On Feb. 28th, we held the first-ever Ethics Across Our Borders with the Manitoba Association for Rights and Liberties, the non-profit human rights and civil liberties organization overseeing the Canadian High School Ethics Bowl. As its name suggests, the Ethics Across Our Borders fosters collaborative and respectful discussions on ethical dilemmas among students in a worldwide community. Students from 9 schools in Manitoba, Shanghai, Guangdong, Connecticut, and Massachusetts joined us in the program. The event took an ethics café format, where in each round, students are placed in heterogeneous groups of six to seven in breakout rooms led by moderators. After each round, they return to the main room to share the fruits of their discussions with the whole group. We covered three ethical cases developed by students and teachers from both sides, including the relations between human beings and technology, the ethical issues involved in Britney Spears’ conservatorship, and the role of universities. The program is a pilot to future international events to involve even more students in the cross-continental exchange!
Update: Another Ethics Across Our Borders is set to launch in early April! Feel free to contact us for more information.