FEATURE STORY
OUR SECOND GLOBAL STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE transformed the Senior School into something quite
remarkable. It became a hotbed of knowledge, information, energy, and interactive learning. There were no tests and there were no marks. Two days of conventional learning blocks were replaced by talks, seminars, and presentations given by guests, parents, Georgians, staff and faculty. Students in Grades 8-12 were asked to attend whatever piqued their interest, unless they wanted to present something themselves (and over 45 students did!). This was unfiltered, organic learning. It was intellectually stimulating, conversation starting, and an incredible amount of fun. The concept behind Global Stewardship is as simple as it is profound. Namely, that we, as “global stewards,” owe each other a duty or responsibility to impact each other’s lives in a positive way. The underlying values at play are those of selflessness, connectivity, and care. A global steward recognizes the world requires our knowledge and assistance. In stark contrast to the recent upsurge in isolationism and insularity, the moral compass of a global steward points to inclusivity, diversity, and the generosity of the human spirit. It’s a multi-dimensional, higher calling. The oft-quoted line from MK Gandhi has never been so apt, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” With goals established, passions ignited, minds focused (and uniforms discarded!), we were ready to begin our conference. And what a way to start…our opening keynote speaker was recently retired Canadian broadcasting icon, Peter Mansbridge. There was a buzz and electricity in the air as Mr. Mansbridge addressed a packed house in the Dixon Gym. Mr. Mansbridge summed up why Global Stewardship is something we at St. George’s take so seriously and will continue to 42 | THE SAINT
advocate in the coming years. Growing up, said Mr. Mansbridge, his “community” was the block he lived on and the friends and parents who lived in those houses. Today, we students at St. George’s have the ability to connect all over the world; our community “…could just as easily be Yaletown in Vancouver or Cape Town in South Africa.” Other topics shared included Russian involvement in the 2016 US Presidential Election and the veracity of so called “fake news.” Democracy, our speaker warned, can be subverted and compromised when a popular individual claims news is fake simply because it’s not favourable. The rest of Day One was a blur of presentations from students, faculty, staff, parents, Georgians, and guests. Diverse topics included marine conservation, gun control in the US, and the Irish sport of hurling! One student observed that “education isn’t just a classroom experience. There is joy in learning about ourselves, each other, and the world we live in.” This was wryly epitomized by Jonathan Mergui’s highly popular off-campus trip, where students immersed themselves in the trendiest aspect of modern-French culture: the art of macaron making.
The start of Day Two featured our second keynote speaker, Shaun Frankson. His success story is multi-faceted: it’s a groundbreaking example of entrepreneurship meeting environmental responsibility. Students of my vintage often hear the job they will have tomorrow hasn’t been created today. Mr. Frankson is a case in point. In 2013, Mr. Frankson, along with fellow Vancouverite, David Katz, co-founded The Plastic Bank as a solution to address the problem of plastic pollution. After being snubbed by the Dragons’ Den, The Plastic Bank has gone on to partner with billiondollar companies such as IBM and Henkel to materialize their world-changing idea. The concept is simple: attack the problem at its source. As Mr. Frankson laconically explained, “If your sink is overflowing and the walls are getting soaked, the first thing you do is turn off the tap.” In other words, before cleaning our oceans, let’s stop the flow of garbage. Mr. Frankson realized that instead of viewing plastic waste as garbage or even a recyclable, it had to be defined as something far more valuable: currency. Mr. Frankson’s idea has allowed people living in plastic-ridden, impoverished communities to collect and return plastic in exchange for