Symposium Overview
What is MBIS?
MBIS is a week-long global student & faculty gathering hosted by one of the participating schools each year. The host chooses a challenge of global importance for participants to research, discuss, and produce a final accord.
Why it matters for GYDI
At a moment when technology, global media, and climate intersect with youth futures, MBIS offered a platform to link sustainable development (e.g., SDG 12: Responsible Consumption; SDG 13: Climate Action) with digital truth, youth voice, and global engagement.
2025 Host & Theme
- Host school: Germantown Friends School, Philadelphia
- Theme: “The Future of Truth in the Digital Age”
- Participants: 40+ students and teachers from multiple countries
Sessions we attended
Day 1 — Bias, Media, and the Shape of Truth
- Opening Lecture at Annenberg Public Policy Center: We explored how media bias and misinformation shape the information landscape and discussed real-world examples from U.S. and international contexts.
- Group Working Sessions at GFS introduced the guiding questions for the week and gave delegates time to connect research themes to their local realities.
- Digital Epistemology Forum: A thought-provoking session on how technology changes the way truth is created, shared, and trusted.
Day 2 — Quaker Truth & Public Health
- Arch Street Meetinghouse Visit + Truth Seeking & Quakerism Panel: We examined how Quaker values shape approaches to truth, civic dialogue, and moral responsibility.
- Meeting for Worship provided space to reflect on personal and shared understandings of truth.
- Public Health Panel at Smilow Center for Translational Research: Speakers unpacked how medical information—and misinformation—circulates in a digital world, linking truth to equity and trust.
- Evening Screening of Citizen Kane encouraged critical reflection on media power and perception
Day 3 — Global Truth in Action (New York City)
- United Nations Headquarters Visit: Delegates attended briefings on how global institutions engage with truth, diplomacy, and shared crises.
- New York Times Visit & Panel: Journalists discussed truth in journalism and the responsibility of media in protecting democratic discourse.
- City Exploration allowed space for informal peer discussions on information systems and cultural narratives.
Day 4 — Mapping History & Museum Truths
- Monument Lab & Independence Hall Tour: Through walking tours and interactive activities, students explored how public memory and monuments shape what societies consider “true.”
- Barnes Museum Lecture: Art, museums, and archives as forums for truth in the past, present, and future.
- Evening Jazz & Culture Event: A celebration of Philadelphia’s layered histories, connecting culture and truth narratives.
Day 5 — Indigenous Histories & Nature
- Wissahickon Park Indigenous History Walk: Participants experienced the landscape as a living archive, discussing how indigenous knowledge systems convey truth across generations.
- GFS Campus Assembly & Q&A: A conversation on truth in indigenous histories and their relevance in today’s digital narratives.
Day 6 — Preparing the Accord
- Final Working Sessions: Delegates collaborated to synthesize insights into a shared MBIS Accord on “The Future of Truth in the Digital Age.”
- Closing Ceremony: Teams presented key ideas and built frameworks for future youth cooperation.