IFP Peace Day 2019
What exactly is IFP?
This was the question several eleventh-graders asked as they were signing up for various activities and services. Peace Day was a pivotal moment for those of us who were deciding whether to commit to this activity or not. I learned a lot about myself within the span of eight hours, how much more convincing could one use?
Model UWC Student
This first workshop asked us to share what traits a model UWC student should possess which included being active in the community among others. We all unanimously agreed that there isn’t a perfect UWC student because putting people on pedestals places unrealistic expectations on students. We all have varying capabilities, strengths, passions, and weaknesses. Not one UWC student is above or below the other, together we bring something to the table. Together, we make up a community.
Tolerance
The second workshop was focusing on tolerating the beliefs and opinions of each other, which not only applies to UWCSEA, but to real world interactions as well. We learned that the type of language used has a large effect on the statements one makes, rather than the context itself. My understanding of tolerance is the midpoint between acceptance and rejection; it is self-control which allows the asking of questions. From there, conversation flows and new knowledge is absorbed.
Redefining the UWC Mission Statement
Be it an old student, or a new one, the UWC mission is imposed upon us wherever and whenever possible. Those words have existed for a long time and will continue to exist for as long as people believe in the movement. The challenge that the facilitators posed was to rephrase the UWC mission in our own words. Initially, it was difficult to articulate our thoughts but we prevailed. We then wrote our own versions of the mission statement into pieces of paper that we folded into paper cranes. This was inspired by the story of Sadako and A Thousand Paper Cranes, symbolising hope. Something to look back on in the future
Will I be joining IFP?
Oh yeeeees. I had heard about IFP from three twelfth-graders and the impact the conferences had on them. If everything I had experienced today was a preview of what is to come, then sign me in. This is a self-investment I am willing to commit to. And now I leave you a quote that left an impression on me when Peace Day drew to a close:
“No person, no place, and no thing has any power over us, for ‘we’ are the only thinkers in our mind. When we create peace and harmony and balance in our minds, we will find it in our lives.” —Louise L. Hay