A FORMER Guantanamo Bay detainee has visited Warrington to talk to young people at the peace centre.
Moazzam Begg, who was held captive for almost three years, was invited to talk to a group of young people from a Leeds high school situated close to where the London bombers lived.
A letter written by Mr Begg, aged 38, detailing the violent treatment of detainees held by the US hit international headlines.
He was one of nine British Islamists who were held in the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp, in Cuba, without legal counsel by the US Government.
He was released on January 25, 2005 without charge yet has received no compensation or apology.
Mr Begg has since written about his experience of being tortured, threatened with death and kept in solitary confinement for two years in his book Enemy Combatant.
The Birmingham father-of-four spoke to the group about conflict, peace and non-violent protest.
The 24 young people were taking part in an educational programme run by the Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Trust to combat racism and violence in their school. The school, which is the result of a merger between a school with predominantly white pupils and one with predominantly Asian pupils, is situated in the Middleton Grove area, close to where the July 7, 2005 London bombers lived.
The trust is running three programmes with 72 young people from years nine, 10 and 11 examining self-awareness and identity, conflict, leadership and peer mediation.
Kelly Simcock, programme leader, said: "This was a fantastic opportunity for these young people to come together and live, learn and socialise.
"The programme challenges their views and enables them to have frank and open debates on issues such as faith, culture, conflict and race. We hope they will then take the lead in educating their peers back at school."
