Hampton’s 20-strong pupil campaign group Genocide80Twenty ran its inaugural Genocide Prevention Week this month to raise awareness of past and current genocides perpetrated across the world. Hamptonians from across the year groups teamed up with 70 pupils from nine local, national and international partner schools to produce a newspaper and a range of articles and videos.
The aim of Genocide Prevention Week which concludes on 9 December, the anniversary of the UN Genocide Convention, was to get the message #NeverAgain to as wide a global audience as possible. Year 13 partner-school pupil Jack who was part of the project team commented:
When the horrors of the Holocaust were fully exposed in 1945, the world promised never to let such atrocity happen again. Yet that promise has been broken again and again. Now is the time for the pledge to be fulfilled. Let’s finally make #NeverAgain a reality.
Many influential human rights campaigners, journalists, politicians and academics rallied to support the young people’s cause and praise for the pupil-led Genocide Prevention Week has been overwhelming:
- “Your commitment to using your voices as strong advocates for change is inspiring.” Baroness Valerie Amos, Master of the University College, Oxford
- “You restored my faith in humanity. Thank you” Ika Ferrer Gotić, CNN Senior News Producer and anchor
- “Thank you for this – and all that you’re doing. This is so impressive” Karen Pollock, Chief Executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust
- “I cannot tell you how impressed I am by this school project on genocide.” Professor Roger Mac Ginty, Durham University
- “Another impressive work, well done!” Eric Murangwa Eugene MBE, Survivor of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi
- “Incredibly impressed and inspired by the students of @HamptonSchool who have launched a #Genocide Prevention Week and an amazing newspaper dedicated to this issue produced by 70 pupils from nine schools. Benedict Rogers, founder of the Conservative Party Human Rights Commission
- Fantastic to see @HamptonSchool building on its #BeaconSchool commitment & utilising Centre pedagogy to inform, inspire & empower its students & @genocide8020 group, & in partnership with other schools nationally, championing Holocaust education & genocide prevention
Holocaust Education Centre, UCL
To read the group’s latest newspaper click here
The campaign attracted over 300,000 views on social media and Hampton School Headmaster, Kevin Knibbs, warmly praised members of Genocide80Twenty on their work:
Back to All ArticlesHampton’s Genocide80Twenty group was established 14 years ago and groups of Hamptonians have worked since then in partnership with pupils at a number of maintained schools to raise awareness about the Holocaust and other genocides, some of which continue to be perpetrated today. From setting up their own website and publishing newspapers, to lobbying the Government, speaking at the Houses of Parliament and now their latest initiative, Genocide Prevention Week, these young people deserve the highest praise for their unstinting determination to spread their message #NeverAgain to the widest possible audience. Through their inspirational efforts they are being the change they want to see in the world and making a real difference.
