Iconic cartoon character Mafalda fulfills her dream of becoming a United Nations interpreter
Mafalda, the curious and astute creation of the late humorist Quino, also fulfilled his long-standing dream on his birthday: “learning languages to become an interpreter of the United Nations”. United Nations” and “helping people understand each other”.
A small statue of the eternal six-year-old child sculpted by Argentine artist Pablo Irrgang was delivered to the United Nations and placed in the interpretation room in Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), would like to thank the Government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, her hometown.
“It is no coincidence that she wanted to become an interpreter at the United Nations, because the values that Mafalda always promulgated were the values of peace instead of war, justice, education and above all freedom do,” said the Minister of Culture of Buenos Aires, Gabriela Ricardes UN News.
Challenge injustice and inequality
Mafalda is extremely popular throughout Latin America and Spain, but she has transcended borders and cultures, gaining fans in both China and Japan.
As soon as he entered the United Nations grounds, Mafalda struck a pose Non-violenceSwedish artist Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd’s famous knotted gun sculpture.
She was immediately recognized by a group of young Japanese women visiting the Foundation.
Mafalda is a girl with a unique perspective – insightful, critical and interested in world affairs; a girl from San Telmo, a neighborhood in Buenos Aires, but interested in world peace and what is happening to the planet.
“Mafalda is a girl with a unique perspective – insightful, critical and interested in world affairs; a girl from San Telmo, a neighborhood in Buenos Aires, but interested in world peace and what is happening to the planet,” Ms. Ricardes said.
Mafalda offers humorous and insightful social and political criticism through the eyes of a curious and idealistic girl. With her sharp intelligence, she questions injustice, inequality and hypocrisy in the world, while expressing concerns about peace, human rights and the future of humanity.
Without a doubt, she is a symbol of social conscience and desire to transform the world, blending humor with profound reflections.
One of her characteristics is using innocence as a powerful tool. Her childish personality allows her to ask seemingly simple yet profound and critical questions, catching the adults around her off guard and exposing their own inconsistencies or lack of answers to their questions. complicated problem.
Guillermo Lavado, Quino’s nephew, points out that “her dream was to contribute to world peace, perhaps a bit naively thinking that by becoming an interpreter for the United Nations, she might be on the way.” put the ideas of different leaders in order and harmonize them accordingly.” that there will be less conflict and less war.”
Argentine cartoon character Mafalda sits in her country’s assigned chair during a visit to the United Nations.
The message still resonates
Mr. Lavado, along with Ms. Ricardes and Mr. Irrang, accompanied Mafalda throughout her UN visit. They all emphasized that she is still relevant today, even though 60 years have passed since she first appeared in a comic series.
“Mafalda embodies so many values that are much more necessary at this time in the world: values of peace, feminism, justice, equality, ecology, care for the world. These are such transcendent and important values that at this time, they are more important than ever,” Mr. Irrang said.
“Unfortunately, it is still relevant because the conflicts have changed a bit geographically, although it can be said that the Middle East has remained the same over the years and since (Mafalda) came into being, but they We always have the same benefits and create similar things. war,” Mr. Lavado noted.
Promote our common humanity
For this reason, he believes that Mafalda’s message remains the same today: “hopefully we can agree as humanity to collaborate rather than compete and to be together more than against together”.
Ms. Ricardes pointed out that “For Mafalda, education, justice and freedom are unquestionable values, as is the exercise of good sense in a senseless world,” emphasizing that these will be common knowledge. Your message today.
After strolling through the hallways of the United Nations, the Mafalda statue made its way to the ECOSOC Room, where it was received by Spanish interpreters working for the global body.
Among them was an Argentinian colleague, who expressed how her dream and that of Mafalda had been fulfilled and “left a ray of hope”.
