Links Between East and West 37 - Round Square 东西方的连接37 - 圆方组织

In the essay “On Solving Cultural Conflicts,” I proposed my optimal solution to cultural conflicts: “Governments must seek international unity on the macro perspective but encourage the populace to seek diversity on the micro perspective.” In detail, on the macro level, leaders of each state must devote their efforts to finding a unifying force that can create powerful interconnecting bonds; on the micro level, citizens must seek intercultural diversity. This solution seems grand, which might make some doubt its feasibility or efficacy. However, in this article, I shall draw upon the example of the international student organization Round Square to show a potential method for this solution to be grounded.

Round Square is an organization comprised of 230 schools in 50 countries that connect and collaborate to design worldwide programs. These programs aim to shape competent groups of globally minded students who can truly deliver messages and changes to the many problems plaguing the world today. All the work of Round Square is tied to the six core themes – the IDEALS (Internationalism, democracy, environmentalism, adventure, leadership, service). These six themes are embedded in Round Square’s international conferences and the discussions or debates about the most sensitive yet urgent issues.

The first part of my twofold solution is seeking international unity on a macro level. To do so, people should use the fundamental creations of humankind (for example, music, philosophy, poetry, etc.) to establish bridges between different social and cultural groups. Admittedly, economic interactions intrinsically drive the establishment of social bonds. Yet, such actions to utilize music, philosophy, religion, or poetry might still be practical as it hooks onto human nature, which is universal. Round Square also uses humankind's fundamental creations to link different schools and cultures. The roots of the cornerstone values of this organization stem from Kurt Hahn’s education philosophies. Kurt Hahn, an innovator in the educational field, proposed a structure of education surrounding the exploration and development of human nature.

Round Square inherits this structure and weaves such exploration and development into its activities. For instance, one of the IDEALS is “Adventure.” This theme involves experiential learning and cultivating an innate desire for adventurous journeys. This theme appeals to the individual's natural curiosity and zeal for exploration. Hence, the activities surrounding “adventure” can easily be used as a bridge between different groups of students. One of the core activities in the upcoming Round Square International Conference 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya, would be a safari trip around the Kenyan National Park. This safari trip undoubtedly aims to promote the theme of “adventure” and can create a bond between all participating students, whether they are African, Asian, or American. This example shows that Round Square has attempted to effectively utilize the characteristics of common human nature to link cultures dotted around the globe.

The inherent structure of Round Square almost reminds one of a political federation. As my solution points out, politically, a federation can be a form of international politics that can unify various governments. A federation usually means that each member state is treated equally and tied by a shared greater value. Round Square functions like a federation. The 230 member schools within the organization share an equal voice and take turns hosting major events, such as the International Conference. Schools that gain the most from a Round Square membership also adhere to the IDEALS and try to embed these themes throughout different aspects of school life. The situation resembles how the League of Nations member states, after World War I, at least on the surface, followed the principles of democracy. As a result, although differing in school culture and commitment, Round Square schools can communicate on the same platform and feel bonded as a whole.

However, the other part of my twofold solution for solving cultural conflict is about celebrating diversity on the micro level. Only by celebrating diversity can the world prevent governments from seeking absolute unity, which would entail wars of conquest. Furthermore, celebrating diversity helps citizens, who make up the bulk of a nation, to be motivated to promote greater respect. Round Square demonstrates this aspect of my solution subtly yet inspiringly. While acting as the glue that “sticks” together all member schools, the IDEALS are incredibly flexible. Round Square recognizes that while a school that upholds the IDEALS as its foundational blocks is almost a utopic situation, it might not be desirable for all schools. Thus, the IDEALS only serve as the basic elements – each Round Square school can “create its own particular recipe for Round Square.”

This arrangement immediately brings an immense pool of opportunities to develop diversity. For example, my school, a Round Square member, has a different Round Square program than other schools. Centered around the same themes, our school’s Round Square Executive Team has delivered projects covering the academic subjects of behavioral economics, history, music, environmental science, and even political science. One project has tried to use theories of consumer behavior in behavioral economics to instill a sense of individual independence and leadership; another project has utilized a case study of the ancient Greek world to allow participants to see the power of promoting internationalism. Parallel to these projects, we organize a wide array of entertainment and adventure, from a movie night that promotes inclusivity to a family camp in the scenic Ping Gu area of Beijing. Merely looking at my school, the diversity that stems from the IDEALS is already convincing. My school is just one member out of the 230 that conceives similarly-themed yet differently-designed programs. Hence, the total diversity of Round Square on the micro level (i.e., the programs of schools) is exuberant.

(A snapshot of the Chinese Language Lab hosted by my school and two other Chinese schools in November 2022)

To create a diversified environment on the micro level, Round Square additionally takes advantage of the flexible nature of the fundamental creations of humankind. While these creations can be used as an adhesive to bond different cultures, they can also objectify each culture’s uniqueness. For instance, language is one of the fundamental creations since it is a product of human nature and social development. Language can be utilized as a platform to celebrate diversity. Round Square has exactly adopted this idea with activities known as “Language Labs.” In these labs, there would be a hosting group of students from the same country teaching their native language to another larger group comprised of students from around the world. The goal behind these labs is to employ the teaching of language as a means to introduce students to another culture. Round Square has organized Language Labs for Chinese, French, Japanese, and even the native Maori language of New Zealand. As a previous host of a Chinese Language Lab, I deeply felt the power of such activities to exchange cultural values and beliefs. These labs are far more engaging than the standard language classes in school programs, as no obstacle impedes direct and equal communication between individuals.

As a member of the Round Square organization in my school, I want to present this organization as a model that showcases implementing my solution for containing cultural conflicts. On the macro level, the cornerstones and general structure of Round Square bring all participants under the same umbrella of the IDEALS. On the micro level, each school and student can promote global diversity's growth, evoking change in their communities. Round Square shines some illuminating light on the necessary characteristics any organization aimed to tackle cultural conflicts should possess. Namely, such an organization must find a common set of values to tie every member together in the first place to prevent the outbreak of large-scale disputes. Additionally, such an organization must have a global scope – including as many regions as possible – to truly promote the blossoming of diversity. When countries can nurture citizens of the world, who are welcomed by the world and hospitable to the world, we are one significant step closer to a future of greater harmony.

Credit to the Round Square official website‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

在《论文化冲突的解决》一文中，我提出了对文化冲突的最佳解决方案： "政府必须在宏观层次上寻求国际统一，但在微观层次上鼓励民众寻求多样性"。详细来说，在宏观上，每个国家的领导人必须致力于寻找一种能够创造强大的相互联系的统一力量；在微观上，公民必须寻求文化间的多样性。这个解决方案在本质上似乎是宏大的，这可能使一些人怀疑其可行性或有效性。然而，在这篇文章中，我将以全球学生国际组织 "圆方 "为例，展示这种解决方案的可行性。

圆方由来自50个国家的230所成员校组成，它们相互链接和合作，共同设计众多全球项目。这些项目旨在塑造有能力的、具有全球意识的学生群体，他们能够真正为困扰当今世界的许多问题提供看法并引领变革。圆方的所有工作都与六个核心主题--IDEALS（国际主义、民主、环境主义、冒险、领导力、服务）相联系。这六个主题贯穿了圆方国际会议与日常工作对最敏感而紧迫的问题的讨论中。

我的解决方案的第一部分是关于在宏观层面上寻求国际团结或统一的力量，为此，人们应该利用人类的基本创造物（音乐、哲学、诗歌等）来建立不同社会和文化群体之间的桥梁。诚然，经济互动与需求仍是社会互动的基础动力，但就社会互动的核心而言，利用音乐、哲学、诗歌等这些创造物的行动仍可能是有效的，因为这些创造物与人性挂钩，而人性在本质上是普遍的。圆方也利用人类的基本创造物来连接不同的学校和文化。这个组织的基石价值的根源来自库尔特-哈恩的教育理念。库尔特-哈恩被称为教育领域的创新者，他提出了一个围绕探索和发展人性的教育结构。

（圆方2023国际会议的宣传海报）

圆方继承了这种结构，并将这种探索和发展元素编织到其活动中。例如，其中一个主题是 "冒险"。这个主题主要涉及体验式学习和激发对冒险旅途的天生渴望。这个主题培养了个人的自然好奇心和探索热情。因此，围绕"冒险 "的活动很容易被用作搭建学生群体之间的桥梁。即将在肯尼亚内罗毕举行的2023年圆方国际会议的核心活动之一将是在肯尼亚国家公园的观兽旅行。这样的冒险活动可以在所有参与的学生之间建立联系，无论是非洲人、亚洲人还是美洲人。这个例子表明，圆方试图有效地利用人类共同本性的特点，将遍布全球的文化连接起来。

圆方的内在结构可以让人联想到一个政治联盟或国际联邦。正如我的解决方案所指出的，在政治上，联邦可是一种国际政治的形式，将各个政府统一起来。联邦通常意味着每个成员国都被平等对待，并被一个共同的更宏大的价值所引领。圆方的运作方式就像一个联邦。在该组织内，230所成员学校拥有平等的话语权，并轮流主办重大活动，如国际会议。从圆方成员资格中获得最大收益的学校也是那些坚持IDEALS并努力将这些主题贯穿于学校生活各方面的学校。这种情况类似于第一次世界大战后国际联盟的成员国均试图履行民主原则。因此，圆方成员校虽然在学校文化和承诺方面存在差异，但可以在同一平台上进行交流，并感觉到作为一个整体的链接。

解决文化冲突的另一层面是在微观上促进多样性。只有通过促进多样性，世界才能防止政府寻求绝对统一，进而诱发征服战争。此外，鼓励多样性有助于公民去提倡文化间的尊重。圆方也以一种微妙而鼓舞人心的方式展示了我的解决方案的这个方面。IDEALS虽然是粘住所有成员学校的胶水，但本质上是非常灵活的。圆方清楚地认识到，虽然坚持以IDEALS为基础的学校几乎是一种乌托邦式的存在，但IDEALS可能不是所有学校都希望的。因此，IDEALS只作为基本要素--每所圆方成员校都可以 "为圆方创造独特的配方"。

这种安排立即为发展多样性带来了巨大的机会。例如，我的学校作为圆方成员，其圆方项目与其他学校完全不同。围绕同样的主题，我校的圆方执行团队所设计的项目涵盖了行为经济学、历史、音乐、环境科学，甚至政治学等学术科目。例如，有一个项目试图利用行为经济学中的消费者行为理论来灌输个人独立和领导力的意识；另一个项目则利用古希腊世界的案例研究，让参与者看到促进国际主义所带来的隐性力量。在开展这些项目的同时，我们还组织了各样娱乐和探险活动，从促进包容性的电影之夜到在北京平谷区举行家庭夏令营。仅仅看看我的学校，源于IDEALS的多样性就已经让人信服。我的学校只是全部230所圆方校中的一所，而每一所学校的项目在主题相似的前提下有截然不同的内容设计。因此，圆方在微观层面（即学校的项目）上的总多样性是非常庞大的。

（圆方中文语言实验室是我校与其他两所中国学校一同举办的活动，以上图片为活动进行中）‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

为了在微观层面上创造一个多样化的环境，圆方还利用了人类基本创造物的灵活性质。虽然这些创造物可以作为粘合不同文化的粘合剂，但它们也可以实际展现每种文化的独特性。例如，语言是人类基本创造物之一，因为它是人性和社会发展的自然产物。语言可以被作为一个平台来促进多样性。圆方正是采用了这个想法，开展了被称为 "语言实验室 "的活动。在这些实验室中，来自同一国家的一组学生将向由世界各地的学生组成的另一个更大的团体教授他们的母语。这些实验室背后的目标是将语言教学作为向学生介绍另一种文化的手段。圆方已经组织了中文、法语、日语，甚至新西兰毛利语的语言实验室。作为之前一次中文语言实验室的主办人之一，我深深地感受到这种活动对于交流文化价值和信仰的力量。这些实验室远比学校项目中的标准语言课程更有吸引力，因为没有任何障碍可以阻碍学生间直接且平等的交流。

综上所述，作为圆方组织的成员，我想把这个组织作为一个典范，展示我对可能包含文化冲突的解决方案的具体实施可能。在宏观层面上，圆方的基石和总体结构将所有参与者置于IDEALS的框架之下。在微观层面上，每所学校的学生都有能力促进全球多样性的发展，从而带来他们个人社区中的变化与活力。圆方点明了任何旨在解决文化冲突的组织应该具备的一些必要特征。这样的组织必须找到一套共同的价值观，首先将每个成员联系在一起，以防止爆发大规模的争端。此外，这样的组织必须有一个全球性的范围--它必须包括尽可能多的地区--这样它才能真正促进多样性的绽放。当各国能够培养出受世界欢迎、对世界好客的世界公民时，我们就会向更加和谐的未来迈出重要一步。‍