They detailed the U.N.’s work on world reproductive health, sustainable development, cooperation between businesses and the U.N., and land mine disarmament.

Marco Kalbusch, associate political affairs officer in the Department for Disarmament Affairs, spoke about the difficulties of U.N.’s massive campaign to clean up land mines around the world.

“Land mines are designed to maim, not to kill. They are weapons of terror.” Kalbusch said. “Producing a land mine costs about a dollar, removing it costs a thousand.”

For Marks, the enthusiasm of the speakers helped bolster her faith in the U.N. and the importance of its work.

“The people were very smart, they loved what they were doing,” Marks said. “If you’re an investment banker, you make a million bucks, but so what? Working for the U.N., at the end of the day, you’ve saved what, 100 lives, 1000 lives?”

Sorenson said that this was the kind of message she had hoped to convey with the trip and the study group.

“I want them to believe that they have a stake in the U.N.,” Sorenson said. “I am also very eager to see if some of them are interested in U.N. careers.”

Several of the trip’s participants expressed hopes of finding a job at the international organization, especially after visiting in person.

After the briefings, the study group filed out into a cold New York night, past the security guards and Sorenson’s farewell.

“I was interested in working with the U.N., and seeing this environment of hopefulness and unity, I was affected just by the surroundings,” said Stephanie E. Brewer ’04 on the bus ride back to Cambridge.

—Staff writer Ben A. Black can be reached at bblack@fas.harvard.edu.