CONGO Chief Praises Faculty at Campus Meeting

Rev. Liberato Bautista, president of the Conference of Nongovernmental Organizations (CONGO) in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations, singled out a group of FDU faculty for special commendation at a February 12 meeting on the Metropolitan Campus.

Rev. Liberato Bautista, right, president of the Con-
ference of Nongovernmental Organizations (CONGO)
in Consultative Relationship with the United Nations,
meets with, from left, Jason Scorza, associate provost
for global learning (Metro/Flor), and philosophy/
political science (Metro); Jo Anne Murphy, director of
programs with intergovernmental and nongovernmental
organizations (Flor/Metro); and J. Michael Adams,
FDU president.

Bautista called the faculty members “pioneers” for their service on nongovernmental (NGO) committees at the United Nations. Since becoming the first university in the world to be granted Special Consultative Status with the United Nations by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) last year, 22 faculty and administrators have been nominated to serve on U.N. NGO committees grappling with specific issues such as human rights, peace and disarmament, mental health, HIV/AIDS, the status of women, the concerns of indigenous peoples and youth issues.

Established in 1948, CONGO is a membership organization comprised of nongovernmental organizations working at national, regional and international levels to address global concerns. All organizations with consultative status with ECOSOC are eligible for full membership in CONGO, which provides a focal point and collaborative network for organizations seeking to participate in consultative processes within the U.N. system. CONGO also coordinates the activities of 38 substantive committees, based in New York, Geneva and Vienna.

The CONGO chief was personally welcomed by FDU President J. Michael Adams, who commended the faculty for their efforts and reminded the group of the long relationship between FDU and the United Nations. “[FDU founder] Peter Sammartino was present in San Francisco at the signing of the U.N. Charter,” Adams said. “Although our relationship with the United Nations has grown steadily since FDU launched its global learning mission, we could not have guessed 10 years ago that we would be where we are today.”

Among faculty members who attended the meeting were, from left, Diane Dettmore, nursing (Metro); Aixa Ritz, hotel/restaurant/tourism management; Katherine Bullard, history (Flor); Khyati Joshi, education (Metro); Katherine Dunsmore, communication studies (Flor); and Joan Desilets, health/physical education (Flor).

Bautista provided the faculty group with a briefing on the inner workings of the NGO sector at the United Nations, emphasizing the importance of “consultation, collaboration and cooperation” between NGOs, including those with and without consultative status. The impact of the NGO sector on deliberations and decisions within the U.N. system, where governments and their representatives have the greatest influence, depends upon a coordinated effort, he explained.

Bautista also asked FDU’s representatives to be mindful of the importance of openness in the deliberations and activities of their respective committees. “Transparency, accountability and responsibility are essential,” Bautista said. “Without these things, NGOs will be undermined [in their efforts at the United Nations].”

Whereas most CONGO members serve only on the substantive committee that most closely aligns with their organizational missions, FDU has chosen to nominate representatives to serve on multiple committees. “This decision speaks to the broad expertise and interests of our faculty,” said Jason Scorza, associate provost for global learning (Metro/Flor), and philosophy/political science (Metro).

FDU representatives will attend meetings of their respective U.N. NGO committees, as well as participate in special programs and projects, lending their particular disciplinary and professional expertise to their efforts. While engaged in the work of their committees, they will also identify learning opportunities for FDU students, including internships, volunteer opportunities, conferences and briefings.

“In launching this initiative, we are also rethinking the role of faculty, developing a vision that goes beyond compartmentalized teaching, research and service to a model that integrates the creation of knowledge with the dissemination of knowledge on behalf of service both to the University and to the global community,” Scorza said.

Also at the meeting were, from left, Rendell Mabey, director of Enhanced Freshmen Experience (Metro); Elizabeth Parietti, nursing and associate director, graduate nursing program (Metro); Minerva Guttman, nursing and director, nursing/allied health (Metro); and Ronald Calissi, executive associate dean for off-campus credit programs, Petrocelli College, and director, administrative science (Metro/Flor).

The University’s U.N. and NGO programs are directed by Jo Anne Murphy, director of programs with intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations (Flor/Metro), who thanked Bautista for his crucial support and guidance. “With the help of Mr. Bautista’s wise counsel, we are creating a new model for the relationship between higher education and NGO sectors, with universities standing side by side with NGOs as peers and partners.”

There are still opportunities to become involved in the NGO committees at the United Nations. Interested faculty should contact Scorza (201-692-7364 or jason_scorza@fdu.edu) or Murphy (973-443-8876 or jo-anne_murphy@fdu.edu).

Other faculty members who attended the meeting were, from left, Joel Harmon, management and interim executive director, Institute for Sustainable Enterprise (Flor); Maureen Doyle, nursing (Metro); Glennena Haynes-Smith, nursing (Metro); Nandita Ghosh, English (Flor); Delicia Koeneke, Spanish (Flor); and Richard Gray, criminal justice (Metro).

Faculty members who have been appointed are listed below with their committee’s focus (in italics):

Cecilia Alvarez, nursing (Metro), family; Katherine Bullard, history (Flor), youth; Ronald Calissi, executive associate dean for off-campus credit programs, Petrocelli College, and director, administrative science (Metro/Flor), crime prevention and criminal justice; Joan Desilets, health/physical education (Flor), status of women; Diane Dettmore, nursing (Metro), HIV/AIDS; Maureen Doyle, nursing (Metro), mental health; Gerard Farias, management (Flor), sustainable development; Deborah Fredericks, director of operations, continuing education (Metro), rights of children; Richard Gray, criminal justice (Metro), narcotics and substance abuse; Leonard Grob, emeritus, philosophy (Metro), spirituality, values and global concerns; Minerva Guttman, nursing and director, nursing/allied health (Metro), ageing; Glennena Haynes-Smith, nursing (Metro), human rights; Jeffrey Hsu, management information systems (Flor), finance for development; Khyati Joshi, education (Metro), freedom of religion or belief; Delicia Koeneke, Spanish (Flor), indigenous peoples and youth; Rendell Mabey, director of Enhanced Freshmen Experience (Metro), spirituality, values and global concerns; Jo Anne Murphy, director of programs with intergovernmental and nongovernmental organizations (Flor/Metro), indigenous peoples; Elizabeth Parietti, nursing and associate director, graduate nursing program (Metro), family; David Rosen, anthropology (Flor), disarmament, peace and security; John Schiemann, political science (Flor), human rights; Ethné Swartz, entrepreneurship and chair, marketing/entrepreneurship (Flor/Metro), status of women; and Lona Whitmarsh, psychology (Flor), HIV/AIDS.