The board met in Geneva to celebrate the association’s anniversary and plan new projects
Dear friends,
Find following a personal summary of our special weekend in Geneva.
The Board weekend went very well. We were of course courageous to consider organizing the event with all the logistical challenges – I appreciate the effort of those who jumped through many hoops to get to Geneva.
The Board meeting agenda was manageable in a one day session, as we had already asked participants to read material in advance. We covered all the items listed but it was also clear that new members would have been happy to discuss even more the valuable ideas they had. The participation of Andrew and Iskandar was appreciated but unfortunately we were blighted with internet interruptions for the Board meeting and also later for the AGA ,when others tried to join. I do recognise the value of zoom conferencing but hope that we can get together more often in person, to allow for lively discussion of matters during the Board meeting and during the social encounters we have outside the formal settings.
The 70th year Event
The event was well attended. All invited made it to the event, including to our delight Narin Stassis, our UN Representative in New York. Since Andrew couldn’t make it, we were happy to have Juan Carlos Bonilla do a presentation on Biosafety for schools – his school in Rwanda being the the first international school to be granted certification. Our partners from Stenden University did a presentation as did WFUNA.
The atmosphere was very warm and friendly and appreciative of all the work that ISA has done over the years. We were very much a bunch of friends at a birthday party, reflecting on the past and committing to a great future. The presence of Ecolint, which was granted Honorary School status, and the IB representation from the past and the present , represented recognition for the role of ISA in international education.
We had warm greetings from Ashok and Mala from India, who were unable to attend and also from our partners at the Foundation for Environmental Education in Denmark. In addition, we had an extremely warm greeting from the Alliance for International Education, with whom we intend to work with more closely in the future.
Local organization by Sorina, our Geneva Office Manager, was greatly appreciated. She thoroughly enjoyed having us all there and was proud to be part of the Association.
The hotel was comfortable and convenient for the airport and for taking PCR tests, required by some folks for their return trip. The venue for the Friday diner, Saturday Board meeting and Event proved to be very well organised and the staff were very warm. The dinner on the last evening was typically Swiss – fondue and raclette!
All in all – a memorable weekend and worthy of the Association! Looking forward to reaching ambitious targets with you all, to ensure our continuing role in nurturing international mindedness in the world of education.
Best regards,
John.
