RWBA's Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights Programme

RWBA’s Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme “For the dead and the living, we must bear witness.” – Elie Wiesel “Genocide is the responsibility of the entire world.” - Ann Clwyd To mark #Genocide71, to raise awareness and encourage prevention opportunities in our school, community and wider society we are to host a series of events (Dec 9-13) as part of our Holocaust, genocide and human rights programme (HGP). On the 9th December we will be holding a ‘Time to Talk about Genocide’ workshop day for 35 of our RWBA6 and PE department students. We will use the lens of the power of sport, and the testimony of Eric Murangwa to reflect upon the stages of genocide and the case study of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. So we thank Mr I’Anson for his support and engagement in making this opportunity possible. Genocide is disturbing, complex and personal-encountering it is hard and yet it draws upon active global citizenships and demands we each look at ourselves and how we can contribute to a world where genocide might, one day, be history. We know from previous such days, how meaningful and enriching to our whole school programme and curriculum offer such experiences and opportunities are. There are always so many insightful contributions, thoughtful questions and powerful learning discussions. It’s clear from the RAG rating table at the start and end of such day’s that students’ substantive knowledge improves as a result. For example, they now know who Carl Wilkens is, who coined the term ‘genocide’ and can explain what Jan Karski did and how he was treated in America. They embrace the opportunity to hear direct testimony of a survivor and appreciate Lemkin and his legacy. On 12th December we will host and run a collaborative legacy workshop for 15 RWBA students and another 15 from Hanham Woods Academy in Bristol – they are a UCL Beacon School (2019) and this will be the third time we have collaborated in such projects. We hope students will again be informed, engaged, inspired and empowered by this opportunity which will focus on the Bosnia case in 1992-95 and include hearing testimony from Safet Vukalic. We will throughout both #T2TAGenocide events encourage students to reflect upon the ways they can #StandTogether today, how they unite in the face of hate and division by developing and showing ‘respect, empathy and inclusion’. As a UNICEF “Rights Respecting School” it is important for us to mark the anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights, so we choose to host another workshop day with Year 8 students from RWBA on 11 December. We call this ‘Time to Talk about Human Rights’ and the day will include a legacy project for the students and school to follow up on between now and July 2020. Human Rights must not be taken for granted; we know, from examples like the Holocaust, that when rights are rescinded or denied, society is breaking down and should be recognised as a warning sign to genocide. The failure to preserve or protect human rights is disturbing, complex and personal - encountering it can be hard and yet it draws upon active global citizenships and demands we each look at ourselves and how we can contribute to a world where human rights are lived and respected, their abuse, make ‘history’. In the past week we have also worked with a group of Year 7s on a special #PowerofWords workshop. Students produced outstanding bio poems, words A-Z, were inspired by refugee stories to write a photo stimulus response and reflected upon the link between ‘banter’ and bullying. Their outcomes demonstrated clearly their understanding of the role of words and language in Holocaust and genocide denial, in classification of people, dehumanisation, propaganda and polarisation. Special thanks to Mr Russell and his class who so embraced the spirit of the day and offered big ideas and smiles throughout – producing reflective, creative #PowerofWords bunting to consolidate their learning and show their commitment to #StandTogether. Our combined three events this week, and others throughout the year, serve to use stories to change the way we think, feel and act. We aim to shift thinking from that which says ‘MY world would be better WITHOUT you in it’ – the thinking from which genocide and human rights abuse stems, to thinking which gives dignity to difference, brings people together because we have more in common than that which divides us, and says ‘OUR world would be better WITH you in it’. To find out more about how Royal Wootton Bassett Academy marked #Genocide71, or its unique whole school, cross curricular, Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights programme (HGP), check out @RWBAHolocaust or http://www.rwba.org.uk/Special-Projects .

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