November 29

I was ever a fighter, so------one fight more,
The best and the last!
—Robert Browning, Prospice
The last Sunday Seminar of the academic session 2009-2010 began on November 29 at CMS Gomtinagar auditorium with 200 students from 12 campuses of the City Montessori School(CMS). Mrs Sangeeta Negi, Assistant Coordinator, Sunday Seminar, recorded the attendance of the students while French songs echoed in the auditorium. We have come a long way since the first session of Sunday Seminar on July 12. We have reached the point when our efforts would bear fruit in the 10th International Conference of Chief Justices of the World(ICCJW) scheduled from December 12 to 14.

The conference is an important part of CMS. These sessions would play an important role in the ICCJW because students would be selected for the final interaction with the dignitaries and the Chief Justices visiting CMS for the conference. The sessions would prepare students for the interaction. They would be instructed how they are to conduct themselves during their appeals. Mr Raza Hasnain Naqvi, Chief Coordinator, Sunday Seminar, began the session by welcoming the students. He gave a detailed schedule of the conference to the students.

Fourteen students from CMS Mahanagar Campus-II were the first to get a chance to put forth their appeals. Topics varied from the accumulation of nuclear weapons, increasing terrorist activities, environmental degradation, child labour and need for enforceable world law.

Students from different campuses were given the appeals they had submitted to the World Unity Education Department(WUED). A few changes were made by the WUED staff to suit delivery during the final appeal.

Following the appeal by students from CMS Mahanagar Campus-II, sixteen students from CMS Rajajipuram Campus-I, CMS Chowk Campus and CMS Aliganj Campus-I put forth appeals on global warming, deforestation, need for environmental laws, need to consider the evil of illiteracy, need to focus on poverty instead of development of weapons of mass destruction and the need to provide avenues of employment.

CMS Asharfabad, CMS Gomtinagar, and CMS Anand Nagar were given a chance to put forth their appeals. Sixteen students expressed dissonance for deforestation, cutting of grasslands, pollution, water wastage, need to implement Article 51 of the Constitution of India, need for a united world, enforceable world law, world court of justice and the need to reduce expenditure on weapons.

Students from CMS Rajendra Nagar Campus-I and III expressed their concern over the growing threat to the environment, need for nuclear disarmament, growing menace of pollution, need for enforceable world law, over exploitation of natural resources, deforestation and the depletion of ozone layer.

Students from CMS Kanpur Road Campus and CMS RDSO Campus pouted forth their appeals on child labour, pollution, environmental degradation, population explosion, safe disposal of garbage, terrorism, endangered animals, use of harmful chemicals, differences of race, caste, colour, gender present in the society, deforestation, global warming and waste management.

A short film, The Little Terrorist, was shown to the students. The movie was in Hindi used with a bit of Rajasthani accent. The story was of a boy, Jamal, in a town bordering Pakistan in Rajasthan. Jamal is shown running after a ball that crosses the India-Pakistan border. His friends appeal to him to be wary of security personnel deployed along the border. Jamal is chased by security personnel from across the border, he hides behind some rocks, but he is saved by a school master who is passing by. When they reach home, the school master’s daughter reacts strongly when she discovers Jamal’s identity. Security personnel reach the village in search of the refugee, Jamal, but Jamal escapes them because the school master had got his head shaven to disguise him. Moreover, Jamal pretends to be dumb. Jamal thrives on food left over by the family. He runs away secretly, and reaches home.

Sunday Seminar too has reached its destination. We have come a long way since the first session on July 12. The WUED staff bid a farewell to the students hoping to see them again in the next session.