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Allison Wilbur, quilter, Douglas Griffiths of the US Mission in Geneva and Barbara Lee, US House of Representatives, at exhibit opening 12 November

Dawn Maria Piasta from Canada with her quilt, Geneva Quilt Challenge at the UN

Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A warming exhibit, in every sense, has opened at the UN Palais building in Geneva, with a  display of American quilts made specially to promote the work of Geneva-based Global Fund for Malaria, Aids and Tuberculosis. The show, “Making a healthier world for our children”, is organized by Geneva’s US Mission to coincide with the annual United Nations Women’s Guild fundraising bazaar, which pulls in thousands of visitors.

The quilts showcase traditional American quilting techniques, but combine this with a more recent trend in quilting: community projects to draw attention to worthy causes and events, or to commemorate major events such as 911 in the US.

The project was the brainchild of Allison Wilbur, who works at the Global Fund and her husband Richard (Dick), who is a public affairs officer at the US Mission. Allison Wilbur, one of the quilters who contributed to the project, says the couple had earlier organized quilt shows in other countries, starting with one in Kuwait some years ago, as part of efforts to share a broader cultural view of the US. “So many women came up and said they had had no idea we did this!” she recalls, noting that some said they thought of the US mainly in terms of TV shows and big cars.

The Global Fund has approved $18.4 billion in funding for programmes in 144 countries since it was created in 2002, to treat malaria, Aids and HIV, and tuberculosis. It is a public/private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria.

The UN Women’s Guild bazaar in Geneva opens 17 November.

Links to other sites: Quilt Challenge, the Global Fund, US Mission in Geneva, UN Women’s Guild