Meet Our Founders!

Zafran Pervez

He/Him

Zafran is dedicated to advocating against hate and racism, driven by an unwavering commitment to fostering inclusivity, understanding, and social justice. With a wealth of experience as a Holocaust Educational Trust Regional Ambassador for Yorkshire and Humber, Zafran has worked tirelessly to promote Holocaust education and remembrance, delivering impactful speeches alongside prominent leaders, and engaging communities to combat prejudice and hate.

Zafran’s activism is rooted in action. From participating in the YAD Fellowship Summit, where he championed policy solutions for inclusive campuses, to representing underrepresented voices at the National Union of Students Conference, his work has consistently demonstrated a passion for building bridges across diverse communities.

A proud member of the Labour Party and a seasoned public speaker, Zafran combines his political engagement with grassroots advocacy, ensuring meaningful change at all levels of society. His work ranges from delivering speeches, to empowering young minds through mentorship and education.

Zafran’s mission is clear: to create a future where every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. His leadership, determination, and deep empathy make him a powerful voice for unity and equality.

Phoebe Dunsire:

They/He

Phoebe believes that education is one of the strongest tools that society has against prejudice. They are a firm believer that a knowledge of histories of oppression can allow the past to create a more inclusive present. This passion for history and how it can inform the present has led Phoebe to undertaking not only a BA in History, but also an MA in Holocaust Studies at Royal Holloway, University of London. Within the next few months, he will also be starting his PhD at the University of Leeds, focussing on queer Holocaust fiction and it’s political implications in the twenty-first century.

Always willing to listen, Phoebe is constantly looking to expand their knowledge and learn from members of diverse communities, both about their histories and their current experiences. As a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, they are always looking for new stories to learn and share to spread awareness, especially in the increasingly difficult climate being faced by members of this community today.

Learning from traditions of the past, Phoebe believes in using the history of past injustice to bring present injustice to light, as well as using past triumphs of the members of marginalised communities to inspire and inform current and future generations. Putting this into practice, Phoebe runs their own blog, Real Talk History, and spends time visiting schools and youth groups to teach lessons from history to the students of today.

Our Story:

As Regional Ambassadors for the Holocaust Educational Trust, both covering Yorkshire and Humber, Phoebe and Zafran first met in London at a seminar on Holocaust education in March 2022. That summer, they both attended a Holocaust Education and Teaching course at Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Centre. Here they got to know one another better and became close friends. Having stayed in touch since (and regularly getting overpriced coffees together), Zafran and Phoebe have spent the last few years venting to one another about the current state of the world, and how much better it would be if people would just listen to one another, embrace one another’s differences and accept the realities of the diverse, multicultural community that we live in.

So, we decided to do something about it. To make our voices heard. To establish a platform to amplify the voices of others.

To create United in Awareness and to work to build a more inclusive future.