An immersive conference day providing students with an opportunity to meet and learn from survivors of genocide and Holocaust. The theme comes from the South African proverb ‘Ubuntu’ which says I am a person through other people. My humanity is tied to yours.

The aim of the conference is to support students in developing in-depth knowledge and understanding of genocide and its significance by exploring it through the narrative of three survivors.

Students will be tasked with a series of activities and challenges which encourage them to consider the significance of prejudice, discrimination and racism in their personal lives as well as within their schools and local communities.

Applying their learning of the lived experience of three genocide survivors, students will reflect on themes of belonging, identity, welcome, inclusion through active learning, respectful dialogue, creativity and empathy.

This conference will create an ideal opportunity to inspire critical thinking, empathy, personal growth, and awareness of broader social issues. Students will be encouraged to take ownership of their learning experience and to explore meaningful and creative avenues of self-expression, including creative writing, poetry, art, and an opportunity to plan their own legacy projects, which they can then take back to their own schools and communities.

You will receive a digital information pack, which includes a programme schedule and learning material to be completed in advance of the conference. This material (60-90 minutes) may be delivered in PHSE, tutor time or in a club or special extracurricular group.

An immersive conference day providing students with an opportunity to meet and learn from survivors of genocide and Holocaust.

I am because we are: School Programme + Conference

Dr Martin Stern MBE is a Holocaust survivor and was five years old when he was taken to a concentration camp. He was born in Holland in 1938 and experienced Nazi persecution in the Netherlands before being sent to Westerbork camp in the northern part of the country in 1944, followed by the Theresienstadt Ghetto in Czechoslovakia.

Martin came to the UK in 1950, went to Manchester Grammar School and then on to Oxford University to read medicine. Since retiring, he has shared his powerful story up and down the country warning about the dangers of identity passed violence.

MARTIN STERN MBE

Smajo Bešo is a child survivor from Bosnia. He has seen the worst and best of humanity. He was born in Bosnia in 1985. His father, and several male relatives, were tortured in concentration camps as Bosnian Muslims became targets of genocide. Smajo’s close relatives were murdered.

After surviving the horrors of the genocide, he found refuge in the UK where he now proudly embraces his Bosnian roots and new-found Geordie identity. Today, he regularly shares his experiences and has played a vital role in organising Holocaust Memorial Day and Bosnian Genocide commemorations across the country.

Antoinette Mutabazi is a child survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. She was born in 1982. She endured a harrowing 90-day period, hiding from the killers who murdered her mother, two young brothers, and dozens of other relatives.

Now, Antoinette works with organisations including the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust to share her story, using her shocking testimony to campaign against hatred and discrimination. As a genocide survivor, I feel compelled to share what happened, no matter how painful or traumatic.

ANTOINETTE MUTABAZI

SMAJO BEŠO OBE

This programme would be best suited for year groups 8 – 10 in secondary school. We welcome schools and pupils from all backgrounds and sectors.

Curriculum links: History, RE, Literacy (emotional, English, media, religious, online), Citizenship, SMSC, English, and PSHE.

Who is for?

The development of this programme was made possible by a generous grant from