ILO Centenary Cup

ILO Centenary Cup

On the initiative of the Association of Former International Civil Servants for Development (Greycells) and in cooperation with the Help Us to Help foundation and their respective presidents Alejandro Bonilla and Fabio Ramirez, a golf competition was organized on 15 September 2019 at the Evian Resort Golf Club to celebrate the ILO Centenary for the benefit of miners in the informal economy in Colombia. The competition brought together 25 participants, including active and retired ILO staff as well as members of the Evian Resort Golf Club, the International Golf Club of Geneva and Rotary Club Genève International among others.

This sporting and festive occasion linked with two others, the Summit for Social Justice in Mont Blanc, and the ILO’s 100 km New York bike event for “a just transition to a greener economy”. The ILO Centenary Cup reminded us of the importance of setting long- and short-term goals and doing everything possible to achieve them in the most effective way and in accordance with established standards. Each of the first 17 holes represented one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, while the 18th stood for a personal goal that each of us should define and achieve, both at the personal level and that of our loved ones.

The ILO and the Former Officials Section both supported the initiative, which provided another channel for discussing and publicizing the ILO Centenary. The competition was over 18 holes, taking about five hours; one participant said she had walked 15km on very uneven terrain.

Beneath the banners of the ILO and the Centenary, Alejandro Bonilla presented each participant with a commemorative diploma together with a medal and a pin, all marked with the Centenary logo. Fabio Ramirez spoke about the foundation’s work with Colombian female emerald miners, the beneficiaries of the event. To conclude the ceremony, after a few words on the ILO Centenary, François Kientzler, Executive Secretary of the Former Officials Section, presented the trophies to the winners in both men’s and women’s categories. Then, in a very relaxed atmosphere, glasses were raised to friendship on the golf course; participants on this sunny day were able to enjoy the beautiful green setting with superb views of Lake Geneva. All agreed to repeat the initiative next year.