Dr. Bertrand Piccard, Round The-World Balloonist, Appointed Unfpa Goodwill Ambassador For Switzerland
	MSI and Population Concern UK School Essay Contest Winners

On November 16, 1999, a press conference was held at United Nations Headquarters in New York City to announce the appointment of Dr. Bertrand Piccard as UN Population Fund Goodwill Ambassador and Face to Face Campaign Spokesperson for Switzerland.

Dr. Piccard is a scientist-adventurer, psychiatrist and aeronaut who completed the first round-the-world balloon trip in March 1999. Undertaken with co-pilot Brian Jones, the balloon trip lasted 19 days, 21 hours and 47 minutes, making it the longest flight in both duration and distance by any aircraft.

Dr. Piccard comes from a Swiss family of legendary scientists and explorers. His grandfather, Auguste Piccard, invented the principle of the pressurized cockpit and the stratospheric balloon. His father, Jacques Piccard, is a renowned submarine constructor who completed the world's deepest submarine dive of 10,916 meters in the Marianas Trench in the Pacific Ocean.

In accepting his appointment, Dr. Piccard said, "Hot-air ballooning is for me a metaphor for life. Just as a hot-air balloon is a prisoner of the currents which propel it, people are captive to their problems and destiny. But, I believe strongly that, just as a balloon can change altitude in order to find the currents which make it change direction, men and women can raise themselves up and be responsible for the direction their lives take."

He continued, "I am supporting UNFPA and the Face to Face Campaign because I believe that every human being has the right to become responsible for the direction of their existence. I plan to support their joint efforts to raise awareness in Switzerland of the urgent need for population assistance in developing countries in education, gender equity, respect for human life and the immense benefits to the quality of people's lives that work in this area can bring."

Dr. Piccard will work closely with the International Foundation for Population and Development, the new Face to Face Campaign partner in Switzerland. His first official function will be to launch the Face to Face Campaign in Switzerland on March 8, 2000, International Women's Day. The launch will feature a ballet on the plight of women in the world. The ballet is being specially created for the Face to Face Campaign by Etienne Frey, a well-known Swiss choreographer. Later in 2000, Dr. Piccard will participate in a study tour of developing countries.

Dr. Piccard is the author of three books, "Quand le vent souffle dans le sens de ton chemin," "Une Trace dans le ciel" and "Around the World in 20 Days." He is a popular seminar speaker on the issues of life management, psychology and coping with stress and crises. For conquering one of the greatest challenges of aviation, Dr. Piccard and Mr. Jones were honored and presented with the Olympic Order, the Golden Plate of the American Academy of Achievement, The Explorers Club Medal, the Hubbard Medal of the National Geographic Society, and the Pole Star of the Jules Verne Adventure Association among others.

Following the well-attended press conference, Dr. Bertrand Piccard was the guest of honor at a luncheon hosted by Dr. Nafis Sadik, Executive Director, UNFPA. Among those attending were Mr. Peter Maurer, Deputy Permanent Observer of the Mission of Switzerland to the United Nations and Ms. Christine Magistretti, Executive Director, International Foundation for Population and Development

The following two letters to Tony Blair were written by the contest winners of the Face to Face school essay contest in the United Kindgom.


Dear Prime Minister,

I am writing to you in connection with the United Nations Population Fund's Face to Face Campaign. This campaign has brought to my attention the world's dramatic population rise along with the extent of the suffering of women due to pregnancies. It has also raised my concerns about the increase in aids and the ever-growing strain of the earth's resources.

The Campaign has educated me on these worldwide issues and I am convinced that action needs to be taken now. I hope I can persuade you too that it is necessary to help conserve the world for future generations.

Did you know that if the population continues to grow at its current rate it will double in the next fifty years? This leads me to ask, will the quality of life be the same? Unfortunately the sad answer is no. Starvation will be in abundance as the amount of fertile land won't support the population's food requirements. Present countryside will be covered in over crowded housing. Getting fresh water supplies will be very difficult for people in the future. It is clear there will be higher global unemployment and a greater strain on government services.

In the future we may be deprived of living along side many of the world's beautiful features. Unique rainforests are at risk and we might lose the earth's deserts. Many animals are also in danger as their homes are disappearing. We must take into account that nature and wildlife, as well as humans, are being affected by the rapidly growing population.

Women have few privileges in developing countries and the fact they are unable to choose their family size cost many lives. Seventy thousand women die due to unsafe abortions. Surely women are entitled to control what happens to their bodies? The introduction of contraception to these women will give them that right.

The use of condoms will also save lives in that it will reduce the cases of AIDS. It is estimated that by the year 2020 there will be forty million orphans under fifteen whose parents have died from AIDS. It is possible to dramatically decrease these figures; Thailand reduced half its cases of AIDS in just eight years.

If Britain contributes more population and reproductive health programmes now it will not only save money in the future but it will save lives. Mr. Blair, I am convinced that if we work together with the international community we can make a difference. The more we work together the more lives we can save.

Make a difference while there is still a chance; save lives and save the beauty of the world. Life is surely a precious thing and should be respected and appreciated. This is why women should have reproductive rights. You have the authority to help and I very much hope you will.

Yours faithfully,
Sarah Kerr (age 15)


Dear Prime Minister,

Last week I had a party in my house. My house is an old terrace building with 2 bedrooms, a small bathroom, a kitchen, a front room and some very steep steps. I live with my mum and a small dog. The house has plenty of room for the 3 of us, in fact, there is sometimes too much room.

Anyway, the party began at 2pm. First to arrive was Mrs. Jones from down the road. We showed her to the kitchen and she helped herself to some nibbles. Next came the Browns and their 2 children, Phillipa and Jessica. The parents sat on the couch in the front room while the girls began on the jelly and ice cream. And so it continued: more guests arrived, sat on the chairs and ate the food. By 5pm the party was in full swing. There were now 163 guests at my party, in a small house for 2. All the chairs were taken, people sat on the stairs and the floor, even on the television. The kitchen was ravaged. All the cakes went, then the pies, crisps and sandwiches. The food table was a complete mess. Soon the only food left was rotten egg sandwiches and a bottle of flat cherry-aide. People were complaining. The party was quickly becoming a disaster. Within an hour the Joneses left after James was sick on the floor; the Browns had to leave as Jessica had a tantrum, and the rest of the party left by 6pm. The only people left were myself, my mother and our dog. The dog licked up all the spilt food and we washed the dishes. By 10pm the house was clean and tidy once again. All was well. Next time we have a party, I shall invite only a small number of guests. Then we will have enough food, sufficient seating arrangements and everyone will have a much better time; it might even go on past 6pm.

Our planet is like my party; we need invite the right number of guests, then we can provide enough food and space for all the guests. Perhaps it is too late and our guests are already leaving. But it is not too late. By using more contraception and promoting family planning we can invite the right number of guests. If we were to share all the food instead of keeping the jelly and icecream for ourselves, all our guests will have enough to eat. The party will be more enjoyable and everyone will have a much better time.

Will you come? RSVP

Yours sincerely,
John Lloyd (age 18)