Black Lives Matter: St Clare’s Commitment to Justice

The death of George Floyd and the response from the Black Lives Matter movement has galvanised people and institutions around the world to seek meaningful change in the systems, structures and mindsets that have, consciously or not, fostered racism.

St Clare’s is committed to addressing these issues. Our mission is to advance international understanding and nurture students to be global citizens. Racism or any form of discrimination is anathema to our core values. St Clare’s was founded after the Second World War with the goal of creating champions for peace, understanding and non-discrimination. This foundation supports the work we need to do to confront our world’s crisis of racial injustice. Please stand with us in our resolve to take on this challenge and do stay involved in the conversation. Our community and our world depend on it.

The St Clare’s community comprises students, staff, and alumni from all over the world. We take pride in welcoming student and employment applications irrespective of race, colour, gender, religious belief, national origin, or sexual orientation. But we must answer this challenge to examine ourselves and ask: what else can we do?

St Clare’s appreciates the exhortation to reflection, dialogue, and review as brought forward by some alumni. Questions include seeking ways to enhance diversity both of the curriculum and of the student and staff population. We recognise, though, that the issues go deeper than that. The college needs to consider how it my broaden or adapt its activities so as to challenge racism more specifically.

Therefore, St Clare’s will convene a Working Group to explore additional areas and proposals for action during 2021 and subsequently. The Working Group will be chaired by the Principal, and will include students, staff, governors, and alumni. We will communicate the composition of the group and its progress in due course.