For this week’s placement, I had the privilege of shadowing Nicky for the ‘Don’t Hate, Educate’ project. I was able to observe the way that Nicky engaged with young people in a positive and encouraging manner, to educate young people about discrimination and racism.
A presentation was given to educate people, where it was split into sections for Muslims, Gypsy and Roma, EU Travellers, and Asylum Seekers and Refugees. Each topic spoke about the stereotypes that are associated with each group and how they are wrong. For example, Islam and terrorism cannot co-exist because the religion is based on peace; Asylum Seekers are not stealing jobs because it is illegal for them to work, and EU travellers are important to the UK economy because they make up a huge number of employees within the NHS. Throughout the presentation, I was able to see the positive engagement and change in the views of the young people. I observed the way young people were able to engage through small tasks, listen to personal anecdotes, and feel comfortable enough to share their opinions and views.
Unfortunately, as the project is ending this month, Nicky has had many cancellations. However, I had the honour of attending the last meeting, where I was able to share my experiences of dealing with racism and discrimination, being from a Bengali and Muslim background. I felt nervous about sharing my experiences because I had never spoken about it so publicly, however, there was a lot of engagement from the young people which made it easier to communicate. I answered questions honestly and was able to speak about my background more comfortably.
I really rate Nicky highly for the way he was able to engage with the young people, as he made them feel comfortable to respond to his questions, ask questions, and take part with the activities within the presentation.
Although the Don’t Hate, Educate project is coming to an end, I hope that there will be more opportunities for Nicky to educate people about racism and discrimination. I congratulate him on how much he has achieved through this project, how many people’s lives have changed, and how much knowledge people have gained through this project.
