It has been a real privilege to welcome Hans Von Sponeck to our campus. Hans worked for the United Nations for more than thirty years and in 1998 was appointed UN Assistant Secretary General. During his service, he worked for the UN Development programme in Ghana, Turkey, Botswana, Pakistan and India. Since his resignation from the UN he has served as a member of the board of UWC Adriatic and UWC Mostar and has both headed up the UWC Iraq Focal Group and been responsible for selecting Iraqi students to attend UWC schools and colleges.
Hans helped to select Mohammed (currently a first year at RCN after a Foundation Year) for our Survivors of Conflict Programme and is here on campus this weekend to visit Mohammed. We also chose this weekend for the visit as it is the designated weekend in our annual calendar for RCN’s Model United Nations. Hans was invited by Blessing (Secretary General of RCN’s MUN – Zimbabwe) to give the opening address to the General Assembly and formally to announce the MUN open for 2016. Hans also attended different committee sessions as well as shadowing Mohammed to the DISEC Committee.
During his visit, Hans took the time to meet the members of staff at RCN and RKHR who contribute to the Survivors of Conflict Programme and, at another point in his itinerary, to talk with the other student participants in this programme in the Silent House.
We look forward to welcoming him back to RCN sometime soon.
