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Table Of Content
Table of Contents Entrance
3
Forward
4
Author’s Introduction
5
Movement
7
The Founding of the College
9
List of Heads
14
Beluntu
15
The Significance of Silver
22
Initiative for Peace
26
Nelson Mandela
30
One College, Two Campuses
31
The Poetry of Trees
36
Changemakers
37
Scholars
42
The Spirit of Boarding
47
UWC in Space
50
One Starfish at a Time
51
Staff Cycling
56
There is More in You
57
Project Week
61
A Sustainable Future
63
An Ever-Evolving Curriculum
69
Performing Arts
72
One Big Family
75
Community
79
Where Next?
81
Acknowledgement
83
5
Beluntu
Memories of Beluntu
forest. The isolation. So close to home but so remote. The great warmth of the local popu-
The name Beluntu has no translatable mean-
lation. Au Bak, the wonderful cook, Ah Teh the
ing. It comes from a small water course near
ubiquitous driver. George the local policeman
the site, which only finds its path to the sea
who maintained the Beluntu Land Rover when
during the northeast monsoon. The locals
no one was on site. Bob Smith, the first War-
referred to the seasonal stream as Sungai
den, Richard Furness his successor…
Beluntu—and it seemed that Beluntu had a more evocative ring to it than the officially
Memories. Of the science laboratory. Of
named Johore United World Centre!
drama rehearsal on the beach. Of night walks in the rainforest. Of fries and rendang. Of
And Beluntu was evocative of so many things.
toppers and kayaks. Of sitting on the roof. Of
What memories did the buildings hold, apart
those who felt out of their comfort zone (old
from the centipedes and the scorpions? Sand.
and young) and those who took it in their
Sand everywhere. Sand in the shoes, sand in
stride. Of the sea and the moon. Of the jour-
the sandwiches, sand in the beds. Memories of
ney to and the journey from—each traveller a
community. The shared journeys, the building
little bit altered on the return.
together, the learning together, the nights on the beach and the days and nights in the rain-
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Beluntu
Recipes for resilience
Beluntu lost
It wasn’t just Au Bak who cooked up recipes.
The ‘stuff of fiction’ only lasted for 10 years.
Resourceful resilience was the order of the day
In 1984 Beluntu was closed by the Malaysian
at Beluntu. Solving the problems of having
government without notice or reason and
no fresh water supply, no sanitation and no
our United World Centre in Johore was lost.
emergency connection to Singapore are sto-
It was heartbreaking news for those who
ries straight out of the Great Escape.
had invested so much into the project and for teachers and students whose activities
The Recipe For Water:
revolved around trips to the paradisal compound. But Beluntu remains a rich part of our heritage and a part of our identity owned by
Dig out earth inside a huge concrete ring and let it fall into the hole.
those who knew and did not know what it
Place another ring on top of the first and keep digging.
in soft white sand, staring out across the
Repeat. Remove soil in bucket on pulley.
was like to stand with your feet half buried South China Sea, the smell of cook’s latest treat already hanging on the evening air. The stories will not be lost. The tales of all those who travelled on the annual Year 2 trips, in-
Switch diggers every few minutes to avoid heat stroke.
cluding the young boy who found the trip so
Dig to a depth of 18 feet, until water table is reached.
eventually grew up to be a tropical biologist.
Set up tank.
erous sponsorships by the Dulverton Trust,
Water supply secured!
Antonin Besse, Dagfinn Paust and Page Wad-
Celebrate.
very challenging but was so affected that he Beluntu owed much to the incredibly gen-
sworth but most of all, to the vision of those who sought and fought to make a place that allowed our students to live in a Southeast Asian manifestation of the Hahnian vision.
For waste disposal: repeat digging process. Bury 8’x4’ tank to a depth of 5’. Plumb in.
The legend of Beluntu will live on.
Septic tank secured! Flush. For connection to rescue services: plan helipad. Consider possible devastation to buildings from downdraft. Discard plan. Devise new plan. Radio tower. Build tower with students. Attach warning light for passing aircraft. Connect.
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