女兒在國際學校讀書，最近學校組織學生參加一個 Global Issues Network 組織的會議。 這個會議專門邀請有成就的社會活動家來 給中學生們演講。 談他們的理想，他們從事的事業，他們對世界的看法。 會後，學生們有機會采訪自己感興趣的演講人， 交流意見。
這個會議的發起者是前世界銀行的一位官員，他相信全球很多共同關注的問題要靠獨立的全球組織網絡來解決，不能隻依靠政府 和國際組織。 Jean-François Rischard 還認為， 我們每個人 應該首先是一個全球的公民， 然後是國家的公民， 最後才是本地的公民， 這和我們現在的秩序恰好相反。
“ We must develop new instincts and politics across the planet, whereby each of us is first a global citizen, second a national citizen, and third a local citizen. Right now, we have it the other way around. ”
女兒報名之前還有些猶豫， 覺得她自己其實對全球問題平時並不那麽關心， 再說其他事也不少。
我鼓勵她能去就去，聽聽人家討論， 見識見識這些能幹的有見識的人也是好的。 女兒便報了名參加會議。她事前在網上查找了幾個會議發言人的背景情況，找了兩個她最感興趣的人預備會後做采訪。 頭天晚上，自己列了一個問題清單，準備工作很認真， 直忙活到後半夜。
女兒第二天成功采訪了一位印度裔的慈善組織負責人，回來十分興奮說， 這個人自己有整一套看待人生世事的哲學，她采訪了她21 分鍾， 問了她不少基本問題： 你的熱情來自哪裏， 如何才能克服 人性的自私， 等等。
接觸這樣一位女士， 對她的思想影響很大。 因為看到誌願服務工作的意義， 她現在計劃署假也去 Global Hope Network 實習幾個星期，我很為她高興。
我也很佩服這位前國際組織官員， 想到這樣的辦法， 在學生中間進行全球共同關注問題的教育，讓非政府組織的管理人直接把他們她們的思想行為傳授給下一代。多好的主意！
在網上找到了這次會議組織者的介紹資料，先存在這裏, 感謝他們以這樣的方式影響年輕人的心靈。
The Global Issues Network has as its mission: to help students realise they can make a difference by empowering them to work internationally with their peers to develop solutions for global issues. Begun by teachers and students from six international schools in Europe , the programme is based upon High Noon: Twenty Global Problems, Twenty Years to Solve Them by Jean-François Rischard, former World Bank Vice-President for Europe .
Rischard describes imminent issues that can only be solved through global cooperation. Among these are water shortages, global warming, environmental degradation, infectious diseases, poverty, illiteracy, depletion of fisheries, peacekeeping, and the loss of ecosystems. Rischard notes that the existing institutions charged with addressing such issues, namely nation-states, government departments and international organisations, are self-serving, cumbersome and inadequate for the task. He calls for an alternative model of global governance based upon independent global networks that are flexible and super-responsive.
International schools already represent a network of independent organisations that co-ordinate their worldwide efforts toward a common purpose, and are therefore an excellent platform to apply Mr Rischard’s concepts. Students can be encouraged to think systemically about real issues while also taking action to improve the human condition. This approach involves collaboration rather than competition, where students assume leadership of their own programme. Their network should promote both face-to-face conferences and on-going communication via the latest technologies. |
We must develop new instincts and politics across the planet, whereby each of us is first a global citizen, second a national citizen, and third a local citizen. Right now, we have it the other way around.
It’s for these two reasons – the need for new, out-of-the-box methodologies and for a new mindset – that I am excited about the experiment started by some distinguished international schools. I can think of few educational projects as worthy of support. |
周末快樂。
我很高興她自己有自己的看法， 有時在家我們也辯論問題，我得允許她和我意見不一樣， 我也要學習。 不過養孩子的樂趣就是讓父母也不斷實踐不斷學習吧， 挺好的。我很高興看她從小不點兒漸漸成熟長大。。。
謝謝娓娓美言！