Visiting Tuscany – Birthplace of the Italian Renaissance

Some visitors come to Tuscany in search of fine arts. Others come to find peace and relaxation. Gourmets descend to enjoy exquisite wines and food. We were seeking a little bit of everything.

Oral History Archive: Jacques Tocatlian

The American Society for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) is creating an Oral History Archival Collection of interviews of Persons who have significantly contributed to the field of Information Science. Jacques Tocatlian was invited to be part of this international collection and was interviewed on September 26, 2012.

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The revival of the Library of Alexandria, by the Egyptian government with the assistance of Unesco and the international community, is an attempt to transpose the ancient idea into modern terms and play an educational, cultural and scientific role throughout the region.

Where to read Around The World in Eighty Missions

“Around The World In Eighty Missions”, by Jacques Tocatlian is available as a PDF download and an book online.

The Legend of Armand Tokatyan

All through my childhood, my Uncle Armand was to me more of a legend than a real person. When my father talked about his famous brother, Armand, who lived in the United States, and sang at the Metropolitan Opera, I did not think that I would some day actually meet him. The United States was in those days, very very far from Alexandria Egypt where we lived.

Around The World In Eighty Missions: Introduction

This Book is not an autobiography. It is rather the product of an interaction between imagination, experience, fiction, reminiscence and fantasy. A cocktail mixed in the environment of Unesco – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization – and tempered by a sprinkling of light humor.

Does Life Start At Sixty?

At my recent farewell party at the Unesco Headquarters, in Paris, the Assistant Director-General had said in his speech, “After thirty years of service, our friend Jacques Dupont is retiring. Lucky man ! He will be free at last. He will rest. He will rediscover the joys of life. He will do exactly what he always dreamt to do. Jacques Dupont will finally be his own master.”

My Mission With Maurice Chevalier

I was in New York on one of my missions to the United Nations to represent Unesco at a meeting. I had been to the UN on several occasions before. In fact, I had established, over the years, a fairly good reputation as a dependable, serious and resourceful international civil servant. But, after what had happened during this last visit, I no longer knew how I stood in the eyes of my colleagues. I was not quite sure whether to laugh or cry.

London With Spaghettini

I remember when I got off the plane I found Heathrow airport crowded. The sky was blue, but everyone had an umbrella. I guess, in England you just do not trust the weather forecast.

A Dress For Zeinab

The meeting in Morocco had been scheduled to last three days. It was a restricted, semi-formal consultation, at the invitation of the Government of Morocco, to help finalize an important project for international assistance on the theme of: ‘A national strategy for the protection of the rural environment.’