To counter terrorism, we need to stop and listen to survivors like me

Many people feel that “it won’t affect me” but terrorism, directly or indirectly, affects us all. The impacts of a terrorist attack on the victims, survivors and the bereaved last for years, even decades afterwards.

On the UN International Day of Remembrance and Tribute to the Victims of Terrorism, we must recognise the agency of survivors and victims, as well as the families, friends and communities of those affected, who live with the enduring legacy of terrorism.

I survived the Westminster Bridge terrorist attack in March 2017. I understand at first hand the difficulties survivors can face. Throughout August and September, I will be visiting the US to meet with victims of terror attacks, providing peer-to-peer support and sharing my story with local communities to raise awareness among young people in particular, emphasising the need for connection, solidarity and continued vigilance against these ever-shifting threats.

Ahead of my visit, I’ve been speaking to survivors from around the world to reflect on their personal experiences, the work they’ve done since the attack, and what “remembrance” and “commemoration” truly mean for them.

In my interview with Cath Hill, a survivor of the Manchester Arena attack, she shared: “I took my son to see his first ever concert on 22 May 2017. It should have been a happy memory. Little did we know the event would change our lives forever. We escaped unharmed and people say we were the lucky ones.

“To some extent we were, but we’ve been living with the psychological consequences ever since and struggle with survivor’s guilt every day. By learning from young people’s experiences, our collective hope is that we can make sure that children affected by terror attacks in future receive the best possible support.”

Cath launched the Bee the Difference project with the National Emergencies Trust, a nod to the worker bees that became synonymous with Manchester’s resilience after the bombing. The project, spearheaded by nine young survivors who were all under 18 at the time of the attack, is calling on young people who were affected by the attack to share in a survey their experiences of the support they received to assist other young people who may be affected by future attacks.

It is utterly commendable that young people are able to bounce back from such horrific circumstances to seek to better the situation for others, and I’d urge any who were affected by the attack to get in touch.

Another of those I’ve spoken to is Dot Hill, a survivor of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing: “I was working in the office and sat in the break room when the device exploded at 9.02am, partially collapsing the building and leaving devastation in its wake. My memories of the traumatic incident caused deep invisible scars.

“It’s been 27 years since the attack, and I still struggle to shake the graphic and painful images I was left with from that day. We know terrorists often start at a young age and there’s a worrying increase in the number of children being drawn into terrorism. We as a society need to be better equipped in how we spot and respond to signs of radicalisation.”

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I set up the Resilience in Unity Project to provide a platform for survivors’ stories, like those of Cath and Dot. Their testimonies demonstrate vividly the benefits of listening to those most affected, ensuring we learn from their experiences to better our counterterrorism efforts and policies. The platform aims to create a meaningful digital legacy for those who lost their lives in acts of terrorism across the globe, while educating wider society on the risks from terrorism, how to recognise warning signs, and creating resources to help counter the spread of hate and division within communities.

In the UK, we’ve recently paid tribute to several of the incidents in 2017, as well as the many killed and injured in the 7/7 bombings in 2005. Commemorations provide an important opportunity for us to engage survivors, and for them to come together to support one another.

I met recently with representatives from Downing Street to propose we set up a national day of service in tribute to victims of terrorism – a day where we as a nation can all take time to consider how our actions impact one another, and the tangible things we can do at grassroots level to prevent radicalisation, safeguarding our community, friends and family, in remembrance of those we have lost to terrorism.

With the prime minister’s departure, the future of these plans remains uncertain. But I sincerely hope that whoever takes his place is willing to listen to victims and recognise the unique role we can play in preventing future attacks – if only we are given the opportunity.

Travis Frain is the founder of Resilience in Unity