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SCHOOLS UNITING FOR A (RIGHT ROYAL) SHOW OF THANKS

 
 

 






A huge welcome wherever you're coming from
 
   

Conductor of Just1 Hugh Gibbons says...
"Die of service, not of rust" was one of the things my old school's song urged on us.

 

In recent years one way for me to achieve that has been by devising short and simple activities to link schools with some of the fine global campaigns for people in need. Armed with a laptop and some experience from being a CAFOD schools & media volunteer, I devised Stand Up Against Poverty.

This was able to let tens of thousands of UK pupils, staff, parents and others join millions worldwide to mark the UN's International Days for the Eradication of Poverty. The brief ceremony invited them to renew Promises to the Poor, based on the then Millennium Development Goals.

With the later Sing Out, not only choirs and at least one Glee Club performed the Count On Us Song, but a good-sport bishop was able to startle his cats before breakfast.

 

 

So I thought it might be worth revisiting the concept - to create something on the same lines, enjoyable and worthwhile for schools, and an anti-rust renewal for me. Stand-Ups had shown the great generosity of spirit in many schools - the ethos of caring a lot about people and their lives around them and humanitarian causes elsewhere in the world.

 

But many are also great examples of the value of cultural diversity - appreciating the need to embrace and accept and cherish differences between people and the way they are. And I began to explore a small suggestion that might have big appeal - worldwide.

 

I found that the UN World Day for Cultural Diversity happens each 21st May. But rather than restrict schools to the actual day, I went for a window of the whole week beforehand. And the Sunday before got added, in case churches wanted to include things in their services - as some had done with Stand Up Against Poverty.

 

Another innovation was to suggest schools reach out and invite others far away to join in. Many already have links, and these days it's very easy to search for and contact schools far and near. In turn, they might like to reach out to other schools, and invite them to join in too.
 

And I thought it would be good to re-use the simple little symbol of unity created for the Stand Ups.

 

All seemed ready to run. Though I sensed something about the date in May...

 

 

Then Meghan & Harry announced Saturday 19th May as their wedding day.  And that rang another happy bell.

 

Both have quite a record of making time for humanitarian work. For example, Meghan has been a voice for clean water, against slavery and racial injustice, and as Advocate in the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women; Harry has given the world the inspiration and hope and humanity in the Invictus Games. M&H provide quite a take on cultural diversity too. Image result for Animated applause

 

So it seemed that May-time week would also be an opportunity to pay tribute to everyone involved in humanitarian work - in international or local NGOs, in field or office posts, volunteers or supporters.

 

Including M&H, of course.

 

And it seemed a good idea to round things off with a big wave of thanks to everyone reaching out to help anyone else in need in any way.


Primary school with great cultural diversity
stands up to show the way!


THE BIG REACH-OUT 2018
just suggests a simple free happening
for schools in classrooms
or assemblies or any setting
using short paragraphs of words & actions
on this A4 page.

1 Give a Big Thank You for Cultural Diversity

2 Give a Big Round of Applause
to everyone involved
in humanitarian and aid agency work

3 Give a Big Hats Off to
Meghan Markle & Prince Harry
for their own humanitarian
activities and examples

 4. Give a Big Wave of Best Wishes
to them and everyone reaching out
to help others

If you're not in a school but would like to join in,
 you're very welcome to do so -
maybe in families, among friends,
in offices and churches,
on social media.
You don't have to be in the same place
or do things at the same time.

NB1 Pupils and teachers are pretty imaginative.
Nothing here is sacrosanct. If you want to adapt or add anything, you're welcome - as with sending in suggestions and any news to share.

NB2 There are no strings attached, no commercial angle, no money involved. If you want to use Reach Out in connection with raising funds for a good humanitarian cause, you're very welcome to do so. But don't send me anything - thanks.

Just1 is just one person: Hugh. It's his not-for-profit organisation funded out of his piggy bank,
with no commercial or other outside involvement.
There are no committees, minutes,
mission statements, newsletters or meetings.
The Just1 international corporate headquarters,
media and IT centre and home-made website
facilities are in the back bedroom at:

75 Qualitas
Roman Hill
Bracknell
Berkshire RG12 7QG
United Kingdom

e-mail hughgibbons@just1.org.uk
T (0)1344 451847
M 07538626059

 



 Sounds good?  If you'd like more details on how to join in, go to the Short Show of Thanks page. It has the information as an A4 page in Word in case you want to modify or translate the suggested words and actions into another language. There's also a PDF version for you to download. And many thanks for reading this far!

There's some other
interesting ideas for schools at
www.just1.org.uk

including
Home-grown Galleries
of Good Examples
(and The Lord's Prayer in 20+ languages)
Schools Speak Out for FairTrade
and the many ideas in the story of
Thanksgiving Field

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