Our very own Neil Sledge (International Committee member for Wirral) shined at national conference, doing a brilliant job of raising awareness and representing Wirral Members.
Read below to find out about his fantastic work
Exhibition
We set up the 8-banner exhibition and had two tables with resources and information on. We were given a prime location near the entrance to the exhibitors’ hall and next to the free tea and coffee. The exhibition was up for 3 full days, 9am-6pm but barely staffed.
Fringe meeting
We were given a lunchtime slot with fewer competing options for delegates to attend. We also provided sandwiches and drinks on arrival. We had quite an intense leaflet drop on the day at the entrance as delegates walked in and in the build up around the centre.
In the 2 previous fringe events at NEU conference (2022 and 2023) attendance was around 20. In Liverpool in 2019 when we spoke alongside some representatives of the Rohinya we had a larger turnout. This time the room was overflowing, and we had 58 delegates attending, plus the 3 speakers.
We had just 3 speakers as opposed to having 4 in the previous 2 meetings, which allowed for less listening and more discussion. We had time for a very useful Q&A session.
Neil shared the theme for Remembering Srebrenica 2024 and the context for the meeting, how he got involved through the NUT delegation visit to Bosnia in 2017 and how the NEU is supporting the aims of the organisation.
Dr Tony Foody from Cumbria NEU shared details and the impact of joining the online delegation course with De Montford University.
Elma Hajrovic, a Muslim survivor of the Bosnian war who now lives in Bournemouth, spoke with dignity, some emotion and fairly quietly, forcing us all to listen intently. Her talk was powerful and moving.
Current NEU President, Emma Rose, joined us for a few minutes and spoke eloquently about the importance of the session and actions we can and do take in our schools and communities. She read a poem which was very apt.
Feedback
After the meeting and during the rest of the conference several delegates and members spoke to me about the impact of the meeting and how important the messages are.
The Chair of the NEU International Committee, Louise Regan, said she wanted me to tell her what the NEU could do to help commemorate the 30-year anniversary in 2025. This was confirmed to me by the Chair of the NEU International Solidarity Organising Forum, Dawn Taylor.
The new NEU General Secretary, Daniel Kabede, asked me how things were going with the Srebrenica work in passing, twice during the week, and NEU International Coordinator Celia Dignan said she wanted to support us further with opportunities to speak and funding. Two members who were on the 2017 delegation said they would support any proposals for further activities next year.
It was a very powerful, impactful and emotional conference for all involved from a Remembering Srebrenica point of view. After several years of hard work, it seems to be paying off on a bigger scale. I am so proud to be supporting the survivors and spreading their messages.
I am busy writing a plan for the NEU to remember Srebrenica next year in several major ways.
Thanks to Wirral NEU, the Wirral Deen Centre and Celia at the NEU for their wholehearted support all year round.
