The Round Square Regional Conference in Grahamstown was an incredibly enlightening experience for me. This was the first gathering of this nature that I attended and what is unique is that the student programs are driven by the learners themselves. The staff ran with a parallel program that sometimes overlapped what the students were doing, and as such, it allowed us space to make connections, share ideas and debate good practise amongst ourselves.
The delegates from Namibia, Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa, therefore created a colourfully diverse arena where we were able share varied opinions and ideas derived from different experiences in different schools. Grahamstown was an ideal space where this could happen. This part of the Eastern Cape is an area that I have not been to before. The layout of St Andrews College as well as the accessibility of everything in this student city made it an ideal landscape for the conference. There is a sense of history to the town, and I think that this added an underlying gravitas to the significance of what was explored over the four days. The Round Square Conferences run according to the acronym IDEALS (Internationalism, Democracy, Environment, Adventure, Leadership and Service) coupled with the Discovery Framework. As such, in addition to the guest speakers that elicited discussions amongst the students about world issues, the group attended a number of outings. I was fortunate to attend the Environmental excursion to the renound Born Free Foundation at the Shamwari Private Reserve. This reserve had gained fame as being part of an Animal Planet television series as well as being home of the charity formed by the actress that played Joy Adamson in the film Born Free. This facility is crucial for the education around the dire situation that big cats find themselves, and in particular, leopards and lions. We were able to meet a number of these felines that had been confiscated from zoos and circuses where they had previously been the victim of abusive practises. The most vocal was a lion names Nelson who had been confiscated from a zoo in France. His deep roars were loud enough to resonate in my chest as we approached his enclosure and saw this magnificent lack-maned male. The staff from the Foundation were passionate about explaining their work, and driving home the dangers of lion petting facilities. On our game drive we were lucky enough to explore some of the arid landscape and close to the Bushmans River we came across a free-roaming lion walking along the road. Further highlights for me included the Park Run at the Botanical Gardens where we sweated up the deceptively steep hill to the encouragement of the other delegates. I also enjoyed the adventure race that took place on a section of the Oldenburgia Hiking Trail. The students had to make their way around a course, solving various challenges at the same time. These included a scavenger hunt, cycling around an off-road track, fishing and map reading. The boys and girls had a great time making their way through the valley and for many this was one of the highlights of the trip. We also spent some leisure time at Kenton on the beach. The sea was icy and not many chose to swim, but the scenery was breath-taking with the Kariege Lagoon an entrancing azure blue. But aside from all of this, making connections with the various staff from other schools was probably the most important ‘take home’ for me. From discussion the increasing liabilities of excursions to sharing ideas on how to use the Discovery framework in our schools. The Round Square organisation is about the sharing of ideas. This is a vital component in driving education forward. It was heart-warming to hear from various heads and teachers who are doing their utmost to create a better global future through the encouragement of students with integrity, responsibility and a social conscience. There are a number of initiatives which I would like to implement as a result of these conversations, and therein lies the significance of my experience.
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Two tragedies occurred on Monday. The one received massive publicity and the other was barely noticed.
At the same time as Notre-Dame burnt down, the last female Yangtze Softshell Turtle died in China’s Suzhou Shangfangshan Forest Zoo, making this species officially extinct. Within 24hrs over €600million had been pledged to rebuild an iconic building yet the extinction of another species has gone with barely an acknowledgement let alone the pledge of millions of Euros to halt or at least slow the current mass extinction event. The donation of funds towards Notre Dame's rebuilding is noble, but is it as much of a priority as finding was to halt the natural destruction that is besieging our planet? We place a ridiculously skewed value on objects that are far from essential to our (human) survival yet watch as ecosystems rapidly degrade to the point of collapse - at what cost to humanity? I value both our cultural and natural history but it’s essential to remember and value planetary integrity over symbolism. The French would, inventive as they are, certainly be able to rebuild their monument without this injection of funds, and I am not trying to demean their personal and iconic loss. It just makes me think about the things that are prioritised in our world. Are Shelley's observations in his poem Ozymandias being repeated? Just my two cents and maybe food for thought. No intention to offend. |
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