"The challenge of history is to recover the past & introduce it to the present" — David Thelen

With this aim in mind we took the up the challenge to organize Reflections: an International Youth Competition of History and Civics. The idea was fairly simple and yet powerful: To poke, provoke, persuade the innate seeds of curiosity in students and rejuvenate the latent interest in the subject as the study of history is essential for enrichment of knowledge and self-improvement.

History is often thought to be a dull and dreary subject which studies the past in abject isolation. Contrary to popular perceptions, it is anything but that. History is the colourful amalgamation of stories of darkness of despair and radiance of hope, of voyages undertaken to discover the most fantastic places, of heroic battles both won and lost, of lives sacrificed in honour of principles, of anecdotes of valour, of snatching freedom from the clutches of tyranny, of kings and queens, of celebrated spirits dying for noble causes and of establishing strong national foundations.

History emerges as the uniting force that stitches these panoramic images from the past with the threads of modern values and studies the elements of past societies in relation to the modern civilization.

As in the case of social sciences, the study of history is helpful in the understanding of other disciplines. Most modern principles have their roots embedded in the past and history brings forth the entire storyline for us to read, learn and understand the context of many things present today. It helps us appreciate our present day structures and develop an intelligent understanding of the evolution of cultures.

History is a teacher par excellence. It teaches humility to the wise, knowledge to the ignorant, restrain to the careless and patience to the confused or pained. These lessons make it possible for all of us to be able to comprehend the events of today and to foresee the future. It was a wise man who once said that dreams of the past are often shaped into the reality of future.

The wright brothers showed us that it was possible to fly and the only way a child born in an age of airplanes will appreciate the lifetime of dreams that went behind flying in an aircraft is to delve into the recesses of history, unearth the rich information and visualize the modern aircraft from Wright's eyes.

And so is the case with incidents which are less fantasy and more gory reality. August 9, 1945: A Black day in history. A tragic day which led to the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima taught us the despair of heart, devastation of civilization and denigration of human soul that is the outcome of any war.

It is so that one learns from history, because among other things, it elucidates the follies committed in the past and critically comments on its outcome. So saddled with the experience of the past, the future can be shaped to avoid repetition of mistakes and glorify its form for the benefit of all.

Civics, the younger brother of History, is a subject that reminds us of the political, legal and economic structures of today's world gifted to us by our ancient civilizations. It informs us that we at various stages of our lives belong to various groups like city, state, country and world and possess both rights and duties in that role. It is the DNA of modern societies and most often carry the good principles of the past as we move further in the evolutionary stages of societies. The more developed a society is, the more entrenched should be the "civic sense" in the minds of today's Youth.

Being a school with a broader, peace oriented goal in mind, we shoulder the responsibility of undertaking the task of changing the face of society today, by analyzing the past, understanding the demanding protocols of today and designing a better and peaceful world. We hope that the forthcoming event "Reflections" 2011 will go a long way in establishing peace and harmony and transcending all geographical boundaries for achieving our purpose of a united common world.

George Santayana quoted: "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it." This is one thought that I would leave you all to think about and for once appreciate the wonderful opportunity that History provides in letting the world have a second chance!

The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.

Dr (Mrs) Kalpana Tripathi
Principal and Convener: Reflections
CMS Rajendranagar (Campus III)
Lucknow, INDIA,
Mobile: - + 91 – 9005009709, 9415312611
Email - reflections@cmseducation.org; rajendranagar3@cmseducation.org