United We Can

In the midst of a global pandemic, the UWC communities around the globe managed to celebrate and educate the students on the UWC mission - to make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future.

UWC’s values are as relevant today as they were back in 1962 when this movement had started. Today, with societal unrest and people fighting for justice, the UWC values are of utmost importance, much like, in 1962, when the cold war was at its height. Both then and now, the aim is to bring young and visionary people together to act as champions of peace through education.

Apart from COVID-19, the biggest headlines in the news concern the Black Lives Matter Movement. There have now been 115+ days of protest across the United States and a few other parts of the world, following the brutal death of George Floyd by the police, which allowed other cases of discrimination to surface. At times like these, staying united and standing up for what is right is crucial to shaping this world, even as we address the physical and economic devastation wrought by the pandemic. This links directly to the UWC mission of coming together and staying united for a sustainable future. However, though most of these protests are peaceful, there are some that have caused disruption and harm. Violent protests just drive society away from our goal of abolishing racism, and this is certainly not the right step towards a peaceful future.

Kurt Hahn, a German educationalist, one of the founding fathers of the UWC movement, helped shaped UWC’s mission. Hahn strongly believed that schools shouldn’t just prepare students for university and jobs, but rather for life and the concept of having the ability to experience failure as well as success in addition to developing resilience.

Before Hahn’s creation of the Atlantic college, which was his final achievement, he initiated other projects such as the Salem School in Germany, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme. In 1955, he came in contact with military men who had been adversaries in World War II while visiting the NATO Defense College in Paris. Being inspired by the bravery, loyalty, and cooperation of these men, and with his close relationship with Commandant Lawrance Davall, the foundation of the Atlantic College was laid - the world’s first international, two-year “Sixth form” college for teenagers aged 16-19. Since then, the UWC community has only been growing, now with 18 colleges on 4 continents. UWCSEA was the second member of the UWC family, opened by Lee Kuan Yew as Singapore International School in 1971.

“I regard it as the foremost task of education to ensure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an undefeatable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self-denial, and above all, compassion.” - Kurt Hahn