Ines Chami, Grade 11
UWC Maastricht
My UWCM experience started on the 24th of August,2019. The first day was really intense; we were more than 200 people meeting for the first time. One thing that I will never forget is the string game night. It was during intro week, and we had to share stories about our lives before UWC. No one was scared to be judged even though it was the first day. That activity makes us even closer because a lot of people were sharing their secrets and stories. Moreover, the DP2 students made us learn and recite the values and missions of UWC: “UWC makes education a force to unite people, nation and cultures for peace and a sustainable future”. Though most of us already knew this. But we came here to apply these values and not just learn them. We were eager to start the year and to put these values into practice every single day.
Today, the 24th of March 2020, it has already been six months since we first arrived at UWC. However, because of some global issues, we had to leave our beloved island and go back home. After two weeks of quarantine, most of us had a lot of time to think about our experience at United World College and what we took from that. Through conferences, workshops, and classes, we have learned many new skills. Living in a boarding school with more than 150 nationalities also helped us to build strong friendships with a great number of people. We can all rely on each other, have fun together, and also talk about important topics. Moreover, it helped us to get a new perspective at the different cultures and traditions in the world. After about six months, we became closer and more united than I ever thought would have been possible!!
SOLIDARITY!! Do you know what this word means? The Cambridge dictionary says that “it’s an agreement between and support for the members of a group”. Thus, what does it mean concretely? Solidarity is a social duty and reciprocal obligation of help and assistance that exists between people in a group or community because of the bond that unites them. Solidarity is a value, a value that we try to apply in life but one we need even more at UWC. We have to apply solidarity in our daily lives, such as during our 3 hours of service per week, but also in the community we live in. I think this is what makes UWC a safe place where everyone feels at home.
This word is even more important in global issues, such as the one that we are currently living with: COVID-19. This virus arrived and turned everything upside down. We are even experiencing a major diminution in pollution levels around the world, with people stopping travelling, extra activities stopped too; no longer do people buy new things like cars, phones, and other luxury goods. Parents staying inside their homes with their families because no one can go outside…
We finally understand the meaning and value of the word solidarity, that we forgot all about over the past years. We have come to understand that we are all in the same boat; that there is no rich, no poor; that we will all have to endure the consequences of this virus. The hospitals are full, the supermarkets are empty, and it’s not because you have money that you will be able to endure the consequences. This virus arrived to establish a kind of social equality that we had lost a long time ago in the world, but that UWC teaches us every day. We are the next generation that will contribute to world development, but maybe our job starts today. We should all be united in this quest and help our community to feel better and safer.
Once this crisis is over, let us remember and remind everyone that we are all equal, we are all HUMANS.
Today, the 24th of March 2020, it has already been six months since we first arrived at UWC. However, because of some global issues, we had to leave our beloved island and go back home. After two weeks of quarantine, most of us had a lot of time to think about our experience at United World College and what we took from that. Through conferences, workshops, and classes, we have learned many new skills. Living in a boarding school with more than 150 nationalities also helped us to build strong friendships with a great number of people. We can all rely on each other, have fun together, and also talk about important topics. Moreover, it helped us to get a new perspective at the different cultures and traditions in the world. After about six months, we became closer and more united than I ever thought would have been possible!!
SOLIDARITY!! Do you know what this word means? The Cambridge dictionary says that “it’s an agreement between and support for the members of a group”. Thus, what does it mean concretely? Solidarity is a social duty and reciprocal obligation of help and assistance that exists between people in a group or community because of the bond that unites them. Solidarity is a value, a value that we try to apply in life but one we need even more at UWC. We have to apply solidarity in our daily lives, such as during our 3 hours of service per week, but also in the community we live in. I think this is what makes UWC a safe place where everyone feels at home.
This word is even more important in global issues, such as the one that we are currently living with: COVID-19. This virus arrived and turned everything upside down. We are even experiencing a major diminution in pollution levels around the world, with people stopping travelling, extra activities stopped too; no longer do people buy new things like cars, phones, and other luxury goods. Parents staying inside their homes with their families because no one can go outside…
We finally understand the meaning and value of the word solidarity, that we forgot all about over the past years. We have come to understand that we are all in the same boat; that there is no rich, no poor; that we will all have to endure the consequences of this virus. The hospitals are full, the supermarkets are empty, and it’s not because you have money that you will be able to endure the consequences. This virus arrived to establish a kind of social equality that we had lost a long time ago in the world, but that UWC teaches us every day. We are the next generation that will contribute to world development, but maybe our job starts today. We should all be united in this quest and help our community to feel better and safer.
Once this crisis is over, let us remember and remind everyone that we are all equal, we are all HUMANS.
www.unitedworldwide.co