Round Square Singapore Conference: new report (Monday 5 Oct)
The conference finally started on Friday when our delegates met with others at the Dover Campus of the UWCSEA…United World College of South East Asia. This is one of two school campuses run by the United World Colleges in Singapore, slightly bigger than the other with a capacity of 3000 students!
Our delegates met with students from all over the world, participated in some activities and then took part in an informal gathering where dancing and singing groups welcomed us. Argentine music and dance played a part in this ceremony. At the end the delegates left with their host families…all six of our delegates in homes with at least one other foreign delegate.
Saturday morning started with the official opening of the conference at which the Headmaster of UWCSEA and King Constantine of Greece welcomed all. Later there was a fascinating keynote lecture by given by Tim Jarvis (explorer and Antarctic adventurer who had followed the route taken by Ernest Shackleton when he unsuccessfully tried to cross the frozen continent but managed to save the lives of all his team). Our pupils then took part in a tree planting ceremony and Luz was BDS’s representative at lunch with the King and Prince Alexander. In the afternoon “baraza” discussion groups saw the delegates, for the first time enter interactive groups with others from across the globe.
Sunday morning began with a scintillating keynote address from Kavita Ramdas, an Indian lady committed to advancing women’s rights in India and elsewhere. I suggest to all that one Googles her…a great opening speech for the day. There then followed more “baraza”* group discussions before an enjoyable a BBQ lunch and then for the pupil delegates a free afternoon with their host families.
Today, Monday all delegates have enjoyed a “Discover Singapore” experience in which they have moved around the city on public transport enjoying the different areas of interest…a full and tiring day. We adults ended the day 63 floors up at the top of 1 Altitude, the highest building in Singapore…impressive!
Steven Page – Headmaster & Rector
*Note: “Baraza” is a Swahili word that means a deliberation meeting held by a collective group of a people; a public meeting held in order to discuss important matters affecting the community. (Sources: Baraza.org – Online dictionaries (Oxford, The Free Dictionary).