Sharjah: An Indian school in Sharjah made history on Tuesday by setting its seventh Guinness World Records title.
PACE Education Group’s India International School set the record for “The Largest Human Image of the Planet Earth” just days before the UAE hosts the UN Climate Action Conference, COP28, and the 52nd Union Day of the country.
A whopping 6,097 students and staff of 15 nationalities joined forces for the attempt.
The theme “Sustainability begins with us: Our Earth, Our Responsibility: Together for World Peace,” aligned with the UAE’s Year of Sustainability, showcasing the school’s commitment under the visionary leadership of the UAE.
The event paid tributes to the country and honoured the nation’s visionary leaders. Led by the PACE Group in memory of its founder, the late Dr. P. A. Ibrahim Haji, the school said the accomplishment harmonised with the UAE’s 2023 theme, “Today for Tomorrow,” emphasising an unwavering commitment to environmental stewardship.
Pledge for change
A pledge for change rippled through the grounds as all students committed to embrace a lifestyle change by reducing the usage of single-use plastic. As a symbol of change, as many as 6097 cloth bags were distributed to students and staff, showcasing their responsiveness to planet Earth.
They raised their bags with pride, symbolising their commitment as responsible custodians of our precious planet.
In a poetic unity, participants chanted the message: “We are the world, we are the children. Together, we’re a force for global peace. Our hearts reach out to world peace, reminding us that compassion can conquer discord, as we stand as beacons of hope for a better world.”
The management of the school expressed gratitude to parents, students, staff, and stakeholders for their support in achieving the Guinness World Record.
“Special appreciation was given to digital artist Rishada, and the artistic duo Izzudheen and Shanoob, who brought the drawings of the planet Earth to life on the ground. Principals from all PACE Group schools joined in celebrating the school’s exceptional efforts. The creative minds behind the event Shifana Muizz and Safa Azad, along with their team, breathed life into this historic image, emphasising the message that sustainability is a shared responsibility,” the school said.
Guinness World Records adjudicator, Pravin Patel, declared the spectacular attempt “Officially Amazing.”
Past records
The PACE Education Group had set its first Guinness World Record in 2017 when it created the largest human image of a dhow (boat) with 4,882 participants, followed by a double record in 2018 when it created the largest human image of a ‘Dallah’ (coffee pot) with 5,403 participants and the largest transforming human image with 5445 participants.
As a tribute to the first Emirati astronaut Hazza Al Mansouri’s voyage to space, the ‘PACE to SPACE’ endeavour in 2019 aimed to create the largest human image of a rocket in the model of the Russian Soyuz MS-15 spacecraft and successfully achieved the group’s fourth Guinness World Record with 11443 participants.
In view of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a fifth record was completed by making the largest online video chain of 3,537 people passing the UAE flag.
In 2021, 16,367 members of PACE Education Group’s students, teachers, staff, parents from 64 countries creating a massive handprint mural of the UAE national flag under the theme ‘One Community, Many Hands’.
