This summer, the RCN delegation had the pleasure of visiting the Åland Islands as part of our Nordic Cooperation tour. Åland is geopolitically unique within the Nordic region: the islands are part of the Republic of Finland, but are the only monolingually Swedish-speaking region in the country, have their own government, fly their own blue-gold-and-red flag, and are an entirely demilitarized zone. During our visit, we had the chance to reconnect with former RCN alumnus Wille Valve (’97 – ’99) in the capital of Mariehamn. Wille currently works within the Åland Government as Minister of Social Affairs and Health, and credits his RCN experience for having spurred some of his initial interest in politics.

“Looking back, I don’t know if I would have ever become a politician, had it not been for my days at RCN. Perhaps at times, it is only years later – in hindsight – that we can recognize and appreciate the transformative impact of this place.”

Wille takes a moment to reflect back on some memories and key lessons learned during his days at RCN: “Looking back, perhaps I can distill some top three key lessons that I took away from RCN. First, critical thinking, always assessing the credibility of sources. This is actually more important than ever in this era of fake news and semi-fake news. It’s a sad thing, for instance, that very few students realize how important TOK is, only years after graduation. Another reflection is that even cross-cultural understanding has its borders. You can’t explain the values of President Trump by saying that he’s from another culture. For many Americans, he is an oddity even in American culture. And finally, the realization that it is actually we who shape the world.”

Wille with his family

Wille’s post-RCN academic and professional career has been varied and dynamic. During our talk, he recounts three of his most memorable work experiences which, alongside his studies in International Law at Åbo Akademi in Turku, Finland, culminated in his current political post. After graduating from RCN, Wille completed a six-month internship at the Nordic Council of Ministers in St. Petersburg (thereafter labelled as a ‘foreign agent’ and thus closed). Wille describes the internship as an excellent place to get to know Russian culture, whilst still maintaining a foot in the Nordic zone. A couple of years later, he worked during six months as the Head of the Åland Mediation Office, reconciling crimes and helping people to find solutions for their various issues and conflicts. Lastly, Wille worked during two years as an assistant for a Member of European Parliament in Belgium. He explains, “Here, I got a sense of being proud of being a politician and a feeling that the job politicians do is really important. I think these three experiences – St. Petersburg, being head of the Mediation office and working at the European Parliament were important experiences. Without them (and RCN), I would probably be a different kind of person and politician.”

Today, Wille works as Minister of Health and Social Affairs as part of Åland’s highest political authority, Landskapsregeringen. During the last elections, Wille switched from being Minister for Administrative Affairs (n.b! The same title as in “Yes Mr. Minister”, he jokes) to his current post, receiving +25% more votes than in the previous elections. He notes that he feels humbled by the trust and confidence that the Ålanders have instilled in him.

“In this job, it’s really important to have one’s priorities 100% clear all the time (for oneself). For example, last year we passed a budget whereby we are shrinking the health sector with 2 million euros per year, which is possible but requires a lot of teamwork, will, patience and clear priorities.”

Alongside his political career, Wille’s hobbies are choir singing and running. He describes singing as something 100% disconnected from what he normally does, and running as a good way to clear his thoughts. Wille lives in the capital of Mariehamn with his wife, Linda, and their two young children, a six-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. The family has recently invested in a boat, in order to spend some time exploring some of the 6,500 islands around the archipelago.

As an alumnus, Wille expresses great enthusiasm for remaining connected to the RCN family and broader UWC values and movement. Wille has formerly served as an RCN board member and former head of the Åland delegation to the Nordic Council. He emphasizes the core importance of having a Nordic UWC, and aspires to seeing that all the Nordic governments and the self-governed territories feel a genuine ownership in the project. Wille remains actively engaged with the Åland UWC National Committee, and extends a warm welcome to any RCN-ers out there who might happen to come to Åland: “Do not hesitate to contact me! A vehement guided tour of both parliament and government building is guaranteed”, he smiles.

“The UWC mission is more important than ever. One of the strengths of the UWC movement is to, at times, challenge itself and its own values. May that spirit prevail.”

Written by Lisa Jokivirta.

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Simon Ramsay, member of staff at UWC RCN since 2015, took up the opportunity to teach at Waterford Kamhlaba, United World College of Southern Africa, for the month of July. Here he reports back:

I feel that a major strength of the UWC movement is the individuality of the schools and colleges, the idea of culturally and socially distinct institutions working under wider UWC values and implementing them in ways which further enrich the individuality of the schools and colleges. Therefore, when I was asked if I would like to work alongside colleagues in Waterford Kamhlaba for a month during the summer break, of course I was thrilled!

As our term finished and we said goodbye to our second years, and the first years prepared to head home on their summer break, I prepared to head to Swaziland and see what happens in a sister school and to try and learn more about our own college by comparison.

It must first be said that Swaziland is a gorgeous country with so much to offer and I encountered so much kindness and generosity during my stay. Resting outside of the capital, Mbabane, the school sits on a hill which gives it a remarkable view over the hills and valleys which make up the most populous area of Swaziland. The school runs 5 lower year groups before the IB Diploma Programme and offers scholarships from across Africa as well as from National Committees across the world. Around 70% of the students are from Africa and this understandably lends a distinct flavour to the college. It also reinforces the point that Africa isn’t a homogenous region and the ‘African’ nature of the school retains a remarkable level of diversity.

When I arrived I was given a tour of the campus from the Headmaster Stephen Lowry. The first thing that you notice is the huge range of sporting facilities. There are several full-size pitches, as well as basketball, volleyball and tennis courts. It was great to see these being used almost constantly, even if the students were lamenting that it was ‘winter’. On that note, when I told students how cold it could be during an RCN winter morning walk to class there was genuine horror on their faces and it reinforced to me our own students’ abilities to pull together in Flekke and support each other in that first winter, especially helping those who come from warmer regions!

As the tour continues we visit classrooms and see the refurbishments that have been taking place. The school is undergoing a period of rejuvenation, the opening of spaces and taking down of walls, as well as landscaping – and this lends to a feel of real collegiate interaction. It is becoming a wonderfully light and open campus and I would love to have seen it in the summer sun when it must be buzzing with students. As we finish the tour there were a few notes to be made. Firstly, the internet is terrible. Never again will I go to Sven and Bill in our IT Department and complain of slow internet. I am sorry…truly. Secondly, there is no internet in the classrooms – everything runs off laptops and obviously there are no smart boards. To be fair, I knew this already but once I was there I started to think … how would some of our RCN students manage without their internet-connected laptops in class!? The answer, obviously, is that we all work with what we have and to the limits and limitations of our environments … I think that perhaps we do not dwell on this enough as a college and perhaps at times we can all take what we have for granted. Perhaps we should consider turning off wi-fi on campus from time to time just to let ourselves know that it isn’t the end of life as we know it.

The largest difference between Waterford and our college at an academic level is almost certainly the inclusion of years 1-5. The younger students on campus makes it feel like a normal high school rather than an IB diploma college, and gives lots of opportunity for inclusion. The students interact a great deal with the younger years through sports and through ComServe (Community Service). The ComServe program is extensive and an absolute credit to the school. It is carrying out fantastic work locally and I had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Mpaka refugee camp on a trip as part of a long running association between the two.

At the weekend it was possible to travel around the small country and to enjoy the animals, reserves and hospitality. It feels like wherever you go in Swaziland the reputation of Waterford precedes you.

I would encourage all of us to read more about the formation of Waterford and the work that has been going on for the duration of its existence – as well as for UWC teachers and students to reach out and connect with those in our sister schools and colleges. We talk so much about the diversity within our campuses. It strikes me that now is the time to look at the diversity across UWC – the people are there and are eager to collaborate and we should be looking at connecting with them.

From the staff to the students, the leadership to the maintenance staff, there is a wealth of experience to learn from and it was a pleasure to explore such a remarkable school in such a unique setting. I feel we would all gain a lot from understanding more about our sister schools and colleges, and that is most definitely true of Waterford!

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