“Do not only practice your art, but force your way into its secrets for it and knowledge can raise men to the Divine”
Ludwig Van Beethoven
In this Olympiad of knowledge of International Business held here, and brought to life by the diligence and zeal of the BIG-OE with the aid of carrier chief Sara Aguilar Barrientos, the teachers of the IB program and Proyecto 50. We did not mean to show which of all the IB programs offered by all the institutions that competed nor was the team with more information about their studies.
Our carrier is defined by the almost infinite amount of scopes we use to accomplish our task which can be resumed in this phrase: “To use best of our skills and hearts to see and interact with the world as a whole”. We are that bizarre mixture of merchants, politicians, lawyers, economists, historians, sociologists, anthropologists, publicists and the list goes on. However to that list that sparkle that makes each individual completely different from one another, sparkles made of attitudes, values, perceptions and skills confirming that strength of mankind is that cohesion of differences.
During the two days the event lasted. IB programs from all over the nation showed their awareness of their careers and its impact in the environment, classified in the categories of basic (1st to 3rd semester), intermediate (4th to 6th semester) and advanced (up from 6th semester). In basic the team of La Universidad de la Sabana achieved the first place, at intermediate the UPB deserved the victory and in advanced the Laurels remained home with the first place of EAFIT.
Each member of the winning teams was awarded with a certificate of the Falabella store worth a Hundred Thousand pesos, Semi-finalists also deserved a reward consistent of a commemorative pack made of a book published during the 20th anniversary of IB program of EAFIT plus institutional erasers, pens, agendas and pins.
However in the words of the Romans these gifts are “Pecatta Minuta” compared to the knowledge, the enthusiasm, the honour and the zeal shown by participating in this event. In a world in the middle of a debate where marked by hope and fear, change and conservation, injustice and solidarity and last but not least by potential and ignorance which is been going on for the last two decades: Is this tendency to draw down barriers in all the dimension of human life the solution to all of our crises or a deregulated process for which humans are not and might never be ready to even understand or achieve?
The only thing these perceptions have in common is that they are human creations, extensions of our thoughts and wishes colliding with the fact that us, despite of our individuality and egoism the idea of being completely alone or self-sufficient it’s impossible and unthinkable. This also brings the dilemma of using this capacity to see the world and interact with it as whole to the good of everyone or for our own ego, was the middle-men, the envoys and the liaison points with completely different cosmos with an almost unsuspected capacity to influence them.
Hereby I hope that myself and my colleagues will always respect the differences among individuals and groups across the globe, that we will understand our own capacity to alter the cosmos and that we will have the criteria to use that responsibly and wisely, That we will honour the identity, values and traditions of others as we honour those of our own, That not all treasures are made of gold and silver, that normality and possibility are matters of perspective and finally that dementia and geniality are extremely alike.
Now I shall leave you with this:
“…Le presentaron entonces las cartas y pusieron ante él los regalos del Papa Gregorio, y tras escuchar lo arriba indicado, hizo muchos elogios sobre la fidelidad, el celo y la diligencia de sus embajadores. Recibió con la debida reverencia el aceite del Santo Sepulcro y dio instrucciones para que fuera conservado con religioso cuidado. Cuando vio a Marco se interesó por saber quién era, a lo que Niccoló respondió: -es vuestro súbdito y mi hijo-. El Gran Khan repuso a su vez –Sea bienvenido, y me complace mucho-,y lo nombró uno de sus asistentes honorarios, Y…durante el tiempo que los hermanos y Marco permanecieron en la corte del Gran Khan, fueron honrados incluso más que sus propios cortesanos”.
“Il milione” –Marco Polo, La ruta de la Seda, El arte del viaje, Un Italiano en la corte Kublai Khan- Editorial Blume.