"It is possible to imagine and create a world without oppression," said N'Dri Assié-Lumumba, Cornell professor of Africana studies. "A world where we can look at each other and appreciate our common human worth."

For today's generation, she believes, "that world could be within reach with determination, in spite of powerful forces for the status quo and the contradictions in the U.N. itself as some countries continue to have veto power in the Security Council." This conviction spurred Assié-Lumumba to launch the eighth annual student trip to the United Nations.

Despite having awakened at 3 a.m., 25 undergraduates, 19 graduate students, a visiting professor from Turkey, the Ujamaa Residential College director and Assié-Lumumba cheerily stepped from the bus March 2 outside the U.N. For many, it was their first time in New York City. On the guided tour, the atmosphere grew more somber, as the students learned about land mines and human rights abuses. But learning how the U.N. is working to end these destructive practices and achieve the Millennium Development Goals ended the tour on a positive note.

"It's pretty inspiring to see that all these countries are making steps toward making the world a little better," said Christina Kirk '14.

After the tour, students had the chance to learn more through a panel discussion with U.N. experts, chosen to address topics that the students had previously said concerned them: gender equality, sustainable development, the world economic crisis and working for the U.N.

"When you talk about women's empowerment, you're talking about all issues," said Abigail Neville of the U.N.'s Intergovernmental Support and Strategic Partnerships Bureau, who encourages developing countries to invest in women's rights and education.

Pingfan Hong, chief of the U.N.'s Global Economic Monitoring Unit, described how the global economy remains disrupted by the financial crisis, with most countries still struggling to recover. He added that although the private sector will play a stronger role in sustaining robust economies in the future, the role of government is critical in the transition out of the crisis.

Sustainable development has been on the table for a long time, and any initiatives must reflect the reality that sustainable development means different things to people in different countries, said Florian Lux of the secretariat of the Secretary-General's High-level Panel on Global Sustainability. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has made it one of his top priorities, Lux said.

"Some countries still need to satisfy their basic needs before going into things like renewable energy," he said.

Lynn Goldberg, a legal policy officer at the U.N.'s Office of Human Resources, discussed U.N. careers. "We need every kind of discipline, from accountants to engineers, people who are flexible, who are willing to go to the tough places," she said.

"It's really admirable what the U.N. is doing around the world," said Sana Mujahid, a doctoral student in the field of food science, who said she would like to work in the future with the U.N. in public health. "As Cornell students -- as citizens of the world -- we should be aware of all of these things and try to contribute as much as we can."

Sponsors of the trip included Ujamaa Residential College, Maplewood Apartments, Hasbrouck Apartments, Faculty Programs in Residential Communities, Student Staff Funding Board in Residential Programs, Office of the Dean of Students, Office of the Vice President for Student and Academic Services, the Bartels family and the International Students and Scholars Office.

Elisabeth Rosen '12 is a writer intern for the Cornell Chronicle.