Wickersley's teacher's moving visit to former Balkans war zone

A HISTORY teacher has told how she was moved by the experience of visiting one of Europe’s most notorious war zone sites.
Lucy Hammond (back row, far right) with the Lessons from Srebrenica group.Lucy Hammond (back row, far right) with the Lessons from Srebrenica group.
Lucy Hammond (back row, far right) with the Lessons from Srebrenica group.

Lucy Hammond, a teacher at Wickersley School and Sports College, was among a group who visited Bosnia-Herzegovina as part of the Lessons from Srebrenica project.

The delegation was organised by Remembering Srebrenica, a charity that seeks to educate people about genocide in order to create stronger, more cohesive communities in the UK.

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As part of the delegation, the group had a guided tour of Bosnian capital Sarajevo.

It was led by Rešad Trbonja, a survivor of the Siege of Sarajevo — the longest bombardment of a capital city in the history of modern warfare — who told of the terror of life under heavy shelling.

Lucy said: “Don’t just live next to your neighbours — live with them. 

“Rešad’s moving story taught me that we need to treasure the diverse society we have in the UK and work hard to protect it. 

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“The warmth and wisdom shown by the survivors we spoke to was inspiring.”

The group of educators also paid their respects at the Srebrenica Memorial site in Potocari where over 8,000 Muslim men and boys were systematically killed in 1995 because of their faith.  

The aim of the project is for the teachers and educators taking part become “community champions” against hate. 

 

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