Париж, мы с тобой!

16 ноября 2015 A Time for Moral Leadership

The horrific attacks in Paris on this very night and the subsequent state of emergency in France, including the closing of its borders, remind us that we live in a time of discord and hate, much of which often seems far away. Yet this night we are reminded of its omnipresence, as we experience the complex range of emotions that accompanies such violence.
This is a time for moral courage. From a migration crisis of an overwhelming magnitude throughout Europe to the sudden events in France tonight, not to mention events elsewhere in the world whose violence has been continuing and corrupting for far too long, it is up to us to respond. And respond we must.
An absolute cornerstone of any school that calls itself an international school should be the social impact that that school can effect, beginning in its immediate surroundings, yet going beyond, to create positive impact in our world. At times like these, we must go beyond our curricula, beyond our politicking, beyond our first world complaints, and seek to create positive impact in our world as deeply and intentionally as we can.
International education is absolutely central in combatting the cumulative effect of destabilisation, displacement, and the degradation of humanity. To be sure, we want those leaving our schools as young adults to influence the world by making decisions with moral direction; yet this vital strategy is long-term in nature (and needed).  Should we not also pursue with utmost conviction the social impact that our schools can create now by considering all that is at our disposal, from facilities to technology to nourishment to purchasing power? How might we look at this richness of resources and identify multiple ways in which we can contribute that will lead to reconstruction and reconciliation for "the other?"
We find ourselves at the frontiers, those places both physical and emotional, wh ere discomfort lies in the unknown. Yet so too do excitement, discovery, and self-realisation, all antidotes to discomfort.
It is time for us, as international schools, to be bold in our pursuit of equity, justice, and peace at the frontiers. Our time is now. Our impact should be felt now.
I am sure you join me in expressing our sorrow at the events in Paris this night.

On behalf of ECIS,
Kevin