A number of our ‘Champions’, who have previously attended our flagship ‘Lessons from Srebrenica’ educational programme, have been organising events and workshops in their own communities in order to raise awareness of the impact of genocide and work towards the rejection of racism and extremism.
Remembering Srebrenica Champion, Tasif Zaman, recently held a workshop entitled “Lessons of our Common Humanity” with a focus on Srebrenica and the Holocaust. This was delivered as part of Tasif’s role as a student advisor with the Joseph Interfaith Foundation and engaged 16-year old students at a school in Tower Hamlets. Students at the workshop learned how victims of these genocides were dehumanised by their persecutors because of their religion. The short and engaging session challenged students to consider how easy it is to become misinformed or to agree uncritically with prejudice towards those who are different.
In addition, in the north, RSI delegates and champions have engaged young people on their experiences of the visit to Srebrenica and what they learned by holding school assemblies or presentations at universities. RSI Champions such as Jerri Butler, Mashuda Sheikh and Simon Campbell-Skelling have also begun work with youth groups in Sunderland and Kirklees. Recent delegates on the programme have also included young people from the community organisation Youth Action and students from Bradford. Through supporting these outcomes RSI aims to support young people in learning about the importance of creating a cohesive society and empowering them to raise awareness in their own communities.
(Source: srebrenica.org.uk)