Global Acts of Unity | Sessions For Secondary Schools

This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council's Prevent Manager, Naheem Bashir, for the attention of all secondary schools.

An opportunity has risen for a virtual workshop sessions for schools in Slough to be delivered in May, please see details below.  

Apologies for the short notice, but this has only been brought to our attention.  Places are limited and it will be on a first come first served basis, we cannot guarantee a workshop as it will depend upon demand and availability of Global Acts of Unity organisers, but I wanted to give Slough schools the opportunity to register their interest.  There is no cost to the school. 

The deadline to register your interest is close of play Thursday 22nd April. 

Global Acts of Unity (GAU)/Mike Haines’ Virtual workshop tour

Mike Haines launched Global Acts of Unity (GAU) to campaign against the hatred terrorists and extremists seek to sow in our communities. He tours Britain to speak to young people about unity, cohesion, tolerance and to promote the rejection of hate and division. Mike didn’t seek to become a campaigner on these issues, but felt moved to speak out following the death of his beloved brother, David Haines, an aid worker who was murdered by ISIS in 2014.

Mike has visited hundreds of schools, colleges and universities and talked with tens of thousands of students. He has told them his story in order to empower others to see that hatred is a choice that we each have the power to reject; that together we can open hearts and minds.

The presentation Mike delivers to young people (aged 14+) has one central message – the rejection of hatred, and the promotion of unity, cohesion and tolerance. His talks last for a total of one hour, broken up into a 40-minute presentation and a 5-minute film followed by a 15-minute Q&A with students. Mike is well-versed on Microsoft Teams, Skype, and Zoom, so would deliver his presentations via the method best-suited to each school.

All Mike requires is an hour of school’s time, a contact email address, and an internet connection! Mike also requests that students not be told the exact content of his visit in advance, as he finds the impact is more effective this way. Anecdotal teacher and student feedback is largely positive, however we’d advise teachers still note the sensitive nature of Mike’s story to determine its suitability for their class, especially if some students will be watching it remotely from home. Free teaching resources are available on the GAU website to help teachers build on his talks with students.

A handful of testimonials can be found on the GAU website. The aims with the project has been to see the following impact amongst students:  

  • Reduced credibility of negative radicalising narratives
  • Increased awareness that violence is not a legitimate response
  • Increased ability to think critically

If your school is interested in a workshop please e-mail Naheem.Bashir@slough.gov.uk.