Last week, The Good Shopping Guide unveiled their latest research into the UK's most ethical and unethical companies for the eighth edition of their book, producing some shocking revelations.
Sainsbury's are the only supermarket in the UK with correct accreditation from the Ethical Company Organisation, while supermarkets such as Marks and Spencer and Waitrose are at the top of the ethical shopper's list of places to go, scoring highly for their conscious efforts in nuclear power, worker's rights and ethical products. Supermarkets Iceland and Tesco score "badly" for worker's rights and their impact on the environment. Overall however, statistics show that Wal-Mart owned Asda have come bottom in most categories including GM foods, animal welfare, worker's rights, and "political donations".
Tea and coffee are often used as examples of Fairtrade products "making it" into the mainstream, becoming almost symbolic of the Fairtrade movement. While ten out of ten children recognise Ronald MacDonald, only two out of five people recognise the Fairtrade logo. Still, we've come a long way since 2000 when coffee prices slumped to a historic low worldwide. Coffee chains such as Starbucks raked in the profits at the cost of the coffee beans, which plummeted. The evidence was in the stock markets that year.
With chains such as Starbucks' leading the way for corporate gain, the balance between consumers and the developing world could never be tipped; keeping the poor from working their way out of poverty. An estimated 20 million households rely on coffee crops as their income, meaning the knock-on effect on coffee farmers was drastic, many of the farmers had to sell livestock and pull children out of school just to get by.
Now, after incessant campaigning by charities such as Oxfam, Starbucks carries the Fairtrade logo and other chains such as Costa and (even MacDonald's ) proudly display their Rainforest Alliance logo on their recycled, cardboard take away cups.
Of course as Britons, we must mention tea. Over 80 percent of us drink it, and we love it. But how many of us can say we know our Tetley's from our Betty's? According to The Good Shopping Guide, Nescafe, PG Tips and Twinings rate the worst for the environment and animal welfare. Twining's is even "bottom rated" for its stance on genetically modified foods. The companies which come recommended and at the top for everything from public record criticisms, to fair trade and armaments are Yorkshire Tea (84 percent), CafeDirect (88), and Clipper (also 88 percent).
While the evidence goes to show that many of the multi-national corporations are finally taking a stance on their carbon footprint, human rights and ethically sourced products, it raises a very serious question - to save the planet, is it better to buy a pack of fairly traded coffee beans from overseas which enables a farmer to work their way out of poverty but results in more packaging and arrives by aircraft, emitting more CO2 into the atmosphere?
The answer is, there is no simple answer. As a consumer, it is most important to make that decision yourself, and stick with companies who's ethical stance is the same as, or reflects, yours. A stranger said to me today, "I save on plastic bags, and that's my bit done for the planet. After all, the way I see it is, I've barely contributed to global warning!" Then she sauntered off.
If we all thought like this, who's left to make a difference?
'The Good Shopping Guide' is available to buy now.
Friday 11 December 2009
Saturday 7 November 2009
Why are officials at Fort Hood hindering their investigations by concerning themselves with race?
Many of you reading this will have heard over the weekend about the tragic shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, where Major Nidal Malik Hassan, an Amry psychiatrist, shot and killed 13 people in what appears to be a random act of violence.
Federal investigators are point blank refusing to release information on the details of the shooting to the public, fuelling reports that the shooting may have been carried out by multiple attackers and raising questions about why it took officials several hours to confirm to the media that Major Hassan had been shot and injured.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas, said Army officials were trying to determine "if there is something more than just one deranged person involved here... That is a question still to be asked."
Aside from the fact that the person interviewed was a Republican, I feel I need not point out what this article goes on to suggest are the motives behind the shooting.
Evidence retrieved from ballistic tests showed that there was only one gunman but of course it would be easier to write off this act of violence as terrorism because the shooter was not only of Palestinian descent, but a practising Muslim. To quote 'The New York Times';
In Washington, a law enforcement official said an early search of Major Hasan’s computer did not indicate any direct exchanges with known terrorists. The official said investigators did not have a complete record of Major Hasan’s Internet use, as he had multiple e-mail accounts and used computers in several locations.
The fact that Major Hassan is also an American citizen by birth (born and reared in Virginia) and voluntarily joined the American military is overlooked. The fact that his immigrant parents, both deceased, were described by those who knew them as kindly restaurant owners who "always had a warm meal for someone who otherwise would not have anything to eat that evening" is also overlooked. The terrible answers to the reasons behind Major Hassan's shooting spree could be something much more complex than simply an act of jihad, as much of American media has already labelled the shooting as.
Major Hassan was a highly educated American, troubled by many of his patients' stories having counselled "scores" of them upon their return from Iraq or Afghanistan. The truth that is emerging about the reasons behind his awful acts of violence is truly too complicated to label merely as terrorism. His cousin, Nader Hassan has said, "He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy [to Iraq or Afghanistan]," after hearing first hand the realities of war. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there." Unverified reports have also suggested that Major Hassan complained of harrassment from fellow soldiers for being Muslim, and that he was trying to get out of deployment to Afghanistan on November 23rd.
Locals who prayed with Major Hassan at his mosque; The Islamic Community of Greater Killeen, have expressed shock and betrayal by Major Hassan's actions. A mosque leader, Doctor Manzoor Farooqi, when asked if he feared retribution for the shootings, said he hoped good relations would prevail. He added, "The Islamic community strongly condemns this cowardly attack, which was particularly heinous in that it was directed at the all-volunteer army that protects our nation."
Notably, the repercussions of this shooting on peaceful Muslim communities in America will be huge. Judging by comments made on liberal newspaper 'The New York Times' website, any hope of moving away from 9/11 comparisons have been shattered. Comments range from accusing Major Hassan directly of being a terrorist in league with other terrorists, to labelling him a "racist" and "extremist". Very few media outlets have commented on the prejudiced conclusions people are already making in America, or the fact that this could be the final straw for many other more conservative Americans who were undecided on their beliefs on Islam.
As Obama said after the awful attack, "We don't know all the answers yet," and should refrain from "jumping to conclusions".
My condolences to all the families everywhere affected by this horrible and brutal act of violence, be they Christian, Muslim, Caucausian, African American, or Asian. Grief, does after all, transcend race.
Federal investigators are point blank refusing to release information on the details of the shooting to the public, fuelling reports that the shooting may have been carried out by multiple attackers and raising questions about why it took officials several hours to confirm to the media that Major Hassan had been shot and injured.
Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, Republican of Texas, said Army officials were trying to determine "if there is something more than just one deranged person involved here... That is a question still to be asked."
Aside from the fact that the person interviewed was a Republican, I feel I need not point out what this article goes on to suggest are the motives behind the shooting.
Evidence retrieved from ballistic tests showed that there was only one gunman but of course it would be easier to write off this act of violence as terrorism because the shooter was not only of Palestinian descent, but a practising Muslim. To quote 'The New York Times';
In Washington, a law enforcement official said an early search of Major Hasan’s computer did not indicate any direct exchanges with known terrorists. The official said investigators did not have a complete record of Major Hasan’s Internet use, as he had multiple e-mail accounts and used computers in several locations.
The fact that Major Hassan is also an American citizen by birth (born and reared in Virginia) and voluntarily joined the American military is overlooked. The fact that his immigrant parents, both deceased, were described by those who knew them as kindly restaurant owners who "always had a warm meal for someone who otherwise would not have anything to eat that evening" is also overlooked. The terrible answers to the reasons behind Major Hassan's shooting spree could be something much more complex than simply an act of jihad, as much of American media has already labelled the shooting as.
Major Hassan was a highly educated American, troubled by many of his patients' stories having counselled "scores" of them upon their return from Iraq or Afghanistan. The truth that is emerging about the reasons behind his awful acts of violence is truly too complicated to label merely as terrorism. His cousin, Nader Hassan has said, "He was mortified by the idea of having to deploy [to Iraq or Afghanistan]," after hearing first hand the realities of war. "He had people telling him on a daily basis the horrors they saw over there." Unverified reports have also suggested that Major Hassan complained of harrassment from fellow soldiers for being Muslim, and that he was trying to get out of deployment to Afghanistan on November 23rd.
Locals who prayed with Major Hassan at his mosque; The Islamic Community of Greater Killeen, have expressed shock and betrayal by Major Hassan's actions. A mosque leader, Doctor Manzoor Farooqi, when asked if he feared retribution for the shootings, said he hoped good relations would prevail. He added, "The Islamic community strongly condemns this cowardly attack, which was particularly heinous in that it was directed at the all-volunteer army that protects our nation."
Notably, the repercussions of this shooting on peaceful Muslim communities in America will be huge. Judging by comments made on liberal newspaper 'The New York Times' website, any hope of moving away from 9/11 comparisons have been shattered. Comments range from accusing Major Hassan directly of being a terrorist in league with other terrorists, to labelling him a "racist" and "extremist". Very few media outlets have commented on the prejudiced conclusions people are already making in America, or the fact that this could be the final straw for many other more conservative Americans who were undecided on their beliefs on Islam.
As Obama said after the awful attack, "We don't know all the answers yet," and should refrain from "jumping to conclusions".
My condolences to all the families everywhere affected by this horrible and brutal act of violence, be they Christian, Muslim, Caucausian, African American, or Asian. Grief, does after all, transcend race.
Tuesday 13 October 2009
Disney 'Up' on social comment
As a kid, Disney films were magical. Every frame hand drawn, and the subtlest differences were not picked up on until you watch The Little Mermaid for the two hundredth time (as an adult) and see that Ariel's hair moves differently in each frame as it blows in the wind when she's pining away for Prince Eric.
Pixar of course, has come a long way. I watched Up at the cinema tonight wearing 3D glasses styled like Ray Ban's Wayfarers. The experience was unbelievable, and yes, I did reach out a few times to do the "grabby thing" because it was so surreal. Imagine watching Cinderella in 3D when the carriage turns back into a pumpkin!
Ok, my point is, that Disney has indeed come a long way from Walt's animations, and even the storyline's are stronger. Fairytale princesses falling in love with long lost princes are no longer enough to capture a child's imagination. The classics I grew up with told me that beauty is only skin deep and if you grow beautiful on the inside, you will always find true love... Or that being born with riches means nothing if you are a prisoner of said riches... Or simply, always expect your step mother to be an evil, cackling mistress.
Finding Nemo was about dreaming big and never losing hope and that being little is OK. The Incredibles, one of my all time favourites, teaches us the importance of family values, and again, that being different is actually kinda cool.
Now we have Up, the happy/sad tale about a bitter old man, but we get to see why he's bitter, unlike many other Disney characters who turn out like him. Carl, the 78 year old protagonist in Up is a symbol of tradition in a time where modernity and development find tradition decrepid and outdated. He is to the very core, the American Dream; the Willy Loman of Disney if you will. He is a family man, a doting husband, and at the beginning at least, a failed dreamer. He dreams big, but his dreams never seem to materialise.
*Look away now if you haven't seen the film, and I INSIST you see it!*
Until the Men in Suits threaten to destroy everything he has spent his lifetime building. The Men in Suits who offer Carl "double" the amount they offered "last time" for the little plot of land his house rests on, represent everything that is new, shiny, modern and scary to America. They are the multi-national corporations who brought America's economy to it's knees back in 2008. They are the American Dream gone wrong through greed. When the camera zooms in on Carl sitting on a bench gripping the slip of paper which reads "Court Summons", he looks like a fragile old man who has lost his fight with the world. Yet another comment on how the big guy takes what he can from the little guy, because the next scene is of Carl being dropped off in a police car outside his home. He is handed a leaflet for a nursing home by the police officer, who drives off leaving Carl on his doorstep, alone.
Another poignant moment is when Carl and Ellie's savings jar for their "Adventure" keeps getting broken into for various repairs around the house or for other day to day necessities such as the replacing the car tyre. Disney does not gloss over the fact that these days especially, money is hard to come by. As a member of the audience you so wish for Carl to break the jar for the last time for household repairs, but the jar-breaking is a metaphor for the couple's heartbreak each time the hammer smashes into the glass.
Disney really got the story right again. In all of four minutes, Carl's life story is summarised at the beginning, ensuring your heart goes out to this lonely and closed-off character. He could easily come off as aloof, miserable and plain mean at times, but the four minutes which director Peter Docter allows for the audience to connect with Carl and Ellie are precious and intimate. As always, the story is about following your dreams and never to give up on them because The Spirit of Adventure within us never dies.
So go and see it, but don't expect it to be as carefree and jolly as Disney's other animations, this is a long way from Toy Story or Monsters Inc. Up is in my opinion Disney's first animation aimed mainly at adults. Dug the Dog and Kevin may provide the laughs, not to mention heart-of-gold and cute-as-a-button eight year old Russell, but Carl's life story is really the centerpiece of this film, and just like in real life, Carl goes through hard times.
Oh... one last thing - did I mention that Russell is Disney's first animated and non-typecast Asian character? Thank you Disney!
Pixar of course, has come a long way. I watched Up at the cinema tonight wearing 3D glasses styled like Ray Ban's Wayfarers. The experience was unbelievable, and yes, I did reach out a few times to do the "grabby thing" because it was so surreal. Imagine watching Cinderella in 3D when the carriage turns back into a pumpkin!
Ok, my point is, that Disney has indeed come a long way from Walt's animations, and even the storyline's are stronger. Fairytale princesses falling in love with long lost princes are no longer enough to capture a child's imagination. The classics I grew up with told me that beauty is only skin deep and if you grow beautiful on the inside, you will always find true love... Or that being born with riches means nothing if you are a prisoner of said riches... Or simply, always expect your step mother to be an evil, cackling mistress.
Finding Nemo was about dreaming big and never losing hope and that being little is OK. The Incredibles, one of my all time favourites, teaches us the importance of family values, and again, that being different is actually kinda cool.
Now we have Up, the happy/sad tale about a bitter old man, but we get to see why he's bitter, unlike many other Disney characters who turn out like him. Carl, the 78 year old protagonist in Up is a symbol of tradition in a time where modernity and development find tradition decrepid and outdated. He is to the very core, the American Dream; the Willy Loman of Disney if you will. He is a family man, a doting husband, and at the beginning at least, a failed dreamer. He dreams big, but his dreams never seem to materialise.
*Look away now if you haven't seen the film, and I INSIST you see it!*
Until the Men in Suits threaten to destroy everything he has spent his lifetime building. The Men in Suits who offer Carl "double" the amount they offered "last time" for the little plot of land his house rests on, represent everything that is new, shiny, modern and scary to America. They are the multi-national corporations who brought America's economy to it's knees back in 2008. They are the American Dream gone wrong through greed. When the camera zooms in on Carl sitting on a bench gripping the slip of paper which reads "Court Summons", he looks like a fragile old man who has lost his fight with the world. Yet another comment on how the big guy takes what he can from the little guy, because the next scene is of Carl being dropped off in a police car outside his home. He is handed a leaflet for a nursing home by the police officer, who drives off leaving Carl on his doorstep, alone.
Another poignant moment is when Carl and Ellie's savings jar for their "Adventure" keeps getting broken into for various repairs around the house or for other day to day necessities such as the replacing the car tyre. Disney does not gloss over the fact that these days especially, money is hard to come by. As a member of the audience you so wish for Carl to break the jar for the last time for household repairs, but the jar-breaking is a metaphor for the couple's heartbreak each time the hammer smashes into the glass.
Disney really got the story right again. In all of four minutes, Carl's life story is summarised at the beginning, ensuring your heart goes out to this lonely and closed-off character. He could easily come off as aloof, miserable and plain mean at times, but the four minutes which director Peter Docter allows for the audience to connect with Carl and Ellie are precious and intimate. As always, the story is about following your dreams and never to give up on them because The Spirit of Adventure within us never dies.
So go and see it, but don't expect it to be as carefree and jolly as Disney's other animations, this is a long way from Toy Story or Monsters Inc. Up is in my opinion Disney's first animation aimed mainly at adults. Dug the Dog and Kevin may provide the laughs, not to mention heart-of-gold and cute-as-a-button eight year old Russell, but Carl's life story is really the centerpiece of this film, and just like in real life, Carl goes through hard times.
Oh... one last thing - did I mention that Russell is Disney's first animated and non-typecast Asian character? Thank you Disney!
Thursday 8 October 2009
Education, Education, Recession?
Many a friend and I have sat and discussed the recession with a roll of the eyes and a "They saw it coming but did nothing" attitude to the whole crisis. We ummm at the latest economist's helpful statement that we are in a "U" shaped economic slump and the upturn is coming, they promise; and ahhh at Brown and Obama's rehearsed promises to join forces with powerful figures and "get us out of this mess".
But a guilty pleasure which we also indulge in every so often is the discussion of how we're all privately pleased that there has been a Great Depression in our lifetimes, and how society has changed as a result of these "bad times".
For a start, instead of mumbling something incoherant about the weather when we see our neighbours shopping in the supermarket, we can now engage in conversations smugly pretending the recession has exclusively affected only our two families.
"Cutting back on the shopping this week Barbara?"
"Yes, well you know how it is, money's tighter these days. Our John's had his hours cut down, just like your Ben."
Or in my case, "Oh you shopping with your mum today Sarah?"
"Yeah, sometimes I can convince her I need a new skirt for work but work haven't paid me yet, and she'll buy me it," laughs "Sarah", and off I go to try my hand at that very same trick. Yes, we certainly know how to clutch at those small pleasures during this recession.
On another note, universities declared this year that they have been inundated with the largest number of applicants to date. Economists and journalists have statistically backed up their argument that this is due to students no longer having the option of going straight into employment after A-Levels because the job market is shrinking rapidly. Parents and students (after all we don't really believe all 17/18 year olds make their own choices do we?) are also hoping that by the time they graduate, the recession will be over. Universities have also seen a sudden influx of mature students and UCAS say particularly an increase in the 21-24 age group by 12.9 percent, and a rise of 12.6 percent from applicants over the age of 24.
On the whole then, the Great British population is getting more educated, and clinging to their "education, education, education". What's the harm in that? Blair would be proud.
Furthermore, gosh, is the credit-card-charging-disposable-fashion-shopper on the decline? The Economist reported this week that it may take impulse shoppers "a quarter [of a financial year] or two" to fully change their shopping habits and cut down on crazy spending, but "surveys reveal a collapse in consumer confidence last winter". Huzzah, as my lovely friend Sarah would say. Less, is definitely, finally, absolutely more. As an avid supporter of quality not quantity when it comes to fashion and buying, I feel like the economic crisis is helping drum into friends (you know who you are) that organic and ethical clothing goes that little bit further if you're going to shop. Most items on the high street don't last because they're poorly made in sweatshop conditions, and oh, almost 100 percent acrylic - not exactly known to keep sheep warm during winter is it? I'll save that argument for another day, but I do feel like I can tone down my fair trade preaching for a while.
What's more, am I seeing more and more multi-national corporations championing, of all things they are known for, "green" ventures? What's that, Shell are using C02 waste to grow flowers? Absurd I hear you say, but you've got to hand it to them for trying.
As Dickens would say, these are hard times we live in, but put all these tiny pleasures into one basket, and you have hope for a better future. The end does not appear nigh, so why not basque in the glory of such simple pleasures while they last? This is the happiest I have seen people in a long time; pessimists have something to complain about and optimists are singing the praises of improved society relations - economic slump? Not a problem.
But a guilty pleasure which we also indulge in every so often is the discussion of how we're all privately pleased that there has been a Great Depression in our lifetimes, and how society has changed as a result of these "bad times".
For a start, instead of mumbling something incoherant about the weather when we see our neighbours shopping in the supermarket, we can now engage in conversations smugly pretending the recession has exclusively affected only our two families.
"Cutting back on the shopping this week Barbara?"
"Yes, well you know how it is, money's tighter these days. Our John's had his hours cut down, just like your Ben."
Or in my case, "Oh you shopping with your mum today Sarah?"
"Yeah, sometimes I can convince her I need a new skirt for work but work haven't paid me yet, and she'll buy me it," laughs "Sarah", and off I go to try my hand at that very same trick. Yes, we certainly know how to clutch at those small pleasures during this recession.
On another note, universities declared this year that they have been inundated with the largest number of applicants to date. Economists and journalists have statistically backed up their argument that this is due to students no longer having the option of going straight into employment after A-Levels because the job market is shrinking rapidly. Parents and students (after all we don't really believe all 17/18 year olds make their own choices do we?) are also hoping that by the time they graduate, the recession will be over. Universities have also seen a sudden influx of mature students and UCAS say particularly an increase in the 21-24 age group by 12.9 percent, and a rise of 12.6 percent from applicants over the age of 24.
On the whole then, the Great British population is getting more educated, and clinging to their "education, education, education". What's the harm in that? Blair would be proud.
Furthermore, gosh, is the credit-card-charging-disposable-fashion-shopper on the decline? The Economist reported this week that it may take impulse shoppers "a quarter [of a financial year] or two" to fully change their shopping habits and cut down on crazy spending, but "surveys reveal a collapse in consumer confidence last winter". Huzzah, as my lovely friend Sarah would say. Less, is definitely, finally, absolutely more. As an avid supporter of quality not quantity when it comes to fashion and buying, I feel like the economic crisis is helping drum into friends (you know who you are) that organic and ethical clothing goes that little bit further if you're going to shop. Most items on the high street don't last because they're poorly made in sweatshop conditions, and oh, almost 100 percent acrylic - not exactly known to keep sheep warm during winter is it? I'll save that argument for another day, but I do feel like I can tone down my fair trade preaching for a while.
What's more, am I seeing more and more multi-national corporations championing, of all things they are known for, "green" ventures? What's that, Shell are using C02 waste to grow flowers? Absurd I hear you say, but you've got to hand it to them for trying.
As Dickens would say, these are hard times we live in, but put all these tiny pleasures into one basket, and you have hope for a better future. The end does not appear nigh, so why not basque in the glory of such simple pleasures while they last? This is the happiest I have seen people in a long time; pessimists have something to complain about and optimists are singing the praises of improved society relations - economic slump? Not a problem.
Sunday 27 September 2009
UK shine "Spotlight on Africa"
Earlier this month the Ethical Fashion Forum held a seminar and marketplace in London on why Africa is becoming increasingly important in the apparel industry. According to EFF, in Kenya alone 30,000 people are employed in the apparel sector and for each of these jobs, another five are generated. As fashion is labour generated and requires limited capital input to fund, traditional skills such as hand-weaving, hand-embroidering, printing and tailoring offer a high premium.
Trade in fashion products gives important opportunities to small impoverished communities in Africa. The rising demand for sustainable sourcing, coupled with recycling and organic cotton has created a user supply demand for high-quality fashion from Africa which has boosted the trade. In the slums of Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya, fashion for the developed world has driven the premium for a handful of female artisans. In Korogocho 45 percent of the population are in their youth, many who are forced to stay impoverished because they are illiterate and unemployed as a result. Some adolescents only survive by turning to crime.
The handicraft initiative Bega kwa Bega which means “Shoulder to Shoulder” has helped many women from the slums work their way out of poverty. BKB have trained women from the slums of Korogocho and Mukura, which has been made a dumping ground for rubbish, to make handbags, scarves and jewellery. Many of the women have families to bring up and are also single parents caring for their elders. Through loans they have also been able to expand their initiative to cake making during off peak seasons and purchase more sewing machines to employ more women. Ignatius helps run BKB and he sees how giving women in the community employment has helped the economy of Kenya overall. “We export our crafts to Italy, Japan, Canada, [and] America where there are fair trade buyers. Our goal is to reach [as many] people as possible.”
Similar to Kenya, Zambia’s economy has grown steadily since 2003 from foreign investments. It relies heavily on mining, construction and the service sectors, according to the World Trade Organization’s trade policy review for Zambia this year. Since 2004, Zambia has been able to export directly to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, cutting out all third countries, and ensuring the maximum premium is directed back to Zambia. To encourage the industry, the government have also reduced the import duty on imported raw materials for aid of manufacturing clothing and accessories.
Currently, Zambia’s apparel industry only contributes between 10 and 11 percent of gross domestic product. Zambia’s increasing dependency on copper mining, which accounts for 75 percent of Zambia’s total exports, has eroded any progress on diversity in the Zambian economy. The trade policy review also stressed the importance of reducing dependence on such natural resources, stating textile and clothing as an alternative option.
Fairtrade shops in the UK reflected the rising demand and reported a surprising increase in sales over the last month, while the Fairtrade Foundation announced a 22 percent increase in global Fair trade sales despite the financial crisis, in 2008. Global sales of Fairtrade certified cotton products doubled to 94 percent. The good news for the Fairtrade Foundation comes as fair trade sales grew by over 50 percent in seven countries, which include Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The UK and the US are still the strongest consumers of fair trade products as sales increased in the UK by 43 percent and the US experienced an increase of 10 percent.
The increase in sales has opened up doors for a number of new markets in places such as eastern Asia and South Africa. Although cotton is only the fifth most popular Fair trade product behind coffee, bananas, tea and sugar, the increase in sales proves awareness of fair trade fashion has risen.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in the UK are also getting behind fair trade, as they have introduced a product roadmap called the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan in order to monitor the impact of clothing on the environment. Their aim is to “collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders” such as Arcadia Group which includes high street stores Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, “to develop practical and effective actions to address the environmental and social impacts arising across the clothing life cycle”. SCAP’s plans include encouraging high street retailers to move towards more organic and Fair trade clothing production.
Their finding include using alternative pesticide-free fabrics made from jute, banana and pineapple, but also investing in handloom weaving cooperatives which will help communities in developing countries build a fashion-producing infrastructure.
Despite the trade apparel can generate, five percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product is still lost every year due to shrinking trade income, a figure which has been known to supersede the total aid and debt flow to the region.
People Tree, the Fairtrade certified fashion label, say statistics show that only one percent of fair trade cotton accounts for all the cotton sold in the UK, but there was a 99 percent increase in Fairtrade cotton sales last year. Considering that all togethSer 30 million tonnes of natural fibres are farmed every year, and only 2.5 percent of the world’s arable farmland is used to grow cotton, fair trade and ethical fashion still has a long way to go. With the Fairtrade Foundations spending 30.4 percent of their total expenditure on public education and awareness however, fair trade may not have to wait for very long in order to become a staple diet of everyday life.
Trade in fashion products gives important opportunities to small impoverished communities in Africa. The rising demand for sustainable sourcing, coupled with recycling and organic cotton has created a user supply demand for high-quality fashion from Africa which has boosted the trade. In the slums of Korogocho, Nairobi, Kenya, fashion for the developed world has driven the premium for a handful of female artisans. In Korogocho 45 percent of the population are in their youth, many who are forced to stay impoverished because they are illiterate and unemployed as a result. Some adolescents only survive by turning to crime.
The handicraft initiative Bega kwa Bega which means “Shoulder to Shoulder” has helped many women from the slums work their way out of poverty. BKB have trained women from the slums of Korogocho and Mukura, which has been made a dumping ground for rubbish, to make handbags, scarves and jewellery. Many of the women have families to bring up and are also single parents caring for their elders. Through loans they have also been able to expand their initiative to cake making during off peak seasons and purchase more sewing machines to employ more women. Ignatius helps run BKB and he sees how giving women in the community employment has helped the economy of Kenya overall. “We export our crafts to Italy, Japan, Canada, [and] America where there are fair trade buyers. Our goal is to reach [as many] people as possible.”
Similar to Kenya, Zambia’s economy has grown steadily since 2003 from foreign investments. It relies heavily on mining, construction and the service sectors, according to the World Trade Organization’s trade policy review for Zambia this year. Since 2004, Zambia has been able to export directly to the US under the African Growth and Opportunity Act, cutting out all third countries, and ensuring the maximum premium is directed back to Zambia. To encourage the industry, the government have also reduced the import duty on imported raw materials for aid of manufacturing clothing and accessories.
Currently, Zambia’s apparel industry only contributes between 10 and 11 percent of gross domestic product. Zambia’s increasing dependency on copper mining, which accounts for 75 percent of Zambia’s total exports, has eroded any progress on diversity in the Zambian economy. The trade policy review also stressed the importance of reducing dependence on such natural resources, stating textile and clothing as an alternative option.
Fairtrade shops in the UK reflected the rising demand and reported a surprising increase in sales over the last month, while the Fairtrade Foundation announced a 22 percent increase in global Fair trade sales despite the financial crisis, in 2008. Global sales of Fairtrade certified cotton products doubled to 94 percent. The good news for the Fairtrade Foundation comes as fair trade sales grew by over 50 percent in seven countries, which include Sweden, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The UK and the US are still the strongest consumers of fair trade products as sales increased in the UK by 43 percent and the US experienced an increase of 10 percent.
The increase in sales has opened up doors for a number of new markets in places such as eastern Asia and South Africa. Although cotton is only the fifth most popular Fair trade product behind coffee, bananas, tea and sugar, the increase in sales proves awareness of fair trade fashion has risen.
The Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs in the UK are also getting behind fair trade, as they have introduced a product roadmap called the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan in order to monitor the impact of clothing on the environment. Their aim is to “collaborate with a wide range of stakeholders” such as Arcadia Group which includes high street stores Topshop, Miss Selfridge and Dorothy Perkins, “to develop practical and effective actions to address the environmental and social impacts arising across the clothing life cycle”. SCAP’s plans include encouraging high street retailers to move towards more organic and Fair trade clothing production.
Their finding include using alternative pesticide-free fabrics made from jute, banana and pineapple, but also investing in handloom weaving cooperatives which will help communities in developing countries build a fashion-producing infrastructure.
Despite the trade apparel can generate, five percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s gross domestic product is still lost every year due to shrinking trade income, a figure which has been known to supersede the total aid and debt flow to the region.
People Tree, the Fairtrade certified fashion label, say statistics show that only one percent of fair trade cotton accounts for all the cotton sold in the UK, but there was a 99 percent increase in Fairtrade cotton sales last year. Considering that all togethSer 30 million tonnes of natural fibres are farmed every year, and only 2.5 percent of the world’s arable farmland is used to grow cotton, fair trade and ethical fashion still has a long way to go. With the Fairtrade Foundations spending 30.4 percent of their total expenditure on public education and awareness however, fair trade may not have to wait for very long in order to become a staple diet of everyday life.
Friday 28 August 2009
Africa needs 'trade' not 'aid'
Entrepreneurial aid schemes are believed to be the way to alleviate Africa from poverty, experts say. The argument was discussed in June at this year’s World Economic Forum in Cape Town, when a call to help reduce poverty in developing countries was addressed. As part of their ‘Business Strategies to Enhance Food Value Chains and Empower the Poor’ the WEF’s aim is to expand rural retail networks, help train farmers, and encourage sourcing from local producers.
The Danish government also created The Africa Commission to combat poverty in developing countries, but experts have criticised it for only investing the $3 billion guarantee facility promised into small businesses, ignoring the majority of Africa’s entrepreneurs who are small independent farmers.
A topic which has caused controversy from both sides of the argument, former Goldman Sachs strategist, Dambisa Moyo’s book ‘Dead Aid’ ascertains that western aid keeps African countries in poverty, rather than easing the results of it. Author of award-winning book ‘The Bottom Billion’, Paul Collier also says rather controversially, “Aid is to buy influence rather than have an effect in the country.”
As an alternative, many experts have spoken about the benefits of setting up entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals through private lending, providing them with the money and tools to be able to start their own businesses and repay their loans. Many companies have been established just for this purpose, and distance themselves from “charity” status.
International Development Enterprises is an example of one of the organisations set up for this function. Technically a charity, IDE equips farmers in rural areas of Africa and Asia with cheap and affordable agricultural tools through the private sector. IDE also helps set up business links at regional markets and works closely with local non-governmental organisations to help farmers establish their own trade. Lewis Temple, chief executive of IDE believes this is the best way forward to eradicate poverty amongst farmers in poor countries. “We provide income opportunities for farmers to earn sustainable and long term cash income.” He adds, “[It is] a more dignified approach that enables farmers to use their own skills and enterprise to challenge poverty. A donation of cash is a short term fix that humiliates the farmer and diminishes their abilities to lift themselves out of poverty.”
Shared Interest also plays a big part in financing disadvantaged communities by providing credit when locals cannot get it from banks that choose to help bigger companies, and allowing them to “trade their way out of poverty”. Bega Kwa Bega, meaning “shoulder to shoulder”, a Catholic handicraft group aims to provide the Korogocho slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a means of trading with other countries. Before Shared Interest, their limited resources for handicrafts meant that they could not include any more young women and girls into the group. Shared Interest provided them with a Term Loan to purchase sewing machines and other equipment for production, which resulted in expanding the group to include more young women and girls, and also increased their production for trade.
Ignatius Mayero the Project Co-ordinator for Bega Kwa Bega says, “I think this is the most important step that we have made, with a loan we have managed to purchase sewing machines, [and] we have started a cake making project that will accommodate other girls and also act as a supplementary unit of production beside our work of making handicrafts. This will help our women to continue working as they wait for the orders since there [are] some seasons that we don’t receive orders.” Shared Interest’s loan has also paid for computers, a digital camera, and material for the stock.
Charities have fought back against the rising animosity towards aid, as more and more people comment on where the aid is going. Coco, a charity which focuses on education and healthcare for children in developing countries, specifies that all donations are used to “maximum effect” by co-operating with local community organisations in order to get the most from the donations for the children.
Lucy Philipson, Coco’s Operations Manager thinks that aid has been unfairly dismissed. “Entrepreneurial investment in developing countries is undoubtedly a necessity for growth, poverty alleviation and development. However, whilst investment in trade is important, trade alone cannot fight poverty and aid, both emergency and development, is still needed as long as developing countries exist.”
There are areas where aid is still very much needed whilst trade is heavily promoted. Many countries dubbed “fragile states” such as Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, still rely heavily on aid reaching the right places even within the country, where there is no fear of corruption and government misspending. Charities have been lambasted for not distinguishing between development aid and emergency aid, by people who are critical of whether the aid really reaches the right people.
Ms Philipson believes that it is the minority of charities who give aid a bad name. “It is corrupt governments, unaccountable aid agencies and a general failure to be transparent that gives aid a bad name and not all aid organisations operate without morals or ethics, some of us genuinely work in partnership with communities to alleviate poverty.”
Where aid money is directed is a huge factor to how countries can be improved, and experts are arguing now that the problem lies in a “one size fits all” strategy formed by European governments towards aid for developing countries. Countries such as Tanzania who have a straight forward government who invest heavily on the needs of civilians benefit from aid being transferred directly to the government. In countries such as Zimbabwe, however, when aid is given to the government there is no visible improvement to the infrastructure of the country, and while doctors are being given expensive cars by Mugabe, teachers and civil servants are still being deprived their wages.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported this year that most rich countries still have a long way to go in order to meet their pledges to the developing world before the economic slump. OECD member countries which include the US, Japan, Germany, France and the UK gave on average 0.3 percent of their national income as aid last year, which was still far below the United Nations target of 0.7 percent. China’s “no strings attached” investments have therefore been seen as a form of aid to the countries.
Aid needs to be carefully dispensed, investing in civilians struggling to get by in developing countries is another way to help expand their opportunities and provide them with a business plan.
The Danish government also created The Africa Commission to combat poverty in developing countries, but experts have criticised it for only investing the $3 billion guarantee facility promised into small businesses, ignoring the majority of Africa’s entrepreneurs who are small independent farmers.
A topic which has caused controversy from both sides of the argument, former Goldman Sachs strategist, Dambisa Moyo’s book ‘Dead Aid’ ascertains that western aid keeps African countries in poverty, rather than easing the results of it. Author of award-winning book ‘The Bottom Billion’, Paul Collier also says rather controversially, “Aid is to buy influence rather than have an effect in the country.”
As an alternative, many experts have spoken about the benefits of setting up entrepreneurial opportunities for individuals through private lending, providing them with the money and tools to be able to start their own businesses and repay their loans. Many companies have been established just for this purpose, and distance themselves from “charity” status.
International Development Enterprises is an example of one of the organisations set up for this function. Technically a charity, IDE equips farmers in rural areas of Africa and Asia with cheap and affordable agricultural tools through the private sector. IDE also helps set up business links at regional markets and works closely with local non-governmental organisations to help farmers establish their own trade. Lewis Temple, chief executive of IDE believes this is the best way forward to eradicate poverty amongst farmers in poor countries. “We provide income opportunities for farmers to earn sustainable and long term cash income.” He adds, “[It is] a more dignified approach that enables farmers to use their own skills and enterprise to challenge poverty. A donation of cash is a short term fix that humiliates the farmer and diminishes their abilities to lift themselves out of poverty.”
Shared Interest also plays a big part in financing disadvantaged communities by providing credit when locals cannot get it from banks that choose to help bigger companies, and allowing them to “trade their way out of poverty”. Bega Kwa Bega, meaning “shoulder to shoulder”, a Catholic handicraft group aims to provide the Korogocho slums in Nairobi, Kenya with a means of trading with other countries. Before Shared Interest, their limited resources for handicrafts meant that they could not include any more young women and girls into the group. Shared Interest provided them with a Term Loan to purchase sewing machines and other equipment for production, which resulted in expanding the group to include more young women and girls, and also increased their production for trade.
Ignatius Mayero the Project Co-ordinator for Bega Kwa Bega says, “I think this is the most important step that we have made, with a loan we have managed to purchase sewing machines, [and] we have started a cake making project that will accommodate other girls and also act as a supplementary unit of production beside our work of making handicrafts. This will help our women to continue working as they wait for the orders since there [are] some seasons that we don’t receive orders.” Shared Interest’s loan has also paid for computers, a digital camera, and material for the stock.
Charities have fought back against the rising animosity towards aid, as more and more people comment on where the aid is going. Coco, a charity which focuses on education and healthcare for children in developing countries, specifies that all donations are used to “maximum effect” by co-operating with local community organisations in order to get the most from the donations for the children.
Lucy Philipson, Coco’s Operations Manager thinks that aid has been unfairly dismissed. “Entrepreneurial investment in developing countries is undoubtedly a necessity for growth, poverty alleviation and development. However, whilst investment in trade is important, trade alone cannot fight poverty and aid, both emergency and development, is still needed as long as developing countries exist.”
There are areas where aid is still very much needed whilst trade is heavily promoted. Many countries dubbed “fragile states” such as Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe, still rely heavily on aid reaching the right places even within the country, where there is no fear of corruption and government misspending. Charities have been lambasted for not distinguishing between development aid and emergency aid, by people who are critical of whether the aid really reaches the right people.
Ms Philipson believes that it is the minority of charities who give aid a bad name. “It is corrupt governments, unaccountable aid agencies and a general failure to be transparent that gives aid a bad name and not all aid organisations operate without morals or ethics, some of us genuinely work in partnership with communities to alleviate poverty.”
Where aid money is directed is a huge factor to how countries can be improved, and experts are arguing now that the problem lies in a “one size fits all” strategy formed by European governments towards aid for developing countries. Countries such as Tanzania who have a straight forward government who invest heavily on the needs of civilians benefit from aid being transferred directly to the government. In countries such as Zimbabwe, however, when aid is given to the government there is no visible improvement to the infrastructure of the country, and while doctors are being given expensive cars by Mugabe, teachers and civil servants are still being deprived their wages.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development reported this year that most rich countries still have a long way to go in order to meet their pledges to the developing world before the economic slump. OECD member countries which include the US, Japan, Germany, France and the UK gave on average 0.3 percent of their national income as aid last year, which was still far below the United Nations target of 0.7 percent. China’s “no strings attached” investments have therefore been seen as a form of aid to the countries.
Aid needs to be carefully dispensed, investing in civilians struggling to get by in developing countries is another way to help expand their opportunities and provide them with a business plan.
Tuesday 18 August 2009
Blood, Sweat and Takeaways... but seriously where do you think your cheap meat came from?
Ethical clothing. Fair trade. British meat. All words we've heard together and often put in sentences to make us feel guilty about our consumption, but shouldn't we already care? The best part of this is, that the more awareness is raised, the more people are starting to take note. All the information a consumer needs is at their fingertips, quite literally, nowadays with the internet at our dispense.
So why does it take a BBC TV series such as 'Blood, Sweat and Takeways' to raise the plight for Thai rice farmers, sex workers and factory workers? Is there really not enough being done for people to see that absolutely everything we do in the UK has a knock-on effect on someone, somewhere in a developing country?
Take our t-shirts for example. Did you know 22% of ALL pesticides are sprayed on cotton? Or that 20,000 farmers die each year in developing countries from agricultural pesticides?
Or what about your Primark jewellery made by thousands of people every day? Do you know that the person who made your bead necklace eats far less than the recommended 2,000 calories a day? Or that despite the extremely physical 14 hour work days in a sweatshop they get only 3 days off a month?
Yet Fair trade goods, ethically sourced products, and ways to help support and take people out of sweatshop labour is an easier option than it may seem.
People Tree (peopletree.co.uk) are an ethical and organic label who pay all their artisans a fair wage to support their families for making their clothing and handicrafts. They often have online sales too, and their clothing is affordable at the best of times.
Monkee Genes (monkeegenes.co.uk) are an ethical and organic jeans and cords company who produce some of their products in Britain. Their jeans come in fashionable colours and 'supa-skinny' fit. Perfect.
Kenyan handicraft group Bega kwa Bega which means 'shoulder to shoulder' take hundreds of women from the slums of Nairobi each year to teach them trades such as tie dye; scarf making; sewing; and knitting. They ship to as many businesses as possible in the UK.
I know my friends always say to me, 'When you only have a certain amount, how can you stop shopping at cheap places?' Here's how.
Once you start looking, there is a world of opportunity available to you at a fair price, and ensures the maker of your product was entitled an even fairer wage. I used to get paid £6 an hour in a part-time job. Some labourers get paid £6 a week. Really, who's the one losing out?
So here's a friendly tip, just so you know I'm not getting on your case for no reason; ASOS.com often have Fairtrade certified labels on their website, and if you Google 'Fair Trade clothing', 1,620,000 hits come up. American Apparel are ethically sourced and Fairtrade certified. Arcadia Group which includes Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge and the notorious Topshop have all signed up to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan to reduce clothing waste, pay fair wages, and stop using pesticides eventually. The Fairtrade Foundation have pledged to increase the volume of Fairtrade cotton products to at least 10 per cent of cotton clothing in the UK by 2012.
Now is the time to stop making excuses, and make a difference. Why? Because it costs you a lot less than it costs them.
So why does it take a BBC TV series such as 'Blood, Sweat and Takeways' to raise the plight for Thai rice farmers, sex workers and factory workers? Is there really not enough being done for people to see that absolutely everything we do in the UK has a knock-on effect on someone, somewhere in a developing country?
Take our t-shirts for example. Did you know 22% of ALL pesticides are sprayed on cotton? Or that 20,000 farmers die each year in developing countries from agricultural pesticides?
Or what about your Primark jewellery made by thousands of people every day? Do you know that the person who made your bead necklace eats far less than the recommended 2,000 calories a day? Or that despite the extremely physical 14 hour work days in a sweatshop they get only 3 days off a month?
Yet Fair trade goods, ethically sourced products, and ways to help support and take people out of sweatshop labour is an easier option than it may seem.
People Tree (peopletree.co.uk) are an ethical and organic label who pay all their artisans a fair wage to support their families for making their clothing and handicrafts. They often have online sales too, and their clothing is affordable at the best of times.
Monkee Genes (monkeegenes.co.uk) are an ethical and organic jeans and cords company who produce some of their products in Britain. Their jeans come in fashionable colours and 'supa-skinny' fit. Perfect.
Kenyan handicraft group Bega kwa Bega which means 'shoulder to shoulder' take hundreds of women from the slums of Nairobi each year to teach them trades such as tie dye; scarf making; sewing; and knitting. They ship to as many businesses as possible in the UK.
I know my friends always say to me, 'When you only have a certain amount, how can you stop shopping at cheap places?' Here's how.
Once you start looking, there is a world of opportunity available to you at a fair price, and ensures the maker of your product was entitled an even fairer wage. I used to get paid £6 an hour in a part-time job. Some labourers get paid £6 a week. Really, who's the one losing out?
So here's a friendly tip, just so you know I'm not getting on your case for no reason; ASOS.com often have Fairtrade certified labels on their website, and if you Google 'Fair Trade clothing', 1,620,000 hits come up. American Apparel are ethically sourced and Fairtrade certified. Arcadia Group which includes Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge and the notorious Topshop have all signed up to the Sustainable Clothing Action Plan to reduce clothing waste, pay fair wages, and stop using pesticides eventually. The Fairtrade Foundation have pledged to increase the volume of Fairtrade cotton products to at least 10 per cent of cotton clothing in the UK by 2012.
Now is the time to stop making excuses, and make a difference. Why? Because it costs you a lot less than it costs them.
Tuesday 9 June 2009
"How much of a difference do 2 seats make?"
That's what I asked myself as I stood shivering from the cold and anticipation at 4 minutes to 6 on Preston Flag Market on the evening of the 8th of June. As I stared around me at the slowly gathering crowd of demonstrators, I began to think, "With so much hope in the world, do 2 MEP seats given to the BNP really deserve so much media frenzy?"
Curiously, I glanced around at the gathering groups of young adults, professionals, and parent and child combinations, who were smoking, chatting, waiting. What were they waiting for?
Realistically, even the most avid of protesters will admit that demonstrations rarely attract headlines in the media. Why were these people here then? Why did I feel like I belonged to this gathering crowd? And why, after the BNP had won That Seat in Lancashire the day before, did people feel that now was the time to speak up?
I spoke to a few of the protesters looking for answers. "It's about time I showed my distaste," one exotic looking female sat by the war monument replied, blowing a ring of smoke in the air nonchalantly. Right, I replied and shuffled away in search of a more elaborate answer.
I found a friendly bearded and suited chap next, wearing a bright yellow Lib Dem badge slowly taking a drag from his cigarette. "Throughout the campaign, [the BNP] have put themselves forward as the 'none-of-the-above' options. The problem is they are a party of hatred and prejudice, not progress. People in the North West aren't going to see any improvement in their lives [now the BNP have won a seat]. This election has been a step back for millions of people. That is what has brought out people today."
I learned a couple of things from this protest; the first being that if I ever wanted to blend in with liberals I needed to learn to chain-smoke and roll a fag with gusto. The second, was that protesters are, contrary to popular belief, interesting human beings. Anyone who firmly believes that justice and equality are attainable intrigues just for the fact that they have obviously had to research their beliefs as back-up for future arguments. Yes, people can protest against capitalism. Yes people can protest against far-right politics. They can protest against sweatshop labour. But deep inside, there is a tiny little voice that they manage to oppress telling them that protesting isn't really effective. But just being there amongst like-minded people gives them enough strength to faithfully stick to their guns.
Perhaps protesters don't really protest to make a point. They protest to come together. They protest to drag like-minded people out of the woodwork because over that tiny voice telling them that their bigger voice won't be heard is an overweening sense of pride and honour in what they clutch blindly for. Nowadays faith is enough to drive people to make a difference as it embeds itself into the fabric of politics.
To answer the title of this post then, 2 seats make a world of difference. Because while there are people out there who believe in making the world a worse place to live in for some, there are more people, many more, out there who believe they can make the world a better place to live in for everyone.
Curiously, I glanced around at the gathering groups of young adults, professionals, and parent and child combinations, who were smoking, chatting, waiting. What were they waiting for?
Realistically, even the most avid of protesters will admit that demonstrations rarely attract headlines in the media. Why were these people here then? Why did I feel like I belonged to this gathering crowd? And why, after the BNP had won That Seat in Lancashire the day before, did people feel that now was the time to speak up?
I spoke to a few of the protesters looking for answers. "It's about time I showed my distaste," one exotic looking female sat by the war monument replied, blowing a ring of smoke in the air nonchalantly. Right, I replied and shuffled away in search of a more elaborate answer.
I found a friendly bearded and suited chap next, wearing a bright yellow Lib Dem badge slowly taking a drag from his cigarette. "Throughout the campaign, [the BNP] have put themselves forward as the 'none-of-the-above' options. The problem is they are a party of hatred and prejudice, not progress. People in the North West aren't going to see any improvement in their lives [now the BNP have won a seat]. This election has been a step back for millions of people. That is what has brought out people today."
I learned a couple of things from this protest; the first being that if I ever wanted to blend in with liberals I needed to learn to chain-smoke and roll a fag with gusto. The second, was that protesters are, contrary to popular belief, interesting human beings. Anyone who firmly believes that justice and equality are attainable intrigues just for the fact that they have obviously had to research their beliefs as back-up for future arguments. Yes, people can protest against capitalism. Yes people can protest against far-right politics. They can protest against sweatshop labour. But deep inside, there is a tiny little voice that they manage to oppress telling them that protesting isn't really effective. But just being there amongst like-minded people gives them enough strength to faithfully stick to their guns.
Perhaps protesters don't really protest to make a point. They protest to come together. They protest to drag like-minded people out of the woodwork because over that tiny voice telling them that their bigger voice won't be heard is an overweening sense of pride and honour in what they clutch blindly for. Nowadays faith is enough to drive people to make a difference as it embeds itself into the fabric of politics.
To answer the title of this post then, 2 seats make a world of difference. Because while there are people out there who believe in making the world a worse place to live in for some, there are more people, many more, out there who believe they can make the world a better place to live in for everyone.
Saturday 18 April 2009
The tragedy that befalls Tory newspapers
I admit before I begin, I detest football. Everything about it deters me. The hooliganism. The fact that footballers are paid in a week what no doctor could earn in a year. The fact that young boys aspire to be womanising, drunk delinquents.
But one thing I dislike even more than football, is something even some football fans would agree with me on: right-wing tabloid newspapers. Yes, I include The Daily Mail in this. I doubt any football fan from the north-west will forget Hillsborough, where 96 football fans were crushed to death. Before any further evidence is given for the case I am making, whatever happened, 96 human beings perished that day.
The Sun then decided to a run a story on the tragedy the following day. Their Truth, consisted of unnamed police sources and a Tory MP claiming drunken Liverpool fans urinated on the dead, picked their pockets, and attacked "courageous" policemen who were trying to help. This was further from the Truth than The Sun even could understand.
Officials simply refused to accept responsibility for the tragedy, and as the real truth began to reveal itself, the editor of the paper was forced to apologise by the Big Boss Murdoch. Except he then back-tracked his apology at a private dinner. Kevin MacKenzie, who had chosen to run the headline that day as editor was overhead saying "All I did wrong was tell the truth... I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now."
Unfrickenbelievable, but yet so believable at the same time. I fully support the city of Liverpool never picking up another copy of that paper again. What shocks me is that they would actually choose to bite the hand that feeds them - 8,000 copies of it were sold in that area that day, and 3 million in total nationally.
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail seem to be up to the same antics as ever. They greet the news of the cervical cancer vaccine with scaremongering headlines such as "Alert over jabs for girls as two die following cervical cancer vaccination". Pffft. Meanwhile in Great Britain, what the Middle-England female estimated to be around 35-50 years old doesn't know is that over in Ireland, The Irish Daily Mail, those lovely people, are "campaigning vigorously" for the vaccine - because the government refused to fund it. How very noble of them.
I am one of those people who judges you by what national you read, I'm afraid. So if you happen to be seen reading The Sun, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Star or The Daily Telegraph, on your daily commute to work, don't be surprised if people raise any eyebrow or two at you. Because they will simply be thinking, "Well, I can't say I'm at all surprised if I'm being honest."
But one thing I dislike even more than football, is something even some football fans would agree with me on: right-wing tabloid newspapers. Yes, I include The Daily Mail in this. I doubt any football fan from the north-west will forget Hillsborough, where 96 football fans were crushed to death. Before any further evidence is given for the case I am making, whatever happened, 96 human beings perished that day.
The Sun then decided to a run a story on the tragedy the following day. Their Truth, consisted of unnamed police sources and a Tory MP claiming drunken Liverpool fans urinated on the dead, picked their pockets, and attacked "courageous" policemen who were trying to help. This was further from the Truth than The Sun even could understand.
Officials simply refused to accept responsibility for the tragedy, and as the real truth began to reveal itself, the editor of the paper was forced to apologise by the Big Boss Murdoch. Except he then back-tracked his apology at a private dinner. Kevin MacKenzie, who had chosen to run the headline that day as editor was overhead saying "All I did wrong was tell the truth... I was not sorry then and I'm not sorry now."
Unfrickenbelievable, but yet so believable at the same time. I fully support the city of Liverpool never picking up another copy of that paper again. What shocks me is that they would actually choose to bite the hand that feeds them - 8,000 copies of it were sold in that area that day, and 3 million in total nationally.
Meanwhile, The Daily Mail seem to be up to the same antics as ever. They greet the news of the cervical cancer vaccine with scaremongering headlines such as "Alert over jabs for girls as two die following cervical cancer vaccination". Pffft. Meanwhile in Great Britain, what the Middle-England female estimated to be around 35-50 years old doesn't know is that over in Ireland, The Irish Daily Mail, those lovely people, are "campaigning vigorously" for the vaccine - because the government refused to fund it. How very noble of them.
I am one of those people who judges you by what national you read, I'm afraid. So if you happen to be seen reading The Sun, The Daily Express, The Daily Mail, The Daily Star or The Daily Telegraph, on your daily commute to work, don't be surprised if people raise any eyebrow or two at you. Because they will simply be thinking, "Well, I can't say I'm at all surprised if I'm being honest."
Monday 30 March 2009
The death of manners
It constantly surprises me how little people say please and thank you today. At the bookshop I work at, I’m constantly serving children accompanied by parents who like to throw their books at me, followed by their money, with no response when I offer a smile and a “hello”. Obviously this isn’t the fault of the child, it’s a lot to do with upbringing and the fact that their parents stood next to them don’t correct their behaviour and that’s where the root of all problems begin. Never mind the kids, fully-grown adults don’t even offer a grunt when I offer my hellos, would you like a bag, or goodbyes.
I don’t have a problem with society. Honestly, as much as I complain about things on here, I don’t think our country is all that bad as most of our issues are superficial. But it is increasingly annoying when I spend most of my Sunday afternoons following children around the children’s book section picking up board books and hungry caterpillars while their parents browse the travel section upstairs.
Like I said, my issue isn’t just kids. Adults have a lot to answer for in the manners department too. Just a few months ago, Christian Bale was recorded on tape swearing repeatedly at the director of photography on set of his new film Terminator Salvation for getting in the way of an “emotional” scene he was filming.
Since when was it ok to shout at someone for a good ten minutes using every expletive imaginable in the first place? I heard the audio, and it was nasty. This was a grown man treating another grown man with no respect whatsoever. As with most celebrities, people immediately came to Bale’s defence. “He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn't walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed,” said the assistant director of Terminator.
It appears that most of Celebritydom has forgotten what it’s like to be just a normal human being. If it’s not Kanye rudely interrupting Justice and Simian’s acceptance speech, it’s Christian Bale going berserk at someone on set. Then of course there is the now saintly Jade Goody whose racism in the past seems to have been conveniently forgotten along with her bullying Shilpa Shetty inside the Big Brother house.
People need to stop looking towards role models such as celebrities and take responsibility for their own actions. It’s no longer enough to covet the things the rich and famous have, now people are trying to act like them. Perhaps we need to remember just to be ourselves sometimes, and mind our p’s and q’s.
I don’t have a problem with society. Honestly, as much as I complain about things on here, I don’t think our country is all that bad as most of our issues are superficial. But it is increasingly annoying when I spend most of my Sunday afternoons following children around the children’s book section picking up board books and hungry caterpillars while their parents browse the travel section upstairs.
Like I said, my issue isn’t just kids. Adults have a lot to answer for in the manners department too. Just a few months ago, Christian Bale was recorded on tape swearing repeatedly at the director of photography on set of his new film Terminator Salvation for getting in the way of an “emotional” scene he was filming.
Since when was it ok to shout at someone for a good ten minutes using every expletive imaginable in the first place? I heard the audio, and it was nasty. This was a grown man treating another grown man with no respect whatsoever. As with most celebrities, people immediately came to Bale’s defence. “He is very intensely involved in his character. He didn't walk around like that all day long. It was just a moment and it passed,” said the assistant director of Terminator.
It appears that most of Celebritydom has forgotten what it’s like to be just a normal human being. If it’s not Kanye rudely interrupting Justice and Simian’s acceptance speech, it’s Christian Bale going berserk at someone on set. Then of course there is the now saintly Jade Goody whose racism in the past seems to have been conveniently forgotten along with her bullying Shilpa Shetty inside the Big Brother house.
People need to stop looking towards role models such as celebrities and take responsibility for their own actions. It’s no longer enough to covet the things the rich and famous have, now people are trying to act like them. Perhaps we need to remember just to be ourselves sometimes, and mind our p’s and q’s.
Thursday 19 March 2009
At the risk of sounding like a groupie...
I just went to a lecture taken by Jon Snow, and for the life of me I cannot concentrate on this assignment I have due in tomorrow! I was ashamedly starstruck by his (rather tall, and not just by my standards) presence! For his die hard fans out there, he was wearing a pink dotty, but not polka dot, tie today - with pink socks which he happily displayed to us.
All this talk of hope, and truth being the first casualty, and how impartiality shall never really exist in journalism... really is instilling me with a particularly fervent ambition!
Let us hope that technology is really the saviour of this generations journalists, and not our crutch.
Back to my stack of books then...
All this talk of hope, and truth being the first casualty, and how impartiality shall never really exist in journalism... really is instilling me with a particularly fervent ambition!
Let us hope that technology is really the saviour of this generations journalists, and not our crutch.
Back to my stack of books then...
Sunday 8 March 2009
Fashionably conscious - or is that conscience with a bit of fashion?
If you have lived an awfully privileged life, you will never know the value of anything because you have never needed to. That goes without saying. But if you have lived a moderately privileged lifestyle, nowadays, you can still never understand the value of anything.
By anything, I mean materialistically. A friend said to me upon returning from a trip from Kenya, "I could live there. You get so used to not having material possessions, it's like you never had them in the first place." I replied, "I would never be able to live without material possessions... I think I'm too indulgent for that."
I really couldn't. I've never gone a day without basic material things. The roughest I have ever slept was at a music festival in Spain in constant 33 degree heat sharing a tent, with on camp showering facilities, albeit only cold water. I have never been in need of anything.
As a student the first time around, I was rich. I had a loan, my mother, and a job. I was lucky but at the time I thought I was broke. I remember how deprived I felt every time I wandered into Eldon Square shopping centre in between classes and couldn't afford to buy yet another dress. Recalling those moments is like trying to swallow salty water when you have a sore throat - you know it's good for you but yet you still grit your teeth trying to filter out the taste.
The bad taste lingers now that I know I really am on a budget. For the past month I have been (quite successfully) living off £20 a week. The idea appalled me at first but I had no choice. In the midst of a financial crisis that hangs over everyone's head, I consoled myself with the fact that I was probably not alone.
I'm not of course. Give someone without a job an extra £20 a week and they would be thrilled. I don't have a family to support, I haven't got huge bills to pay... well I do have credit cards to pay off, but I'm managing on my budget. I just had to make big changes to my lifestyle in the process.
First to go was spontaneous "nights out". I was never much of a partyer before, so I thought this would be easiest. Then I realised how many times I just "went for a quick drink" after a long day in class with some friends. It took me by surprise how much I spent doing this, and I really miss it. In the long run however, it feels like it may mean I can go for "proper" nights out with said friends. Once my debts are settled.
Second should really be joint first on my list of sacrifices; food. Admittedly, this is where most, if not all, of my money has always been spent. I was brought up never to substitute good food for a poor version. This was before I realised I could get a whole chicken and fresh veg in the market for a lot cheaper than in supermarkets. I love food shopping, maybe because I love any shopping, but cheaper does not always mean cheaper in some cases. I love that I'm helping out local farmers and I know where my food is coming from. Guilt-free and yummy food.
Third to go, (and this is a very close third) was clothes. On my budget, I have worked out that I could probably afford a cheap Primark dress at £12.50 every month. But then that clashes with another side of my material conscience - ethical clothing. I realised that if I sacrificed three horribly cheap dresses made exploiting by the working rights of human beings, I could afford a single, ethically made and beautifully fitting piece of clothing. Enter the gorgeous new discovery my housemate and I made about a month ago - Miss Matilda's Boutique.
The boutique is situated just off the high street on a road called rather sweetly, Winkley Street on Winkley Square. Here a mad, cramped, noisy and long stretch of road running right through the city centre transforms into a fashion fairytale. The moment you turn down Winkley Street, it is like you have just walked onto the set of the film Notting Hill. You almost want to rub your eyes in delight, because the architecture, the sounds and even the smells are all different from just a second ago.
So it was that Miss Matilda's Boutique saved my fashion conscience. The clothes are reasonably priced and from an assortment of small labels which usually use organic cotton (I say usually because I haven't looked at the label of every piece of clothing in there). I have a beautiful nautical jumper waiting for me there this very moment, and come pay day I will know I've earned it.
It's not just about understanding the value of things. I believe it is crucial to know what you are buying, whatever it is. Where it came from; who planted or sourced the material; how it was made or grown; when it was made or harvested; every stitch and fibre. As an undergrad student living off a lot more money than I have now, these thoughts would never have occurred to me. It is now I have less to value, that I value more.
I think that's what it takes for most people. I still have a long way to go before I'll feel like living in Africa, but I'm happy to say I've made a start to the possibility.
By anything, I mean materialistically. A friend said to me upon returning from a trip from Kenya, "I could live there. You get so used to not having material possessions, it's like you never had them in the first place." I replied, "I would never be able to live without material possessions... I think I'm too indulgent for that."
I really couldn't. I've never gone a day without basic material things. The roughest I have ever slept was at a music festival in Spain in constant 33 degree heat sharing a tent, with on camp showering facilities, albeit only cold water. I have never been in need of anything.
As a student the first time around, I was rich. I had a loan, my mother, and a job. I was lucky but at the time I thought I was broke. I remember how deprived I felt every time I wandered into Eldon Square shopping centre in between classes and couldn't afford to buy yet another dress. Recalling those moments is like trying to swallow salty water when you have a sore throat - you know it's good for you but yet you still grit your teeth trying to filter out the taste.
The bad taste lingers now that I know I really am on a budget. For the past month I have been (quite successfully) living off £20 a week. The idea appalled me at first but I had no choice. In the midst of a financial crisis that hangs over everyone's head, I consoled myself with the fact that I was probably not alone.
I'm not of course. Give someone without a job an extra £20 a week and they would be thrilled. I don't have a family to support, I haven't got huge bills to pay... well I do have credit cards to pay off, but I'm managing on my budget. I just had to make big changes to my lifestyle in the process.
First to go was spontaneous "nights out". I was never much of a partyer before, so I thought this would be easiest. Then I realised how many times I just "went for a quick drink" after a long day in class with some friends. It took me by surprise how much I spent doing this, and I really miss it. In the long run however, it feels like it may mean I can go for "proper" nights out with said friends. Once my debts are settled.
Second should really be joint first on my list of sacrifices; food. Admittedly, this is where most, if not all, of my money has always been spent. I was brought up never to substitute good food for a poor version. This was before I realised I could get a whole chicken and fresh veg in the market for a lot cheaper than in supermarkets. I love food shopping, maybe because I love any shopping, but cheaper does not always mean cheaper in some cases. I love that I'm helping out local farmers and I know where my food is coming from. Guilt-free and yummy food.
Third to go, (and this is a very close third) was clothes. On my budget, I have worked out that I could probably afford a cheap Primark dress at £12.50 every month. But then that clashes with another side of my material conscience - ethical clothing. I realised that if I sacrificed three horribly cheap dresses made exploiting by the working rights of human beings, I could afford a single, ethically made and beautifully fitting piece of clothing. Enter the gorgeous new discovery my housemate and I made about a month ago - Miss Matilda's Boutique.
The boutique is situated just off the high street on a road called rather sweetly, Winkley Street on Winkley Square. Here a mad, cramped, noisy and long stretch of road running right through the city centre transforms into a fashion fairytale. The moment you turn down Winkley Street, it is like you have just walked onto the set of the film Notting Hill. You almost want to rub your eyes in delight, because the architecture, the sounds and even the smells are all different from just a second ago.
So it was that Miss Matilda's Boutique saved my fashion conscience. The clothes are reasonably priced and from an assortment of small labels which usually use organic cotton (I say usually because I haven't looked at the label of every piece of clothing in there). I have a beautiful nautical jumper waiting for me there this very moment, and come pay day I will know I've earned it.
It's not just about understanding the value of things. I believe it is crucial to know what you are buying, whatever it is. Where it came from; who planted or sourced the material; how it was made or grown; when it was made or harvested; every stitch and fibre. As an undergrad student living off a lot more money than I have now, these thoughts would never have occurred to me. It is now I have less to value, that I value more.
I think that's what it takes for most people. I still have a long way to go before I'll feel like living in Africa, but I'm happy to say I've made a start to the possibility.
"Mainstream" politics give rise to the BNP, but are the BNP making more people leftists?
The far-right British National party have been gearing up for the European elections amid accusations of manipulating the recent strikes in England. The party have been targeting strikers at the Lindsey oil refinery in Lincolnshire, seizing the opportunity when Brown used the slogan “British jobs for British workers” after the workers’ strike to exploit the situation.
In the E.U. one million French workers also went on strike a few days before the strikes in England, in response to President Sarkozy’s handling of the financial crisis. Spain has been worst hit with the largest number of people in unemployment leaving over three million people jobless.
Union leaders are trying to distance themselves from the far-right after the BNP showed up in Lindsey. “The unofficial action taking place across the UK is not about race or immigration,” Derek Simpson, joint leader of Unite speaking to the Financial Times said, “It’s about class. It’s about employers who exploit workers regardless of their race or nationality.”
BNP Press Officer Clive Jefferson said that this month the BNP have been campaigning vigorously around Cumbria in a bid to win the Castle and Belah wards in the city of Carlisle. “Our main objective is to top up the profile of the party in Cumbria, to train our newer people and to up the overall percentage vote for the European elections.”
The BNP recently won their first local election in South London, but do not believe this triumph is due to the recession - “We’d much rather there wasn’t a recession. I wouldn’t put it in terms of helping the BNP, I’d put it in terms that the mainstream parties have brought us to this crossroads by their policies.”
Disgust over the perceived racist policies has brought together groups all over England in an effort to combat the resurgence of the far-right that has been bubbling under the surface of the current economic crisis.
The group Carlisle Against Racism, originally formed by local trade unionists, has been campaigning to take positive action against fascism and “to promote Carlisle as a city that welcomes people from all cultures”.
Daniel Thorburn, 25, secretary of CAR believes that the recession has had a direct impact on the trust people have in the government. “I definitely think that popular dissatisfaction with mainstream politics has caused people to look for alternatives.” Furthermore, he believes that the far-right BNP are “trying to position themselves as a populist alternative”.
A member of the Lindsey strike committee also contacted the group to emphasise that their campaign was not about race. Thorburn quoted a CAR flyer, “When workers caught the BNP in the car park, ready to peddle their racist filth dividing and weakening the workers’ cause, they told them to leave.”
The actions of the BNP have also led to more controversial measures. Underground group, Antifa, self-proclaimed “militant anti-fascists” believe that one of the ways to fight fascism, is to “counter that violence”. It is unknown how many members of Antifa there are throughout the UK. Their aim is to “halt the advance of the far-right in the UK in order to protect the unity of our multi-cultural society and of our class.”
In a statement issued through a member who wished to remain anonymous, Antifa stated that “many a candidate has withdrawn from the BNP and many a BNP leaflet has not been posted because of people taking a militant stand.” They also stress that violence is not the only stand they take.
Antifa see the recession as a reason for the re-emergence of far-right politics. “The fascists use ethnic minorities as scapegoats for the problems caused by capitalism.” They agree with CAR that the government have not responded accordingly throughout the recession.
“In times of crisis the liberal façade of mainstream politics slips and we see more racist propaganda in newspapers, and from our elected leaders,” a member said, referring to the “British jobs for British workers” slogan.
Labour MPs have also urged their government to address the issue. They have voiced their concerns over ministers’ inability to address the white working class and the fear that the void left by the government has created a vacuum for the far-right to fill.
The “wildcat” strikes in the UK were condemned by Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but raised issues over foreign staff working in the country. Shortly after home secretary, Jacqui Smith signalled a “tightening” of immigration laws as the government faced a growing pressure to act under the continual rise of unemployment.
Speaking to the FT, Jon Cruddas, the unofficial leader of left Labour warned, “Trite comments about protectionism and xenophobia do not address the whole question of equality [for British workers] before the law. If the Labour party can’t grasp this and articulate that, then other forces will.”
With the impending European elections in June, fears of the BNP gaining its first seat in European Parliament were raised by both CAR and Antifa. “We are worried about any factors which undermine working class solidarity and which push mainstream politics further to the right,” said the anonymous member of Antifa. “Nick Griffin’s election to the EP would be an indicator of growing BNP support in Britain, and this we are greatly concerned with.”
In the E.U. one million French workers also went on strike a few days before the strikes in England, in response to President Sarkozy’s handling of the financial crisis. Spain has been worst hit with the largest number of people in unemployment leaving over three million people jobless.
Union leaders are trying to distance themselves from the far-right after the BNP showed up in Lindsey. “The unofficial action taking place across the UK is not about race or immigration,” Derek Simpson, joint leader of Unite speaking to the Financial Times said, “It’s about class. It’s about employers who exploit workers regardless of their race or nationality.”
BNP Press Officer Clive Jefferson said that this month the BNP have been campaigning vigorously around Cumbria in a bid to win the Castle and Belah wards in the city of Carlisle. “Our main objective is to top up the profile of the party in Cumbria, to train our newer people and to up the overall percentage vote for the European elections.”
The BNP recently won their first local election in South London, but do not believe this triumph is due to the recession - “We’d much rather there wasn’t a recession. I wouldn’t put it in terms of helping the BNP, I’d put it in terms that the mainstream parties have brought us to this crossroads by their policies.”
Disgust over the perceived racist policies has brought together groups all over England in an effort to combat the resurgence of the far-right that has been bubbling under the surface of the current economic crisis.
The group Carlisle Against Racism, originally formed by local trade unionists, has been campaigning to take positive action against fascism and “to promote Carlisle as a city that welcomes people from all cultures”.
Daniel Thorburn, 25, secretary of CAR believes that the recession has had a direct impact on the trust people have in the government. “I definitely think that popular dissatisfaction with mainstream politics has caused people to look for alternatives.” Furthermore, he believes that the far-right BNP are “trying to position themselves as a populist alternative”.
A member of the Lindsey strike committee also contacted the group to emphasise that their campaign was not about race. Thorburn quoted a CAR flyer, “When workers caught the BNP in the car park, ready to peddle their racist filth dividing and weakening the workers’ cause, they told them to leave.”
The actions of the BNP have also led to more controversial measures. Underground group, Antifa, self-proclaimed “militant anti-fascists” believe that one of the ways to fight fascism, is to “counter that violence”. It is unknown how many members of Antifa there are throughout the UK. Their aim is to “halt the advance of the far-right in the UK in order to protect the unity of our multi-cultural society and of our class.”
In a statement issued through a member who wished to remain anonymous, Antifa stated that “many a candidate has withdrawn from the BNP and many a BNP leaflet has not been posted because of people taking a militant stand.” They also stress that violence is not the only stand they take.
Antifa see the recession as a reason for the re-emergence of far-right politics. “The fascists use ethnic minorities as scapegoats for the problems caused by capitalism.” They agree with CAR that the government have not responded accordingly throughout the recession.
“In times of crisis the liberal façade of mainstream politics slips and we see more racist propaganda in newspapers, and from our elected leaders,” a member said, referring to the “British jobs for British workers” slogan.
Labour MPs have also urged their government to address the issue. They have voiced their concerns over ministers’ inability to address the white working class and the fear that the void left by the government has created a vacuum for the far-right to fill.
The “wildcat” strikes in the UK were condemned by Britain’s Prime Minister Gordon Brown, but raised issues over foreign staff working in the country. Shortly after home secretary, Jacqui Smith signalled a “tightening” of immigration laws as the government faced a growing pressure to act under the continual rise of unemployment.
Speaking to the FT, Jon Cruddas, the unofficial leader of left Labour warned, “Trite comments about protectionism and xenophobia do not address the whole question of equality [for British workers] before the law. If the Labour party can’t grasp this and articulate that, then other forces will.”
With the impending European elections in June, fears of the BNP gaining its first seat in European Parliament were raised by both CAR and Antifa. “We are worried about any factors which undermine working class solidarity and which push mainstream politics further to the right,” said the anonymous member of Antifa. “Nick Griffin’s election to the EP would be an indicator of growing BNP support in Britain, and this we are greatly concerned with.”
Thursday 26 February 2009
It's been a while...
Falling slack of my blogging recently, I thought I would drop in again and explain.
Firstly, I've not been lazy, just exceptionally busy, in a good way. I have 5 assignments in for the next 2 weeks, and I've only just about finished 2... because of various reasons.
Along the way, I've been able to interview some very interesting people. In the space of 4 days, I managed to interview someone from an underground anti-fascist organisation in the UK; the secretary of a TU anti-racism group, and the a prominent member of the BNP. It's been educational, to say the least.
Since I've begun studying journalism, I've realised just how naive I have been. The world will never fall in the 2 categories of good and evil, nor will anything ever be simply black or white. Just as I believed that all forms of anti-fascism were a great thing, I believed that all BNP members were unable to see how inhuman they were.
What worries me most about this is that neither are particularly all they seem. This might come across as an obvious statement of being to some, but honestly, I wholeheartedly believed that both parties were the polar opposites of each other. I have always believed that your principles make up the most of your personality and being. I'm not so sure of that now.
Interviewing both parties was mindblowing. I had been trying to get out of getting in touch with anything to do with the BNP for quite some time, until I was advised that in order to write a good story about the BNP, it really is neccessary to speak to one. With a heavy heart, I dialled the number I had found on the BNP website.
He was thrilled to "have a platform" to speak from. He was civil. He was defensive. He attempted to speak logically. And of course, he had no idea I was Chinese, so that made the interview a whole lot less complicated.
Meanwhile, I emailed a member of the underground anti-fascist organisation, and pleaded for an interview. After a few responses, I was granted what can only be called, a statement from the group. Thrilled with the result, I began typing up my story.
That was when I realised that elements I thought were restricted to the BNP side of my argument, seeped through to my anti-fascism argument, and vice versa. Things were not as they seemed. Like a cheesy indie flick when the protagonist finds out the truth a little too late and they are left out in the rain with a sad look in their eyes, my moment of realisation and disappointment arrived.
You cannot fight fire with fire. Anti-racism, anti-fascism, anti-anything cannot be combatted with the same forces. Violence may only be one resort, but it should never be the one of the first. Without trying to come across all Dalai Llama, I think some of the strategies we employ to fight bigotry can be less violent and confrontational. I regret shouting at the BNP on my doorstep now, not because I think I was in the wrong, but because they were in the first place, and the worst thing I could have done was rise to the occasion.
It's been a strange week, but I've learned a lot. I abhor the several wars that the UK have participated in with such vigour recently, and why should I not feel the same about violence on my doorstep? I still say that the basis of all understanding begins with "education, education, education". Even misdirection is a form of learning, even though it is wrong.
Without education, where would any of us be?
Firstly, I've not been lazy, just exceptionally busy, in a good way. I have 5 assignments in for the next 2 weeks, and I've only just about finished 2... because of various reasons.
Along the way, I've been able to interview some very interesting people. In the space of 4 days, I managed to interview someone from an underground anti-fascist organisation in the UK; the secretary of a TU anti-racism group, and the a prominent member of the BNP. It's been educational, to say the least.
Since I've begun studying journalism, I've realised just how naive I have been. The world will never fall in the 2 categories of good and evil, nor will anything ever be simply black or white. Just as I believed that all forms of anti-fascism were a great thing, I believed that all BNP members were unable to see how inhuman they were.
What worries me most about this is that neither are particularly all they seem. This might come across as an obvious statement of being to some, but honestly, I wholeheartedly believed that both parties were the polar opposites of each other. I have always believed that your principles make up the most of your personality and being. I'm not so sure of that now.
Interviewing both parties was mindblowing. I had been trying to get out of getting in touch with anything to do with the BNP for quite some time, until I was advised that in order to write a good story about the BNP, it really is neccessary to speak to one. With a heavy heart, I dialled the number I had found on the BNP website.
He was thrilled to "have a platform" to speak from. He was civil. He was defensive. He attempted to speak logically. And of course, he had no idea I was Chinese, so that made the interview a whole lot less complicated.
Meanwhile, I emailed a member of the underground anti-fascist organisation, and pleaded for an interview. After a few responses, I was granted what can only be called, a statement from the group. Thrilled with the result, I began typing up my story.
That was when I realised that elements I thought were restricted to the BNP side of my argument, seeped through to my anti-fascism argument, and vice versa. Things were not as they seemed. Like a cheesy indie flick when the protagonist finds out the truth a little too late and they are left out in the rain with a sad look in their eyes, my moment of realisation and disappointment arrived.
You cannot fight fire with fire. Anti-racism, anti-fascism, anti-anything cannot be combatted with the same forces. Violence may only be one resort, but it should never be the one of the first. Without trying to come across all Dalai Llama, I think some of the strategies we employ to fight bigotry can be less violent and confrontational. I regret shouting at the BNP on my doorstep now, not because I think I was in the wrong, but because they were in the first place, and the worst thing I could have done was rise to the occasion.
It's been a strange week, but I've learned a lot. I abhor the several wars that the UK have participated in with such vigour recently, and why should I not feel the same about violence on my doorstep? I still say that the basis of all understanding begins with "education, education, education". Even misdirection is a form of learning, even though it is wrong.
Without education, where would any of us be?
Wednesday 18 February 2009
Marc Jacobs, the saviour of the Recession
So according to The Guardian today, Marc Jacobs can't "fix the economy". As fashion's famed and notorious awaited his new collection in New York this week, many expected him to be the silver-lining to America's recession by giving them something, anything, to talk about.
Little did they expect that the vibrancy of his latest 1980's inspired collection would not encapsulate the sombre mood of 2009 to their liking. "What, is it going to help the economy if i do an all-black collection?" he reportedly spat backstage after his fashion show.
He's right. If fashion cannot bring back hope, then what can? Who can forget also that the eighties, that decade of excess and large, permed 'do's, lived through that recession? The world reared it's head afterwards triumphing and re-building its economy with even more panache for consumerism than ever before.
Marc Jacobs is not a politician, or even an economist. He is a businessman. He may not be able to single-handedly turn the rueful and now frowned-upon frivolity of the fashion industry around, but he will undoubtedly make his mark doing so. A man whose creative energy captures today's zeitgeist so accordingly is hard to fault.
According to The Guardian he even slashed his guest list by 60%, ensuring that the seats on the front row were occupied by none other than Anna Wintour, and Desiree Rogers, the social secretary to the Obamas. There was no other celebrity present. Whether this was a political move or not, Jacobs has managed to make headlines for the right reasons.
People like to blame fashion for not being conscientious enough and too consumerist and indulgent. But who is to say you can't be economically conscious and fashionable? The stigma attached to loving clothing paints the average fashionista as empty and narcissistic, making it hard to be considered a serious thinker of today. At the same time, such people expect designers such as Jacobs to "downplay" their role as innovator in a time of need.
Such people need to be reminded that if the world needs hope, one needs to look no further than today's fashion designers for just that. Stella MacCartney, Eley Kishimoto, Katherine Hamnett, and now, to add to the long list of names, Marc Jacobs.
Jacobs is hope for the future. His colourful and non-defeatist collection screams happiness, hope, and fun is the way forward and out of this recession. Like it or not, his designs make a lot of people happy, and give them something to look forward to every season in these bleak, money-orientated times. I have never needed a better reason to purchase another Marc Jacobs bag than now.
Thank you, Marc, thank you.
Little did they expect that the vibrancy of his latest 1980's inspired collection would not encapsulate the sombre mood of 2009 to their liking. "What, is it going to help the economy if i do an all-black collection?" he reportedly spat backstage after his fashion show.
He's right. If fashion cannot bring back hope, then what can? Who can forget also that the eighties, that decade of excess and large, permed 'do's, lived through that recession? The world reared it's head afterwards triumphing and re-building its economy with even more panache for consumerism than ever before.
Marc Jacobs is not a politician, or even an economist. He is a businessman. He may not be able to single-handedly turn the rueful and now frowned-upon frivolity of the fashion industry around, but he will undoubtedly make his mark doing so. A man whose creative energy captures today's zeitgeist so accordingly is hard to fault.
According to The Guardian he even slashed his guest list by 60%, ensuring that the seats on the front row were occupied by none other than Anna Wintour, and Desiree Rogers, the social secretary to the Obamas. There was no other celebrity present. Whether this was a political move or not, Jacobs has managed to make headlines for the right reasons.
People like to blame fashion for not being conscientious enough and too consumerist and indulgent. But who is to say you can't be economically conscious and fashionable? The stigma attached to loving clothing paints the average fashionista as empty and narcissistic, making it hard to be considered a serious thinker of today. At the same time, such people expect designers such as Jacobs to "downplay" their role as innovator in a time of need.
Such people need to be reminded that if the world needs hope, one needs to look no further than today's fashion designers for just that. Stella MacCartney, Eley Kishimoto, Katherine Hamnett, and now, to add to the long list of names, Marc Jacobs.
Jacobs is hope for the future. His colourful and non-defeatist collection screams happiness, hope, and fun is the way forward and out of this recession. Like it or not, his designs make a lot of people happy, and give them something to look forward to every season in these bleak, money-orientated times. I have never needed a better reason to purchase another Marc Jacobs bag than now.
Thank you, Marc, thank you.
Monday 9 February 2009
And hurrah!
... Only a few moments after my rant, Mr Prescott is only speaking to my hero on Channel 4,the one and only Jon Snow!
A Slow Day
I have to say that today has been pretty uneventful in regards to blogging, as in, nothing of particular in the news has riled me up for a change.
Well... there is of course the fact that our dear Alastair believes that even after all the rowing with various people of some state of importance, he feels that it is still acceptable to make "discretionary payments" to the RBS' "best staff" in order to keep our economy afloat. Otherwise, you see, some of our "best" executives up there may be tempted to abandon our economy in order to receive bonuses. And this would hurt our economy how?
There would be plenty of people to fill their self-important shoes. Plenty of people are qualified to do their jobs better than them. I'm sure they couldn't put the country into further recession than these amazingly talented bankers have done already.
Even Mr Prescott has started (of all things) a FACEBOOK appeal to call for a public campaign to stop the bonuses. The idea of Prescott "poking" me aside, I think the man has a point. His intervention says to me what I know has been clear all along: capitalism has gone too far. Where on earth do these bankers think they would be if it was not for the floundering businesses and homeowners now who put them in their wheelie leather chairs?
All this too, and meanwhile UBS Financial Services have resorted to "stealing" brokers from rivals Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley by offering brokers a whooping 260% "compensation" of the previous year's profits.
I can't believe I am living in a world of monetary madness. Every day I see hard working people struggle to make ends meet as the recession slowly seeps into their homes. Women in America are trying to keep their families together while their husbands are being laid off. And now, it appears, bankers all over are being rewarded for putting us into this fine mess.
And I thought it was a slow day. I think I may have just found some material for my assignments.
Well... there is of course the fact that our dear Alastair believes that even after all the rowing with various people of some state of importance, he feels that it is still acceptable to make "discretionary payments" to the RBS' "best staff" in order to keep our economy afloat. Otherwise, you see, some of our "best" executives up there may be tempted to abandon our economy in order to receive bonuses. And this would hurt our economy how?
There would be plenty of people to fill their self-important shoes. Plenty of people are qualified to do their jobs better than them. I'm sure they couldn't put the country into further recession than these amazingly talented bankers have done already.
Even Mr Prescott has started (of all things) a FACEBOOK appeal to call for a public campaign to stop the bonuses. The idea of Prescott "poking" me aside, I think the man has a point. His intervention says to me what I know has been clear all along: capitalism has gone too far. Where on earth do these bankers think they would be if it was not for the floundering businesses and homeowners now who put them in their wheelie leather chairs?
All this too, and meanwhile UBS Financial Services have resorted to "stealing" brokers from rivals Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley by offering brokers a whooping 260% "compensation" of the previous year's profits.
I can't believe I am living in a world of monetary madness. Every day I see hard working people struggle to make ends meet as the recession slowly seeps into their homes. Women in America are trying to keep their families together while their husbands are being laid off. And now, it appears, bankers all over are being rewarded for putting us into this fine mess.
And I thought it was a slow day. I think I may have just found some material for my assignments.
Thursday 5 February 2009
Are the media to blame for the recession?
In one of the first interviews I conducted for an assignment about the recession, I remember a shopkeeper saying to me, "You're not going to like me for saying this, but I blame the media." The shopkeeper had seen a steady decline in her sales since the end of summer, and I couldn't blame her for wanting to blame someone for it.
On Tuesday evening this week, I went to a lecture with a panel of several journalists and editors of today's papers such as The Guardian and The Financial Times and Robert Peston, the business editor of the BBC(I love how important that sentence sounds, yes!).
On the panel, was also the publisher of Crane's Business Weekly, Arthur Porter, who tried to convince us that "a salesman is not any different to a journalist". I'm absolutely positive that journalists all over the world would disagree with that notion, not least the one sat next to him on the stage who attempted to hide their smirks and guffaws.
The fact that he was invited to participate in the lecture led me to think about the roll in which the media has played during the past 8 months of the recession. I guess journalists are as hated these days as salesmen. I draw the line at any further comparisons.
Peston seemed distracted, and his replies to questions Kevin Anderson of the
BBC asked, seemed awfully disjointed and hesitant. I had to admit I was a little disappointed, this was not the outspoken Peston I had expected.
At the end of the panel discussion, the floor was invited to ask questions. A lecturer raised his hand in request for the mic. "Do you think the media are to blame for the reporting of the recession either, by panicking the public, or reporting it too late?" The question on the tip of many journalists' tongues.
Peston paused. Again my heart sank. Where was this controversial reporter I had expected so much from? Eventually, he cleared his throat and said, "Ah, unfortunately I'm not able to talk much about that because I'm due in court at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning to give evidence on the issue."
I breathed a sigh of relief. One of the world's best reporters was not being a fence-sitter. He was just not at liberty to discuss anything! The very next morning our lecturer told us that he also had the Chairman of the BBC breathing down his neck the whole duration of the evening lecture.
I learned from the FT today that Peston had been 1 of 5 journalists invited by The Treasury to give evidence about "sparking a run on Northern Rock by reporting its troubles and later failing to break the story early enough".
I would like to comment that by today's standards, no journalist can do right. If journalists had reported a recession, they are blamed for the panic that ensues. If they remain silent, the public are outraged that such important information is withheld from them. What is a journalist to do?
Peston was singled out because his reporting "had caused a run by retail customers on the bank, which was subsequently nationalised" to quote the FT. Was that not just caused by the incompetence of the few fat cat executives at the top? As Peston's argument was yesterday, "What led to the collapse of Northern Rock was not the retail run, it was the wholesale run, it was the institutions refusing to fund that bank."
And that, my friends, is your answer.
On Tuesday evening this week, I went to a lecture with a panel of several journalists and editors of today's papers such as The Guardian and The Financial Times and Robert Peston, the business editor of the BBC(I love how important that sentence sounds, yes!).
On the panel, was also the publisher of Crane's Business Weekly, Arthur Porter, who tried to convince us that "a salesman is not any different to a journalist". I'm absolutely positive that journalists all over the world would disagree with that notion, not least the one sat next to him on the stage who attempted to hide their smirks and guffaws.
The fact that he was invited to participate in the lecture led me to think about the roll in which the media has played during the past 8 months of the recession. I guess journalists are as hated these days as salesmen. I draw the line at any further comparisons.
Peston seemed distracted, and his replies to questions Kevin Anderson of the
BBC asked, seemed awfully disjointed and hesitant. I had to admit I was a little disappointed, this was not the outspoken Peston I had expected.
At the end of the panel discussion, the floor was invited to ask questions. A lecturer raised his hand in request for the mic. "Do you think the media are to blame for the reporting of the recession either, by panicking the public, or reporting it too late?" The question on the tip of many journalists' tongues.
Peston paused. Again my heart sank. Where was this controversial reporter I had expected so much from? Eventually, he cleared his throat and said, "Ah, unfortunately I'm not able to talk much about that because I'm due in court at 9 o'clock tomorrow morning to give evidence on the issue."
I breathed a sigh of relief. One of the world's best reporters was not being a fence-sitter. He was just not at liberty to discuss anything! The very next morning our lecturer told us that he also had the Chairman of the BBC breathing down his neck the whole duration of the evening lecture.
I learned from the FT today that Peston had been 1 of 5 journalists invited by The Treasury to give evidence about "sparking a run on Northern Rock by reporting its troubles and later failing to break the story early enough".
I would like to comment that by today's standards, no journalist can do right. If journalists had reported a recession, they are blamed for the panic that ensues. If they remain silent, the public are outraged that such important information is withheld from them. What is a journalist to do?
Peston was singled out because his reporting "had caused a run by retail customers on the bank, which was subsequently nationalised" to quote the FT. Was that not just caused by the incompetence of the few fat cat executives at the top? As Peston's argument was yesterday, "What led to the collapse of Northern Rock was not the retail run, it was the wholesale run, it was the institutions refusing to fund that bank."
And that, my friends, is your answer.
Tuesday 3 February 2009
British?
These past few days, I've been observing the news as usual. I have come to the conclusion, that even though I was born in the UK (Newcastle upon Tyne to be precise), was schooled all my life here, and have paid tax to the British government for the year I worked between finishing my undergrad and doing my MA, some people still do not consider me to be British.
The recent contractor strikes in Lincolnshire and Sellafield have made British workers heard. "British jobs for British people" their placards read. Well, what then is British?
The current state of the economy is not boding well for many. Or any to be truthful. What the strikers do not see is that their protests will not suddenly open up job opportunities. Blaming immigrants is not the right answer, merely the easiest.
Without immigrant workers, the economy in the UK would be brought to its knees. Never mind a recession, there wouldn't be an economy. This isn't an immigrant issue at all. Article 39 of the E.U. treaty guarantees movement of workers throughout Europe, and no union leader anywhere should have a problem with that. Article 49 of the treaty allows firms to bring workers from the native country in which they are based as part of a service agreement. Would the strikers still complain if their rights were no longer protected when the firm they work for is contracted for work abroad? That the rights they have in their native country are void upon touching foreign soil?
Understand that an E.U. ban would go both ways. No more cheap flights to Magaluf. No more quality brie from France. And no more cheap seamstresses in the market to mend your fabulous party dress.
I am unsure whether I still want to classify myself as British. Why pigeon-hole myself? Especially since people in my own country do not seem to realise what the true nature of being British means.
The recent contractor strikes in Lincolnshire and Sellafield have made British workers heard. "British jobs for British people" their placards read. Well, what then is British?
The current state of the economy is not boding well for many. Or any to be truthful. What the strikers do not see is that their protests will not suddenly open up job opportunities. Blaming immigrants is not the right answer, merely the easiest.
Without immigrant workers, the economy in the UK would be brought to its knees. Never mind a recession, there wouldn't be an economy. This isn't an immigrant issue at all. Article 39 of the E.U. treaty guarantees movement of workers throughout Europe, and no union leader anywhere should have a problem with that. Article 49 of the treaty allows firms to bring workers from the native country in which they are based as part of a service agreement. Would the strikers still complain if their rights were no longer protected when the firm they work for is contracted for work abroad? That the rights they have in their native country are void upon touching foreign soil?
Understand that an E.U. ban would go both ways. No more cheap flights to Magaluf. No more quality brie from France. And no more cheap seamstresses in the market to mend your fabulous party dress.
I am unsure whether I still want to classify myself as British. Why pigeon-hole myself? Especially since people in my own country do not seem to realise what the true nature of being British means.
Sunday 1 February 2009
Another day, another resolution
At the beginning of this week, my friend Lucy and I had, as a challenge to ourselves, agreed to give up pork of any kind for a month. As February 1st was looming, we chose this month.
Coincidentally, last night I sat and watched Jamie Saves Our Bacon as part of the Great British Food Fight series. My oh my. I never imagined that killing animals was particularly humane of course, but the conditions in which pigs are kept for breeding purposes are horrific. The process of actually (humanely) killing pigs is disgusting. It looks like Hugh and Jamie may have converted many meat eaters in their time, but I never would have thought I would be one of them.
I have decided that if this month works out well, I see no reason to ever eat pork again. I've never been an animal lover (my friends are more than willing to vouch for that), but there was always something about pigs that I felt quite fond about. Cows scare me unless they are on my plate medium-rare. Sheep are evil and lamb tastes like soap. I will never cross duck off my menu, and the same goes for chicken. But pigs are... cute.
I once read an interview with Cameron Diaz years ago. She explained the reason why she was and is a vegertarian is because a fully grown pig has the mental age of a three year old child. Putting it into that context, really made me think. While I don't often take anything Cameron Diaz says as gospel, it seemed a valid point. Don't farmers always say that on their farm the pigs are more intelligent than their dogs?
There is one issue with this dietary adjustment however. My family love food. Our social events are usually based around food. They also only eat the best. Organic, free range chicken from a Cumbrian farm. Organic beef. British pork. Fresh water lobster and mussels. In fact, one of the main criteria for choosing a boyfriend if I ever wanted to take him to my family was that they loved to eat, and were not fussy. If I told them I was cutting anything that wasn't life threatening from my diet, I think I would be ostracised.
So the plan is, I shall cut out pork from my diet for as long as I can cook for myself, but at special family occasions, I shall make sure my family only eat British meat (something you know they already do) and not say a word to them. It's ok to give up resolutions for your family isn't it? Noble almost...
And who can actually say no to some beautiful, succulent, fresh out of the oven, pork crackling?
Coincidentally, last night I sat and watched Jamie Saves Our Bacon as part of the Great British Food Fight series. My oh my. I never imagined that killing animals was particularly humane of course, but the conditions in which pigs are kept for breeding purposes are horrific. The process of actually (humanely) killing pigs is disgusting. It looks like Hugh and Jamie may have converted many meat eaters in their time, but I never would have thought I would be one of them.
I have decided that if this month works out well, I see no reason to ever eat pork again. I've never been an animal lover (my friends are more than willing to vouch for that), but there was always something about pigs that I felt quite fond about. Cows scare me unless they are on my plate medium-rare. Sheep are evil and lamb tastes like soap. I will never cross duck off my menu, and the same goes for chicken. But pigs are... cute.
I once read an interview with Cameron Diaz years ago. She explained the reason why she was and is a vegertarian is because a fully grown pig has the mental age of a three year old child. Putting it into that context, really made me think. While I don't often take anything Cameron Diaz says as gospel, it seemed a valid point. Don't farmers always say that on their farm the pigs are more intelligent than their dogs?
There is one issue with this dietary adjustment however. My family love food. Our social events are usually based around food. They also only eat the best. Organic, free range chicken from a Cumbrian farm. Organic beef. British pork. Fresh water lobster and mussels. In fact, one of the main criteria for choosing a boyfriend if I ever wanted to take him to my family was that they loved to eat, and were not fussy. If I told them I was cutting anything that wasn't life threatening from my diet, I think I would be ostracised.
So the plan is, I shall cut out pork from my diet for as long as I can cook for myself, but at special family occasions, I shall make sure my family only eat British meat (something you know they already do) and not say a word to them. It's ok to give up resolutions for your family isn't it? Noble almost...
And who can actually say no to some beautiful, succulent, fresh out of the oven, pork crackling?
Friday 30 January 2009
BNP lose another battle
I was sat in my living room a couple of minutes ago, when I heard the flap of the letter box. I thought nothing of it when I went to pick up yet another flyer, probably from handy men advertising their services.
To my surprise, it was a flyer for the BNP. In a fit of blind, adrenalin-fuelled (and foolish) rage, I flung the door open and shouted, "You're unbelievable!". The man who stared back at me wasn't an Aryan, blonde-haired, blue-eyed fop - he was a middle-aged, thin and wiry man, following a rather obese looking middle-aged man who had already descended around the corner.
By this point I had slammed the door shut, and my mother had heard the commotion.
What's Chinese for BNP?
I attempted to explain to her that the BNP were nothing more than fascist reincarnations of Hitler, and what would happen if they took Carlisle, but then I realised how ridiculous I was starting to sound to my politically unaware mother, who had only voted once in her life in the years she has lived in Carlisle. And that was only because I frog-marched herself and my brother to the polling booth by our local last year.
Anyhow, still suffering from blind rage, I texted a fellow student; "I just shouted at someone who posted BNP flyers on my street. should interview him?!"
I then proceeded to find out more about them to try and distract myself, as much as it disgusted me to think of what I might uncover. Scrolling through pages on the internet, I struggled to find a valid message that wasn't vague, or over the top patriotic in a bid to prove how "British" the BNP remain.
The funny thing is, I still consider myself very British. The definition of the term "British" to me is to be "of" Britain. Whatever colour a person's skin is. Whatever race, religion, or gender. Whatever your sexual orientation. Britain would NOT be Britain if it was not the melting pot of cultural diversity it is today.
That is why I find it hard to believe that a party such as the BNP can have any power. Being a member of the BNP can be a sacking offence in some jobs, which has led to many members, as I believe, to hide their political views in public. Is a party really a party when you must hide who you are?
The idea of even justifying the existence of the BNP with a retaliation on my blog seems absurd since they have no serious agenda. The party is a joke. Had I sooner remembered this, I would not even have wasted my breath shouting. A colleague once said to me, "There is no point in worrying about them, because if they were to ever get into power (which they won't anyway), they wouldn't know what to do with it. The country would fall apart."
I should hope it would never come to that of course, but he is right. What better reason to people need to vote, than to keep the BNP out?
To my surprise, it was a flyer for the BNP. In a fit of blind, adrenalin-fuelled (and foolish) rage, I flung the door open and shouted, "You're unbelievable!". The man who stared back at me wasn't an Aryan, blonde-haired, blue-eyed fop - he was a middle-aged, thin and wiry man, following a rather obese looking middle-aged man who had already descended around the corner.
By this point I had slammed the door shut, and my mother had heard the commotion.
What's Chinese for BNP?
I attempted to explain to her that the BNP were nothing more than fascist reincarnations of Hitler, and what would happen if they took Carlisle, but then I realised how ridiculous I was starting to sound to my politically unaware mother, who had only voted once in her life in the years she has lived in Carlisle. And that was only because I frog-marched herself and my brother to the polling booth by our local last year.
Anyhow, still suffering from blind rage, I texted a fellow student; "I just shouted at someone who posted BNP flyers on my street. should interview him?!"
I then proceeded to find out more about them to try and distract myself, as much as it disgusted me to think of what I might uncover. Scrolling through pages on the internet, I struggled to find a valid message that wasn't vague, or over the top patriotic in a bid to prove how "British" the BNP remain.
The funny thing is, I still consider myself very British. The definition of the term "British" to me is to be "of" Britain. Whatever colour a person's skin is. Whatever race, religion, or gender. Whatever your sexual orientation. Britain would NOT be Britain if it was not the melting pot of cultural diversity it is today.
That is why I find it hard to believe that a party such as the BNP can have any power. Being a member of the BNP can be a sacking offence in some jobs, which has led to many members, as I believe, to hide their political views in public. Is a party really a party when you must hide who you are?
The idea of even justifying the existence of the BNP with a retaliation on my blog seems absurd since they have no serious agenda. The party is a joke. Had I sooner remembered this, I would not even have wasted my breath shouting. A colleague once said to me, "There is no point in worrying about them, because if they were to ever get into power (which they won't anyway), they wouldn't know what to do with it. The country would fall apart."
I should hope it would never come to that of course, but he is right. What better reason to people need to vote, than to keep the BNP out?
Wednesday 28 January 2009
"Why don't you aspire to get a real job?"
Happy new year to one and all! One of the best things about being British born Chinese is easily, having two new years. That's right, the eve of January the 1st I get to drink copious amounts of alcohol with friends, and by the time Chinese new year arrives, I'm ready to spend time with my family, eat copious amounts instead of drink, and attempt to start my new year's resolutions again.
There's nothing quite like spending time with family. At Christmas and new year, all feuds are put aside briefly, and the time for eating commences. I can't imagine a life without two new years now.
When our family get together, more often than not the karaoke machine gets dusted off, and cranked right up. Luckily, my uncle's house stands solitary in a peaceful (!) cul-de-sac and we can warble as tunelessly as we like until the early hours of next year.
I don't remember new year's always being like this though. I remember I spent the eve of January 1st 2000 in Hong Kong. I was 13 years old, so drinking, cavorting and partying was completely out of the question. Meanwhile, my cousin's left to arrive fashionably late at their various parties, while I swept my grandmother's floor. Then my uncle came home with my brother.
"So what are your new year's resolutions Cindy?" he asked in a disinterested tone.
I thought hard. "I'm going to write more. I want to be a writer." It was never a case that I wouldn't be. I really had no other plans in life as I was notoriously bad at maths and any science. "I think I want to be a journalist," I deliberated after while.
Much to my surprise, he laughed. "Journalism? Why don't you aspire to get a real job, a job where you're skills are a required service? Like law? Or medicine? Maybe even nutrition," he added, remembering my weaknesses in science.
At the time, I thought nothing of it. I was a child, and I would become a novelist if I could not become a journalist, I thought. Easy. Today, I am thankfully estranged from that side of my family.
Aged 22 and studying for a Masters in International Journalism, it is hard to believe that I ever thought that it was ok for someone to tell me that becoming a journalist was not aspirational, or helpful to society.
Almost ten tears later, that conversation is still ingrained in my memory. I'm not sure why, but rather than hinder me, it's urged me forward. I remember just as clearly the day my father left us (this uncle is his brother) and my mother saying to me, "Do you're very best and no one will ever fault you. We can prove them all wrong."
I live by those words of encouragement now. If my uncle had said that to me today, my response would be entirely different. I would like him to try telling me that Watergate's Bob Woodward and Karl Bernstein were not providing a service. Or the journalists Anastacia Burburova and Anna Politkovskaya who laid their lives on the line so that the world would be able to see the political terrors of their country were not doing a "real job".
Thank you uncle, for making me see that in what I aspire to do, I am providing one of the best services I could possibly offer to the world.
There's nothing quite like spending time with family. At Christmas and new year, all feuds are put aside briefly, and the time for eating commences. I can't imagine a life without two new years now.
When our family get together, more often than not the karaoke machine gets dusted off, and cranked right up. Luckily, my uncle's house stands solitary in a peaceful (!) cul-de-sac and we can warble as tunelessly as we like until the early hours of next year.
I don't remember new year's always being like this though. I remember I spent the eve of January 1st 2000 in Hong Kong. I was 13 years old, so drinking, cavorting and partying was completely out of the question. Meanwhile, my cousin's left to arrive fashionably late at their various parties, while I swept my grandmother's floor. Then my uncle came home with my brother.
"So what are your new year's resolutions Cindy?" he asked in a disinterested tone.
I thought hard. "I'm going to write more. I want to be a writer." It was never a case that I wouldn't be. I really had no other plans in life as I was notoriously bad at maths and any science. "I think I want to be a journalist," I deliberated after while.
Much to my surprise, he laughed. "Journalism? Why don't you aspire to get a real job, a job where you're skills are a required service? Like law? Or medicine? Maybe even nutrition," he added, remembering my weaknesses in science.
At the time, I thought nothing of it. I was a child, and I would become a novelist if I could not become a journalist, I thought. Easy. Today, I am thankfully estranged from that side of my family.
Aged 22 and studying for a Masters in International Journalism, it is hard to believe that I ever thought that it was ok for someone to tell me that becoming a journalist was not aspirational, or helpful to society.
Almost ten tears later, that conversation is still ingrained in my memory. I'm not sure why, but rather than hinder me, it's urged me forward. I remember just as clearly the day my father left us (this uncle is his brother) and my mother saying to me, "Do you're very best and no one will ever fault you. We can prove them all wrong."
I live by those words of encouragement now. If my uncle had said that to me today, my response would be entirely different. I would like him to try telling me that Watergate's Bob Woodward and Karl Bernstein were not providing a service. Or the journalists Anastacia Burburova and Anna Politkovskaya who laid their lives on the line so that the world would be able to see the political terrors of their country were not doing a "real job".
Thank you uncle, for making me see that in what I aspire to do, I am providing one of the best services I could possibly offer to the world.
Monday 26 January 2009
Chickens, Hugh... and how I love him too
Anyone who didn't manage to watch Chickens, Hugh and Tescos Too please download it from www.channel4.com. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (if you will give him the benefit of the doubt for his name) is a ground-breaking chef who brings to light the state our food is in when it is still mooing, oinking, and clucking. Chickens was an eye opener.
I've always known that anything cheap is certainly never cheerful, but this documentary made me realise the amount of crap we feed on everyday for the sake of a pound or two extra in our pockets. "Free range" may mean outdoors, but it does NOT mean spacious. "Farm raised chickens" does NOT mean fairly raised.
The scenes of fluffly chickens stuffed up against each other in a giant barn with no room to lift a crushed wing was grim. I have never been an animal lover, but to not be affected by these images would take a heart of stone.
It reminds me exactly why I hate corporates. "Large shareholders vote with management... they rarely rock the boat," says one cynical editor, doubting Hugh's resolution to bring fairer living standards to Tesco chickens.
Is it a happy ending for Hugh's chickens?
I shall let you viewers see for yourselves.
I've always known that anything cheap is certainly never cheerful, but this documentary made me realise the amount of crap we feed on everyday for the sake of a pound or two extra in our pockets. "Free range" may mean outdoors, but it does NOT mean spacious. "Farm raised chickens" does NOT mean fairly raised.
The scenes of fluffly chickens stuffed up against each other in a giant barn with no room to lift a crushed wing was grim. I have never been an animal lover, but to not be affected by these images would take a heart of stone.
It reminds me exactly why I hate corporates. "Large shareholders vote with management... they rarely rock the boat," says one cynical editor, doubting Hugh's resolution to bring fairer living standards to Tesco chickens.
Is it a happy ending for Hugh's chickens?
I shall let you viewers see for yourselves.
Sunday 25 January 2009
Credit cuts and going cold turkey
It is a rare occassion when I post two blogs in a day, but in my excitement over "90210" I forgot to rejoice in the fact that yesterday, I finally made cutbacks. I snapped my credit card in half.
I was then flooded with an array of emotions, mostly to my surprise relief followed by in no particular order anguish, pain, panic, terror and then triumphance. I had finally freed myself of getting further into the debt I was slowly adding to from 5 years ago.
My credit card arrived shiny and new shortly after I started university. I vaguely remembered saying "Er, yes?" to my banker when he asked me if I wanted a credit card, whilst I was opening up my student account ready for my first year at university. Excited at the prospect of having an overdraft, it never even occurred to me that I could get a credit card. Dumbfound, I watched as he ticked the "yes" box next to the words credit card on my application form. I was elated.
Five years and thousands of pounds in debt later (relax, it was my student loans), I have bit the bullet and decided (however momentary the decision was) to get rid of credit. Being a product of the typical "credit generation" doesn't make me proud. In comparison to a lot of people I know, my debts are nothing. I have known people to open two student accounts with different banks, just for the overdraft facilities. It doesn't make me any less guilty of the fact that I owned a credit card only to spend now, and pay later.
And this may be the very reason so many people my age and even younger, scarily, are steadily mounting up their debts. I read an article that stated that the average 25 year old has £10,000 worth of debt. I was going to become a statistic, if I wasn't already.
So last night after work as I walked towards the pub to meet my housemate, I realised enough was enough. I pulled my purse from my bag before I had time to stop and think, slid my red credit card out from it's usual slot in front of my debit card (that's how bad it got) and snapped it in two.
The overwhelming sense of relief I felt shocked me. If anything, I thought I would be crying or hysterical by now. So far so good, no fainting, no hot flushes, no nightmares. As I write this, I have gone over 24 hours cold turkey. It's like a weight has been lifted, really.
I am officially done with credit cards... well except for my emergency one which my mum monitors but that doesn't count because I wouldn't dare use it - right?
I highly recommend cutting up all your credit cards just to put an end to the credit madness. It's not easy going cold turkey, but I read a great tip in a magazine once - literally, freeze your credit card in your freezer if you're hesitant about getting rid of it completely, because then when you want to use it, you have to wait until it's defrosted. By which time, will you really need that pretty dress you saw on ASOS?
So if you have a credit card, consider this - why spend what you haven't got?
I no longer do.
I was then flooded with an array of emotions, mostly to my surprise relief followed by in no particular order anguish, pain, panic, terror and then triumphance. I had finally freed myself of getting further into the debt I was slowly adding to from 5 years ago.
My credit card arrived shiny and new shortly after I started university. I vaguely remembered saying "Er, yes?" to my banker when he asked me if I wanted a credit card, whilst I was opening up my student account ready for my first year at university. Excited at the prospect of having an overdraft, it never even occurred to me that I could get a credit card. Dumbfound, I watched as he ticked the "yes" box next to the words credit card on my application form. I was elated.
Five years and thousands of pounds in debt later (relax, it was my student loans), I have bit the bullet and decided (however momentary the decision was) to get rid of credit. Being a product of the typical "credit generation" doesn't make me proud. In comparison to a lot of people I know, my debts are nothing. I have known people to open two student accounts with different banks, just for the overdraft facilities. It doesn't make me any less guilty of the fact that I owned a credit card only to spend now, and pay later.
And this may be the very reason so many people my age and even younger, scarily, are steadily mounting up their debts. I read an article that stated that the average 25 year old has £10,000 worth of debt. I was going to become a statistic, if I wasn't already.
So last night after work as I walked towards the pub to meet my housemate, I realised enough was enough. I pulled my purse from my bag before I had time to stop and think, slid my red credit card out from it's usual slot in front of my debit card (that's how bad it got) and snapped it in two.
The overwhelming sense of relief I felt shocked me. If anything, I thought I would be crying or hysterical by now. So far so good, no fainting, no hot flushes, no nightmares. As I write this, I have gone over 24 hours cold turkey. It's like a weight has been lifted, really.
I am officially done with credit cards... well except for my emergency one which my mum monitors but that doesn't count because I wouldn't dare use it - right?
I highly recommend cutting up all your credit cards just to put an end to the credit madness. It's not easy going cold turkey, but I read a great tip in a magazine once - literally, freeze your credit card in your freezer if you're hesitant about getting rid of it completely, because then when you want to use it, you have to wait until it's defrosted. By which time, will you really need that pretty dress you saw on ASOS?
So if you have a credit card, consider this - why spend what you haven't got?
I no longer do.
Beverly Hills 90210
On a completely different note to the past blogs, I'm actually a little excited about this new "90210". I remember "Beverly Hills 90210" being a huge part of my childhood, because luckily, I had a female cousin five years older than me to tell me what was cool and what wasn't. Let's say I'll be watching this new adaptation for nostalgia.
As many issues as Kelly had, I wanted to be her. Having no idea what a drug-adled mother in real life could feel like, I wanted her blonde hair, pretty clothes, and gorgeous boyfriend. To me, the rest of the cast were merely a backdrop to her lavish lifestyle.
Along with Blur, tie dye, and Manchester United, "90210" reminds me so much of my childhood. BH reminds me that the nineties were an awesome decade to grow up in. Life was just about denim shorts and television shows, boys, and going to the cinema. Now "90210" is back on our screens in the absence of a new series of "The OC" or a decent series of "Skins", it's back with a vengeance. It's no longer my "Beverly Hills", it's opened up to a completely new generation who won't have a clue who the characters in the original series were.
It has come along at just the right time to remind me that even though I'm a little bit older and wiser, I don't envy rich people, however. At all. Oddly enough, the last time BH was on our television screens, it was at the height of a, you guessed it, recession.
This time around though, maybe a few things are different. For one, I actually know what a recession is. (It sucks.) Two, I don't have to watch it because I want to be cool, I'm watching it because I know it's useless to aspire to these things. Finally, third, I love bitchy.
Oh, and another reason why I love these shallow, superficial, aesthetically pleasing television shows -it proves that no amount of riches can save you from life.
As many issues as Kelly had, I wanted to be her. Having no idea what a drug-adled mother in real life could feel like, I wanted her blonde hair, pretty clothes, and gorgeous boyfriend. To me, the rest of the cast were merely a backdrop to her lavish lifestyle.
Along with Blur, tie dye, and Manchester United, "90210" reminds me so much of my childhood. BH reminds me that the nineties were an awesome decade to grow up in. Life was just about denim shorts and television shows, boys, and going to the cinema. Now "90210" is back on our screens in the absence of a new series of "The OC" or a decent series of "Skins", it's back with a vengeance. It's no longer my "Beverly Hills", it's opened up to a completely new generation who won't have a clue who the characters in the original series were.
It has come along at just the right time to remind me that even though I'm a little bit older and wiser, I don't envy rich people, however. At all. Oddly enough, the last time BH was on our television screens, it was at the height of a, you guessed it, recession.
This time around though, maybe a few things are different. For one, I actually know what a recession is. (It sucks.) Two, I don't have to watch it because I want to be cool, I'm watching it because I know it's useless to aspire to these things. Finally, third, I love bitchy.
Oh, and another reason why I love these shallow, superficial, aesthetically pleasing television shows -it proves that no amount of riches can save you from life.
Saturday 24 January 2009
BBC under fire
Today the BBC came under fire for not broadcasting a charity appeal for rebuilding homes in Gaza which is being supported by over 13 charities. ITV and Channel 4 have already agreed to air the DEC appeal, with Sky News "considering" showing the plea.
So why not the BBC?
Impartiality.
Even though the BBC's own reporters and journalists are outraged by the BBC's decision not to support a simple charitable plea. Everyone from the Archbishop of York to Jon Snow have said that the BBC's decision is ridiculous.
I think for the first time I actually disagree with the BBC. As leading broadcasters, I think only Channel 4 can compare to the Beeb for accuracy and stellar reporting. By not broadcasting this charitable plea the Beeb could seriously damage its reputation.
So why not the BBC?
Impartiality.
Even though the BBC's own reporters and journalists are outraged by the BBC's decision not to support a simple charitable plea. Everyone from the Archbishop of York to Jon Snow have said that the BBC's decision is ridiculous.
I think for the first time I actually disagree with the BBC. As leading broadcasters, I think only Channel 4 can compare to the Beeb for accuracy and stellar reporting. By not broadcasting this charitable plea the Beeb could seriously damage its reputation.
Friday 23 January 2009
Officially in recession?
So, we're now officially in a recession are we? I wonder how long it took for the experts to analyse the evidence before they came to this conclusion...
The evidence that I've seen is all around me. Go into a supermarket, the prices have soared on everything from toilet roll to meat. Walk past a restaurant, and there is never more than one or two tables of customers on a weeknight. Walk down the high street, and there is actually room to walk without having to elbow your way through prams and pushchairs.
Having said this, the news announced that retailers have seen the biggest January turnover in a while. How long will people continue to spend?
As a student who often overspends, I am a typical product of the "credit generation". Most of the time, I've been able to avoid the high street and can avoid consumerism, but this year, the January sales have gone all out. I bought a belt from our much loved M&S for £3. I bought a pair of shoes from Topshop, which has become astoundingly overpriced, for only £4.50. I then promised myself I would curb my spending, so my boyfriend bought me a dress for £9.
I have found I am actually spending more than I ever did before, thanks to the sales. With the value of the pound sterling now at a record low (£1.35 will get you $1 at the time I was writing this), what are the indulgent types like myself going to do?
Answer: Stay away from the high street.
The evidence that I've seen is all around me. Go into a supermarket, the prices have soared on everything from toilet roll to meat. Walk past a restaurant, and there is never more than one or two tables of customers on a weeknight. Walk down the high street, and there is actually room to walk without having to elbow your way through prams and pushchairs.
Having said this, the news announced that retailers have seen the biggest January turnover in a while. How long will people continue to spend?
As a student who often overspends, I am a typical product of the "credit generation". Most of the time, I've been able to avoid the high street and can avoid consumerism, but this year, the January sales have gone all out. I bought a belt from our much loved M&S for £3. I bought a pair of shoes from Topshop, which has become astoundingly overpriced, for only £4.50. I then promised myself I would curb my spending, so my boyfriend bought me a dress for £9.
I have found I am actually spending more than I ever did before, thanks to the sales. With the value of the pound sterling now at a record low (£1.35 will get you $1 at the time I was writing this), what are the indulgent types like myself going to do?
Answer: Stay away from the high street.
Tuesday 20 January 2009
So today was kind of a big deal...
What with Obama's inaugeration, and the "big change" for America, and the rest of the world. I just hope everyone will cut him some slack, and not expect him to perform miracles. I'm sure many people have the utmost faith in him, but he won't single-handedly turn the economy around. We all know that.
I don't doubt that the Hollywood biopic makers have already snapped up his story, and had it signed, sealed, and copyrighted - because it truly is an awesome story.
My lecturer told a very moving story today, about his college days in the U.S. when there was still segregation. It's funny, being only 22 years old, I really can't imagine what it would be like "back then" when white people and black people had seperate toilets. And theatres. And schools. So the list goes on. But Robert did, and as all good journalists do, he wrote about it, and read it out in class today.
He told us about how he helped a black student off a bus on the way to the same college, and got branded a liberal northener for helping "niggers". He told us about how they spat on his new shirt. He told us how even when the County Sheriff arrived at the scene, there was no hope because HE was told, "Don't get your hopes up boy, he's one of us."
This isn't some "woe is me" tale. I just couldn't do the story justice if I attempted to retell it in the same style. My lecturer has a big part in why I'm still so passionate about journalism, and his story (one of many we've heard) should inspire anyone who reads this as much as it inspired minorities in America today. People who turned up in the millions and droves to catch a glimpse of America's 44th Commander in Chief. The very Commander in Chief who's message across America since he became Senator of Illinois has never changed, and who's hopefulness is contagious. He's the one who has made us believe. Only forty years ago, someone would have spat in your face at the very thought.
For the first time in my life, I envy Americans.
I don't doubt that the Hollywood biopic makers have already snapped up his story, and had it signed, sealed, and copyrighted - because it truly is an awesome story.
My lecturer told a very moving story today, about his college days in the U.S. when there was still segregation. It's funny, being only 22 years old, I really can't imagine what it would be like "back then" when white people and black people had seperate toilets. And theatres. And schools. So the list goes on. But Robert did, and as all good journalists do, he wrote about it, and read it out in class today.
He told us about how he helped a black student off a bus on the way to the same college, and got branded a liberal northener for helping "niggers". He told us about how they spat on his new shirt. He told us how even when the County Sheriff arrived at the scene, there was no hope because HE was told, "Don't get your hopes up boy, he's one of us."
This isn't some "woe is me" tale. I just couldn't do the story justice if I attempted to retell it in the same style. My lecturer has a big part in why I'm still so passionate about journalism, and his story (one of many we've heard) should inspire anyone who reads this as much as it inspired minorities in America today. People who turned up in the millions and droves to catch a glimpse of America's 44th Commander in Chief. The very Commander in Chief who's message across America since he became Senator of Illinois has never changed, and who's hopefulness is contagious. He's the one who has made us believe. Only forty years ago, someone would have spat in your face at the very thought.
For the first time in my life, I envy Americans.
Monday 19 January 2009
Tomorrow is Obama's day, today is mine.
At least that's the spirit I want to apply to my new term. I can't believe how frightfully bored I've been over the holidays (stress over assignments not included), and I've looked forward to the start of this term for what seems like months.
I'm also exceptionally excited about Obama being sworn into the White House tomorrow! I remember my mother saying, "He's not going to do it, because he's black yunno. It's sad but it's fact." What a looooooooong way America have come :)
So term started, and we were laden with another hefty 8,000 words to write by May. Awesome. For now, however, I'm working on my presentation on Wednesday about foreign correspondence, and in truth, to sound ever so slightly geeky - I love my course. There's always something new to write about every day right? Foreign correspondence, the Fourth Estate, and the Gaza conflict. All very interesting.
Which led to my friend and I to debate exactly how much do we actually know about the conflict? It's very simple, Israel are wrong, Gaza is Palestine's and always should be. Israel should stop firing rockets and killing their own military. Israel have killed over 13,000 civilians. Correct?
Not quite. Even Palestinians are losing their patience with Hamas, and is the one week ceasefire going to solve ANYTHING? What do we know about this conflict? What have we been told? Even The Daily Mail says it's all Israel's fault, so it must be right?
Hmm. As Baudrillard said, "The Gulf War did not take place." In his essay, Baudrillard argues that what the public get, is exactly what they are allowed. How easily we accept that Israel are the bad guys because that's what the media say. While Israel won't let foreign correspondents anywhere near their borders, Hamas have all but embraced them. As a Palestinian empathiser, I'm not really sure that I've been given a great amount of detail on Israel's story. True, they should really let journalists into their country in the first place, but what if the majority of the western world are wrong?
Israel has put up with 8 years of rocket bombs without so much as a retaliation until now. Hamas have been trying to rile up Israel's government for a very long time.
Palestinians are dying, while Hamas leaders go into hiding.
Maybe we need to hear both sides of the stories before we jump to conclusions.
I'm also exceptionally excited about Obama being sworn into the White House tomorrow! I remember my mother saying, "He's not going to do it, because he's black yunno. It's sad but it's fact." What a looooooooong way America have come :)
So term started, and we were laden with another hefty 8,000 words to write by May. Awesome. For now, however, I'm working on my presentation on Wednesday about foreign correspondence, and in truth, to sound ever so slightly geeky - I love my course. There's always something new to write about every day right? Foreign correspondence, the Fourth Estate, and the Gaza conflict. All very interesting.
Which led to my friend and I to debate exactly how much do we actually know about the conflict? It's very simple, Israel are wrong, Gaza is Palestine's and always should be. Israel should stop firing rockets and killing their own military. Israel have killed over 13,000 civilians. Correct?
Not quite. Even Palestinians are losing their patience with Hamas, and is the one week ceasefire going to solve ANYTHING? What do we know about this conflict? What have we been told? Even The Daily Mail says it's all Israel's fault, so it must be right?
Hmm. As Baudrillard said, "The Gulf War did not take place." In his essay, Baudrillard argues that what the public get, is exactly what they are allowed. How easily we accept that Israel are the bad guys because that's what the media say. While Israel won't let foreign correspondents anywhere near their borders, Hamas have all but embraced them. As a Palestinian empathiser, I'm not really sure that I've been given a great amount of detail on Israel's story. True, they should really let journalists into their country in the first place, but what if the majority of the western world are wrong?
Israel has put up with 8 years of rocket bombs without so much as a retaliation until now. Hamas have been trying to rile up Israel's government for a very long time.
Palestinians are dying, while Hamas leaders go into hiding.
Maybe we need to hear both sides of the stories before we jump to conclusions.
Wednesday 14 January 2009
Alas, Poor Gordy!
I watched the first Prime Minister Questions this afternoon when I finally rolled out of bed; am I really the only one who feels sorry for our Prime Minister? He may not be as charismatic or obedient as Blair or Cameron, but the man is surely doing the best job he can out of the worst consequences.
Before I get a egg on my face, may I just say that I've never voted Labour. Or Conservative, just in case you doubted my liberal tendencies. I've only ever voted Lib Dem, because I believe. Today though, Clegg and Cameron were hammering Brown with such ferocity I had to reconsider - for only a split second - whether he really is doing such a bad job?
Call me young and naive, but I trust him. He has been criticised for the way he handled the credit crisis, even though we championed him when the government bailed the banks. He has been criticised for the V.A.T. cut of 2.5% over the holidays, even the shoppers breathed a sigh of relief. That saved the average household, £5 a week. A week! According to Jamie, that can buy you some slap up ingredients from the supermarket and "feed your family for a fiver". As a student, I definitely know how far a fiver can go.
He has also promised better education starting from nursery level. Surely that's where education should start? I have a two year old niece, and since she has been attending nursery once a week, I can't help but notice how much her English has improved, especially as she only understood and spoke a few words of Cantonese before.
Like I said before, I have never voted Labour before, but maybe, just maybe, I will next time. Anything to keep the Tories out, I say!
On another, not quite lighter note, I'm still struggling with my China/Hong Kong assignment, due in for Friday. So far, my word count is 0. How does one summarise the political regimes affecting journalism and the media in 2,000 words???
Before I get a egg on my face, may I just say that I've never voted Labour. Or Conservative, just in case you doubted my liberal tendencies. I've only ever voted Lib Dem, because I believe. Today though, Clegg and Cameron were hammering Brown with such ferocity I had to reconsider - for only a split second - whether he really is doing such a bad job?
Call me young and naive, but I trust him. He has been criticised for the way he handled the credit crisis, even though we championed him when the government bailed the banks. He has been criticised for the V.A.T. cut of 2.5% over the holidays, even the shoppers breathed a sigh of relief. That saved the average household, £5 a week. A week! According to Jamie, that can buy you some slap up ingredients from the supermarket and "feed your family for a fiver". As a student, I definitely know how far a fiver can go.
He has also promised better education starting from nursery level. Surely that's where education should start? I have a two year old niece, and since she has been attending nursery once a week, I can't help but notice how much her English has improved, especially as she only understood and spoke a few words of Cantonese before.
Like I said before, I have never voted Labour before, but maybe, just maybe, I will next time. Anything to keep the Tories out, I say!
On another, not quite lighter note, I'm still struggling with my China/Hong Kong assignment, due in for Friday. So far, my word count is 0. How does one summarise the political regimes affecting journalism and the media in 2,000 words???
Tuesday 13 January 2009
Recession, Redundancy, and ... Rethinking.
Any one who has been watching the news the past few days will know that several more companies have gone into administration. In fact, anyone who has walked down a high street in recent months will have been able to see the events of the recession unfolding slowly but surely. For me, it's been like watching a car crash, when you absolutely want to look away but you can't.
I thought that as a student, the "credit crunch" (I hate that term) would hardly affect me. I get a lot of help financially, thankfully, as my mum fully supports furthering my education. I did however still need to keep a weekend job, which my MA allows as I'm only in three days a week, freeing me for plenty of time for independent study and a job.
I walked through Eldon Shopping Centre today in Newcastle, and rows upon rows of shops either had neon "sale/70% off everything" or "closing down, final reductions" signs in the windows.
Whittard's of Chelsea, USC, Zavvi...
I work for a very well known chain of bookshops which announced it had a great turnover during the Xmas holidays. Imagine my surprise when I was called in for a special "national" meeting at 9am on Monday morning, my day off.
"Understand that this is the first I have heard of anything," the manager told the staff as we shifted uncomfortably in our chairs. There was no mention of the fact that he had kept us waiting for 1o minutes for this apparently important meeting to begin.
"There are going to be cutbacks," he continued as he read from a printed off email. I stared at the back of the translucent piece of paper he held in his hands, and it was no longer than four paragraphs. "The company will be letting members of the team go, and those most at threat are the ones who work in goods-in, and returns."
I heard a deep growl to my left, and turned to observe my colleague whose eyes had narrowed at the words. He has worked for the company for four years, while some of the newer staff had only been taken on since before Xmas.
When the manager finished the announcement, the loud silence and oppressive tension made him glance nervously from bookseller to bookseller. "If anyone wants to talk, I'll be in my office."
And that was that.
The sense of fury that flooded over me was not due to the fact that something we had anticipated all weekend since it had been announced we would be having this "special" meeting, had been confirmed. It was the way in which the news had been delivered to us lowly booksellers. The corporation had not even seen it fit to say more than a few paragraphs to the people who kept them in their comfortable office chairs in London, and had mounted the anticipation for a 5 minute brief. On a Monday morning.
I thought about who it would affect the most. Were they asking for voluntary redundancies? How would they decide who to let go?
Do I quit my job then, so that my colleague can feed his family, or my other colleague can pay her mortgage?
Who said that recession doesn't affect students?
I thought that as a student, the "credit crunch" (I hate that term) would hardly affect me. I get a lot of help financially, thankfully, as my mum fully supports furthering my education. I did however still need to keep a weekend job, which my MA allows as I'm only in three days a week, freeing me for plenty of time for independent study and a job.
I walked through Eldon Shopping Centre today in Newcastle, and rows upon rows of shops either had neon "sale/70% off everything" or "closing down, final reductions" signs in the windows.
Whittard's of Chelsea, USC, Zavvi...
I work for a very well known chain of bookshops which announced it had a great turnover during the Xmas holidays. Imagine my surprise when I was called in for a special "national" meeting at 9am on Monday morning, my day off.
"Understand that this is the first I have heard of anything," the manager told the staff as we shifted uncomfortably in our chairs. There was no mention of the fact that he had kept us waiting for 1o minutes for this apparently important meeting to begin.
"There are going to be cutbacks," he continued as he read from a printed off email. I stared at the back of the translucent piece of paper he held in his hands, and it was no longer than four paragraphs. "The company will be letting members of the team go, and those most at threat are the ones who work in goods-in, and returns."
I heard a deep growl to my left, and turned to observe my colleague whose eyes had narrowed at the words. He has worked for the company for four years, while some of the newer staff had only been taken on since before Xmas.
When the manager finished the announcement, the loud silence and oppressive tension made him glance nervously from bookseller to bookseller. "If anyone wants to talk, I'll be in my office."
And that was that.
The sense of fury that flooded over me was not due to the fact that something we had anticipated all weekend since it had been announced we would be having this "special" meeting, had been confirmed. It was the way in which the news had been delivered to us lowly booksellers. The corporation had not even seen it fit to say more than a few paragraphs to the people who kept them in their comfortable office chairs in London, and had mounted the anticipation for a 5 minute brief. On a Monday morning.
I thought about who it would affect the most. Were they asking for voluntary redundancies? How would they decide who to let go?
Do I quit my job then, so that my colleague can feed his family, or my other colleague can pay her mortgage?
Who said that recession doesn't affect students?
So I heard that all great journalists start off blogging online, and, due to being inspired by a particularly well known journalist, I thought I'd finally follow up on at least one of my new year's resolutions.
I find it a little odd that I would put my thoughts online - or even stranger to think that anyone would actually stumble upon this and take the time to read it. So thank you.
It's a great way to practise my writing skills I suppose, and rather reluctantly, I have to admit, I think that this will indeed improve my writing.
I recently wrote a story comparing three different media platforms over the BBC; online; radio; and television. I have to say I was shocked at the results I found. I compared the ways in which the Israel/Palestine Gaza conflict was portrayed in the three medias and my findings led me to see how a) the radio is really dying out and b) just how much everyone relies on the internet today. I didn't have a radio handy, so I listened to the six o'clock news on the BBC website. I wasn't near my tv so I watched the latest news on the Gaza conflict on the BBC News homepage. With the rise of the internet, is there really any need for, well any other form of media?
This assignment taught me just how easy it is to find ANYTHING you need online. The only thing I would argue is that the internet has resulted in the demise of newspapers. I still don't think there is anything equivelent to print journalism. I like my steadily growing pile of papers, scattered around all four corners of my bedroom.
Anyway, my second assignment was a feature on how Hillary Clinton has done wonders for feminism. I know a lot of people disagree with the way she handled the elections and she should have bowed out a lot more gracefully, a lot sooner. But I kinda like the lady.
She's dignified, intelligent, and obviously plays for the right team. Who could argue with anyone who agrees with Obama =)? I love, love the fact that she champions the trouser suit too! As much as those fashion critics hate what she wears, I think it's amazing that she refuses to conform to flaunting her sexuality/feminity the way Palin had to in order to "earn" the women's vote. It was a sly move on the Republican Party's part, I admit it was strategic, and who am I to disagree with some of the world's most powerful people? It just seemed very underhand to me, bringing in an unqualified, power-hungry, ignorant, and dumb candidate into the well-respected circle of McCain's campaign.
It was too obvious that Palin was elected for her "feminism" antics, and I think it's a shame the Republicans did not do their research before employing her. What is the exact population in Alaska, in comparison to the population of the WHOLE of the US? Let's be honest, this woman knows nothing. It sickened me slightly to see that people fawned on her because she was so different to Clinton - and they saw that as a good thing. As Matt Damon said, "this woman is going to have the nuclear codes".
I think that McCain actually ended the presidential run with a degree of humility. Truth be told, he seemed a bit of a puppet, and I'm not for conspiracy theories, but he may just have been used as a platform until they could find someone like Palin who represented the Party's views so wholly. It struck a chord with me when he gave his last speech, it was so dignified and hopeful and I genuinely wanted to believe him. I am, of course, easily persuaded but McCain is somewhat of a liberal in the eyes of his party.
Well how did I get onto that topic? I was trying to say that my assignment was actually on how Clinton had paved the way for many female tv presenters in America, such as Campbell Brown, Katie Couric (who kicked ass in the presidential campaigns with her interviews!) and Mika Bzerzinski. I hope this woman has made my plight to become a successful female journalist much easier too!
Well would you look at the time... so now you know this is what I'd rather do than write an assignment about the political and economical differences between Hong Kong and China.
For now,
Good night, and good luck.
I find it a little odd that I would put my thoughts online - or even stranger to think that anyone would actually stumble upon this and take the time to read it. So thank you.
It's a great way to practise my writing skills I suppose, and rather reluctantly, I have to admit, I think that this will indeed improve my writing.
I recently wrote a story comparing three different media platforms over the BBC; online; radio; and television. I have to say I was shocked at the results I found. I compared the ways in which the Israel/Palestine Gaza conflict was portrayed in the three medias and my findings led me to see how a) the radio is really dying out and b) just how much everyone relies on the internet today. I didn't have a radio handy, so I listened to the six o'clock news on the BBC website. I wasn't near my tv so I watched the latest news on the Gaza conflict on the BBC News homepage. With the rise of the internet, is there really any need for, well any other form of media?
This assignment taught me just how easy it is to find ANYTHING you need online. The only thing I would argue is that the internet has resulted in the demise of newspapers. I still don't think there is anything equivelent to print journalism. I like my steadily growing pile of papers, scattered around all four corners of my bedroom.
Anyway, my second assignment was a feature on how Hillary Clinton has done wonders for feminism. I know a lot of people disagree with the way she handled the elections and she should have bowed out a lot more gracefully, a lot sooner. But I kinda like the lady.
She's dignified, intelligent, and obviously plays for the right team. Who could argue with anyone who agrees with Obama =)? I love, love the fact that she champions the trouser suit too! As much as those fashion critics hate what she wears, I think it's amazing that she refuses to conform to flaunting her sexuality/feminity the way Palin had to in order to "earn" the women's vote. It was a sly move on the Republican Party's part, I admit it was strategic, and who am I to disagree with some of the world's most powerful people? It just seemed very underhand to me, bringing in an unqualified, power-hungry, ignorant, and dumb candidate into the well-respected circle of McCain's campaign.
It was too obvious that Palin was elected for her "feminism" antics, and I think it's a shame the Republicans did not do their research before employing her. What is the exact population in Alaska, in comparison to the population of the WHOLE of the US? Let's be honest, this woman knows nothing. It sickened me slightly to see that people fawned on her because she was so different to Clinton - and they saw that as a good thing. As Matt Damon said, "this woman is going to have the nuclear codes".
I think that McCain actually ended the presidential run with a degree of humility. Truth be told, he seemed a bit of a puppet, and I'm not for conspiracy theories, but he may just have been used as a platform until they could find someone like Palin who represented the Party's views so wholly. It struck a chord with me when he gave his last speech, it was so dignified and hopeful and I genuinely wanted to believe him. I am, of course, easily persuaded but McCain is somewhat of a liberal in the eyes of his party.
Well how did I get onto that topic? I was trying to say that my assignment was actually on how Clinton had paved the way for many female tv presenters in America, such as Campbell Brown, Katie Couric (who kicked ass in the presidential campaigns with her interviews!) and Mika Bzerzinski. I hope this woman has made my plight to become a successful female journalist much easier too!
Well would you look at the time... so now you know this is what I'd rather do than write an assignment about the political and economical differences between Hong Kong and China.
For now,
Good night, and good luck.
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