What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them and that a new dawn has broken, political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not that our society should want to pursue the values and beliefs of sharing equality. We need to pursue the values of equality; the values that help families find jobs at a decent wage, care that can be afforded and a retirement that is dignified.
We should indeed make this a reality. If not, progress will end. Those of you who manage the public's finance will be held to account and to spend these finances wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business with dignity and respect. Only then can we restore the vital trust between people and government.
Now is the question before us whether that equality is a force for good or ill? Its power is to generate co-operation and competition for us as people and communities, but this tension has reminded us that without a watchful eye, people in society can spin out of control and also that society cannot prosper long when it favours only a “them’’ and ‘’ us’’ culture. The success of equality will depend not just on Government, but on all of us in society; on the ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart. Not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.
The source of my confidence is the knowledge that Equality calls on us to shape our destiny. It does so with good relationships amongst people within our society.
What do you think?
Does it matter?
Friday 30 October 2009
Thursday 29 October 2009
Have we come to a crossroad when we talk about Equality?
What emotion does it bring forward?
The rich developed societies have reached turning points in human history.
Politics should now be about the quality of social relations and how we can develop harmonious and sustainable societies.
It’s about balancing cooperation and competition, how do we reconcile these when we talk about equality.
The vision that the Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has of the UK society: An equal society protects and promotes equal, real freedom and substantive opportunity to live in the ways people value and would choose, so that everyone can flourish.
An equal society recognises people’s different needs, situations and goals and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and can be.
Are we all in pursuit of this? Or are we feeding the co-operation versus competition debate? In doing this, are we cementing the “Them and US” culture of fear? Where are we on the Barometer of Equality? Are we closer to “Great words of good Intentions” or the discriminatory society of the BNP and other extremists?
Remember, people will judge us by our actions, not our intentions. We may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.
Is this vision of the United Kingdom a need or is it a want in the history of our time, as a generation, we will be held to account for our actions or inactions, on achieving equality.
What do you think?
Does it matter?
The rich developed societies have reached turning points in human history.
Politics should now be about the quality of social relations and how we can develop harmonious and sustainable societies.
It’s about balancing cooperation and competition, how do we reconcile these when we talk about equality.
The vision that the Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission has of the UK society: An equal society protects and promotes equal, real freedom and substantive opportunity to live in the ways people value and would choose, so that everyone can flourish.
An equal society recognises people’s different needs, situations and goals and removes the barriers that limit what people can do and can be.
Are we all in pursuit of this? Or are we feeding the co-operation versus competition debate? In doing this, are we cementing the “Them and US” culture of fear? Where are we on the Barometer of Equality? Are we closer to “Great words of good Intentions” or the discriminatory society of the BNP and other extremists?
Remember, people will judge us by our actions, not our intentions. We may have a heart of gold, but so does a hard-boiled egg.
Is this vision of the United Kingdom a need or is it a want in the history of our time, as a generation, we will be held to account for our actions or inactions, on achieving equality.
What do you think?
Does it matter?
Wednesday 28 October 2009
Last night I was watching the movie the Pursuit of Happyness
It made me think about my work around Equality and Diversity and Inclusion!
Plot goes something like this!
In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner invests the family savings in Osteo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice as expensive as an x-ray machine but with a slightly clearer image. This White elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to his relationship with his wife Linda, who leaves him and moves to New York where she has received a job in a pizza parlor. She wishes to take their son Christopher with her, but Chris refuses because they both know that Linda will be unable to take care of him. Without money or a wife, but totally committed to his son Christopher, Chris sees the chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter Reynolds, offering a more promising career at the end of a six month unpaid training period. There are nineteen other candidates for the one position. Meanwhile, he encounters many challenges and difficulties, including a period of homelessness and troubles with the IRS (Tax issues).
Using the movie as a metaphor for broadening our horizons.
The Pursuit of Equality
What do YOU stand for? What are YOUR values and YOUR principles?
What if l am promising you everything and nothing simultaneously?
What kind of country, neighborhood, and community do you want to see and what are YOU going to do to get it?
If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.
What do you think?
Does it matter?
Plot goes something like this!
In 1981, in San Francisco, the smart salesman and family man Chris Gardner invests the family savings in Osteo National bone-density scanners, an apparatus twice as expensive as an x-ray machine but with a slightly clearer image. This White elephant financially breaks the family, bringing troubles to his relationship with his wife Linda, who leaves him and moves to New York where she has received a job in a pizza parlor. She wishes to take their son Christopher with her, but Chris refuses because they both know that Linda will be unable to take care of him. Without money or a wife, but totally committed to his son Christopher, Chris sees the chance to fight for a stockbroker internship position at Dean Witter Reynolds, offering a more promising career at the end of a six month unpaid training period. There are nineteen other candidates for the one position. Meanwhile, he encounters many challenges and difficulties, including a period of homelessness and troubles with the IRS (Tax issues).
Using the movie as a metaphor for broadening our horizons.
The Pursuit of Equality
What do YOU stand for? What are YOUR values and YOUR principles?
What if l am promising you everything and nothing simultaneously?
What kind of country, neighborhood, and community do you want to see and what are YOU going to do to get it?
If you don’t stand for something, you will fall for anything.
What do you think?
Does it matter?
Tuesday 27 October 2009
The emotional fall out of BNP Nick Griffin’s
Yes Good morning back to blogging had some time off!
Watching in disbelief at Nick Griffins performance on the BBC question time five days ago has given me food for thought as to think about as people, how we really understand what respect and dignity is, when it means broadening our horizon on equality and diversity and inclusion issues.
Watching question time I was very surprised that I was glad that Nick Griffin had the chance to use free speech and to capture his opinions and the ideology of his party. These can be summed up in the themes of the 3I’s of Ignorance, Indifference, and Inaction. His performance on question time was given away by his body language that he was not at all congruent with his answers.
The British people can make up their minds, with eyes open that as a society we cannot hide behind the 3I’s of Ignorance, Indifference, and Inaction. To marginalise minority groups, it reminds me of X men the movie. The plot is centred on the conflict between the X-Men mutants who have learned to control their powers for the greater good of mankind and a group of evil mutants, fighting each other and the world that fears them.
The Nick Griffins of this world are the political leader’s of extremist parties, in this case the BNP. Are creating fear and panic.
The political background in the movie consisted of the government pushing to enforce "mutant registration," which would label mutants and strip them of the right to attend public schools or lead normal lives. According to the movie's circumstances, it wouldn't be a far stretch to replace the label mutant with that of any other group discriminated against during the history of mankind.
Beware of the BNP.
What do you think?
Does it matter?
Watching in disbelief at Nick Griffins performance on the BBC question time five days ago has given me food for thought as to think about as people, how we really understand what respect and dignity is, when it means broadening our horizon on equality and diversity and inclusion issues.
Watching question time I was very surprised that I was glad that Nick Griffin had the chance to use free speech and to capture his opinions and the ideology of his party. These can be summed up in the themes of the 3I’s of Ignorance, Indifference, and Inaction. His performance on question time was given away by his body language that he was not at all congruent with his answers.
The British people can make up their minds, with eyes open that as a society we cannot hide behind the 3I’s of Ignorance, Indifference, and Inaction. To marginalise minority groups, it reminds me of X men the movie. The plot is centred on the conflict between the X-Men mutants who have learned to control their powers for the greater good of mankind and a group of evil mutants, fighting each other and the world that fears them.
The Nick Griffins of this world are the political leader’s of extremist parties, in this case the BNP. Are creating fear and panic.
The political background in the movie consisted of the government pushing to enforce "mutant registration," which would label mutants and strip them of the right to attend public schools or lead normal lives. According to the movie's circumstances, it wouldn't be a far stretch to replace the label mutant with that of any other group discriminated against during the history of mankind.
Beware of the BNP.
What do you think?
Does it matter?
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