One issue which I feel most passionate about is our national identity: Britishness. What it means to be British; what characterises us as the British; and binds the British people together whilst distinguishing us from the rest of the world. Furthermore what are the values that best describe us and make us proud to be British.

National identity is of vital importance to me because it is such an essential cornerstone to many of the monumental problems we currently face. Problems such as: how to integrate ethnic communities into society and deal with immigration; or what our role within Europe should be; and how we confront home-grown ‘Islamist extremism’; but also whether we can maintain our Unitary state; and our purpose on the international stage. Problems which I strongly believe we can better solve if we embrace a greater sense of who we are and what we stand for.

Britishness is also of personal significance to me as someone who is not a native of this great country. I was born in a former colony of the British Empire, Uganda. Nevertheless I’ve been raised in South West London since I was the age of 7 and consider Britain to be my home as well as myself to be as British as anyone. However my search for belonging ever since the day I arrived hasn’t been easy, mostly because the locals were searching for it themselves but what has increasingly become clear to me, especially since getting involved in politics, is that the British people have a burning desire to want to demonstrate their patriotism. In fact about 65% of Britons now view Britishness as important to their identity.

Before I could promote our national identity effectively, I had to study it for myself through watching a series of documentaries like ‘50 things you need to know about British history’ and reading books like the ‘Factopedia on British History’. In my studies I discovered that one of our most cherished values is British tolerance, a value that has allowed Britain to endure through the ages as a multinational as well as a multicultural state.

Another value I discovered, this during my studies of the Reform Acts is the British belief in liberty which has constantly extended its reach through the generations – from the Magna Carta; and the 1689 bill of right; to Wilberforce’s abolition of the slave trade; the reform acts and the suffragettes. This belief has endured to this very day.

Last but not least is our conviction in the equality of every citizen. It is this quality that perhaps best describes the British character. It’s what led to the creation of the National Health Service – healthcare free of charge to all those who need it, a system that is the envy of the world. This quality truly distinguishes us from the rest of the world.

I’m currently attempting to promote these values which are at the heart of our island nation through Bite the Ballot. I’m arguing for a more robust citizenship course to be taught in our schools, as it is in America, so that the next generation feel a part of their community and their country, and so they feel a responsibility to play a role in our democracy. I’m also in favour of a British national day of celebration, equivalent to the American’s 4th July, to show we’re proud to be British; proud of our values and proud of what we contribute to the world.

And when I’m out there in South Africa, working with the leading Youth-Led Development Agency Restless Development, whose mission is to place young people at the forefront of change and development, I’ll also take that opportunity to show South Africans the true face of Great Britain – a compassionate and friendly nation which believes deeply that no matter who we are or where we come from, we are all connected as one people – that we are our brother’s keeper and our sister’s keeper – and we have an obligation to care for one another as we would care for our own. That is our place in the world and that’s why we’re so proud to be British.

I want to tell you a story… About a year ago I came into contact with a photograph. Similar to the one you see above – a road that goes off into the distance, barricaded by trees with nothing but dessert surrounding it. This picture stuck with me for a long time. I’d like to think it’s a symbol of life’s perspective.

I felt that this represents my journey of life. Every morning I would wake up, look at this photograph and reflect on my life. Sometimes when I thought of it, I would imagine myself riding my bike, sometimes I would be walking along this road, but in the worst-case scenario, I would be walking, dragging my feet desperate for water. I would look up and think I have a long way to go. I felt that this road represented my journey and how I was moving on. It was a metaphor of how I felt inside.

But on the morning of the 1^st May this story changed and I noticed something I have never seen in this picture before. It was a sign post pointing the other way. “How did I not notice this?” – I asked myself. I looked at this picture every day, this sign meant that this was not a journey showing how far I had to go, but a journey showing how far I had come! I stand now looking at this picture thinking “this is where I am now”.

Sometimes we can be so indulged in one thing, one aim, one destination, that we miss the simplest and smallest things. This could be a sign given to us – a change in perspective. A single photograph can change a life, it could have inspired one person and left that impression forever, or maybe we can’t truly move forward until we can appreciate how far we have come.

So off we went! Myself and Pete met with Mike at 9.50 at Charing Cross and delicately pointed out a bit of toothpaste stuck on his chick which had been there since he left home an hour before! Jokes aside… it was a pleasure to see inside the rather beautiful if slightly imposing Cabinet Office and of course we headed straight for the cafe for a fairly informal talk with Colin about various tactics. After impressing him with a brief explanation of what we had accomplished so far as an organisation, he asked us for a range of initiatives that he could use to make sure that young people are not left uninformed as the change in electoral registration takes place. After all, the change has caused some to predict that over 100 000 young people will drop off the Register and, as Bite the Ballot always says, this is one register you do not want to be late for!

We mentioned the idea previously put forward by myself at an earlier conference of sending registration forms out with the National Insurance card at 16. We proposed a ‘Politics 101′ booklet, handed out to all students across the UK with the forms inside as well as brief details about what the Electoral Register can do for them and a few political basics. We spoke in depth about the importance of parental guidance in encourgagement to vote and about sending information to parents as well. Very similar scheme implemented in Northern Ireland has apparently worked very well. I also brought forward the idea that a large number of young people will be the first generation of their family eligible to vote so their parents may not immediately know how to register them etc. Also, a number of young people are unfortunately unable to study fulltime, due to perhaps being carers of their parents etc. We need to tackle the problem both in and out of formal education.

The discussion yielded many options, and Colin has trusted us to discuss a few of these with you, our young people, so over the next few months we will be asking thousands of young people across the UK for their opinions on how best for the government to make this change. We will also be inviting Local Authorities to watch us in our work with schools and young people we come across as a way of showing them how to engage with us as a generation. After all, there are people being paid to sign the younger generation onto the Electoral Register; let’s make sure they are being paid for doing their job properly!

The meeting was hugely productive, not just for Bite the Ballot but also for Colin and the Electoral Registration Transformation Programme. We have left with clear ideas on both sides of how best to tackle this change. If you have any ideas, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us, however simple you may feel it is. Often it is the simplest ideas that are not thought of!

After the meeting, Mike and I went to another meeting with the Managing Director of SB.TV, Liam Tootill, about getting some exciting guests at the Registration Rally in the Ministry of Sound. With only a month to get people involved, we are certainly giving ourselves some work to do, but let’s take a second to look at how far we’ve come in 22 months. All of us are now focused on the 14 April. Hoping to see lots of you there!

Sophie

I have just completed my training weekend in Birmingham, and I must say the weekend was simultaneously fun and informative, with never a dull moment. Most of the information we received was delivered through a series fun group activities, with the exception of the health and security briefings. During the training weekend we covered:

• Introduction to ICS and International Development
• Measuring and communicating our experience
• Fundraising skills
• Cross-cultural working
• Health, safety and security briefing
• AND MOST IMPORTANTLY more specific information about the Restless Development programme and our country placements (mine being South Africa)

I was very pleased to finally receive more information about what my Restless Development placement in South Africa would actually entail, and as a result I left Birmingham even more excited about the prospect of spending 3 months in a new and challenging environment, training, educating, supporting and inspiring young people to lead development in their own countries and communities.

BUT I’m sure you’re also excited to find out more about the work of Restless Development (ICS) in South Africa so I thought I’d give you a full briefing of my placement, and here it goes:

Interesting facts about SOUTH AFRICA:

• It’s located in the South of the African Continent lol.
• Population – 50, 586, 757 – extremely diverse people
• 11 official languages – Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Northern Sotho, Sotho, Swazi, Tswana, Tsonga, Venda, Xhosa, and Zulu.
• Beautiful landscapes
• Most economically powerful country in Africa, but with a huge inequality gap.
• Brief political history – South Africa imposed apartheid – the separation of black and white races in 1948 because the Boers, the white South Africans of Dutch descent, believed black people were inferior. This clearly ran counter to the more liberal ways of thought in the West during the 1960s, leading to a long campaign in the West of sanctions and censure on South Africa which eventually made apartheid untenable. And in 1994, it was officially ended when the Republic of South Africa elected its first multi-racial government, headed by PRESIDENT NELSON MANDELA. Since then the country has seen significant social improvements.

Restless Development in South Africa:

• Founded in 1997 in response to the devastating impact of HIV and AIDS on young South Africans.
• Our programmes promote positive behaviour change, improve livelihood opportunities and involve young people in community and government development and policy making.
• Restless Development aims to reach 20, 000 young people on a regular and consistent basis in rural communities in the Eastern Cape by 2013.
• We will be volunteering near East London in the Eastern Cape region of South Africa.

Eastern Cape Region:

• Birthplace of prominent South African politicians, Nelson Mandela and Oliver Tambo (Leading members of the African National Congress)
• East London is one of the largest cities in the Eastern Cape.
• Traditional home of the Xhosa people (still retains Xhosa culture and tradition)
• Xhosa is the main language in the region
• Beautiful countryside
• Brief history – the Eastern Cape was appallingly neglected under the apartheid government, and consequently schools, clinics and communities are under-resourced

Challenges facing the Eastern Cape:

• Severe environmental problems – poor sanitation due to the lack of running water or unreliable supply of water, droughts, soil erosion, and deforestation due to lack of agricultural practice and garbage management.
• Health problems – malnutrition, poor hygiene practices, STIs and HIV/AIDs, TB, high rates of infant mortality rate and cholera.
• Education problems – communities lack ownership of the schools. Life skills teachers are often not confident to talk to children about issues relating to sexual health. Taboos prevent parents/adults from talking to their children about sex. There are few recreational facilities in the schools and communities.

My work with Restless Development (ICS)

As ICS volunteers we will be building upon Restless Development’s livelihood work in the communities of Kwelerha (about 30k from East London). Our work programme will be split into 2 different placement activities:

1. Career Guidance in Schools

• Working across 6 schools in the Kwelerha district
• Delivering career guidance workshops to 12-17 (some may be in their 20s) year old students – Workshops on CV writing, computer literacy, completing job or training applications, exploring different career paths and livelihood opportunities with students.
• Organising Career Exhibition Days – bringing together local businesses, training and work providers as well as local Colleges and Universities to raise awareness of potential livelihood opportunities for students.

1. Youth Resource Centres

• We have 4 youth resource centres for both in school and out of school youths.
• We’ll be working with our youth centre officer to conduct outreach work on livelihoods.
• In partnership with the National Youth Development Agency (NYDA) we’ll support mainly18-28 year olds who want to start their own business to apply for grants from the NYDA and raise awareness of the grants and micro finance available.
• We’ll also offer young people pre-professional skills (computer literacy, interview training and CV writing) and information on Sexual and Reproductive Health.
• Through these centres we work with an average of 60 young people on a 3 monthly basis.

Restless Development South Africa also facilitate meetings and platforms for young people to be involved in decision making and share their ideas with local government, and so I suspect we’ll be involved in the work of placing young people at the forefront of development – perhaps through working groups, events, workshops and advocacy groups.

A Typical Day in the life of an ICS volunteer

Just in case you were wondering what a typical day for me in South Africa would be like, here it is:

• Wake up at 7am, fetch water from the nearest water tap (wash and prepare breakfast)
• Walk to school (1km),
• Meet partner volunteers and prepare workshop
• Lunch
• Continue with workshop
• Plan next workshop session
• Walk home
• Prepare dinner
• Arrange and take part in evening activities

However this varies depending on the type of activity I will be doing (Career Guidance or Youth Resource Centre). Schools generally open at 8am and close at 2.30/3pm. Youth Resource Centre activities may take place during the day and after school/early mornings.

That’s it

From 4^th May – 29^thJuly 2012 this is what I will doing: working with a leading Youth-Led Development Agency, Restless Development, to place young people at the forefront of change and development. For 3 months I’ll be helping young people take up significant roles as partners in the policy-making processes which affect their lives. I’ll be helping them make responsible decisions about their sexual and reproductive health; and working with them to acquire the skills needed to pursue meaningful livelihood opportunities. And through this service, not only will I have an opportunity to learn more about South African culture, but I’ll also have an opportunity to show South Africans the true face of Great Britain – a compassionate and friendly nation which believes deeply that no matter who we are or where we come from, we are all connected as one people – that we are our brother’s keeper and our sister’s keeper – and we have an obligation to care for one another as we would care for our own.

Me in Africa with friends (I'm on the far left)

So what is International Citizen Service (ICS)? ICS is your chance to make a real difference to the world we live in. It’s a global volunteering experience which gives young adults from across the UK the opportunity to volunteer around the globe and contribute to the fight against global poverty. You get to do this by living and working in poor communities in Africa or Asia or even Latin America, thereby learning firsthand about the challenges of global poverty and how you can help address it. You don’t need any previous experience or qualification to take part. All you need is enthusiasm and a commitment to making a difference to the lives of the world’s poorest people – so why not apply today at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/ics or http://www.facebook.com/ics and become a Global Citizen. ICS has six specialist agencies offering its programme and among them is Restless Development, which is the agency I will be volunteering with this May in South Africa.

Restless Development is a leading youth-led development agency because we believe young people have the energy and commitment to solve some of the world’s biggest problems. This belief has guided our efforts for 25 years, where we have been working with both international volunteers (like me) and young people in Africa and Asia to deliver programmes tackling some of the biggest issues facing young people today; such as HIV and unemployment. Restless Development has shown that over time, when young people work together with a common purpose, change is possible. Yes we can!

You can find out more about our work and even engage with us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/restlessdev. If you like what you see then feel to like our page.

Here is an example of a Restless Development programme in South Africa, which despite being the most economically powerful country in Africa, unemployment remains extremely high and the country also has the highest prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. On the South African placement you might be delivering programmes as a peer educator, based in a rural community in East London, Eastern Cape. As a peer educator you’ll provide guidance and advice directly to young people on issues which matter to them such as teenage pregnancy or gender based violence. These are real development projects that will make a real difference in the lives of the world’s poorest young people.

But just in case you are still uncertain about your capacity to make a difference in the world, let me tell you why I joined ICS. I was born in one of the world’s poorest countries Uganda (nicknamed the pearl of Africa by Winston Churchill) and moved to Great Britain when I was six years old. Since then I’ve visited Uganda several times and on each occasion I’m always confronted by young people living in absolute poverty. And so I joined Restless Development in order to understand why such poverty persists in large parts of the world, and because I wanted to be a part of development projects that will make a real difference in the lives of young people who were born into the same circumstances I was born in. I also joined Restless Development because I believe in the potential for young people to come together and lead development in their own countries, and I wanted to help them realise that fact. Plus there is the prospect of gaining new skills and experience alongside tackling global poverty which attracted me Restless Development – this includes skills like effective communication, leadership, team work and decision making, which are all essential for whatever career you decide to pursue in life, especially for someone like me who wants to be a Community Organiser. These are the reasons I applied for International Citizen Service, and actually made it onto the Restless Development programme.

If you are excited about the prospect of spending 12 weeks in a new and challenging environment, learning new skills and meeting new people, then you are just what ICS are looking for so why not apply today at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/ics – the world needs you.

And to all those who are seriously considering applying for ICS, I would just like to add one final reason I think you should really seize this once in a lifetime opportunity, and that reason is the belief that we are all connected as one people. If there’s a student in India without a voice, that matters to me, even if I’m free to express myself in Great Britain. If there’s a young boy in Sierra Leone who’s not qualified for a job and is forced to live on less than $1 a day, that makes my life poor, even if it’s not my brother. If there’s young women in South Africa growing up without guidance and advice on sexual and reproductive health, that threatens the wellbeing of us all. It’s that fundamental belief – I am my brother’s keeper, I am my sisters’ keeper – that inspires ICS volunteers. It’s what allows us to pursue our individual dreams, whilst also lending a hand to those less fortunate than us. It’s what defines us as humans and as Global Citizens – it means to care for one another as we would care for our own (to treat others as we would like to be treated).

Eight year old Harold Wilson

In 1924 a young boy stood outside of 10 Downing Street – the British Prime Minister’s residence – to have his photo taken. He was then eight years old. Forty years later, in 1964, Harold Wilson, the boy in the photo, became Prime Minister himself and fulfilled a dream he believed in four decades ago.

Today, a movement which began in a classroom at Wilmington Academy was invited to the highest office in the land. An invitation which truly reflects Bite the Ballot’s growing presence on the mainstream political scene, as well as the efforts of all our young people who have got us this far. To think that only a few months ago we wouldn’t have imagined that we would be strolling through Downing Street, on our way to meet with the Prime Minister’s Youth Adviser Sean Bailey, but yet it was happening. It was happening because of the passions and conviction we have for engaging other young people in the decisions which affect our lives.

Downing Street

 As we strolled through Downing Street, a street built by and named after Sir George Downing in 1682, I thought to myself this is just a street. But it’s where it is that makes all the difference – it’s at the very heart of our government – right next to the Treasury, Whitehall and Parliament. It’s at the centre of all the action.

Speaking of action, suddenly the moment we’ve all been waiting for finally arrived. We were standing right outside the most famous door in the world – NUMBER 10 DOWNING STREET – Mike could hardly contain himself. And just as Harold Wilson had done, we also took a photo outside the big black door.

While standing on the doorstep I immediately noticed the inscription on the letterbox, ‘First Lord of the Treasury’ – the title given to Prime Ministers centuries ago. And of course our first Prime Minister was Sir Robert Walpole, a man who held the office for over twenty years. In fact Walpole was such a successful Prime Minister that King George III gave him a house at Downing Street – a house I was now standing in front of. Although Number 10 was a personal gift to Walpole, he was such a remarkable man that he gave his house to the nation, by insisted it be passed on to his successors.

Then the moment came, to see what lies behind the most famous door in the world. We finally entered Number 10 – an entrance that’s been the gateway to power for more than 50 men and one woman. Once inside the Entrance Hall, we could hardly believe that our movement had made it to corridors of power on HOPE. We were now standing in the footsteps of the many giants of history who have walked across this Hall. It was so inspiring.

A few minutes later, as we were soaking in the atmosphere Sean Bailey picked us up and we made our way to his office.  For those of you who don’t know Sean, he has been working with young people for over twenty years and after the last election he was appointed Youth Adviser to the PM. Personally he is a funny and a straightforward kind of guy. And unlike the cold tea he served us this morning the conversation we had was very warm and reassuring. He was very eager to help us make Bite the Ballot a success for British democracy.

Some of the highlights from our meeting include: A PLANNED RECEPTION for YOUNG PEOPLE at NUMBER 10 DOWNING STREET later next year; the possibility of the PM’S ENDORSEMENT; more FUNDING opportunities; and above all BITE THE BALLOT is ONE of 3 groups SEAN WILL BE CHAMPIONING next year – WHAT A CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR BTB.

OH YEAH!!! 2012 WILL BE THE BITE THE BALLOT YEAR!!!

And just before we finished the meeting, Sean offered us some words of encouragement: he said that he was inspired by how we’ve made it this far on just the hopes of our young people. He added that “Possessing a passion for change – having that genuine enthusiasm for politics, along with an ability to keep going even when the road ahead seems steep, are powerful tools for success.” That’s what he said.

So let us keep building on that success – let us keep marching towards that distant horizon and a better day for young people across Britain.

A young man on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street

Let us remember the young boy who visited London eight decades ago, and a later-to-be-famous photo was taken of him outside 10 Downing Street, because at that moment, Harold Wilson was just an eight year old kid with a big dream, just as we are a young movement with big dreams. But what we both came to discover about our country is that, our freedom and our democracy do not lie in a fancy palace in Westminster, or even behind the big black door at Downing Street, but rather it lives in the hearts of all our people – it resides within all those who decide to stand up and contribute to the wellbeing of this great country. That’s why an eight year old kid was able to grow up and fulfil his dreams; it’s what led our movement from Dartford to Downing Street today; and that’s why I’m sure one day we’ll fulfil our every dream, and our highest aspirations. And on that day people would look back to this day, and they will say that “This is where it all began.” 

BITE THE BALLOT – BE THE DIFFERENCE

Usaama at the European Parliament Assembly

Bonjour, merci and au revoir were all common vocabulary during my 3 day trip to Brussels. The trip was short but the educational experience I gained was far reaching. Even before embarking on the journey I knew Brussels was an extraordinary place, it was the capital of a little known country Belgium but also the beating heart of the European Union, all of which excited me.

We spent our first night soaking in the foreign atmosphere, marveling at the grandest of architecture in the centre square of Brussels. The square was so grand it was actually titled the Grand Place: it was surrounded by guildhalls, the city’s Town Hall, the Breadhouse and numerous chocolate stores that would give even Charlie’s chocolate factory a run for their money. The Grand Place’s architecture consumed most of my camera space on that first night.

The Youth Hostel we stayed at was surprising acceptable. The Hostel’s chef who we nicknamed ‘Mama Youth Hostel’ cooked for us every night. One night she cooked an unusual meal for us which most of us found difficult to stomach. The meal was unusual because it combined pork sausages with mash potatoes and carrots with bits of leaf. We later discovered that this was the national dish and that we were actually the exceptional ones for disliking it.

Lots of Belgium Chocolate

One remarkable landmark we discovered in Brussels, which I’m sure tickled all of us was the Manneken Pis. It’s a small bronze fountain sculpture portraying a naked little boy urinating into the fountain’s basin. The myth surrounding the sculpture was that the boy urinated on fuses connected to cannons which were aimed at the city of Brussels, and by doing so he defused the bombs. His statue is therefore a symbol of courage. However what we found unstoppably funny wasn’t merely the indecency of a boy pissing, who we later dubbed ‘the pissing boy’, but the joke was that imitations of the sculpture were everywhere. There were ‘pissing boy’ key chains, t-shirts, chocolate bars, bottle openers and more ridiculously a ‘pissing boy’ sculpture which urinated wine at one restaurant we passed.

On the morning of our European Parliament visit, things got off to an interesting start. I was forced to eat out for breakfast because Mama Youth Hostel’s cooking came back for an encore, and in addition to that our teacher Ivan got us lost en route to the European Parliament by walking us in circles (literally).

Finally we arrived at the European Parliament. The buildings that made up the Parliament were spectacular glass structures, a true testament to the spectacular architect Atelier Espace Leopold. We began our tour of the Parliament with a briefing on the institutions of the European Union and the controversies that surround them. The most important institution is the European Commission which is the Executive branch of the EU and has the power to propose legislation including the annual budget. This institution is also the most controversial because it wields unprecedented power whilst surprising unelected by the citizens of the 27 member states it governs. It’s the main recipient of the phrase ‘democratic deficit’ which suggests the European Union lacks an electoral mandate.

The Council of Ministers is next down the chain of European seniority. It’s an institution made up of representatives who are appointed by the 27 national governments in the Union. The institution has the power to pass or reject the Commission’s legislation and Commissioners are nominated from this Council. This institution is also criticised for its undemocratic credentials.

The European Parliament Assembly

The most democratic EU institution is the very building that we were standing in on that very day: the European Parliament. The Parliament is the only institution directly elected by the citizens of the 27 member states. It too has the power to reject or pass the Commission’s legislation but more importantly the Parliament has the power to supervise the 27 Commissioners, and is also the only institution that can sack them for misconduct. It’s clear from the above that the European Parliament cannot be criticised for lacking an electoral mandate but it is however critiqued for its lack of power to initiate legislation (it can only amend it). One surprising fact I discovered in the briefing was the extent to which Britain is so euro-sceptic: the majority of Members we elected to the European Parliament were from political parties who most rejected Europe like UKIP (UK Independence Party), the Conservative Party and even the British National Party. I thought this said a lot about how our fellow citizens view the European Union.

Last but not least is the European Court of Justice which is responsible for ensuring directives passed by other EU institutions (in other words EU law) are implemented by the member states, and also irons out disagreements between member states concerning policy.

Some of the most shocking revelations we uncovered at the briefing were about the over 600 translators hired by the Parliament to break the language barrier that exist amongst the linguistically diverse member states. The second European Parliament in Strasbourg (France) was also a source of vigorous debate in the briefing. This is because the second Parliament building is only active 12 weeks a year during plenary secessions, but yet it is open all year round, wasting taxpayers’ money. However to shut the building down, it would require the consent of all 27 member states in the Union and France would obviously never ratify the policy because by hosting the Parliament, they possess both political prestige and it provides jobs for the local economy of Strasbourg.

Just as everyone was beginning to doze off I attempted to breathe new life into the briefing by cracking a terrible joke. I suggested that the current President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy looked a lot like Mr Burns from the Simpsons. There were some chuckles around the room but the lady conducting the briefing was quick to leap to his defence. She told us that he was extremely hardworking, understood the EU extensively and although he didn’t look it, he possessed admirable charisma which I’m guessing she was clearly taken in by. I should also add that she said he wasn’t nearly as evil as Mr Burns from the Simpsons. I should also point out that the position Mr Van Rompuy holds as the official face of Europe is highly criticised for being so important and yet unelected by the Union.

European Parliament

Eventually the briefing came to a close and the climax of our entire journey was now at hand. At last, we emerged through the viewers’ gallery and as we marched ahead the European deliberating chamber opened up before us. It was a hemicycle, divided up into political preference and right in the middle of the chamber was a speaker’s podium, with each member state’s flag hanging directly above it. I might add that the ceiling lights were also magnificent. Well anyway, at that moment as you might imagine I was overwhelmed by a whirlwind of memories of debates taking place in the very chamber I was standing in. One particular debate came to mind which I thought summed up the majority of Britons views towards Europe. It was a debate where the UKIP leader Nigel Farage was criticising the EU President Van Rompuy, and broadly criticising the whole idea of a European political Union. Mr Farage uttered the words “Who are you? The British people don’t know you; the British people didn’t vote for you; the British people don’t want you!!!” He uttered them rather aggressively I might add. You see the thing is – a lot of us think Britain’s future in Europe is to be a part of the Union whilst also expressing our hostility to it at the same time. I used to feel that same cynicism, but after having studied the subject and discovered the heart of Europe for myself, I don’t feel that way anymore. Je suis européen. Ich möchte ein Teil einer Europäischen Union. Credo che l’Europa è il futuro e la Gran Bretagna dovrebbe essere una parte di esso.

Bite the Ballot member Usaama at the Cenotaph - Salute to the Glorious Dead

At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. This is true everyday but no more so than at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day; of the eleventh month; in 2011. On this day in 1918, the most terrible war the world had ever seen ended. 9 million young men on both sides had died. Two years later, 91 years ago today, the Cenotaph was unveiled by King George V. An empty tomb built as a memorial to the million and a half British and Empire men killed in that war. And on that day many in the watching crowds must have hoped that the experience of that war would be enough to end all wars. But we know that it didn’t. Since then our brave men and women in uniform have seen action in World War 2; Korea; the Falklands; Northern Ireland; and of course Iraq and Afghanistan. I believe that no matter what our political opinions on these wars or on war itself may be, the courage and sacrifice made by our troops: expressing devotion to country, to cause and to comrades in arms, should always be worthy of our honor and our respect.

It’s this belief which led me to attend the Remembrance Sunday Ceremony at the Cenotaph, to pay my respects in person. And unlike most Sundays I got up really early that day and I was at Westminster by 7.45am. Whilst standing in the security queue, I was fortunate enough to meet an Irish World War 2 Veteran: he was very gentle but also a passionate advocate for his beliefs. He told me that while “The wars of the past were morally justified – the Axis Powers had to be confronted.” He was less fulsome in his support of recent interventions, but he told me that he will “Always honor those who serve.” Every year, he travels to the Cenotaph to remember his fallen Comrades, and join in the parade. After we passed through security we got separated because he was going to be taking part in the Royal British Legion parade. I walked around for a while looking for a spot with a good view and then luckily, I came across people sitting on a high platform overlooking the Cenotaph. I took a seat beside them. Among them was an Irish couple who were so friendly. Immediately we started talking about the Northern Ireland peace process and then the murals which continue to scar Belfast. They also told me about the great time they had at the Festival of Remembrance, at the Royal Albert Hall.

Then before we knew it, Big Ben was approaching 11. Members of the Armed Forces got into position. What was really amazing and what I’ve always admired about our Armed Forces is their discipline, and the way they organise themselves. The Bands of the Guards Division were also magnificent.

Then just before 11, Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Party; as well as the Prime Minister and other political representatives; and members of the Armed Forces, all gathered around the Cenotaph. Big Ben struck 11

Moment of silence

 and we all fell silent, representing the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month in 1918, when the guns of Europe fell silent. A field gun was fired to mark the two minute silence. In that silence I was reminded of a piece of scripture which states that ‘Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.’ I was reminded of the repatriations of 345 servicemen and women on the High Street of Royal Wootton Bassett – the tears flowing from their families, and the members of the public who gather there to honor those who have died to keep us safe. But as someone who is without family serving in the military or a military history, I could only channel my gratitude to all those who join a long line of servicemen represented in another memorial buried deep in Westminster Abbey. This is the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Warrior’. And ‘Beneath this stone rests the body of a British Warrior, unknown by name or rank, brought from France to lie among the most illustrious of the land and buried here on Armistice Day II NOV: 1920…He gave the most that man can give life itself…For God, for King and Country, For loved ones home and Empire, for the sacred cause of Justice and the Freedom of the world.’ A memorial in which all those who die in the service of our country, and those whose names we’ll never know are commemorated. For they have given the most that man can give, for the sacred cause of justice and the freedom of the world. And for that they shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn them. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them. A field gun was fired again to mark the end of the two minute silence. This was followed by Royal Marines buglers sounding Last Post.

The Queen then led the nation in Remembrance by laying a wreath on the Cenotaph. This was followed by the Duke of Edinburgh; the Prince of Wales; the Duke of Cambridge; the Prime Minister and members of his Government; the Chiefs of the Defense Staff; and representatives of the Commonwealth who fought for our country, like my ancestry home Uganda. In the thick of this, the Irish couple who had better eyesight than mine took it upon themselves to help me spot the individuals laying wreaths on the Cenotaph, they even managed to spot the Duchess of Cambridge in the windows above, along with Mrs. Cameron.

Where PM Churchill led us to victory

After the wreath laying ceremony, the Lord Bishop of London led us in prayer, “O Almighty God, that we who here do honor to the memory of those who have died in the service of their country and of the Crown, may be so inspired by the spirit of their love and fortitude that we may live only to thy glory and to the service of mankind…Amen.” Then the Bands of the Guards Division sung a hymn, giving me an opportunity to exercise my singing voice. Once they fell silent, the Lord Bishop of London offered another prayer, “Teach us, good Lord, to serve thee, to give, to fight, to toil, to labour and not to ask for any reward, save that knowing that we do thy will. Amen.” This prayer really touched me, almost as much as the first prayer had, because it reflected my desire to give back to my community as a Community Organiser. The Lord’s Prayer then followed.

“God save our gracious Queen, long live our noble Queen, God save the Queen. Send her victorious, happy and glorious; long to reign over us. God save the Queen.” After the singing of the national anthem, the official part of the ceremony came to an end. What came next was the parade of Ex-Servicemen, organised by the Royal British Legion. Unfortunately there were no Veterans from the Great War but for the Veterans that were there, there march-past were marked by thunderous applause, from all of us in the watching crowds.

Those Veterans have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in the ‘Tomb of the Unknown Warrior’ whisper through ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment in time – it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all. For as much as our Servicemen can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the British people upon which this nation relies. It’s this spirit that led women to work in our factories during the Great War; it’s what comforted families during the darkest hours of the Second World War; and today, this spirit continues to drive our people to live free and open lives, in defiance of senseless terror – because we are Britannia.

So let us mark this day in remembrance, of our brave men and women in uniform, and of who we are and how far we have travelled.

And in the words of Winston Churchill, the greatest of all Britons, “In the long years to come, not only will the people of this island but the world, wherever the bird of freedom chirps in human hearts, look back to what we’ve done, and they will say ‘do not despair, do not yield…march straight forward.” With courage and purpose; with humility and with hope; with faith in the promise of tomorrow, let us march straight forward together, as one people, for Queen and country, and for the sacred cause of justice and the freedom of the world.

I was not engaged at school or uni and my parents never mentioned to me the importance of voting, in fact my mum now votes because I told her to look in to it and vote for what she believes in, otherwise stop complaining!

Yes, I agree, it is very easy to be dismissive and say ‘they’re all the same’ or ‘nothing ever changes’ but ask yourself, what good does that do for US? It only then ensures that an even smaller group of people control how WE live and the decisions affecting OUR future.

I do believe in change, it is the reason I am so passionate about inspiring young people to play a role and create the changes themselves. At last week’s event in Parliament we had close to 200 young people come in, many of whom for the first time, and have their say! It was amazing. The thing that really stood out for me was a young lad who made the final comment and how that one comment proves we are doing the right thing… he said:

I had no interest in politics before tonight and thanks to you guys here (referring to the other young people attending) I now have a real interest and I will be voting in 2015!

That makes it all worth while.

I leave you with this thought. Another young person from last week’s debate said that direct action was the only way things will change. I challenged him and said that one thing that has never been done in history was a 60% turnout of First Time Voters on polling day – if it has never been done, how do we know if it can spark change? He and the rest of the guys agreed, so lets inspire each other and work to the biggest turnout of young voters ever for 2015 and in the meantime challenge those in power, to ensure we have something to vote for!

So in the words of Rocky Bolboa…

“If I can change, you can change… everyboday can change!”

]]> http://www.bitetheballot.co.uk/inspired-by-rocky-iv/feed/ 0 http://www.bitetheballot.co.uk/young-entrepreneurs-on-the-rise-despite-failing/ http://www.bitetheballot.co.uk/young-entrepreneurs-on-the-rise-despite-failing/#comments Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:47:11 +0000 Sophie http://www.bitetheballot.co.uk/?p=1305 There has been an increase in young entrepreneurs starting up their own businesses in the past three years, despite most going bust after two years.

Almost half of the new ventures fail after two years, and a further fifth fail after three years, according to a report by information services firm Experian.

Simon Street of Experian said: “Such strong entrepreneurial appetite amongst young people is exciting and encouraging to see, yet just one third of business start-ups with a young sole director survives for more than three years.”

Tom Kimber started up his own fruit smoothie business at the age of 19 in his hometown of Stafford.
‘JuiceBox’ was started after Tom had seen similar businesses in Australia, and thought he would give it a go over here.

He didn’t have much help from the government. He said: “There was so much we didn’t have a clue how to do, so we just made it up as we went along. A little bit of support would have gone a long way.”

But with high rents his venture went bust after just two years.

Tom, 22, said: “Our rent payments were half of our expenses. ‘JuiceBox’ just didn’t earn enough to cover it all and we had to shut down.

Tom had an outstanding business loan which he had to pay off himself. But this hasn’t put him off opening up his own business again.

He added: “If anything it has taught me some life lessons and I would definitely start my own business again.”

If the director of the new company is over 25, then the survival rate increases, according to the Experian report.

By Sophie Jackson