In his famous Berlin speech, President John F. Kennedy once remarked that although democracy was not perfect, “we (the West) have never had to put a wall up to keep our people in”. He was right. Although there had been trickles of defectors and spies for the Eastern bloc, or communist terrorists and assassins such as the Baader-Meinhof Gang, or such as Kennedy’s own assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, there had never been mass abandonments of Western nations for communism.

With the rise of groups like al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS). President Kennedy’s remarks might be a little less assured today. Here in the UK, since 2014, hundreds of British citizens, and thousands from around the Western world have left the comfort of home to join the apocalyptic IS project in the Middle-East, a project which is now thankfully in decline.

The message and ideology of these groups has permeated society in a way which no other movement has. We have seen men, women, families, and worryingly, young children attracted to join this worldview. This has put teachers and classrooms, sometimes uncomfortably, right on the frontlines of the fight against terrorism.

Not many teachers would say that their chief motivation for going into teaching was to prevent terrorism or to help combat radicalisation, but since legislation passed in 2015, it is now legally speaking, part of the job. This means that teachers are often thrust into difficult and uncertain circumstances, with limited guidance or support to help them navigate such unfamiliar territory. This is where organisations like SINCE 9/11 come in.

Established on the 10th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks which killed almost 3000 innocent people, SINCE 9/11 seeks to educate younger generations on 9/11 and terrorism in order to help prevent future atrocities, and to ensure that the victims are never forgotten. The charity’s glossy website belies its make-up and surroundings; just three members of staff working in a shared space in an inner London college. Surrounded by apps and start-ups, SINCE 9/11 is a small charity with national, and even global ambitions.

“Our ambition is to become the go-to organisation for the education sector when they need teaching support on 9/11 and terrorism.” Liam Duffy, the new Charity Director, wants to take SINCE 9/11 to new heights: “We have a young, energetic and passionate team here, we’re all Brits in our twenties who care deeply about the subject matter”.

SINCE 9/11’s staff are what Liam describes as “the 9/11 generation”. People who as children watched the towers collapse in real time, and came of age in the post 9/11 world; one where terrorism is the global issue.

“I was 11 years old when I watched the attack live on television. I didn’t fully understand what was happening but I knew that something truly awful was unfolding before my eyes. Of course it affected everyone, but it really stuck with me throughout my life. My professional and academic background is rooted in counter-terrorism and I’m now fortunate enough to be leading an organisation trying to bring hope from the horrific events of 9/11”.

SINCE 9/11 was originally founded to bring a piece of World Trade Center steel recovered from Ground Zero to London as a commemorative artwork, and after years in the wilderness, that steel is now hosted in London’s Olympic Park. Since then, the charity has grown to become an education programme, providing free resources and going into schools to deliver workshops directly to students. The aim is to build resilience among children and young people against the poisonous ideology being propagated by terrorist groups.

One of the organisation’s flagship projects involves working with a British survivor of the September 11th attacks. Janice Brooks, a self-desribed ‘East End girl’, had only moved to Manhattan two weeks prior to the history-defining events of that day. Working on the 84th floor of the South Tower, Janice somehow managed to escape before the building collapse, while many of her colleagues did not make it out.

Janice and SINCE 9/11 are visiting schools around London allowing young people to hear this remarkable story directly. Although difficult and emotive to talk about at times, Janice’s motivation remains steadfast: “September 2017 marked 16 years since the attacks, and I felt that the coverage was less visible than previous years. I just don’t want this horrific event which claimed the lives of so many of my friends and colleagues to be forgotten, especially as the majority of children in education were not even born when the attacks took place. Thousands of us around the world are still living with the effects and consequences of that day; if that message resonates with even one young person then this will all be worth it”.

SINCE 9/11 is a registered UK Charity whose mission is to build hope from the tragedy of the September 11th terror attacks. The free Education Programme was created in partnership with the prestigious Institute of Education at University College London. Visit www.since911.com for more information or to support. Read Janice Brooks’ account here.