Colegio Internacional Ausiàs March ->
How can we make sure the fight against hate is at the core of our students’ values?
Our schoolteachers have racked their brains and come up with a continuum of activities that promote love of peace, respect and dialogue followed up by the importance of addressing one’s own beliefs and reflecting on how they pair up with human rights. Our 15-year-old students inquire about conflict, justice, and forgiveness through the film ‘In the Name of the Father’ and transition to the consequences of hate speech by watching Spielberg’s ‘Schindler’s List’ and reading Lois Lowry’s ‘Number the Stars’. They also participate in the commemorative ceremony ‘Holocaust Remembrance Day’ on the 31st of January, prepared by the History students from the IB Diploma Programme. The cherry on the cake is set by their final project ‘Toolbox Against Hate’, a proposal from facinghistory.org, which delves into how students can gain agency to fight against hate through different objects, songs or poems written by them such as:
‘In a time of war and despair,
A man named Schindler did dare,
With kindness in his heart and eyes,
He saved lives amidst the cries.
In Krakow’s dark and fearful days,
He offered hope in countless ways,
His factory doors swung open wide,
Welcoming those destined to hide.
Let us try our very best,
In every cut of kindness, we insist,
We can make a difference, like Schindler’s List.
By N. Zaragozá
We cannot overlook the fact the whole school is studded with multiple other activities such as the celebration of the European Day of Languages, Peace Day, transdisciplinary projects depicting the troubles of Syrian migrants, voluntary service through the school’s NGO – ASAM or our very own Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference and club, all with the aim of embedding in all our students true values of respect and compassion, key to the world yet to come.
