Student UNESCO Ambassadors from Lyng Hall were invited by CAIF – to the Cities of Remembrance symposium in Ypres and Dunkirk which took place from 20-27 May.
The Memory Cities network, officially created in Dunkirk in 2016, aims to bring together several cities around the world that have been heavily affected by the conflicts of the 20th century. The network currently includes 17 cities, including Hiroshima, Bizerte, Krefeld, Gdansk, Oradour-sur-Glane, and Boutcha.
This year’s event coincided with the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of Dunkirk and the 85th anniversary of Operation Dynamo – this was the operation to evacuate a large number of British, French, and Belgian troops from Dunkirk, trapped by the advancing German troops. The various delegations explored key topics such as the rise of extremism, European engagement and citizenship, and current geopolitical events.
During the eight days, the student ambassadors engaged in a series of commemorative events for the 80th Anniversary: the arrival of the’Little Ships flotilla and military vehicle exhibition; a ceremony in memory of the British servicemen who died in Dunkirk during the 1940 campaign; a visit to the Fort des Dunes Museum; the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate; an official ceremony marking the 85th anniversary of the Battle of Dunkirk and Operation Dynamo; and a symposium with 200 students from Dunkirk to address the issue of Far Right Extremism. The students themselves presented on the topic of the diversity of remembrance and this inspired the contributions contained in the following blogs. Click on ‘continue reading’ in each block to go to the blog itself.
Coventry Association for International Friendship 
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