World Magazine - Winter 2018

ROMANIAN CENTENARY

CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF ROMANIA

AISB spans over half a century of exceptional learning, beautiful memories, wonderful community events, inspiring teachers, academic excellence, cultural diversity, and so much more. Our faculty, staff, students, and parents keep the past alive while creating new stories to share with our AISB family every day.

The unification of Romania, in 1918 was a key moment in the history of this great country, with such a proud past and dynamic future. With the fall of communism in December 1989 doors opened to a brighter future out of the social and economic malaise that had been present for such a long time.

However, with the present rise of nationalism across many parts of the globe, there are moments in history, when it is ever more important to provide an education to our children that is based on the UN Charters of freedom and social responsibility, and an International Baccalaureate (IBO) curriculum that:

… aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.

… encourages students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

Since the Great Unification of Romania, most nations, particularly in the western world, have strived to move towards a framework of political and social dialogue under the guise of Globalism or Globalization, which has given rise to greater social mobility, prosperity and cultural interconnectedness. However, with the upsurge in this age of populism and nationalism emerging in Europe, our graduating students will need to

pave the way to ensure that there is an enduring and everlasting understanding of tolerance, empathy and respect. To quote the IBO, again:

… we promote intercultural understanding and respect, not as an alternative to a sense of cultural and national identity, but as an essential part of life in the 21st century.

I am an eternal optimist; every generation is graduating more and more students who are educated to appreciate and understand the core tenets of an international education. Our students recognize how creativity leads to experiences that involve creative thinking; that activity and physical effort contribute to a healthier lifestyle; and, that unsolicited and voluntary help in the community rounds out the social perspective.

One of the more disturbing trends that we have seen over the past couple of year is the emergence of a ‘post fact’ world, in which virtually all scientific analysis and authoritative information is being challenged by those who simply have no background or training in such matters. Scholarly thought, deduction, conjecture is being dismissed as fake news, with no other rationale than ‘because I think so’. Thus, it is even more critical that our students understand, and de-personalize, the relative nature of ‘truth’; the Theory of Knowledge course creates a better understanding of what is truth, what is a fact and:

.. asks students to reflect on the nature of knowledge, and on how we know what we claim to know. (IBO)

Theodore Roosevelt’s quote rings through the ages; spoken over a century ago, it is never more pertinent that it is today:

It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails

while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

So, I would like to challenge every one of our graduates and alumni to build on what they have learned through the IB philosophy and actively contest those who would dismiss notions of mutual understanding, tolerance and respect.

Become involved.Regards,

Robert Brindley Director

December 1, 2018

A once in a century MILESTONE

In previous messages I have underlined how and why our alumni network of global citizens have a moral responsibility to add sustainable value to their communities.

In a diverse world, only by focusing on an interestbased approach can we collectively achieve this. Our Alumni Association Strategy is focused on just that and the previous Executive Committee (2016-2018) has made amazing progress in this regard.

Following the June elections we have a new Executive Committee (2018-2020) well equipped to take us further on our path. A great thank you to each and every member of the team for volunteering their time and skills.

Together with George Mucibabici, Dorothea Achim, Michelle Ciubuc, Ana Teodorescu, Fabiana Papastefani-Pezzoni, Catalina Gardescu, Pia Stanca, Ellie Meuli, I strongly believe we will bring even more value to our current students and parents, alumni and AISB. Our Association is run from Bucharest by the Executive Team but I would like to thank our worldwide delegates, covering all continents, for volunteering in this organization. We consist of over 50 alumni ready to add value to our community.

This issue of the AISB Alumni WORLD Magazine is one that celebrates a milestone, or rather a relationship. All AISB alumni have called Romania their home at some point in time, and this year Romania is turning 100 years old. This country was born to allow a people their

identity that was forged during hundreds of years of tumultuous history. No matter what the situation, people that called this country home have contributed to the world through their creativity and innovation.

Our school was founded in 1962, during the now condemned Communist regime, it was an enclave for different nationalities, people and ideas. A few things have changed since then, such as freedom of speech and movement. Today AISB has developed into an institution for all nationalities, people and ideas, with the goal to educate future responsible global citizens to contribute worldwide through their creativity and innovation.

This past century, tumultuous and horrific, has brought beneficial change to all humans. Take me for example. I

am a transylvanian born in the middle of the 1989 Romanian Revolution, who received an international education and is now free to leave you, no matter who or from where you are, with a worldwide published thought to resonate with:

We are ever so grateful to the many generations of people before us, from all walks of life, that have changed so many things for the better and brought us to where we are today. We live in the best period of humankind and we can only be grateful and cherish what we have if we acknowledge and celebrate relationships such as the one between Romania and AISB.

Alexandru Cristescu Association President