society
Are they worth it?
Youth (yoof) culture in the UK to a large extent is informed in attitudes by Hip-Hop Culture, or certainly the gift-wrapped version we see on MTV, Virgin Music… Critics may be easily prompted to dismiss this version of ‘yoof culture’ as the ramblings of uneducated and lazy youth. But I point to the growing levels of violence practiced against the youth by older and wiser (?) generations and by youth on youth or gang violence mostly in our urban centres.
The State terror that drove Aaron Schwartz to commit suicide; the domestic violence that killed Kasandra Perkins; the communal violence that killed Trayvon Martin and fatally wounded Malala Yousufzai; have all become commonplace. Not UK violence but for sure the violence that we meet every evening on the 6 pm news broadcast. The message is clear, people of youth are violent! Its a crisis!
Education can and often does address the underlying causes of violence but is not the sole key to addressing this crisis.Teachers must help reclaim the public by affirming with youth that life is worth living. Pedagogy must wrestle with the fact that the worth of youth largely swings between being targeted as (new) consumers and being seen as a disposable population fit only for the prison.
Renewed societal values are absolutely central to the improvement in youth experience; by showing how racism, sexism, and economical exploitation shape the outcomes and therefore the values of the youth, teachers have an opportunity to use the past experience of youth to improve the possible future experience of youth. Some Feminists building on critical views of the traditional nuclear family have illuminated the complex ways that power and violence function in the nuclear family and heterosexual relationships. Yet the buck stops there – the family is to blame?
I think not, well not entirely anyway. We lack the language and values necessary to address the states of terror that have escalated into youth-on-youth violence.
As we move into a more technologically-integrated society (Facebook, Twitter, Google+…), the pressing question is how to elevate the experience and contribution of the youth through these social networking platforms. The first task in answering this question is to challenge the notion that the youth are aloof and normalized to the violence in their midst. If we look closely at these social media hangouts, we find that youth are driven by two goals: the need to share information, and the need to be content creators.
Our next task, then, is to engage them in transforming their ingenuity and passion to share and create content that revises the modern world. Obvious blueprints have been offered. The revolutionary maneuvers of youth in North Africa have been realized through Twitter as a cabal for strategy. The Occupy movement illustrated how we can create webs of inclusion in a leaderless movement, and introduced the public speaking platform known as mic check. These ideas engender a generational attitude encapsulating a way of being. Of social awareness on a grander scale.
This isn’t however, the Marxist dream of a classless society. The economic, social and educational carnage youth face in the streets makes us culpable for failing to create effective institutions that integrate youth into society. If the future belongs to the youth, we must engage them by transforming the ideas of identity management on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram into community management by asking them to help share and create ideals we can live by.
“Look at the weak and cry, pray one day you’ll be strong
Fighting for your rights, even when you’re wrong
And hope that at least one of you sing about me when I’m gone
I am worth it?”
— Kenderick Lamar
Related articles
- Pakistan Youth Work to Solve Country’s Conflicts (voanews.com)
- Policy paper: Ending gang and youth violence: review 2012 to 2013 (gov.uk)
- Football thug involved in mass brawl spared jail (hartlepoolmail.co.uk)
- Kickstarter project aims to document youth violence in Chicago (voices.suntimes.com)
- Lupe Fiasco on Chicago, Controversy and Testo & Youth (chivoices.wordpress.com)
- Centre ready to forgive misguided youth: Sushilkumar Shinde (dnaindia.com)
- Gov. Hassan Announces Partnership to Help Prevent Youth Violence (nhnea.wordpress.com)
- Chicago Photographer Carlos Javier Ortiz Launches Kickstarter For Book Documenting Youth Violence (stunningguidance.wordpress.com)
- George Zimmerman domestic violence charges dropped (theguardian.com)
- Several Suggestions For Where Tech Jerks Can Donate Their Tech Money This Holiday Season (sfist.com)
Does Forgiveness = Justice?
The death and subsequent celebration of Nelson Mandela’s life has brought me to think deeply about his very being, his reasoning and his impact (globally).
Its probably fair to say that Nelson Mandela was a world statesman of outstanding stature and that he was much admired for his accommodation of his persecutors rather than unleashing country-wide revenge and blood-letting. His behavior immediately following his release from prison marks him out as a remarkable leader which it would be wonderful if others would emulate his example.
But…
The context in this case as in any case is all important. Only those who have been persecuted and suffered hold the position where forgiveness can be proffered. And forgiveness can only be given where the persecuted has the power to forgive, that they have political power over their former persecutors, or more fundamentally that they have survived the persecution, the attempt to harm. It is only in these circumstances that forgiveness can be given.
Nobody is entitled to give forgiveness for the harm done to others, regardless of their closeness. You cannot suffer and forgive for others. In short only the victim can forgive. There can theretofore be no forgiveness for the crimes of Hitler or Stalin or Mao or many others; to forgive them would be to deny their victims and attempt to change history.
Self-evident as this position may seem there is nonetheless a predication by western politicians to accommodate perceived evil, to as it were make room for the enemy within. Compromise and accommodation are seen as preferable for ‘peace’ rather than conflict. Our leaders somehow find a way of ‘blinding’ themselves to the obvious peril of allowing some people to continue to function and think the way they do. To remain an enemy.
It is a view that refuses to recognize the difference between truly evil regimes, the Apartheid regime being a perfect example, and those who though different have much in common with our own. It inevitably leads to appeasement of the unappeasable and the associated victory of evil over good.
Little surprise however in today’s climate where good and bad have become relative concepts, the difference blurred to a point where distinction between the two is all but impossible. Its so blurred to the point where those regimes seen as victim regimes but who from time to time practice bad behavior are tolerated and allowed to persist, ignored or even condoned. The ANC did kill those it saw as traitors by ‘necklacing’ – putting a tyre around a persons neck and burning them to death. Wholly unacceptable behavior by any regime at any time but nevertheless overlooked as it was done by those people where the victims of the odious Apartheid regime.
Its hard if not impossible to not see Nelson Mandela in the light of the forgiving statesman for this was his signature characteristic. The substitution of justice with ‘truth and reconciliation’ could well be the overriding reason that at the time of his release from prison and election as South African President there wasn’t a blood-bath, an orgy of revenge by the recently oppressed Black South Africans on their Afrikaner tormentors but the restraining influence of Nelson Mandela has now departed and what is in store for South Africa can only be speculation. But that speculation seems to be suggesting that there may well be a conflict, after all the lot of the black South African is not much changed in 20 years.
Society needs to express its collective abhorrence of evil actions so that justice is done and society is better for it, it is less likely to commit the same actions in the future.
This is why justice must be served, criminal trials are an absolute necessity to ensure any semblance of justice. Forgiveness may well be necessary for individuals to move on out of the darkness, but justice is necessary for society to function. The ability to forgive is a great virtue but it is not a replacement, not even a poor replacement for justice. The fundamental distinction between right and wrong, good and bad cannot be replaced, to do so is to allow confusion to be the moral guiding light, something I fear western governments are increasingly all to prone to doing.
Related articles
- A tribute to Nelson Mandela (warringtonobserver.wordpress.com)
- Aloha Nelson Mandela! (malu-aina.org)
- Tories urged to remember party’s ‘craven indulgence’ of apartheid regime (theguardian.com)
- With Mandela’s death let his spirit live on, one of love equality and justice (hubertbtemba.org)
- Nelson Mandela: Scotland pays tribute to late South African leader (news.stv.tv)
- R.i.p Nelson Mandela (madiba) (angrygrumpytoad.wordpress.com)
- Mandela an icon of social change: Pranab (thehindu.com)
Asylum
The media is fond of shining a spotlight on our asylum system, it makes good copy or TV. Its not the best way of running a debate but it does illustrate a reality that should not be overlooked. Britain like the rest of developed Europe is facing increasing asylum demands, probably in the region of 70% increase in the last 8 years.
The influx of asylum seekers is as a direct consequence of the numerous conflicts and wars around the globe. Asylum of itself is not a problem and should never be seen in terms of being a problem, its the fact that there is at the same time massive economic migration going on. Asylum is a tradition of most developed western European nations, a proud tradition in most cases and it must be preserved, it must be accepted that we are fortunate and have the honor of assisting those who need our help. I find it shocking that there are some who reside in this country who feel differently.
Nonetheless, it might be fair to comment that our processing centers are perhaps close to full and stretched for staff. The cracks are becoming obvious. The system is unable to deal with complex situations meaning it slows and blocks preventing those who might most need our help from getting it because we just don’t know they need it.
We should feel rightly proud that asylum seekers come to our countries with the intention of seeking help and maybe even settling on a more permanent basis. The contribute to the wealth (economically and culturally) to our societies. But its clear that the social support systems cannot support these people, those employed to help, the case-workers burn-out with massive levels of sickness absence. All the time the human tragedies build. There is a need to protect the individuals but also there is a need for process which is at best a delayed process.
I would agree with anybody who said reform is urgently needed. Without question we should not settle for half measures, current failures should be corrected, but not at any cost. The economic cost of failure is mounting but so is the probable economic cost of doing the job right. My experience in industry is that doing something right first time is the most economically cost effective way of doing a job. I have no doubt that the same apply’s to the asylum system.
Delays might be necessary, so improved holding centers to accommodate the asylum seekers while the initial checks are being done would be a really good start. Simplification of procedures and processes would also help greatly. These two factors would simply add to the quality and speed of service provided, making it more respectful and certain in outcome.
A win-win in anybody’s language I guess.
At the borders of course better directional control would be needed, this is not a resources issue but probably a training and information issue.
And then once a final decision is made the person if successful should be assimilated into society. With a fully renovated procedure the asylum seeker and society will be both better served.
Final decisions are important and really need to be as speedy as possible. I’m sure most would agree that an asylum seeker should not have to face an almost endless wait on deportation or not. There has got to be clear pathways for those who do not gain asylum, they should not be expected to wait for an appropriate moment for return to their own country. Our collective responsibility as a European Union should be ensuring those who want and need out help can access it but those who do not are dealt with firmly, fairly and quickly.
Related articles
- Asylum policy ‘shameful, disturbing’ (sbs.com.au)
- Nigerian asylum seeker on hunger striker in Britain loses release bid. (newsafrica.co.uk)
- The PS are now hoping that Kouvola stops receiving asylum seekers and quota refugees by 2016 (migranttales.net)
- Barracks to house asylum seekers burnt down in Serbia (worldbulletin.net)
- Morrison delivers warning to asylum seekers on Nauru (sbs.com.au)
- Detention centres inhumane: UN (theage.com.au)
- Australian Customs Rip Asylum Seekers’ Boat in Half, Probably by Accident (gizmodo.co.uk)
- UN alarmed over conditions in asylum-seeker camps in Nauru and PNG (abc.net.au)
- Serbian bid to house asylum seekers foiled after barracks burnt down (timesofmalta.com)
- Asylum seeker arrives dressed as cricketer (abc.net.au)
PD-inspire 