Workshop in London: Student Contributions to Peace, Refugee Aid and Anti-Racism

How have student activists sought to promote peace and reconciliation? How have they challenged racism? And what efforts did they launch to support refugees? This event brings together academics and activists to investigate the lessons of the past and the challenges of the present.

The workshop will take place at Macadam House, the London office of the National Union of Students (NUS). It is based on a project involving the NUS and researchers from University College London (UCL) and Northumbria University. At the event, there will be contributions from student campaigners and NUS representatives who will share their experiences, while the historians Jodi Burkett, Georgina Brewis, and Daniel Laqua will speak about past examples of student activism.

The workshop will take place on Friday 24 November, from 12:00 noon until 4:30 pm. It will begin with a light lunch and the opportunity to view a pop-up exhibition on students' experiences and activities after the First World War. The main part of the event will consist of sessions on peacebuilding, refugee relief, and anti-racism. Each session will comprise short presentations and a discussion with the audience. Together, we will reflect on the obstacles that campaigners have faced both in the past and present.

The event is free, but for planning purposes, we’d like everyone to sign up via our Evenbrite site by 21 November. For any questions about the event, feel free to contact Georgina Brewis (g.brewis@ucl.ac.uk) or Daniel Laqua (daniel.laqua@northumbria.ac.uk).

12h00	Registration, light lunch and exhibition
13h00	Opening Welcome from the organisers Student activism today: ‘The NUS and its Work for Peace, Refugee Aid and Anti-Racism’ (Izzy Lenga, NUS) Discussion with the workshop participants
13h45	Session on Peacebuilding Historical case study: ‘International student activism in the era of the two world wars’ (Daniel Laqua, Northumbria University) Discussion with the workshop participants about contemporary implications
14h25	Tea and coffee break
14h40	Session on Refugee Aid Historical case study: ‘Student solidarity across borders: Students in Britain and Refugee Crises, 1933–1973’ (Georgina Brewis, UCL Institute of Education) Discussion with workshop participants about contemporary implications
15h20	Tea and coffee break
15h40	Session on Anti-Racism  Historical case study:  ‘Protesting at the poly: Portsmouth student anti-racist activism in the 1970s and 1980s’ (Jodi Burkett, Portsmouth University) Discussion with workshop participants about contemporary implications
16h20	Conclusion (Sarah Lloyd, University of Hertfordshire; Mark Freeman, UCL Institute of Education)