Student Initiative for Peace in Iraq
Student Initiative for Peace in Iraq
Sunday, 20 July 2008
Our students often do great and ambitious things that are simply not expected of 17, 18 and 19 year olds. It is only when we have a ‘reality check’, such as talking with colleagues in ‘normal’ schools, that we are reminded how remarkable and extraordinary our students are! Yes, we know they achieve excellent academic results, as the recent IB results with their usual epidemic of 43s, 44s and 45s testifies, but what is particularly special are the grand, visionary initiatives our students choose to undertake - and then manage to achieve.
One noteworthy example of this is underway in Amman, Jordan, at the moment. A team of LPCUWC students and young graduates, under the leadership of Mike Schoenleber (LPC 2006-08), has organised a conference to bring together 16 young students from various ethnic groups in Iraq together with 16 young Americans to engage in constructive dialogue that is designed to build deeper mutual understandings. The vision for this workshop had its roots in the original raison d’être of the establishment of the United World Colleges, which was to bring together young people - tomorrow’s leaders - from disparate backgrounds, in order to build a depth of understanding and mutual respect that would help to ensure a more peaceful world.
Mike and his team spent much of their 2nd Year of IB studies at LPCUWC planning and organising the workshop, a formidable task in the midst of the demands of IB Diploma studies, and which involved significant fundraising, communications, networking and organisation. Even the planning process proved to be a very worthwhile educational exercise in itself, involving a team of our students from Australia, Canada, Cyprus, Egypt, Jordan, Pakistan, the USA and Venezuela as members of the facilitating team, plus many others as well of course in supporting roles.
Like the concept of the conference itself, the program is ambitious - and details can be seen HERE. Similarly ambitious are the post-conference projects that are proposed (see HERE). It is deeply gratifying to see that the conference is not viewed as a ‘once-off’ talk-fest but the beginning of several worthwhile and sustainable projects.
I have been very encouraged by the blogs that have been emerging from the conference since it began, and these can be read HERE. I encourage you to lave a look at the facilitator’s blog and share the spirit and excitement of this most worthwhile venture.
Initiatives such as the Iraq-US Youth Initiative do not come to fruition easily - if they did, they would be commonplace. Moreover, they are not without their dangers, and this is recognised by all of us who are encouraging, guiding and supporting the students behind the initiative in many and various ways. UWC students are known to be risk-takers - who else but risk-takers would choose to go to another country and study for two years in a UWC, living with students from more than 80 countries? However, building peace does mean taking some important and well-considered risks, acting on mature advice that has been thoroughly researched. Our hope is that the conference proceeds smoothly and productively, and manages to yield the fruits that we all yearn for so much.
The Iraq-US conference is remarkable - organised from Hong Kong by a team of our students from eight countries with minimal teacher input in their free time to bring younger students at very heavily subsidised prices from the US and Iraq to Jordan to engage in an extensive dialogue to build profound understandings and initiate sustainable ongoing development programs. Even for a UWC, this is indeed a remarkable enterprise!
Our thoughts are with Mike and his team as this very important and worthwhile initiative continues in Amman this week.
Student art in the staircase that is devoted to Islamic and Middle Eastern art, LPCUWC campus