November is a time for reflection and forlooking ahead. In a few days, the firstmeeting in four years takes place betweenMr. Glafcos Clerides and Mr. RaufDenktash.

As you read this, the outcome of themeeting between the two leaders will beknown. Hopefully, as living custodians ofso much of the island’s recent history,they will have reflected not only on thevexing issues they know so well, but willhave succeeded in finding a way to moveforward. Better to resume the peaceprocess and look to the future than be heldcaptive by the past.

Let us hope that a light of hope,however small, will have been kindled bytheir historic encounter here in the UNPA,and that this glimmer for Cyprus willbecome a beacon for peace generally.

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Front Cover: Armistice Day

Editorial/Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2We Will Remember Them/All Saints and All Souls . . . . . . . . .3Footprints & Milestones/

How You Can Make a Difference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4/5Winter Safety/Dial Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6International Fireworks & Halloween Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7A Life Full of Tolerance/A Life Free of Violence . . . . . . . . . .8World AIDS Day: 1 December . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9UNFICYP Comings and Goings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Blackpool Belles/“Col’s House”/Gunner Wedding . . . . . . . . .11Sector One News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .128th November: The Best So Far/The Melbourne Cup/

Sgt. Bill McGeachie Retires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Sport/Caption Competition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14Sport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15International Fireworks & Halloween Party . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Contents

November 2001 - The Blue Beret November 2001 - The Blue Beret 3

Published monthly by the PublicInformation Office of the UnitedNations Force in Cyprus, HQUNFICYP, PO Box 21642, Nicosia,Cyprus.

Tel: (02) 864550/864416/864408Fax: (02) 864461E-mail: blueberetcyprus@hotmail.com

Web site: www.unficyp.org

Editorial TeamBrian Kelly

Maj. Dezső Kiss

Miriam Taylor

PhotographyMSgt. Michal Zurbola

Contingent Photographers

Unit Press Officers

Sector 1 Capt. Miguel del Castillo

Sector 2 Capt. Lou Burt

Sector 4 Lt. Luboš Klíma

UNCIVPOL Garda Martin Hennigan

Supt. Peter Holder

HQ UNFICYP WO2 Dusty Miller

UN Flt Capt. Fernando Valentich

MFR Capt. Pablo Petrocelli

FMPU Capt. Keith Scott

The Blue Beret is the in-house journalof the United Nations PeacekeepingForce in Cyprus. The views expressedare those of the authors concerned,and do not necessarily conform withofficial policy.

Articles of general interest are invitedfrom all members of the Force.Photographs, together with captions,should accompany the articles.

The copyright of all material in thisjournal is vested in United NationsPublications. Any article or illus-tration may be reproduced with thewritten permission of the Editor.

’

At the beginning of November in Slovakia, ourcemeteries change into cities of light - eventhough darkness covers our northern hemisphere

for most of the day. This is thanks to our custom ofvisiting and beautifying the graves of our loved ones,whether they have passed away recently or many yearsago. The custom is linked with the Christian liturgicalcalendar, in which we celebrate two distinctive yetmutually connected feasts: 1 November as the Feast ofAll Saints, and 2 November as the Feast of All Souls.

The Feast of All Saints has a long tradition, with itsroots in the very early Christian Church that believedthose who followed Christ “with all their heart, with alltheir soul and all their mind” would be able to bringtheir lives to perfection and high quality. Thus, theequivalent for saint has always been a person mature inboth faith and humanity. Many saints during the longChristian history have proven this by their commitmentto life, to serving the poor, and to fighting for a betterworld with more justice. Let us think about many greatmen and women, such as Mother Theresa, MartinLuther King, Dietrich Bohnhoffer, and MaximilianKolbe -- and many others who were able to look beyondtheir own needs to be with their brothers and sisters inuneasy situations.

Their heroic lives mean that the saints in Christiantradition have always been role models for others, whichis why we commemorate them, and pause for a momentto be inspired by their actions. As the old song goes:“When the saints go marchin’ in... . I want to be in theirnumber.”

The Feast of All Souls, meanwhile, is based on ourChristian awareness that beyond death we will be livingwith God. We are also aware that at the moment of deathwe may not always be the kind of person we could orshould have been. On this awareness we base ourancient custom of praying for the deceased.

It is, therefore, a special day when we can visit thegraves of our loved ones to light the candles thatilluminate our cemeteries, and to remind ourselves thatour homeland is with them in God.

All Saints AndAll Souls

By Maj. Miloš KrchnavýChaplain Sector 4

Nestling in the Buffer Zone on the outskirts ofNicosia is “a corner of a field that will be foreverEngland”. Wayne’s Keep is a Commonwealth

War Graves Commission Cemetery that has been theresting place for servicemen, dependents and civiliansof many different nationalities for more than half acentury. In this tranquil spot, on Sunday 11 November,more than 300 people gathered for the BritishContingent's Remembrance Service.

The event is held every year to mark Armistice Day,and to commemorate all those who have fallen in battlesince the First World War. During the service, 22wreaths were laid by national and association represen-tatives in memory of those who have given their lives.Those laying wreaths included the Chief of Mission, onbehalf of all UNFICYP personnel, and the ForceCommander, on behalf of the Kingdom of Nepal.

The simple but moving service, which included atwo-minute silence at 11 a.m., was led by BritishContingent Padre, the Reverend Jim Aitchison.Commander of the British Contingent, Colonel HamishFletcher, welcomed all the invited guests, includingseven ambassadors and high commissioners, and heread the Act of Commitment. The Regimental SergeantMajor of 12 Regiment Royal Artillery, WO1 J.E.Groves, read the Tryst:

"They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old.Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sunAnd in the morning

We will remember them"

The Band of the Army Air Corps provided music toaccompany the hymns, and a bugler who sounded “TheLast Post” and “Reveille”.

The Commander of the British Contingent wouldlike to offer his gratitude to all those who made thismemorable event possible.

We WillRemember Them

4 November 2001 - The Blue Beret

Human activity is affecting every part of our planet,no matter how remote, and every eco-system, fromthe simplest to the most complex. As a result, says

the State of World Population 2001 report from theUnited Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the world isfacing critical decisions about how to ensure the well-being of growing human populations while stillprotecting our natural world.

“The State of World Population 2001 report shows howunbalanced consumption harms the environment, and howenvironmental destruction has a disproportionate impacton the poor,” said Thoraya Obaid, executive director ofUNFPA, as she released the report at UN HQ in New Yorkearly in November. “The report also demonstrates how thescramble to escape from poverty could damage naturalresources and local environments, and how rapid urbangrowth, new industries, and the fight to increase exportscould damage long-term development prospects.”

The report shows how closely population and theenvironment are related, and addresses the various linksbetween them, including affluence, consumption,technology, population growth, gender relations, politicalstructures and governance at all levels. Consider, forexample, that world population has tripled in the last 70years, while water use has increased sixfold. In the lastcentury, world population has quadrupled, but carbondioxide emissions have increased twelvefold.

Clearly, the human population is placing deepfootprints on the earth. Signs of environmental stressinclude destroyed natural habitats, threatened and extinct

species of plants and animals, degraded soil, and pollutedair and water. The stress of poverty is equally clear: onethird of the 4.4 billion people in developing countries arewithout access to clean water; one quarter lack adequatehousing, and one fifth do not have access to modern healthservices.

But the report also highlights solutions. Keyinternational conferences and agreements over the pastdecade have discussed many of them, and have recognizedthe inter-connectedness of slowing population growth,reducing poverty, achieving economic progress, protectingthe environment, and reducing unsustainable consumptionand production.

“Successful population and development policy startswith simple interventions, such as universal education andprimary health care, including high-quality reproductiveservices,” emphasized Ms. Obaid. “Such interventionsalso include greater visibility for the roles of women inrespect to the environment, and specific actions toempower women and move towards gender equality.”UNFPA also advocates action to improve clean andefficient technologies and make them available todeveloping countries, plus balanced and integratedpopulation policies.

UNFPA will continue working towards global action onthese issues, reviewing progress towards sustainabledevelopment and international equity at a majorconference in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2002 -- the10th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations Conferenceon Environment and Development, “Earth Summit”.

Balancingthe needs ofthe world’spopulation

and ourenvironmentstarts witheach of us:

· Reduce; reuse; recycle! Reducing consumption ofgoods, especially highly packaged items is always thebest answer. Where you can’t reduce, try to reuseitems; if reusing isn’t possible, recycle.

· Buy groceries in bulk or in concentrated form, toreduce packaging. If you only buy a couple of items atthe supermarket, say, “No bag, thanks.” Or better yet:bring your own bags!

· Edit papers, reports, letters, etc., on the computerscreen before printing, and use both sides of the paperwhenever possible.

· Use mechanical pencils, refillable pens, and refillabletape dispensers.

· Ask to be removed from unwanted mailing lists; thissaves paper and stops annoying junk mail.

· Stop those leaky taps, and you’ll save up to 20,000gallons of water a year!

· Conserve energy: shut off electric lights when there’sno one in the room, and use natural light wheneverpossible.

· Cover your pot when boiling water -- it heats up fasterand saves energy.

· Close your windows and draw the curtains in thewinter, especially on cloudy days: about 20% of theenergy used to heat your room goes to heatingincoming cold air.

· Turn the thermostat down six degrees in the winterand wear warm clothing. This saves oil and decreasesthe amount of “greenhouse gases” that contaminatethe atmosphere.

· When walking around the UNPA, pick up litter:recycle items such as aluminium cans.

· Donate -- don’t discard -- your used things. Giveclothes to charity shops, books to libraries, and oldtoys to hospitals or youth centres.

· Did you know that recycling points are available inthe Nicosia area, particularly in Agios Dometios?Generally located near schools (including oneopposite the race track), they accept clear andcoloured glass, plastic (e.g. water bottles), newspaperand fine papers, and aluminium (e.g. tins). There’salso a box at UNFICYP HQ for disposing of batteries,which can leak hazardous chemicals into landfills ifthey’re thrown out with your regular rubbish.

· Use native plants in your gardens and balconycontainers, rather than imported varieties that needlots of water. Native plants also tend to attract nativewildlife, such as birds and butterflies whose habitatsare under stress.

· Carpool whenever possible, and keep your vehicle’smaintenance up to date: both actions help to reduceharmful emissions.

Sources include:Columbia University (New York)

and The Earthworks GroupHere in Cyprus, UNDP and UNOPS are activelyinvolved with a number of projects that are helpingto maintain or improve the quality of our environ-

ment. These projects emphasize environmental idealssuch as the protection of nature, flora and fauna, animalawareness, water quality/conservation, recycling, envir-onmental awareness/education, pollutant reduction, airquality, integrated pest management and waste manage-ment.

These are just a few current projects:Hit the Beach· Organising the cleanup of several beaches each year

throughout Cyprus.· Inventorying marine debris found on Cypriot beaches,

so that we can determine the sources of marine debris(illegal dumping at sea), and present the informationto other NGOs, international organisations andgovernments.

A Little Learning Goes a Long Way· Sharing environmental education that’s geared

towards helping teachers to develop environmentalcourse work for the classroom.

· Developing environmental education for school

children, the general public and hunters on variousaspects of environmental protection and awareness.

Cans for Kids· Recycling through funding the Greek Cypriot Com-

munity NGO “Cans for Kids” and the soon-to-commence Turkish Cypriot Community complemen-tary project.

The Air That We Breathe· Assessing ambient air quality in Cyprus to aid our

understanding of air quality and what directionsshould be taken to improve or maintain air quality.

Water, Water, Everywhere· Developing a system to quickly identify and

troubleshoot the effluents from wastewater treatmentfacilities. This study is being conducted at the NicosiaSewerage Treatment Facility.

· Operating and maintaining the Nicosia SewerageTreatment Facility for Nicosia (for both the GreekCypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities).

· Establishing a bird sanctuary at the Nicosia SewerageTreatment Facility, which has included planting localtrees and shrubs to provide refuge for local andmigratory birds.

Footprints and Milestones:The State of

World Population 2001

UNDP/UNOPS:MAKING A DIFFERENCE

November 2001 - The Blue Beret 5

Flamingoes at theLarnaca Salt Lake

Collection point at theCyprus Institute of Neurology and Genetics

Collectionpoint at

KyriakouMatsi Street,

AgiosDometios

Keeping the UNPA tidy -UNFICYP personnel on Clean-Up Day

How YOU Can Make a Difference

Turtle hatchlings headingfor their first swim

6 November 2001 - The Blue Beret

Summer is gone, so the threat of grass/forest/bufferzone fires is now being replaced by the danger ofdomestic fires, due to risks resulting from greater

electricity and heater use, and electrical faults caused byrain. FIRE is possibly one of the most frighteningalarm calls you could experience, especially if you aredeep in the arms of Morpheus and dreaming of thewinter nights. The best way to ensure that you only hearthis word during a drill is, of course, PREVENTION.

Remember that with a few commonsense precautions,ALL FIRES CAN BE PREVENTED:

· Gas heaters should not be used inside sleepingaccommodations.

· Make sure the room is well ventilated, especiallywhen you are using a gas heater.

· Never leave your heater/electric equipmentunattended.

· Never use electric heaters with bars or rods.· Never dry your clothes near or over the heater.· Never move a heater when it is on.· Keep your heater at least 1.25 metres away from any

combustible materials. · Empty or full gas cylinders should not be stored

within the building. Put them in storage areas. Theonly gas cylinder that should be inside the buildingis the one in use in your gas heater.

· Be sure that your heater has been checked by supportservices workshop (ext 4680): see the checkliststicker for current year 2001-2002.

· Do not overload your electric wall socket. Extensionleads should never be on the floor: secure them alongthe wall or on wood (e.g. a wooden table).

· Do not use a two-pin unearthed plug in a three-pinwall socket: get an adapter.

· Smoking should be allowed only in designated areas.· All electric appliances and fixtures should be

checked monthly and reported immediately for anyfault. Simple work service, changes to lights andtheir covers, and repairs to cracked sockets canprevent fires and save lives and money.

· Fire/smoke alarms in all accommodation should befitted to the ceiling with a cover to obtain 100%

efficiency. The working power of the sensors of fire/smoke alarms that are fitted (vertically) on walls,behind ceiling fans or without covers can be reducedby up to 50%.

· Fire and earthquake drills are carried out monthly.Check your emergency alarms weekly to be sure thatthey are serviceable. Winter and earthquake safetyinstruction along with “OP Fire Survival” have beensent to each sector, section and unit. Read themcarefully.

· In case of a fire, never move the equipment involved inthe fire unless it is very necessary for safety reasons.Always wait for the investigation to be completed.

· For new fire/smoke alarms and batteries, copies ofthe winter and earthquake safety instructions and OPFire Survival, and fire training courses, contactUNFICYP Fire HQ at ext 4453/4.

In the event of fire:1. Cut off the main electric/gas supply switch

(if safe to do so). 2. Call the fire crew:

· (UNPA 02-864777)· (Sector 1 02-864764/5)· (Sector 2 02-864760/1) · (Sector 4 02-864757/8) and evacuate the building.

3. If it is safe, fight the fire with carbondioxide (CO2), or dry powder fire extin-guisher (for electric fires).

4. Never use water or foam fire extinguisherson live electric fires (conductible/shockhazard).

5. If fuel is leaking, cover the area withfoam/fire blanket/sand/soil (care should betaken when electricity is involved: see 1above).

Your Fire Crew is alwayshere to help you

(24 hours a day/365-6 days a year).We wish you a

safe and happy year 2002.

WINTER SAFETYWINTER SAFETYBy Chief Civilian Fire Officer Nadeem P. Qadir

International Fireworks andHalloween Party

International Fireworks andHalloween Party

Spirits in the form of ghosts andgoblins gathered happily on

Monday, 5 November at the NicosiaAirport in the UNPA, for theInternational Fireworks andHalloween Party. This is the largestevent that the United NationsCommunity Team organises, wel-coming UN staff and the diplomaticand local communities with an inter-national flair.

The Argentinians of UN Flight,for example, prepared their famousAsado “Barbecue”, and the Hun-

garian Contingent offered deliciousgoulash for everyone to enjoy. TheBritish Contingent Warrant Officersand Sergeant’s Mess provided theliquid refreshments.

Then it was on to the fireworks,which held everyone’s attention for15 minutes with a wonderfuldisplay of colour and creativity.Following the fireworks, the bonfirewas lit and kept everyone toastywarm for the rest of the night,accompanied by music played byJohn the Prom.

The United Nations CommunityTeam was founded in April

2000, to contribute to maintainingand improving the UNPA Com-munity’s quality of life. The Team’sfunds consist of non-public fundsraised from events profits anddonations. When applications aremade to the Community Team forfunding to help better the UNPA

Community, the Chairman consultswith Team members and decideswhether to approve the request.

The Team currently has funds,and is now accepting requests fromteams, clubs and organisationswithin the UNPA Community. Ifyou would like to apply, pleasecontact Lt. Col. G.M. McNamara on4530, or Angela Milne on 4505.

Funds Available to Help the UNPA Community

7November 2001 - The Blue Beret

October 31st saw CIVPOLHouse celebrating Halloween

in fine style, thanks to membersentering into the spirit of a fancydress party.

Fantastic costumes and charac-ters appeared, including DraculaKennefick, King O’Connor, Prin-cess Fergie, Patricia the Gypsie, AliG. Callan, Boozo the Clown Allen,Woody Sheedy, Admiral Morris-sey, Bryant the cowgirl, Sandy theBelly Dancer, several young actionfigures and a busy bee, wild

Indians and Spiderwoman --guarded by none other than thePharaoh Hennigan and Phillott theGladiator (very few of which werekiddies). There was also an un-identified frog running aroundbelieved to be from Argentina. Thejudges’ decisions awarded best-dressed man and woman to Boozothe Clown and Princess Fergie.

Special thanks go to the Kenne-fick family for transforming theclub into a dark and dingy havenfor the undead (eh, no more jokes).

UNCIVPOL's Halloween DiaryUNCIVPOL's Halloween Diary

Of course, the traditions ofHalloween extend far

beyond costumes and treats:Halloween is actually the modernversion of one of the Westernworld's oldest holidays. While itsroots are in the ancient CelticNew Year’s festival, Samhain, thefestivities also include elementsof Christian and ancient Romantraditions.

In pre-Christian Ireland, theCelts believed that on October31st the spirits of the deadreturned to earth. So each yearon that night, the Celtic priests,or Druids, would build bonfiresand offer sacrifices of crops andanimals. The people dressed incostumes to disguise themselvesfrom the spirits, which wasprobably how the custom ofdressing up for Halloweenoriginated.

In the eight century A.D., thePope declared November 1st tobe All Saints Day in the Christianworld. In English, this holidaywas also called All Hallows Day,which later became Halloween.Christianity had recently spreadto the Celtic countries, soelements of the old festival ofSamhain were incorporated intothe celebrations of All Hallows(or All Saints) Day and thefollowing day, All Souls Day.

On All Souls Day, people gavetreats called “soul cakes” tobeggars and poor people at theirdoors, who promised to pray forthe family's dead. Childreneventually became the ones tobeg for these treats, and this ledto the “treat” part of trick-or-treating.

Irish immigrants fleeing theircountry's famine and politicalsituation popularized Halloweenin the US in the 19th century.They brought with them the jack-o’-lantern, which symbolized amythical ghost doomed to walkthe earth forever because he hadangered both God and the Devil.The Americans found thatpumpkins made even better jack-o’-lanterns than the traditionalturnips used in Ireland.

And so on 31 October eachyear, one of the oldest holidays orfestivals is now widely celebratedwith all sorts of bonfires, fire-works, trick-or-treats, games,foods and costumes. But don’tever forget the Spirits, becausethey are still out there!!

Halloween: BehindHalloween: Behindthe Costumesthe Costumes

The Cyprus Telecommunications Authority is chang-ing the national telephone numbering system, tocater for the ever-increasing demand for both fixed

and mobile telephone numbers. These changes will alsobring Cyprus into line with international developments inthe field of telephone numbers.

The changes begin officially on 1 December, with atransition period of parallel operation where bothnumbers, old and new, will be acceptable (this periodends 1 June 2002).

National and Local CallsAll calls placed within the Republic of Cyprus --

including local calls -- will now use an eight-digitnumber. For fixed telephones, the regional number willreplace “0” and add “2”; for mobile telephones, the “0”is replaced by “9”, as shown below:

Area Old Number New Number

Nicosia (02)XXXXXX 22XXXXXXFamagusta (03)XXXXXX 23XXXXXXLarnaca (04)XXXXXX 24XXXXXXLimassol (05)XXXXXX 25XXXXXXPaphos (06)XXXXXX 26XXXXXXMobile (09)XXXXXX 99XXXXXX

Another interesting development is that in parallelwith the numbering system, there will be a single chargefor calls throughout the Republic of Cyprus.

Incoming International CallsTelephone callers from abroad will continue to use

the digits “357” in front of the new, eight-digit number:e.g. telephone numbers destined for Nicosia will be:

357-22-XXXXXX

Dial Right!

8 November 2001 - The Blue Beret 9November 2001 - The Blue Beret

16 November 2001:16 November 2001:

International Day Of TInternational Day Of Toleranceolerance

Since the horrific attacks of 11 September, the worldhas found itself united as never before. Millions of

people across many societies and cultures havereaffirmed their understanding that we all belong to thesame human family. They have expressed, in their griefand solidarity, the shared values that make up ourcommon humanity.

One of those values is tolerance. This keystone ofhuman rights, pluralism and democracy stands for open-ness, dialogue, understanding and respect for others. It isa value that makes peace possible. And without peace,there can be neither progress nor development.

Tolerance also means that all people should benefitfrom economic and social opportunities without discri-mination. Exclusion and marginalization can lead tohostility and fanaticism, and are likely to generate furtherintolerance in turn. The promotion of tolerance is thus animportant part of the fight we are conducting againstterrorism. It lies at the heart of our objective to create a

global community built on the shared values of solidarity,social justice and respect for human rights.

In our globalizing world, tolerance is more essentialthan ever. Dialogue must prevail over violence,understanding over indifference, knowledge of othersover ignorance and prejudice. Those must be the goalsof the United Nations as we work to bridge the divideamong peoples and cultures. We have already takenimportant steps in that direction. In proclaiming 2001the United Nations Year of Dialogue Among Civiliza-tions, the General Assembly helped to heighten publicawareness of the need to search for understanding andharmony among peoples.

More than ever, the work for tolerance requires arenewed engagement from every one of us. On thisInternational Day, let us reaffirm our commitment totolerance, dialogue and solidarity, among ourselves, inour families and our communities, as well as in ourrelations with other nations and peoples of the world. Inthe face of rising intolerance, the risks posed byindifference are far too great.

25 November 2001:25 November 2001:International Day For TheInternational Day For The

Elimination Of VElimination Of Violence Against Wiolence Against Women omen

As we observe the second International Day for theElimination of Violence Against Women, we are

more aware than ever that violence against womenremains a global phenomenon against which no country,no society and no community is immune.

Recent events have made the issue come alive even

more acutely. The treatment of women and girls inAfghanistan in the past several years has been an affrontto all standards of dignity, equality and humanity. As weface a momentous political, humanitarian and humanrights challenge in Afghanistan, addressing the plight ofwomen will be a major priority for any future UnitedNations role in that country.

Just over a year ago, the world’s leaders reaffirmed intheir Millennium Declaration that “men and women havethe right to live their lives and raise their children indignity, free from hunger and from the fear of violence,oppression or injustice”. Also last year, the SecurityCouncil addressed, for the first time, the situation ofwomen in armed conflict and adopted resolution 1325 onwomen, peace and security. This groundbreaking docu-ment called on all parties to armed conflict to protectwomen and girls from gender-based violence, particularlyrape and sexual abuse, and emphasized the responsibilityof all States to put an end to impunity for those responsiblefor crimes against humanity and war crimes, includingsexual and other violence against women and girls. In thesame year, our Member States gathered for signature ofthe United Nations Convention against TransnationalOrganised Crime and its protocols, one of which aims toeliminate trafficking in persons, especially women andchildren.

These commitments must be our lodestar in our missionto free women from violence, wherever they may live.Violence against women is not a “women’s issue”, but onethat concerns us all -- especially men. Indeed, men mustwork to confront what should be described as men’s violenceagainst women, and recognize and respect the equal role andrights of women. When it comes to violence against women,there are no grounds for tolerance and no tolerable excuses.

On this International Day for the Elimination ofViolence against Women, let us recall the words of amember of an Afghan women’s group, one of the manyunsung heroines of our time: “Society is like a bird. It hastwo wings. And a bird cannot fly if one wing is broken.”Let us resolve to ensure that all societies fly with bothwings, of equal strength and with equal dignity.

A Life Full of Tolerance --A Life Free of Violence

World AIDS Day: 1 DecemberWorld AIDS Day: 1 DecemberSecretary-General Kofi AnnanSecretary-General Kofi Annan

on HIV/AIDSon HIV/AIDS

Every day, more than 8,000 people die of AIDS.Every hour, almost 600 people become infected.Every minute, a child dies of the virus. Just as life

-- and death -- goes on after 11 September, so must wecontinue our fight against the HIV/AIDS epidemic.Before the terrorist attacks two months ago, tremendousmomentum had been achieved in that fight. To lose thatmomentum now would be to compound one tragedywith another.

HIV/AIDS is a disaster of global proportions. Newfigures, released in advance of World AIDS Day on 1December, show that more than 40 million people arenow living with the virus. The vastmajority of them are in sub-SaharanAfrica, where the devastation is soacute that it has become one of themain obstacles to development,further impoverishing entire coun-tries and limiting their ability torecover. But parts of the Caribbeanand Asia are not far behind, and thepandemic is spreading at an alarmingrate in eastern Europe, too.

For too long, global progress infacing up to AIDS was painfullyslow, and nowhere near commen-surate with the challenge. But in thepast year, for much of the interna-tional community, the magnitude ofthe crisis has finally begun to sink in.Never, in the two long decades thatthe world has faced this growingcatastrophe, has there been such asense of common resolve and collective possibility.

Public opinion has been mobilized, by the media,NGOs and activists, by doctors and economists, and bypeople living with the disease. Pharmaceutical com-panies have made their AIDS drugs more affordable inpoor countries, and a growing number of corporationshave created programmes to provide both preventionand treatment for employees and the wider community.

Foundations are makingincreasingly imaginativeand generous contribu-tions, both financial andintellectual -- in preven-tion, in reducing mother-to-child transmission, inthe search for a vaccine.In a growing number ofcountries, effective pre-vention campaigns havebeen launched, taking

into account the local cultural context. There has been agrowing recognition, among both donors and the mostaffected countries, of the inextricable link betweenprevention and treatment. There has also been a newunderstanding of the particular toll that AIDS is takingon women -- and of the key role that women have infighting the disease.

The entire United Nations family is fully engaged on

the front lines of this fight,working to a commonstrategic plan and support-ing country, regional andglobal efforts through ourjoint programme, UNAIDS.Perhaps most important ofall, a new awareness and commitment has taken holdamong Governments -- most notably in Africa -- as moreand more leaders are speaking out about AIDS in theirown country.

Last June, the membership of the United Nations metin a Special Session of the GeneralAssembly to devise a comprehensiveand coordinated global response tothe AIDS crisis. They adopted apowerful declaration of commit-ments, calling for a fundamental shiftin our response to HIV/ AIDS as aglobal economic, social and develop-ment challenge of the highest prioritythat must be addressed on all thosefronts. They reaffirmed the pledge,made by world leaders in theirMillennium Declaration, to halt, andbegin to reverse the spread of AIDS,by 2015. And they set out a numberof further ambitious but realistictime-bound targets and goals. Amongthem were commitments to reach, by2005, an overall target of annualexpenditure on AIDS of $7-10 billioneach year in low and middle-income

countries; to ensure, by 2005, that a wide range ofprevention programmes are available in all countries;and to support the establishment, on an urgent basis, ofa Fund to help finance an urgent and expanded responseto the epidemic.

Only seven months after I proposed this newinternational facility to support the global fight againstAIDS and other infectious diseases, pledges to the Fundstand at more than $1.5 billion. The fund cannot be theonly channel of resources for a full-scale globalresponse to AIDS. But what is most heartening is therange of pledges that have been made: from the world’swealthiest nations -- starting with the foundingcontribution from the United States last May -- but alsofrom some of its poorest; as well as from foundations,corporations and private individuals.

At the end of this eventful year, it is clear that wehave the roadmap, the tools and the knowledge to fightAIDS. What we must sustain now is the political will. Ifanything, our task is more, not less, urgent than before.Life after 11 September has made us all think moredeeply about the kind of world we want for our children.It is the same world we wanted on 10 September -- aworld in which a child does not die of AIDS everyminute. That is why we must not compound one tragedywith another.

This op ed by the Secretary-General was publishedin the Washington Post on 30 November 2001.

With 40,000 peoplenow living with thevirus, our task ismore urgent than

before

10 11November 2001 - The Blue BeretNovember 2001 - The Blue Beret

12 Regiment Royal ArtilleryGroup have recently had the plea-sure of hosting Miss Blackpool ona visit to the troops in Cyprus.The visit lasted a week, duringwhich three beautiful youngladies visited each Battery servingwithin Sector 2. The ladiesincluded Natalie James (MissBlackpool 2000), Heidi Cliff(Face of the Blackpool Gazette)and Karen Cookson (MissBlackpool 1995 and presentlyrunning a modelling agency).

The Regimental Group workedhard to make their trip a busy one. The three ladies wentgliding with the Regiment’s adventure training teambased in Dhekelia, cooked with the chefs, laid brickswith the engineers, and saw first aid demonstrations bythe doctor. They also participated in cycle tours withLiri Troop, a Halloween BBQ, and judged a Mr.

Corunna Competition (along the lines of a Mr. UniverseCompetition, but with participants from Sector 2 West).

All three ladies had a fantastic week, and pass ontheir thanks to everyone involved in making it soenjoyable and such a success.

As is often the case at UNFICYP, the months ofOctober and November saw several distin-guished visitors learning more about the mission,

as well as UNFICYP personnel returning home after atour well done.

We were honoured, for example, on 25 Octoberwhen Kurt Waldheim, former Secretary-General of theUnited Nations and former President of Austria, visitedand met with the Chief of Mission and the ForceCommander.

The Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Cyprus,Mr. Alvaro de Soto, paid a flying visit to Cyprus on 2-3November, during which he met with Mr. GlafcosClerides and Mr. Rauf Denktash.

On his 12 November visit, Maj. Gen. R.V. Brims metwith the Chief of Mission, the Force Commander andthe Chief of Staff, before touring the MFR and Sector 2.

November visits also included Dr. János Martonyi,Minister for Foreign Affairs for the Republic ofHungary, on 22 November. The Minister paid officecalls to the Chief of Mission and the Force Commander,and received a HQ UNFICYP briefing from ActingChief of Staff Lt. Col. Brandtner. Dr. Martonyi thentook an airport tour with the Chief of Mission, andconcluded his visit by meeting Hungarian personnelserving with UNFICYP.

Anew Observation Post, on the roof of FrezenbergHouse in City Coy’s area of responsibility, hasbeen named Col’s House to honour Spr. Ian

Collins. The OP was designed and built by the RoyalEngineer Detachment from 9 Parachute Squadron RE,who were serving in Cyprus on 27 August 2001, whenSpr. Collins, a member of the Squadron, was killed onoperations in Macedonia. The Detachment named theOP in Spr. Collins’ memory.

Col’s House was officially opened on 12 November2001 by the General Officer Commanding 1 (UK)Armoured Division, Maj. Gen. R. V. Brims CBE.

“Col’s House”

BlackpoolBelles

UNFICYP Comings and Goings

In this issue of The BlueBeret, we bid farewell toMaj. Luis Estrella, who

during his time with UN-FICYP was Air Traffic SafetyOfficer at HQ. His training asa helicopter pilot and combatpilot meant that his extensiveexperience was well suited tohis task in HQ.

In his career, Luis hasinvestigated some 45 civilianaircraft accidents, among themthe British South-AmericanAirways Avro Lancastrian,lost in the Andes in 1947 andfound in January 2000.

Luis will be best remem-bered for his charm, and forhis ability to communicatewith all ranks and civilian per-sonnel in HQ. He will beespecially remembered byThe Blue Beret magazine, towhich he offered his talents asan artist on many occasions.We wish him well, as he is re-united with his wife Liliana,and their children Hijos Con-stanza, Luis Franciso and Fatima.

In his place, UNFICYP wel-comes the new Air TrafficSafety Officer, Maj. FranciscoMeglia.

Heading Home

Luis (left) with Francisco

From the left: Natalie, Heidi and Karen

Gunner Wedding on the Island of LoveO

n the afternoon of Tuesday 6 November, 12Regiment celebrated the wedding of SSgt. PhilipStephen Scrannage and Gnr. Amanda Claire

Hodgkin. The wedding took place at St Columbus’Church in the United Nations Protected Area. Padré JimAitchison led the ceremony, and informed the congre-gation that the bride and groom had met whilst on duty….Amanda was undergoing a period of restrictions ofprivileges whilst Philip was on extra duties. The Padréwas quick to inform the congregation how apt theirmeeting had been, in that by committing themselves toeach other, they would be undoubtedly be restricted ofcertain privileges and acquire numerous extra duties!

The reception was a superb affair held at Ledra PalaceHotel, where the Regiment tucked into a deliciousbarbecue and the traditional Cypriot brandy sours andchampers. It was a memorable day, thoroughly enjoyedby everyone.

Mr. Kurt Waldheim withthe Chief of Mission

Mr. de Soto meets the presson arrival at Larnaca Airport

Force Commander and Chief ofMission with Hungarian Minister ofForeign Affairs, Dr. János Martonyi

Maj. Gen. R.V. Brimsinspects honour guard

12 November 2001 - The Blue Beret 13November 2001 - The Blue Beret

The “Best Medal Parade” yet was thecommon consensus of guests andorganisers alike on 8 November, at

the UNCIVPOL medal parade.The 21 medal and two numeral recipi-

ents were turned out like new recruits,groomed like we have never seen. Thecermony went as planned and, to thedelight of the guests, was timed perfectly.Both Commander Fred Donovan and Asst.Commander Liam Quinn were eloquent, informativeand humorous in their summoning up of the recipients.The ceremony took 45 minutes to the delight of thecrowd (in excess of 300).

The medal recipients were: Comd. Fred Donovan,Asst. Comd. Liam Quinn, Supt. Michael McAuley, Insp.Frank Kennefick, Supt. Dave Moore, Sgt. Dave Sheedy,Stn. Sgt. Sandy Allen, SSgt. Dean Crowe, Sgt. JohnLewis, Supt. Romi Gyergyak, Sgt. Rod Isles, Sgt. MarkLaing, Sgt. Patricia Costa, Sgt. Ian Smith, Sgt. JohnCollins, Sgt. Hamish Smith, Sgt. Shona Bryant, Sgt.Christian Thomas, Sgt. John McGonigle, Sgt. Mick

Callan, Gda. Michael Galvin, Gda. Barry Walsh, andGda. Declan Horan. Congrats to all.

After the parade, it was down to the CIVPOL Club-house, where the festivities began. Food and drink wereto be had in abundance, with scrumptious delicaciesprepared by our own master chef of UNPA fame. Musicwas supplied by the Argentinian band and later, Gda.Joe Hodgins provided additional entertainment bysinging along with the band. Both were in fine tune.Everyone enjoyed the night, and it was a credit to allwho helped in any way to make this event run assmoothly as it did.

On 6 November 2001, the Australian CivilianPolice Contingent hosted a champagne break-

fast to celebrate the 140th running of Australia’sgreatest horse race: the Melbourne Cup. Ninety-fivepeople attended the Officers’ Club at 0600 hours andparticipated in the festivities, which included sweep-stakes, lucky door prizes, and prizes for the best-dressed lady and gentleman.

Following the televised running of the race at0715 hours, guests adjourned to the InternationalMess for breakfast. Everyone entered into the spiritof the occasion, and a great time was had by all.Irene Brandtner won the prize for the best-dressedlady, while Col. John Gagnon was judged the best-dressed male. Fred Donovan was the mostsuccessful sweeps taker, walking away with two firstprizes.

Out in the bush between Sydneyand Melbourne, somewhere in a

little town named Galong, a rareindividual joined the AustralianPolice Force. A man of severaltalents and qualifications, BillMcGeachie quickly grew in stature tobecome one of the greatest charactersever to wear a policeman’s uniformand then to represent his country.

A qualified wool judge who rearskangaroos (45 at last count), Bill putin 34 years and 71 days in the policeforce. Besides his ever-popularlaugh and good humour, Bill made itto President of the UN Tennis Club inthe UNPA, and featured in the

UNFICYP Golf Championships,scoring a fantastic round of ……having a handicap of 28. (Bill oftenfound it to be his only handicap.)

Sgt. Bill McGeachie’s mug-outwas held at the CIVPOL house on 19October. There, in front of manyguests, he was made an “HonoraryIrishman”, a title given to a veryselect few, like say Bill Clinton (well,Bill was presented with a luckyLeprechaun, anyway).

Bill, if you’re reading this article,Dave Sheedy is still winning golfprizes, and your partner in crime,Frank Kennefick, still says that youcan never take an Aussie for a drink!

Sgt. Bill McGeachie Retires

The Melbourne Cup

By Sgt. M Hennigan

By Sgt. M Hennigan

8th November –The Best So Far

SECT

OR O

NE

As the senior non-commissionedofficer with 18 Argentinian

Task Force (UNFICYP), WO1Alberto Martin Rodriguez is alsopersonal assistant to the Com-manding Officer.

WO1 Rodriguez was born inBuenos Aires in January 1950, andjoined the Army in March 1968.After two years he became aSignals Corporal. He has attendednumerous Signals training courseson the operation and maintenanceof radio equipment, and has alsograduated from Basic, Interme-

diate and Advanced NCO trainingcourses.

WO1 Rodriguez has exper-ience in key positions includingPlatoon First Sergeant and Instruc-tor at the NCO school, in theIntelligence and Operationsbranches, and as Adjutant of Staffand RSM. His UN experienceincludes UNPROFOR, in Croatia.In 1998, he attended the SergeantMajor Course at the US Army’sSergeant Major Academy. In 1999,he was appointed to FirstArmoured Brigade as a Brigade

Command Sergeant Major. WO1 Rodriguez is married to

Ms. Maria Isabel Marino. Theyhave two children: Maria Lauraand Martin Miguel.

Lt. Col. José Antonio Cimma-rusti, who took over command

of Sector 1 in November, joinedthe Argentinian Army as a cadetin the “Colegio Militar de laNación” Military Academy on 9February 1972, graduating as a2/Lt. in the Engineer Branch on 7December 1976.

As a junior officer, he servedin several engineer military units,as platoon commander, companycommander, and ADC. In 1987/9he attended the Staff OfficerCourse.

His first posting as a seniorofficer was with 601 EngineerBattalion as Ops Officer. He thenserved in the Army General Staff,in the Branches of Personnel andOperations, and took command of3 Engineer Battalion Academy.

Lt. Col. Cimmarusti is a staffofficer and paratrooper, and hasextensive experience with theUnited Nations. This includes1992 and 1995 tours withUNPROFOR (Croatia, formerYugoslavia), and 1993 and 1998tours with UNIKOM (Kuwait -

Iraq). In 1994, he was MilitaryAdviser to the Argentinian dele-gation, attending the InspectionConference of the Convention onantipersonnel mines, held inGeneva.

Lt. Col. Cimmarusti is marriedto Ms. Maria Fernanda Mendez,and they have three children.

On 2 November, ATF-18finally took over from ATF-17: what a great thing!!

ATF-17 is now on its way backhome, with ATF-18 taking fullcontrol of Sector 1. During aceremony held at Camp SanMartin, the new Sector Com-mander, Lt. Col. José AntonioCimmarusti, received commandfrom Lt. Col. Osvaldo DanielGarcia, who thus ended his one-year tour of duty.

The first team of ATF-18 hadlanded in Larnaca on 27 October,and the entire rotation was fin-ished by 5 November. As isusual, the newcomers were de-ployed as soon as possible to theirposts.

ATF-18 consists of Argen-tinian military personnel from the differentservices of the Armed Forces (Army, Air Forceand Navy). Along with them are officers andNCOs from neighbouring countries such asBolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay,making ATF-18 a great South American inte-grated force.

Since our arrival, we have worked hard, witheverybody involved in duties such as briefings,ground and aerial recces, and OP manning. Ofcourse, this has kept us busy, and has made ourtime in the mission area pass very quickly.

ATF-18 wishes ATF-17 a safe trip back home,and thanks them all for their cooperation.

The New Argentinian Task ForceThe New Argentinian Task Force

WO1 Alberto Martin Rodriguez

By Capt. M. Del Castillo and Tte. Gutierrez

New Commanding Officer, Sector 1Lt. Col. José Antonio Cimmarusti

1514 November 2001 - The Blue Beret November 2001 - The Blue Beret

SportAnew edition of the International Annual

Running Competition “The Round of Larnaca”,which is dedicated to Saint Lazaros Foundation andthe Larnaca Leper’s Hospital Saint Charalambos,took place on Saturday 10 November, 2001. Asusual, the turnout was highly satisfactory, with 32runners from ARGCON (including representativesof the Uruguayan and Bolivian Armies) going in forthe challenge. The race started at 4 p.m., and theathletes ran 6 km through the streets of Larnaca.

At the end, event organisers congratulated theArgentinian Contingent on the sporting conductshown by its runners, and presented them with aplaque as a reminder of the event. Good showings inthe overall standings included:· 3rd Pte. La Ferrara (overall category)· 4th WO2 Moyano (30-35 category)· 5th WO3 Ceruzze (35-40 category)· 6th WO2 Caraballo (45-50 category)

Congratulations to all participants, and keep in mindthe motto: “Run and give yourself a longer life!”

Sunday 4 November was the UN Hockey Team’stoughest game yet against ESOBGA (the English

School’s Old Boys’ and Girls’ Association): thelongest established team in the League. However,the UN Hockey Club was not to be overshadowed oroutdone.

It was during the first half that ESOBGAreceived a shock. With a deft flick into the top of thenet, we scored: the first and only team to score a goalthis season against ESOBGA. Although ESOBGAwon 7-1 over the UN, all that seems to be missingfrom the UN side is an established striker in front ofthe goal. Hopefully this will soon be put right as thesquad increases in size, and more and more playerssee the enjoyment, fitness, commitment and benefitsfrom playing field hockey with the UN HockeyClub.

Over 40 teams from across the island, including threefrom UNFICYP, recently participated in the 2001

Dhekelia Dash. This 30 km charity relay race, now in its35th year, features teams of 15 runners, each of whom runtwo kilometres round a course in Dhekelia Garrison.UNFICYP teams included a Sector 4 Slovakian/Hungar-ian team; a Sector 2 HQ Bty 12 Regt team (boosted by

some very good Para Engineers); and a Ladies team ofboth civilian and military personnel.

The race provides exciting spectator value, with stiffcompetition. The UNFICYP Ladies played a tacticalcard, waiting to pull away from their closest rivals untilhalfway through the race. As their last runner stormeddown the hill to the finish line, the UNFICYP Ladieswere a comfortable eight minutes ahead of the nextladies’ team.

The Sector 2 Men’s team also clinched the Militarycategory trophy in a closely fought race, with a time of 1hour 52 minutes.

Sunday 25 November saw the first of this year’s IslandHockey tournaments, with mixed 8-a-side teams each

fielding a minimum of three female players. Appropriately,the UN team represented many contingents, including English,Irish, Canadian, Australian and Argentinian. The teams weresplit into two groups, with the top two teams going through tothe major finals, and the others contesting in the Plate finals.

The UN team played through in style to the Plate finals,winning the semi-final convincingly 2-0, and giving aspectacular performance to win the final 1-0. The UN’s overallperformance was only one goal conceded in six matches, andthe Plate Trophy is now shining brightly at HQ UNFICYP.

Soccer Match Challenge

A Brave Fight

UN Grabs Trophy

UNFICYP Shines AtDhekelia Dash 2001

“The Round of Larnaca”,Fifth Edition

By Capt. M. Miceli

On 14 November, Sector 2 challenged 9NG to afootball match. The game was exciting and

hard fought, with the UN leading at one stage 3-1,with LBdr. Glazier scoring all three UN goals.

Unfortunately they were not able to hold thescore, and the National Guard team came back towin 4-3.

Football Match against 9Regiment, National Guard The UNPA WOs’ & Sgts’ Mess played host to

visitors HMS Roebuck on 12 November, in asoccer match challenge. The visitors took the leadafter 10 minutes, and continued to put the hometeam under pressure, as could be seen by their 4-2advantage within 20 minutes. The home team putup a brave response, but overall the visitors werethe stronger team, winning 7-5.

Congratulations to both teams for a sportinggame of football.

The best caption for the above photograph willreceive a prize. All entries should be sub-mitted to the Public Information Office by:

13 December 2001

. Look at that: it’s a male. It’s got nine legs!

. Jeez, I just hope the rest of my moustache staysput.

. The UNCIVPOL bugging device.

. Opposites attract!

. Metamorphosis... UNFICYP style.

. You see, the trick is to outwit them (Olga - comeand collect your prize!)

. Office politics...

. And then there was one....

Caption Competition

Some good entries this month. Now what will wethink of with this star-studded photo below?