Being a Baraza Leader

“Being a Baraza leader is not just about leadership skills,” said Cheyenne, a student at St George’s Diocesan School in Namibia. “It’s also about compassion, being kind-hearted, and going the extra mile — even when it takes you beyond what’s familiar.” Her peer Grace agreed: “It comes with bravery. It’s about challenging yourself in a real way”.

At both British Overseas School in Pakistan and St George’s Diocesan School in Namibia, student Baraza Leaders are reshaping what it means to lead. The Baraza model, embedded within Round Square schools, asks students not only to lead conversations but to embody the values of openness, compassion, inquisitiveness and an appreciation of diversity .

Creating Safe, Inclusive Conversations

One of the most important roles Baraza Leaders take on is facilitating discussions either online or in person with peers from around the world and creating an inclusive atmosphere to ensure their guests feel welcomed and appreciated. In both schools, students described the challenge of holding space for difficult conversations in Zoom Postcards and Philosophons – a group discussion where everyone sits in a circle and shares their views on a big question. Each person gets a chance to speak, and the aim is to explore different perspectives, not to win an argument – where strong and diverse opinions often emerge.

At St George’s, one student described a session on the theme What Makes a Good Life?, where participants were initially quiet. “It was awkward at the beginning,” she explained. “But we had to learn how to hold the space, to wait, and to let people find their voice.”

The students spoke about how hard it can be to keep conversations flowing: “A lot of people are just completely quiet,” one said. “We try asking people specifically to talk, or rephrasing the question to make it easier to answer.”

What helps, they agreed, is building a sense of comfort and connection. “When people don’t feel comfortable, it gets quite hard,” one student reflected. “You have to get them comfortable with you first.” They cited their Round Square Zoom Postcard on Social Media as a breakthrough moment. “At the end, people didn’t shy away from speaking, even in the main room,” one leader recalled. “Everyone really related to the topic—it brought the discussion closer.”

Managing Difficult Conversations

Being a Baraza Leader means being prepared:

“You have to prepare properly — come with good questions and a plan,” said Mariam, from British Overseas School, but you also need to plan for the unexpected.

“Sometimes the conversation went completely off topic,” says Mariam’s classmate Sonia. “That’s when you have to think on your feet — decide whether to bring it back or follow where it’s going. It made me a better listener because I had to really hear what people were saying before I could respond.”

From St George’s, a leader shared a similar moment in a Philosophon session: “People have strong opinions. It’s quite hard to keep the conversation light and constructive—we don’t want big arguments.” They described learning how to create space for difference, while guiding the group toward respectful dialogue.

And sometimes, the challenge is just about keeping people engaged. “You come up with an idea and then people might be bored,” a student admitted. “You really have to figure out what’s going to work and keep their attention.” That is why preparing well — with thoughtful guidelines, strong discussion points, and interesting resources — is key to making the conversation meaningful and inclusive.

Personal Growth Through Leadership

Students from both schools spoke powerfully about how being a Baraza Leader has changed them. “I feel like it helped me so much with public speaking,” Grace shared. “Before, I found it hard to talk in front of people I didn’t know, but now I feel more confident.”

Another St George’s student reflected on learning patience and empathy: “When there’s conflict, I don’t jump to conclusions anymore. I try to understand both sides of the story. That’s something I’ve used outside of school too.”

Sonia from British Overseas School talked about learning to guide without controlling. “Being a Baraza leader isn’t about being the one who speaks most — it’s about helping other people share their ideas.”

Both groups agreed that their experiences had made them more open-minded. As one St George’s leader put it, “Being a Baraza leader made me more appreciative of diversity—of thought, of background, of everything. It taught me that people are always going to be different, and that’s something to love, not to fix.”

Beyond the Baraza

The leadership work doesn’t stop with the Zoom Postcards. At St George’s, students are actively involved in organising other Round Square events, like Philosophons and the Rise and Roar democracy session, which includes Zumba, keynote speakers, and discussions. They also participate in environmental clean-ups of invasive cactus species on the school’s nearby mountain, and plan to run cross-country events for Round Square Global Challenge Day.

At both schools, Baraza Leaders are helping shape the culture, demonstrating how student-led dialogue can become a cornerstone of community life.

As Cheyenne summed it up, “At the end of the day, it’s not just the people the Baraza leader is guiding who are learning—it’s the leader themselves who is growing too.”

Baraza

[bəˈrɑːzə] noun

Old African word meaning: the coming together of different people.

In Round Square, a Baraza is a discussion group, usually mixing cultures and nationalities, led and facilitated by a student, in which all voices, including students and teachers are equal.

Please note that the images shown are illustrative and do not necessarily represent the students or schools featured in the case study.