Overview

The aim of the Global Issues Network (G.I.N.) is to empower young people to collaborate locally, regionally and globally in order to create sustainable solutions for global issues. It is modeled on an international organisation (http://www.global-issues-network.org/) and has been running at Bishops since 2007. We use the Millennium Development Goals and the book by Rischard’s High Noon: 20 Global Problems: 20 Years to Solve Them as a basis for identifying global issues.

Boys are encouraged to think about and research topics and then develop an action plan and to take action, whether it is as small as putting up awareness posters around College or as big as raising R70 000 to support the development of food gardens or doing a green audit of the Bishops campus (all past activities).

The Programme Principles are:

• Students engage in real issues that require urgent attention – not a simulation.
• Students take knowledge and translate it into positive action – opportunity to improve the human condition.
• Students take ownership of programme, and as a result, take leadership.
• Activities are collaborative – not competitive.
• Students build and use networks.

Current projects are the World Savvy Challenge, growing the Bishops G.I.N blog and webpage, contributing to the Student News Action Network and growing awareness around global issues at Bishops.

Past Activities

• G.I.N. boys took the lead in the Bishops Next Wave Conference where they contributed towards a Vision Statement on Sustainability.
• In 2008, the G.I.N. boys attended a Global Issues Network Conference in Dusseldorf, Germany.
• They participated in the YES Sustainability Conference hosted by the CTICC, addressing electricity usage reduction at Bishops.
• Involvement with the Inhlovu project in Monwabisi informal settlement.
• Contributed to the Student News Action Network: studentnewsaction.net .
• Two teams took part in Challenge 20/20, an online collaborative project.
• Completed a Bishops/LEAP School Green Audit and were awarded funds for implementation.
• Two students were sponsored by the World Bank to attend a summit in Washington DC after excelling in the Evoke online game.
• Participation in the SAIIA competition on sustainability, with one student attending COP17 in Durban.
• Participation in SAIIA Mini-MUN and hosted a mini-G.I.N. conference at Bishops with other schools.