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<\/a><\/div>\n<\/h2>\nLondon pilot of Journey to Justice workshops<\/h2>\n
Thanks to funding from Awards For All (The Big Lottery) and Land Securities, we were able to run a pilot of our workshops focused on: the history of human rights movements; the arts of social protest; what is social change and how you can you be part of it, developing communication and team skills. A group of 13 young people from George Mitchell School, Leyton were taken through a seven week course led by Martin Spafford who has a long experience of teaching history, with Parul Motin who was an English teacher at the time and volunteers. Sessions are interactive, with visiting speakers, challenging them to think about social change and their role in making it. There was be a local celebration event and on February 25th 2015 our patron Lord Herman Ouseley and Lord Jeremy Beecham hosted us at the House of Lords where the group shared their learning with guests.<\/p>\n
Celebration At The House Of Lords<\/h2>\n
February 25th 2015<\/p>\n
Hosted by our patron Lord Herman Ouseley and supporter Lord Jeremy Beecham<\/p>\n
Funded by Big Lottery Fund and Land Securities<\/p>\n
With huge thanks to everyone.<\/p>\n
Students, staff and volunteers from George Mitchell School, Leyton led their guests through two hours of presentations, music and poetry. We were celebrating the first two months of a Journey to Justice course focused on global human rights movements, the music of social protest and understanding social change. Students: met campaigners from Movement for Change, researched Soweto, Ruby Bridges, Malala Yousafzai and the Burston School Strike; attended a preview of Selma<\/i> and The Scottsboro Boys<\/i> and planned their own campaigns.\u00a0 These will focus on gangs and the lack of activities for young people locally and on the involvement of students\u00a0in the school exclusion process.<\/p>\n
The JtoJ poetry group created stunning work in response to discussions about justice which they read at the House of Lords and is now part of the Journey to Justice travelling exhibition.<\/p>\n
Click here<\/b><\/a> to download the poems<\/p>\n Students invited guests at the HOL to talk about their own journeys to justice including: meeting Martin Luther King; bring wrongfully arrested by a racist police officer; coming out as gay and running a campaign against FGM.\u00a0 It was an extraordinary, powerful night for everyone.<\/p>\n Click here<\/b> <\/a>to download the full programme.<\/p>\n \u2018I was so moved and inspired by the poetry and journeys against injustice that everyone had faced. It was eye-opening for me to see young people express themselves in such a way, they really are something. It made me reflect on my own journey and my own struggles with social injustice and the changes I want to see in the world. It showed me that I have no excuses to sit back.\u2019 Aminah Khan<\/p>\n \u00a0\u2018I\u2019ve learned that if I believe in something I shouldn\u2019t give up no matter what the challenge is.\u2019\u00a0 <\/strong>(Krusal Vara, student at George Mitchell School) \u2018I want to know more now, make an effort and succeed.\u2019 (Jacky Yenga-Matmu). The group say they are more aware of injustice, have made new friends, can speak in public with more ease and have found issues which are personal and real to work on. The Journey to Justice poetry club gave them an outlet for their inner thoughts and feelings and some parents say they are more confident at home.<\/p>\n \u2018The project has certainly changed their hearts and mind.\u00a0 They want to be a part of positive change\u2019 Parul Motin, teacher<\/p>\n Visit the George Mitchell Journey to Justice Blog Spot<\/b><\/a> for details of the pilot course we are running:<\/p>\n watch a\u00a0short film made by Winstan Whitter<\/a>\u00a0about our Leyton pilot.<\/p>\n