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I was working at Fishmongers’ Hall on Friday at the conference attacked by Usman Khan. Those in attendance were dedicated, talented people, including some convicted of offences, who believe in the power of education and the value of collaboration. The title of the project we were celebrating was Learning Together – a programme where prisoners and those in higher education study alongside each other. As would be expected, I am still in shock. I find it difficult to breathe properly when I see the photographs of those killed, Jack Merritt and Saskia Jones, two beautiful individuals who were simply trying to make our world a better place.
I am now, according to an email I have received from the police, a victim of terrorism. Reading helps me to piece together at least some of what happened, but I am sickened by the Islamophobic responses online. Terrorism and hateful extremism is not Islam. As an immigrant from Christchurch, New Zealand, I immediately think of the victims of other terrorist attacks, when white supremacist Brenton Tarrant killed 51 people as they worshipped peacefully in a mosque. I also think of the young people killed at the Manchester Arena in 2017, the inspirational Jo Cox killed in 2016, the 12 killed in the offices of Charlie Hebdo in 2015 and the four killed in a Jewish supermarket two days later.
I was at the Learning Together event because I am a graphic facilitator: my role was to listen and visually record key themes as participants reflected on their experience of this innovative, educational programme. It is one of hundreds of progressive, evidence-based initiatives I’ve had the privilege to support over the years – work that seeks to improve lives, and to create spaces for difficult conversations to be had and new relationships to develop. It was obvious to me that the programme had resulted in a positive, transformative experience for many prisoners and non-prisoners. Many of us were deeply moved by the stories we heard. But none of this work is without risk: it is often undertaken with limited resources and there will always be some for whom rehabilitation does not appear to work.
A number of us from the event ended up being herded into a neighbouring building. I will never forget the warmth and humanity I experienced among that group, which included Muslims and ex-offenders. I would like to pay tribute to those who were killed or injured, also to Amy Ludlow and Ruth Armstrong, the academics who founded the initiative, and their team, and to all of those who helped to save our lives.
I have no desire to share details of what happened inside Fishmongers’ Hall. However, I would like to mention a discussion I visually recorded at the conference prior to the attack about the damaging impact that austerity has had on crucial public and voluntary sector services that seek to reduce crime and to address poverty, inequality and exclusion. This conversation was between people with relevant lived experience and extensive knowledge of the criminal justice system; people who understand that extremism thrives where communities are struggling, and that people are targeted because they are vulnerable and isolated. Frankly, it would not be polite to repeat what I heard some people saying about the prime ministerand his policies.
If we are to tackle terrorism and hateful extremism, we need secure, long-term funding for social care, youth work, probation, diversion schemes, mental health services and the arts. As Sara Khan, lead commissioner for countering extremism, said at the recent Bridging Northern Communities conference in Leeds, extremism needs to be taken much more seriously and dealt with in a more sophisticated way. It strikes me that the risk of not doing the kind of work that brings us together to learn, and to influence change, dramatically outweighs the risks associated with undertaking it.
• Pen Mendonça is an independent graphic facilitator and an associate lecturer at the London College of Communication
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