Diversity Week

The school’s distinctive ethos of the balanced development of mind, body and spirit is lived out through the five pathways of challenge, respect, responsibility, diversity and service. Our regular Focus Weeks are a chance for Aiglon students and staff to step back and look at these guiding principle pathways in practice. 

This term, the focus was Diversity—a week designed to move beyond just "noticing" our differences and toward actually understanding them. The school organised a range of activities and events in order to celebrate and to reflect on what diversity means in our lives. This included a visit from former bodyguard to Nelson Mandela, Chris Lubbe, as well as our termly assembly The Gathering, a faith group meditation on diversity and the Model United Nations team traveling to the Hague.

Lessons from South Africa: Chris Lubbe

Having grown up in a Durban ghetto during apartheid, Chris Lubbe brought a profound perspective to the school. He held talks with both senior and junior students sharing his story and turning literature and history lessons into something tangible. For students currently reading about apartheid in English, Chris provided a bridge between the page and reality. During his session with the Junior School, the dialogue was direct. When asked what Mandela’s legacy was, one student noted, "He changed how white and black people live every single day." When Chris asked if skin color should ever determine how we treat people, a "No" resounded from the 50 students. Chris’ message focused on the themes of determination and forgiveness, challenging everyone to consider how they might bring about change in their own personal lives.

The Gathering

Our termly assembly, The Gathering, brought the whole school together for a mix of performance and reflection. It was a high-energy programme: from the Year 9 rock band cover of Arctic Monkeys to a beautiful violin performance from Schindler’s List. For the first time ever, a group of art students drew and painted the event live, revealing their stunning creations to the audience at the end.

We also welcomed back alumnus Nick Forstmann (Belvedere, 2016). His advice to the students was practical: don't rush. He encouraged them to take time after Aiglon to explore different avenues, support a cause, and learn skills in-depth rather than just following a set path.

School Director Nicola Sparrow closed the morning with a challenge to the community: "Diversity is not something we need to fix. It is something we must protect and celebrate—because the moment we all become the same, we lose what makes us interesting."

Diplomatic Diversity: MUN at The Hague

While activities continued on campus, eight students from Years 10–12 were in The Netherlands for the international Model United Nations (MUN) conference, THIMUN . This year’s theme, "Culture and Heritage: Embracing Diversity," saw our delegates representing Lao PDR.

They spent the week navigating the complexities of the General Assembly, the Environmental Commission, and the Human Rights Council. The trip provided a stark, real-world context for their debates when they visited the Peace Palace. There, they saw protesters gathered as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) began hearings on the case of The Gambia v. Myanmar regarding the Genocide Convention. It was a powerful moment that showed the students how the diplomatic simulations they perform in class carry weight in the global preservation of cultures.

Spiritual Reflection: The Golden Glue

Aiglon welcomes students from all, any or no faith backgrounds and all students participate in regular faith groups to reflect and learn about various spiritual and religious themes. As part of this programme during diversity week, staff member and Anglican minister Seth Barker gave a meditation on diversity from a spiritual perspective.

He spoke on the art of Kintsugi, the Japanese craft of repairing broken pottery with gold. He suggested that spiritual diversity is more than a collection of external qualities; it is a process of integration. He said, "Diversity becomes a form of healing that brings the different parts of our life together in a new harmony. . . it cannot be added up like a collection of flags, but true diversity is borne out of the lifelong process of healing and joining within ourselves, of picking up small pieces along the path and putting them together to build something new.” 

A Community Perspective

Everyone has a responsibility to help create an environment in which all students and staff positively participate and are empowered to develop a sense of self-confidence and belonging. These Focus Weeks throughout the year, especially diversity, provide an opportunity to discuss various ideas and viewpoints in a respectful and constructive manner in which challenging conversations are valued as a way of growth.

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AI Disclosure: This article was written by a human, with later edits supported by AI.