My life as UN representative

Hi! 
My Name is Martina Rentenberger and I was born in Vienna, Austria. I grew up with a Guiding and Scouting background because both my parents were involved in our National Organisation PPÖ (Pfadfinder und Pfadfinderinnen Österreichs – Scouts and Guides of Austria).

I started Guiding as a Brownie when I was 6 years old and since then I have always enjoyed being part of this worldwide organization.

When I was 16 I had the opportunity of taking part in a big international event, the 16th World Scout Jamboree in Australia and there I got to know people from all over the world. I realised that though we all came from different backgrounds – countries, cultures, religions, races – we all believed in the same spirit. I am still in contact with some of the friends I met 15 years ago.

Influenced by these experiences I joined the Vienna international Scouts and Guides group, worked in the international department of my county and 3 years ago I joined the WAGGGS UN Team in Vienna.

In 1999 I participated in the WAGGGS ’Dream, Dare, Do’ Seminar at Pax Lodge. There we talked a lot about our dreams for the future of the Association and for ourselves. My way of living that dream was to become a UN representative. The work there was totally different to anything I had done before and therefore a great challenge for me.

Throughout my years in WAGGGS I had the chance to find out more about myself and my relationship to other people. It was always interesting to find new methods of communicating with each other and now I find these skills very useful in my job as a kindergartenteacher, my private life and my work at the UN.

There I try to point out the problems and opinions of girls and young women all over the world – so that they can have the same opportunities in life as I had.

People and friends often questioned my commitment for Guiding (why do you do all the work as a volunteer) but now they start to realise how much I have gained from it: friends all over the world, communication skills, team coordinating skills, working in an international team, personality training, international seminars, knowledge about themes people do not usually talk about such as: HIV/AIDS, adolescent pregnancies, UN programs, children as peace ambassadors in Africa, human rights issues, …

My latest challenge was being the new team coordinator for the UN team, Vienna.

Martina
UN Team, Vienna