Peace One Day

This year, to recognise the incredible environmental work and progress made by our school, the Round Square Committee (RSC) chose a sustainability themed image for Peace One Day. Our team of students and staff came up with the concept of a tree and I am very grateful for the group’s creativity and tenacity to bring the final idea together.

To inform and inspire their fellow students, the RSC presented the main aims of the Peace One Day movement in chapel to over 500 people. When preparing our presentation, the International and Spiritual Citizenship (ISC) department suggested that we use references which will chime with the students to improve engagement. We explored themes including how the impact of climate change is so visible in places our students have visited recently. We used photographs and imagery from service projects, ski racing competitions or from the extended voyages on our school’s own sail training vessel - Ocean Spirit. All of these locations, recently enjoyed by our students, have suffered and continue to suffer from the effects of extreme weather brought about by climate change. We highlighted these changes and the subsequent impact by showing photographs of children swimming in the streets of India because of the massive floods, or images from Romania where unprecedented rains have destroyed communities. In the arctic circle from Ocean Spirit, the rapid melting of the glaciers was seen first-hand and we discussed the devastating wildfires in Jasper, Alberta, which have made it impossible for visitors to access the area.

When Peace One Day arrived, it was wonderful to bring together so many members from the whole Gordonstoun community. Senior School students, Prep School pupils, teachers and staff all contributed to our ‘tree’.

Part of our plan was the transformation of the tree from a bare structure to a vibrant symbol of hope in full leafy colour. This worked beautifully and we hope it will inspire the work that the whole school will continue. Importantly, we ensured that no new paper was used for this project, opting instead to re-use paper from previous years. Following our Peace One Day project, the paper was donated to the Prep School to be reused again.

This year, as part of Gordonstoun’s commitment to a more sustainable future, we opened the greenest classrooms in the UK. The RSC want to do their part, to be more sustainable and protect our environment. The RSC and ISC team will continue to work together with students and staff to keep this at the top of the agenda. We are creating carefully chosen campaigns and planning fundraising initiatives over the rest of the year to further promote, help and heal our environment. We are so excited for the opportunities to ‘inspire, inform and engage’ more people in our school and beyond.