Keeping the bad guys from getting the nukes

Tariq Abid (Pakistan, UWC AC 2011-2013)

Over the recent years, a lot of hype has been built up about the vulnerability of Pakistan’s nuclear assets and the likelihood of their fall into evil hands.  In this debate, the most important stakeholders are the common Pakistani people, therefore it is important to understand a perspective from that dimension.

It is a widely held belief among the Pakistani public that in establishing the abovementioned fears about our nuclear security, critical facts on the ground have been overlooked and realities exaggerated.

On Great Divides and the Tension in Iran

Michael Manning (USA, UWC AC 2011-2013)

On 11 January, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, the deputy head of Iran’s uranium enrichment facility at Natanz, was killed by a magnetic bomb attached to his car. This is not the first nuclear scientist to have lost their life in this manner. It seems a deliberate attack by someone, or some organization, on the hierarchy of Iran’s nuclear program. Considering the tension surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, the Iranian government suspects the killing of several nuclear scientists to be at the hands of Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

The Crisis

Nils-Fredrik Solem (Norway, UWC AC 2011-2013)

Catastrophes are happening all over the world: tsunamis ravaging countries, wars tearing up countries, financial crisis affecting the world, passenger boats sinking, etc.

Norway, however, has come out of the financial crisis well; some say it’s due to Norwegians’ oil resources, some say it’s their continuous hard-working ability, and Norway is geographically situated in an area with few natural disasters. But Norway had one remarkable disaster in 2011: there wasn’t any butter!

CHINA CHINA CHINA. A different way to spend your summer.

Scott Dwyer (UK, UWC AC 2010-2012)
Originally posted on Scott Dwyer’s personal blog: http://scottdwyer.wordpress.com/.

Upon arriving in Hong Kong, it was a shock, it was completely different to what I’m use to. I live in the north of England in a city called Liverpool. Hong Kong is a sort of western oriental version of New York and you could see the left behinds of the British colonisation. After visiting various places around Hong Kong you could see how land is so valuable here and efficient living is a must for the majority of people. With China’s growing economy I just wonder how dependent Hong Kong will eventually become on China and how long it’ll be until power of the HK Government dissolves completely. So after exploring the island of Cheung Chau and the high-rise complex jungle of Hong Kong and various other touristy things it was time to leave.

The UWC Lip Dubs

Students in UWCs seem to have found a way to showcase their beautiful campus, vibrant student life, diversity and talents in a just few minutes.

In the past two academic years, at least eight music videos made by combing lip synching and audio dubbing, or “lip dubbing”, have been produced by students of UWC Adriatic, UWC Atlantic College, UWC Costa Rica, UWC Maastricht, UWC Mahindra College, Pearson College UWC and Red Cross Nordic UWC, in alphabetical order. One was made by participants of a UWC Short Course in Israel. Here is a list of the eight UWC Lib Dubs available on YouTube:

Sino-Japan Youth Conference – Flames of Passion

Terence Young (Hong Kong, LPC UWC 2010-2012)

I must admit, when I entered the Li Po Chun United World College in September last year, I was sorely disappointed: Even though everyone was extremely interesting and friendly, we did not do much more than become friends. What happened to pushing for world peace and a sustainable future? What happened to making a difference for those around us? I am afraid that at first glance, my fellow collegians and I did nothing more than sit around and discuss about things to do without actually realizing them; a perpetual wait for Godot.

Answer Hate with Love – Response to the Norway terrorist attack

Albert Andersen Øydvin (Norway, UWC AC 2010-2012)
A Norwegian student responds to the terrorist attack in Oslo and Utøya on 22 July, 2011.

“Behind everyone that was killed
stand thousands behind.

Stand thousands of others united
in proud and naked despite
Oh, dead comrades,
they will never beat us down”
- Inger Hagerup

Last week has been one of strangest and most painful in my life. Today it’s a week since my home country, Norway, was struck by two dreadful terrorist attacks. Being in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, at the moment for a summer project, two of my Norwegian second years, the rest of the UWC-people here and I have been following the news closely on the Internet. On the 22^nd of July a bomb exploded in the center of Oslo, in the middle of the most important governmental buildings, including the prime minister’s office, the ministry of energy and oil, the ministry of justice, etc. The bomb killed eight people and injured many more seriously. About an hour afterwards a man dressed as a police officer started shooting young people gathered at a holiday island for a political summer camp for the youth organization of the Norwegian Labour Party (AUF). 69 were killed and many many more heavily injured.

¡Integrando a Mexico! 2011

Follow the blog of the facilitator team.

¡Integrando a Mexico! (“¡I.a.M.!”, a.k.a. Mexican Summer Project) is a UWC Short Course that started two years ago. More than 40 Mexican youth from different socioeconomic backgrounds and parts of the country are gathered in the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende. The four-week programme includes workshops on the Constructive Engagement of Conflicts, creative projects, social Issues, the creation of the participants´ own social projects, and more.

This year, the course runs from 11 July to 7 August. The team of facilitators of the programme is made up of 9 volunteering students or alumni from UWC Atlantic College and 3 from UWC USA.

For more information, photos and blog entries, see the official website of ¡I.a.M! or the facilitators´ diary.

10K Road Race 2011

Alun Wood (Teacher & Gwynedd Houseparent)

March 20th 2011 saw the annual running of the Atlantic College 10K road race. This race which has become a firm favourite in the College calendar is eagerly anticipated by students and runners from the local community alike. For the students, it gives them the opportunity to pit themselves against each other, and to run for house pride in the keenly contested house competition. For local runners, the challenging course provides a fabulous setting for a fast run around the rural Vale – and there aren’t too many courses which have their finishing line with a thirteenth century castle as a backdrop.

Afro-Caribbean National Evening

Avni Garg (Canada, UWC AC 2010-12)

As the lights dim and the students’ chatter dies away, an African sun rises up on stage to the first ringing notes of The Circle of Life. Vincent, dressed as a warrior leads an enthusiastic group of African and Caribbean students bearing their national flags on stage. It is the 23^rd of January, and so begins another Atlantic College national evening – significantly less delayed than usual.