XLIS’ United Nations International
Day of Peace
“End racism. Build peace”
The hope of mankind is like an eternal star,
dark clouds cannot hide its light.
Especially nowadays,
peace is not just a dream,
it is the aspiration shared by all peoples.
—— Ba Jin (Chinese Litterateur)
In 1965, the international community adopted a convention by which they committed to eliminate all forms of racial discrimination, which is not just a slogan or a wish, but also a mission, a responsibility and even the common cause of mankind. There is still a long way to go.
The theme of the 2022 UN International Day of Peace is “End racism. Build peace”, which means much more, especially for an international school that has teachers and students hailing from over 40 countries around the world. On Wednesday September 21st, the XLIS Community came together to celebrate the 41st UN International Day of Peace.
In a change from previous years and with the aim of further enhancing the cohesiveness of the XLIS community and strengthen the connection between family and school through communication, this year’s event was mainly led by our school’s PTA and called for the passionate participation of students’ parents more than ever before. The collaboration between family and school into designing a celebration will echo in our hearts well into future and set a new standard for community driven events at XLIS.
As Hulbert Zhang, chairperson of PTA, said: “school is not just a place for children to learn, parents can also learn at school. The PTA’s role is to provide an opportunity for parents to grow together as well as learning to build intercultural understanding and respect, and to be open-minded, caring and balanced”.
The festivities began with a march around the track of the school with each year level representing a country of their choice. Afterwards, the opening ceremony at the Big Gym saw each member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Senior Management Team and the Academic Coordinators share with the audience powerful quotes defining the objectives of this relevant gathering. Our student choir lifted the spirit of the audience with a moving rendition of songs of“Give Peace a Chance” and “We Are the World”.
It was now time for our student voices to be heard through their heart-rendering speeches. Our P2B student Ava Botha’s speech reminded us that racism has no place in our school or our society because “we all start the same as babies and we all end the same as the elderly”. Derick Li from P6C spoke firmly as he described the core principles that make XLIS a truly diverse and inclusive school. After being invited on stage by our Secondary School Principal Mrs. Jaimala Quinlan, our Secondary school students Agnes Chen and Michelle Mi, moved the crowd with thoughtful and well-articulated discourses. Their speeches revolved around the concept of ending racism and building peace and how through unity and open-mindedness, we can achieve these crucial goals.
After closing the ceremony with an emotive rendition of the song “We Are the World” which drove the entire audience to singing along with our student choir, it was now time for XLIS’ parents to delight the community with their masterfully designed international booths. This year’s international fair encouraged everyone in attendance to travel around the world thanks to such a collaborative parent initiative. The famous tastes, sounds, and landscapes of nearly 40 different nations were represented at XLIS.
Today has been a wonderful event filled with many nationalities coming together and celebrating peace, friendship and food, which has been great. So, thank you very much.
— Randy Welch (MYP English Language Acquisition Teacher & Language Acquisition Subject Area Leader)
0ur M3A parents and students have been planning and preparing for this event since a few days ago. What is presented to you today is the result of the joint efforts from both parents and students. Besides, we invited a professional dance teacher to come with us so that everyone can enjoy the traditional dance of South Africa freely.
—Parent Representative from M3A
Big thanks to XLIS for supporting us all the time. Thanks a lot, to our warm-hearted parents for making this happen.
— Hulbert Zhang (Chairperson of PTA)
Education is not only the responsibility of schools. Families and society also play a key role in children’s growth. This year’s special event led by XLIS’ PTA is the best proof of that. Through a deep involvement during the entire process, from planning to implementing, the school and its’ families, have showcased a unique joint effort that supports education, by positively communicating and efficiently cooperating. This action will most certainly provide a strong support for our students and guide them to gradually growing into open-minded global citizens as they make their own contributions toward building a peaceful world where all nations and races are equal while thriving and prospering together.
Wherever we see racism,
we must condemn it without reservation,
without hesitation,
without qualification.
—— António Guterres, United Nations Secretary-General.
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Author:
Alex Rambaud (Head of Whole School Cultural Activities & Dormitory)
Fancy Fan (PR Officer)
