United Nations family in Iraq marks UN Day with a powerful digital display on one of Baghdad’s tallest buildings

Marking UN Day on 24 October this year in Iraq was none too common.  It was unique.  After an intense two weeks of internal discussions, planning and preparation, the magic began at 7:40 p.m. on a pleasant, cool evening.  It's the winter season in Iraq where the sun sets silently beyond the horizon in the early evening, leaving us with shorter days and cooler nights, in stark contrast to the stifling heat for most of the year.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of Baghdad's rich culture and impenetrable evening traffic, the Public Information Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) projected a digital billboard showcasing the work of the United Nations in Iraq on one of the tallest buildings in the capital with three giant screens. The vibrant outdoor display covered the entire oval-shaped Baghdad Mall tower with a series of captivating images conveying one united message to the public that "on #UNDay, and every day, the United Nations renews its commitment to the people of Iraq to work together for a stable and prosperous future and to meet the targets of the #GlobalGoals and #LeaveNoOneBehind".

It was an opportunity to showcase what we - the UN in Iraq - set out to achieve: serving for peace to safeguard the future of Iraqi youth, fostering constructive dialogue and social cohesion while acknowledging the beauty and simplicity of strength in diversity, promoting human rights and freedom of expression, as well as providing life-saving assistance to those in need.

From looping images of children to the elderly, from techno-vocational trainings to innovative sustainable development projects, from empowering women to seeking justice for victims of war crimes, the bright rays of light from the rolling display were striking and captured the attention of the youth on foot, as well as people stuck behind the wheel in Baghdad’s notorious bumper-to-bumper traffic. The roving exhibition remained visible until 8:45 p.m. 

Amid today's global challenges, slivers of hope are just the touch we all need to look forward to. UN Day reminds us of this today, and every day.