Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, SINCE 9/11 brought together survivors, families, young people, faith leaders and guests at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park to remember those who were killed and reflect on the continuing lessons of 9/11.
The commemorative event took place on Friday 11 September beside Since 9/11, the memorial sculpture created by artist Miya Ando from steel recovered from the World Trade Center.
At the heart of the event was remembrance of the 2,977 people who were killed in the attacks, including 67 British citizens, and recognition of the many thousands more whose lives have continued to be affected over the 25 years since.
But the anniversary was also an opportunity to look forward.
Speakers reflected on the consequences of 9/11, the continuing threat posed by terrorism and extremism, and the importance of standing against hatred and division. The event also explored the role that education can play in helping a new generation understand an event which happened before they were born, but which continues to shape the world in which they are growing up.
For SINCE 9/11, this is particularly important as the 25th anniversary marks a significant generational change. Young people in schools today have no living memory of the attacks and many of their teachers were themselves children in 2001, or had not yet been born.
Our work therefore goes beyond ensuring that young people know what happened on September 11. We want them to understand its causes and consequences, hear the human stories behind the events and have the confidence to ask difficult questions.
In a world where young people increasingly encounter news and information through social media, that also means helping them to distinguish between evidence and assertion, recognise misinformation and conspiracy theories, and think critically about what they see and hear.
The importance of that work was reflected in extensive media coverage surrounding the anniversary.
Speaking to the BBC on September 11, SINCE 9/11 Charity Director Yvonne Richards highlighted the need to find ways for young people to understand an event of which they have “no living memory”, and to recognise that the consequences of 9/11 did not end in 2001.
The BBC also reported from the commemorative event at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, while the Jewish Chronicle covered the contribution of Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis and Jewish News published a personal reflection from Deborah Joseph, who attended the event 25 years after being on a flight to America when the attacks took place.
Writing for LBC ahead of the anniversary, Yvonne Richards argued that leaving 9/11 out of the classroom risks allowing social media to fill gaps in young people’s knowledge with misinformation, conspiracy theories and extremist narratives.
Twenty-five years on, remembrance remains at the heart of SINCE 9/11’s work. But remembrance alone is not enough.
As the generation with direct memories of September 11 grows older, our responsibility is to ensure that its history and its human consequences are not lost – and that young people are equipped to understand the lessons it still holds for the world they are inheriting.
In the media
BBC event coverage: Families of British victims mark 25th anniversary of 9/11
BBC interview/live coverage: 9/11 anniversary: Victims remembered 25 years on from attacks
LBC: Leave 9/11 out of schools and risk social media filling the void with misinformation and extremism
Jewish News: I was flying to America when 9/11 changed the world
The Jewish Chronicle: ‘Islamist extremism has continued to stain our world’, says Chief Rabbi at event to remember 9/11
