Good morning, everyone! It is truly an honour to stand here with you as we come together to celebrate the vibrant, diverse, and interconnected community that we have at CGB. Today, we are not just celebrating the incredible mix of over 50 different nationalities that make up our school, but we are also taking a moment to recognise how special this community truly is and how unique it is especially here in Colombia.
Each of us brings something special to our school —whether it’s a language, a tradition, a way of thinking, or a story. When we gather like this, we have the rare opportunity to learn not just about the world, but also about each other in ways that go beyond textbooks and classrooms. Today is about experiencing the richness of our shared diversity—not just observing it, but participating in it, living it, and most importantly, respecting it.
But why is this important? Why do we take the time to celebrate and honour what makes each of us different, while simultaneously finding ways to see how much we are alike? Because this is how we create a world of togetherness. In our world, where differences can sometimes be a source of division, our school serves as a reminder that diversity, when embraced with open hearts, is a source of strength. It is a place where we are learning to listen to one another, to ask questions, to share and be open to understanding perspectives that are different from our own. And in that process, we come to realise that no matter where we come from, we are more alike than we might think.
So, as we move through today, I encourage each of you to take a moment to truly engage. Let this be more than just a day of tasting new foods or enjoying new music—let it be an opportunity to connect with someone from another country, to hear their story, to ask about their home and what matters most to them. Let’s leave today not just with a full stomach, but with fuller hearts and a greater sense of connection to the diversity that surrounds us. Take a moment not to look at how another country differs from yours, but how it is similar. You might be surprised to taste common ingredients in the food, to hear similar beats in the music, especially in the most unlikely of countries, that you never imagined having something in common with. The take away from today is that we are more connected than we could imagine.
When we engage with each other’s cultures and traditions, we are doing more than celebrating differences—we are learning to see the world through a wider lens. This kind of understanding is what will make us better global citizens, not just in our school, but in the world beyond.
So, let’s use today as a reminder that we all bring something special to the table—literally and figuratively. Let’s leave here knowing that we are stronger because of our differences, and that the connections we build today can have a lasting impact on the way we see and treat each other, not just within our school, but in the world at large.
Thank you, and enjoy this wonderful celebration of culture, connection, and community!
