Björn Bremer (Germany, AC07-09)
It was a dark and stormy night and the Atlantic College library – normally a deserted place at this time on a Saturday night – was buzzing. Some 150 students from more than 70 counties assembled in the library in order to take action and defend human rights. Annually the Amnesty International Youth Group at Atlantic College participates in the 12-Hour Letter Writing Campaign in early January.
Ogake Anne Angwenyi (Kenya, UWCAC07-09)
A sense of excitement and expectation took over many parts of the world early last week with the announcement that Barack Obama would be the United State of America’s next president. Frenzy and celebration took hold of Obama’s supporters as they revelled in the reality that change had finally come to America and indeed to the world as a whole. So grand were these celebrations that in Kenya, the birth place of Obama’s father, a national holiday of celebration and thanksgiving was declared in honour of the son of the land who had brought pride and honour to his people. Continue reading
Ken Corn (USA, UWCAC)
Dear Students, Colleagues and Friends –
As I’m sure you realise, as an American, I am delighted and thrilled by the election of Barack Obama to become the 44th president of the United States. I also realise that though many of you didn’t have the vote in this electoral process you too have a great stake in the outcome, and many of you are as excited and hopeful as I am.
Yet, the election was the easy bit (believe it or not). Now the real work begins. Barack Obama recognises this and I am confident that he and his team will do their utmost to bring about the real sense of positive change that is so desperately needed for the US and the rest of the world. But nothing positive can be accomplished without the hard work and energy of all of us to transform these necessary changes into solid realities. Continue reading
Marion Eele (UK, AC07-09), My Tra Dang (Germany, AC07-09), Björn Bremer (Germany, AC07-09)
PALESTINIAN PROTEST: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BRING STREET THEATRE TO CARDIFF
More than 100 students from all over the World will descend upon Cardiff’s Queen Street today (Saturday, 25th October) to raise awareness of human rights issues in Palestine.
Members of the Amnesty International Youth Group at Atlantic College will be a performing a street theatre in protest against the Israeli wall in Palestine.
Israel military forces began the construction of the wall in 2002 on the grounds of security. The wall prevents free movement between Palestinian towns and villages, has separated many from their property and limits access to employment and healthcare.
Sunniva Davies-Rommetveit (UK, AC07-09) interviewing a Russian Student at Atlantic College about the Russian-Georgian Conflict.
Why do you think this conflict started?
The conflict started in the 1990s during the collapse of the USSR. Countries were breaking away from the USSR and there was some uncertainty about some territories. Tension has been ongoing for a long time but it flared up once again recently because Georgia attacked South Ossetia. The Georgians attacked Chinvali and bombed it to the ground with no warning at night; this is unacceptable.
Amin Aznizan (Malaysia, AC07-09)
It is that time of the year again, where you can see Muslims eyeing the lunch at Atlantic College while trying to stay away from the luring smell of the dining hall (trust me, during Ramadhan, even that is tempting). Some non-Muslims are even brave enough to challenge themselves with this test of hunger. But do people really know what Ramadhan is all about, other than just another form of weight-loss, detoxification program?
The 9th month of the Islamic Calendar, Ramadhan is considered to be one of the holiest months, because it is believed that it was sometime during this month that the Quran was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, by the angel Jibrail, or Gabriel.
Tamara Wright (Georgia/UK, AC06-08)
The conflict started at the end of the soviet times and since we (Georgia) broke away and got our independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia hasn’t been happy with the fact that we’re a democracy functioning without their rule. Vladmir Putin., the Russian Prime Minister, is especially soviet-thinking and claims that the biggest catastrophe in European history was the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Leonardo Goi (Italy, AC07-09)
April’s Italian Elections brought about the re-election of Mr. Berlusconi along with his right-wing Party members who collectively were the only figures eager to uphold the embryonic status quo of the new Italian Political scene. Surprisingly enough, forty-seven seats of the Parliament were gained by the Nationalistic Northern Party (i.e. Lega Nord), confirming the predictions of those who had presumed an opposing radical shift to the right, resulting as a detriment for Mr. Veltroni’s left alliance, the Democratic Party.
By Elisa De Venaro Viera (Brasil UWCAC06-08) and other UWCAC students
The 5 pictures above recount the story of the project in a cartoon format, using the pictures and adventures we went through to better illustrate and recreate our 5 weeks. Continue reading
In a few weeks 13 students from Atlantic College will travel to Tanzania. They will continue the work that was done in summer 2007.
The Tanzania Summer Project 2007 has been working with the Hananasif Orphanage Center (HOCET) in the capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam. For three weeks, twelf Atlantic College students from all over the world worked together with the children from the HOCET.
The HOCET is a “is a faith-based, non-profit, development-oriented organization serving orphaned and underprivileged children in the city of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania” (visit the website). It consists of the City Center and the “Shamba” Center, which is located in the outskirts of the city. Continue reading
Tariq Omarshah (Zimbabwe, AC 06-08)
home
‘It’s dark outside’ she whispers, scared.
I smile to try and comfort her.
‘What if they come back?’ she continues.
For this I have no gesture, no words.
We sit in our living-room, alone.
It’s dark.
The candle flickers.
‘They hurt her,’ the child says, slowly.
I look away.
I can’t look into those innocent pools.
They’re too familiar.
Anders Bøtter (Denmark, MUWCI 98-00)
Anders Bøtter (Mahindra UWC of India 1998 – 2000) has been nominated
at the Mahabba Awards 2008. The nomination is granted in recognition
of his work to promote intercultural understanding through the project
“Undskyld Muhammed” (“Sorry Muhammed”), which has sparked a more
plural debate about the Muhammed drawings in Denmark.
“Undskyld Muhammed” is a Facebook group created to promote debate,
which is not filtered by mass media or popular opinion. “Undskyld
Muhammed” has approximately 8500 members and contains intense debates
about freedom of speech, Islam and other religious views, human rights
and international politics. “Undskyld Muhammed” has been nominated in
the category “Event of the year”.
Anders Bøtter will be attending the Mahabba Awards 2008 in Abu Dhabi
from 24th – 26th April.
-United World College Student Magazine-
José Ignacio Luís Miguel (Spain, AC 07-09) interviewing Leonardo Goi (Italy, AC 07-09)
On April the 13th and 14th, new elections were held in Italy. The victory of the former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, with a big majority, over Walter Veltroni (former mayor of Rome) brought a lot of controversy and discussion.
Instead of writing a normal article about the subject, making use of the opportunities provided by studying in the United World College of the Atlantic seemed a more interesting option. That is why I decided to interview one of the Italian students in our College. His name is Leonardo Goi and he is from Venice. We have to thank him for giving us a very good insight on the elections which took place in their country.
A current student at Li Po Chun UWC commenting on the recent events:
The recent protests about the expulsions at LPCUWC, contrary to what our principal seems to think, are not merely protests about the expulsions themselves, but were an accumulation of injustices and bad governance over the past year.
Throughout the year, we as a student body, have been trying to change or amend some of the current rules at LPCUWC through dialogue and the SCC (Student Consultative Committee) without much, if any success or cooperation from the receivers of our suggestions. The student body is highly concerned about the ambiguity with which the rules are presented. We have repeatedly been ignored or even scolded on our questioning of the vagueness of the rules. Continue reading
