Wednesday 25 March 2015

Be The Change- Community Action Meeting

Be The Change Cambridge is an on-going project rather than an organisation. This way I feel it feels more as an open door rather than a closed one, here everyone is welcome rather than a select few, which seems to be what much like the growing trend in Cambridge. Because of it being a project, they are always looking for more people to join in or volunteer, or both when they throw these amazing events because no matter who you are, they believe that you will bring a new perspective and ideas to something that no one else may have even thought of.

I am a great believer in group work and I feel that Be The Change are going about things the right way. But the little girl inside of me is always surprised by the amount of different views people have about one subject and even though we really do want the same thing, no one really thinks of the same approach and no one ever arrives at the same conclusion. In many ways, I believe that this in itself is a beautiful thing as it shows that many different perspectives of human thinking. If everyone thought similarly, no one would really think widely on issues and no one would make an educated decision. Having said that, from what I have learnt, people who are supposed to represent us hardly make decisions based entirely on information or education. Everyone has their own agenda and the most important decisions end up being made based entirely of personal opinions.

The latest event took place on the 20th March, and this time I facilitated a workshop and tried to help out in the planning as much as I could. I have to say, this time my experience was very different, I didn't take part in the event as much but was at hand to help and do anything I could to see the smooth running of it. But from what I have heard from people who attended it, they really enjoyed themselves and felt empowered.

There were a couple of issues outside the event's sphere, but connected through the political paradigm nonetheless. Firstly, the same certain person from last time took over the discussion in the workshop I was facilitating. Last time, I was in their group and was felt very deflated and sad for being effectively gagged for not having the same opinions or approach to Green Spaces as them. But this time with the help of a volunteer, we were able to steer the discussion away and include everyone in that group. This does not reflect the event as it was just an individual overtaking the space that was meant to be used by everyone in the workshop. I did begin the workshop by laying down the ground rules such as listening to one another- just because I saw that this individual was there. But I think that this is something that is a wider issue in a lot of areas of life in general. Certain people see themselves as superior for a number of reasons and see others as inferior for whatever reason. Perhaps because they think their ideas are the best or because their needs are the biggest.

Secondly, we didn't have our MP or the other candidates, although we did see all four party representatives coming in at different points of the day. I am still surprised at the MP Candidates not showing up, especially as we are so close to the general elections. They could have at least shown up for 10 minutes. But of course of the 4 candidates, there are still disputes of how many actually live in Cambridge, apart from of course the Labour candidate Daniel Zeichner and the MP Julian Huppert. I say this because the last time we had this event, Chamali Fernandez- the Tory candidate- had no idea about the social problems in Cambridge, she didn't even know there were homeless people in Cambridge, it seemed to me like she either hadn't walked around before, or just stayed in the more Utopian side of Cambridge. She also said that she was from London (figures). But as it was self-evident, she didn't really live here and she wasn't from here. And finally, Rupert Read, representing the Green party, actually lives in Norwich. So, of the 4 candidates only 2 live in the city and understand the dynamics probably more deeply than the other two.

If I had one negative, it would be about Anglia Ruskin University the host who okayed the rooms we would have and yet forgot to let us know that there were exams taking place on the day in the exact rooms we had booked. So this meant that we began a little later. Because the event was determined to be bigger, we had rooms throughout the Lord Ashcroft building, on the ground level as well as the 1st floor. I can say that I really preffered the first event, with its compatibility, so next time, I would like to see the event take place in the rooms on the ground floor perhaps, closer to one another. But as Antony Carpen- the founder said, we got the rooms for free and we'll take what we can get.

Now on to the positives, I would like to thank Antony for letting me participate in this event. One thing he wanted this time was the participation of young people- students. I thought this was a great idea, and looking inwardly I realised what an amazing thing this event would be for fellow students on my degree and so got a lecturer to email all our students in the faculty, alas I was the only one that I am aware of from the degree that actually turned up. I would say that that was a missed opportunity. We did however get a lot of students from the sixth forms and the other university, and they seem to really enjoy the event.

Another positive of the event was the conversations I had with a variety of different people, from being taught how to speak in public by a professional to speaking to the Mayor and her Consort about my workshop on Cycling. Cycling is a topic that a lot of local people have an opinion about. Our local newspaper always has cycling related stories. People are passionate about it, positively and negatively. I feel that it affects all of us, whether we cycle, walk or drive as we all use the roads to get from A to B. It was insightful to learn about the processes of how things get done in this area- which by the way is very slowly in Cambridge, and how things are very messed up and confusing when the different local authorities are involved. I was a little surprised to realise that there were a lot of childlike tactics used in that people in politics throw their toys out of their boxes a lot.

The one thing I have started to do quite recently is to see things more objectively- I believe this partly due to having attended these two events and also due to the degree I am currently undertaking, as well as time spent studying in Sweden. I am attempting and most of the time looking above the clouds filled with drama so that I can recognise the real enemy and the real issue. I think we spend too much time being bogged down by the fake enemy and end up spending too much time on things that won't really solve the problem; we often ignore the root cause. It's like gardening- there's no point cutting down the weeds, there's just keep growing, we have to pull at the roots. The event has taught me that there can be so many different solutions to the many problems people face in Cambridge, and yet I wonder why is it that the changes aren't being made. Of course it depends quite a lot on the politics and the agendas of those with power but I believe that with enough pressure, we can make those with power accountable, and ensure that our solutions for our communities are heard. And really, I think this is what Be The Change Cambridge is trying to do. I'll keep helping, supporting, and taking part in their future events, and if you want to really make a difference in the world, I believe going to their events is a good place to start.

Until next time,
Sen x

You can find me on:
Twitter: @senlanoire
Email: senlanoire@facebook.com

Thursday 12 March 2015

Thoughts on Democracy and Cosmopolitanism

Over the last few months, a little, tiny part of my mind has had a niggling feeling of uneasiness. It's been there for a while now, having a growth spurt the day that Nigel Farage was 'scared away' from attending a Cambridge University talk. I saw the facebook event about a protest. I even thought of going with a friend, who for want of a better word could be described as one those 'lefties'. While I was having a look at the event, I saw that something like 200 people were attending, in the end we decided not to go and I'm glad that I didn't. 

While many people feel that joining the anti-UKIP bandwagon is 'obviously the righteous path', I feel uncomfortable by it. I feel uncomfortable now, realising that I have and still to an extent look down at people who want to vote for them. I agree that their policies are terrible, and they haven't really got many, or any. But I also realise the importance of democracy, since we are apparently living in a democratic society. It is therefore ironic that it is these people who attended the protest are also the ones destroying the meaning of a liberal society where everyone should have a right to their own opinions and vote for whoever they wish. These people who wanted this protest were also the people attending in the name of the right to free speech. It is therefore ironic that they took that right from someone else because their opinions are not in line with theirs.  

I despise UKIP, I think they are terrible and believe that they have succeeded in getting anyone who was ever a closet racist to join their ranks and vote for them. Their ever-growing fandom has affected my life in ways that may not be obvious from the outset.  I'd never felt different to anyone else unless people asked me where I was from, and let me tell you that replying with 'Cambridge' is never the right or a good enough answer. These people then usually ask me where my parents are from and even though I sigh loudly, they never notice that they are the ones who've just made me remember that I am never going to be accepted for just being another human being, because they can see that my skin is darker than everyone else's in the room. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm proud of my heritage. I'm proud to be British and Punjabi, but being reminded, when I forget that there aren't any differences between anyone, isn't very nice. Because I am reminded that I cannot be privileged to have those thoughts because I am the one who is 'different'. I used to get asked the 'where are you from' question before UKIP got popular. It was annoying then, but I just put it down to people being ignorant or curious, but since that party's rise, it's gotten darker, with a hostile scent. I sense danger these days whenever I get stared at or asked what I do or why I'm here. I am less confident when someone asks me where I'm from because I wonder whether they will accuse me of being an immigrant or tell me to go back to my country (it has happened before). For some people I am their only 'coloured' friend. it's not delightful to know that they might use me as the 'I'm not racist, I have an Indian friend...' (also happened before). It's also not nice to be told by people moaning about immigration that, 'oh, it's okay, you're one of us, we don't mean you.' But what doesn't help is people who decide for me what's offensive to me and what isn't, and people who cannot accept my decisions when something that has to be offensive to me isn't actually offensive. A good example would be Citizen Khan and Goodness Gracious Me. These are my opinions, and they cannot be seen as the views of everyone who's Punjabi, or British Indian, or from South Asia. 

Having said that, it is important that when someone is racist or says something discriminatory, people no matter their socioeconomic status should stand up to it. Standing up for what's right is important; racism and discrimination are not opinions. People who hold these negative, oppressive opinions fail to see the bigger picture. They are forgetting that cosmopolitanism is as much a part of the human condition as it is past of human history. This idea is old as the time of Socrates and Cicero. 

We all have an innate curiosity of exploring the world, and seeing what's out there, past our own multiple borders. It's much more than about exploration and adventure though.  In my time in Sweden, I had the great privilege of studying Seyla Benhabib's text- Dignity in Adversity: Human Rights in Troubled Times. It is here that I was introduced to Kant. In Kant's view, every single person has the right to go wherever they like without the fear of hostility from their hostsWe, therefore, are quite privileged to see Kant’s vision come somewhat to life with being part of the European Union, as we have free movement throughout any of the EU member states, and on top of this almost all of the European countries are also part of the Schengen Agreement. The world, or our neighbouring part of the world is becoming even more accessible, or rather has been accessible for quite some time, and yet it seems further away in some people's minds. 

'Our little island apparently is too full, bursting at the seams, we don't want anymore of them.' This is an argument I hear almost all the time. I don't go out there to talk to these people, instead they come to tell me, sometimes they even look me in the eyes and tell me, as if I will go back and report to the immigrants and tell them to 'return- for this little island is full'. Instead of rejoicing at the idea that many countries are looking past their borders and giving people the right rather than the priviledge to move freely, many people are bemoaning it. Of all the reasons there might be to leave the EU, Farage chooses the reason that we have apparently got too many of 'them' here. Instead of looking at it as an opportunity, our citizens are constantly barraged with the overpopulation due to immigration, rather than the scandals surrounding the bankers headlines. 

Having said that, as I've discussed in other posts, the media has a lot to answer for, they are somewhat responsible for informing people and widening people's minds, yet our certain media outlets  owned by one single man) are set on imprisoning our thoughts and shrinking our horizons. Just take a look at Ofcom's initial decision that Green Party was too small to be included in the Election debates. Despite their decision, or perhaps because of their decision, it brought on this wave of people power that I had not experienced within British politic before. I believe that as a direct result of Ofcom's decision at that time, the Green Party's membership went through the roof. They may not have gotten such high regard or memberships had they not been effectively gagged. This time collective action gets my nod. 

Until next time,
Sen x

In case you are wondering, this is a post I've been sitting on for a while and have released at the same time as the one below. And it may well be the last political based post for a while, though no promises. But I have decided to mix it up and work with people and write an article on hobbies and the arts and crafts. So if you make jewellery, read, knit, sew, game, draw, write, or paint or anything else then please get in touch. If you would like your hobby and pictures added please get in touch:

You can find me on:
Twitter: @senlanoire
Email: senlanoire@facebook.com


Nothing Worth Knowing Can Be Taught

I've been trying to write this post for a while now. I've had thoughts on writing non-political posts for a while but of late I have been finding it difficult to express my feelings and thoughts. Today, I am in grumpy cat-esque mood so please do excuse the attitude and some swearing.

I read self-help type posts on The Guardian, Buzzfeed, Howto etc, mainly about how to be successful, articles by successful people, how to go to sleep, how to overcome depression, you get the idea. Most of them are pretty useless. Apart from the one I read in The Guardian by a doctor that said that having no rituals before going to sleep is the best way forward (I wasn't enjoying hot milk with turmeric all that much). But with social media's expansion everyone thinks that they have the best advice about pretty much everything. There are people out there who have made their fortunes by writing self-help books and columns, for me none of them provide the answers to my questions. I've found that only the individual can provide the right answers for themselves. And the advice from these successful people can only apply to them. I hate it when people share the 'Work Hard' memes on their facebook. What a load of bullshit. Social mobility is non existent in this country, working hard alone won't get you anywhere is the grand scheme of things.

The thing about self-help books/ columns or advice is that a lot of the time unless you experience something, reading about it won't teach you any lessons. No matter how much advice someone gives you, you won't arrive at the lesson unless you go through the pain or difficulty first hand. Although saying that would make many of my non-political posts worthless. Having said that, I try to keep it to what I've learnt, rather than push my advice down your throat. And perhaps we are all meant to suffer a little, or maybe even a lot, how else can we learn the price of happiness and truly appreciate something beautiful?

In earlier posts, you may have seen that I was feeling low about a few people on my course making negative comments about me loudly and how it had got me down. Well, I have to say that I am now at the other end of it. A lecturer and a few peers helped me to finally arrive at a conclusion. I was told before by lots of people to ignore it but I had to get to that moment alone and I have. I don't care about what they say anymore. It really does feel like a cloud has been lifted. I understand now that I let them make me feel crap but I won't anymore. I have the power and I won't let them take it from me. Although I think it's so simple now, it wasn't for a long time.

This week has been rather tough for me. Apart from being in much pain, I have had some sad news. A close family friend passed away, and today Sir Terry Pratchett did too. I am now at an age where a lot of family members and people I grew up knowing of are passing away, and it isn't becoming easy. Of course everyone dies and I know that but the pain is still always fresh and the wounds always new.

Until next time,
Sen x