1. What is peace? How do we bring it about? You are invited to use an example of current injustices in your country or globally to contextualize your response. 2. In the face of resurgent xenophobia and racism around the globe, the authority of international mechanisms and institutions such as the United Nations for mitigating violence, human rights violations, and unjustifiable wars is eroding; how would you go about strengthening them? Why do you think it is important to have such institutions and mechanisms in place? International institutions like the United Nations only function when people and nations place trust and respect in them. They are more about the ideas of fairness, justice, and peace they embody than their physical buildings. An erosion in the power of these institutions thus indicates the erosion in their trust, as the power dynamics have gradually changed more than half a century after the end of World War II when these institutions were established. As a result, strengthening these institutions require them to regain trust and faith, which can only be achieved through transparency, accountability, and adaptability to the changing global landscape. They must quickly and efficiently work on tackling pressing global challenges, in order to re-establish their image as truly capable institutions, rather than being perceived as merely relics of the past or ineffective symbols. At the end of the day, it comes down to actually doing things to solve global challenges instead of being mired in bureaucracy. To rebrand themselves and reclaim the trust and authority they were founded upon, these institutions must focus take tangible, concrete actions. They should also keep in mind that the ideals and values they embody are immensely important and powerful for humanity's future. Thus, their great responsibility to both act carefully and boldly. International institutions like the United Nations only function when people and nations place trust and respect in them. They are more about the ideas of fairness, justice, and peace they embody than their physical buildings. An erosion in the power of these institutions thus indicates the erosion in their trust, as the power dynamics have gradually changed more than half a century after the end of World War II when these institutions were established. As a result, strengthening these institutions require them to regain trust and faith, which can only be achieved through transparency, accountability, and adaptability to the changing global landscape. They must quickly and efficiently work on tackling pressing global challenges, in order to re-establish their image as truly capable institutions, rather than being perceived as merely relics of the past or ineffective symbols. At the end of the day, it comes down to actually doing things to solve global challenges instead of being mired in bureaucracy. To rebrand themselves and reclaim the trust and authority they were founded upon, these institutions must focus take tangible, concrete actions. They should also keep in mind that the ideals and values they embody are immensely important and powerful for humanity's future. Thus, their great responsibility to both act carefully and boldly. As for my responsibility as an individual, it might seem that there is little that I can do. However, beyond joining volunteer programs such as the 3Zero Program led by the UN, I also believe in the importance of empowering individuals to take action and amplify their voices through the power of education. Thus, my responsibility lies in passing on the empowerment that I received from the education that I am fortunate enough to access. --- Explain how your personal journey would empower you to contribute meaningfully to the development of a Notre Dame community committed to love, inclusivity, and activism. A big part of my identity is a being UWC Student. In fact, having studied in two UWCs and participated in one UWC Short Course worldwide -- in China, Vietnam, and the Netherlands -- I regard myself as one of the most committed members of this community, living its mission of uniting people and nations through education. I feel like the core UWC values overlap with the Notre Dame Community values in the sense that both communities encourage people to accept and appreciate one another and the diversity within the group. They also both greatly encourage active initiatives to contribute to the community to make it a better place. At the end of the day, I guess it's all about how to work with other people together to achieve impact, which is essentially the key to a lot of problems humanity is facing. As a committed UWC member, I would say there are several lessons I learned from this special education. Number 1: Assume best intentions of others Number 2: Speak up when something doesn't seem right, and strive to fix it Number 3: Embrace and appreciate differences and diversity As Kurt Hahn, the founder of UWC said, education is the one of the most powerful forcess of the world. I am fortunate enough to have experienced firsthand how transformative this experience can be. I guess at the most fundamental level, it's all about passing on the love and kindness the world has given you to positively impact the lives of others. And I would love to pass on this love and power to the Notre Dame community through my actions and voices.