From the Head of School

 

A Global Community

In 1938, a large European country with a powerful military stood poised to invade its far weaker neighbour.  The UK’s prime minister, Neville Chamberlain, decided not to intervene on the grounds, that is was a "quarrel in a far away country, between people of whom we know nothing"

84 years later a large European country with a powerful military has invaded its weaker neighbour.  But nevertheless, the world has changed.  We can no longer say with such confidence that far away countries contain people about whom we know nothing.

In the 1930s, few Aberdonians would have left the northeast, fewer still would have seen beyond the borders of their country.  A foreigner amongst them would have been a major talking point.  

The 21s century is very different.  We may not have travelled much in the last two years, but it is rare to meet an adult who hasn’t been abroad.  It is close to impossible not to have regular interactions with someone who was born outside the UK.

ISA students between them hold 45 different passports.  But that, and the flags hanging up outside the school, only hints at their diversity and their connections.  Many have close family with a different citizenship or have lived in another country and still have fond memories and close ties.  

We can now follow events on the other side of the globe, minute by minute, receiving real time images of harrowing events, hearing the voices of the afflicted in our living rooms.  Jet planes brought us face to face if we had the time and money; social media has taken away the need for the time and money.

In 1938, that we knew nothing of a certain people was a reason not to care, not to act.  Chamberlain was quite right to be wary of military action: 25 years earlier he had lived through a war that had taught the world what horror meant.  But the alternative does not need to be blank passivity.  

It is too late to prevent this current war, but we can make wars less likely.  We can bring up a generation of children who, in addition to the natural affection they feel for their own region and nation, also see themselves as global citizens; are able to engage with different perspectives respectfully; that see others, though different, as still human with lives worth living.  

We can no longer say, should no longer say, there are fellow humans about whom we know nothing, and leave it to rest.  We have to consider both what we teach children and how we teach them, to develop both their knowledge and their aptitudes.

This week in their Whatsapp groups, ISA’s class reps (CECs) highlighted the Polish Association of Aberdeen’s drive for donations to help Ukrainian families while Abernecessities had launched a drive for goods to help affected families (see this article for details). You can also donate via the UN World Food Programme here.  

None of us commands an army, but we do have the power to do something.