Bekele is always ready to speak truth to power. He loves Community Organising. Building the power of civil society is important for Bekele as he believes that organised Civil Society is the backbone of democracy. Bekele believes we should do a lot to make the world a better place to live in; a place of tolerance and respect. Bekele writes about different issues on different platforms, especially about Ethiopia. This blog reflects Bekele’s personal views. One Love! አለፎ አልፎ ይህችን ብሎግ ጎብኘት ያድርጓት።
They were
here 20 years ago. They are here 20 years after.
20 years
ago there was an organiser called Neil Jameson, who had to have as many one to
one face to face meetings as possible in East London. There was no hidden
agenda this disciple of Civil Society and Democracy was carrying with him. He
was all about getting the East End organised. “Organising was what East
London needed most in those days as it does need it now” says Bishop
Paul McAleenan, who was a local priest at St. Scholastica's
in Clapton 20 years ago and now the Bishop of the Diocese of Westminster.
Bishop Paul was there 20 years ago at the founding assembly and he has once
again come back to join the 1000 strong delegates to celebrate the 20th year
anniversary of The East London Citizens Organisation (TELCO).
Bishop
Paul McAleenan of the Diocese of Westminster addressing the assembly
The founding assembly took
place at York Hall in Bethnal Green and it felt great for many including Rev
Paul Regan, Fr. John Armitage, who was the co-chair of the founding assembly,
Dr. Muhammad Bari, and many other veterans to go back to the same hall on
Thursday 9th March 2017 to witness history unfolding.
The 20th anniversary was an opportunity to see democracy in
action; opportunity to see unity in diversity; an opportunity to show case what
civil society can do to address the challenges it faces in an organised way;
opportunity to see civil society holding the state and the market to account;
but also an opportunity to rebuild and re-energise the East End and start yet
another march towards securing social justice through organising. "Divisions
in our societies across West seem to be deepening. Yet we are here this evening
to recognise TELCO as an organisation which has built bridges, not walls"
- Rev Paul Regan.
This anniversary is a product of many months of organising, a series of
meetings, a series of agreements and disagreements, a series of plotting and
democratic engagements. Organising needs patience, endurance, tenacity,
leadership and it is one that should be fun. That was what we saw on Thursday
the 9th of March.
At the heart of this anniversary were the organisers and community leaders who
had to make sure everything was in place. They won’t leave anything to chance
and hence had to prepare for every eventuality. It needed meticulous planning
and readiness with proper fall-back positions. That is why we had organisers
like Emmanuel, Yasmin, Caitlin and Daniel who were all doing their bits to see
the assembly through. That is why we had the Bernadette Harris of TELCO, the
John and Naomi Cliftons of the East End, the Angus Ritchies of our world and
many other veteran leaders who had to sit day in day out to plan this wonderful
occasion. After all it is about organising. Organising is not about them;
rather it is about US together. Neil Jameson, the Founder
and Executive Director of Citizens UK paid tribute to all who made the long
journey with TELCO. He said the following, "Our member institutions
are our greatest asset and our leaders are the glue which hold everything
together. Here is to 20 more years of power, action and justice".
Kudos to all who made the founding of TELCO a success 20 years ago. Kudos to
all who have travelled the long journey together. Kudos to all who contributed
their bits and made the day historical. Kudos to the kids, the young, the
seniors and everybody who made it to the assembly. Organise, Organise and Organise. It was the call then; it is the call now. Keep organising, keep marching together and of course keep winning.
Empowered Are The Organised!
Eleven years ago I lived
with my young family in Ethiopia. Life was enjoyable, but the escalation of an
already precarious political situation meant it got harder; eventually I had to
leave Ethiopia and seek asylum in Britain.
11 years later, I’m part of
the London community. I’ve given back to the city by volunteering for The 2012
Games, and through my work with Citizens UK I support other refugees who hope
to make this city their home. My story shows that refugees can start a new
and successful life in Britain, but I believe the city could still do more to
help people seeking refuge. Here’s just three ways we could do better:
Language is the greatest
barrier
My experience has taught me
the importance of welcoming refugees when they arrive in London, to support
them into society, rather than shut them out. When I arrived in Britain I was
immediately locked up in a detention centre as if I were a criminal, unaware of
when I would be released. I was incredibly fortunate that I could speak English,
because it meant I was able to communicate with the officials there, unlike
many refugees.
There should be a dedicated
centre to support refugees arriving in London which should be equipped with
translators. This should help newly arrived asylum seekers with their
applications, but also support successful applicants to integrate and become
part of our society. English lessons would break down that barrier and help
them to get jobs and revive their confidence. It should also be extended to
other migrants. They say, "language empowers".
Recognise their potential
Highly skilled refugees are
not often able to get jobs which match their skill levels. So, as a country we
lose out on valuable skills. I see qualified people in different professions
working totally unrelated jobs as they have been unable to get jobs they are
qualified for. Many are overqualified for the jobs they are doing. I regularly
hear people saying they are willing to help refugees; it is important to make
practical steps to do this. The corporate world should be willing to provide
refugees with opportunities for success.
London must remain open and
welcoming
The mayor, Sadiq Khan, is
ready to make sure that London remains a welcoming city, open to people from
across the world. But if we want people arriving in London to engage in society
then we need to make sure that they’re welcomed into the community and helped
to get started in the city - in terms of job opportunities, homes and
education. As I write this piece, there are65.3 millionpeople displaced; 21.3 million
refugees stranded in camps across the world. Most these refugees are hosted by
developing countries who are not equipped to deal with the influx. I believe
that London must set an example and show the rest of the world how refugees and
migrants alike should be welcomed and integrated into the city.
I know how
civil wars and political unrests can strip people of their dignity as human
beings, and I feel a deep concern about the current refugee crisis. I fear for
the people in Ethiopia and across the world who are being persecuted for their political
beliefs, religion, race, sexual orientation, and who are forced to flee
their homes.
I believe that not only do
we have a humanitarian responsibility to allow refugees the freedom to seek
sanctuary, we must also recognise - and celebrate - the positive contributions
that they make to our society, economy and culture.
