St John’s School, Leatherhead
As an IOE Beacon School, St John’s explored how learning about the Holocaust can improve understanding about other genocides and help strengthen efforts towards genocide prevention.
‘We Remember Rwanda’
One important outcome is the impact on students, aged 13-17, who – in the 20th anniversary year of the genocide in Rwanda – were deeply troubled by how little was done to prevent these crimes and by how little is still known about them today. These young people have taken it upon themselves to change that.
Their powerful and moving film, ‘We Remember Rwanda’ is shown here. Students from the school produced the film by themselves: they wrote, directed and filmed it; interviewed a survivor of the genocide and journalists who witnessed it; recruited the actor Sam West to narrate it; and convinced TV companies to let them use vivid archival footage. They ask that teachers in secondary schools across the United Kingdom and overseas ensure that their students see this film and heed its message.
Take action
Teachers: please show this film to your secondary school students
Students: discuss the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide with your friends and family; ask your teachers for more curriculum time to study and understand these events
All: find out more about current threats of genocide and what you can do to help prevent them – visit http://genocidewatch.net
Follow us on twitter: @werememberwanda
Contact us:(details below) – let us know what you think and what action you are taking!
About St John’s School
St John’s School is a 13-18 independent school in Leatherhead, Surrey. Members of staff at the School have been involved in the IWM’s Holocaust Education Fellowship and the IOE Centre for Holocaust Education’s seminar in Washington D.C. Similarly, teachers from the school have created lesson plans that look at how genocides such as those in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda relate to the Holocaust and have also spoken at a seminar run by the Centre for educators from the Netherlands. Pupils from the school have also been involved in the national survey being conducted by the Centre.
