Mrs. I. Machinandiarena IB MYP Coordinator What are your plans for this summer? Could you consider undertaking an action to make a difference by making your community a better place to live? Glocal engagement is connected to global engagement, which is about inquiring, acting and reflecting on global challenges in their local, national and international dimensions. To be compassionate is to ”suffer together.” As we enhance our ability to really see and feel what is around us, our ability to experience compassion grows,[The Dalai Lama Center]. Caring about someone means, for example, to sit with and listen to a person who needs to talk. Offering a meal to someone who is hungry is another way to develop compassion, which is also an IB learner profile attribute. Children show compassion when they show kindness to another child or person; when they invite a child left out to play. In that manner, that child will feel included and accepted. Learning about the suffering of people in the Niagara Region helps us to develop understanding of what happens to others in our own communities. For example, families living below the poverty line because they do not have access to cover their basic needs –water, food, clothing and shelter. There are homeless people who wander the streets trying to survive everyday, possibly linked to health issues as well. When we understand, we appreciate what we have and develop awareness of the needs of others. By developing local action in our communities we may become “glocal” citizens, a local citizen with a global approach to common human issues. With positive actions, we have the opportunity to become compassionate and caring to others. The IB Middle Years Program promotes responsible action to change the world. We know that even little everyday actions can make a difference to many people. So what is your “glocal” action for this summer?
Wheatley School Montessori and International Baccalaureate school