While returning from the Oracle Open World conference in San Francisco, Steve Steinheimer and I had a rather long delay in the SF airport. During this time we had the unexpected pleasure of meeting Megan Munsell who works for a non profit organization called United World Colleges (UWC). Ms. Munsell was on her way to an annual board meeting in Vancouver. What Steve and I learned is that UWC’s mission is to promote world peace and a sustainable future. While that sounds like a goal that most everyone would embrace, they have a specific strategy for trying to achieve this lofty goal. That strategy is to build schools around the globe and fill the schools with students from all races, religions, cultures, and economic status. The idea is that the children will discover that they are actually more alike than different once they get to know each other, and that will lead to dialog rather than armed conflict to resolve problems in the future.
To quote from the UWC web site “The first UWC – UWC of the Atlantic – opened in 1962 and today there are thirteen United World Colleges across five continents. Almost 40,000 students from over 180 countries have studied at UWC and there are over 120 National Committees. In the turbulent world of the 21st century, UWC’s aims and objectives are as relevant today as they were in 1962 – perhaps even more so.”
I would like to personally wish Ms. Munsell and UWC the best of luck in obtaining their goal.