Voices and Choices
Hello, my name is Dami Benbow and I am one of the young advisors to the young mayor for Lewisham and this is the first blog for our new website.
So what’s going to happen is that our blog will hopefully be updated regularly by different young advisors and the young mayor in the coming years so you can find out about what we have done, what’s happening in Lewisham and also what we think about certain things.
Before I begin I would like to explain a little more about myself as I’m sure the other young advisors will do when they write their first blogs. So as I said before my name is Dami, I have stood to be young mayor 3 times before and in 2005 I managed to be elected deputy young mayor. I have also for a year been the chair of the young advisors and I have just finished my International baccalaureate Diploma (worst thing I have ever chosen to do) at Dartford Grammar School. I am a resident of Lewisham Borough and used to attend Deptford Green School but all that is about to change as I am about to go to as of yet an undecided university (I did not get the grades I would have hoped for). But anyway I have done many things with the Lewisham young mayors’ project and even though that time is coming to close I hope its still continues to flourish and that I can still have an influence on the project, the effect it has had on my life has been phenomenal.
So again before I begin what I really want to talk about firstly a news update, five things that the young advisors have been involved with in the past 2 weeks:
• We did a residential in North Wales on the edge of Snowdonia national park in a centre called Tyn’y’berth. While there we did many teambuilding activities including walking up Wales second highest mountain (I wasn’t there due to coming down on the train from my prom), abseiling down a 140ft cliff, walking down a mountain stream and building a raft to cross a river in (and sink the other teams boat). A very fun 5 days.
• A few of us abseiled down Eltham Green School a week later with the deputy mayor and staff from the mayors office to raise money for the wider horizons charity which runs the Tyn’y’berth mountain centre. I also demonstrated some new equipment that would allow people with disabilities to also include themselves in abseiling.
• The Young Citizens Panel (YCP) launch event which was attended by a number of important people from Lewisham council, the young advisors and about 150 other school children where we launched the YCP. A very good event which had a high turnout, it was very positive to see so many young people who want to take the chance to use their voices and make a difference in their lives.
• Lewisham Peoples Day was a spectacular day for all to enjoy and was probably the safest people’s day so far. We had more people sign up for the young citizens’ panel and the Young Advisors also spoke (myself included) at a peace rally in the CND tent.
• Three young advisors (including myself) went to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of the advocates for ending apartheid in South Africa. He was opening the Tutu Peace Garden in Grove Park and a reception was held for him.
That’s all the updates I can think off so now I can talk to the thing I really want to talk to you about.
As you all know (or should know) the young mayor’s slogan is our voice, our choice. But what does that mean? What does it mean to you? Well me and Justin Cole a former young mayor for Lewisham want to take that slogan and develop it further, we want to turn it into something that actually can enable everyone to utilise their voice and not just the lucky few who have been elected. So we are starting a new campaign with the full support of the mayors’ office (watch our new website for our page as soon as we get things finalised). We hope to kick off our campaign by either abseiling down city hall or Big Ben (we are seeking permission for both to maximise our chances). So why do this? What is a voice and why should I use it?
This country, this nation or to use the correct word this state has a very serious problem, it’s a problem that is quite often over looked and many people don’t seem to care, but it’s perhaps one of the most serious problem facing us today. For if this problem persists then the consequences will be far reaching and severe. This problem is very simple but the solution to fixing it is difficult. The problem is that this country is lacking something and the thing it lacks is a voice. It’s always the same people making the decisions with very little consultation to the people they are making the decisions about. Politicians have set themselves up as a different caste above the rest, today to make a difference it seems you have to be a white, middle aged, upper middle class, male. These are the people that represent us but there are so few of them in this country. As people it is our democratic right to stand up and say what we think but so little people do politicians seem to think they can get away with anything (which as the recent media has proved they can’t).
You see people: you and me don’t realise that our only source of power is our voice. Everything we have everything that we might have and everything that we want has been attained or can be attained by using our voice. From rights to own property to the right to earn an income or even reside in this country, it all comes from our voices. We need to be careful because we are no longer using our voices we are letting them rot and they are loosing power, and if our voices loose power then everything is lost. Beauty, Physical strength and income are all irrelevant and pale in comparison to the power of the voice. These things fade and diminish over time but words will always retain their power as long as they are utilised and not left to be forgotten or misused.
Because people have forgotten to use their voice, ultra right wing parties such as the BNP who misuse their voice are beginning to rear their ugly head. People forgetting to use their voice has sparked a worrying change in government policy where they think that because we do not use them they might as well stop us from using them by destroying our civil liberties.
This is what this campaign is all about, telling people not to forget their voice, to use words rather then fists and knives, to finally realise they, you can make a difference if you put your mind to it. Your voice is your greatest gift, your most valuable treasure, use it, treasure it, do not loose it and do not misuse it. Remember your voice. You can make a difference; you can make change as long as you remember to use your voice. Do not stand and wait for somebody else to make that change, you must be the change that you wish to see. Don’t think that a contribution you make will be insignificant, it is the little difference that we all make together that add up to the big difference we see in our communities.
Next time a decision is made about you, that affects you but the decision is not made to you, demand that you be consulted, give them your views on what should happen and they will be powerless to not do anything but listen. You have the power, just use your voice, don’t be afraid to stand up and say “I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE”, and be the change that you wish to see!
We must use our voice to make our choice
We must use our voice because it’s our only choice
People using voices and making choices
Our Choice, Our Voice
Imagine everyone using their voice, now that would truly be a powerful thing to behold, an unstoppable force of people finally talking about decisions that affect them in their lives and altering it for the better, a truly awesome sight to behold.
Thank you for reading
Check back on the Campaign soon
Dami
So what’s going to happen is that our blog will hopefully be updated regularly by different young advisors and the young mayor in the coming years so you can find out about what we have done, what’s happening in Lewisham and also what we think about certain things.
Before I begin I would like to explain a little more about myself as I’m sure the other young advisors will do when they write their first blogs. So as I said before my name is Dami, I have stood to be young mayor 3 times before and in 2005 I managed to be elected deputy young mayor. I have also for a year been the chair of the young advisors and I have just finished my International baccalaureate Diploma (worst thing I have ever chosen to do) at Dartford Grammar School. I am a resident of Lewisham Borough and used to attend Deptford Green School but all that is about to change as I am about to go to as of yet an undecided university (I did not get the grades I would have hoped for). But anyway I have done many things with the Lewisham young mayors’ project and even though that time is coming to close I hope its still continues to flourish and that I can still have an influence on the project, the effect it has had on my life has been phenomenal.
So again before I begin what I really want to talk about firstly a news update, five things that the young advisors have been involved with in the past 2 weeks:
• We did a residential in North Wales on the edge of Snowdonia national park in a centre called Tyn’y’berth. While there we did many teambuilding activities including walking up Wales second highest mountain (I wasn’t there due to coming down on the train from my prom), abseiling down a 140ft cliff, walking down a mountain stream and building a raft to cross a river in (and sink the other teams boat). A very fun 5 days.
• A few of us abseiled down Eltham Green School a week later with the deputy mayor and staff from the mayors office to raise money for the wider horizons charity which runs the Tyn’y’berth mountain centre. I also demonstrated some new equipment that would allow people with disabilities to also include themselves in abseiling.
• The Young Citizens Panel (YCP) launch event which was attended by a number of important people from Lewisham council, the young advisors and about 150 other school children where we launched the YCP. A very good event which had a high turnout, it was very positive to see so many young people who want to take the chance to use their voices and make a difference in their lives.
• Lewisham Peoples Day was a spectacular day for all to enjoy and was probably the safest people’s day so far. We had more people sign up for the young citizens’ panel and the Young Advisors also spoke (myself included) at a peace rally in the CND tent.
• Three young advisors (including myself) went to meet Archbishop Desmond Tutu Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of the advocates for ending apartheid in South Africa. He was opening the Tutu Peace Garden in Grove Park and a reception was held for him.
That’s all the updates I can think off so now I can talk to the thing I really want to talk to you about.
As you all know (or should know) the young mayor’s slogan is our voice, our choice. But what does that mean? What does it mean to you? Well me and Justin Cole a former young mayor for Lewisham want to take that slogan and develop it further, we want to turn it into something that actually can enable everyone to utilise their voice and not just the lucky few who have been elected. So we are starting a new campaign with the full support of the mayors’ office (watch our new website for our page as soon as we get things finalised). We hope to kick off our campaign by either abseiling down city hall or Big Ben (we are seeking permission for both to maximise our chances). So why do this? What is a voice and why should I use it?
This country, this nation or to use the correct word this state has a very serious problem, it’s a problem that is quite often over looked and many people don’t seem to care, but it’s perhaps one of the most serious problem facing us today. For if this problem persists then the consequences will be far reaching and severe. This problem is very simple but the solution to fixing it is difficult. The problem is that this country is lacking something and the thing it lacks is a voice. It’s always the same people making the decisions with very little consultation to the people they are making the decisions about. Politicians have set themselves up as a different caste above the rest, today to make a difference it seems you have to be a white, middle aged, upper middle class, male. These are the people that represent us but there are so few of them in this country. As people it is our democratic right to stand up and say what we think but so little people do politicians seem to think they can get away with anything (which as the recent media has proved they can’t).
You see people: you and me don’t realise that our only source of power is our voice. Everything we have everything that we might have and everything that we want has been attained or can be attained by using our voice. From rights to own property to the right to earn an income or even reside in this country, it all comes from our voices. We need to be careful because we are no longer using our voices we are letting them rot and they are loosing power, and if our voices loose power then everything is lost. Beauty, Physical strength and income are all irrelevant and pale in comparison to the power of the voice. These things fade and diminish over time but words will always retain their power as long as they are utilised and not left to be forgotten or misused.
Because people have forgotten to use their voice, ultra right wing parties such as the BNP who misuse their voice are beginning to rear their ugly head. People forgetting to use their voice has sparked a worrying change in government policy where they think that because we do not use them they might as well stop us from using them by destroying our civil liberties.
This is what this campaign is all about, telling people not to forget their voice, to use words rather then fists and knives, to finally realise they, you can make a difference if you put your mind to it. Your voice is your greatest gift, your most valuable treasure, use it, treasure it, do not loose it and do not misuse it. Remember your voice. You can make a difference; you can make change as long as you remember to use your voice. Do not stand and wait for somebody else to make that change, you must be the change that you wish to see. Don’t think that a contribution you make will be insignificant, it is the little difference that we all make together that add up to the big difference we see in our communities.
Next time a decision is made about you, that affects you but the decision is not made to you, demand that you be consulted, give them your views on what should happen and they will be powerless to not do anything but listen. You have the power, just use your voice, don’t be afraid to stand up and say “I WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE”, and be the change that you wish to see!
We must use our voice to make our choice
We must use our voice because it’s our only choice
People using voices and making choices
Our Choice, Our Voice
Imagine everyone using their voice, now that would truly be a powerful thing to behold, an unstoppable force of people finally talking about decisions that affect them in their lives and altering it for the better, a truly awesome sight to behold.
Thank you for reading
Check back on the Campaign soon
Dami