family history

4 Inspired to act by family history: Jedd

The authors of these articles are Ben and Jedd, high school students from New York. It is an honour for us British students to be collaborating with them to make this a transAtlantic project. Ben and Jedd share our passion for raising awareness of the Holocaust and other genocides.

were sent on a death march. During this march, my great uncle tragically fell ill and could no longer continue on foot. After staying together throughout the Holocaust, my grandfather and great uncle thought that they would never see each other again. Once my grandfather and his brother were separated, the soldier leading the death march ordered his guards not to shoot.

My great uncle was then able to rest and revive and continue the march. As to not let the Nazi regime take anything else from him, my great uncle went town to town searching for his brother and miraculously found him. They reconnected, were put in an orphanage, and decided to go to America together.

They arrived in Ellis Island as orphaned teenagers with only the clothes on their backs. Although both my grandfather and great uncle are no longer alive, they both had beautiful families and made successful careers for themselves. My great uncle went on to become a professor and get his doctorate and my grandfather became a successful lawyer.

My grandfather, Abraham Frydman (right), and great uncle Louis Frydman (left), at my grandfather's wedding.

I come from a family that is deeply affected by the events of the Holocaust. Many members of my family perished but my grandfather and great uncle survived.

In 1939, the Nazi persecution of Jewish people began in Poland, and by 1942 my family was placed in the Warsaw Ghetto. When the Ghetto was liquidated, my great grandfather was tragically killed and my grandfather, great uncle and great grandmother were sent to Majdanek for selection. During this process, my great grandmother was killed, leaving my thenteenage grandfather and great uncle as orphans.

The brothers were then sent to different camps and were fortunate enough to be able to stay together. As the U.S forces were coming to stop the Nazis in 1945 and rescue the victims of the Holocaust, my grandfather and great uncle, along with the other victims of the concentration camp they were in, Since learning about what my family went through during the Holocaust, I have felt a personal connection to fighting any form of hate today, most notably antisemitism. I am passionate about working with groups that aim to fight antisemitism both at home, here in the United States, and abroad. Currently, I am interning with an organization that fights antisemitism by educating both children and adults on how to fight back against hate against the Jewish people. As a third-generation Holocaust survivor, it is my responsibility to partake in internships like the aforementioned one and stand up against all forms of hatred.

We live in a society where people have many avenues to spread hate; hate has most recently manifested itself over social media, where people are able to coward behind screens while incessantly posting and spreading harmful pictures and speech. I know that it is my civic duty as the grandson of a Holocaust survivor and as a citizen to stand up against hate in all forms and act for what is right; I know this is what my grandfather would not only wish from me, but insist on to ensure that others never face the atrocities that our family once endured.

A joint message from British and American students: ‘After the horrors of the Holocaust were revealed the world said ‘Never Again’. Sadly, this promise was not to be realised…as genocides occurred not ‘never again’ but again, again and again. As students on both sides of the Atlantic we are fortunate to learn in excellent schools. However, we know that awareness of genocide is very low amongst young people in Britain and in America. The pressures of time mean that it is rare for genocides to be taught in classrooms whether they be in London or New York. Therefore, we, as students in Britain and America, believe that it is up to us to raise awareness. It is up to us to educate ourselves, to learn about genocide and to make sure that it is our generation that makes sure that ‘Never Again’ becomes a reality.’

5 Inspired to act by family history: Ben

Photo: Yad Vashem

Many members of my family were murdered during the Holo-

caust, including my great grandmother’s cousins, the Albins, who decided to stay in Dzuryn, Poland, a small village in which they had settled. Innocent Jewish families in Dzuryn were brutally murdered during a bloody massacre in 1943. Even Dr. Samuel Albin, a physician born in 1886 in Bazaar, Poland, was murdered, his skills forever lost. Maryla Albin, a girl who was only 15 years old, was murdered during this massacre in addition to the majority of her family in Chortkov, Poland. Prior to World War II, more than 10,000 Jews lived in Chortkov, and there were fewer than 100 who survived. As a result of this connection to the Holocaust, my family has always reminded me of the importance of learning about genocide and encouraged me to honour the victims and survivors by not only remembering them, but also meeting them.

I had the pleasure of interviewing the late Doctor Moshe Avital, a Holocaust Survivor, who was incredibly kind and generous with his time and who visited my class in middle school to share his story. Dr. Avital was born in Bilke, a village in eastern Czechoslovakia, and during the Holocaust, he and his family were deported to Auschwitz. From there, Dr. Avital was transferred to five concentration camps and survived the death march from Buchenwald along with Ellie Wiesel only for his ship, the Children of Buchenwald, to be captured by the British Navy. Finally, the Jewish prisoners were liberated by the Haganah. After all of this torture and hardship, Dr. Avital fought for the Haganah and in Israel’s War for Independence. Later, he wrote ten books regarding his experiences, Jewish heroism during World War II, and commentaries on the Bible and devoted much of his life to education. As Dr. Avital told his story, I could not understand or even imagine the heinous acts he described. Dr. Avital spoke to me for over an hour in detail about his ordeal, and what resonated with me the most was how excited he was to show me a picture of his head hanging out of the window on a train on his way to a concentration camp. He explained to me how rare it was for any survivors to have a picture of themselves with their families as they had no belongings. This small and subtle fact that carries so much emotion is something that could be obtained only from meeting survivors in person.

This early exposure to the Holocaust piqued my interest in learning about other genocides. Though the dates of each genocide are imperative to a historical timeline, I am more interested in telling survivors’ stories that deserve to be heard by everyone.

6 An appeal from Dilnaz: #FindMyFamily

Imagine someone depriving you of the hopes and desires you have for your future. Being uncertain of whether you will be able to see the sunrise again. Omerjan was 8 when I saw him. Now, as an 18 year old, he must have hopes and dreams of what he wants to do in future, just like us young people. He was a funny boy who enjoyed playing practical jokes on us. His humour and unforgettable sweet laugh is one of the fondest memories I cherish. Now, because all his aspirations have been crushed by the Chinese Government, he can’t live the life he wished for. These are the same people who tell me that he doesn’t exist on their official records. My name is Dilnaz Kerim, I am an 18 year-old Uyghur living in London. I want to share my story with you. 30 years ago, my father was imprisoned for six months and was blamed for organising a protest he knew nothing about. He was tortured, and brought to the condition where he could not stand by himself. After his release, he got treated and was forced to migrate from the land where he was born and spent his childhood. It has been 27 years, yet he still cannot return to his home, as he would be tortured till death. Don’t you think it is a painful feeling being unable to stay with your loved ones? In the Uyghur Region, millions of Uyghurs are detained in concentration camps and prisons. They are tortured, beaten, raped and forcibly sterilised. Thousands of Uyghur people are sent to factories to work as slaves. This is happening to innocent people. This is happening to my people! In 2011, my mother and I, alongside my two siblings, visited my relatives in the Uyghur Region. My siblings and I were so excited to finally meet with my relatives. However, the police turned my excitement into fear. For the first three days, police from every city and town came to my grandmothers' house and interrogated us. They hovered around the house with huge weapons and even took us to the police station to check our passports, visas and for more questioning. Unfortunately, they threatened us to not talk about what the policemen did to us but to only say good things that happened. We had to agree in order to stay with my grandmother. We kept in contact with the Norwegian embassy in Beijing to make sure we were safe there. During the recent pandemic we have all experienced the pain of being away from our loved ones, but the pain is permanent for me. Now it has been 6 years and I haven’t heard from my grandmother and the rest of my family. The Chinese government tells me that my family is living a happy, normal life. However, I have also been told that my cousin Omerjan and his family don’t exist on their official records. How can the Chinese government just take away my family like that, stealing such an important part of me? Whilst my friends go out with their families, I just have photos and memories to hold onto. I believe this is a Genocide! No person should go through what my people face. No human should be tortured, forced into slavery or sexually abused simply due to their ethnicity. I need your help to find my family. I urge all the young readers to issue a call to action by writing to their MP asking them to support #FindMyFamily campaign in order to provide justice and fair representation to the Uyghur Community.

Photo: Dilnaz Kerim

Photo: Dilnaz Kerim

Thank you,

Dilnaz Kerim

Take action to support Dilnaz: Please write to your MP asking them to support’s Dilnaz’s #FindMyFamily campaign. You can find the name and contact details of your MP here: https://members.parliament.uk/FindYourMP

7 The plight of the Uyghur explained

Who are the Uyghurs?

The Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group originating and culturally affiliated with the general region of Central and East Asia. There are around 12 million Uyghurs, most of whom are Muslim, living in Xinjiang (China’s largest region). The Uyghurs speak their own native language, similar to Turkish, and see themselves as culturally and ethnically close to central Asian countries. Over recent decades there has been a mass migration of Han Chinese (China's ethnic majority) into Xinjiang, allegedly orchestrated by the state to dilute the minority Uyghur population there.

What is happening in the ‘re -education’ camps?

Human rights groups believe China has detained more than one million Uyghurs against their will over the past few years in a large network of what the state calls "re-education camps", and sentenced hundreds of thousands to prison terms.

“They told me I needed to be educated,” Abdusalam Muhemet explained to the BBC when being interviewed about his detainment in a secretive Uighur camp in Xinjiang in 2014. Despite the CCP’s claim that Uyghurs are sent to schools to mitigate religious extremism, compelling evidence regarding the specifics of China’s internment camps highlight alarming details about their true purpose. Tenders by the government, sent to contractors, were discovered that called for the installation of comprehensive security features, such as watchtowers, razor wire, surveillance systems, and guardrooms. All to form the brutal setting for a monotonous routine of exercise, bullying and brainwashing for Muhemet and the millions of other Uyghurs trapped in China’s cultural genocide machine. Deprived of basic sanitary necessities such as toilets, citizens turned inmates, hidden from the world, are force-fed a diet of CCP propaganda while being routinely beaten in designated rooms. As the increasingly authoritarian Xi Jingping continues his genocide on the Uyghur minority in Xinjiang the number and size of the camps are only growing while unfiltered access inside to expose the reality is nearly impossible.

Is it genocide?

The UN defines genocide as at least one of the following: killing members of a group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to a group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births or forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. According to a formal legal report from the Essex Star Chambers there is a “plausible” argument that the “acts carried out by the Chinese government against the Uyghur people in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region amount to crimes against humanity and the crime of genocide.” Due to descriptions revealed first by the BBC of the group being subject to “enslavement, torture, rape, enforced sterilisation and persecution”. They have seen “credible evidence” of forced sterilisation procedures being carried out on the Uyghur people. The report took six months to produce as they considered a vast array of evidence to come to the opinion that it is genocide. China denies these accusations and claims that the camps are for re-education purposes. On December 9th 1948, the UK government pledged to prevent genocides occurring not only on their own shores, but also in other countries across the world by signing the Genocide Convention. Since that day, our government has not intervened and, some say, have turned a blind eye to every single genocide that has occurred since the Holocaust, including genocides in Rwanda, Darfur and Bosnia. Is the dreadful persecution of the Uyghur people going to be another example of yet another genocide to be ignored by the UK government and the rest of the world? Who will step in and act to prevent the horrors that the Uyghur people currently face at the hands of the ruling Communist Party in China today?

The Chinese government denies any allegations of genocide and it appears that the situation in Xinjiang will only get worse for the Uyghurs. Unless one of the 152 counties who agreed to prevent all genocides on December 9th 1948 step in and do something about it, then this event could quickly turn into a terrible catastrophe for mankind.

Meeting Rahima.

We had the great privilege of speaking to Rahima Mahmut recently. She is a fearless Uyghur campaigner who was forced to leave her homeland several years ago. Since then Rahima has worked to raise awareness of the plight of her people.

What can we do to prevent genocide?

“Preventing atrocity starts with our thoughts, words and actions. Young people shape our futures but also mould our present - it is because of this that challenges faced by our generation, can be met by our generation. Where youth serves as energy, passion as drive, and curiosity as a means to challenge, we are confident we can do just that.” Joe Collins, Jaya Pathak & Kirsty Robson Co-Executive Directors, Yet Again

8 Tigray: Warnings of genocide

Background. In November 2020 the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed, ordered an offensive against Tigray—a region of Ethiopia. It was the culmination of a long political dispute. The ordinary Tigrayan people are now suffering with the BBC reporting that 2 million people have been uprooted due to the horrific fighting and campaign of terror that has been unleashed.

‘They are going to destroy the

Tigrayans’ In June 2021 a news channel reported comments made by a Special EU envoy to Ethiopia. The envoy, Finnish foreign minister Pekka Haavisto, described his talks with Ethiopian leaders. Mr Haavisto stated that “When I met the Ethiopian leadership ... they really used this kind of language, that they are going to destroy the Tigrayans”

Dehumanisation & hate speech

Government officials and religious leaders are supposed to protect their citizens. Yet in Ethiopia it has been reported that they are using hate speech to dehumanise TIgrayans. Tigrayans have been referred to as ‘hyenas’, ‘cancer’, ‘devil’ and ‘weed’ - terminology that incites hatred and divides communities.

A map of Ethiopia with Tigray highlighted in red.

Reports of sexual violence used as a ‘weapon of war’

Dreadful reports have emerged from Tigray about horrific sexual violence being used against women and girls by government soldiers. Victims of these crimes have related their awful experiences. Many think that the use of sexual violence is being deliberately encouraged by the government as a ‘weapon of war’.

Image: Wikipedia CC-BY-SA3.0

A massacre at Axum

In late November 2020 Eritrean fighters massacred hundreds of Tigrayans in the city of Axum. A report from Amnesty International stated that at least 240 Tigrayans were murdered. Satellite images showed evidence of recent mass burials. One resident said “I saw a lot of people dead on the street. Even my uncle’s family. Six of his family members were killed.”

A man-made famine

There is a humanitarian crisis in Tigray with hundreds of thousands of people not having enough to eat. Tigrayans have been forced from their land and the Ethiopian government have prevented aid from reaching those under threat of starvation. Some believe that the famine is being deliberately used to target Tigrayans by the government.

9 ‘Help end this humanitarian tragedy’

Not many people in my school have heard of Tigray or know

where it is…and I don’t think that anyone would be able to tell you anything about what is happening there at the moment. In short, no one is really paying attention to the terrible genocide that is being committed against the men, women and children of Tigray by the Ethiopian government and their henchmen. Yet, it isn’t just others in my school who seemingly don’t know about what is happening in Tigray. Judging from the relative silence from western governments, our leaders don’t seem to know much either. A conflict that erupted as a feud between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front has escalated into a dreadful conflict in which civilians have been targeted and where, according to many, genocide is being committed. Recent reports state that two million people have been uprooted and hundreds of thousands face a man-made famine. Shocking accounts tell of massacres and the use of sexual violence against Tigrayan women and girls as a terrible weapon of war. Humanitarian agencies are unable to provide life-saving aid due to the blockade imposed by the Ethiopian government. The September 2021 Situation Report by global nonprofit Omna Tigray states “a minuscule 5% of the thousands of trucks of food that are needed to avert catastrophic famine death have made it into the region.” The government in Ethiopia, led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and others have been accused of using hate speech to incite the dehumanisation and violence against all people from Tigray. Tigrayans have been labelled as ‘hyenas’, a ‘cancer’ and ‘weeds’ that need to be ‘erased.’ Ethiopian media has used euphemistic but chilling phrases such as ‘To catch the fish, you must drain the sea.’ Activists report that hundreds of ethnic Tigrayans have been arrested in Addis Ababa for no reason. Despite the dire evidence there has been little action from western governments. Our government has sent financial aid to the region and called for a resolution to the crisis but done little else. Sarah Champion MP, Chair of the House of Commons International Development Committee recently commented that “This must not go on, and the UK Government cannot bury its head in the sand”. The Biden administration has expressed concern and imposed sanctions on some individuals too. More direct intervention is not on the agenda, it would seem.

Is there hope? Is there anything that can be done? Now?

A message on Tigray from Sarah Champion, MP

“I’m really pleased that the pupils at Hampton School are taking an active interest in the disaster unfolding in the northern regions of Ethiopia. These young people are setting an example to the rest of us. They want to understand - and need to understand - international affairs. I commend them. “In Ethiopia this latest crisis began late last year with a conflict between government forces and rebels of the Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front, named after the Tigray region where the fighting began. That war would be bad enough - but it has got much worse than a fight between these two groups. My committee has heard that innocent civilians live in constant fear of reprisal killings or rape. Millions of people have been displaced by the unrest and hunger has been used as a weapon of war. “My Committee published a report on this terrible and desperately sad situation in April. We called on the government to use its influence –through the British Embassy in Ethiopia and through international institutions that the UK helps finance, like the United Nations – to negotiate an end to the war. The government responded constructively to our cross-party report and agreed that diplomacy was the way forward. “But I think the government can and must do more. It must redouble its efforts. “It is not a completely hopeless situation. Ethiopia has a long and proud history. In recent years it had one of the fastest growing economies in Africa and it boasts many highly educated people. “Ethiopia was once a powerful Empire. It is the only African country that was never colonised by a European power. Italian facists occupied it briefly during World War Two, but British forces then helped to liberate the country. Ethiopians remember that – one of the main streets in the capital is still called Churchill Avenue. “We have some influence in Ethiopia. Our government should use that to help end this terrible humanitarian tragedy.”

Sarah Champion MP Photo: Sarah Champion

Sarah Champion is the Labour Member of Parliament for Rotherham in South Yorkshire. She is also the Chair of the House of Commons cross -party International Development Committee. The Committee’s role is to scrutinise what the government does on behalf of Parliament, and the people of the UK, in the fields of foreign aid and development.

10 Remembering Sharif

Sadly we were not able to speak to Sharif Barko in person

about his life. Tragically, he was murdered in Darfur. Yet, we wanted to tell everyone about this remarkable human being and also to raise awareness of the horrific situation that he faced in Sudan both before and after he came to our country. We were fortunate to be able to put a few questions to his friends Lucy , Sonja and Mohamed who we are so grateful to for sharing their memories of Sharif.

Please can you tell us a little bit about Sharif as a person? What was he like as a character?

Sharif had a very open, warm, humble, charismatic, and dignified personality. He left a strong, positive impression on anyone who met him. Sharif was a big person in every sense, big in person, big in personality, and big in courage. The first thing that would strike you about him was his amazingly big smile which was so characteristic of him as a warm, friendly generous human being! As well as being very easy-going—and despite having had little education - he was extremely smart. He had moral courage, deep commitment to his community, and was a loyal friend. I saw him go through some unbelievably tough experiences and his extraordinary resilience, lack of cynicism, and capacity to hope never failed to amaze me.

What was Sharif’s early life like in Darfur?

Sharif was born in the village of Sandikoru in Western Darfur State. In his early life, he studied in traditional schools (called Khalwa) to learn the Quran. He also practiced some farming and grazing in childhood. He had some amazing anecdotes, such as the technique he and his friends used to hunt pythons! He grew up in quite a harsh rural environment, but it was stable and peaceful, and at that time there were enough resources and food to go round. The strength of his personality and his high intelligence was such, that at some point he was elected as one of the village leaders called ‘warnangs’

What happened to Sharif when the genocide began in 200203?

By that time Sharif was married with two young sons, and he was also an important representative of his village. As such, he was targeted by security forces who pressured him to divulge information about people in his tribe who were defending their community from attacks by the Janjaweed. He refused. He was arrested, repeatedly tortured, held in detention for several months, and eventually transferred to a prison in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum. Whilst there, he was aware of other inmates being killed in the prison.

How did Sharif make it to Britain after he was forced to leave Darfur?

Sharif’s uncle managed to bribe prison officers to get him released. He then told Sharif that he wasn’t safe to stay in Sudan, and paid a smuggler to get Sharif out of the country. The smuggler arranged to fly Sharif to Britain, but when he arrived, Sharif had no idea which country he was in. He was eventually taken to immigration officers at the airport, and claimed asylum.

Sharif’s time in Britain after he arrived sounds really tough. How did he manage to keep going?

It is shameful to me that Sharif was made to suffer some of the worst experiences of his life only after arriving in the UK. He was put in a hostel and with help he filled out an application for asylum. He was given somewhere to live and £36 a week to live on. When his asylum claim was refused, he was in shock. He was immediately turned out of his accommodation and no longer given his living allowance. He became very desperate and would eat leftover bananas he found after a food market closed, and slept in telephone boxes. . Sharif’s mental and physical health deteriorated significantly over the years he struggled to gain a foothold in this country. He wrestled continually with ‘survivor guilt’ after finding out that his wife and children had been killed, which was of course not his fault. Had the British authorities granted his refugee status more quickly, it is possible they could have survived and joined him in the UK. He kept going through sheer grit and determination, and his extraordinary resilience. He was also helped a lot by friends, a good lawyer, kind people, and organisations who support refugees and migrants.

Why was it that Sharif was treated so poorly by the British system when he arrived?

Sharif is just one example from many thousands whose claims have been disbelieved, who find themselves stuck in the system for months or years, and who have received inadequate support in accessing services to help them build new lives in the UK. These are political choices made by governments, but I and many others believe they are immoral, cruel, and unjust calculations that have grave human rights consequences, and ironically that cost the British economy a huge amount.

Why was Sharif killed when he returned to Darfur?

Sharif had taken steps to make it safer for him to return to Darfur. After getting his British citizenship he had changed his name to Majed Hassan in order not to be recognised by the authorities when entering Sudan. Despite this, he was probably deliberately targeted as a foreign national when he was killed, as this information would have got around, several other foreign nationals were targeted at the same time, and his killers sought him out. At the time of his visit there had been huge concern amongst people in Darfur about the imminent pull out of the UN mission in Darfur, UNAMID. Many had anticipated an upsurge in violence and killings of civilians as different groups vied for control. This was indeed the context of the Janjaweed attacks that took place against the IDP camps in Geneina on January 16-18, during which Sharif was killed.

11 Remembering Sharif

How should we remember Sharif…and what can we do to help ensure that others don’t suffer awful experiences like he did?

Plant a tree in his name. Tell his story. The newspaper you are producing now, telling Sharif’s story, and raising awareness of genocide, is so important. If people aren’t told what is happening and aren’t invited to empathise with the plight of people caught up in conflict, perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity will never be held accountable. I would add that it is really important to show solidarity with asylum seekers and refugees in Britain, to listen to their stories and experiences and do all we can to be welcoming.

Photo: Lucy Nabijou

12 Learn from the past...

Luke, Hannah and Charlotte, from Turing House School and Claverham Community College respectively spoke to three prominent public figures about why it was important to learn about the Holocaust and other genocides. Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News International Editor and poet Michael Rosen also told the reporters what young people could do to help ‘Never Again’ became a reality.

I believe that all young people from every background, should learn about the Holocaust. There are a number of reasons for this: To honour the six million Jewish men, women and children who were murdered by the Nazis and their collaborators. Holocaust survivor and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel wrote that “to forget the dead would be akin to killing them a second time.” We must learn about the Holocaust to learn about those who were murdered, know their names, and remember their stories. They were human beings like you and me, whose lives were cut short. They deserve to be remembered and in learning about them we can give the voiceless a voice. We remember the Holocaust to honour those incredible men and women who survived - some of whom are still with us today. They survived unimaginable horrors and went on to rebuild their lives as best they can. Many settled here in the UK, having families, careers and some of them dedicated their later years to sharing their experiences with future generations in classrooms across the country, in the hope that the past would never be forgotten and so that we can learn lessons from that dark period of history. We remember for the sake of history. The Holocaust was a defining episode in history. It fundamentally changed the face of Europe, wiping out families and whole communities, virtually eradicating Jewish culture in significant swathes of the continent. The impact of the Holocaust is still felt today, in the absences across Europe. Whilst the Allies defeated Nazism, the Holocaust impacted this country too - it is not something that happened to someone else, somewhere else - this is our story. We can and must learn about the Holocaust to learn for the future. There have been genocides since the Holocaust, antisemitism is once again on the rise, hate has not gone away. George Santayana wrote in 1905 “those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” This phrase is displayed as you enter one of the blocks in Auschwitz -Birkenau that now forms part of the Memorial and Museum and is something that gives us pause for thought. To your second question, asking what is the most important thing that young people can do to help ‘Never Again’ become a reality - well, you’re doing it! By learning about the Holocaust, educating others, becoming a witness to the history, by hearing from a Holocaust survivor, you become an Ambassador for a better future. When people know where hatred can lead, they also become advocates, passionate about speaking out against hate and prejudice wherever it is found. So thank you for everything you’re doing!

Karen Pollock, CBE

Lindsey Hilsum

I think it's more important than ever that young people know about genocide, because how else can future generations learn from history? You might think it's obvious when a genocide is being committed but it's not: when I was in Rwanda in 1994, I knew massacres were happening, but it took me nearly two weeks to understand that this was a systematic attempt to wipe out the Tutsis. If I had known more about genocide, maybe I would have realised sooner. If journalists like me had called it genocide earlier, maybe there would have been more pressure on world leaders to intervene. So the most important thing young people can do is educate themselves about the Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, the Killing Fields of Cambodia and about Rwanda. What about the current killings in the Ethiopian province of Tigray, the persecution of the Rohingya in Myanmar and the suppression of the Uyghurs in China's western province of Xinjiang? Some would say atrocities there amount to genocide. All this needs to be studied - by young people as well as those who are older.

Michael Rosen

Hello Charlotte, Hello Hannah Hello Luke I hope I can have a go at responding to your questions. The Holocaust means many different things but one thing it can tell us is that if a ruthless group of people want to carry out genocide, it's very hard - but not impossible - to stop them. We have to remember that Germany in the 1920s had many of the systems and structures that we think of as being strong enough to resist totalitarianism, dictatorship and, following that, the acts of persecution and genocide that led to so many millions of innocent, non-combatants (i.e people not in armed forces) ending up dead. Germany had elections, there was a free press, there were fair trials, people could belong to trade unions and political parties. What follows from this is that we have to piece together what enabled this ruthless group of people to win power democratically then seize totalitarian power, and then manage to control a society so that it could re-arm, invade other countries and carry out genocide ( or technically speaking, several genocides ie the mass killing of several different peoples: Jews, 'Gypsies', Poles, Russians) and the enslavement of millions too. How was that possible? The 'Never Again' motto or slogan is important but as you suggest, for that to come about we have to do things or say and write things. I have no easy solutions but I would suggest any or some of the following: join and be active in democratic organisations that represent your point of view; fight for those organisations to be democratic and stay democratic; be alert to acts or decisions that those in power make which hinder or restrict the basic freedoms of a democratic society. When we see and hear these things we need to belong to democratic organisations that push back against such acts or decisions. Be alert to scapegoating - bad things in a society do have causes but scapegoating is blaming individuals or types or stereotypes for things that have gone wrong, blaming them for things that such people are not responsible for. When we see and hear scapegoating we have to speak out against it, expose the falseness of what people say or do against the people being scapegoated. We might have to sometimes defend those being scapegoated by again being part of democratic organisations that are trying to do the defending. I hope some of this is helpful. Do not take anything I've written here as a final word on the matter. They are only suggestions for you to chew over, talk about, adapt, change, argue with and to use for you to come up with ideas of your own. I'm only an individual like you.

The Hazara people are under threat today

The world’s eyes was on Afghanistan this summer as the Taliban took back control of the country. The cameras then left and the media looked elsewhere. What no one saw, however, was the dreadful threat faced by the Hazara people at the hands of the Taliban. Who are the Hazara? Hazaras are one of the many ethnic groups in Afghanistan. Majority of them are followers of Shia Islam in the Sunni majority Afghanistan. However, due to the continued persecution and forced displacement of Hazaras, many of the historically Hazara regions and lands have been depopulated as many have been forced into exile. Is the threat to Hazaras a new one? No. The period under the Pashtun Amir Abdur Rahman Khan in the 19th century marks the beginning of the Hazara plight. The Amir fiercely subjugated the Hazaras thus marking a dark chapter in the history of Hazaras as the Amir killed and forced into exile more than half of the Hazara population. Many Hazaras were also sold into slavery within Afghanistan and abroad such as British India. Later, the Hazaras have been subject to violence from both the Taliban and increasingly in recent years by Islamic State of Khorasan Province (IS-K). This sectarian and ethnic oppression has been building since the 1990s, when the Taliban hate speech, declaring Shias as hypocrites, heretics beyond the true pale of Islam therefore deserving of killing by true believers. Because of this ordinary Hazara men, women and children became victims of terrible atrocities across Afghanistan. For instance, the Taliban executed hundreds of Hazaras at Mazare-Sharif in August 1998 and Yakawlang in January 2001. What has happened since August 2021? Since the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in August 2021, Hazaras have continued to be targeted despite the promise of security and safety from the Taliban. Hazara residents of Daikundi & Mazari-Sharif and elsewhere have been forced to leave their homes and lands. Thousands are displaced and forced from their ancestral lands. In addition to this, Hazara civil society members have come under particular target. Hazara policewomen have been tortured and beheaded. Hazara journalists have been severely tortured. Kidnapping, arbitrary arrests, house searches continue to take place within Hazara regions. Many brave Hazara work tirelessly to raise awareness of the plight of their people and we join them in their campaign. We’d particularly like to thank Shukria Rezaei for her help with this piece.

On October 11th, some members of the Genocide80Twenty awareness raising group hosted an online interview with Dr Khatchig Mouradian, an expert on the Armenian genocide. This topic is one which is particularly personal to him. His grandparents were child survivors of genocide and his parents experienced the effects when growing up. Talking to Dr Mouradian emphasised the personal damage to all those impacted a genocide can cause, and reaffirmed the importance of working to prevent it. The Armenian genocide sought to entirely eradicate the Christian Armenian population under the Ottoman Empire, and occurred under the cover of war. This massacre saw the deaths of over a million people, with some experts, including Dr Mouradian, estimating that the

death count was as high as 1.5 million people. However, to this day, there remain governments around the world who refuse to recognise this genocide, most notably the Turkish government. The purpose of Dr Mouradian’s work is twofold. He seeks not only to better inform the world’s population about the atrocities of the Armenian genocide and hence encourage people to act to stop genocides occurring today, but also to pressure governments into formally recognising the Armenian Genocide, to give a sense of justice to families still impacted a century later. one to remember that people always resist, despite of a lack of weapons or resources. By showing the myriad of different actions people took to resist this genocide, risking their own lives in the process, his book gives people hope that they can combat injustice themselves.

Initially, concentrating on these people particularly made writing his book more difficult, because finding sources from these people was made harder, not only because their resistance work was performed in secret, but also because it was relatively undocumented in comparison to the actions performed by foreign missionaries, who recorded their work alone with little recognition for the sacrifices made by people living in Armenia. Dr Mouradian looked in detail at the sources of all groups, reading through the minutes of meetings or accounting books to find information. However, by doing so, he gained new understanding about how the genocide was experienced. This newfound knowledge allowed him to write his historical account from a different perspective, with those who fought the injustice at the centre of the story.

Dr Mouradian was entirely aware that steps have been taken in the right direction by many nations in the process of genocide awareness. In the past 5 years, many prominent world nations (including the USA) have formally recognised the Armenian Genocide. He understands that formally recognising genocide is something which must not become merely a political token, but on the other hand, he is a believer of small steps in the right direction. Persuading governments is a difficult and lengthy process, and so when advancements are made in the right direction, this must be viewed as a positive. When nations such as Turkey continue to deny genocides, it allows states to get away with their crimes and lead them to believe that violence can be a way to operate, something which is undeniably wrong. As long as the consequences of a crime are still being felt, people are still being effected. Throughout the interview, Dr Mouradian continually emphasised the importance that the work students and schools do with regard to preventing genocide. As he stated, ‘[it] is incremental work’ and is ‘not the kind of work that will make headlines’, but gradually, things begin to change thanks to the work that has been put in. His words illustrate the importance of doing whatever actions are possible, regardless of how small they are, as it all comes together to make a difference. To quote Dr Mouradian: ‘Much of what your generation does goes a long way’.

Dr Mouradian Photo: Dr Mouradian

His recent book titled The Resistance Network: The Armenian Genocide and Humanitarianism in Ottoman Syria, 1915-1918, looked in particular at the actions of those who resisted the Armenian genocide. He focused on the resistance of those on the ground, who had the most to lose if they were caught. Dr Mouradian wishes to challenge the viewpoint that those who are victims of genocide give no resistance and as he said: ‘[go] to their deaths like sheep’. It is for this reason that his book tries to tell the story of genocide by focusing on those who it impacted and those who tried to fight it. During the interview, he said that he wrote the book in order to ‘[give] the voice to victims’. To Dr Mouradian, it is extremely important for every-

Even though the term ‘genocide’ was only created during the Second World War by Raphael Lemkin what he described has been going on for a lot longer. Indeed, Lemkin researched and wrote about genocides that happened before the Holocaust. Here is an example. Throughout our childhood’s we have all been mesmerised by Disney movies with little regard for their historical accuracy.

For instance, the cartoon depiction of Pocahontas is one of many productions which presents an image of heroic European explorers. Unfortunately, this early perception of the Native American story goes without remedy. This is due to the acts of omission in the delivery of standardised education taught in schools. The true picture, in actuality, reflects unimaginable brutality and inhumane suffering experienced by indigenous people, including Native Americans at the hands of European explorers. Explorers were driven by the desire to acquire commerce, expand territory and gain power by all means, including physical force.

‘The true picture, in actuality, reflects unimaginable brutality and inhumane suffering experienced by indigenous people, including Native Americans at the hands of European explorers.’

Europe dominated the colonial world in 1492 yet continued sailing the continents to increase wealth and expand its religious authority. Many times with complete disregard for those in its path and disrupting the lives of Indigenous communities.

Native Americans arrived in the land now known as the present-day United States 15,000 years ago or possibly much earlier. The indigenous people worked hard; they devoted their time to building foundations near streams, where fertile soil enabled prosperous farming. They produced ‘’the three sisters’’, consisting of corn, squash and beans. In addition, the Native American population consisted of many ethnic groups, like Ojibwa, Iroquois and Mohican. Moreover, The Native Americans thrived on agriculture, harvesting herbs for medicinal purposes and also developing tactical hunting techniques. However, Europeans never took into account how productive and developed indigenous communities were before they arrived.

Upon European arrival, diseases like smallpox, measles and influenza compromised the health of the Native Americans. Approximately 90% of indigenous people in the Americas died between 1492 and 1600 due to this. The early occupation of the territory and prosperity of the land attracted even more explorers. Despite the impact of the plagues, the Europeans were persistent to establish colonies by any means. They acted violently and viciously towards the natives, slaughtering them for land. In addition, it was also their ambition to spread Christianity instead of “allowing” the Native Americans to practice their beliefs, such as Earth Lodge and Native Shakers. Those who rejected faced destruction of their property, enslavement and even death.

The injustice continued for several generations with the implementation of legislation enforcing further inequalities for the population. President Andrew Jackson signed the Indian Removal Act (28th May 1830), which gave congress the authority to exchange Native-owned lands east of the Mississippi for lands in the west. Many Native Americans opposed this Act. 1838 and 1839 saw the Cherokees forcibly relocated to the west by the United States government. Around 4,000 Cherokees died during this event, later referred to as the "Trail of Tears." This Law oppressed and caused injustice for Native Americans. The purpose of laws is to help with the progression of society. However, these disempowering policies facilitated further division and hostility. The celebration of Christopher Columbus and other instrumental figures and leaders of colonisation today may be seen as undermining the experiences of the people, disenfranchised by their actions. Schools teaching one-sided curriculums can be viewed as a way to minimise the atrocities experienced. We must challenge practices that do not recognise the truth.

We need to initiate more debates and conversations on historical inaccuracies promoted within educational systems and widely in the media. While the focus of the piece is Native Americans, the "story" is universal. It reflects all communities that have experienced atrocities in previous generations. In addition to the transatlantic slave trade and apartheid in South Africa, Nazi persecution impacted those with disabilities, homosexuals, and non-Aryan groups. We must speak the truth about history.

Burst The Bubble

Burst The Bubble is a youth-led organisation that campaigns against in justice. Over the pat year it has created innovative and high profile campaigns against the Uyghur Genocide and invites young people aged 15-18 years old from all background to get involved.

In the late 1930s, ten young Jewish boys fled from Nazi Germany and Austria and came to our town in south west Lon-

don as part of the Kindertransport. This is the story of two of the boys: Rolf Metzger and Franz Reichmann. The ‘Children’s Transport’ was the name given to the attempt to save the lives of as many Jewish children as possible from the Nazi regime. The Kindertransport began in November 1938, and enabled around 10,000 children to flee Hitler’s tyranny and find safety in Britain. The children were not allowed to be accompanied by their parents and it was envisaged that the young people would return to their families ’once the crisis was over’. The first Kindertransport arrived in Britain on

December 2nd 1938. Around 10,000 children came to Britain by September 1939, when the initiative had to end because of the outbreak of the Second World War. Most of the children were never to see their parents again. Rolf Metzger was born on 21st August 1928 in the German city of Mainz. His mum and dad were Robert and Betti who were married in 1922. Jewish people had lived in Mainz for centuries before Hitler came to power but the discrimination that Rolf’s family and others in the Jewish community faced was terrible. The synagogue that had been built in 1912 was burned down by the Nazis in the Kristallnacht pogrom in November 1938. Rolf came to England on the ship ‘Prague’ which sailed into the port of Harwich on 27 June 1939. He was just eleven years old when he had to leave his family and travel to a foreign country. The photographs and documents that Rolf’s family have very kindly shared with us show a happy boy having fun on his tricycle. His children’s ID card, issued by the Nazis authorities, has a prominent red ‘J’ stamped on it –part of the discrimination that the Nazis heaped on the Jews; the Nazis were trying to separate Jewish people from other Germans. Other documents include Rolf’s boat ticket from Holland to Harwich, and his confirmation certificate from West London Synagogue in 1944. Franz Reichmann was born in 1930 in a town called Beuthen in Germany, which after the war became part of Poland and was renamed to Bytom. Franz was the oldest of three siblings. He had a younger brother, Henry, and a younger sister, Vera. Just before Kristallnacht, Josef Goebbels visited Beuthen and made a deeply racist, antisemitic speech in the town. Local Nazis burned down the synagogue in Beuthen and the local Jewish people were made to stand for hours in front of the burning building. Kurt and Betty Reichmann took the heart breaking decision to send their three children to the UK as part of the Kindertransport. Franz was eight years old. When the children, including Franz, said goodbye to their parents in May 1939, it would be the last time they would see them. It is believed that Franz’s parents, Kurt and Betty, were murdered by the Nazis on 13th June 1942 – possibly in Auschwitz. They were both 36 years old. Similarly, his grandparents perished in the Holocaust in 1942. Their names appear on lists written by the Gestapo of the Jewish people who were taken from Beuthen. There were 982 names on the list. Franz finally ended up at Lebanon Park after not being able to settle with the family he was originally sent to live with. Franz was told to

change his name to ‘Frank’ when he was in England because it sounded ‘too German’. It was at the house in Twickenham that he met and befriended Butch (Ralf), George (Gunter), Emil, Freddy and the others. After Franz left school, he became an apprentice electrician. He went on to have a variety of jobs throughout his lifetime, such as dealing in Government Surplus, having a market stall in Portobello Road, running an electronic components business in Tottenham Court Road, and managing a guest house on the Isle of Wight. After this, he moved back to the mainland to work until retiring. Franz died 12 years ago. He had four children with his wife – three sons and a daughter.

Rolf Metzger before he came to England Photo: Metzger family

Franz Reichmann’s travel document Photo: Reichman family

This is a story not far from where I live; a story that beautifully conceptualises how ordinary people, similar to you and I, lived through what we may only visualize mentally.

The method world memory champions use for remembering is called ‘loci’ (latin for place) where, in short, you attach narratives to what you must remember to help recall it. Not only do narratives strengthen memory but also create a strong emotional bond between yourself and the narrative. Narrative may also cure the apathetic attitude young people have regarding genocide. It is important we humanise the people we lost in the Holocaust. There are no longer simply 6 million Jews but human beings capable of complex thought and vibrant emotions.

Avraham Shamroni a retired kibbutz worker, Jack Halford a retired metal consultant, brother to Luntz Zeisler retired milk worker of 25 years and Bradford lollipop man until his passing. Alec Grunhut, retired tailor in Leeds. These people escaped Nazi persecution via the Kindertransport and came to Bradford. A large house was bought to accommodate them, as well as 24 other boys and one girl, the hostel was established in March 1939. Ruth was the only girl, her father was a Lawyer in Berlin before he fled his city and country with his family to become a hostel warden. Herbert Agar missed a lot of Ruth’s childhood as he was extremely busy. He would help in the kitchen and fix things around the house.

During the reunion in 1989 the boys and Ruth only looked back at the ‘hostel days’ with nothing but fondness. They laughed and shared nostalgic memories with each other at the former hostel, now Carlton Hotel. It truly warms the heart when hearing of how they found solace amid all of the distressing times of war and rationing.

It is important that while we acknowledge and understand

the tragedy of the Holocaust we also acknowledge the fact that these people loved and laughed just as you and I. These people came from middle class families and live life to its fullest extend before the November Pogrom. After that their life changed overnight. That could be you or me at any given moment with the right circumstances.

The Kinderhostel in Bradford

Photo: http://bradfordjewish.org.uk/

The story of Henry Schachter:

Can you share with us your personal story of the Holocaust where were you? How did you survive?

Henry’s parents grew up in Poland but because of rising antisemitism, Henry’s grandparents were forced to leave and they moved to Germany where Jewish people were very much part of German society. His father’s side of the family went to Berlin, his mother’s side to Frankfurt. The situation deteriorated after the First World War with the rise of the Nazis. The Jewish community had become the scapegoats for the defeat in the war, so they had to move again. In April 1939 Henry’s family moved to Poland, but Henry’s father knew that Hitler had intentions in Poland so went in Belgium to get a visa for his family. While there, the Nazis invaded Poland. It was necessary for Henry’s mother to get them out because the Einsatzgruppen were moving in to murder Jews. She found people who forged papers, and was able to reunite the family in Belgium. Just months later the Nazis invaded Belgium, it was impossible to get out, so the family went into hiding in a warehouse with other Jewish families. Henry was only one year old, he was crying all the time and his mother didn’t want to risk everybody else getting caught, so the family moved into a house

and lived amongst the community risking exposure at any moment. At the age of three Henry was sent to an old Christian couple and it was this informal arrangement that saved his life. His parents were captured on the 19th April 1942. His mother died of typhoid three days before the liberation of the camp by the British forces and his father was killed whilst trying to escape. Henry grew up in Belgium, he didn’t go to school and he didn’t mix with other children, also he didn’t know he was Jewish. After liberation his family in England managed to find him and his family in Palestine did the same. He travelled to England in December 1945, where he has lived to this day.

Question: How did the Holocaust impact your family?

The Holocaust had a huge impact on Henry’s family, as well as losing both his parents, his grandparents and two of his aunts who escaped to Poland were then sent to Belzec, a death camp. His surviving grandparents lost everything, leaving property and business behind when they moved. Henry said that whilst the Holocaust did impact him greatly, he considers himself lucky because at least some of his family survived, many others lost everyone.

How does it feel to have survived the Holocaust?

Henry’s memories of the time are very feint due to his young age, he had no real understanding of what was happening at the time. Whilst he remembers his parents, his memories of the elderly Christian couple who adopted him are very clear. He remembers being shunted from ‘pillar to post’, and he felt different due to his upbringing and language. Henry describes finding a happy home at his boarding school where he formed friendships and where he felt part of the school family. Henry explained that he felt extremely lucky to have survived.

How has the Holocaust impacted your life today?

Henry did not really talk about his story until seven years ago. On a coach journey to parliament, someone heard his story and suggested he join the Holocaust Education Trust. Since then he has been giving talks to schools in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and in Germany. He shares his story to extend understanding of the Holocaust to new generations.

Why is it important that we study the Holocaust and other genocides today? And what message would you like us to carry forwards to share with other people?

Henry’s message is that it is not just about antisemitism, but the persecution of any minority. Whilst there is a long history of antisemitism, other minorities have also experienced persecution. He said that it is important to look at the suspicion of others in general. He reminded us that there is always going to be someone who tries to incite others and that it is important for us to think critically about what others are doing and saying. He encouraged us to challenge the narrative and explore and seek out the truth, to keep our minds open and alert.

Final reflection

The interview with Henry really opened our eyes to how devastating the Holocaust was for him and others. We were shocked to hear about the conditions in which people were trying to survive and that even though he was so young at the time, the events still have an impact on his life today. We were inspired by Henry’s courage in spreading awareness of genocide and educating others in the hope that awareness will lead to prevention. He was very passionate about the dangerous idea of blame; people in power looking for scapegoats, and minority groups being the first to be blamed and used as scapegoats. He encouraged us to learn from this, to understand that everyone’s unique qualities should be embraced rather than discriminated against, that whatever your personal beliefs are, everyone should be accepted as equals.

Henry Photo:: Bournmouth Echoy

19 The plight of Myanmar`s Rohingya minority

In August 2017, the Burmese military received orders to pillage and burn villages across the Myanmar- Bangladesh border, signalling an acceleration of anti-Rohingya policies that had been developing over the previous decades.

In the first month alone, an estimated 7,000 civilians were killed, of which 730 were children, and by the end of the first year of the crackdown, at least 24,000 were killed. Over the following four years, efforts by the military government to displace and persecute the ethnic Rohingya Muslims have culminated in the mass exodus of 880,000 into neighbouring Bangladesh and placed them in dangerous and cramped refugee camps. However, from March 2019 Bangladesh stopped accepting fleeing Rohingyans, further destabilising an already volatile situation into a ticking time bomb. Under the dual civilian and military government of Aung San Suu Kyi, it was the military that led the genocide against the Rohingyas, and since the military coup in February, they have had no opposition in their brutal treatment of the ethnic Muslims. The Burmese government refuses to refer to them as

Rohingyas, instead using the derogatory term Bengalis, implying that they never belonged in Myanmar, despite having been there for centuries, with younger generations of established Rohingyan families attempting to flee their home country due to the violent oppression they faced in Myanmar. For those who remained in Myanmar, every day is a battle for survival against their oppressors, who attempt to suffocate the ethnic group through promotion of anti-Rohinyga propaganda, removing their social rights and freedoms and no longer recognising Rohinyga as one of the one-hundred-and-thirty -five registered ethnicities within Myanmar. Despite the situation in Myanmar, the international response has been alarmingly slow. Surprisingly the only resolute action to be taken against the Burmese government has come in the form of a criminal case brought by The Gambia, a small country in West Africa. Currently the UN mission in Myanmar is reported to be largely ineffective, with a lack of plans and funding for long-term development in the area. Governments around the world need to be told that this is an issue that people care about, and that the Rohingya people should not be abandoned. More aid needs to be given by the UK government to help those in refugee camps, and for harsher sanctions on the Burmese military government.

Aerial view of a burned Rohingya village in Rakhine state, Myanmar - September 2017.

Zlatica Hoke (VOA) Pubic domain-Screenshot from the source video by Voice of America

Disease, gangs and assassinations: A new wave of challenges hits Rohingya refugee camps

Due to the brutal violence targeted towards Rohingya people in Myanmar, more than 800,000 now live in the refugee camps set up in Bangladesh after fleeing from their native country. These camps have many major problems due to a lack of organisation and infrastructure, as Bangladesh struggles to find the funds for these camps after the pandemic. Overflowing with disease, the camps are congested and unsafe, leading to mass illness within the refugee population, who lack healthcare. Not only is there an insufficiency in healthcare, but the movement of all those within the camps is heavily restricted. Access to education and opportunities for the Rohingya's who fled is extremely limited, with the small number of those allowed to receive schooling, experiencing low quality education. The possibility of progression and rebuilding their lives seems non-existent for these thousands of misplaced people, due to a lack of support from any collective of authorities. The dangerous conditions have led to the deaths of many in the camps, due to a large fire within the compound, trapping people behind the barbed wire, burning them to death and leaving 45,000 homeless. This is only one of the many problems that the Rohingya's face. In addition, armed gangs are vying for control over the camp, in a bloody battle that has involved murder, rape and theft. A harrowing story recently came to light, detailing the murders of three teachers, two volunteers and students at the hands of a large group of gang members. Violence against women is prominent, with the Rohingya women fearful to walk around the camp, due to the chance of being kidnapped or raped. These events have been largely ignored by world media, with most attention brought upon the situation through the assassination of Mohib Ullah, a Rohingya leader, rumoured to have been killed by members of the ARSA, due to his refusal to work alongside these violent gangs. His death and the deaths of all those within the camp highlighting the desperate overall situation within these camps and the hardships that these refugees are facing day to day, despite having fled their homeland.

20 Sokphal’s Story

In the four years that the Khmer Rouge ruled Cambodia, the savage regime claimed the lives of up to two million

people. The Khmer Rouge stated that through their extremist methods, they were aiming to create the ‘Year Zero’. The Khmer Rouge wanted Cambodia to revert back to the ‘Golden Age’: a classless society by simply just eliminating all social classes.

Sokphal Din is a survivor of the genocide in Cambodia. He was forced to leave his home on the 17th April 1975 by the Khmer Rouge at the age of just 17. Sokphal went from living comfortably with his mother, father and three younger siblings in Phnom Penh to having to endure hard labour in the Killing Fields, residing in a refugee camp and being abandoned in a jungle. He was forced by the Khmer Rouge to become a soldier. Then, he was captured by the Vietnamese Army which held him in a brick oven. His story is a horrific example of how inhumane humanity can be… Sokphal and his family were forced to leave their home when his father was at work. They were threatened by a soldier with a gun who stated that he would shoot them if they did not get out of the city and leave their home. The family “didn’t ask why, didn’t lock the door… didn’t think to do anything else… didn’t take anything with” them, they just obeyed the soldier and left their home. Sokphal’s father was at work, wearing military uniform and had to change as the Khmer Rouge were killing anyone associated with the existing military in Cambodia. Sokphal, his family and extended family were eventually taken to a labour camp. Sokphal had to work seven days a week in farms, fields, rice paddies all while being underneath the scolding sun. He only was allowed to eat three spoonsful of rice a day. Anyone who didn’t follow through with their orders were either beaten and tortured or killed. This was the bleak reality of what many had to go through, which thousands did not survive. As his father used to work for the old Cambodian military, he was sent back to Phnom Penh to be ‘re-educated’ for three months away from his family. The family waited for weeks but received no news.

A poem for Sokphal It was early one morning as the sun stretched across the room, When a knock on the door disturbed our peace a solider entered pointing his gun at us His patriotic colours shone so clear And his words which still linger in my head "get out or I will shoot you" Education was their treasure They promised Phom Penh for study and promised people came back They promised us hope and everything in between So my father left, with a with a vow To care for my family and wear his necklace proud They promised me my father but I never got him back

They tricked us into thinking we would all reunite but day and night in a deserted jungle With no water, no food, no hope, no place to call home That’s when I knew I would never see my father again we hope and hoped for the impossible But it never came They let Grandma starve until one morning she left us too After hard days of labour and toil They separated me from my family once more Leaving my promise to my father broken I can hear my brother screaming, crying out for me You took my brother away from me You took my family away from me You took normality away from me

21 Sokphal’s Story

The Khmer Rouge told Sokphal and his family they were finally going to leave the monstrous labour camp to be reunited with their family. However, this was all a lie.

The family were abandoned in a forest, where Sokphal’s grandmother sadly passed away. After Sokphal was taken back to work in a labour camp, his 6-year-old brother died from malaria.

‘The Khmer Rouge told Sokphal and his family they were finally going to leave the monstrous labour camp to be reunited with their family. However, this was all a lie. ‘

Sokphal was forced to train as a soldier for the Khmer Rouge, then was captured by the Vietnamese army who thought he’d trained as a soldier by his own free will. He was then taken to a brick oven, where Sokphal thought he was going to be burnt alive, but later he was moved to a prison in Siem Reap. In this prison he was tortured and interrogated for many months. Finally, another prisoner fortunately managed to negotiate Sokphal and his own release.

While Sokphal was in the prison, his mother asked for him and journeyed to Siem Reap. The family were then reunited and desperately tried to escape Cambodia. Eventually, the family made it to a refugee camp at the Thai border, where they waited to be allowed access to another country. The family was able to get in contact with a cousin in England, who sponsored them through the Red Cross. Sokphal and his family arrived in England on the 4th August 1987.

Photo: Sokphal Din

Our thought: Our country has helped before, we should be doing more now to raise awareness of genocides currently happening around the world.

22 An interview with Sokphal

Sokphal’s story began like any other, he studied and observed the victory of the Khmer Rouge who alongside North Vietnam fought the Khmer Republic, Viet Cong and the Mao Zedong Communist party in the Cambodian Civil War. The party quickly began to take the actions necessary to enforce their ideology on a national scale. This was when, on the 17th April 1975, Sokphal and his family were forcefully removed from their home and made to work in one of the many labour camps across the country. Sokphal faced a multitude of horrors such as working in the Killing Fields, facing abandonment in the jungle, witnessing the death of his grandmother, and the guilt faced due to his absence during his brother’s death in the labour camp where he had previously been stationed.

Q: Prior to the genocide were there any warning signs of what was to come?

Sokphal replied that there were no warning signs. During our conversation he spoke fondly of his childhood and even expressed that prior to the genocide he was just a normal student like us and that he was planning on becoming a doctor. He had great ambitions which were stripped away from him by a heartless, discriminatory regime. That is why it is so important to raise awareness of genocides as there are not any really warning signs before a genocide is committed.

Q: Why do you think it is important to raise awareness on the issue of genocide?

Sokphal expressed joy in the interest we took in his experience. He was more than happy to share his story with us, which was inspirational. The reason he was so prepared to share his story was his desire to raise awareness, and to educate younger people, who perhaps had never even previously heard of the genocide in Cambodia. He stated to us how his life had previously been very much normal, and in many ways similar to the lives we live today, and it changed drastically in a matter of hours - the most striking element of his story was his age, which was very close to ours. It was something which really gave us a perspective, and allowed us to reflect on our own lives, and how we often take things for granted and we forget to appreciate the safety and security we have, which is exactly what Sokphal wanted. He shares his story hoping it will prevent something so tragic from happening again, but also to inspire younger generations who live in a secure environment.

Q: How does your work reflect the memory of your family?

Sokphal explained that by showing awareness to the wider society he would also be sharing the loss of his family and by doing this he would be honouring their memory. Throughout his experience he explained that not only did he lose his family, but he also lost his home, his schooling, and his friends. In this he shared that he felt alone and didn’t know what to do after losing them, "Tears in my eye, I imagined my home.” Although he had to go through this tough experience alone, he continues to share his experience so that people, mainly the younger generation, can learn to appreciate their family and show kindness and respect towards them, as they are the most important people we have in our lives.

His story taught us just how important it is to raise awareness for genocide, especially as it is ever present in our world today. However, these issues are still very much overlooked, and it is tragic that we live in a society where these travesties still happen. It is also astonishing just how little knowledge young people such as ourselves have about it. The first thing people think of at the mention of the word “genocide” is the Holocaust. Which, whilst still a significant event, is far from being the only genocide to occur, and Sokphal’s story is proof of this. The opportunity to interview Sokphal allowed us to gain a new perspective; we learnt about an event which, admittedly, we had no previous knowledge about, and it opened our eyes to the first-hand trauma experienced by the survivors of genocides. Survivors such as Sokphal are very brave to have experienced these events and manage to live a normal, peaceful life, and go on to educate younger people, such as our group.

Settela Steinbach‘the girl with the

headdress’

In May 1944 , Rudolf Breslauer, a Jewish prisoner in Westerbork concentration camp, was instructed to film a train load of people being deported to Auschwitz. At one point the face of a girl appeared in the gap between the doors on the train. It would take fifty years for the girl to be identified as Anna Maria ‘Settela’ Steinbach. Settela was a Romani—Photo: Sokphal Din a group of people who the Nazis wanted to destroy. She arrived in Auschwitz with her family soon afterwards and she was murdered in the camp that summer.

23 Survey: What do you think?

Ninety three percent of young people want our country to act to prevent genocide

A recent survey of 132 secondary school students has shown that young people see genocide education as vital and that our country should actively find out about and intervene to stop genocides from taking place. The answers showed that whilst the vast majority had heard of the Holocaust there was less knowledge about other genocides. Only 2% of respondents had heard of the genocide in Darfur, 8% knew about the genocides in Cambodia and Bosnia respectively, whilst 30% had heard of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Nevertheless, 96% of respondents said that they thought that all young people should learn about the Holocaust and other genocides at school. Clearly, young people think that we should take a lead in preventing genocide. An overwhelming majority believe that Britain should have experts who assess where the next genocide might take place and that we should intervene (93%).

Yes 95%

No 68% Yes 93% Yes 96%

No 5%

Yes 32%

No 7%

No 4%

Have you heard of the Holocaust? Can you list any other genocides? Do you think that Britain should take action to prevent genocides from happening? Do you think that young people should learn about genocides in school?

Why is genocide so important to remember? People tend to question if it is really that important to remember genocide since it has happened a ‘long time ago’ and how people should have just ‘got over it.’ Some would argue that we should focus on the positive elements of history and not on the mass murders of an innocent minority who had been excluded from society. same way how we continue to remember our own late loved ones, the way how we choose to tell their story to our future generations to keep their name alive The same applies with genocide. At the end of the day, the victims who have been caught at the hands of this tragedy is still somebody’s mother or father, sister or brother, uncle or aunty, husband or wife, These people had breathed just like us, These people had bled just like us, and just like us, they would want to have our respect after having to go through something so gruesome and unimaginable. But even if you don’t want a personal reason, to remember the mass murder of innocent people If you want a more ‘realistic’ reason in continuing to spread the awareness of genocide just think. The reason why we keep these events alive Is to prevent and save the lives Of future and potential victims who could lose their lives at the hand of genocide. If nobody chooses to remember them It leaves a huge hole in our history And that is the moment, we will have failed as human beings.

By Sicily

24 Our thoughts about genocides

The event that triggered the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda was the death of the president Juvenal Habyarimana. He died when his plane was shot down in 1994. Hutu extremists blamed the Tutsis for his death. What followed was genocide. Around a million Tutsi men, women and children were killed. Neighbour killed neighbours, children left on their own as their parents were ruthlessly killed before their eyes. A quarter of a million women were raped. The slaughter continued for a hundred days. This was not hundreds of years ago, this was 1994! How could an atrocity like this happen?!

While the majority of Sophie’s family were butchered on the streets, Sophie and her brother managed to avoid death and hid. Safety still wasn’t guaranteed, however, as people she hid with were unfortunately still found and killed. On one occasion, Sophie and her brother managed to flee as they had heard grenades were planned to be used to end their lives. They hurriedly took off and miraculously survived. Sophie today lives in London and has started a family of her own. Having researched this genocide, I am gravely disappointed about the lack of help individuals like Sophie received. The international community should have saved thousands of lives, instead they chose to look the way. This genocide demonstrates an important lesson, humanity can turn against each other and it is only other human beings who can protect

Photo: HMDT / Sophie Masereka

those who are vulnerable and help those in need. The international community still has a lot to learn, genocides are still ongoing around the world and no one seems to be helping those in need, not even speaking about the atrocities taking place.

What is significant about the Bosnian Genocide? Was it that it only happened recently? In 1991, with the fall of communism and the dismantling of the Eastern Bloc, Croatia and Slovenia declared independence. In his address to the Bosnia of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bosnia declared its independence after a referendum vote on April 5th 1992. In retaliation for this, Bosnian Serb troops launched an assault on the capital of Sarajevo, claiming the lives of an estimated 5,000 civilians until the siege was lifted in 1995.

The memorial stone at Potocari that marks the Srebrenica genocide

Photo Wikipedia CC BY-SA 3.0

and Herzegovina parliament, Serb leader Radovan Karadžić hinted at the disappearance of Bosniaks if Bosnia and Herzegovina ever became an independent state. A few months later, Karadžić became the first president of the Serbian Republic In April 1992 Bosnian Serb forces began ethnically cleansing Bosnian territory by murdering. Bosnian Muslims. The ethnic cleansing campaign included; extermination, unlawful confinement, mass rape, sexual assault, torture, plunder and destruction of private and public property. The inhumane treatment of civilians also included; the targeting of political leaders, intellectuals, and professionals and the unlawful deportation and transfer of civilians. As the world watched on there was unlawful shelling of civilians, unlawful appropriation and plunder of real and personal property, the destruction of homes and businesses and the destruction of places of worship. As early as August 1992, the existence of Serbian concentration camps became public knowledge. Why did it take

so long for the world to morally condemn these crimes?

25 An interview with Ambassador Matt Field

Matt Field was appointed Ambassador to Bosnia and Herze-

govina in 2018. Before joining the Diplomatic Service, he worked for the international development charity Oxfam, and the Japan 2002 World Cup Organising Committee. Since then, he has played a pivotal role with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London, including managing the UKArgentina relationship, leading UK-Brazil Olympic cooperation, and coordinating with the EU on the Middle East Peace Process, as an Israel desk officer. He was Head of EU and Political Team in the British Embassy in Zagreb, working on Croatia’s EU accession talks.

Ambassador Matt Field

We thank Matt for his time in answering our questions, and for the important work he does in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the wider European community.

Why do you think it is important for British school children to learn about genocides after the Holocaust (which is a legal requirement) - such as Rwanda and Bosnia?

I think it is extremely useful for all of us, including British school children, to learn about these subjects. I will admit that there were many gaps in my own knowledge, before I worked in this region. I have seen for myself the devastating impact that war crimes committed in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including the genocide at Srebrenica, continue to have on individuals and communities. The lesson ‘Never Again’, following the Holocaust, was not learned. And the fact that it happened again here on European soil, playing out in slow motion while the world looked on, only underlines how important and relevant are these topics today.

How do you think the recent trip to Srebrenica impacted on the delegation of MPs from Westminster, including Romford’s very own Andrew Rosindell MP?

This was another powerful and moving visit to Srebrenica. Andrew Rosindell and the other MPs, all with links through the UK Armed Forces All Party Parliamentary Group, were led around by the Executive Director of the Srebrenica Memorial Centre. He also explained the supported the UK Government has provided, helping to make the centre a global learning resource, available online as well as in person. The MPs then met with a group of the Mothers of Srebrenica, who shared their personal testimonies of losing family members, and the long search for justice in the 26 years since then. Finally, we visited the Potocari Cemetery, a sea of many thousands of graves, where the remains that have been found are laid to rest. I believe it was an experience none of the delegation will ever forget.

Would you recommend government officials from other countries to make a similar trip to increase their understanding and pay their respects?

I think it is an invaluable experience, to come and see firsthand what devastation happened here just 26 years ago. Nothing can quite compare to witnessing this for yourself, for meeting survivors, and for visiting the exhibitions. A visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina in person is also an opportunity to learn about the country today, the hopes and fears of its citizens, especially young people.

Below: The UK Parliamentary delegation, with Romford’s Andrew Rosindell MP and Matt Field (centre), visit the Srebrenica Memorial Center. Photo Credit: @MattFieldUK on Twitter.

How are the effects of the events of 1992 - 1995 still felt in Sarajevo, Bosnia and indeed the wider Bosnian community worldwide?

The citizens of this country continue to live with many personal losses and tragedies dating back to the conflicts of the 1990s. All across this country, and the region, many family members are still searching for missing loved ones, supported by the UK government and others. I also continue to see enormous bravery and determination to build a brighter future for this country, and its young people, to ensure that they can live in a safe, prosperous and inclusive home.

26 The Yazidi Genocide:

Photo: Andrea DiCenzo

27 Witnessing the aftermath

Photo: Andrea DiCenzo

Photo: Andrea DiCenzo

Andrea DiCenzo is an internationally renowned photographer. Recently she took photographs of an anniversary of the Yazidi genocide in the village of Kocho. We are privileged to include her thoughts about the hugely difficult but meaningful assignment here.

‘Here are a few of my thoughts and about photographing the Yazidi community. I have been working as a photojournalist documenting the Yazidi community since the beginning of 2015, however this assignment shooting the anniversary of the Kocho Genocide was by far the most challenging. There are ethical challenges when documenting survivors, particularly ones who are still ongoing the impacts of the trauma and come from marginalized circumstances. Informed consent on the part of the participants is paramount as is newsroom judgment on publication of images as to not inadvertently put anyone or their family in further harm. Everyone in the community is a survivor of Genocide, many still have family members who are missing, and many women in the conservative Yazidi community do not want their photo taken. Making images can be an ethical nightmare. On top of all of that, I'm an outsider; a white, Western woman showing up with a camera. My colleagues Jane Arraf and Sangar Khaleel have been working closely with the community, much more than my experience, and it was through their contacts that I was allowed to make these photographs. We spent five days with specific women who had been rescued from ISIS-captors. Initially, I was not allowed to photograph any of the women if their identities were recognizable, which would have been fine. At some point this changed and they decided it was okay if they were fully in the photos. Having them okay with my presence put others at ease, and slowly, I was accepted into social spaces to make photographs I otherwise wouldn't have been able to. Part of this was led by the community's desire to share their continued suffering with the outside world, in the hopes that it might change the circumstances for them on the ground. I think part is also led by a natural instinct to not want the world to forget. Most of the people who survived Kocho are women who were sold into enslavement and then rescued, a few people who weren't in town at the time of the assault, and a few men who survived their gunshot wounds who were left for dead. It's a situation where you can't help but cry at times. Some women fainted. Some women were in such distress that they weren't in the right mindset to give consent. We did not use these photos. No one has moved back to the town. There's not enough people left to populate it, and they don't want to go back anyway. The memories are too terrible. They hope to make the school into a permanent genocide museum. I hope that happens too. ‘ Our school group would like to thank Andrea for her really powerful, insightful words and also permission to reproduce her photographs on these pages.