What do we do now?

After the UK referendum on EU membership last week returned a 'leave' vote I, along with so many of my friends were lost for what to do now. Have thought about options over the weekend and heard suggestions, here is a list of possible actions I've collated for you to consider:

1. Don't be a bystander. There has always been racist violence in this country, it's not suddenly new since the vote, so this is advice forever and always - don't stand by when people use words or actions are used to hurt others. People of colour and those of other nationalities are being increasingly targeted after the rhetoric of the some referendum campaign factions, and for those who are targeted its a daily occurrence, they have to challenge these assaults all the time. If you see or hear words or actions being used, whether on the internet, in the street, in school, the workplace or anywhere, do not let them go unchallenged. Black lives matter, refugee lives matter, immigrant lives matter. Challenge those using hate speak, or if intervening isn't safe, report it to an appropriate authority. This article from the Guardian suggests some ways to respond to racism. 
2. Challenge Yourself. It's easy to think that we are completely unbiased, but the things we say and do can be hurtful to others, particularly people of colour or those whose culture or beliefs are different to our own, even if we don't mean it to be. Reflect on what you say or do, and if you realise something you've said is hateful - apologize or edit or delete the post if it's online. 
3. Educate others. If you work with young people lots of organisations have made packs of activities to help those you work with to understand and challenge racism. Such as Show Racism the Red Card, this from the Red Cross, resources from UKYP linked to their 'Don't Hate, Educate' campaign and RacismNoWay. There is also this list of resources about refugees and asylum seekers on the Refugee Week website, and this one from the Guardian. (Send me a comment if you know of similar resources for youth leaders or to be used in the workplace and I'll add them to this section.) I have selected a few of these activities to make a simple 1 hour session plan that you can just print and use - all you need is pens, paper and a few sweets - download here. 
4. Get/Stay Informed. Over the past few weeks and months it's been hard to separate the facts from the exaggerations and outright lies. Many of us don't know what sources we can trust. So try to read views from multiple different places to be as informed as possible about the way forward and what's at stake. This article from the BBC gives an introduction to what happens now with an illustration of the complicated process of negotiations, and this one from the Guardian links to sources of impartial information on Europe. It's tempting to use social media to hop from one emotion stirring headline to the next, but try to find the sources and facts behind them. 
5. Write to your MP and MEP or go to their surgery. The referendum was advisory, how we go forward now is in the hands of our elected representatives. Talk to them and tell them what the future relationship you want with Europe looks like. You can find their details at: www.writetothem.com
6. Join a political party. This referendum has inspired more of us to talk about politics, keep that up by joining a party and influencing who stays/becomes their leader and their future policies. Search online for the party's website to find out how. 

Whichever way you voted last week, whichever political party you support, get involved and take action.

Last month I was proud to take part in the European Youth Event in Strasbourg and saw firsthand how we can learn so much and gain so much from working together across cultures, with diverse friends and colleagues, to make change. This is my vision for the future and I hope you will help to make it happen.

New school of thought- when it comes to education, girls deserve better!

This blog was written for Chat for Change and was first published on March 5, 2016.

At an international scale girls and women have faced many gender-based barriers to being in school and getting an education. In some places there are barriers that affect boys in particular (such as recruitment to fight in war and conflicts) and trans* and non-binary people face extreme barriers to education based on their gender identity. However, it is the month of International Women’s Day and so this blog is going to focus on those which disproportionately affect girls.

A lot of research has been done all over the world to try and identify why there were a lot less girls in school that boys and there were found to be a lot of factors involved. There were cultural norms which parents or girls themselves enforce. Many thought that an education wasn’t needed or a waste of money for girls and there are stereotypes about what are ‘girls-subjects’ and what are ‘boys-subjects’ in most countries. Even in the UK and Australia, where we should have equal access to education regardless of gender, these stereotypes influence what people study, the careers they have access to afterwards and the relative value we place on those different jobs – in pay and in prestige. Work to break down these cultural norms has to be sensitive – it might be scholarships specifically for girls so the parents can see an immediate financial benefit to them being in school rather than at work, or wider campaigns such as those about women in STEM subjects that are now visible across many countries.

Then there are other barriers that girls face. Physical provision of facilities can often be a problem – particularly toilets. These might not be provided at all, or if they are, not have the necessary privacy or resources that girls need once they start getting their period each month. If you can’t go to school when you have your period then you end up missing out on up to a quarter of your education and soon fall behind, many then drop out completely as adolescents. Several organisations have investigated different ways to sort this problem by supporting the creation of toilets at school buildings and finding ways to increase girls access to sanitary products. This story gives one such example from India.

The third barrier I want to talk about is gender based violence and this is a major deterrent to girls getting an education. This might be harassment from other students or even from teachers. A survey Girlguiding did in the UK revealed that 70% of girls aged 13 and over had experience sexual harassment at school – whilst that might not have meant those girls dropped out of school completely, it is going to have a tremendous effect on the education they are able to receive. There are increasingly campaigns highlighting important concepts such as consent, but to really tackle this problem I think every country needs to invest in comprehensive sexuality education programmes that are a compulsory part of the curriculum. Students shouldn’t be able to opt out of learning about how they should respect their fellow human beings. In the UK repeated calls for this to happen have been rejected by the government, but their campaigning continues and many organisations are developing and refining programmes to provide this kind of education to as many young people as possible.

This isn’t a comprehensive list of all the barriers girls and women face in accessing education, but offers some food for thought. The previous Millennium Development Goals focused on just getting an equal amount of boys and girls through primary school. The new Sustainable Development Goals go much further – wanting everybody, regardless of gender, to have access to high quality education from early years through to tertiary institutions. It also calls on the world to “Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all” – another step that will address some of these barriers faced by girls. By working together to achieve these global goals by 2030 we can help girls and women to get the education they deserve.

Education Partnership For Global Development

This blog was first written for 'Chat for Change':

The provision of universal education, regardless of gender, is one of the most important Sustainable Development Goals – in itself and as a catalyst for change in the other areas. Likewise is the need for partnership working and achieving peaceful societies. So when we bring together these three ideas education, partnerships and peace we hit upon a very strong tool to enable us to achieve the SDG targets.

One such partnership is the ‘World’s Largest Lesson’ – founded by 10 organisations and with many more contributing material. On their website you can find all the materials you might need to plan a lesson for your class at school or run a workshop with you guide or scout unit. There’s a animation film, comic book and a copy of the goals written for children and young people too. Take a look at the resources and see how you could use them to spread the message of the SDGs with your group or peers.

Another initiative that partners with adults and young people all over the world to take action on the issue encapsulated in the SDGs is ‘A World at School’. They particularly work with youth ambassadors and faith based groups to spread the message of the importance of education. Kolleen Bouchane, Policy and Advocacy Director for ‘A World at School’ said: "Education has a unique power to catalyse gains in other areas. Very few, if any, health or economic interventions will be sustainable without gains in education.” This article on their website gives a great explanation of how education can help us achieve all the SDGS.

Finally this month, I want to leave you with this video which outlines how education is essential to achieving other areas of sustainable development.

The SDGs and Me!

This blog was written for and first published on 'Chat for Change':

Education played a critical role in getting me involved in the SDGs and prior to that the MDGs. I first heard about the concept of international development in my secondary school Geography class, and we went on to specifically discuss the MDGS. It came up again at university where I took Development Geography modules. Both these times it seemed distant, a big thing decided upon and acted upon by countries and huge NGOs to help people in other countries. Something that I would only be involved in if I worked for government or a development NGO long after I graduated.

It was until I attend the Young Women’s World Forum in 2010 that I realised I was responsible for making these goals happen. As an international event organised by the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, there were young women from nearly 100 countries in attendance. We took part in sessions looking at each of the goals and it was a discussion on gender equality that really struck a chord with me. In the UK, I had always seen the goals positioned as this lovely development target to improve other people’s countries, mainly in the Global South. Through the education I gained at this event I saw how others saw the goals as relevant to their own lives, they owned them and worked to make them a reality. So when I heard that the UK doesn’t meet one of the targets – equal representation of women in parliament – I realised that we aren’t a pinnacle of development to aspire towards, we need to develop too and I can help make that happen!

That event inspired me and I wanted to make gender equality a reality. I set up a project in the UK and ran events, exhibitions and created an activity pack all around achieving gender equality. I also was fortunate to be selected for a number of WAGGGS delegations to subsequent United Nations events where I was honoured to be able to advocate for the visions of girls around the world to be recognised in the next international development targets – the SDGs.

For me, I look at the SDGs and see it as a global roadmap that we drew together, a map to a better world, and I feel particular ownership for the areas I, along with hundreds and thousands of others called to be part of it – ending gender based violence, ensuring we can all get an education, ending gender inequalities, working together with civil society all over the world to make it happen! This isn’t a document ONLY decided upon and actioned by those with a lot of resources to hand, it should be owned and guide action by us all, the world over, in our own communities and in partnership with others.