For Conference report-Pathways world School Click here The Round Square Conference Once a year, there is a Round Square International Conference, attended by all Round Square Schools the world over.. These are special experiences that in so many subtle ways help them become better world citizens. Students from different parts of the world come together for a week, experiencing each other's culture, customs and traditions - and bringing in a vibrancy that gives each conference a life of its own. Each conference is different because each one is hosted by different schools in different world regions. This year, the conference was hosted by the MAYO COLLEGE, Ajmer, India - where, keeping the International aspect of the conference paramount, the Indian culture and traditions were highlighted. What is the Theme for Round Square 2009 ?

O, Lord please lead me from the unreal to the real. Lead me from darkness to light (i.e. from ignorance to knowledge). Lead me from death to immortality. May there be peace, peace and perfect peace. (Brihadaranyaka Upanishad - I.iii.28

The Programme schedule was as follows : Day 1 - October 10th ARRIVAL Informal Welcome Meeting of Reps Dinner hosted by The Maharaja of Jodhpur

Day 2 - October 11th OPENING CEREMONY Procession of Vintage cars Dignitaries and distinguished guests like The Duke of York and Maharaja Gaj Singh Flag bearing ceremony Address by Brian Dawson KEYNOTE SPEAKER 1 - ARUNA ROY Barazas A "Baraza" is a heterogenous group that gets-together after a Key-note speech, where students, teachers and all discuss the key issues of the speech. They put forward their opinions and express their ideas. 2 students chair a "Baraza" - where a they ask the questions, leading to the discussions. Rikas A "Rika" is a homogenous group of tecahres only or students only - an informal gathering of the teacher, Supervisors to discuss the administrative and logistic issues of the Round Square. RS AGM CULTURAL EVENING BY THE HOST SCHOOL

Day 3 - October 12th KEYNOTE SPEAKER 2 - MR. SACHIN PILOT BARAZAS SERVICE DAY           Indoor art work and craft making - sold at the Fun Fair for the local villages Outdoor Project of Rural Development at Badgaon Village Afforestation SERVICE EXHIBITIONS REHERSALS FOR THE MULTI-CULTURAL EVENING

Day 4 - October 13th ADVENTURE DAY Heritage Forts Desert Safari A day with the Indian Army REPS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE MULTI-CULTURAL EVENING OF ALL REGIONS AND SCHOOLS

Day 5 - October 14th KEYNOTE SPEAKER 3 - SHIV KHERA BARAZAS REGIONAL RIKA MELA - FETE WITH DINNER

Day 6 - October 15th VIDEO PRESENTATIONS OF SCHOOLS PLENARY SESSION AND CLOSING CEREMONY ART EXHIBITION

Round Square

Dhirubhai Ambani International School joined Round Square in March 2008 as a Regional Member (South Asia & Gulf Region). The school's overarching aim is to help every child grow to full potential and develop as a whole person, which distinctly aligns with the Round Square philosophy - international understanding, democracy, environment, adventure, leadership, and service (IDEALS). The school aspires to continue to build on these precepts and expand and refine them on a continuous basis so that every child is encouraged and supported to develop a wholesome personality.

In just one year the Round Square initiative has made praiseworthy progress at the school. Our class 8 and 9 students participated in the Round Square Junior Regional Conference held at Dubai in 2008. This four-day conference held under the theme ‘MOSAIC 2008- Colours of Life’, aimed to promote cross-cultural understanding and give students an opportunity to learn from different cultures. The theme focused on the impact of colours on the IDEALS and encourages participants to use the concept of colours to highlight any aspect of the IDEALS (eg. Green – Environment, Multiple hues –Integration or harmony, White – Purity or world peace.) The theme also tried to emphasize that despite cultural, economic and religious differences, we are all basically one, and that we can envision our life as a beautiful mosaic, with tiles of all sizes, shapes and colours.

Our students also participated in the Round Square Junior Regional Conference held at Indore in July 2009. It focused on Environment and the theme was ‘Redefining Progress through Sustainable Environment’. Our Students presented at the event a specially prepared prayer on this theme.

As part of its service initiatives, in 2008 the Round Square team at our school had come forward to support the Bihar Kosi Flood victims. The response to the drive to collect food, clothes and basic necessities from the entire school community was overwhelming. Even little children offered their daily snack-boxes and biscuit packets because they wanted the flood-afflicted children to have them instead. We witnessed no matter how young or old, the spirit to help one another in need is inspiringly strong. Our children believed that this one small step would make a big difference to the lives of a lot of people who are affected by this natural calamity.

Ms. Meena Naik, a renowned puppeteer, conducted a two- day workshop at the school with students of the Round Square Club. This workshop was a huge success - not only that the students were challenged to think creatively, but they were spurred on to consider deeper issues impacting society, specially the youth of today. Puppets were created using scrap materials and our students discovered how old pieces of cloth, frayed socks, thread and buttons could be transformed into beautiful puppets with the magical touch of imagination and effort. Materials which they would normally have deposited in the garbage can without a thought suddenly became invaluable. This workshop has inculcated in our students an awareness of the environment and the wasteful tendency of human beings which is the root cause of our fast depleting resources.

Our students believe that they can make a difference in many ways and that they can better relate themselves to the problems of other children. They were shown a behind-the-scenes video on how crackers were actually made by children aged as little as four. The squalor of these children’s surroundings was an ominous sign of the deprivation of their own lives. Physically abused, mentally tortured and listless, these under-paid and over-worked souls suffered every moment of their existence. The derelict factories are accident prone, thanks to the flagrant flouting of safety regulations on the employers’ behalf. The consequences of this negligence are profound. Innocent children have lost their limbs, burnt their faces and have been even fatally wounded; sacrificed at the altar of inhumanity and greed. The video touched our students; the entire Round Square Club was anguished and they decided to ‘make a difference’. The outcome was an anti-firecracker Diwali campaign through posters, script-writing street plays and handing out flyers to hundreds of people during the Diwali festival season last year. Our students believe that they have succeeded in creating awareness about a critical issue in creative ways and during one of the most appropriate occasions.