
The 2015 IAG organizing team was appointed by the IAEA
Staff Council in 2014. John Young was responsible for
general in-house organization, Christopher White took
care of registration of participants, Jools Barclay was the
treasurer, Harry Seifert was responsible for logistics and
Fernand Agbogbe was the secretary. Elly Wynsford-Brown
and Ammar Habjouqa were our two Control Commission
representatives.
changes from time to time). Sports coordinators play a
valuable role in helping to coordinate the registration of
players by gathering the required information and sending
this on to the IAG registrar who then registers the entire
delegation and their supporters in the IAG registration
system.
All participating organizations were informed that
the 2015 IAG would be hosted by the International
Telecommunications Union (ITU) based in Geneva. It was
also the ITU’s 150th Anniversary! The venue this year was
Salou, in the Tarragona region of Spain, about 100 km
south of Barcelona.
Athletics, Men: Matteo Sironi; Athletics, Women: Virginie
Keller-Bossard; Badminton: John Murickananickel;
Basketball: Horace Agbogbe; Chess: Marius Davainis;
Darts: John Young; Football, Men: Christoph Creusot;
Golf: Irene Huber; Petanque: Monika Leoni; Table
Tennis: Franz Brauneis; Tennis: Elisa Bonner; Volleyball,
Men: Damien Beepath; Volleyball, Women: Kati Fazekas;
Swimming: Anjarika Strohal.
Once the official invitation letters were received,
announcements were made within the Secretariat, and the
IAG organizers for the Vienna based organizations could
set to work coordinating their respective delegations.
The IAEA team was, once again, a formidable force,
with a total of 150 participants (56 women and 94 men),
comprising 130 active staff members and 20 former staff
members, and our two CC members. In addition, there
were also 26 supporters, seven of whom were children,
who took the opportunity to experience the IAG along
with their participating family members.
The IAEA delegation was now 178 in total, and was
made up of 54 nationalities; Albania, Argentina, Australia,
Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso,
Canada, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic,
Eritrea, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary,
India, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Republic of Korea,
Lebanon, Lithuania, Mexico, Morocco, Namibia, Nepal,
Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal,
Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Singapore,
Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Syrian Arab
Republic, United Republic of Tanzania, Togo, Turkey,
Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, United States, and
Zimbabwe.
The work of the organizing team began as soon as the
official announcement was received, and the first order
of the day was to identify our sports coordinators (these
are often the same people year after year but there are
6
COORDINATORS
REGISTRATION
The IAG registrar, Christopher White, then set about
the arduous task of registering all 178 members of the
delegation in the IAG registration database, along with
the usual wide range of details such as name, nationality,
date of birth, organization, playing status, discipline, teeshirt size, room requirements, and arrival and departure
information. It is customary that for each IAG, the hosts
also offer transportation to and from the IAG venue to all
participants and supporters. This means that Chris also
needed to enter quite a number of flight numbers, airport
codes and arrival/departure times.
FINANCES
This year’s IAG Treasurer, Ms Julie Barclay, did a great
job of following up on the many payments from the 178
strong delegation and, thanks to the usual support by the
Staff Assistance Committee, it was possible to transfer
the IAEA expenditures to Geneva to meet the payment
deadlines.
IN-HOUSE ARRANGEMENTS
MTHR provided their usual level of support and, once
again, our main contact person was Ms Irina Al-Khatib,
who dealt with the many issues related to special IAG leave
– Issue 253, July 2015 7
and the verification of the eligibility of staff to participate.
Once registration was complete, we submitted the list
of participants (including former staff) and, following
verification, this list was signed by MTHR. The list was
then submitted to our host in Geneva as is the case for
all organizations participating in the Games. The original
list was then hand carried to the Games by our Control
Commission representatives.
LET THE GAMES BEGIN
Eventually, 29 April was upon us and — given that the
location of the Games was Spain, together with a
competitive price — the UN family broke previous records
and over 1,500 staff and supporters from 51 UN Agencies
and representing 125 nationalities were registered!
As Barcelona was the nearest major airport and where
most of the participants arrived, transportation was
provided in buses. On the whole, this was well organized
and the journey time of around one hour from Barcelona to
Salou was just about right, especially for those colleagues
travelling from far away.
The Port Aventura facility in Salou was enormous,
offering participants generous accommodation and
excellent catering facilities with outside pools and bars.
Unfortunately, it was a little too cool to use the pools but
after a few days the temperature increased and some of
us simply could not resist.
At 5 pm, the usual captains’ meetings took place, which is
where the actual final playing schedule is confirmed and
any team amendments made. Members of the Control
Commission also attended the meetings to oversee
events and provide assistance if required.
The opening ceremony was held at the Port Aventura
Park, which was an ideal location, within walking distance
from the hotels. Here, participants were greeted with
food and drinks, and welcome speeches were made by
our hosts, various local representatives from Salou and
sponsors, such as the UNFCU. After the speeches, there
was dancing, shows and even a firework display.
The following day saw the start of competitions, and
participants were taken by bus to their playing venues,
with the exception of those who were lucky enough to
have their events in the Port Aventura facility itself.
CONTROL COMMISSION
While the participants were busy competing, the various
Control Commission representatives were busy dealing
with the many issues that seem to emerge at every
Games — from delegations without official documents to
the cumbersome task of verifying the actual players. Also,
the minutes from the 2014 Games held in New York were
approved and the IAG Secretariat submitted its report.
New rules that were approved for basketball during the
2014 games are now in force and on the IAG website.
Rule changes/deviations for chess, badminton, petanque,
table tennis, football and darts were submitted to
INTER-AGENCY GAMES 2015 RESULTS
Disciplines
1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
Athletics (Men)
UNEP/UNON/WHO
IAEA
ICC/WFP
Athletics (Women)
IAEA-1
UNIDO
UNON/UN-HABITAT/
UN Secretariat
Badminton
UN Copenhagen City
IAEA-1
IAEA-2
Basketball
Geneva
Vienna-1
Team Kenya
ITU/WHO
Chess
IAEA
UNOG/IFAD
Cricket
UNMISS
UN - Afghanistan
UN - Geneva
Darts
IAEA-1
UNIDO
FAO
Football (Men)
DPKO/IFAD/ILO/OCHA/
OHCHR/UNCTAD/
UNJPF/UNNY/UNOG
UN - Kenya
UNESCO
Golf
UN - Kenya
Vienna-
Geneva-1
Petanque
UNOG-1
UNIDO-1
ILO-1
Swimming (Men)
UNIDO
WFP
WHO/UNLB/UNMISS
Swimming (Women)
ITU/WIPO
IAEA
WHO
Table Tennis (Men)
UNOG/ITC
UNIDO/UNODC/UNHCR
IAEA
Table Tennis (Women)
IAEA/MONUC
OHCHR/ILO
UNESCO
Tennis
UN - New York
ILO/FAO
IAEA/CTBTO/UNOPS
Volleyball (Men)
IAEA/UNIDO/CTBTO
ILO/WIPO/UNOG
UNESCO/UNAMA
Volleyball (Women)
ILO/IMO/ITC/UNOG/
WIPO
UNESCO
IAEA/UNIDO/CTBTO/
UNODC
the Control Commission. Some deviations were for
organizational reasons, other requests will be considered
for the 2016 Games.
THE CLOSING CEREMONY
The competition continued until Saturday and in the
evening it was time for the closing ceremony, held at the
Port Aventura Convention Centre. By now, the weather
had greatly improved and the closing ceremony cocktail
reception was held outdoors in front of the convention
centre.
Before long, participants were ushered inside and the
prize giving ceremony began. Over 50 trophies were
presented to the winning teams, who were invited onto
the stage to receive them. For many, this was the most
rewarding part of the Games.
NEXT YEAR
Our colleagues in Nairobi are the next hosts for the 43rd
IAG in 2016 and, in time honoured tradition, the IAG flag
was duly handed over by the ITU to UN Nairobi.
EVERYBODY DANCE
After the award ceremony, it was time for the gala dinner.
A huge birthday cake was wheeled into the room in
honour of the ITU’s 150th anniversary. Soon after that, the
band took to the stage and it was time for the people who
serve the world to enjoy their final evening before heading
back home.
Team IAEA amassed 12 trophies in total: five gold, three
silver and four bronze.
On behalf of the organizing team, congratulations to all the
participants, and to the ITU for a well organized event. We
look forward to news from Nairobi in the coming months.
Long live the Games!
– Issue 253, July 2015 9
Resolving Mobbing/Harassment
Related Grievances:
Legal Perspectives
by Laurence C. Fauth
legal advisor
The right to a harassment-free workplace is part and parcel of the
duty of the organization to provide a safe and harmonious working
environment. Ironically, and sadly, staff members who suffer
harassment are often portrayed as the ones at fault, and the ones
who bring on their own downfall, and often end up being isolated
and unable to return to work. In addition to the emotional pain
and suffering, anxiety and in many cases inability to work, there is
the further challenge for the aggrieved staff member of pursuing
legal remedies. The legal justice system available to international
civil servants is far from perfect in resolving harassment-related
grievances so it is also important at the very initial stages to seek
informal resolution. There is often the misperception, emanating from
perhaps legal headlines in national jurisdictions, that the legal justice
system will make large awards to the aggrieved individual for proven
harassment and that simply is not the case.
If informal resolution is not possible or unsuccessful, the Tribunals
have established well-settled principles for resolving formal
grievances, and first and foremost there is a strict requirement that
international organizations follow their written procedures in the
staff regulations and rules, and written policies and practices, which
may include informal and formal grievance resolution procedures,
and rules for the conduct of investigations. The rules will contain a
definition of what constitutes harassment.
Staff members of international organizations thus have well-settled
rights to a prompt and thorough investigation of harassment-related
grievances in accordance with the applicable rules.
This also means, however, that the aggrieved staff member who
wishes to lodge a harassment complaint must also follow the rules.
In this regard, depending on your organization, the procedures may
require that a complaint in writing be submitted to the Director of
Personnel, a Division Director, or some other official. Staff members
sometimes wrongly consider it sufficient to raise the issue in
connection with a performance appraisal review, or in a discussion
with a supervisor, or with a staff representative. While understandably
the aggrieved staff member may be emotionally unable to exercise
their rights effectively, the burden to file the grievance correctly, for
better or worse, falls on the staff member and the administration may
be excused from investigating if the grievance is not filed properly.
There may also be time limits for submitting a grievance, and failure
to comply may result in the decision (completely lawful) not to open
an investigation and/or dismiss the grievance altogether without any
action. Delays in filing a grievance can sometimes be justified if the
individual is on sick leave or the harassment has been on-going.
In some cases, failure to report harassment when it is occurring
or reporting it several months or even years later can lead to the
logical inference that the charges are not credible. In some cases
10
IAEA SOUVENIRS
New Arrivals!
The Souvenir Counter continues its efforts to provide staff, visitors and the many meeting participants that come
to the VIC with a variety of items. Here are photos that show some of the new arrivals, and more are on the way.
depending on the circumstances, the issue can be resolved promptly
if the aggrieved staff member is given a new work assignment with
new reporting lines. Failure to report the harassment deprives the
administration of taking or even considering this step. On the other
hand, international organizations consider it a sufficient remedy
merely to ensure the behaviour is stopped through for example
reassignment of one or both of the parties at issue. That is clearly
not enough and the staff member should also be paid compensation
for emotional pain and suffering, and the disciplinary procedures
be engaged with respect to the perpetrator, although the latter is
normally at the discretion of the administration.
It is important to note that the Tribunals normally do not undertake
fact finding exercises and reach conclusions as to whether
harassment did take place. If the matter has been investigated and
the organization concludes that no harassment has occurred, the
Tribunals will assess whether the conclusion was correct based on
a review of whether the conclusion was generally reasonable based
on the evidence. In Judgment No. 2524, the Tribunal disagreed
with the finding of the appeals board, which had taken the wrong
approach that harassment required proof of intent, that the staff
member had not suffered harassment and awarded 35,000 euros for
moral damages. The Tribunal has often held that mismanagement
without more does not amount to harassment; and that a reasonable
explanation based on the needs of the organization also does not
amount to harassment.
If the grievance is not investigated or not properly investigated,
the Tribunals will award moral damages for such failure, and may,
depending on how old the grievance is, order the organization to
investigate, which means as a practical matter the investigation will
not be very effective or efficient, as many years will have already
passed since the events involving the harassment.
In Judgment No. 3286, the ILOAT for example awarded 15,000 euros
for the failure to investigate, but did not order an investigation since
the staff member was “no longer employed”; this effectively shielded
the organization from any potential liability for harassment and
deprived the former staff member of the right to prove harassment.
More recently, the ILOAT in Judgment No. 3413 faulted the
organization for not re-opening a sexual harassment case after the
complainant submitted an expert medical report. The organization
argued that the case had already been investigated and closed
without a finding of harassment – however the Tribunal noted that
the organization affirmatively represented at the close of the initial
investigation that it would re-open the investigation if new evidence
was found. Although the organization disagreed, Tribunal held that
the medical report constituted new evidence justifying re-opening of
the case. In that appeal, the Tribunal ordered the investigation to be
re-opened and awarded 20,000 euros in moral damages.
New Ladies Leather Handbags, available in Black or
Red.
Jute Shopping Bag and IAEA Picture frame.
Men's/Ladies Reading Glasses as well as Men's/Ladies
Sun reading glasses.
Micro Fibre Glasses bag with cleaning cloth.
More information on IAEA
Souvenirs is available on the IAEA
Staff Association website.
The IAEA Souvenir Counter
is located near the bottom of B-Tower
Opening hours:
Tuesday and Thursday 11:30 to 14:00
– Issue 253, July 2015 11
BMW Wien Diplomatic Sales
SPECIAL OFFER
for the contributing members
of the VIC Staff Associations / Unions.
With the purchase of a new BMW vehicle at BMW Wien:
Starter Package incl. vignette, full tank, rubber mats and warning jacket free of charge.
1 x navigation update free of charge or € 150,- BMW Wien voucher.
Pay only € 149,- instead of € 682,- (80 % Discount) for the BMW Care Package incl.
warranty extension when you buy a new BMW series 3 or 4 (excluding BMW M models).
For current owners of a BMW vehicle:
10 % discount on the purchase of BMW original parts and accessories
(excluding already discounted special offers).
Store your car tyres at the BMW Wien garage for one season free of charge
when you buy a new set of tyres (summer or winter) .
Please feel free to contact:
The electrifying BMW i3 – with immediate effect available in the BMW
Diplomatic Sales Program.
BMW Wien
Diplomatic Sales
12
Donaustadt
Heiligenstadt
Rautenweg 4-6
1220 Wien
Heiligenstädter Lände 27
1190 Wien
Gudrun Pechatschek
Tel. 01/259 35 46-3251
gudrun.pechatschek@bmw-wien.at
Peter Grant-Hay Tel. 01/360 61-2225
peter.grant-hay@bmw-wien.at
Florian Ebmer
Tel. 01/259 35 46-3250
Florian.ebmer@bmw-wien.at
Stefan Kafka
Tel. 01/360 61-2254
stefan.kafka@bmw-wien.at
Michael Klos
Tel. 01/259 35 46-3252
michael.ka.klos@bmw-wien.at
www.bmw-wien.at
– Issue 253, July 2015 13
VIC Clubs
VIC Music Club in Action
by Elizabeth Dobie-Sarsam
As I began writing this, on 19 June, I could hear the bands
making their sound checks for the IAEA Staff Party outside
in the Plaza. Four of the bands playing were made up of
Club members, who with some other solo performers,
entertained their colleagues, friends and families from the
‘Big Stage’. The next event was the Fête de la Musique,
25 June in F10 – when a couple of special guest musicians
were invited by staff and Club members to complement
their programme.
The VIC Music Club was somewhat disrupted for some
weeks, what with the busiest time of the year for our
performing members coinciding with a temporary move
of the Music Club-practice room from F10 down to C02
and then — when it was discovered that the room we
had been given was anything but sound-proof — another
move to the decaying container L for a few weeks before
being moved back up to F1012/15 on 7 July 2015. It’s
been a lot of schlepping for everyone and we extend
many thanks to BMS and special extra thanks to Patrick
Oviedo for making sure that the spaces we’d been moved
to had been cleaned for us.
The Bösendorfer grand piano sitting in F10 is always
put to good use at the Fête. This beautiful instrument
is maintained by the Club but it belongs to the Agency.
It was a generous donation made by the first head of
Human Resources, at the time when the Agency was still
in the Grand Hotel. The story was that he had bought it
while in Austria and then wasn’t able to take it back to
his home country. The Music Club makes sure it’s tuned
regularly and repaired when it needs it. Unfortunately,
the F10 Staff Activities room is not an ideal home for this
valuable instrument. The room is very exposed to the sun
and often used for parties during which some guests,
unfortunately and in spite of signs asking them not to do
so, use it as an extra table and, even worse and most
dangerous for the instrument, try to move it. It’s also
generally inaccessible with exercise classes being held in
the room over the lunch breaks and so many other events
being held in the evenings but Members sometimes come
in on weekends to play it as well as in the evenings when
the room is free.
14
There are a few weeks in the summer when we can
organize lunchtime concerts in F10 and use this treasure
(when the yoga classes are on break). We will organize
a noon-time concert series, again this summer, between
the last week of July and third week of August – these will
be advertised around the VIC but for more information,
please contact us below.
There is also an upright piano in the Music Club-practice
room, which is conveniently on wheels and which the IAEA
Welfare Fund bought for the Music Club some years ago.
This can be moved into the Rotunda and used for events
in other parts of the building. It’s a Grotrian Steinweg (the
original piano factory was built by Henry Steinway in 1835
before immigrating to the USA) and is a good, sturdy
little piano. The Club keeps it tuned and serviced, as well
as the Bösendorfer, using funds from Club fees. Major
repairs are covered by the inventory holder.
The Club recently purchased a medium sized sound
system with the support of the IAEA Staff Assistance
Fund. It can be used for events in the VIC, mostly by the
rock and jazz bands, but could also be used for singers
using playback. At the personal initiative of one of our
members, the drum set we bought second-hand a few
years ago will be replaced for the benefit of all members
and their listeners.
I’ll encourage the UN Choir Vienna to write something for
the next ECHO to update you on their activities. The rest
of us are busy making music both in the VIC and outside
in our communities and are always happy to greet new
members and help them to find musical friends within the
VIC staff body.
For more info, you may contact me directly:
T: (+43-1) 2600-21554
M: (+43) 699-165-21554
or check out our website www.vic-music-club.com
VIC – Music Club
https://www.facebook.com/VICMusicClub
– Issue 253, July 2015 15
YOUR Voice
THANK YOU UNIDO FOR THE
GARAGE IMPROVEMENTS
Signs have been newly installed and the garage is well lit.
Text and Photos: David Floyd and Imed Zabaar
In our November 2013 Edition of ECHO, we published an
Article titled: The VIC Parking Facilities: A Sorry State of
Affairs. It was noted that "the Agency staff who have been
using the parking facilities in the past years have noticed
a steady decline in the quality of the parking lots." The
article gave examples:
• Over 200 parking lots had been cordoned off during
and following the construction of the M-Building;
• Leaking ceilings and a lack of any form of drainage had
resulted in frequent flooding and ice in the winter;
• Acid damage and bird droppings had caused serious
damage to car paint and exterior accessories;
• The lighting was poor, with areas of total darkness at
night time; and
• Traffic signs were placed in the wrong place.
At the request of the IAEA Staff Council President, a
meeting took place in April 2014 between UNIDO/BMS
and IAEA Staff Council Representatives to discuss the
situation in the VIC parking areas and, in particular, the
poor condition, poor lighting and damage to vehicles in
P2 and other areas.
During the discussions, it was confirmed by BMS that the
leakage of substances onto staff’s vehicles was mainly
due to the removal of 22 drains in the park decks of
P2-1 and -2 during the construction of the M-Building.
The assumption of the planner and the project manager,
contracted by the host government, was that the water
would evaporate with time. Unfortunately, BMS had
not been involved either during the planning or during
the construction of the M-Building, which resulted in
several shortcomings. All these shortcomings were
communicated several times, including the fact that half
of the P2 park deck did not have proper drainage systems.
Pipes have now been installed for
drainage purposes.
The bridge leading to Park Deck P-1 now has
shining floors and freshly painted walls.
To resolve the leakage problem, BMS representatives
mentioned that funds had been identified and allocated to
thoroughly renovate the two park decks, which would be
performed in three phases and take until the end of 2015.
In recent months, staff have noted some great
improvements to the VIC parking facilities.
In June this year, during a visit to the VIC Garage Park
Decks P-1 and P-2, we indeed noted vast improvements.
The parking lots have been painted.
As does the entry area into the parking lots.
The IAEA Staff, by way of this
article, would like to express its
appreciation
to
UNIDO/BMS
for following through with these
plans, which will provide the VIC
Garage users with high quality and
well-maintained parking lots in the
future.
16
– Issue 253, July 2015 17
YOUR Voice
WITHOUT
BORDERS
by Susan Cohen-Unger
My article on harassment in the workplace (ECHO 250,
Oct 2014, p.12) attracted feedback from the moment
it appeared. Since then, comments on the article have
continued to flow in; and further victims of harassment
— including those falsely accused of perpetrating it —
have told me their stories. These staff members and their
friends and colleagues have validated the questions I
asked but haven’t provided any answers.
Like these organizations, the Agency tries to help people
through its programmes and projects. Its statute defines
its objective as seeking to accelerate and enlarge the
contribution of atomic energy to peace, health and prosperity
throughout the world. I believe that to do this, the Agency
needs to cultivate its integrity at both the organizational
and the individual level — involving every single person
it employs.
The questions were — Why can’t people be kind and
respectful to their colleagues and treat each other with dignity
and generosity? Why do they have to be cowardly and
vicious? Before attempting an answer, I’d like to mention
three organizations that I know quite well and hold in high
regard. The quotations are from their websites.
Back to my ‘why’ questions lamenting abusive behaviour
towards colleagues — the answer is simple but not very
helpful. Some people can’t help it, some act thoughtlessly
or selfishly, and some are just plain nasty!
FRAUEN OHNE GRENZEN
http://www.frauen-ohne-grenzen.org/
SAVE (Sisters against Violent Extremism) — the
leading global campaign of Women without
Borders — is a unique transatlantic initiative
uniting women (and men) from around the world in
the first research-based female counter-terrorism
platform. SAVE: include, involve, invest!
We are all subjective beings, conditioned by our
upbringing, our society and our culture to hold certain
expectations of ourselves and of others. Nobody is bias
free. In a multicultural work environment, we have to be
alert to cope with misunderstanding and dysfunction
arising from our own bias and that of our colleagues.
Since we’re all in the same boat — everybody feeling
secure in their own culture and regarding behaviour that
is strange to them with some misgiving — a starting point
could be to decide to accept and like differences, to
anticipate the effect of any action before taking it and to
make an effort to make others feel comfortable. It helps
to realize, too, that if someone is being discordant, it is
simply a measure of his/her pain rather than fault on your
part.
We can begin at the individual level. It strikes me that
behaving well towards our colleagues is not only ethical,
but also professional. We get a job done faster and
better if we cooperate with each other in a spirit of trust
and good humour. We should be cautious about being
judgemental — most judgements hold true for the one
doing the judging rather than the one being judged.
Am I starry-eyed? I don’t think so. In fact, I’d like to
broaden the discussion. The organizations without
borders are dedicated to assistance and rescue activities
focused on recipients who are victims of war, oppression,
poverty, intolerance and other forms of adversity. Each
has humanitarian goals and vital work that unites its
members, many of whom are volunteers. I am involved
with MSF and have experienced the caring work climate
there, and listened to post-mission briefings after stints
in war zones and plague-infested regions — and the
medical teams are always at the front, risking their lives
for little or no payment. I’ve been told that Frauen ohne
Grenzen and Reporters without Borders are permeated with
a similar spirit.
At the Agency, we are comparatively well-paid and rarely
risk our lives but I feel we could benefit by adopting a
‘without borders’ attitude. Why not eliminate barriers
between people, letting go of weaknesses — such as
prejudice, self-interest and envy — and build on strengths.
One of the main strengths of the Agency, and of the UN
in general, is that it is a truly international forum — with
vast opportunities for discussion, idea-sharing, and
intercultural understanding. Each of us contributes our
individual strengths, too — good education, professional
expertise and a wealth of positive personal qualities and
interests.
That said, harassment and other abuses that are known
to pervade many large bureaucracies continue to
present a formidable challenge at the Agency and won’t
disappear overnight. Those in power have the greatest
responsibility for creating and fostering the supportive
work environment we all want but this responsibility must
be shared and nurtured by everyone.
I believe that if each of us does our individual best to
be aware of the borders that need to be overcome, the
sum of our efforts will yield happier, healthier staff and
contribute to the integrity of the Agency.
REPORTERS WITHOUT BORDERS
http://en.rsf.org/
Mission: To continuously monitor attacks
on freedom of information worldwide; to
denounce any such attacks in the media; to
act in cooperation with governments to fight
censorship and laws aimed at restricting freedom
of information; to morally and financially assist
persecuted journalists, as well as their families; to
offer material assistance to war correspondents in
order to enhance their safety.
MÉDECINS SANS FRONTIÈRES
http://www.msf.org/
Doctors without borders (MSF) is an international,
independent, medical humanitarian organization
that delivers emergency aid to people affected by
armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and
exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance
based on need, irrespective of race, religion,
gender or political affiliation.
18
– Issue 253, July 2015 19
HEALTH and Safety
............................................................
CREATE A HEALTHIER WORKPLACE
............................................................
7 Steps to Better Posture
1. Align Head - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOLUTION
Maintain good posture by sitting upright
with good lumbar support from your chair,
and keep your head aligned properly with
practice and retraining of the muscles.
----------------
--- - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
--------
Often caused by sitting hunched over
a computer for hours per day, forward
head posture results from tightened
muscles in the back of the neck.
2. Stretch Your Shoulders - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SOLUTION
Stretch your shoulders regularly to relax
tightened muscles. Choose a desk chair
that supports your weight evenly
and provides support for your back.
3. Look Up! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ---------
Spending all day seated, especially if you
have to frequently twist and move your
neck to look at documents, talk on the
phone, see your computer screen, etc.,
leads to strain and fatigue on your neck.
SOLUTION
Keep your monitor centered in front of
your body to avoid neck strain, use a chair
that helps you keep proper hip and spine
alignment, and take typing lessons (so
you don’t have to look down!).
---
---------------
--------
Hunched desk posture leads to
tightened chest muscles, which
internally rotate your shoulders forward
out of natural alignment.
4. Don’t Slouch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - --------
Slouching over a computer all day
tightens your chest muscles, which can
lead to overcurvature of the spine and
weak muscles in your upper back.
SOLUTION
Massage and stretch affected muscles
while retraining good posture habits. Keep
your computer eye level and use a chair
that distributes weight properly.
5. Exercise & Stretch
---------
Long hours sitting without breaks to
walk and stretch lead to shortened hip
flexor muscles, which pull the tilt of your
hips forward.
SOLUTION
Exercise and stretch your hips, glutes,
and hamstrings. Ensure that thighs are
parallel to the floor and your torso’s weight
is supported by your chair.
34%
posture can negatively impact hand
and wrist muscles.
---------
of all lost-workday
injuries and illnesses
6. Keep Wrists Flat - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - are work-related
musculoskeletal
SOLUTION
Wrist pain can come from a variety of
Maintain a flat keyboard surface and keep
causes, including poor posture and
disorders
your wrists above the keyboard when you
poor design of the work area. Poor
type, like you’re playing the piano.
PREVENT BUG BITES
What To Knowbefore You Go!
Bugs can spread diseases!
Travelers to tropical and other destinations
should take steps to prevent bug bites.
Protect yourself!
Wearing insect repellent with at least 20% DEET
protects against mosquito and tick bites*.
Use insect repellents according to package
directions, and reapply as directed. Higher
percentages of the active ingredient provide
longer duration of protection.
Apply protection!
When applying both sunscreen and
insect repellent, apply sunscreen first,
let it dry, then apply insect repellent.
Other ways to prevent bug bites
As much as possible, wear long pants and sleeves.
Tuck shirts in and tuck pant legs into socks.
Use permethrin-treated gear (such as tents and
sleeping bags) and clothing.
Sleep in places that are air conditioned
or screened against bugs.
Sleep under a bed net if sleeping area is
exposed to the outdoors.
Examples of diseases
spread by bugs:
Mosquitoes:
dengue, chikungunya,
malaria, Zika, yellow fever,
Japanese encephalitis
Ticks:
African tick-bite
fever, Mediterranean
spotted fever,
tickborne encephalitis
Other: scrub typhus
(chiggers), plague
(fleas), sleeping
sickness (tsetse flies)
See a doctor!
If you get sick after traveling, see a
doctor. Tell the doctor where
you traveled.
* Other insect repellents are approved to prevent mosquito bites: picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus,
and IR3535. See http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/page/avoid-bug-bites for
more information.
http://www.cdc.gov/travel
www.facebook.com/CDCTravelersHealth
twitter.com/CDCtravel
U.S. Dpartment of Health and Human Services
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
7. Sit Upright & Move Feet
REMEMBER
20
---------
Crossing your legs at your desk
can lead to poor circulation and
misaligned posture. Crossed legs
put pressure on the hips and spine
leading to poor posture.
SOLUTION
Sit upright with your feet on a flat surface
such as the floor or a stable footrest,
and move feet frequently to increase
bloodflow.
Take regular breaks from your desk to walk and move your body.
– Issue 253, July 2015 21
HEALTH and Safety
Beaut
y
Silver
STORIES and Articles
for Susan
She checked her once again and, finding everything in
best order, Zita held her in her left hand and rotated her
lower part with her right hand.
by Zsolt Staník
“I teased you a lot today, didn’t
I, my silver treasure,” said Zita,
lifting her carefully into her hands.
“You did excellently today and
it was well worth it. Look at the
beautiful bouquets — these
flowers will almost fill the room!
But now it’s bedtime.”
Laying her gently on the sofa, Zita
gazed at her fondly for a while.
“Wait a moment, I’ll pop out and
fetch something to clean you up
before bed.” Returning after a
while, Zita brightened the light and
started checking her thoroughly
— head, body, foot — repeatedly
eyeing her up and down and from
side to side.
“No, no, I don’t want you to go to
sleep like that,” said Zita, reaching
for a soft cloth and wiping off a
few stains. “They could burn you
during the night and even leave
lasting damage. “I don’t want that
to happen — I’d blame myself.”
“I expected you to be covered in sweat — not surprising,
having been clenched for so many hours.” Zita wiped her
dry, twisted her around and did the same with her head.
It was not unexpected to find her neck sweaty. “My little
one, I have no choice but to dry you off all over. Hang on
— it won’t take long.” Now satisfied, she put her back on
the sofa. Next to her, she placed a little velvet cot with a
cover. About to lift her darling onto it, she felt something
damp on her fingers.
“Good heavens — look at the tears on your creamy
eyelids! Don’t be scared. I’ll wipe them down very softly,
one after the other, to make them fit snugly over your big,
round blinkers. Those angel eyes radiate something so
captivating to the world that even the least responsive
heart is filled with joy — not only by their stunningly
beautiful sheen but also by the glorious sounds they
emanate.”
Zita put the little girl to bed and the little one took up her
usual position with her head and foot hugging her slim
body. Then, tired after the long evening, Zita went to bed,
too, with the pleasant feeling that the next day she would
delight in playing with her again.
The little girl slept like a dry, hollow pipe showing no sign
of life. Her soul was a motionless column of air trapped in
her body. In this position, she would wake up of her own
accord. She could spend hours, days — sometimes even
weeks — lying in bed without opening her eyes.
With Zita, such immobility didn’t occur often. She took
good care of her child, regularly wakening the life in her as
it suited her. Today this was at 11 o’clock. First she pulled
off the bed cover, then took the tiny body cautiously in her
left hand and twisted the head and foot into their correct
positions. Then Zita put her — still showing no sign of life
— onto her little chair, where she waited to be wakened.
“If only it could happen already,” thought the girl, following
her mother with her eyes. “Come on, Mum, stop running
around the room and pay some attention to me, finally!”
Suddenly, she saw Zita take a sip from a glass of water
and put it beside her. She wanted to jump for joy, knowing
that she wasn’t waiting in vain. Zita picked her up carefully
again, placing her mouth on the opening in the little one’s
head.
“Come on, Mum! I can hardly wait.” She almost started
tingling. Then she could feel the life-giving breath flowing
from Zita’s lips into her body, where it started dancing,
twirling and whirling like a wild stormy wind resonating
inside her. Her eyelids flickered over her large eyes,
changing the wind into sweet melodious tones.
“Can you hear me? I’m alive!” she exclaimed ecstatically.
But this was just a test. Zita played with her head, pushing
and pulling her neck in and out to find the right tone to be
released into the ether. “I can hear myself. I’m going crazy.
Yeah, that’s me — beautiful. Just blow, Mum. Yes! Like
that! I can feel you through the breeze. Blow more and
play with my eyelids. Let the world know what I — your
little darling — can do!”
Now and then, the little one let out an improper squeak.
Her mum always took full responsibility, which was another
reason why her daughter loved her. When this happened,
Zita’s lips changed position at lightning speed so as not
to let the blunder continue. It didn’t matter now, when
they were only practising. They’d concentrate more in the
evening, when they would give their best. “Let’s go, Mum!”
In the concert hall, the thunderous applause was
punctuated by cries of “Bravo, bravissimo!” It went on
interminably, so the orchestra and soloist had to play
an encore. Then the moderator came on stage and
announced, “You have just heard Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart’s Concerto No.1 for Flute in G major, Köchel 313,
performed by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with the
soloist Zita Karas.”
Zita bowed low and her tears of joy fell on her daughter’s
silver dress. Through her tired eyelids the little one could
see an adoring audience applauding their performance.
The conductor pointed to them and held out his hand to
them, stroking her silver head. What in this world could be
more beautiful for a little flute? Nothing.
Then, as usual, they went home. Zita spoke a few sweet
words to her daughter, caressed her and said, “and now,
my baby, it’s bedtime.”
Artwork Ulli Modro
24
– Issue 253, July 2015 25
Atonement (2001)
Ian
McEwan
McEwan's novel Atonement received worldwide acclaim. Time magazine voted it the best
novel of 2002, and it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. In 2007, the critically acclaimed
movie Atonement, directed by Joe Wright and starring Keira Knightley and James McAvoy, was
released in cinemas worldwide.
Part One takes place in the Tallis family home on a single day and night in 1935. The central
character is Briony Tallis, an aspiring writer. Her sister, Cecilia, is infatuated with Robbie Turner,
the son of the family charwoman. Briony is convinced that Robbie intends harm to her sister
and when she witnesses the two making love she misinterprets the scene as an assault. Later
in the night, Briony witnesses her older cousin being raped, assumes it is Robbie and, on her
evidence, Robbie is arrested and taken away to prison.
Part Two takes place five years later, when Robbie has been released from prison to join the infantry in Dunkirk. He is
seriously injured but is determined to go home and be reunited with Cecilia. McEwan describes the horrors of war and
the chaotic Dunkirk retreat.
Part Three shows the 18-year-old Briony as a nurse in bombed-out London. Filled with guilt for the crime she committed
as a child to Robbie, she is serving her penance (atonement) as the horrors of war come to her hospital in the form of
casualties from Dunkirk. Briony is still writing and goes to her sister to ask for forgiveness. She attends a wedding and
recognizes her cousin's rapist, but does nothing to stop the marriage. Visiting her sister she discovers that Robbie is
alive and has been reunited with Cecilia.
by David Floyd
In the final pages of the novel, the reader discovers that having written a book about what happened, 50 years later
Briony — an acclaimed novelist — makes a terrible confession to her readers. She concludes that her book will be her
final ‘atonement’ for the crime she had committed as a 13-year-old girl.
In 2008, The London Times featured McEwan on its list of the 50 greatest British writers since 1945. He has been nominated
for the Man Booker prize six times, winning it for Amsterdam in 1998. In 2002, Time Magazine declared Atonement to be the
best novel of the year.
From 1966 to 1970, he attended the
University of Sussex, where he studied
creative writing. In 1970, at the University
of East Anglia, he focused on prose and
met such writers as Norman Mailer, John
Updike, Henry Mellow, and Saul Bellow.
They would subsequently have great
influence on him and his writing.
His writing career began with Gothic novels such as The Cement Garden (1978) and The Comfort of Strangers (1981) and he
was nicknamed Ian Macabre. His first critically named novel was Enduring Love (1997), which has been adapted in a film
with Daniel Craig. This was then followed by Amsterdam and Atonement. Following the success of these three novels, he
published Saturday (2005), On Chesil Beach (2007), Solar (2010), Sweet Tooth ( 2012) and, most recently, The Children's Act (2014)
In a recent interview he was asked whether he was planning to stop writing. "No, no," he replied, "My notebook is still full
of ideas."
Author's Statement to the British Council, Literature
I have contradictory fantasies and aspirations about my work.
I like precision and clarity in sentences, and I value the implied
meaning, the spring, in the space between them. Certain observed
details I revel in and consider ends in themselves. I prefer a work
of fiction to be self-contained, supported by its own internal struts
and beams, resembling the world, but somehow immune from it.
I like stories, and I am always looking for the one which I imagine
to be irresistible. Against all this, I value a documentary quality,
and an engagement with a society and its values; I like to think
about the tension between the private worlds of individuals and
the public sphere by which they are contained. Another polarity
that fascinates me is of men and women, their mutual dependency,
fear and love, and the play of power between them. Perhaps I can
reconcile, or at least summarise, these contradictory impulses in
this way: the process of writing a novel is educative in two senses;
as the work unfolds, it teaches you its own rules, it tells how it
should be written; at the same time it is an act of discovery, in a
harsh world, of the precise extent of human worth.
26
Ian McEwan was born in Aldershot,
England on 21 June 1948. His Scottish
father, David McEwan, was a sergeant in
the British army and Ian spent his childhood
in such places as Singapore, Germany
and Libya. His mother, Rose Moore, was
previously married with two children from
that marriage. At the age of 12, he was
separated from his parents in Libya, being
sent to Woolverstone Hall Boarding School
in England where he stayed until 1966.
McEwan's parents had a child out of wedlock, David
Sharp, who was given up for adoption in 1942. So for all
intents and purposes, McEwan was bought up as an only
child. However, in 2002, he discovered he had a brother
— a bricklayer named David Sharp — who had been born
six years earlier. Since their reunion, the brothers have
been in regular contact, and McEwan wrote a foreword to
Sharp's memoirs.
He married the young and liberated Penny
Allen, whom he referred to as a completely
‘free spirit’. They had two sons, but their
marriage was short-lived. As McEwan's
fame began to grow in Britain's literary
world, their break-up became somewhat of a
media circus when Allen fled to France with her
new husband, taking the boys with her. Eventually,
she was fined and ordered to
return to Britain. McEwan’s
second wife, Annalena McAfee,
was formerly the editor of The
Guardian's review section.
I have the highest admiration
for Ian McEwan’s novels and
consider him to be one of the
finest living authors. He takes on
such diverse themes as first love,
solar energy, the pain of guilt,
terrorism and child welfare. His
books are beautifully written, and in their simplicity lies in
their great depth and wisdom.
– Issue 253, July 2015 27
more than
just a sci-fi
blockbuster:
On 18 December 2015, the much anticipated world
premiere of Star wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens
will hit the cinemas. The film will also be shown in the
Haydn Kino. Please see below how you can win free
tickets to the premiere. But let us first pause and consider
the Star wars legacy up to now.
Christian Dörfler, manager of the Haydn Kino, claims that
two films were responsible for the resurrection of a dying
cinema/film industry in the mid- 1970s, namely Jaws and
Star wars: Episode IV. After almost three decades of
rapidly decreasing box office sales and the consequential
closing of many cinemas throughout the world, these
two films had people pouring back into the cinemas. It
was the renaissance of the film industry and the birth of
the blockbuster! And these two films were to have an
enormous impact on so many great films that were to
come.
Mythological/Literary influences & Joseph
Campbell
Myths were originally written to show us how we should
behave and conduct ourselves. Joseph Campell (The
Hero of a Thousand Faces) was perhaps Lucas' greatest
influence when writing Star wars. The myth of the
hero fascinated both Campbell and Lucas. It is about
the transition from innocence to heroism, from youth to
adulthood. Neither Anakin Skywalker nor Luke Skywalker
initially see themselves as heroes but are irrevocably
sucked into the struggle between good and evil, a classic
scenario in Greek mythology. As is the case with Harry
Potter and Frodo Baggins, Luke is forced to take on tasks
that at first seem to be impossible.
Joseph Campell meant that the greatest moral question
for humanity will be whether we are to live for machines
"Remember, the Force will
always be with you, forever"
Ben Obi-Wan Kenobi to
Luke Skywalker
or for people. Lucas gives us his answer to Campbell's
question in the form of Luke destroying the Death Star.
"Trust your feelings" is the advice given by Luke's mentor
seconds before destroying the Death Star. Luke is no
longer dependent on his flight computer but on his instinct
and the Force.
A common theme in Greek mythology is when the hero
has to face the threat of a monster, such as in the stories
of Jason and the Argonauts or Hercules. The monster in
Star wars takes on the form of the hideous Jabba the
Hut or of a giant creature that swallowed people up (as
with Jonas and the whale in the Bible). These monsters
serve the purpose of testing the courage of the hero. The
ultimate monster is Darth Vader — everyone is terrified of
him, including Luke.
In the Iliad, Achilles, the leader of the Greek army, is
overwhelmed with anger, und in the first 24 chapters
Achilles hates Hector, and this is the core of the journey
from Anakin to Darth Vader. Fear leads to anger, anger
leads to hate, and finally hate leads to suffering and
destruction. The opening words of the Iliad are: “Anger
be now your song, immortal one, Achilles’ anger, doomed
and ruinous, that caused the Achaean’s loss on bitter
loss".
As the human remains of Anakin are transformed into
a mechanical monster, we can see parallels to Mary
Shelley's Gothic novel Frankenstein.
Historical References
An obvious historical reference of the political intrigue
within the Senate in Episode III and the collapse of a
republic, is the rise of a Hitler in the Third Reich in the
mid 1930s. Chancellor Palpatine declares a state of
emergency giving himself total power, as did Hitler in
1933. Both possess charisma, promising to help the
people, as did Saddam Hussein. Follow me and I will look
after you was the message of both historical dictators
and Palpatine. One can follow the decline of the Roman
Empire back to the Senate having too much power and
too much decadence. Napolean's rise to power ended up
in the bloody French Revolution. George Lucas reminds
us that power corrupts.
"If you are not with me, then you are my enemy" cries
Anakin to his mentor Ben Kenobi. Following 9/11 George
Bush told the Senate: "Either you are with us, or you
are with the terrorists". Optically the Senate's massive
armies of robots (storm troopers) inevitably remind us of
the storm troopers in Hitler's Third Reich. The colours of
the Emperor's army are red, black and white, the same
colours as Hitler's swaztika flag and even the shape of
Darth Vader's helmet is the same as a German soldier's
helmet in the Second World War.
The Central Role of the Mentor
In the Star wars films we have three mentors who
play crucial roles in the journeys of our two heroes: QuiGon Jin is the mentor of the young Anakin while Ben ObiWan Kenobi and Yoda are the mentors of both Anakin and
Luke.
In Greek mythology, as well as in modern fantasy novels,
mentors are magicians, priests and parents who provide
the heroes with spiritual support. It is in the moment of
loneliness and fear that the mentors appear. Gandalf is a
good example of a mentor (to the fearful hobbit Frodo).
A mentor will often give the hero an important gift — in
Star wars Ben Kenobi gives Luke his father's light
sabre, while King Arthur is given the sword Excalibur. Ben
Kenobi tells Luke how important the Force is for a Jedi
knight. The mentor reminds us that there is a higher power
in all our lives, regardless of our religion or culture. And
that our lives have a purpose. It is a life force and reminds
us that there is life outside our known consciousness.
But mentors are also inevitably victims, and they can
never accompany a hero on his/her entire journey. Our
parents die, our teachers die and our mentors also die.
When Kenobi dies, Luke's first reaction is — I have no
chance without his help. But the spirit of Kenobi now
dwells within Luke and can accompany him to the end.
As all three mentors die in Star wars, the heroes and
villains outlive them.
The Arc of the Journeys of Annakin and his Son
Luke Skywalker
Anakin is a young, innocent boy born into slavery and
subsequently trained to be a Jedi knight. Anakin's
downfall is his arrogance, his fear, his guilt, and his sheer
hunger for power. His downfall begins when he discovers
his dying mother, and single handedly massacres an
entire village. At this moment Darth Vader is born. The
Jedi Council reject his wish to be a Jedi Master and so
he turns to the Dark Side, to Senator Palpatin. He tells his
wife that she will die in childbirth thereby heightening his
hate. As in Faust, he sells his soul to the devil to achieve
power. In Milton's Paradise Lost, one of God's most
beautiful angels sells his soul to hell. His arrogance and
(biblical) fight with Obi-Ben Kenobi seals his fate. He is
no longer a human and becomes a mechanical monster,
Darth Vader.
Luke is a nobody until he meets his mentor and sees
Princess Leia seeking help. He is forced out of his
comfort zone and Luke becomes the mythological hero,
as was King Arthur or Harry Potter. He has the fears and
insecurities that we all have so we can identify with him.
His journey can be compared to Hercules or Moses.
The task is far bigger than Luke. The canteen scene is a
completely new world for Luke and it is here that he meets
Han Solo. While he meets many challenges, his ultimate
challenge is his confrontation with his father. As with
Hamlet, the ghost of Darth Vader haunts Luke. The fight
between father and son occurs often in Greek mythology.
When Luke discovers who his father is, he realizes that he
must not take on his father's sins.
An important theme for Joseph Campell is reconciliation
with your own father. In the end, Luke does not turn to
the Dark Side but brings his father back to the Good Side
in the last seconds of his life through his love for him.
When Luke declares that he wants to help his father, the
unmasked Darth Vader's last words to his son are: "You
have already saved me".
Companionship
A hero, however, needs more than a mentor. A hero
needs friends, including a love interest. And a team
is very effective. On his journey, Luke gathers friends,
as did Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz and Frodo with his
companions. Both Padme and her daughter Leia are very
strong and assertive women. In Greek tragedies, there
were often very strong women. As an expecting mother,
Padme represents Mother Earth and love, which in turn
causes her own downfall as Anakin turns to the Dark Side.
Her determination to create freedom and democracy
influences the role of her daughter. Leia is both tough and
resourceful and does what must be done.
Han Solo becomes a reliable companion to Luke. He
represents another form of hero — the lonesome cowboy
or outlaw. He is running away from the law, but belongs
to the good guys. The cowboy is an American icon, an
outsider but also a hero. He is independent and depends
only upon himself. As Gary Cooper walks into the
deserted town in High Noon, we see Han Solo walking to
his spaceship. Han ultimately learns that we need each
other and that his heart must open up to a woman.
Comic Relief
Iconic Quotations
Heroes are inevitably accompanied by faithful servants or
sidekicks, who are not always helpful (Jar Jar Binks). Lucas
was clever enough to realize that he could not maintain a
high level of tension/action for more than two hours and
that the audience needed the comic relief to return to the
action scenes. The two robots C3-PO and R2-D2 remind
us of Laurel and Hardy, and offer the audience emotional
release. We have to laugh and we can relate to their fears
and uncertainties.
The Star wars Legacy
Episode I to Episode VI of the Star wars franchise
has influenced pop culture since 1977. And while the
inspiration may well come from literature, mythology,
religion and history, Star wars has created its own
mythology and has become a cultural reference. While
we can see the references throughout, each one of us
can draw our own conclusions and lessons. It shows
us the power of teamwork and from heroic resistance
and also the endless fantasy and determination of one
extraordinary man — George Lucas.
His message through these films is clear: do not be
dependent on machines, but rely on yourself. And that one
person, or a group of individuals, can make a difference.
These films show us that we are all in the same boat, and
we have to work together to survive, regardless of culture
or religion. It is about equality of men and women. Lucas'
message is clear: the power is with the people and that a
small group of people are capable of changing the world
for the better. And that we should open our hearts to the
mysteries in our lives.
"Train yourself to let go of everything you fear
to lose."
Ben Obi- Wan Kenobi
"I love you "
-
Princess Liea
"I know"
Han Solo
"Obi Wan never told you what happened to your
father. I am your father!"
Darth Vader to Luke
"Feel. Don't think. Use your senses"
Qui-Gon Jin
"The Force is strong in my family. My father had
it. I have it. My sister has it."
Luke
I will be the most powerful Jedi ever. I will even
learn to stop people dying."
Anakin
Source: The documentary
" Star wars: The Legacy Revealed" (2007)
directed by Kevin Burns
Photos: Lucasfilm Ltd. www.starwars.com
HOW TO WIN TWO TICKETS TO THE WORLD PREMIER OF
Star wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens
at the ENGLISH CINEMA HAYDN on 18th December, 2015
You simply need to answer correctly the following three questions:
1.
Who is Darth Vader's son?
2.
What is the name of the planet where Luke Skywalker grew up?
3.
Who are Princess Leia's mother and father?
Please send your answers by email to ECHO@iaea.org
Subject: Star wars Tombola
The tombola draw will take place on 1 September 2015.
We look forward to seeing you at the premiere.
May the Force be with you!
TREE OF HOPE
Every working day, thousands of VIC staff and
visitors step out of the Vienna underground
station Kaisermühlen and enter the Vienna
International Centre. But I wonder how many
are aware that, as they turn left to walk up the
steps to Checkpoint I, they pass a memorial in
the form of a delicate tree. I have asked several
colleagues and friends working at the VIC and
none could recall any kind of memorial.
Financed by donors such as the Vienna NGO
Committee on Narcotic Drugs and Austria’s
Federal Ministry of Economy, Family and Youth,
and under the motto Time to set a Sign, the
Tree of Hope was unveiled on Monday 27 June
2011 at 10 am with representatives of the local
authorities and the Committee on Narcotic
Drugs in attendance.
The idea for the memorial was born in the city of
Gladbeck in Germany. A mother, whose child died
of drug misuse, placed a little stone memorial in
a local public garden. Others got to hear about
it, including a small local NGO called Elternkreis
Wien. After a year-long search for a location in
Vienna, Josef Rohaczek, the chairperson of
Elternkreis Wien, finally received the support
of the District Commissioner of Vienna’s 22nd
District, Norbert Scheed. The Muhammad
Asad Square in front of the VIC was found to
be the ideal site for the memorial. A member of
the NGO Committee on Drugs presented the
memorial project to a representative of ZONTA
International (a global society to empower and
support women and girls: http://www.zonta.org)
and received its full support.
The technical realization of the memorial
was awarded to the Vocational School for
Building Trade (BS BAU Wien 1220). The tree
was designed by Frau Illse Stieber. The local
companies Austrotherm and Piribauer were
awarded the contracts to install the memorial.
by David Floyd
As one approaches the statue of a tree there is
an inscription:
"Dedicated to all those affected by drug problems
worlwide. Drug problems are preventable and
treatable"
The official broschure asks the question:
Why this Memorial?
TO REMEMBER all those who died of drug use
in Austria and the World;
AS AN ENCOURAGEMENT for all those persons
affected by drug use and dependence.
Scientific research and practical experiences
from many countries have shown that drug
dependence is treatable;
AS A SIGNAL that the stigma and disrimination
currently associated with drug dependence
should be eliminated; and
AS A HINT that drug dependence cannot be a
taboo because this problem affects all social
levels, all societies and nations.
So the next time you are either entering or leaving
Checkpoint I please take a few minutes to look
at the memorial and collect your own thoughts
about drug abuse.
INSIDE the IAEA
I started, it was important for me to communicate — to Member
States and to staff — a clear understanding of what the Agency
could and should be doing, and to have effective management in
place to achieve the goals set by Member States. We are a technical
organization, although we often work in a very political environment.
We are most valuable to our Member States when we demonstrate
a high degree of technical competence, but do not stray into political
matters that are, rightly, the preserve of Member States. I can see
concrete results achieved across all Departments, of which we can
all be proud. I believe we achieve that goal in our verification work,
where we are trusted by all. We must manage the budget entrusted
to us by Member States effectively and efficiently. I am proud of the
fact that we have built new safeguards laboratories in Seibersdorf
— a major project by any standards – on time and within budget.
This is by no means the norm within international organizations, or
even in the private sector. I am confident that we will do the same
with the modernization of the nuclear applications laboratories. We
have continued to expand the services we offer in peaceful uses of
nuclear science and technology, especially to developing countries.
We have demonstrated an ability to respond quickly to crises such
as the Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa, where the Agency quickly
made nuclear-derived rapid diagnosis kits available on the ground.
IZ: How do you see the role of the Agency in the future?
Interview with
YUKIYA AMANO
IAEA Director General
by Imed Zabaar
YA: In short, the objective of the Agency is to use atoms for peace
and development. The use of nuclear science and technology, for
power generation and in many other applications, will continue to
grow in the future. That means that demand for the services the
Agency provides will continue to grow in all areas — from nuclear
power to nuclear safety and security, from nuclear verification to
technical cooperation. I see a bright future for the Agency. But we
must, of course, be realistic and accept that funding will never be
enough to enable us to do all of the wonderful things we would like
to accomplish. We will always have to prioritize and make the most
of limited resources.
IZ: What is your view on current Staff–Management
relations in the Agency?
YA: From my point of view, there are positive and constructive
relations between the management and the Staff Council. This
does not mean that we agree on everything. It is natural to have
different opinions at times as we are looking at policies and
decisions affecting staff from different points of view. But the most
important thing is that we can discuss these matters frankly and in
a constructive spirit, and work together to find a common ground.
I believe management and the Staff Council are seeking to do their
best for both Member States and Agency staff.
IZ: How important do you think the current and future
role of the Staff Council is in the development and revision
of policies?
YA: It is important for managers to understand the views of staff
members on policies affecting them. There may be implications
or consequences for staff that managers are not aware of. It is
important to have a consultation process so that decisions made by
managers are well informed. As I said just now, we may not agree
on everything, in particular when the changes affect the welfare of
the staff. But we are always open to the views of the Staff Council
and we take them very seriously.
IZ: How does senior management communicate issues to
you related to staff, especially concerning staff welfare and
morale?
YA: There are many ways that information on staff-related matters
comes to me. I have regular meetings with all DDsG, and also
individual meetings with them as necessary. Information related to
HR matters is reported to me by the Department of Management,
by my Special Assistant for Management, or by other Special
Assistants responsible for different areas. I also have many
Photos: Dean Calma
Imed Zabaar: How would you describe your experience so
far as the IAEA’s Director General?
IZ: How do you feel about the work and the achievements
of the Agency and its staff?
Yukiya Amano: The Agency is a fascinating organization and it
is an immense privilege to serve as Director General. My work
is never dull and there are many challenges. Probably the most
gratifying part of my job is meeting ordinary people whose lives
have been changed for the better thanks to the work of the
Agency. I am thinking of cancer patients in Tanzania who now have
access to life-saving treatment thanks to our PACT programme. Or
farmers in the High Andes of Peru who can now grow abundant
crops thanks to radiation-induced mutation techniques we made
available. I enjoy my daily interactions with the impressive people
who make up the Agency’s staff, who come from the most varied
backgrounds, but who work together in pursuit of a common goal
— to improve the lives of the people of our Member States. Before
joining the Agency, I spent much of my diplomatic career working
in disarmament and non-proliferation, so I very much enjoy being
able to contribute to international peace and security through our
verification work. The professionalism, technical competence and
impartiality of the Agency are universally respected and I am very
proud to be part of that.
YA: I have already partly dealt with this question, but in short:
our work matters. It makes a real difference to real people in the
real world. As we approach our 60th anniversary, we can point to
important achievements in all areas of our very diverse mandate. We
make the world a safer place by helping to prevent the proliferation
of nuclear weapons. We help to ensure that cancer patients in
developing countries get treatment that they would otherwise be
denied. We help countries to produce more food, manage their
water supplies more effectively and protect the environment. All of
this is possible due to the dedication and commitment of the highcalibre staff the Agency attracts.
32
IZ: Looking back at the first day when you joined the Agency
as Director General, and at the present, what are the most
important changes you have implemented that you believe
had a significant and positive impact on the organization?
YA: The Agency is not a debating club, but an organization that delivers.
I am a practical person and I like to focus on concrete results. When
– Issue 253, July 2015 33
INSIDE the IAEA
understand that most other UN organizations have similar views.
In order to implement this change, it is also necessary to amend
Staff Regulation 4.05, and it will require approval by the Board of
Governors.
IZ: According to the Staff Regulations and Staff Rules or,
more specifically, Regulation 4.05, “the Director General
may, in the interests of the Agency, extend these age limits
in individual cases.” What are the criteria you take into
consideration when taking a decision to extend a staff
member beyond the current mandatory age of separation?
YA: These cases are exceptional. The basic criterion is that an
extension should be in the interests of the Agency. We consider a
combination of programmatic needs and the specific expertise of
the individual staff member.
However, the extension of retirement age for individual staff is
a separate matter from the extension of the mandatory age of
separation in general.
IZ: What, in your view, are appropriate additional
measures that could be put in place for the Agency to deal
more effectively with cases of harassment and bullying in
the working place?
informal opportunities to meet staff members at all levels — not
just senior staff — and to hear their views, for example, in the
margins of various meetings and events, and also in the cafeteria,
or even in the corridors.
IZ: One of the main issues raised by staff during the Staff
Survey in 2014 was that of fairness and transparency
of decisions taken by management. How do you foresee
enhancing transparency in the Agency?
YA: I read the result of the Staff Survey carefully, and this matter
was also raised by the Staff Council Executive Committee — in my
meeting with them in early June — in relation to the recruitment
process. Regarding recruitment, I requested MTHR to review
the current process and propose possible ways to address the
issue. I understand that there may be difficulties in making major
changes due to the limited number of available MTHR staff, but
I hope to receive a proposal that will contribute to enhancing
the transparency of the recruitment process. The goal of our
recruitment policy is always to find the best qualified candidate
for each position and to have appropriate geographic and gender
balance among Agency staff.
IZ: How do you respond to those who are still sceptical
about the effectiveness of the newly introduced mobility
policy?
YA: New measures generally need time to fully realize their
potential, but it is important to demonstrate that this new policy
34
really works. To lead by example, DGOC was the first office to
use the mobility policy. The post of DGOC’s Management and
Administrative Specialist (equivalent to AO in other Departments)
was opened using the mobility policy on the first day it was
implemented, and we were able to come to a good result with the
selection. I have told DDsG that staff expectations concerning the
new mobility policy are high and that senior management really
have to make it work. I encouraged all DDsG to make active use
of the mobility policy in all Departments, including mobility for AOs
and AAs, and for all staff.
IZ: What is your view about the UN General Assembly’s
decision in December 2014 to raise the mandatory age of
separation to 65?
YA: I know that this is a matter of considerable interest to all staff.
Although the UN General Assembly decided to raise the mandatory
age of separation, it also requested the ICSC to propose an
implementation date after consultations with all the organizations
of the UN common system. The ICSC is now consulting with these
organizations, including the Agency, regarding the implementation
date. For the Agency, the 2016–2017 programme and budget was
prepared on the basis of the current mandatory age of separation.
It was approved by the Board of Governors in June and is awaiting
approval at the General Conference. A change in the mandatory
age of separation would have a huge impact on the Agency’s
human and financial resources and would be difficult to implement
under the 2016–2017 budget. Therefore, the Agency is proposing
to implement this change not earlier than 1 January 2018. I
YA: I have stated repeatedly, to all staff and to managers in
particular, that there is no place for such conduct in the Agency.
But I also recognize that this behaviour will not disappear simply
because I say so. This is an important issue that all staff, and in
particular the managers, should be aware of, and address. I believe
that under the current arrangements, HR staff have been doing
their best to address these cases and I am grateful for their efforts.
We cannot be complacent, and we are looking at what else can be
done, including enhancing their expertise. Structural changes are
not currently envisaged, but I will continue to pay close attention
to this issue.
IZ: What are the challenges and opportunities that the
Agency Staff can expect in the future?
YA: The Agency is a unique organization, and we work in many
areas where only we can deliver. We are seeing increasing demand
for our services across all areas of our mandate. This is a good
thing, because it shows how valuable our services are to Member
States. Countries want us to do more in areas such as health,
agriculture and food production. More countries are introducing or
expanding nuclear power, or using radioactive sources for various
purposes. This means more demand for the Agency’s expertise in
nuclear safety, security and safeguards, and also infrastructure
development. Our workload on safeguards implementation in
Iran has grown significantly in the past 18 months and is likely
to continue to do so. At the same time, financial difficulties will
continue in many Member States, so we cannot expect a major
increase in our resources. I am afraid I cannot promise that things
will get any easier on the budget front in the coming years. But I
want staff to know how much their work is appreciated by Member
States. I hear thanks and appreciation for our work almost every
day — in my meetings with Ambassadors or visitors here in Vienna,
and especially during my trips to Member States, when I meet
government leaders, scientists and doctors, and lots of ordinary
people whose lives have changed for the better, thanks to the
Agency.
IZ: We understand that you are very much involved in the
recruitment process for high-level positions such as those
at the Director level. What are the most important criteria
that you take into consideration to determine the ideal
candidate?
YA: For the Director level, strong management capabilities, in
combination with technical knowledge, are essential to the
efficient and effective work of the organization. Good judgment and
demonstrating a high moral standard is also needed. I always meet
candidates for D-level posts in person at the final stage. I try to
understand their management style and other capabilities through
direct discussions with them. I do not compromise on these values
in recruitment because our staff are the most important asset the
Agency has.
IZ: There are some conflicting views about the idea of the
use of quotas for the employment of women, which some
believe would improve gender parity at the Agency. How
would you respond to this?
YA: The Statute stipulates that the “paramount consideration” in
the recruitment should be “the highest standards of efficiency,
technical competence, and integrity”. I am committed to promoting
gender balance in the Agency, but it needs to be implemented within
this fundamental framework. In other words, in order to recruit a
female candidate to the Agency, she needs to meet these criteria
in comparison with other candidates, male or female. And I do not
believe that setting a quota helps in achieving this objective. Our
approach should be to encourage qualified female candidates to
apply. And judging by the increasing number of women employed
in professional positions, this approach seems to be working,
although not as fast as we may wish.
IZ: Staff have noted that soon after the implementation
of new policies, in many cases some departments deviate
from these policies and establish their own practices. How
could we ensure a one-house approach to enforce these
policies to be implemented consistently across the entire
the Agency?
YA: It is difficult to answer your question without knowing specific
cases. I have been strongly promoting a one-house approach. In
some areas, it may not be easy to implement it immediately as we
are a long-established organization with many legacies. But the
general direction is clear: once a new policy is established, it needs
– Issue 253, July 2015 35
INSIDE the IAEA
to be implemented across the Secretariat. If there are concrete
cases of deviation in the implementation of new policies, please
bring them to my attention or to the attention of the office in charge
of relevant policies, and we will see how they can be addressed.
IZ: Agency staff highly respect you as their leader. What
is your message to staff to help raise their morale and
motivation?
YA: Our Staff are the key asset of the Agency. The Agency does
not have territory, nor sufficient funds, but we have very capable
staff. I believe that the Agency is the international organization of
excellence, and this is simply down to the hard work of our staff.
All of us are working for a noble cause, namely to use atoms for
peace and development. Just one example, fishermen in Ecuador
have access to drinking water thanks to our cooperation. Not many
people have the opportunity to work to make a real difference in
the lives of people around the world. So, let’s make the most of
this chance.
IZ: As international civil servants, we work and live in a
multicultural environment where each of us, nevertheless,
brings something from our own culture. What do you value
most in your own culture that you wish to share with us?
YA: I would point to three things. The first is to listen to others.
When I started to work in the international community, I noticed
that many people like to talk a lot, but do not listen very much. For
me, listening to others always helps me to understand them better
and gives me new ideas and perspectives. Though sometimes I
think Japanese should speak more.
Another is to respect the rules. I believe that respecting rules helps
a lot to make our work impartial and objective. It is also important
in our daily lives.
Finally, hard work. Hard work and dedication make a real difference
in the quality of products. All of our staff are given the opportunity
to bring something valuable to the world through their work at the
Agency. I may be wrong to identify it as a value of the Japanese
culture, because many people in the Agency work much harder
than Japanese.
IZ: You have often mentioned that you like music and
dancing. As we know, traditional Japanese music is quite
different from western music. Who are your favourite
composers and musicians?
IAEA’s Remote Access Service
https://nomad.iaea.org
YA: I learned dancing when I was a university student. In fact, my
hobby then was hang gliding, but my mother pleaded with me not to
do such a dangerous sport. So I changed my direction from the sky
to the ballroom. I try hard, but it is very difficult to keep to the rhythm.
IZ: Do you have other hobbies?
YA: I have many. I like sailing, skiing, driving old cars and seeing
Kabuki but because of my work, I cannot spend as much time on
these as I would like.
However, when I have the time, I try to do what I can. For example,
my wife and I go to see the ballet from time to time. In my view,
Vienna ballet is getting better and better.
Visiting nearby countries with my wife is also great fun for us.
IZ: Staff Council has recently decided to organize an end
of the year party for staff where Karaoke may be part of the
entertainment programme. Can we expect to hear you too?
YA: By no means! I heard that it is sometimes seen as a punishment
for Europeans to sing in front of the public. In this regard, I am more
European than Japanese.
Access:
Anytime
Anywhere
Any Device
For more information, please contact the IT Service Desk at extension 26150
or via email: ITSD@iaea.org
36
– Issue 253, July 2015 37
INSIDE the IAEA
YOUR LIBRARY
by Thanos Giannakopoulos
The IAEA Library was established in 1958 and was previously
located at the Agency’s headquarters at the time on Kärtner Ring.
For 57 years, the IAEA Library has been collecting, maintaining and
preserving diverse collections of both print and electronic material. It
has been through the many changes that all libraries have undergone:
from the card index and the sombre wooden furniture that catered
for more than 50,000 cards, the manual kardex system and the
mainframe to the microfiche; the one dedicated computer station to
the online catalogue, to modern information management systems in
order to reach its current status — that of a true hybrid library, with a
collection which is 55% in print and 45% electronic, offering access to
more than 100 world-class databases or, in library jargon, more than
40 000 000 bibliographic records — 5% of which are in full text. This
continuing transformation into a hybrid print and electronic library
took place gradually and affected the way library staff do their work.
Agency staff and the library’s clients, can find the information they
need using their desktop computer. The demand for desktop delivery
of material is increasing and the use of electronic resources is
growing more rapidly than expected. Purchasing electronic resources
or digitizing information adds value, but increases costs. The need
for print information in the library, however, is receding, as is evident
from the latest library survey.
All resources are available to Agency staff, members of permanent
missions in Vienna and official visitors and are there to satisfy the
need for non-Agency-generated information in support of the
programmatic activities of the Agency. The library has structured its
services — described in the following paragraphs — around those
needs.
Library catalogue: from card index to reserving
on line
The library catalogue is available on line and allows users to search
the library’s holdings. The catalogue includes all of the resources
available in the library including books and journals, DVDs and
CD-ROMs, ebooks, online papers, technical reports, standards,
proceedings and special collections such as academic articles
written by staff members and — our newest addition — the archive
of “uranium guru” Franz J. Dahlkamp. The ease of searching the
catalogue on-line is a long way from the old days when users had to
physically come to the library and search through a card index to find
the items they needed.
Please visit: OASIS > library tab and click on catalog
Delivery of articles, TECDOCs and proceedings:
from photocopies and fax to electronic copies
The article or the proceedings paper you are searching for might
be available in the IAEA library and if the library doesn’t have it, it
can get it for you. From the photocopy and fax deliveries of articles,
the service has moved to delivering electronic copies of articles to
requestors in house. This popular service – the library receives more
than 25 requests for articles per day – has created yet one new
38
NOW & THEN
internal need for the library: the need to digitize articles and journals
some of which date back to the 1940s. Optical character recognition
(OCR) is done with the images in order to convert them into text to
support full-text searching and other processes that require editable
text. We receive compliments and appreciation from staff members
— including those from Agency Headquarters, Seibersdorf and
Monaco — and from Member States in recognition of the efficient
and prompt article delivery services. Often, these compliments come
in the form of chocolate.
Research support: from book indexes to digital
reference sources
Are you undertaking research on behalf of the Agency? Are you
drafting a policy paper? Or a report? Do you need a full bibliography?
The IAEA library research service’s untiring access to dozens of close
access databases and open source information helps Agency staff
create bibliographies and also supports their research with content
drawn from numerous credible and verified sources.
Alerts: from leaflets and telephone calls to push
emails
Remember the telephone calls: “We have received a book that might
be of interest to you”? Or long list of recipients of one journal that
was supposed to move from office to office? Or the endless browsing
through microfiche in order to find the one piece that was written
about nuclear waste in a local newspaper 20 years ago? The IAEA
Library, swept on digital waves, has changed all this cumbersome
activity to a simple email that the research librarian sets to be sent to
your email box once a day. All you have to do is ask her and she will
set an alert for topics in research or the news, for citation (who cited
whom) or for the latest books of interest to you that are added to the
library catalogue. And more than 400 Agency staff members receive
this type of alert, daily or weekly. And in the form of chocolate, the
compliments have frequently arrived at the library information desk.
screen when you search the online catalogue. This is a change that
has affected the number of visitors doing research in the library, as
Agency staff just drop by, pick up a book or a standard or any other
material, leave a box of thank-you chocolates at the information desk,
During lunch time, they may pause a little in the reader’s area to
check the front page of a current newspaper.
Newspapers: nothing like the real thing
In the reading area, clients can find newspapers in almost all UN
official languages plus the host country’s language and a few more.
There are 14 newspapers: two Japanese (Nikkey International and
Asahi Shimbun), one Arabic (Al-Hayat), one German (Frankfurter
Allgemeine), one French (Le Monde), two locals (Der Standard and Die
Presse), one Chinese (Sing Tao Daily), three from UK (The Guardian,
The Times and Financial Times), two from USA (International New
York Times and Wall Street Journal) and one from India (Times of
India). They are all brought daily to the library except for the Times
of India and Sing Tao Daily, which have no regular delivery. And there
is nothing like reading fresh news, hearing the crackling of the paper
pages and smelling the ink.
Acquisition of library material: from buying books
to downloading content on the library’s iPad
The IAEA Library can purchase material for official use at the request
of staff members. Not much change there, if one was to forget the
many formats of material this type of acquisition has expanded to
in the last 15 years: electronic books, reports, standards, chapters,
conference papers, access to online resources, software and much,
much more.
International Nuclear Library Network (INLN)
Remember the time when Libraries could survive as silos of
information without the need to connect or ask for a service form
another library? Well, this is the area the IAEA Library has excelled in
the past eight years. By introducing the idea of creating a network of
nuclear libraries and information centres in order to pool resources
and share as much as possible within copyright rules, the IAEA Library
Activities
The library manages and facilitates exchange of information
while securing digital preservation for future generations.
Providing unmediated access to reusable digital data and
information is our daily routine.
Collections
Since 1958, the library has been at the heart of nuclear
information and knowledge management. Trusted information
in all areas of nuclear energy and its applications is available.
Collections include print, audiovisual and electronic resources,
the latter representing by far the largest share.
Facilities
A reading room provides space to browse new books, recent
journals and daily newspapers. Electronic resources are available
through workstations. The information desk offers guidance in
all areas of nuclear information and knowledge management.
orchestrated the creation of the INLN that now consists of 52 members
from 32 countries. Members share unique information exchange
services, while Agency staff members gain specially benefit. There is
a story going round about a Section that threw a party after a request
for a difficult-to-find document was sent to the IAEA Library, which
in turn just requested it from an INLN member. No box of chocolates
was sent to the library, however.
Like all Libraries, the IAEA Library has undergone significant changes
that have allowed it to be more tuned to the digital landscape. The
librarians, skilled and qualified individuals, the ones sent on wild
goose chases on your behalf, have also developed new skills and
experience. They are still one specialized team with one single goal:
to provide credible information at the right time! Needless, to say —
following all these thank-you boxes of chocolates sent to the library,
you now have one more reason and one more craving to indulge when
you visit us!
BACK THEN
Former Head Librarian Harriet Zais Gabbert remembers...
Training: from showing to enabling
I had the pleasure of working twice at the library — and what exciting times with many changes they were!
Remember the days when librarians used to show you how to use the
card index? And now you just don’t know which of the 100 databases
available in the library you need to use to find what you are looking
for? The library has introduced a series of training sessions to enable
Agency staff and members of permanent missions to use their own
searching practices to find the information they need. And again,
the thank you notes reach the library in the form of little boxes of
chocolates from all corners of the world.
I was the Head of the IAEA Library October 1977–July 1979. At this time, the Agency was still located on Kärntner Ring, so much of my work
was preparing for the creation of the joint service, VIC Library, and working on details of the location and outfitting of the space that the Library
would occupy in the new VIC. Many construction and policy decisions had already been taken, so we had to work with what we could change.
Borrowing: from visiting the library to find a book
to reserving on line (and visiting the library to
pick up the book)
I returned as Head of the VIC Library in May of 1986 and remained until the early 1990s. Whether or not to automate was no longer a question.
Now the challenge was to try to find the systems best suited to the Library’s needs. This challenge was to continue for many years as library
automation continued to develop. However, automation concerns had to take second place to those of budget and staffing. Post upgrades and
staff promotions were issues constantly under debate. Surprisingly enough, what should have been a daunting event turned out to be a highlight
for me: all the G-posts in the Library were reviewed — and instead of the down-grading expected by senior management in the Division and
Department, the Library came through with flying colours and several posts were actually recommended to be upgraded!
From manually searching the kardex system in the library to sitting
comfortably in your office and reserving books as they appear on your
I had come to the Library with ideas and plans and hopes for using computers to help in library operations and in information retrieval — which
was met with opposition from many quarters. The technology available to us at that time looks primitive, indeed, viewed from today. But we
were able to get one terminal, initially, for the Library (at that time the Agency still had a main-frame computer service) and we proceeded from
that modest beginning.
– Issue 253, July 2015 39
What’s Happening in VIENNA
DISCOVERING VIENNA
THROUGH THE THIRD MAN
Susan Cohen-Unger interviews
Brigitte Timmermann, creator of the popular
Third Man walking tour
In the footsteps of the Third Man
with Brigitte Timmermann
Susan Cohen-Unger: Please tell me about how you became
interested in researching The Third Man — Graham
Greene’s novel and Carol Reed’s film — and its setting in
post-war Vienna.
Brigitte Timmermann: My personal love affair with The
Third Man began with little Hansl (“Yes, papa. I saw
it. That’s the murderer!”) and with the curiosity of an
American friend. Could I do him a favour and find out
more about the little boy? A name scribbled in pencil
on an old film-still put me on his trail. I became curious.
Where was the Café Marc Aurel? Into which kiosk did
Harry Lime vanish? Where was the balcony scene shot?
I set about looking for the countless and not easily
identifiable original locations, for the screenplay was
definitely not written in accordance with the map of
Vienna, and I began to research in Austrian and English
archives, film institutes and libraries. Newspaper articles,
reviews, literary critical essays, piles of photographs, and
recordings of radio and television interviews recalling
those post-war years all contributed to an ever-growing
collection. There ensued a lively correspondence with all
kinds of very helpful registration officers, archivists and
people who simply wanted to share their knowledge with
me as well as fascinating conversations with witnesses
both from Vienna and abroad. An increasingly multifaceted picture of The Third Man and its time emerged.
As a graduate of English literature, I was particularly
interested to discover how Graham Greene wove Vienna
into the tapestry of his fiction and to learn about the
step-by-step on-site collaboration with the director
to transform the original story into a screenplay. As a
historian, I was intrigued by the factual history behind
the story. As a film buff, I was captivated by Carol Reed’s
imaginative photography of Vienna and, as a tourist
guide, I could appreciate the uniqueness of the locations
and the fact that despite the passage of time many have
remained virtually unchanged. My growing enthusiasm
was shared by others, so a themed tour of Vienna’s Third
Man locations was the answer. Despite initial doubts, it
became a blockbuster attracting local residents as well
40
as people from abroad, from English-speaking and nonEnglish speaking countries alike. Is there any other city in
the world that can offer such a range of original locations
from one single film?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Third_Man
SCU: You’ve written a 400-page book on the topic. What
happened first — your book or the tour?
BT: As the making of the film had not yet been fully recorded
and its Austrian connections and historic implications
had not been satisfactorily researched, the only logical
consequence was a book. Where else should it be written
but in Vienna — where all the threads came together? I
also thought it would be unforgivable not to document
the memories of a diminishing number of witnesses. An
aspect of history would have been lost forever — along
with a piece of film history.
SCU: What would you regard as the highlights of this very
popular tour?
BT: The highlights of the tour are the original Vienna
locations which, surprisingly, have not changed at all
since the making of the movie: there is the impressive
tunnel of the Wien River through which Harry was hunted
by the police, the square where Harry was supposedly run
over by a car, or the iconic doorway in which Harry Lime
appeared halfway through the movie. Included in the tour
are also lesser known locations such as Michaelerplatz,
Minoritenplatz or Neuer Markt, not to forget Hotel Sacher,
the latter being both location and ‘birthplace’ of The Third
Man. (Many more locations can of course be included in
customized Third Man tours.) But the tour is about much
more than just taking in one location after another. This
would mean scratching only the surface. It is also about
answering questions. Wherein lies the key to its magic?
What is the secret of its fascination? Why do people still
want to go to the cinema to see it over and over again?
Was it the literary quality of Graham Greene’s screenplay?
The masterly direction of Carol Reed? Was it the
authenticity of the setting? Robert Krasker’s lighting and
camera? The collaboration of a superb team with an ideal
cast? Was it Orson Welles at his best, or the mesmerizing
sound of Anton Karas’ zither? Or were the fates merely
smiling at the project, enabling the right film to be made
at the right time in the right place with the right people?
The Third Man was unparalleled also in the use of Vienna
not as the romantic city of waltz and magnificent imperial
display, but as a visual metaphor for a world that had
physically and morally fallen apart, a world of evil, moral
corruption and human misery. It was also unparalleled
as a unique historic document in which the weight of the
Allied occupation on the city’s inhabitants is tangible, and
so is the latent tension between the Allies. Therefore, The
Third Man tour is geared not just towards film buffs and
aficionados, but also towards those who want to take a
look at Vienna from a more unconventional viewing point.
“I got to know the city and its buildings only too well.
Hours of location scouting familiarized me with them.
Its architecture, which has been shaped by centuries of
culture, is so fantastic that one could not wish for a better
location. And because Vienna was new to me, its impact
was even stronger and I saw the one or the other thing
with a much clearer eye.” (Carol Reed)
The noir thriller became Reed’s masterpiece: a work of art,
a classic, unsurpassed in its direction, its cinematography,
and its acting. It was Reed who cast Orson Welles. He gave
his Harry Lime cult status. With extraordinary personal
charisma and a touch of genius, he precisely embodied
the moral dilemma immanent in Graham Greene’s work.
None of the other international and Austrian stars could
have been more aptly cast, nor the crew that worked for
him more aptly chosen.
SCU: What’s the story behind the evocative Harry Lime
theme composed and played on the zither by Anton Karas?
BT: The general mood is harmoniously complemented
by the music. Sometimes threatening, sometimes
melancholy, it gradually takes its place at the heart of
the film. It is never simply an accompaniment. In the
history of film music there has rarely ever been such a
felicitous match of a single instrument to time and place.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ihlku1aKpRg When
Carol Reed heard Anton Karas’ zither music for the
first time in his life at the Heuriger that happened to be
right opposite the former Sievering film studios, he was
intrigued. Reed had Anton Karas play his whole repertoire
to the film crew before inviting him to London to do the
sound track. Everybody thought he was downright mad
— no orchestrated score, only one single instrument
accompanying the whole movie? But Carol stuck to his
guns. It was a daring adventure. Karas was a brilliant
musician and improviser but not a composer of film
music. It was all improvisation: 14 to 16 hours a day were
the norm, either at Reed’s own house at 213 King’s Road
practising to the film which he could watch on a small
moviola which Reed had taught him how to use, or in the
Westrex sound recording studio in Shepperton. Patiently,
Reed would give suggestions on how he imagined the
music should sound, whether slightly more dramatic or
a little more melancholy, fast-paced or slow. The music
became a character in its own right and eventually sold
worldwide, became the rage of the day and even topped
the US charts.
SCU: Do you also offer other walking tours in Vienna?
BT: Vienna Walks and Talks is one of the foremost guiding
companies in Vienna and proud to be a family enterprise.
http://www.viennawalks.com/ My two daughters Barbara
and Kerstin and my son Christopher and I have been
partners in business for almost 20 years now — and we
complement each other perfectly; not only with regard to
the day-to-day running of the business, but also when it
comes to the creative side. Apart from informative and
entertaining general interest tours for first-time visitors,
we also offer a wide range of tours shedding light on
the lesser known aspects of the city far removed from
its popular image. Many of our tours take in districts
and neighbourhoods off the beaten tourist track (e.g.
Kaisermühlen) and deal with subjects not necessarily
expected to be the themes of walking tours (e.g. Vienna’s
Lost Rivers). Some of our tours are scheduled public ones,
such as Jewish Vienna, Unknown Underground Vienna,
the Naschmarkt, Inter-War and Post-War Vienna, or
Napoleon’s Vienna. Tours privately booked by individuals,
families and friends, school-groups or corporate parties
include anything from topical themes such as this year’s
150th anniversary of the Ringstrasse to special interest
themes such as American or British Vienna or Graham
Greene’s Vienna, Culinary Vienna, Musical or Secessionist
Vienna and many more. Very popular are ‘Anniversary
Tours’ for birthdays or other celebrations such as
‘Vienna 1975’. Even if not every single tour is listed on
our homepage, there is hardly a Vienna-related topic we
do not cover. But anyhow, no matter what our clients’
interests are, every single tour we offer is customized and
therefore a unique experience.
The Timmermann team:
Barbara, Brigitte, Kerstin, Christopher
– Issue 253, July 2015 41
LETTERS to the Editor
GARAGE WORKS
LETTERS to the Editor
"TO JERUSALEM" ARTICLE
In addition to an article by David Floyd about the never
ending renovation works in the garage several issues of
ECHO ago, I would like to add some quite amazing details
that I came across. Most recently, I was waved away from
the front parking area at deck P-1 to park further behind
in order not to inhibit closing off procedures of front
parking spaces, closer to the revolving door for entering
the buildings.
Asking for more details, as to how long the area would
be closed off, and how long the works would take, I
was told that it was foreseen for about a month. Upon
my comment that the renovation of the garage never
seems to be coming to an end, it was added though that
‘the present works could be accomplished in a much
shorter period, much more time-efficiently but would be
“inhibited” by the organizations by allowing them only
during special working hours and days, and all kinds of
other “obligations” and restrictions.
It was also mentioned that for instance, a fence with a
plastic foil needed to be put up as a “vision protection”,
as the view of the workers in their working clothes would
be “unpleasant” (to say the least) for the employees
walking past into the buildings! Also, the workers are not
allowed to enter the cafeteria for lunch in their working
clothes as they bring in “odours from the materials they
work with” into the food area! WHAT IS THIS? To me it
sounds like pure discrimination! And that in our wonderful
organizations who have committees and panels against
discrimination?
I am very negatively surprised by such treatment of people
who are actually helping us and trying to do their job well
and efficiently! The impression international organizations
leave to local companies in such a way clearly stresses
the general tenor in Vienna/Austria that “UN Organizations
are bureaucratic fortresses, whose employees are being
overpaid and serve no one, that they cost the Austrian
State money and do nothing for Austria, are behaving as
if they were better than others .... and so on”. Of course,
I, as an employee, know better (?) how beneficial our
work is for many countries in the world, but treatment of
local workers of the host country, who are experts in their
fields, surely does not enhance friendly relations between
them and “us” and are definitely not favourable for the
reputation of international organizations in Vienna!
by Cornelia Gravino
!
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co
ce,
rse,
ery
pala of cou
, ev
now nd his
nd
it. A
ou
As of ng
ar
ng
n
g
di
rth.
walki surroun e e
wife
ea
s
ls
dino' o ch
cana nds in th
hera
tw
s
er, G ith their
his ha
atte
head
s la
w
onth
ace k their nally ar
pala
y m
Man ed the st shoo Grillo fi grum
fl
ju
glly,
and an ug
and e city
dino
e
of th Ghera becom
.
no
d
s,
di
raa
year dino ha
Ghe
ra
arled
Ghe
y life
t?" ssn
of m usted
wha
rest
ha
"Now
d the y and ex
en
sp
pp
are
ant to
unha
u
We
"I w d a very
ad!
ie
y m
repllie
p etel
pl
com
you
e
"Are ed."
to di e
ed
nd
th
e
te
in
rm
pret
e of
d te e nam
de
: th
was
tow
rillo realized
G
ed
But en
head ry da
nlly he
ve
and
e
e
sudd
ac
la
and
e pa
om
efft th tiny ro
le
Grillo iinto a rth
suit
h.
ed
d his
ed
of ea
mov po
arrie
a ot
no c
into
hiradi
ly G
u
em
the ug
at w an
And .
th
is
ce
ound
ory e grro
Veni
e st
of th ed
on th
ted
oral
m
an
pl
ri
The rm
fi mly
r trau
f et of As If.
fe
er: De Deutic
hlmei loseenn ©
orld
wo
el Kö
at
Micha voonn Heim
from
TTaken chhichten
d and
oy
Gesc
vid FFl
by Da
ngglish
into En
,
lat
l ed
Trans
e 251
We refer to the article “Why is There Only One Austrian
Bank in the VIC?” by David Floyd and Jürgen Kupitz in
ECHO – Issue 252, April 2015.
First, we would like to point out that the conditions listed
in the article are not correct and were already outdated
at the time of publishing. Since October 2014 Bank
Austria offers a new range of current accounts which are
based on customers' usage preferences (depending on
a preference for online or branch banking, or a need for
very few accounting entries). The new online account is
available for a monthly account maintenance fee of €1.99.
The reference website for the listed conditions
www.bankenauskunft.at is not an official site for
comparing banking conditions and features only
sponsored content. For regularly updated current
account information for Austrian salary accounts please
see www.bankenrechner.at, a site which is managed
by the Austrian Arbeiterkammer (Chamber of Labour)
and updated by the banks in the case of changes in the
products offered.
25
244
I am a retired IAEA staff member staying in Vienna since
retirement. And I have been fortunate of receiving copies
of ECHO regularly, which I appreciate much. It not only
keeps me informed about what is current at the IAEA, but
provides me with some interesting and valuable thoughts
and ideas.
One of the recent examples that I enjoyed reading is the
article ‘To Jerusalem’ in the December issue provided
by David Floyd. It points out the follies of ‘as if’ thinking
in a humorous way. Also it is so timely for our age of
rapidly evolving technology. Technology is a two-edge
sword: if used wisely, it is a boon. However, if used only
for a temporary satisfaction it can be a bane over a longer
period.
I have seen many (innumerable, I would say) people
(mainly young; but others too) playing games on their
i-phones or i-pads for hours — or texting friends. I agree
that it is good to keep in touch with friends. But quite
often, that type of contact replaces “real-visual” contact
— contact that can be touched and felt with emotions
with body language.
Best regards,
Kishor Mehta
by Christian Noisternig,
Head of Retail Banking at Bank Austria
– Issu
My only concern is that our society is slowly moving in
the direction where human-contact may not be necessary
for carrying out daily activities. That has huge negative
implications for our society; thus, we need to be watchful
of these ‘as if’ syndromes.
42
THE SERVICES OF BANK
AUSTRIA IN THE VIC
Attention is also drawn to the fact that Bank Austria is
not the only bank in the VIC. BAWAG P.S.K offer their
services in the VIC and Raiffeisen is just around the
corner. Furthermore, it is a fact that the cited online
banks have no branches nationwide and can be reached
easily - but only online - also from the VIC. Bank Austria
also offers a wide range of new online services such as
an online shop for the most relevant products which
include our new competitively priced online account
(https://shop.bankaustria.at/onlinekonto).
Finally, we want to emphasise that the client feedback
received on the services of Bank Austria in the VIC since
the branch’s inception until now has been very positive
overall. With our highly qualified team offering high-quality
advisory services and strong commitment in the VIC we
look forward to meeting the expectations of our clients in
the VIC also in the future.
In regard to interest rates we would like to state that in
the past, Bank Austria offered 0.125% for deposits and
13.25% for overdrafts, the latter being lowered to 11.5%
as of 1 June 2015. For newly opened accounts we now
offer a variable overdraft rate based on the Eurobor,
currently at 7%, but no interest rate for deposits. Many
UN employees and clients of our VIC branches receive
special conditions.
We believe we have a competitive offering with our currentSWhen
e
product range. However, as a traditional branch-based
ba ptem the
V
by
Ba nks, ber IC
Da
bank we can cater for all advisory needs for mortgages,
vid
Au nkve nam 1979 open
s
,
r
e
e
e
Flo
t
s
d
l
C- ria
in" y
taf
investments and financial planning. Customers should
yd
i
b
"
Ba uild in 2 . Wh Zen f had ts g
an
a
t
0
i
n
dJ
n
r
e
consider the whole spectrum of their banking needsUwhen
tes
02
kA g
a
a
n
l
s
c
niC
ürg
an , b
p
t
h
u
h
f
a
o
s
o
d
on take
oth e t rka ice r
r
t
en
e
r
making a decision for a banking provider and should
i
d
a
o
eb
t
w
s
Ku
an it. B was ne t outl o b se" betw he fi
pit
h
u
kh
ets an
rst
a
e
t
z
e
into account that current account fees also refl
t
Fo ect the
a
n
e
as mo ke
ks
d
nt
Dr
w
t
i
n
s
he
bu ere
VIC ev
"C wo me
re
m
o
l
level of service that a customer can expect from
erg red
d a im ver ildi
era or
o
r
i
no whhis
n
e
n
qu por by ng. tain ed it A -si
t o ich l ye
as tan th
Se ed int ns te
ffe
her bank.
im
pr ars,
tly e
ta
v
o
,
r
• if
ac
a
r lea
gro elev r ma
up ant jori
ty
to
p
•o
the rop wer
nt
Co osal e in
co he b
m
u
mi sho favo
the ld s asis
tte uld ur
VIC ubs of
eo
o
eq a c
n C be f a s
.
Lif
ue
om
ew
om mad eco
n
fac
pe
t
l
i
m
y
t
on e by
gra titiv
bra t, it hout
the ovi
In
l
on , f Ital era on
Se
nt e b
de UNF
nc is im a
aS
ian l y e i Ban t
op or
s
c
rvi
i
a
d
c
e
in
h
k
s
C
a
oly the co ear n t
cc
ta
rvi
n t , b po urr
ce
es ding
ce $-ba U ha
s l he
t
e
n
o
u
u
s
h
se 2014 ff Su
p
n
g
n
i
s
s
r
e
so
pro
ate
as
n t ld u ibl t b
l
s
y
s
rvi
o
t
t
r
h
,
e
o
v
m
m
mi
als
e!
fa
eV t 1
d
a
o
e
alia ce
c
r
s
p
,
e
a
u
n
y
e
t
g
cla ser o h
IC 2 y rate
c
se ss,
, s s pr aff
my ch w ht h them a re Trad k ac
co
pre ea
ssi vic ad
w arr
taf
nd t
f s ovide ere ied o
reg acc ould ave. for latio ition coun
c g es
mi rs,
ab
•B
tat
ns ally
ou
s
b
t
i
u
d
a
u
a
t
H
a
o
r
e
r
an
o
l
s
t
d
a
h
ar
ed by
nt
is
s.
mo ow
,
ke
b
s
n
v
i
o
p
p
t
i
y
c
tha k A
a
s
r
tha the d
tan nd rtg ca ce
of eop inco
cu aff, h in
Of
to the I
n o ust
o
n
a
t:
r
t
b
V
d
a
n
r
l
r
n
g
e
e
c
u
r
t
c
u
t
ing
IC
Ib
A
g
the ia
e
h
gro ou
nt
s
w
e
t
w
•i
bra ive EA S
ac doe e
ord hat cos est hat t wi visit ivab
r b cha
tw
kn und rse,
co
nc the taf
an rge
ers cos t? H inv eve th it the le,
ow
op as
un s
on
h o ir
ks
f
a
e
ir
r
d
s
?
t
A
n
p
o
s
i
?
e
t
;
d
ro
f B opi ss
.
hig
li
t
Ho w m t m ban sta loca
org n a napp
an nio oci
he
tha vidin hem, perh ne b
w c uc y m kin ff a
an n a
rop
kA n
ati
rc
a
t
g
h
g
a
c
i
w
o
a
n
z
o
b
om
us on
n I ca ne
ati cou riat
i nd
•t
n
rid adv ith ps i kin
tria
on
mi
he
be n I y? ssue
ge
nt e to
ice ph n 1 g i
Ple
;
ssi
. In the
ov Ho
st
s
wit
w
y
,
0
Au y d
a
s
ma erd w
on
he wil
ter
off se
h B requ
str id
n w l h ical 15 y gaini
sa
na
r
ia
an est
ge aw
nd
of ered see
e c ave bra ear ng
•t
sh not
kA
ww
nc
tha
my
int
s
ou se
he
c
m
o
b
’
e
t
m
u
y
ere
he
e
as hes tim ore
ld
w
t
s
e
se re s
t
.
n
a
ba
ria
ha an
CO
sts
to ed
e
rvi
MP
nk nu com
ve y
it!
to and e ba and
wh w A
ce hould
AR
en mb
tw com
n
ex
en ge
ISO
sa
Th
Ba
au
ob
er para
ist hum ks a mor
be
nc
NO
nk
t
e
p
t
s
h
.B
r
e
t
t
e
a
FG
ku
ran lli
he
ey y s
org e w
"
Dir
IRO
ut n b s we
nft of lo ive
ekt
VIC more
ch ng
joi taff
a
ein
l
A
B
.
n
tw aniz ould
e
t
Gir
at) ca
CC
aw
laag
nt
es
ab
r
t
".
e
’
o
a
e
O
o A ati
s
g
t
g
.
l
a
acc
UN
ha
he
Eas
in
P
cro s
ba
ba le w
ou
TC
Gra
yba SK
us on be
no
the son
nt
tis
ON
ss
Vo
nk
nk
lks
Gir
Ko
ne
DIT
wo sed trian s an obv
VIC wh
s ith
ban
o-K
nto
Ers
ION
y
k
bo
on
(
ba
te
E
C
c
t
;
a
x
a
r
S
Fu rking orga ban d sta ious
t
sy
Ba
ed
o
on
B
Ba
Ge
b
AT
n
n
i
K
(
t
s
n
a
k
n
l
k
rth
H
o
k
P
is
I
d
e
f
era
nt
AU
nto
ab
riv
nk
for
Ba
li
atk
ST
er grou izati s. To f to adva
Priv
0.1 enzi eres
co ition
nk
Ko
on
RIA
ns) t
0
o
at
h
Au
ste p
to
mf
urt s
n
co
Ba
NB
st
0.1 %
•a
ort
nk
Ov
Ba
mp
es
ps wit ns s start ave tage
3%
Ko
AN
Au ria
erd
sis
Ob
nto
str
0
(
h
su
y
h
a
K
r
D
K
.
e
t
s
c
a
e
E
30
S*
on
isp
rba
ia
ft I
rfo
ou rep oul he cce
t
de rve
t
%
i
*S
o
f
o
n
n
lg
t
7
o
z
0
k
ive
.50
sko
ins tere
ou
ba
d
.06
ld
Erf
s
r
r
t
rce
y
e
B
e
)
s
s
n
%
o
a
t
to
lgs
sed : ba
be se tak ll ro to all
13
an rm
co
0.1 %
n
K
k
.
k
E
2
o
o
0
la
nta e
:
n m ena
ar
5%
d w ine uld
nto
V
ssik
usk
7.
0.1 %
on
(Ge ning
Plu
30
u
tiv the lling, the s IC-b
ey
Ko
3
hy ho
s
sam s
Th
rec nft.at
%
nto
13
es
0% %
+
ei
as
o
e
;
w be
a
i
In MEMORIAM
Abul Hassan
by ABM Nurul Islam
I am deeply saddened by the untimely death of my
friend Abul Hassan on March 12, 2015 ostensibly due
to complications following brain haemorrhage. Since
he was much younger than me, I never thought that I
would be writing his obituary.
I knew Abul Hassan when we were serving in the same
organization, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission,
in the early seventies. He then left for West Germany
to do his PhD in Nuclear Engineering and later joined
the IAEA. So when I joined the IAEA in 1983, he was
already well-settled in Vienna. He gave his valuable
time over the weekends to hunt for an apartment for
me. When my family joined me, he took us for our
first tour of the sights and sounds of Vienna. He even
invited us to his single’s apartment for our first dining
out. As a host, he was superb.
Later on with his gracious wife, Sheta, they maintained
an open house for guests. Whether it was a delegation
44
from Bangladesh or a team from Bangladesh
Permanent Mission in Geneva, it was customary for
visitors to get invited to Abul Hassan’s house. We
reaped the benefit as friends to give company.
Abul Hassan was dedicated to his work as a
Safeguards Inspector. He was not one just to go
in and out of a facility without leaving a mark. His
knowledge and experience as a Safeguards specialist
was given recognition when he was selected to head
the Safeguards Criteria Working Group.
Abul Hassan suffered from many illnesses but kept
smiling all the time. According to his wife, he never
spoke against anyone behind his/her back. If his wife
sometimes erred on this, he would say, “Even walls
have ears.”
Rest in peace my dear friend. I believe the Lord will be
pleased with you.
15-17011

ECHO Issue 253, July 2015

Transcription

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