Students hear firsthand account of war experience

If you had to leave your house overnight, what object would you take with you and why? That was the first question presented to Year 8 students by Marwa Almbaed, an activist for the rights of people with disabilities, during a workshop at St George's on Tuesday, 7 May.

Ms Almbaed's visit was part of Handicap International's conference to unpack "Intersectionality: Understanding and overcoming discrimination and promoting a more sustainable world".

Students listened as Ms Almbaed recounted her journey through the Syrian war, exile, reconstruction and activism for the rights of people with disabilities. She showed photos and symbolic objects to anchor her testimony. Students participated in a Q&A session and later an activity to create a fresco to share perceptions on what ‘war’ and ‘refugee’ mean to them. 

Finally, all attendees reflected on the emotions and thoughts they took away from the workshop.

The event was organised by Handicap International and St George's Sustainability Coordinator Anne-Marie McHugh and aimed to widen student perspectives as global citizens and our responsibility to support and take collective action to promote a more inclusive and sustainable society.