Br Sefo Une and Mark Pauchmann Participate in International UN Children’s Rights Program in Geneva

Br Sefo Une and Mark Pauschmann, Executive Director of Province Ministries, were recently in Rome and Geneva as part of an international training program. Mark Pauschmann reflects on their experience below.

This year, Br Sefo Une and I took part in an international training programme called Building a New Hermitage: Defending Children’s Rights at the United Nations. It included several months of online learning and a face to face gathering in Rome and Geneva from 4 to 9 May 2026.

Br Sefo and Mark inside the UN in Geneva

The program brought together Marists and lay colleagues from around the world. It helped us understand how the United Nations works to protect and promote children’s rights.

In Rome, sessions focused on children’s rights, advocacy, safeguarding and wellbeing, with a strong emphasis on listening carefully to children and young people. We also learned practical ways to gather and analyse information so local experiences can be shared responsibly at national and international levels.

Marist team from around the world at the entrance to the UN in Geneva

We were welcomed by Br Hipólito Pérez, Vicar General, and Br Diego Zawadzky, who introduced the Marist Solidarity Ecosystem. Training sessions were led by Pamela Difino, with a focus on child protection, advocacy and wellbeing. Br Nnodu Onwutalu spoke about working with the Universal Periodic Review process.

The Marist team inside the UN

In both Rome and Geneva, we learned from people involved in Marist solidarity and international advocacy. Br Juan Sebastián Herrera showed us digital tools that help turn local experience into strong advocacy. María D’Onofrio from the International Catholic Centre of Geneva explained how advocacy works within the United Nations system. Br Constantine D’Abreu from Edmund Rice International shared his experience of engaging with UN human rights processes to support social justice and children’s rights.

The Marist team in the Chapel after prayers in Rome

In Geneva, we visited the United Nations Palais des Nations and observed a Universal Periodic Review session on Paraguay. We also met with members of the Paraguayan Diplomatic Mission, including Ana Rolón and Belén Morra. This helped us understand how governments work with the UN and how civil society groups can make a difference.

The Minister of Justice from Paraguay presenting his country’s review

A key part of the programme was sharing good practice from different countries within our group. We heard from our own Br Sefo Une about his work in Samoa. We also learned from Rocío Amarilla (Paraguay), Marianna Desypri (Greece) and Emaluz Méndez (Venezuela). Their experiences showed the importance of working together across different contexts.

The Marist team at work in Rome

A key message throughout the training was that effective advocacy takes time. It depends on strong relationships, clear evidence from real experiences and long term commitment. This experience has better prepared our Province for future UN review processes and strengthened our commitment to stand with children and young people, in line with our Marist values and safeguarding responsibilities.

-Contributed by Mark Pauschmann