Black Community rallies for Operation Hope and Recovery: media totally ignores positive moves.

Massive London rally calls for social action to tackle the issues that gave rise to the riots.

Lee Jasper speaking at Operation Hope and Recovery Meeting

Last night saw a quite remarkable event take place in London. It went unnoticed by the capital print, broadcast and blog media despite the current media currency attached to all things riot related. I think it’s probably true to say it was ignored except by the Media Trust 360 web based programme.

In response to the overwhelming negativity in the press about young people and the riots a group of community activist and black church leaders decided that we needed to respond to the crisis facing our communities across the capital, both black and white.

The significance of this meeting would be lost on most people but the thing to note is that a leading figure in the black Church decided that it was time to take action. Traditionally the black church has been deeply conservative preferring to minister to its flock and shunning any real involvement with politics.  There are some notable exceptions.  Ruach Ministries Lambeth in the last London local government election embarked on a massive voter registration drive that determined the outcome of that election. These examples though are rare.

This meeting on the Monday morning following the riots took place against a backdrop of burning embers, acrid smoke and bitter recriminations

We came up with a framework for action, booked the venue of Friends Meeting House Euston the same day. By Tuesday we had a logo and flyer designed and we posted that out. That left three day’s to try and publicise the meeting. Our thought process was focused on action not further analysis. What could we do to make a positive difference?

And so was born Operation Hope & Recovery. Focusing on delivering an inner city focused political and economic empowerment programme. With a plan to train hundreds of activists with a programme that seek to educate and inspire young people to engage in social action, democratic and campaigning politics and economic development creating businesses we hoped that a call for positive engagement with all young people would be popular.

With less than 3 days notice we were able to mobilise 700 people to attend a meeting that took place on a balmy Friday summers evening. This was a remarkable turnout and the overwhelming contribution of all those in attendance was to offer their help free of charge to help deliver the programme in cities across the country.

Speaker after speaker spoke of the need for people to get engaged in taking action in contrast with just commentating on events offering no real solution and taking no real action. The meeting was completely positive in all aspects.

One important principle that was established was that this new social action movement would be completely independently financed.  This is an important departure form the dependant norm and the meeting responded by raising £600 in a collection to provide seed capital for this fledging movement.

Although a press notice was sent out to all mainstream and black press no one turned up to cover the event. That includes broadcast media, print and blog media all failed to show up.  The reality is this was a majority black meeting that was focussed on the positive and therefore not appealing to the prevailing stereotypical news agenda that salivates on a steady diet of race and deviancy.

This is illustrative of the failure of mainstream press to understand the reality of black communities; preferring instead their own prejudice. Black people doing good things is not considered newsworthy.

Nevertheless this meeting was historic and without precedence. The focus on social, economic and political issues provides a powerful antidote to the barrage of negativity that has engulfed our communities in the aftermath of the riots.  It demonstrates the integrity and commitment of our community and the overwhelming desire for positive change.

We are already receiving calls from around the country requesting that we bring this movement to their areas. Whilst the media continue to attempt to distract the nation from their own shortcomings in relation to phone hacking and police corruption by whipping up post riot hysteria that seeks to demonise all young people, we as a community were taking action.

Operation Hope & Recovery has arrived and enjoys unprecedented levels of public support the fact that it had zero press coverage says more about the press than it does about meeting.

As we prepare to roll out this programme we are looking for people to help. People who are prepared to contribute financially and donate their services or volunteer to help deliver our programme. By increasing voter registration and raising awareness through political education, teaching people how to campaign to change their situation and promoting business start ups and enterprise as a response to poverty and youth unemployment. We intend to make a difference.

We intend to create a vast army of volunteers focused on taking action.

 Interested? Email me lee-jasper@live.com with “Here to Help” in the title.

Lee Jasper

Watch video clips of Operation Hope and Recovery rally. Video By Narrow Path Films.



Photographs of Operation Hope and Recovery rally. By Ubuntu Photography 

All Photographs by:

Tatenda Nyati - www.facebook.com/Ubuntuphotography

 

 

UK Riots, Youth, Society & Solutions



"After the recent events that occurred in London last week, I and many others thought it was crucial that a debate was started among people of all sections of society to discuss what has gone wrong in our society. This is a short 2 part doc of interviews I did with Narrow Pathfilms as a way to ignite this debate.

Please watch, share & take the debate further! peace!"
Tatenda Nyati

What began as a peaceful protest in Tottenham on the 6th of August against the killing by police of Mark Duggan, soon descended into widespread "rioting" & acts of violence across the UK over a period of 4 days.

The events that happened in these days cannot be dismissed as "incoherent acts of criminality" as suggested by mainstream media and politicians. There are many entities that were involved and compounded together lead to the unrest that we saw.

The reason for this short film is to show a perspective of not only young people, but to give a voice to all members of society and a perspective that has not been echoed in mainstream media. It is to spark a debate across all sections of society into what caused these riots to occur. It is only through debate & discussion that we will figure out the solutions, this is just one means of doing so.

What happened before the film was shot was the most important thing, because we engaged in a discussion into what is wrong with our society, it needs to happen & hopefully more debates will happen.

Thank you to the people that were interviewed (in order of appearence)
Sayo Martin
Ibukun Ademefun
Kanayo Phoebe Dike-Oduah

Also thank you to Narrow Path Films in helping to get the project rolling, the discussion of ideas & also future projects!!! The problems in our society will not be fixed by our governments, they will come from people being socially and politically active.

They will come from community organisations and mobilisation, so go find organisations in your area, understand the issues that are affecting your community & do something!

www.youtube.com/narrowpathfilms

www.facebook.com/narrowpathfilms
www.facebook.com/Ubuntuphotography

(Originally published  at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8D_1-DUnitw)

Darcus Howe on the riots: 'Parliamentary debate was unadulterated crap'.

Darcus Howe speaks to the Socialist Worker.  
Darcus Howe: ‘My father curfewed me and I jumped through the window’

Darcus Howe spoke to Socialist Worker about the causes of the uprisings and the demonisation that followed them

“The parliamentary debate on the riots was unadulterated crap. I started watching it and I went to sleep.
I’ve now been confirmed in what I’ve been saying for a long time: they do not know these black people at all.
They ought to know them now, it’s compulsory. And they know them less by the day.
I don’t think David Cameron knows any black person. When I say know, I don’t mean casual friendship. Cameron is semi-literate about 90 percent of his own population.
‘They should hang them!’ That’s what they want to do, hang them! Where do they want to put them? I think they’re going to get an army barracks and put a lot of them in there.
Then there is a small black elite who are saying, ‘These ragamuffins have let me down.’
My response is quite simple: ‘Fuck you.’
You might get a job sweeping Cameron’s floor. Or sitting in parliament like Diane Abbott, who’s my good friend, talking crap.
And David Lammy swears to all gods that he was born in Tottenham and grew up there. But Harvard University is not in Tottenham.
He says people came to riot from other parts. You cross the road and you are somewhere else. What is this difference he is pointing out?
He was shouting out, waving his arms, hoping Ed Miliband will know him and that he said the right thing.
Abbott said “curfew”. She should put her son under curfew. My father curfewed me at ten and I jumped through the window.
When they first stopped my grandson to search him, he thought he was initiated—‘I got stopped and searched!’ Then it went on and on until he’s pissed off.
If you don’t know this process, you’re illiterate.
But what is obvious is that these young people will go on relentlessly until they see a kind of equality and respect on the agenda.
They’ve seen Syrians, Libyans, Egyptians and insurrection.
I don’t think four months jailed in a miserable little hole will change them.
It’s a different set of youths today. They’ve settled in the communities in which they live.
That’s been going on since I landed here 50 years ago, now it’s almost complete.
I think this insurrection is the last stop in its completeness.”

Darcus Howe is a writer and broadcaster. He came to prominence after organising mass marches against the racist aftermath of the 1981 New Cross fire

 

(From  www.socialistworker.co.uk/)

_________________________________________________________________

(From http://www.digitalspy.co.uk)

The BBC has responded to viewer complaints about BBC News presenter Fiona Armstrong's interview with Darcus Howe following the UK riots.

Broadcaster and columnist Howe was twice introduced as Marcus Dowe by Armstrong before beginning a short interview about the ongoing violence in London and other parts of the UK.

During the interview, the presenter said: "You are not a stranger to riots yourself, I understand, are you? You have taken part in them yourself."

Howe responded: "I have never taken part in a single riot. I've been part of demonstrations that ended up in a conflict. Stop accusing me of being a rioter and have some respect for an old West Indian negro, because you wanted for me to get abusive. You just sound idiotic - have some respect."

Watch Fiona Armstrong's interview with Darcus Howe below:

The BBC responded to complaints from viewers who felt that "Fiona Armstrong was rude towards Darcus Howe and accused him of taking part in riots".

A BBC statement read: "We forwarded concerns on this issue to BBC News Channel Editors and while they accept that this interview was not ideal, they stressed that the presenter did not intend to show Mr Howe any disrespect and the questions were simply intended to gauge his reaction to the events in Croydon the night before.

"In particular they acknowledge that the interview included a poorly phrased question about rioting. This can and does happen on occasions during live interviews and was compounded by a number of technical issues during the interview which led to the presenter and Mr Howe talking over each other.

"Therefore while Fiona Armstrong was trying to make a general point about protests, we'd like to apologise for any offence that this interview has caused."

---------------------------------------------

London Rally - 'Operation Hope & Recovery'

 

"If you want to be part of something more than just a discussion in response to recent events please come along. I need you to work hard in support as this event has been organised at incredibly short notice on the basis that an urgent response was necessary, please spread the word far and wide." Lee Jasper

http://www.blackmeninthecommunity.com/hopeandrecovery

Friday, August 19, 2011 from 18:30 to 21:00

Friends House
Friends House
173-177 Euston Road NW1 2BJ London
United Kingdom

Directions to venue:-


By rail: From its position opposite Euston’s rail and tube stations, it is a ten minute walk from King’s Cross Station and St Pancras International Terminus. All major rail terminals are easily reached by tube. 

By tube: The nearest tube stations are Euston and Euston Square, which are on the Northern, Victoria, Metropolitan, Circle and Hammersmith & City lines. 

By bus: Numbers 10, 18, 30, 73, 205 and 390 pass the door whilst 59, 68, 91, 168, and 253 stop nearby. 

By car: Friends House is within a meter parking zone. Charges must be paid Monday to Friday 08.30 - 18.30 and Saturday 09.00 - 13.30. There are alternative, longer-term parking facilities under Euston Station. Please note that Friends House is within the congestion charge zone. For details of how to pay please go to http://www.cclondon.com/.
International visits: St Pancras International Terminus is a ten minute walk away. Nearby Paddington Station offers a frequent shuttle service to Heathrow Airport. All London airports are easily reached from Euston. 

This is a call for action to join ‘Operation Hope & Recovery‘.

 Please read on to find out more and register your attendance

Transformation through Representation, Education and Enterprise (TREE)
 Mission
Transformation through Representation, Education and Enterprise (TREE) has been established as a response to the huge level of damage, frustration and anger that preceded and has followed the civil disturbances of August 2011.
TREE represents a diverse coalition of organisations from across the racial, social and economic fabric of UK life. Its current membership includes black-led churches, ‘mainstream’ church denominations, faith groups, community leaders, community organisations and individuals from all backgrounds that are committed to making the UK a more peaceful, equal and just country.
Aim
TREE’s aim is to provide clear political direction to disenfranchised and alienated communities as they struggle to tackle the issues they now face as a result of the August 2011 civil disturbances.
In pursuance of our aim, we will:

• Launch and develop ‘Operation Hope and Recovery’. At the cornerstone of this operation will be an electoral registration programme targeting those communities affected by the disturbances. Our aspiration is that this will go down in history as one of the most significant national mass voter registration drives ever seen in British political history

• As part of Operation Hope and Recovery, establish initiatives that connect local communities (and especially young people) with the democratic process by informing them of how it works and what they can do to effect the change they wish to see

• Raise the importance, and where appropriate facilitate assistance to communities on matters relating to enterprise, entrepreneurialism, business start-ups and economic independence. We will also establish meaningful dialogue with government, leading politicians and business leaders on these issues

• Encourage political representation by providing specialist support and encouragement to individuals in terms of standing for public office (without party political bias)

• Positively request the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimation (CERN) and the UK Government initiate an ‘Inquiry into the UK Riots’

• Make appropriate representation and challenge the media and politicians to cease what is being increasingly viewed by communities as a negative and in some quarters racist representation of the ‘riots’ and one that demonises young people in general

• Support and partner (where appropriate) other organisations that provide specialist services in the areas that relate to the core purpose of TREE

• Place a progressive context to the ongoing political debate on issues to the nation’s morals and values.

‘Operation Hope & Recovery‘ begins this Friday 19th August in London with further rallies in other cities to follow

To register,  go to:

http://operationhopeandrecovery.eventbrite.com/

Copyright © 2011 BLACK MEN IN THE COMMUNITY

Lawless Britain: Who is to blame? - The Agenda, Press TV, featuring Lee Jasper & David Michael

 

 

 

 

Following the riots that have taken place in London's Tottenham, The Agenda looks at the reasons they began and whether there are more underlying reasons behind it.

The protests have spread to major cities like Birmingham, Liverpool, and Bristol. Several people have also been killed during the government-ordered crackdown on protests.
http://www.presstv.ir/Program/193882.html

UK riots: A View From Black Britain: by Simon Woolley, Operation Black Vote.

The African and Caribbean community faces its biggest challenge since the riots of the 1980's. Some even argue the challenge today is even greater than back then.
The complexity of the civil disturbances that have raged through our cities over the last few nights cannot easily be categorised in two dimensional terms: Black and White; them against us; the haves and the have not's. On race for example, in many parts of the country including Manchester and Salford the looters were predominantly White. In some areas such as Hackney and Tottenham there was a visible ethnic mix, whilst in Brixton and Lewisham the racial makeup was predominately Black. However, the way these events are now being viewed, shockingly skewed by the tragic events in Lozells, Birmingham, that has left three innocent men dead, will lead many to conclude that this is largely a 'disease' within the Black community and it is all of us that will face the wrath of societies back lash.

Truth is, over the last 20 years literally hundreds of Black leaders up and down the country have sought to improve the lives of young Black men and women and in doing so, the image of Black Britain in general.

Organisations at the forefront have been 100 Black Men, From Boyhood to Manhood, Mighty Men of Valour, The Windsor Fellowship, Runnymede Trust, The Black Powerlist, our own organisation Operation Black Vote (OBV), and many more. These voluntary groups have been dedicated to encouraging, inspiring and supporting tens of thousands of Black men and women to become model citizens: magistrates, councillors, MP's, lawyers, scientists, and business entrepreneurs. OBV's two very visible success stories have been the Conservative Party Chair Baroness Sayeeda Varsi, and the Conservatives' first MP of African decent Helen Grant. The churches too have played an even greater role guiding hundreds of thousands of Black Christians to a level of morality that the Prime Minister David Cameron's own moral crusade could only dream about.

And yet a few thousand woefully alienated, angry and self-centred Black individuals could put the whole Black community back 30 years in regards to race relations. On radio, TV and the print media, Black MP's and leaders are fearful of discussing contributory factors to the disturbances such as; Black deaths in police custody, high levels of unemployment, cuts in youth services, the lack of hope, and a police force that stops and searches Black youths 26 times more than their White peers. The politicians' fear is that if they talk beyond condemnation they will be portrayed as apologists for lawbreakers. What also stifles Labour's Black MP's from raising the issue of lack of opportunities for example, is the simple fact that under their 12 year reign, the social-economic divide has actually got worse.

Because of the irresponsible actions of a few, many Black people from Brixton to Birmingham and beyond feel we are at mercy of an unforgiving society. At one end of the spectrum the race hate groups see this as a way of raising their profile as the 'defenders' of White Britain. English Defence League (EDL) opportunists have momentarily moved their bile and hatred away from the Muslim community and are now targeting Africans and Caribbeans. 'We are defending our towns' cry EDL members such as its leader Stephen Lennon, who, when he is not 'holding the line' against Muslims, is inciting violence at football matches for no other reason than his personal gratification. Other EDL members call for a 'final solution'. EDL member Lewis Smith boasted on his blog 'we should gas all the coons' with other members enthusiastically agreeing.
At the other end of the 'blame the community' spectrum will be the Government and, I suspect, many cowardly opposition MP's. They will argue that they have zero responsibility for creating a climate for these disturbances to occur. 'Its not about equality' , they argue 'its about their lack of responsibility'. The reality is of course it is somewhere in the middle.

If society is angry, the Black community is in pain. Many simply feel this is not a good time to be Black. Yesterday for example, I spent the morning in Lewisham, at a summer school put on by the local church. Aspire2Be brought young men and women - all Black, all church goers with an average age of 15, to learn business skills. Their parents ensured they were not dressed in jeans and hoodies, but shirt and ties, notebooks at hand. Their mood was sombre, their views illuminating.

More than half of the group of 30 had been stopped and searched by the police, some on their way to school. Many had witnessed the rioting from the safe place of their bedroom windows. They all felt the shame of the actions of a few. In the question and answer session one young man bravely said, 'We're lucky. Most of us have stable homes and the church is our extended family. I have friends at school who have one parent. That parent isn't up to it. They are on the streets. The gangs become their family. There they have power and respect'.

Whilst the majority are gorging themselves in condemnation of the looters, we'd do well to take note from that 15-year-old boy. Let's punish the wrong doers particularly those who have had total disregard for lives of others, but let's try to understand, and take responsibility for helping fractured families and communities survive and excel.

In relation to the Black community's collective response, we must do so quickly, effectively and visibly. I am encouraged. As you read this Black Church leaders and others are discussing ways in which we can show our communities and society that we deeply care, and that we will redouble our efforts to help put things right for now and the future.

Beyond the political point scoring we'll witness today in Parliament we hope though we'll find willing and genuine partners on all sides of the political divide.

Simon Woolley

Founder and Director of Operation Black Vote  www.obv.org.uk 

(Originally published at: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk)

Riots, Recession & Resistance - Lee Jasper - 11 August 2011