HUNDREDS of pupils from across Colchester are vying to scoop a prize founded in memory of a Holocaust survivor who settled in north Essex.

The Dora Love Prize, which celebrates its 11th anniversary this year, aims to show young people how they can stand up to hatred, discrimination and intolerance.

Founded by Professor Rainer Schulze, a history professor at Essex University, the award has inspired more than 1,000 secondary school children from across Essex, Suffolk and Kent since it started in 2012.

Students from secondary schools across the region took part in workshops exploring prejudice, discrimination, identity-based violence and persecution and also heard the poignant first-hand account of Holocaust survivor Paul Sved BEM.

It’s the first time the launch of the initiative has been held in person since the pandemic.

Paul Sved BEM, who was born in Budapest in 1938 and who spent some of his early childhood living in hiding, talked about his experiences as a Jew living under Nazi rule in a Q&A session with the students.

Speaking afterwards, Paul said: “It gives me great pleasure to contribute, in some small way, to Dora Love Prize event.

"I now recognize what an important occasion this is in your part of the world and I have no doubt that it will be a memorable day for the many students participating.”

Speaking at the event, teacher Amy Cross, from St Helena School, Colchester, said: “It’s really important to our school that our students get this opportunity to step out of the classroom and learn about how they can be active citizens and make the world a better place.

"The themes discussed today and the conversations the Dora Love Prize inspires in our school are incredibly important if we want to equip our young people with the confidence to stand up to intolerance, discrimination and hatred.”

The theme of this year’s prize is Ordinary People – What can Ordinary People such as Ourselves Do Against Prejudice, Discrimination and Genocide?

Students at the 2023 launch took part in workshops led by a range of educators including writer and archivist Rachel Howse Binnington, who helped bring ‘rescued’ archival resources such as photos to life.

Tyler Hatwell, founder of Traveller Pride, talked about discrimination experienced by Travellers.

Darren Carr, of Ignition Arts, used drama to help students explore the fine line between ordinary and extraordinary, while illustrator and textile artist Jacqueline Davies who, with the students, created a textile panel reflecting the constraints of life in a concentration camp.