Climate change, increasing global inequality, a rise in nationalism, an ever growing number of refugees and conflicts between and within societies are just a few of the major challenges we are facing today.

In light of this, the need to educate young people for peace and a sustainable future is greater than ever - and so is the need for our community to pursue the UWC mission.

To be able to have a positive impact in response to these challenges, the UWC movement must continue to evolve and search for answers to pressing questions: do we equip our students with the skills they need to be the changemakers of tomorrow? How and how much do we want to grow? Are we providing enough innovative change-maker education to enough people? Are we as cutting-edge as we want to be? How can we live the UWC mission with more impact? In which areas do we need to be more innovative? In parallel, UWC is also developing its next strategic plan, and we want everyone across the movement to take part in shaping the future direction of UWC.

This is why UWC is inviting the whole community to participate in the UWC Congress 2016, which will take place on 28th and 29th October in Trieste, Italy. The UWC Congress is the biggest UWC event and brings together members from across UWC - current students, alums, current and former staff from all UWC schools and colleges, national committee volunteers, governors, donors - alongside friends and supporters of the UWC movement. Inspired by the words “Connect, Challenge, Celebrate”, the UWC Congress will represent two days of celebration, challenging discussions and connecting and reconnecting with new and old friends, and the UWC mission and values.

The programme includes more than 100 sessions along four thematic streams: Education, National Committees, Engagement & Outreach and Growth & Financial Sustainability. Participants will reflect about the role of diversity and education in today’s world, discuss key issues and questions UWC is facing today, including challenges and opportunities for the movement, and feed into relevant parts of the next UWC strategy.

Two keynote speakers have already been confirmed: Wendy Kopp, co-founder of Teach for All and Teach for America, and Sven Mollekleiv, President of the Norwegian Red Cross. The first version of the programme will be released on 15 July. There will be opportunities to participate online as well (details to be released shortly).

The UWC Congress is not just about talking. Through sessions and activities, we want to be action-oriented, feeding concrete ideas into strategy and connecting and reconnecting with the UWC mission and values. UWC hopes that participants will return from Trieste feeling inspired and motivated to take further individual and collective action to advance the UWC mission, whether at home, in their local communities or globally.

PRACTICAL DETAILS

Dates: From 28th October at 9am until 29th October at 5pm. Informal receptions will take place on 27th October in the evening, more details to follow.

Tickets: Available through registration on the UWC Congress website. Suggested ticket price is £100; however, for those unable to pay the full price, a “suggested donation” ticket is also available. Travel subsidies are available for a limited number of participants. See more details on www.uwccongress.org