Global Encounters – promoting pluralism and global citizenship

58 students from 19 countries, between the ages 15-17, attended a 25-day Global Encounters camp this summer at the Aga Khan Academy Hyderabad.

Global Encounters (GE) is a month-long summer camp for adolescent youth that has a rigorous schedule which focuses on three core elements: community service learning, leadership development and exposure to an array of diverse cultures to promote the importance of pluralism. Through collaboration with not-for-profit organisations such as GE, the Academy exhibits its commitment to service through the lens of pluralism.

GE participants, educators and Academy staff and students worked closely together on service projects in nearby villages and schools who are a part of the Academy's outreach and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) network. Taking part in these projects helped to build students’ understanding of educational development and the intricacies of working in different cultures. Service initiatives were designed more as cultural exchanges, so that GE participants also learnt key phrases and songs in the local languages, or even local sports from the government school children.

One project for instance, involved designing an awareness programme about cleanliness and the environment, resulting in GE participants giving lessons to various schools on how to wash hands effectively. With hygiene being a main concern in many of the project sites, participants made sure to plan and deliver decisive lessons. They also taught students about keeping their school grounds clean and then created posters with children on hygiene to be placed around the school grounds. Other projects included establishing organic gardens; enhancement of English and verbal communication skills; imparting knowledge about world cultures through maps and globes; and creating worksheets and aids in learning mathematics.

At the end of the summer programme, there was a ‘service celebration’ to reflect on students’ exchange of learning and aspirations. GE participants left with an idea of what service entails, and the impact of experiential learning as part of the Academies’ five strands and IB learning principles.

Faraan Mithani, International Programmes Manager at the Aga Khan Academies, said: “From my perspective, one of the most transformative elements of this programme was the ability of the students to find their place in their world, because Global Encounters offers a snapshot of the world. It’s like a microcosm; it asks you to relate, recognize, embrace and value the other. Having the opportunity to explore such diversity within such a nurturing environment is a unique model of learning which can build strong notions of empathy and understanding between people from highly variable contexts.”