US Embassy hosts Salford students as they join ‘Roots of Hate’ panel discussion
Three students from the University of Salford’s Professional Policing course attended the US Embassy’s London office to participate in a panel discussion on extremism.
Hosted by Shout Out UK, the panel was moderated by Dr Dave Rich (Community Security Trust) and featured two former white nationalists: Nige Bromage from EXIT UK and Arno Michaelis from Parents for Peace. Nige and Arno explored antisemitism as a component ideology of Nazism and shared their experiences of leaving extremist organisations.
The three students – Emma, Eve and Oliver – are also working with the US Embassy as part of ‘Invent2Protect: Countering Hate & Intolerance’, a programme designed to counter extremism, hate and violence. The University of Salford’s Invent2Protect team, ‘The Student Blue Line’, are developing a micro learning product which will focus specifically on the experiences of women at university who are targeted by racial extremists.
Salford is one of just five UK universities to be involved in this programme.
Programme Leader for Professional Policing at the university, Victoria Gregson (a former Coordinator for Counter Extremism) said: “As the threat of extremism continues to impact societies, it’s great that the Embassy are recognising the ideas and voices of current undergraduates to counter it effectively.
“The students and I were incredibly grateful to attend the Embassy, learn from those who have experiences of joining and leaving supremacist groups and share ideas on how we can continue to counter this hateful rhetoric.”
Emma Parrinello, BSc Professional Policing said: “We are so grateful to have been invited to the Embassy; it was definitely an experience not to be forgotten!”
Image: Left to right: Arno Michaelis (Parents for Peace), Dr Dave Rich (Community Safety Trust), Nigel Bromage (EXIT UK). Pictures property of US Embassy London Office.
For all press office enquiries please email communications@salford.ac.uk.