Beruflich Dokumente
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Magazine
Promoting the positive contributions of young people
Issue 3 | 2016
1
The IARS International Institute
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this publication are those of young people exclusively.
IARS International Institute accepts no responsibility for the accuracy, completeness,
suitability or validity of any views expressed in this issue and will not be liable for any errors
or omissions in this information or losses or damages arising from its display or use. This
publication has been produced with the support of our funders; Erasmus+, Eurodesk Uk, and
Southwark Council. The contents of this publication are those of young people and can in no
way be taken to reflect the views of our funders.
2
CONTENTS
14
WHEN COMPROMISE
ISNT FAIR OR SAFE
16 CAMHS IN CRISIS:
THE CHANGES FACING
YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH
18 TO BUY OR NOT TO
BUY: DO WE EVEN
HAVE A CHOICE?
20 THE STATE OF
BRITISH DEMOCRACY
30 POETS CORNER
5 EDITORS NOTE
Editor Lux Rix-Standing 32 PHOTOSHOOT
6 COMMENT 34 WELCOMED AT 13
REFUSED AT 20
THE EU AND YOUTH
DISILLUSIONMENT 36 YOUNG VOTER
DISILLUSIONMENT:
8 YOUNG GIRLS NEED WHAT WOULD CHANGE IT?
SUPPORT
36 T
HE EX-OFFENDERS
9 GETTING HARD ON CHANGING HEARTS
CAMPUS FREE SPEECH AND MINDS
10
THE DEATH OF 41 99% CAMPAIGN TEAM
POLITICAL CENTRISM
12 RESURRECTION?
3
FOREWORD
It is a great pleasure to introduce the third issue of the 99% Campaign Magazine.
The IARS International Institute is proud to act as the publisher of this youth-led
publication at a critical point in time for youth policy nationally and internationally.
The magazine is a product of a wider initiative that our charity has been hosting since
2010, The 99% Campaign. This initiative was set up by young people for young
people and remains until this day completely youth-led. Despite lack of core funding,
the young people behind the campaign continue to make significant contributions
to local, national and international issues impacting on them and their peers. These
have stretched from matters of crime and security, to health inequalities, politics,
democratic engagement and inequality. A key topic that remains high in young
peoples lives is unemployment. This is not only highlighted in the online blogs
of the Campaigns own website (http://www.99percentcampaign.org/ ), but also
the key theme in the Campaigns social media: @wethe99percent | www.facebook.com/the99percentcampaign/
Employment through volunteering, training and internships is also the by-product of the Campaign.
Since the last Issue, we have seen some important positive developments in youth policy nationally and
internationally. The EU Youth Strategy is slowly being embedded in government policies, while there is gradually a
recognition of the youth-led method of evidence gathering. IARS has pioneered this method since the early 2000s,
and we are proud to be one of the few organisations providing accredited training to young people and professionals
on youth-led research.
The third Issue could not have been more timely. It is published at time when the UKs ties with its EU family are
being questioned. Hate crimes towards young people and minorities have reached unprecedented levels while there
is no longer a UK government department with youth policy responsibility. As the Founder of a user-led social policy
think tank, I continue to believe that true change happens from the bottom up and not through formalised structures
of decision making. Despite the difficult financial environment and the resistance of institutions, civil society and
young people have the power to mobilise and bring relevant figures to account.
IARS does not have a catchy name and I am often asked what is my lift pitch for funders. My answer is in IARSs
logo and slogan Community-led solutions for a fairer society. We are a solutions focused Institute and this youth-led
magazine is a testament to this claim. I encourage to engage with the authors of this magazine. They are all keen
to hear from you. We are also keen to work in partnership with you. A campaign is by definition a collective effort.
Consider writing for the campaign, volunteering, mentoring, donating or providing in kind support. For every 1 that
you give, we can raise a further 10, keeping one young person in internship for a week.
I am grateful for the hard work that has gone into this magazine. First, big thanks and congratulations to the Editor
and IARS Intern, Luke Rix-Standing. He has worked hard, professionally and diligently in order to produce the
magazine that you now have in your hands. Also many thanks to Andriana Ntziadima, our Communications and
Youth Projects Manager for providing guidance and support to the team and for coordinating the publication. I am
particularly grateful to all the authors and our Youth Advisory Board for their continuous and active engagement.
Finally, many thanks to you for picking up a copy. I hope that you will be inspired to join us in making a change.
4
EDITORS NOTE
It has been a great privilege to edit the 99% Campaign Magazine, bringing
together a diverse group of young people to write about the issues that matter
to them. With no-platforming and safe spaces rampaging through university
campuses, the BBC under threat from political and regulatory upheavals, and
broadsheet newspapers buckling under pressure from social media, its crucial that
there are still opportunities for the expression of varied opinion.
The internet has made it very easy for people to superficially express themselves,
but amidst the cloud of social media noise it can be difficult for sincere voices to
make themselves heard. If something is overused it can become blunt: petitions
for example, which used to carry serious weight, are now nineteen for the
dozen. Its one thing to have the length and breadth of social media to rant and
rave, quite another to do so in a way that may actually be heard. Freedom of
expression is only worth something if it is exercised, and for that there must be
the platforms to allow you to meaningfully do so.
These rights are precious: freedom of speech is the sort of thing that goes not
with a bang but with a whimper, and you may only realise its gone when its too
late. It is deeply dangerous to defend the censorship of any particular platform on
the grounds that there are others: you wouldnt tell the Mexican journalist whos
just been removed from their newspaper that they could still stand in soap box in
the street.
And so it is my pleasure to introduce a magazine filled with a broad range of the
interests, concerns and opinions of todays young people. I hope youll find it
interesting.
Luke Rix-Standing
Editor
5
COMMENT
pompous back-in-my-day-ing that
the older generation must engage
in to repress the fact that they are
now boring too.
The trouble is that as one
of these oh-so-anodyne millenni-
als myself, I can see where theyre
Disillusionment
and the current generation are
woefully lacking in both icons and
causes. No Woodstock; no Sex
pistols; no greed is good; no pick-
Has the EU referendum result woken et lines in Rotherham. Pre-marital
sex is more than allowed, smok-
the sleeping generation? ing is stigmatised by our peers
as much as our parents, and the
by Luke Rix-Standing post-industrial wastelands that
sprawled across 70s album covers
have been replaced by luxury flats.
Generation yawn: 20 is the Will Self put it better than I can
new 40 reads the Telegraph head- when he wrote: the avant-gar-
line, above a picture of a well-be- de was always about there being
haved-looking girl with knitting real taboos, and those taboos just
needles, framed snugly between arent there anymore You guys
a climbing hydrangea and a large have nothing to rebel against.
red teapot. Young generation re- Were apres-garde, it seems. Or
bel by being mainstream declares perhaps just garde.
the Guardian, heading a long and We have a few legitimate
rather derisive exploration of the whinges - the housing crisis per-
popularity of check shirts, 2:1s haps - but none of its exact-
and the Conservative Party. They ly protest song material. Weve
dont drink, they dont smoke, grown up under the wing of our
what do they do? asks Julia
As a generation Llewellyn Smith (Telegraph again),
parents generation - reaping the
rewards of the property ladder,
while Spiked Magazine laments the easy money of the 80s, life-
we despertely the boring politeness of what the
Daily Mail calls generation sensi-
time pensions. Now, as we fly the
nest, were facing the stresses of
need a counter- ble. It appears to be the one thing
the national press can all agree on
a job market comparatively tough-
er than our upbringings. Degrees,
cultural voice: at the moment: young people are
dull.
self-medication and at least an ex-
tra decade of living with our par-
something to It sometimes seems like
my generation cant win. It feels
ents; our problems are just as nig-
gling and tiresome as we are.
meting, were told that were tedi- of depression have risen 70% in
ous. The hypocrisy is obvious, the one generation, while hospital
journalistic motive all too easy to admissions for self-harm have
pinpoint, providing oxygen for the doubled in just four years. Anxi-
6
ety is the fastest-growing disor- need something to care about that I dont know what the fu-
der among under-21s, particularly isnt fraught with personal stress. ture holds, but what I do know is
amongst undergraduates. A third Something external. that at Londons youthful pro-Eu-
of all those arriving at university And in the EU, maybe, just rope rally I stood side-by-side with
with no outstanding mental health maybe we might have found it. two-home Tories from Richmond,
problems have clinically signifi- After the referendum result was bespectacled vintage-shopping
cant levels of anxiety by half way announced the outpouring of grief Marxists from Islington and first
through their second year. Eating on Facebook and Twitter was as generation immigrants from Tow-
disorders are rife in both genders, heartfelt, angry and deeply sin- er-Hamlets, all chanting in unison
while suicide is the biggest single cere as anything Ive ever seen on that Londons youth felt betrayed,
killer of men under 19 - and rising. social media. Thousands of young and that our voices should be
It would be the understatement people nationwide shocked out heard. Id never been to a political
of the century to say that the cur- of apathetic torpor were commu- demo before, and nor had many of
rent crop of young people are not nicating freely and expressively them.
facing lifes challenges with confi- with not a filter in sight. Finally I think theres something
dence in their convictions. we could feel screwed over; final- rather beautiful in that. Maybe
Throw into the cauldron ly we could claim the romance of theres life after Brexit after all.
the toxic ingredient of social me- self-righteous resentment; final-
dia, and the self-esteem drops ly the older generation had done
yet further. Many young people something that we, predominant-
live vast proportions of their lives ly, did not agree with.
online - an environment in which Much has been made of
even complete strangers can the wilful disenfranchisement of
watch, judge and minutely quanti- British youth consistently low
fy your every social mistake, while turnouts in General Elections, and
bombarding you with airbrushed a comparatively low 64% for the
microcosms of their own. At first EU but of those who did vote a
glance your Facebook news feed massive 75% opted for Remain,
may look overloaded with infor- rising to the high 80s in London. No
mation, but it often contains little party-political movement has com-
actual truth. Instagram is perhaps manded that kind of enthusiasm
the worst offender - a cascade among the young, and not even a
of carefully filtered, meticulously Taylor Swift wardrobe malfunction
posed lifestyle shots which blur to- could have dominated Facebook
gether into a mass of perfection-
ism against which no-one meas-
Trending the way the EU did on
June 24th. Just maybe this new Accept that by
ures up. Carving your own identity political doctrine Europeanism,
in a social group of ten can be a internationalism, outward-looking gaining lung
challenge; to do so on the web tolerance can provide our bor-
means immersing yourself in an
near-infinite ocean of idealised
ing, sensible youth something to
get excited about.
capacity, clarity
projection. No wonder were a bit
timid.
So please, lose the ciga-
rettes, lose the bomber jackets,
of judgement
These are vast and com-
plex problems, with similarly vast
have sex in your parents house
with a condom and at a reasona-
and an absence
and complex causes, but the re-
curring themes are social anxiety,
ble age. Choose life, choose a job,
choose a fucking big television of unwanted
stilted self-expression and a strug- etc. etc. But accept that by gain-
gle for identity. ing lung capacity, clarity of judge- toddlers youre
As a generation were in ment and an absence of unwanted
desperate need of a counter-cul-
tural voice: something to make us
toddlers youre also losing some-
thing, and that that something has
also losing
think, write and vote differently
to our parents, to force us from
to be replaced. We have to have
something to energise us, to care
something
our rooms and supplant our UCAS about and to fight for, or else well
worries, to claw us away from retreat within ourselves and stress
the thousands of eyes that rake about grad schemes until we all go
through our online projections. We mad.
7
Young
One in three girls between sought, which is why these figures
the ages of 10 and 15 are unhap- are so high. The report paints a
py with the way they look. A re- bleak picture about the wellbeing
cent report by the Childrens So- of young girls across the UK, high-
ciety has revealed that theres an
increasing number of young girls
- about one in seven - who arent
lighting the extent of such insecu-
rities among girls especially. This
may be through the increased in-
Girls need
happy with their lives. The same
report has also highlighted that
the proportion of boys around the
fluence of social media and celeb-
rity culture, such as the Kardashi-
ans, which is readily accessible to
Support
same age who were worried about all but does not accurately portray
their lives remained constant at a healthy and attainable body im- Bullying and body
one in nine. These figures were age.
for children in Wales, but the same Furthermore, these factors image are blighting
situation could be found across contributed to a correlation be- the new generation
the UK. tween emotional bullying and the
The Charity called these increased pressure to look good in
findings desperately worrying front of peers. The report found by Eileen Gbagbo
because they believe that young that behaviours such as name
people in Wales are suffering rath- calling, isolation and cyber bully-
er than thriving. ing were more common among
However, the statistics in girls than boys and could be linked
the report arent quite as unex- to mental health issues, like ano-
pected as the charity implies, as rexia. Stars such as Zendaya and
many people have witnessed or Alicia Keys are using their social
experienced this trend. There have platforms to spread positive mes-
been many incidents of young sages of acceptance, but it is not
girls committing suicide because enough.
of harassment or bullying on sites There needs to be a fun-
such as Ask.fm. More shocking still damental support system in place
is that many of these girls may throughout schools as well as
continue with the mentality of dis- homes where these girls can feel
liking their bodies and it will either comfortable talking openly about
go unnoticed by parents, friends
and teachers
issues that affect them, and learn
where they could seek the right There needs
or the right kind of help. Furthermore, Person-
help would
not be
al, Social and Health Education
(PSHE) should also place a
to be a
greater importance on these
issues, offering relevant and fundamental
practical education to every-
one - parents and teachers
included - about body im-
support sys-
age and mental health.
tem in place
throughout
schools and
also homes
8
Getting Hard on
the idea that symbols of female
pleasure are more offensive than
symbols of male violence is cer-
tainly worth protesting.
13
FEATURES
When Compromise
isnt Fair or Safe
Med student Ellie Jenney gives the
inside track on junior doctor disputes
With a new series of strikes looming, a solu- Often overlooked in these figures are the hid-
tion to the Junior Doctors dispute is urgently re- den costs of being a junior doctor. Examples include:
quired. Doctors are not renowned as a radical group; membership fees for the General Medical Council,
until last year, the doctors union (the BMA) had not Royal Colleges and BMA; medical indemnity insur-
taken industrial action for 40 years. Arguments from ance, exam fees (necessary for career progression),
the government and the junior doctors seem wholly courses (some mandatory, eg Advanced Trauma Life
contradictory; the government claims that the new Support costing 600). Until 2007, hospitals provided
contract will increase patient safety, increase junior free accommodation to junior doctors since they must
doctors pay, decrease working hours and introduce rotate placements every 4 months, often to different
a 7-day NHS, whilst the BMA claims it will decrease areas of the country, making private accommodation
safety, cut pay, increase hours and that we already tricky. Removal of this resulted in an effective 20%
have a 7-day NHS. Confusing. So, what are the facts? pay cut without compensation. Additionally, hospitals
started charging junior doctors for on-site accommo-
Who are Junior Doctors? This term is unfortu- dation during mandatory on-call shifts. In total, the
nately misleading. A junior doctor is any qualified personal cost to a doctor for progression from grad-
doctor (post 5-6 years at medical school) who is not uation to surgical consultancy is 131,397. This does
a consultant or a GP. A doctor is considered junior not even allow for increased tuition fees; doctors
for 5-15 years after graduating. graduating after 2017 will pay around 74-110,000
in student loan repayments over their career, with an
How much are junior doctors paid now? initial graduation debt of 81,916. 37,000 pa (gross)
The basic starting salary is 23,000 pa, rising to suddenly doesnt look so generous.
28,000 in the second year. Extra banding is paid for
a n t i - social hours (nights/weekends). The And hours? We currently have a 7-day emergency
overall average sala- NHS and a 5-day elective NHS. This means that at
ry for a junior doc- the weekend, surgery and clinics are limited to cases
tor over the course that cannot wait. The European Working Time Direc-
of their career is tive limits junior doctors to 48hr working weeks and
37,000. hours are independently monitored. If these hours
are breached, the trust must compensate the doctor
financially.
What will change under the new contract?
Is that bad? Basic pay will increase by 11%, but
changes to antisocial hours and banding mean
reduced overall pay for many doctors. Perversely,
those doctors working the most nights and week-
ends and where rota gaps are the most common,
such as in A&E or obstetrics, will be hardest hit.
The new contract gives doctors a mere 60pm
extra for working 1 in 2 weekends versus 1 in 4.
14
60pm wont cover the costs of, the costs of, for ex- in 2015 due to underfunding of the NHS. If this con-
ample, doubling weekend childcare. There will also tract goes through and doctors leave as a conse-
be a limits on pay rises over the next 3 years of 1%, quence, this figure is likely to increase. It is worth
0.9% then 0.8%. With inflation expected to be above noting that junior doctors do not get paid during
1%, this represents continued real terms pay cuts. strikes and risk failing to progress to the next year of
Rostered hours will decrease to 42hrs/week training through insufficient training days completed,
and the number of consecutive night shifts and so these are not decisions taken lightly. Since the NHS
weekends will be limited. However, the current in- is a monopoly employer, junior doctors cannot vote
dependent monitoring system is being scrapped and with their feet like their private sector counterparts.
replaced with trust-appointed guardians. If hours are Striking is their only available means for demonstrat-
breached, this should be reported to the guardian ing their concerns.
and the trust will pay a fine to the trust rather than
the doctor. This fine should be used to fund better Is it all about pay? Sort of. Junior doctors are not
rota design and service improvement projects. Es- demanding a rise, merely resisting a further cut on
sentially, overworked doctors could be compen- top of the loss of about 30% in real terms over
sated by employing more HR staff. the past 6 years. Whilst the final stick-
What is more, the time from re- ing point in negotiations between
porting a breach of contract to a the BMA and the government was
panel review is a maximum of pay-related, this does not mean
16.5 weeks. Given that place- that doctors arent concerned
ments last only 4 months, about safety. If doctors feel
this seems ill-thought overworked and underval-
through. Doctors are ued it stands to reason
therefore worried that al- that a proportion will quit
though contractual hours or relocate abroad. This
may decrease, they will could spiral, increasing
be forced to work unsafe pressure on the remain-
extra hours through the ing doctors who may then
removal of safeguards. feel that they are unable
to adequately care for pa-
What about the week- tients, leading to more
end effect and 7-day departures. 2016 is
NHS? The authors of the paper the first year that the
cited by Jeremy Hunt as evidence foundation training
of the weekend effect (more deaths programme (the first
at weekends) have stated that the assump- 2 years of employ-
tion that staffing levels of doctors are responsible for ment for doctors) has
the effect is rash and misleading. Junior doctors do been undersubscribed.
not exist in a vacuum and if we want a 7-day elective Rota gaps are increas-
service (controversial in itself), it is not only more ingly common, rising by
doctors that are required. Nurses, porters, radiogra- 60% between November 2015 and
phers, HCAs, occupational therapists, social workers January 2016, especially in the acute specialties most
and so on are all vital to maintaining patient safety. affected by the changes. Medicine is a vocation, and
Increased weekend working for these essential staff doctors are as a rule happy to accept reduced pay and
has not even been suggested. high stress in exchange for the priceless benefits of a
Jeremy Hunt claims that: 1) no doctor will see fulfilling career. However, doctors are not angels and
their pay go down 2) the overall pay-packet for doc- their selflessness is not infinite. Applications to work
tors will remain the same and 3) we will have more overseas have already increased since the threat of
doctors at the weekend. These 3 pledges are simply imposition of the contract. It takes many years to
not compatible: either we need more doctors to staff train replacements and patients bear the cost.
the hospital at the weekend (assuming we do not
want to reduce weekday care) or we need to make Whats the solution? Back in April a cross-party
existing doctors work longer hours for the same pay. coalition of MPs suggested piloting the new contract
in a small number of hospitals and monitoring its ef-
Will the strikes cause harm to patients? This fects on patients and staff, rolling it out nationally
is possible. Cancelling elective surgeries and regu- providing it was successful. Jeremy Hunt dismissed
lar clinics is, at best, annoying for patients; at worst the idea as opportunism by the Labour Party. Per-
harmful. However, 74,000 operations were cancelled haps it is time to revisit this practical way forward.
15
CAMHS in Crisis: the Challenges
facing Young Mental Health
Though progress has been made, up and down the country young people are still being denied
access to proper mental healthcare. Katie Wetherall investigates
young people.
A study by the Chil-
drens Society in 2008 revealed
that 10% of children and young
people (aged 5-16 years) have
a clinically diagnosable mental
problem, yet 70% of children
and adolescents who experience
mental health problems have not
had appropriate interventions at
a sufficiently early age. The ONS
estimate that there are around
720,000 children and young peo-
ple experiencing a mental health
problem in England.
These statistics, based on
research from 2004, likely under-
play the full prevalence of men-
tal illness among young people.
Imagine youre a chilld. Indeed, the lack of up-to-date
Now imagine being locked away information not only presents fur-
in a cold, bare police cell, miles ther challenges for care providers
away from your parents. Scared trying to estimate supply and de-
and confused, youve been mand, but obscures from public
stripped of all your belongings attention the severity of the is-
and could be detained for days sue. A couple of cold hard facts
and days upon end. But you ha- then: The number of young peo-
vent committed a crime - youre ple ending up in A&E because of
suffering with a mental illness, a psychiatric condition has more
and there arent any hospital beds than doubled since 2010. One
available. This is how Britain, the in 12 teenagers in Britain self-
Only 0.7 per cent 5th largest economy in the world,
treats its most scared and vulner-
harms, and between 2010 and
2014, the number of girls aged
of NHS funding is able children and young people.
In 2014-2015 in England,
between 10 and 14 admitted to
hospital in England for self-harm
To buy or not to assume that the following pertains to little more than
bourgeois whinging. However, this housing crisis is
real, affecting young and old; rich and poor, all over
have a choice?
der right-to-buy, beginning in the 1980s, driving up
demand and limiting supply. Recently the buy-to-let
craze amongst private landlords has attracted criti-
cism for exploiting a generation who may never af-
ford a house of their own. Is it the fault of property
Frank Kibble assesses the Hous- developers, driving up prices and restricting supply
ing Crisis, the reasons for it, and by being deliberately slow to build on land? Others
blame the banks for not trusting
the options facing young people young buyers with mortgag-
es after the 2008 Financial
Crisis, with questionable
sources like George
Osbornes Help to
Buy scheme the alter-
native. Or are wealthy
foreign investors guilty
for buying up real es-
tate and letting it lie
dormant? It is all of
them: phenomena
that have come to a
head while young people are dealing with escalating
education debts and fluctuating job prospects.
For students, the cost of renting accommoda-
tion is a serious cause for concern. In London, more
and more wealthy students are foregoing grotty digs,
instead choosing luxury pads in fashionable parts of
town. Empiric Student Property recently paid 10.6
million for a 70-bed premises in West Hampstead,
with rooms typically costing 240 per week. Access
to a gym, games room and cinema on site hardly
evokes The Young Ones. Companies like Empiric
claim that they are responding to the rising cost of
living in London and an influx of rich foreign students
to the capitals universities, but the existence of such
accommodation only serves to drive up rent for stu-
dents who cannot afford such extravagance.
Throughout my four years of study rent has
been rising, and it bears no signs of slowing. It had
previously gone relatively unchallenged, until the Na-
tional Union of Students recently backed rent strikes
against landlords and proposed that a quarter of all
beds be capped at half of a tenants student finance
allocation. This is a welcome intervention from an
organisation seen as toothless in recent times in ar-
ticulating student concerns, and could help to allay
the rising cost of student living.
But this only accounts for part of the prob-
What would the Young Ones think of Sky Plaza, lem. The end of university is glorified as the be-
Leeds, the worlds second tallest student block?
ginning of bumper pay cheques and London living.
18
However, the NUS recently published statistics claim-
ing that 47% of the class of 2015 had moved back
in with their parents after graduating. The economic
and cultural draw of London means that those lucky
enough to live within commutable distance live with
parents longer. But those from different parts of the
country often have no choice but to look for exorbi-
tantly priced housing that is in short supply.
Alex, a native of the West Midlands, graduat-
ed from university last summer with the promise of a
job in London but finding a flat with his friend turned
out to be a very stressful process. Not already living
in London made viewings a real challenge, he tells
me, Whenever we found somewhere good it tended
to have gone before we could see it. Desperation
meant we ended up taking the first reasonable place
that allowed us both to get to work. The tribulations
of racking up over a hundred calls to estate agents
contributed to Alexs decision to move away from the has been set. Owing to criticism of the right-to-buy
capital. scheme, 200,000 of these new builds will be starter
Now back in the West Midlands, he says that homes, available at 20% below market value to first
the attraction of Birmingham, with its favourable time buyers aged 23 to 40. This represents a rela-
property prices and growing cultural profile, was an tively unreported step in the right direction, but again
incentive to move away from London. The arrival of reveals the misplacing of priorities with housing.
HS2 in the next few years, paired with several big Homeownership is an unattainable prospect
financial firms announcing that they were moving op- for most young people of generation rent. The
erations up the M40, could see more people like Alex present system should be geared towards tenants
rejecting the expensive charade of London living. rights, however the Government have been accused
Sadiq Khan says he wants to reverse this trend, that of privatising social housing with the recent Housing
led 58,220 30-39 year-olds to leave London between and Planning Act, and are not interested in unneces-
2013 and 2014, despite its potential to spread the sary regulation for landlords. For example, a Private
housing burden. Realistically, however, it is very un- Members Bill in 2016 to reform the Housing Health
likely that significant movement away from London and Safety Security Rating System of 2006 by estab-
will ever be prolonged. lishing a fitness for human habitation standard was
The Government are looking to respond by defeated. Nonetheless, opportunities for fair rental
passing a Neighbourhood Planning and Infrastruc- systems and affordable housing should be pursued
ture Bill in this session of parliament that tack- to a greater degree.
les some of the recurrent problems In New York, a fear that a doughnut ef-
of this housing crisis as they see fect of the rich living right in the centre of the city
it. The new Bill will penalise and the rest encir- cling them led to Mayor Bill
developers using pre-com- de Blasio pledg- ing to build 200,000 new
mencement units of afforda- ble housing. A key tenet
planning con- of his push is mandatory
ditions to drag inclusion housing, which dic-
their heels over tates that new developments
construction, redrawing the parameters of
with the hope of a property must designate
speeding it up a proportion to affordable
and generating homes. There is state sup-
housing stock. port for such initiatives in
They also want to give power back to residents via the Big Apple, with the idea of affordable housing
neighbourhood groups who can help decide where engrained in the citys consciousness. Indeed the
developments will be located. Mitchell-Lama Programme, which provides reasona-
On the flipside, the Bill will enshrine the pro- ble rental opportunities for families, dates back to
tection of Green Belt land, an untapped resource for 1955. This suggests that London has a long way to
the building of houses. This Governments push to go to match these efforts, requiring a cultural change
boost ownership may require reconsideration of this, and a shattering of the idea that homeownership is
given that a target of a million new homes by 2020 the be all and end all.
19
The State of British Democracy
Blame the system? Brendan Welch explores the many peculiarities
of Britains political power balance
Britain (or rather England) had its revolution er with a true majority, and Tony Blairs re-election in
too early. The religious puritanism and authoritarian 2001 is the only time in the 21st century that a Gov-
bent of the Cromwell Commonwealth set Britain up ernment has come to power with more than 40% of
with enough skepticism and political liberty to quiet- the vote. The representation error the difference
en moves towards rebellion during the Enlightenment between the percentage of votes and the percentage
and Century of Revolutions. The reintroduction of the of seats taken by a Party totals 47% points for this
Monarchy in 1660 cemented the gradual evolution of Parliament: the worst in modern history.
the ad hoc and bewildering Westminster Model that This is a byproduct of the localised, and winner
confronts modern voters. The system is poorly put to- takes all nature of British voting. Although many peo-
gether, and this can be discouraging to voter partici- ple feel they are voting for a national party, or Prime
pation. The 2015 election provided a particularly clear Minister, they are actually voting for only a single in-
example of the disproportionality it allows. dividual to represent their constituency, while voting
The 24% of eligible voters who favored the blocs only matter nationally when they are locally sig-
Conservative Party took near complete control of the nificant. Over half of local elections are won by plural-
government by securing 37% of the vote and taking ity, exacerbating the disproportionality.
51% of the seats in Parliament. The Labour Party, Luckily most of British politics has noth-
compared to the 2010 General Election, increased ing to do with elections. The Parties rule in Britain:
its national vote share by 1.5%, but netted a loss of they control whos nominated and for which seats.
26 seats. The Conservative Party increased their vote They control who becomes PM and they control the
share by only 0.8%, gaining a net 24 seats. UKIP took parameters of political debate. There are less than
12.6% of the vote and one seat in Parliament; while one million Britons registered with any political par-
the SNP took less than 5% of the vote and captured ty about 2% of registered voters. Entering this
56 seats 9% of the Commons. elite group costs between 0.08 and 2.09 a month,
Since 1945, no Government has taken pow- depending on the Party, your age and employment
20
that as many as 14% of eligible vot-
ers remain unregistered with high
concentrations among young, poor and
minority communities, statistics echoed in
turn-out.
In 2015, 34% of registered voters did not
vote. This is ten points more than the 24% that car-
ried the election for the Conservatives, and more than
sta- three times those who voted UKIP and scared the
tus. Tories into promising an EU referendum they did not
As a want to hold. The story of UKIP presents perhaps the
student, most compelling reason to throw your vote away on
joining the a Party doomed to Parliamentary failure based on the
Liberal Demo- geographical dispersement pressure within constit-
crats is cheapest. uencies, translates into change within dominant party
The Conservative Par- platforms.
ty is the most expensive. Beyond the parties, if even a marginal percent-
The Labour Party is in age of voters much less 34% of voters turned
turmoil over people joining in spoiled ballots, that would be headline news. For
their organisation in the wake of those frustrated with the system and direction of the
voting reforms passed in 2014 that country, this is a powerful tool offered to you to artic-
brought the Labour system in line with ulate that opinion in a way that cannot be written off
the one-member-one-vote rules used by as too lazy or too dumb to participate.
the Lib Dems, Green Party, and (in part) the The Economist publishes an annual democracy
Conservatives. index: in 2015 the UK ranked 16th globally with the
Labour Party membership rules are currently exclusion of micro-states. Our flawed system is one
in flux, but conservatively 2.00 a month will secure of only 20 systems deemed full democracies. In to-
you around a one in 500,000 say in future Labour Par- tal, these contain only 8.9% of the worlds population.
ty leadership. This is an unbelievable amount of pow- 52% live under at least semi-Authoritarian regimes,
er when compared to the impact of national voting, with little to no political representation.
which is 1 in 43 million, further diluted by constituency Not voting cannot be about disenchant-
demographics. ment with the system, but is rather a failure
Its at constituency level that things become to recognise the privileges presented to one
important. In the Labour Party, its been sitting MPs of the freest and most democratic socie-
whove disrupted political change - and they control ties in world history. Single votes may
leadership candidate shortlisting. These MPs only face not matter, but those who dont vote
reselection when voted on by constituency Labour will live under the political dom-
Party members. The size of constituency parties var- ination of people who realise
ies, but given that people have to show up to meet- that a single act of insig-
ings, the process by which these selections take place nificance, when taken
usually involves mere hundreds of people. Its com- in tandem with mil-
plicated, time-consuming, costly, and rather unusual. lions of like-mind-
But they involve so few people that organised involve- ed individuals,
ment can have a substantial effect. means social
The last avenue for change is the SNP model: control.
concentrated local rebellion. The SNP was capable of
taking seats in the Commons, almost doubling their
representation compared to their supporters
and table a referendum by campaigning on a single
issue to a small portion of the British population.
If none of the parties are appealing, start
a new one, or help hijack an existing platform,
and at least vote. Even if you live in one of
the 225 safe-seats that has not changed
hands since before 1950, not voting
is a blight on the system, and an
abdication of power. Estimates
from the 2011 census indicate
21
The Issues
We asked our writers to take
on 3 of the most important
issues of the day Brexit,
feminism and social media
to cover these vital areas from
as many different angles as
possible.
22
23
Feminism Womens issues, female PMs, and
the notorious fouth wave
24
Feminism is more than the sum of its tweets by Imogen Malpas
Its wonderful to check the news and see feminism being not only widely discussed, but cel-
ebrated. The popular support of feminism by everyone from multimillionaire singers (Taylor Swift) to
presidents (Obama) is more than I, as a burgeoning feminist a few years ago, might have hoped for.
But the pendulum of popular opinion, well-placed as it might appear, seems to be risking a swing too
far in the opposite direction. Feminism is becoming an easy buzzword; a term with which celebrities
proudly plaster themselves when it suits their public image, whilst its meaning and legacy one that
women have fought and died for is diluted into emoji-studded tweets and half-hearted interview
comments.
Its a good first step for celebrities to claim the label of feminist, but it remains only a first step.
To be a feminist, beyond paying lip-service to the term, requires careful examination of ones ethical
principles and practices: mere statements, however fervent, cannot take the place of action. Celebrities
like Swift, for example, are perfectly placed to publicly support any number of movements or causes
that support women. Yet Swifts brand of feminism benefits herself alone, relegating her time and time
again to the role of the victim under threat from the black male aggressor (e.g. Kanye West) or from
the jealous woman (e.g. Nicki Minaj): both outdated and frankly dangerous tropes that do nothing but
harm intersectional feminism.
Im delighted that celebrity culture is, on the whole, embracing a label that historically has
excluded and denigrated those who claim it. Feminism is cool: but to reduce it to a trend that can be
shrugged on and off at will by privileged, rich, and predominantly white women is an insult to the many
thousands of women sidelined by the same culture: poor women, trans women, women of colour and
disabled women, who fight the exhausting fight daily against oppressive social structures. We mustnt
be fooled. Feminism is never as easy as it looks, especially when it looks like Taylor Swift and her girl
squad posing in the Hamptons, so its time we stopped pretending otherwise.
25
Social Media All things online, viral and
insta. Minus the trolls
26
Can Social Media cure the generation gap? by Olivia Williams
Social media is present in most peoples daily lives - individuals reportedly check their phone an
average of 85 times a day and spend a third of their waking hours browsing the web. Is all this brows-
ing serving a progressive purpose or is it just aimlessly passing time? The generation gap refers to the
disengagement young people feel from the older generation, particularly those in authority. Resultantly,
there is a sense of helplessness among young people, who feel that their opinions are ignored because
they lack political power.
That said, thanks to social media, anyone can share their opinion and have their voice heard.
Young people are the future leaders of society and because of social media, instead of waiting until our
generation takes centre stage, we can begin to shape a better future now. The Black Lives Matter pro-
tests occurred as a result of a hashtag - a key example of social media being utilized, in this instance to
campaign against a ludicrous reality where people of colour are being murdered by US law enforcement
officers almost weekly. Thus, anyone and everyone can become an activist when details about protests
are available on their Facebook feed.
We now have this accessible medium of which our age group are the predominant users, and
it can be used progressively. Young people can collaborate through social media and ensure that when
our time comes, we get it right. When used in this way, social media helps squash the assumptions
that the older generation are the only group worth listening to and that young people cannot actively
change the world. However, social media is not mainly used as a pathway to political activism, and
so the generation gap is not being cured. Instead the digital world is dominated by those seeking to
entertain, such as viral video creators. These individuals infamously stay silent on political issues and
instead use their platforms to perpetuate unrealistic lifestyles and materialistic ideals.
Social media is the medium through which we can avoid making the mistakes of our predeces-
sors. To do so, young people must utilise this opportunity and make sure their opinions count.
27
Brexit Our writers take on Brexit, Farage and its
extraordinary political surroundings
28
A very British human rights problem by Katie Wetherall
When politicians start treating human rights legislation lightly, we should be concerned. Follow-
ing the decision to leave the European Union, Theresa Mays government has affirmed their 2015 elec-
tion manifesto commitment to repeal the Human Rights Act and replace it with a British Bill of Rights.
Introduced by Tony Blair in 1998, the HRA formally incorporates 16 of the rights listed in the
European Convention of Human Rights into UK law. These include the right to life, the right to a fair
trial, freedom of religion, speech and association. It doesnt sound particularly controversial, but since
its inception, the Human Rights Act has drawn criticism, mostly from the Tory right, for allowing the Eu-
ropean Court of Human Rights to overrule the decisions of UK judges, especially regarding controversial
cases such as the deportation of foreign nationals. Behind the tabloid headlines, much of the everyday
work of the Human Rights Act goes unnoticed.
Uncertainty clouds the furore over Human Rights in Britain. Despite May arguing only in April
that The ECHR can bind the hands of Parliament, adds nothing to our prosperity and makes us less
secure, it remains unclear whether Britain will leave the Convention and the jurisdiction of the Court
altogether. Nonetheless, Conservative MPs will be keen for the government to stick to their plans to
restore common sense and tackle misuse of rights contained in the convention. Severer still is their
intention to limit use of the Act to only the most serious cases involving security, life and liberty.
These changes could have real consequences for the ability of the public to challenge breaches
of rights by public bodies. What future for young people like Zeema, who successfully appealed under
article 3 (right to be free from cruel and inhuman treatment) that her local authority had knowingly
failed to protect her from horrific child abuse and neglect (Z v UK, 2001)?
Human rights are too important, too universal and inalienable to be subject to short term
post-Brexit political expediency. A British bill of rights could be a radical change to individual rights and
the avenues available to seek redress of grievances.
29
Poets Corner
Poems by Eileen Gbagbo
30
Why do I constantly wage war against myself?
Against my skin that bears the stains of my ancestors
And I dont know how I feel
When in ten years of education
I am taught
That we have always been slaves
Slaves to capitalism, slaves to tribalism, slaves to white su-
premacy
And I still dont know how I feel
When we talk about the evils of fascism
The universal genocide of Jews but we fail to recognise
The massacre of young ingenuity
Because in this world of social Darwinism
Adapted to the pseudo ideals of society
Young girls have more red lines on the pale of their palms
They have more bags under their eyes
That holds knowledge of the uncertain
Than any textbook ever will
But we do not realise that our accent is laced with the history
of empires
Our eyes only reflect the sun that never sets
And our minds only pour gold that once crowned us.
31
PHOTOSHOOT
Photos by Maria Kalinowska
Young Indonesian girls preparing to
take part in a traditional Balinese dance
competition in Ubud, Bali, Indonesia.
Balinese dance is an ancient tradition and
the dancers express the stories of dance-
drama through the bodily gestures including
gestures of fingers, hands, head and eyes.
They train and perform in the traditional
make up and clothes from a very young age.
32
33
COMMUNITY
Welcomed at 13
Refused at 20 by Luke
Rix-Standing
Conducting a survey is harder than I ever im- vote? OR Why not? What do you think it would take
agined. Its completely unnatural to approach total for you to vote?
strangers outside a shopping centre and ask them to 3) Do you feel any differently about voting when it
answer a few questions on voter disillusionment. If comes to local elections?
the clipboard wasnt enough to make people cross to 4) What could be done to improve the link between
the other side of the road the mention of that subject young people and local governance (if a link ex-
certainly was. I now have a new found respect for the ists in the first place)?
charity pushers who approach you on high streets up Despite the majority of people I approached
and down the country. It is hard. being apprehensive at first I was really taken aback
Nonetheless I set out to try and get some in- by the detail of many of the answers I received.
sight into why young people (approximately aged 18- Turns out the generation many like to brand as apa-
25) are disillusioned with our system and why they thetic and disillusioned are more than likely unfairly
may be perceived as highly unlikely to vote. To get a branded.
well-rounded picture the questions were widened to Of the respondents, with an average age of
ask about General Elections, Local Elections and the 24, only 37% had not voted in the last major elec-
recent EU referendum which had arguably engaged tions, while of the 63% who had voted, many did
young people more than ever before. The aim here so in both the General Election and EU Referendum.
was to get a picture of the national problem but also The responses given by people who had voted re-
to try and provide some points from which Southwark cently varied greatly. Some cited the fact that it was
Council and other local authorities may be able to their right and duty to vote. One respondent even
work from in order to connect on a local level. suggested he voted because his mum told him to. In-
The questions were as follows: terestingly many respondents were purely issue driv-
1) Did you vote in the last major elections (Referen- en, whether it was a dislike of David Cameron, the
dum or General)? environment, recently becoming taxpayers, or the EU
2) Was it your first time voting? What made you membership issue.
36
As a new modern political generation young The overwhelming sentiment when talking
people may not feel any strong affiliation to tradition- about local elections was that more information was
al political parties and ideology. Instead it is feasible needed. This information could come about at an
to believe that we are better educated, more aware educational level (Bert, 23), through interaction
and ready to take elections based on the issues at universities with MPs & parties (Cas, 23), round-
alone. As one respondent (Rachel, 26) asserted: table discussions (Krissy, 23) or even an app for
It is enough to tell us the facts and treat us whats going on in your local community giving facts
like adults young people are intelligent. and a newsfeed for local issues (Harry, 22). All of
When explaining what it would take to mobilise the these seem logical and easy to implement. More in-
non-voters many people said the system needed to formation on what services councils actually provide,
be overhauled, parties revitalised, more information, especially for youth, combined with younger repre-
and less scaremongering. This suggests the respond- sentatives could certainly help to get young people
ents were not interested in the politics of elections more engaged with local government. The lack of
and could be convinced to vote by better issue-based information from local councils was clear amongst re-
campaigns. Syed (21) did not completely dismiss spondents. Of everyone surveyed, whether they lived
parties however, saying that: in Southwark or not, not one person could name a
There is good in each party we could have a shake- local council youth project or scheme. Could it be
up of groups less racism, more environmental [is- that councils are missing a trick by not engaging with
sues]. voting age young people?
In a later response to the final question of The issue of voter disillusionment amongst
how the link could best be improved between young young people is not clear cut enough to write off
people and local governance, Jake (24), suggested: young people as disengaged completely. The snap-
More school level education even as simple as left shot given by a few days of surveys around Canada
v. right. Is there a real difference? How necessary is Water Station/Library and Surrey Quays Shopping
being positioned on the spectrum? Centre is certainly not enough to draw watertight
A shake up of the party system to make it conclusions about all of the electorate aged 18-25.
less adversarial and more firmly issue-based could The answers given were however an indication that
make young people less disillusioned. The referen- young people are willing to engage with UK elections
dum was clearly a motivating factor for those who at all levels given the right conditions. Given the right
did vote in recent major elections. For Phil (22), who issues, the right quality of electoral competition and
had never voted, the issue really mattered. Despite hassle-free voting methods it may not take that
the negative aspects of the campaigns on both sides much to convince young non-voters to turnout at na-
we should hope that the EU Referendum has longer- tional and local elections.
term mobilising after-effects.
On a much more local scale, it was really the
latter half of the survey which got people talking.
Whether people felt favourably about local elections
or not, the vast majority of those questioned had
constructive suggestions as to how the links with
local government could be created/improved. The
responses to the question Do you feel any differ-
ently about voting when it comes to local elections?
were fairly evenly split. Some saw local elections
as unimportant or felt little connection to their local
community, while the remaining respondents felt the
local connection was important and more personal
than in national elections. For those who felt local
elections did not matter as much a simple solution
could be introduced in the form of online voting. 26%
of all respondents said hassle or being away at the
time of an election was enough to put them off vot-
ing. This is easily solved and would put local elec-
tions on a more equal footing versus national elec-
tions. Such a measure would also clearly benefit the
younger and more plugged-in generation of voters
as well as paving the way for modern and effective
elections in years to come.
37
from following in his footsteps.
Over the table of a London caf, Paul tells
The Ex-Offenders me a little about the path that led him to prison.
Growing up on a deprived South Kilburn estate with
his single-parent mother, he remembers, I started
and minds it was led by me. He was just 14 when he got his
first taste of custody six weeks in a youth detention
centre and by his twenties he was deep into drugs
Directions Project UK uses the and seduced by the champagne lifestyle of the local
gang leaders. One night he was arrested transporting
experiences of ex-offenders to a mac-10 machine gun across London.
Paul served half a 4-year sentence inside
deter young people from getting before he was back on the street. He couldnt find
involved in crime work and was soon ensnared in the drugs trade once
more. An armed police raid brought that to an end
by Luke Rix-Standing storming into the flat where Paul and his lawyer
partner were packaging up cocaine. The headlines
were blunt: Arms Dealer and Barrister Run Cocaine
The 4 IRA members who blew up the BBC Factory. It was a low ebb.
in Shepherds Bush, they were in the next celland Pauls time in prison still resonates strongly.
Abu Qatada was two doors away from me. I used to Its about survival, he recalls, youve got nothing,
play table tennis with himYou always remember the youre wearing prison clothes, you have to put in an
faces...I see some of them walking round Westfield application to visit the library, youre strip-searched
[shopping centre]. But Paul Murdoch has moved on. at will. Paul is in no doubt that nobody should want
Not geographically, but in every other way his life has to go to jail, ever, for anything. Which is how he came
changed completely since he left custody in 2011. He up with the idea of using his own experience and
then founded his own organisation, Directions Pro- that of other ex-offenders to try to deter young
ject, working with young people to try to stop them people from getting involved in crime.
38
Emerging from prison in 2011, deserted by his mit that she was feeling really low. Id love to work
girlfriend and estranged from his daughter, he threw more with these kids he says, with a shake of the
himself into starting Directions Project: the vision head.
had been put together in prison and it was a matter That Directions Project is staffed by ex-of-
of throwing a brochure together of my aims and how fenders is central to its achievements lending their
I could help young people, and then marketing it at words and experiences a power that parents and
schools. He remembers feeling overwhelmed when teachers will never possess. Martin, Pauls friend
Dormers Wells school in Ealing invited him to come since childhood, and the only member of the team
and talk. never to have been a criminal, was the first to come
With its central thesis prevention is better on board when the project began. No matter what
than cure, Paul aims to communicate with young advice you give to parents and teachers, kids often
people from a position of knowledge, about the wont listen he remarks, because they wont respect
choices they make and the risks they take. The ses- them the same way they respect Paul. 99% of the
sions he runs range from intimate groups to echoing time when someone is addicted to drugs or drink,
presentations in packed school assemblies, in which theyre more likely to listen to someone whos actual-
Paul breaks down the harsh realities of a life of crime. ly had a drugs or drink problem.
If youre joining a gang you better make sure you tell Directions Project is now expanding and di-
your mum and dad theyre joining too he tells them, versifying. Paul has recently done talks in Pentonville
if you dont want to stand up and be counted theyll Prison, PRUs (Pupil Referral Units for those exclud-
go after your families. ed from school) and has had interest from care facil-
A key aim is to smash through the glamour ities. Recently they began recruiting members from
of the criminal lifestyle: no-one is reppin their Ns the Open Estate a prison for well-behaved convicts
[neighbourhood] when theyre 40. These kids are who are within six months of release to work with
fighting over a postcode. What kind of life is it when them. Its a milestone for me beams Paul, with evi-
you cant go for a Nandos in a different area? Paul dent pride, someone who just a few years
pulls no punches: there are three places gang mem- ago was in prison themselves, is now
bers end up, he says the cemetery, the hospital, trusted to take people out of it.
and jail. Paul is particularly enthusias-
Just five years on, Directions Project is tic about starting to work in prima-
well established. Last year it conducted 115 ry schools. We need to go back to
appointments at 40 different schools. 80% grass rootsgetting hold of 10 and
resulted in a request to return. Its in the 11-years-olds, putting some sort
nature of the job that success is not of prevention stuff in
always quantifiable we dont have
a magic wand. For every 30 kids we
speak to we hope to get through to
one or twoand were not with
that kid two or three years down
the line but what feedback
there is has been overwhelm-
ingly positive. From parental
e-mails to post-talk confes-
sions, they receive all manner
of striking responses. Some
offer thanks; others say they
are being bullied and seek
advice; one admitted that his
parents were at home smoking
drugs right now.
Paul says it has a lot to do
with vulnerability: we all like to be
macho-looking people who wear
masks in life, and for me to stand
there and be brutally honest
people come up afterwards and
shake my hand. He recounts a
story of one girl who approached
him after a class to simply ad-
39
the school curriculum. Get them early agrees Mar- found frustration to Paul. The same [negative] cul-
tin, most of the trouble seems to be in year 9so ture is present in prison he laments, just without
you need years 6, 7 and 8 and then to keep coming the money and the guns. Theres still a reputation
back. to keep up and I dont know where the remorseful
Schools have statutory duties to tackle rad- side is supposed to come into it. Prison removes the
icalisation and British values, but do little on peer offender from a negative community, immerses them
pressure and crime. As a result, around two thirds of in one thats quite possibly worse, before releasing
every classroom has never even heard of joint enter- them straight back out where they came from. They
prise. Kids are getting into trouble earlier even than may even have added kudos amongst their peers,
when they were young, Paul and Martin say, and its and certainly have added stigma in the non-criminal
more dangerous now too. In our day there wasnt world that makes it even harder to get an honest job.
such a proliferation of guns and weapons, Martin Paul, however, has a plan: you need a pro-
points out, How many people were stabbing people gramme where courts can order for people to be tak-
when we were young? How many people were rap- en out of their community and be reprogrammed
pin about stabbing people? Paul responds, young by positive people who have been down these roads
people do what they see in front of themand kids before what do you think would happen. asks Paul,
are being exposed to all sorts of things. If you spend if you took 10 kids at risk of exclusion to a house
long enough in a hairdresser, youre gonna get a hair- in the countryside that taught education, the pitfalls
cut. of crime, respect and values and then brought them
Understanding this culture and getting young back into society? You are the company you keep
people away from it, is central to Direction Projects its a no-brainer. Martin concurs: why are we spend-
ambitions. At the moment the role model on a local ing 40,000 of taxpayers money [the annual cost
estate is someone who has a convertible car, never per prisoner] when spending 5,000 in a different
works and has a lot of money, says Paul, You know way could prevent someone from going to prison? It
theyre selling drugsWe need to saturate communi- makes you wonder.
ties with positive role models Unfortunately, this rural retreat seems a way
Directions Project is now sending mentors off, but in the meantime Directions Project is trying
into schools on a weekly basis. The impact of a one- to change the trajectory of Londons youth one class,
off talk is likely to fade after a few months, Paul ex- one student, and one prison cell at a time. Before
plains, mentoring has longer-lasting impact. This is leaving I ask Paul, if there was a kid standing in front
particularly topical with youth clubs in the vanguard of you right now and you had 20 seconds, what would
of government cuts. Theres a lot of anger in young you say? He pauses. What is your purpose in life?
people, theyre not heard enough, says Paul, we What legacy are you gonna leave behind? Would you
should be throwing money at our youth; theyre our want your younger brother involved in what youre
future. doing?
The prison system too, is a source of pro- Perhaps theres a lesson in there for us all.
40
99% Campaign Team
Luke Jack
Rix-Standing Bellamy
Writer, 22
Editor, 22
Lucy Eileen
Thompson Gbagbo
Writer, 20 Writer/Poet, 17
Frank Katie
Kibble Wetherall
Writer, 23 Writer, 21
Adele Brendan
Fraser Welch
Writer, 21 Writer, 27
Imogen Olivia
Malpas Williams
Writer, 20 Writer, 20
41
RESOURCES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND
YOUTH PROFESSIONALS
EMPOWERING YOUNG PEOPLE & YOUTH PROFESSIONALS:
RIGHTS & RESPONSIBILITIES TRAINING
Accredited Training for Youth Professionals and Young People
The IARS International Institute is delivering an interdisciplinary CPD accredited Empowering Youth
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The Youth Professionals Programme aims to:
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Improve professionals skills and knowledge on how to organically involve young people at all stages of their work
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Build organizational capacity in agencies and services in the field of youth and provide them with the tools and
best practice guidance on how to engage vulnerable young people.
Accreditation
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Youth Pass Certification; a european wide acknowledged certification that
certifies formal and non- formal educational activities.
IF you want to find more about the training please contact us at:
contact@iars.org.uk
EURODESK
Eurodesk informs both young people and youth organisations about European mobility
opportunities. It is an official support structure for Erasmus+ and works across 34
countries. In the UK we help young people go abroad to volunteer, study, work or train.
On our website you can also find competitions, training and funding offers, events and
resources as well as inspiring stories from other young people.
Want to know more? Check out www.eurodesk.org.uk, the European Youth Portal:
https://europa.eu/youth/UK_en, and follow us on Facebook or Twitter (@EurodeskUK)!
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About the 99% Campaign
www.99percentcampaign.org
The 99% Campaign is a youth-led initiative and participation programme that aims to dispel negative
stereotypes of young people, and promote their involvement in decision-making processes and civic life.
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We are grateful to our funders:
Price 99p