HI all
if you'd like to you can sign this, in my view, excellent & timely petition
from "educationalists & trades unionists" (pasted below) here:
http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/petition/open-letter-to-david-cameron-riots-jobs-and-education/3382
cheers
michael
****************************************************************************************************************************************************
From: Sean Vernell and Tom Hickey (National Executive of the University and
Colleges Union), and Jeremy Corbyn, M.P., and John McDonnell, M.P.
Prime Minister,
We have heard much from yourself and members of your Government about the
reasons for the rioting that has spread across Britain. You put it down to
“criminality”, “greed” and lack of “parental control”. You treat it as a moral
failing of the individuals and their families, as a ‘loss of values’. It is as
if there did not exist a political and social context.
Anyone attempting to understand why thousands of young people have taken to the
streets and rioted needs to begin by locating young people’s anger in the
conditions of austerity in which the young – and working people in general -
are being made to pay for a crisis that is not of their making. Yet anyone who
does attempt to explain the rioting in these terms is accused of justifying
looting as if it were a solution to a social crisis that is the consequence of
your policies. There is a difference, Prime Minister, between explanation and
justification.
Government ministers have been wheeled out to denounce young people and any
parallel to the riots of the 1980s has been denied. It is clear, however, that
many of the issues, which are now acknowledged about the 1980s riots by these
same Government ministers, are the same issues that have fuelled today’s riots.
Issues such as unemployment, lack of educational opportunities, police
harassment, racism and public spending cuts are at the root of the problem.
In many cases young people feel even more alienated from society than they did
30 years ago. Unemployment for 16-25 year olds has become institutionalised
throughout the subsequent period, reaching 1 million today. No less than 75,000
young people are statutorily homeless. No less than 600,000 live in overcrowded
homes. There are more black people in our prisons today than are in our
universities. Young black people are still disproportionately represented
amongst the unemployed, the homeless, the criminalized, and the marginalized
and disconnected. Yet you and your ministers speak as if racism is no longer a
feature of our society.
There are only 11,000 youth clubs left after the closure programme of the
1980s, and three quarters of 11-16 year olds do not have an access to a youth
club. Why do young employees not have a statutory right to paid educational
leave, and why do they not have the right of representation on workplace
training committees so that they have some sense of control of their destiny?
Why is our society driving up the hours that we work instead of having a
maximum of a 30-hour week that would allow employment to be spread, offering
employment to a larger number of young people. Why are there so few
decision-making forums in which young people can be involved?
What has been your government’s response to this? Universities have been
allowed to triple tuition fees making it almost impossible for working class
people to attend. The Educational Maintenance Allowance, which previously
ensured that many were able to attend college, has been abolished. Police
powers have been increased leading to more young people being harassed and
imprisoned. Unemployment rises inexorably. Now you make the risible suggestion
that the consequent disaffection can be overcome through the use of water
cannon, plastic bullets, and more draconian sentencing by the courts.
These riots have revealed the issues that need to be addressed urgently if our
young people are to feel they have a future. As educationalists and trade
unionists we call upon your Government to put significant resources into
ensuring that young people have real hope, a hope that matches the
opportunities that one of the richest countries in the world should be
providing for all its young, and not just for the children of the wealthiest.
We demand that you address this problem seriously, and implement the following
policies:
• the restoration of the EMA and the 80% HE funding cut, and scrapping of
tuition fees;
• the ending of public spending cuts in general;
• repeal of the stop and search laws;
• that Job Seekers Allowance to be raised to a minimum of £110 per week;
• that an urgent building programme for properly-stafffed Youth Clubs be put in
place;
• a reversal of the cuts in schools, Further and Adult Education.
From: ruth catlow <[email protected]>
To: NetBehaviour for networked distributed creativity
<[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, August 11, 2011 1:06 PM
Subject: [NetBehaviour] Looting->Give our Kids a Future: Unity demonstrations
in North London on Saturday
We have wonderful, local community activists in Haringey.
: ) R
> Saturday, 1pm
> Give Our Kids a Future! A North London Unity Demonstration
> 1pm from Gillett Square, Dalston to Tottenham Green
>
> This march is called by The North London Assembly, a temporary
> Assembly which saw 70 local community activists meet at the North
> London Community House on Tuesday 9th August to discuss our reaction
> to the riots of early August in Tottenham and Hackney. It includes
> people from many Turkish and Kurdish community groups, like Day Mer
> and Gik Der, and also the Haringay and Hackney Alliances for Public
> Services who are all supporting this march. We state that this is not
> us seeking to represent the community but it is our attempt to try to
> bring unity to the community in which we live. It is neither
> supporting nor condeming the events but seeking the most positive
> outcome from them. This will be a positive and peaceful march with an
> Assembly at the end for people to express what they are thinking about
> recent events.
> http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=260822497262285
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