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walking the path between, political & apolitical?

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I joined the SNP in 2007. I joined for the same reason most people join a political party, the party’s vision, values, and, principles. To this date I still believe Scotland could and should be an independent country.

For years I pounded the streets, delivered leaflets, chapped doors, stood at polling stations, and, even became an unpaid call centre worker (only for campaigns). Today, however, I have given up my activism. Activism is for the young and the committed. Am nether.

I remember my first SNP conference in 2007/08 Alex Salmond, said something like “I heard a rumour. I think we win the election”. I grinned, like a child in a toy shop. I worked hard to win that election. I worked just as hard for years after that. I attended annual conferences, councils and branch meetings. I even joined a community council and community reference group, in the hope of becoming an SNP councillor.

By 2011 though the highlight of the national conference, was the fringe events. Talking to my third-sector colleagues. And, finding out more about the wider sector. From 2011, forward, keynote speeches had become like a pantomime to see who could do the best impression of Bill Murray, in the movie groundhog day. I could have given most of the speeches myself. All that would have been required was to plagiarise last year’s speech. I was done. Burnout is real.

I decided to focus on my third-sector work (voluntary). While returning to university to do my second undergraduate degree. I returned briefly to activism for cameos in the Scottish Independence referendum-2014. And the Referendum to leave the European Union-2016. Cameos’ is all they were. By 2017 I had- note, the choice of the word had- given up on party politics. I wanted no part of the civil war. A civil war that takes place on my Facebook feed daily. Things could be so different if either the 2014 or 2016 vote had gone differently.

I was out of party politics (though still hold membership). I was on the people-powered health and well-being reference group. Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland’s interface to The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act and Inclusion Scotland’s sub-board on policy. By 2018 I was one module away from completing my Politics, Philosophy and Economics undergraduate degree at the Open University. When the opportunity to work on a community development programme in South Africa came up, I jumped at the chance. The jigsaw was almost complete all I had to do was pass DD309 Doing Economics. When it comes to Doing Economics Truss me not Liz.

Doing Economics book 1.

I just opened book one. Can you guess what the first topic is of DD309: Doing Economics? You really cannot make this up. The first topic in book one of DD309: Doing Economics, is Market liberalisation, inequality and financial crisis. If Liz Truss wants my copy of DD309: Doing Economics she can have it. though she no longer requires it, does she?

Upon completing my BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the Open University I had a strange desire to do a Masters’s degree. The MSc in Social Innovation looked to be a perfect choice. Glasgow Caledonian University was my first University back in 2001. Returning in 2019 was like a homecoming for me. And on completion of my MSc in 2021, I became a real alumnus. With all the powers and responsibilities that go with being an alumnus. There is one very small problem though. It is 2022, almost 2023 and I have still not used any of my knowledge and experience to achieve meaningful work. Yes, my colleague and I are working on setting up a social enterprise. A-LEAF is still nothing more than a detailed plan. And that brings me to the conundrum I face on Thursday 20 October 2022.   

By definition, companies limited by guarantee must be apolitical. The funny thing is when I woke up this morning. This thought never entered my head. I have the shambolic state affairs at Westminster for planting this seed of thought in my head. At 14:25 on 20 October 2022, I received an email from my SNP branch organiser, the email was a call for activists As I said above I gave up on activism, and am burned out. Additionally, A-LEAF’s principles, values and, vision is to empower the most marginalised citizens in Scottish communities.

Can I be considering putting my black a yellow rosette back on after everything I said in this blog? I think I am. However, as a co-founding member of A-LEAF, an apolitical social enterprise. There must be a conflict of interest. Yes, there is. A large conflict of interest. Here is the thing though, if I am to come off the political party bench. It will be to fight for a first-team place. What does that mean for A-LEAF? The wider question is: are my principles comparable with party politics anymore?

I caught a bit of BBC question time. The impression I got from the panel, is not one person is willing to take any leadership responsibility . As I said to a friend in the gym today. Yes, I have studied DD209-Running the Economy and DD309- Doing Economics, I still consider my knowledge, basic.

[T]he inadequacy of policy is something that should bother economists greatly … For times of crisis are when economists are most needed. If they cannot get their advice accepted in the clinch – or, worse yet, if they have no useful advice to offer – the whole enterprise of economic scholarship has failed in its most essential duty

And that is, of course, what has just happened [with the crisis starting in 2008]                                                           

Krugman, 2012 cited in Santos & Wuyts 2013, p.5

It looks to me. Someone with a basic understanding of economics. That what we should do- when I say “we”, I mean the shambolic Tory Government. Is to appoint a PM with a basic understanding of economics. If you cannot find someone in the House of Commons. Find someone in the House of Lords. At least one Lord will work for their £300 a day pay.                                                    

DD209-Running the Economy

On reflection on today’s events, the question I need to ask myself is. What is the most important thing to me, having the ability to influence Government policy from the outside- as part of the third sector. Or from the inside as an SNP activist and a paid member of the Government? I guess the final question I should ask the UK and Scottish Government ministers, is this. Are the third and fourth sectors sustainable?  

If the economic answer is no, the Third and Fourth sectors are not sustainable. Then surely the apolitical is political policy.                                           

                                                                  

  

Poverty in Scotland

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The Joseph Rowntree Foundation have issued their annual ‘Poverty in Scotland’ report for 2022. The report highlights the continuing impact f poverty in Scotland and has recommendations for the UK government on benefits and for the Scottish Government on making a one-off payment to Scottish Child Payment and Council Tax Reduction recipients. Additionally, all public […]

Poverty in Scotland

I’ll read the poverty in Scotland report for 2022 tomorrow and provided my thoughts in my next blog.

Hope: the light in the darkness

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Hope is a strong emotion. Hope can guide you into the light, when on a dark path. Hope can provide strength when society demands weakness. Hope is your lighthouse. Hope, is what humans do when we can no longer dream. A dream is to believe. Hope is to believe in faith.

I support my legs, and, my legs support me.

nuknowing quote

the quote/saying above is my faith. No one is better than you to shape your future. In a past blog. I said something like:

Only you can self-manage your conditions, medical or not. I will reach out with open arms in the light but you must take the steps towards the light.

My light

Light, hope, faith. What? For the Open University module A2222 Exploring Philosophy, I was required to write a paper on the philosophy of Religion.

God: the supreme personal being existing beyond the world, creator and ruler of the universe

Religion: a system of belief in and worship of a supernatural, power or god.

Timothy Chappell, 2011, p.8

What is the link between God, Religion, hope, light, and, faith, and contemporary living? A lot. And, nothing. For that same A222 Exploring philosophy module I also had to write a paper on Political Philosophy. As it is political, party conference month I thought I should reflect on our obligation to respect the laws of the state.

Socrates: Leave me then, Crito, to fulfil the will of God, and to follow whither he leads

Our Obligation to Respect the Laws of the State: Plato Crito, Western Philosophy an anthology, 2015, p.626

Am I recommending the state be followed in the same way Socrates would have followed god? No. No, am not. What am recommending is the State should be followed until the point is reached where citizens of the state can no longer dream. What I am recommending to the reader. Is, find your light. and do all you can to hold on to it. Your light. Your principles, values, and, vision are the groundwork for your political philosophy. Remember though the light is not fixed in place.

Do what makes you happy. Not others

My last conference: date?

I become a member of the SNP on, 17 April 2007. To this date, I remain a member of the Glasgow Shettleston branch.

I do not, however, go to branch meetings. Or conferences.

Why? Because the “benefits of greater equality are very widespread” (Wilkinson and Pickett, 2009, p.177).

Am not saying there is, wealth inequality in membership income (most likely is). Am saying I liked the party when after a day of meetings you could have a drink with the cabinet minister in The Royal George Hotel bar.

I was asked not so long ago by a manager, of the charity Who Cares? Scotland. Is starting a social enterprise, something I really wish to do,

given my political/policy background. Am sure my answer was Yes am 100+10 per cent committed to A-LEAF (my social enterprise).

On reflection, I really should have said am want to start A-LEAF to push a political and policy agenda. A-LEAF is apolitical, it will always remain so. Ben Fredman & Craig Carey authors of 4Th Sector Entrepreneurship say a social enterprise’s principles, values, and, vision, are, shaped by the lived experience of their owners.

However, I take the view that the thinking and actions of the owner are shaped by the social enterprise. let me explain A-LEAF’s, vision is that every citizen in society should have dignity. My personal view and the view of the state on Assisted Dying. For the lack of a better word, is, it is wrong. However, dignity must also come in death. Therefore, I have no choice, I have to agree with Scottish Humanists, assisted Dying should be the choice of individual citizens.

As a member of a political party. Or a third-sector organisation I cannot change the parties/organisation’s policy as fast as I can change my mind or amend A-LEAF’s vision. A-LEAF’s vision, values, and, principles are our hopes for citizens and communities in Scotland. I wish to dream not only hope. By walking into the light with A-LEAF I can do just that.

Conclusion

As citizens of societies across the UK. We all need to have hope. Hope for a better tomorrow. We cannot only hope, we must dream. Political parties and political philosophy are not God. Have faith in yourself, in your ideas. Stand up, say and do what makes you happy. Join a community which has your vision, values, and, principles. When your values, and, principles change. Change your community(s).

For me, my vision, values, and, principles are in the fourth sector or social enterprise sector. If yours is in the third sector or political sector, fantastic. Do what makes you happy. please though, do not follow in blind faith.

Where are my Human Rights?

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All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in aspirit of [personhood}

artical one UN Convention on Human Right

The problem is, the United Nations soft law is no more use than the bible when it comes to providing citizens with dignity and rights. There have been more add-ons to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Then acknowledgements from the UK Government that trickle-down economics just does not work. Where are my Human Rights? Perhaps the title of this blog could have been “[did] the free market revolution” (Benerria, 2003, p.3) steel my Human rights? As Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett (2009, p.262) point out “… profit would still lead companies to act in anti-social ways”. While anti-social is in opposition to social enterprise. It is not a breach of Human Rights. Since February 2022 I have been a member of the Scottish Government’s Human rights bill lived experience board. Why? Why am I a board member of the Scottish Government’s Human rights bill lived experience board? Noted above, I make it clear, that the free market is not the cause of Human Rights violations. If I am not a board member of the Scottish Government’s Human rights bill lived experience board to correct the wrongs of the free market. Then I must be on the Scottish Government’s Human rights bill lived experience board to correct the failures of the public sector. There is an add-on question that is outwith the scope of this blog. Is it not the job of the third sector to look after the failures of the public sector?

In 1973 the world economy had become reliant on oil and was facing raw material shortages that were pushing up prices (Banerjee & Duflo 2010, p.146). Not too much has changed. Has it? At this time I what the reader to think about economic and social rights.

The rights to & the rights from

If unpaid activities were valued [1995 prices] at prevailing wages, they would [have] amounted to $16 trillion or about 70 per cent of total world output (Beneria, 2003 p.74)

Gender, Development and Globazation

What sex in society is likely to do unpaid activities? Women. Think about that, not only is the contemporary cost of living crisis an infringement on economic and social rights. It is also an infringement on gender development. At today’s meeting on Disabled people and unpaid carers with third-sector colleagues’, there was a consensus that the cost of living was in breach of economic and social rights. I add here that due to the majority of unpaid carers having xx chromosomes. Women more than men are likely to be hit harder and are more likely to have their human rights violated due to the cost of living crises.

There was also an agreement that the support offered by governments, is not enough to cover the cost of living rises. The view that government support lacks the requirements to mitigate the cost of living crises is supported by The Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland. Who recommended the Scottish Government increase payments to Scottish citizens receving benefits. Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland note there are groups in society, which their recommendations will not help.

As I pointed out in the afternoon’s meeting, additional payments to disabled people and unpaid carers’ is the ethical thing to do.

All I have known is crises

As one of my co-workers said at today’s meeting ” [citizens’]’ health is affected [by this cost of living increase]. However, as pointed out in yesterday’s Human Rights meeting by John (not real name) “as someone born in 2002, all I’ve known is crises. If this is how our young people are feeling. Society has a mental health pandemic coming.

I started this section with the heading the rights to and the rights from. As a citizen of Scotland, you have the right to a fair trial. the right to housing, the right to live in the community, and, the right to food. this post would be longer than my dissertation if I was to go over all the rights.

Scottish Human Rights bill: when?

the short answer. By the end of the parliamentary session. Why not sooner? Well… the Scottish Government are trying to incorporate four international treaties into Scot law. The Government needs to get the bill/act correct, let us give them some time to do just that. As the Scottish government’s civil servant said yesterday

the delay gives more time to get the bill correct

Scottish Government Civil Servant

Conclusion

I have notes for three meetings. I could have written a PhD paper with the quotes I wrote down. However, I want to get this blog published tonight- October 06. I also know that The Scottish Human Rights Commission. The Health and Social care Alliance Scotland. And many other third-sector partners shall publish better blogs and posts than I could write in a few hours. Saving me time, and providing me more sleeping time.

Am going to do something you should never do. Am going to introduce a new topic in the conclusion. What is next for the Scottish Human Rights bill? I have it on good authority the next meeting will be on monitoring. How will we know if the Human Rights Bill is working?

I have a few ideas, however, I would like to hear the reader’s thoughts in the comments.

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Scottish Business Week 2022

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This month shall be paramount in developing A-LEAF going forward. It all starts today with Scottish Business Week 2022. Business, What Business? What am I in Business to do? Well, it is not to build up the funds in my bank account. If increasing my account balance was the goal. I could have continued my hunt for employment with the Scottish Government or Glasgow City Council. No. am in business to build a better me. And, to build resistance in Scottish Communities.

Earlier this morning I found out Rule_ette_out (Darren) win the Alliance Scotland self-management award. Darren offers peer-to-peer support for people struggling with gambling addictions. Darren’s story got me thinking about A-LEAF’s Purpose, Values, and, Vision. Not only A-LEAF’s Purpose, Values, and, Vision but also my own. What makes me the person I am today. What makes me have the Purpose, Values, and, Vision I have today? In another blog post, I concluded that my childhood Medulloblastoma was the reason I am the same person today as the child I once was. Nigel Warburton- writing the textbook ‘The Self for the Open University module A222 Exploring Philosophy, would be so proud of me. I have to amend that conclusion. You see the Entrepreneur genius test says am a Dynamo Genius. What is a Dynamo Genius? It’s me, I just told you that. Dynamo Genius, such as myself, use your Frontal lobe more than other parts of the brain. When the location of the Medulloblastoma in the brain. Being a Dynamo Genius completely makes sense.

Am a dreamer, I have my head in the clouds. I want to save the world one community at a time. Yes, that sounds about right. When Ben Freedman & Craig Carey- authors of 4th Sector Entrepreneurship say fourth sector organisations take on the Purpose, Values, and, Vision of their owners. That is also true. I have still to define A-LEAf’s PVVs. They will be up on the A-LEAF page of the website later today. With the A-LEAF website up ASAP.

On Wednesday I have a meeting with the Scottish Government’s Human rights lived experience board. What I am about to suggest is that Human Rights are the writings of Dynamo Genius. Or you could look at it another way. After World War Two the Frontal lobe of world leaders took over their brains- all world leaders became Dynamo Geniuses.

The fact that everyone can think with their Frontal lobe after a major life-changing event. Opens up the question. Why as societies as Human beings, can we not Upstream?

To stop the cats from drowning in the river, find out why there are so many cats in the river in the first place.

paraphrased from Upstream by Dan Heath

I started this blog off by pointing out it Is Scottish Business week. As a Business leader, to be. I want to put to my colleagues at the Scottish Business week. Should we not be in the business of adding more people to our boards that think with their Frontal lobes?

Scottish Business week portal view.

This would be a good place to end this blog post. However, am not going to do that. Am going to ask a question. Two questions. Question one of two. Given Darren’s exigency to support others. And given we all know someone like Darren. Why is it not all our Business to support the Darren’s in our Scottish communities?

Final question. Wednesday’s Scottish Government’s Human rights lived experience board meeting is on the cost of living. And, given that it is widely known that people who require access to self-directed support have the highest cost of living. Why is it not all our business to reduce the cost of living for
everyone in our Scottish societies?     

Why incorporate the UN Human Rights into Scots Law?

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As of 14:58 on Tuesday, February 15 I have been confirmed as a member of the Human Rights Bill Lived Experience Board. Fantastic, now what? Why incorporate the UN Human Rights conventions into Scots law at all? It is to protect the rights of Scottish citizens, is it not? Okay, but is that not what the Equality act 2010 is for? More importantly, has not the UK ratified the UN conventions on Human Rights? Well yes, the UN Rights of persons with disability was ratified in 2009. Many UN conventions preceded.

Take a step back, think about that for a few seconds, it is 2022. The UK ratified the UN CRPD in 2009. I guess the reason for incorporating the UN CRPD into Scots law is ratification alone is not enough. Okay, fair point. However, has Scotland got the resources to deal with the backlog of Human rights violations that are coming down the road? Possibly not. Ethically though Scotland has an obligation to tackle the Human Rights problems on her doorstep. Incorporating Human Rights into Scots law shall help identify Human Rights violations. Perhaps,… Perhaps bureaucracy is the word of the day. To date, I have still to be sold on the bill.

let us rewind. Why would an MSc Social Innovation graduate that has studied Human Rights recently not support a Human Rights bill? Hold up. I support the bill, … well in principle.

Principles. Perhaps I have my principles for wanting to sit on this board all wrong. You see I have a secondary agenda. That agenda is to network and promote my Social enterprise. Do not miss quote me. My commitment is to the board and to the Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland who nominated my inclusion on the board. In doing so, sitting on the board, I can further my secondary agenda. Can I not?

Before the First board meeting on Monday, February 21 I wanted to be transparent on where I stand with regards to the bill. And also my reasons for wanting to sit on the board.

I do believe I have been transparent in setting out my position. However, if there are any questions comment below and I shall do my best to answer them.

Additionally, I wanted to write this short blog post to reach out to anyone that has any Human Rights infringement stories. If you wish to comment below please do so. Or if you want to send me a message directly my email is on my contact page.