UWC International statement

The following is the announcement from the UWC International Office about the US Executive Order.
A change.org petition, drafted by many alums from across the UWC movement, can be found here.

UWC – a global education movement with secondary schools in 17 countries hosting students from 155 nations and with over 2400 graduates currently studying at 94 of the most prestigious US universities and colleges – is deeply concerned about the Executive Order “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States” and its effects on current and former students and on education in the US as a whole.

Founded in 1962 to combat the effects of the Cold War, the UWC (United World Colleges) movement is committed to bringing young people from around the world together to learn to live in peace and mutual respect. All UWC students are selected independent of their nationality, religious background or socio-economic means and the UWC student body includes a number of refugees – including at UWC-USA in New Mexico. Living in a deliberately diverse community and celebrating diversity as a strength to build mutual understanding and combat intolerance and extremism of any kind is at the centre of UWC’s educational model.

UWC is committed to preparing young people to work towards a peaceful and more just world with a view to stopping terrorism and violence. We firmly believe that this can best be done by building bridges and engaging in an education which is based on respect, tolerance and shared humanity. It is our firm conviction that the indiscriminate exclusion of refugees and nationals of certain countries will be counterproductive and potentially fuel further conflict.

UWC therefore urges US authorities to ensure that students can safely continue their education in the US independent of their nationality or their refugee status. UWC community members have been exemplary members of US universities, research institutions, NGOs, companies and US society – we hope that they will be able to continue to play this role in the future.

_____

UWC (United World Colleges) is a global education movement that makes education a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future. It comprises a network of 17 international schools and colleges on 4 continents, a system of voluntary-run national committees in over 155 countries and over 60,000 alumni. Today, 9,500 students from over 155 countries are studying on one of the UWC campuses, including at UWC-USA in New Mexico. Through the Davis UWC Scholars Program, over 2,400 UWC alumni are currently studying at universities across the US.

UWC offers a challenging educational experience to a deliberately diverse group of young people and places a high value on experiential learning, community service and outdoor activities, which complement high academic standards delivered through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma.

In line with the belief that education should be independent of the student’s socio-economic background and means, 70% of students in their IB Diploma years receive either full or partial financial assistance, based on their needs. UWC International also runs a global Refugee Initiative to enable students with refugee or displaced background a world-class education.

For more information visit www.uwc.org or follow us on social media: facebook (@UWCIO), twitter (@UWC_IO) and instagram (@UWC_IO).