“The Changemaker Project has made me more aware of social issues in the world and given me a chance to make a project that will make a difference. It has given me the tools and taught me how I can make a change for someone else. I have learned that even though some changes are small, it does not make them less important. Every little change means something.” wrote Laura Maria Riisager, our alumna, about The Changemaker Project.

“The Changemaker Project” invites individuals from all over the world to be part of a global community of change-makers and participate in a design challenge aimed at creating a better world. In this project, participants will be exposed to various social and environmental justice issues and be equipped with the necessary tools and skills to tackle these problems with innovation and creativity.

In the project, students are challenged to tackle a chosen problem, guided by an online course that provides valuable problem-solving skills and utilizes Stanford’s Design Thinking process. They connect and share ideas with students from diverse backgrounds through online discussion forums and video calls, and receive support from mentors who are experts in various fields as they develop your project. The teams submit a pitch video showcasing their project, which is evaluated by a team of judges. Finalists have the chance to pitch their idea to venture capitalists and philanthropists for funding.

This year four RCN teams participated in the contest with the following projects:

The Faroe Islands for Human Rights: There is a lack of Faroese educational material on human rights. This language barrier makes it difficult to get young people engaged in human rights issues.  The Faroe Islands for Human Rights aims to educate the Faroese youth on human rights in their mother tongue through an educational book. (Oline Lykke Grand)

Shelter Kits for Local Shelters in Ukraine: As people in Ukraine continue to suffer from constant Russian bomb shellings and drone attacks and have to seek shelter when air raid sirens go off, the aim of the project is to equip these shelters with shelter kits. The kits will include First Aid kits, pain medicines, emergency blankets, and hygiene products for women. The goal is to assemble and deliver at least ten shelter kits to Valeria’s hometown Irpin, which was under occupation and suffered 70% destruction. (Valeriia Ivanova and Emily Gordon)

The Little Lamp project is about donating wheelchairs in Eswatini since there is a great need for wheelchairs there. As part of the project, the team will also conduct a workshop and teach people how to fix wheelchairs since there are very few people who can fix wheelchairs in the country. Eventually fix broken wheelchairs for community members. (Nongcebo Pertunia Nsingwane)

LEAF Education is a project designed to provide online environmental education for teenagers in disadvantaged communities around the world. (LEAF EAC)

Not only did all four teams earn a spot in the competition, but each team also secured funding for their innovative projects. Even more impressive, three of the teams exceeded their funding goals, setting a new standard for success. We extend our warmest congratulations to all of the participating teams for their hard work, perseverance, and impressive achievements. Their innovative ideas and dedication to their projects are sure to make a significant impact in the world. Keep up the great work!

Between the 7th and the 13th of November, we continued with what has become a tradition at RCN: World Religion Week. This week we offered many different sessions, such as formal, philosophical lectures, open classroom Q&As, and student-led workshops and discussion groups. Some of the highlights included a panel discussion on faith in the face of tremendous evil like the holocaust, an online class visit from Mr. Huge Rice (who has attended all World Religion Weeks since it became a regular part of our programme), and an interfaith prayer for peace as the conclusion of our week.

In previous years we have been able to welcome fantastic speakers and this year was not an exception since we had the privilege of listening to two online lectures with subsequent Q&As. On Wednesday the 9th, we welcomed Swami Medhananda. He is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order as well as appointed as both Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy at the Vedanta Society of Southern California and as Hindu Religious Director at the University of Southern California. Swami Medhananda delivered a fantastic lecture on the religious pluralism of Sri Ramakrishna and contrasted these thoughts with the pluralism of John Hick. The session developed into a stimulating discussion. We recorded this session and it will soon be available on the Youtube-channel of the John Hick Centenary Conference, a channel with several recordings from the conference that was organized by our teacher Dan Silfwerin to celebrate the 100th year jubilee of John Hick in March this year.

On Friday the 11th, we were privileged to welcome Dr. Mohammad Saleh Zarepour, Lecturer at the Department of Philosophy of the University of Manchester. His topic was the Persian philosopher Avicenna and one of his arguments for God’s existence. This lecture was also followed by a great discussion and gave our students a rare insight into Islamic philosophy of religion and the real force and originality of Avicenna’s thoughts on God and God’s attributes. We extend a massive thank you to both of these speakers! You can see more details on our special Hick Centenary website and in the recordings on the YouTube channel.

We also want to thank the student organizing team (Sean Zhang, Sandy Tan, and Ismail Ismail) and the organizing teacher, Dan Silfwerin, for putting all of this together.

We also want to thank the student organizing team (Sean Zhang, Sandy Tan, and Ismail Ismail) and the organizing teacher, Dan Silfwerin, for putting all of this together.

We also want to thank the student organizing team (Sean Zhang, Sandy Tan, and Ismail Ismail) and the organizing teacher, Dan Silfwerin, for putting all of this together.