THE WITNESS’S VERSE: HNC STUDENTS REFLECT ON HOW WE CAN LEARN FROM THE PAST & CREATE A BETTER WORLD
26.01.2026Tomorrow (27 January) is Holocaust Memorial Day, a day that marks the liberation of Auschwitz, and a day that remembers the six million Jewish people and millions of others murdered by the Nazi regime during World War Two.
As a College, HNC stands in solidarity with all those around the world in fighting hatred and we work to ensure our young people are provided with opportunity to explore how the unimaginable cruelties of the past, and in some instances present, have occurred, and how they can be part of society that will prevent history from repeating itself.
Tomorrow students will be invited to book a workshop with poet Mohamed Saloo, author of a range of poetry and plays including the ‘Batley Lad’ anthology. Mohamed will be joining us on 4 February to host a workshop ‘The Witness’s Verse’ which will explore poetry written by victims or survivors of four genocides – the Holocaust, Cambodia, Srebrenica, and Rwanda. Students will join in a range of group and individual activities where they will consider each of the poems before participating in creative writing where they will express how we can learn from the tragedies of the past and create a better future.
Numerous workshops will be hosted throughout the day. Some students will take part as part of their study programme, and a number of additional tickets will be available to all students on a first come, first served basis. Further information will be shared directly with students, including a link to book.
Catherine Cushnie, Assistant Principal comments: “As a College we believe that exploring the terrible events of the past and sometimes present is key to ensuring that we can end genocide. As part of this we work to help students understand how these terrible events share the common factor of being rooted in hatred and prejudice. This is a difficult and challenging topic, but we are committed to enlightening our students by providing safe spaces where they can reflect and learn, and develop their thinking and confidence to stand up and speak out when needed. Poetry is one way we can hear the direct emotions and experiences of those who have endured these terrible events, and reflect on how we as individuals we can ensure that history does not repeat itself. We are sure that Mohamed’s workshop will be an amazing experience for our students and we are looking forward to what we are sure will be an enlightening day.”
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