Reclaiming the streets: community walks for better neighbourhoods

                                         Society of the bespectacled                                     

Whenever I hear words such as "urban renewal", "redevelopment" or "city planning", I shudder; for experience shows that what they really often mean is a new building plan that will impact negatively upon the lives of people and the surrounding landscape. Time and again, urban planners have promoted the idea of progress linked to architectural and urban atrocities that did not take into account people's needs and views of what their neighbourhoods should be like, let alone the aesthetics of those new buildings and areas. Profit, not people, has all too often been at the centre of this approach.
The all too powerful pairing of politicians and urban developers was (and still is) a well-oiled machine that has the legal means and the financial resources to overcome citizens' resistance and legal challenges ahead.
However, this has not always been the case; fortunately, people have stood up and fought against ill-conceived plans that some fat cat (with the help of a conveniently bought politician) wanted to impose in the name of what they understand as modernity.
One such example was the figure of Jane Jacobs, an American-born urban activist who back in the 60s in New York first and in Toronto later led the way and showed us that cities do not have to be the way capitalist and corrupt developers want.
In a heavily male-dominated environment, Jacobs dared challenge the ruling local financial elite and organised a grassroots movement to protect her neighbourhood-Greenwich Village, Manhattan- from the mighty developer Robert Moses, whose plans included a total overhaul of the area. She had to fight prejudice and the arrogance of the establishment who patronised and ridiculed her for both being a woman and for not having an architecture or urbanism academic training. Despite all the scorn she encountered, she became heavily involved in the urban planning movement and her work The Death and Life of  Great American Cities has become a classic book and must-read for anyone interested in the topic from a critical perspective.

Walking in the community: a Jane's walk in Cornes, Compostela (Galiza)

By the time Jacobs passed away in 2006, she'd become a reference and a model for many people involved in grassroots urban projects; an urbanism that had people rather than cars at its heart.
A group of Jane's friends gathered in May 2007 to honour her memory by organising a walk and to celebrate her legacy and ideas. Very soon, this became an annual event that went global and so every year now thousands of people join neighbourhood walks across the world in a sort of street festival of ideas about what sustainable cities should mean. The initiative known as Jane's Walks was born.
These walks, despite (or maybe thanks to) their simplicity, are a very effective and powerful tool to raise awareness and to create a sense of community and belonging among people who wouldn't otherwise have the chance of meeting other like-minded people to discuss issues they all can relate to. Something as simple as walking around the neighbourhood to exchange experiences and views can become an almost cathartic and intense experience; it is also a political statement that challenges a model that promotes individualism and a passive attitude.
I have no doubt whatsoever that Jane Jacobs would be immensely proud of such an initiative that year after year fills the streets with people who care about their cities and their neighbours and are prepared to reclaim the streets.

A man of his time

Ways of seeing (and thinking)

The news came as no surprise; at 90, John Berger was still as relevant and lucid as you'd expect but he was equally fragile. "Il est parti", confirmed from Paris his granddaughter. I'd like to think he wanted to join Leonard Cohen up there and perhaps was too tired to face a world with the likes of Trump running the show; a nightmare scenario for someone who spent his life supporting and helping the underdog, the dispossessed, the vulnerable.

Who and what was Berger? He was a man of his time: art critic, writer, thinker, storyteller, a humanist full of energy and charm. He was someone who taught us how to look at (and see) things;  not only art, which he did famously through the groundbreaking TV series Ways of Seeing but also the world.
He became notorious in 1972 when, after winning the Booker Prize, denounced the slavery connections in the Caribbean of the award founder Booker McConnell and gave half of the prize to the British Black Panthers, something that did not go well with some parts of the cultural establishment.
He then went to live in the French Alps for most of his life, where he found inspiration for one of his most successful books, Pig Earth (1979), that would become part of the trilogy Into Their Labours. 
An outspoken critic of capitalism, Berger's legacy will remain with us for generations to come and his work will be studied and enjoyed because, as artist David Shrigley has said, he was the "best ever writer on art". I for one will not challenge that.
There is where we will meet, John.

Sally Heathcote: sufragette

Life of  a sufragette 

Emmeline and Christabel Pankhurst or Emelyn Davison are some names most people interested in the Sufragettes movement may be familiar with. However, as it is easy to imagine, the strength of this radical group of activists lay in its numbers, those committed women who fought bravely against the odds, who staged hunger strikes, who were imprisoned and risked their lives. An example of all this was the case of Sally Heathcote, whose eventful life this book is based on, which tells, in graphic novel format, the adventures of one of the most fascinating civil disobedience movements of the last centuries.
A wonderful team composed of Mary and Bryan Talbot (who published in 2012 another very interesting and acclaimed graphic novel Dotter of her father's eyes, based on a James Joyce's daughter life), and cartoonist Kate Charlesworth, deliver a true page-turner that becomes a must for readers with an interest in social history and the 'votes for women' campaigns. It is also refreshing that the book, rather than give centre stage to those better known figures, the authors chose to focus on a less known activist, who was also from a very different social background to the Pankhursts sisters and other members.

No going back

 Despite the fact of being an invented character, the device works extremely well as it brings a new perspective to a historical movement.
The novel is beautifully designed, it is a joy to read that conveys brilliantly the Sufragettes' urgency and mood. Once again, a powerful and informative book that should be read widely, particularly now that we approach 8 March, International Women's Day.

If I had a hammer...

The flowers have all  gone

For as far as I can remember, Peter Seeger has always been there: not in the spotlight but, rather, discreetly in the background encouraging new artists (including some Bob Dylan), promoting and pioneering causes (environmentalism), defending worker's and minorities rights (Civil Rights Movement), and ensuring that music remained connected to people as an authentic form of expression.And yet, as his recent death has proved, his influence amongst fellow musicians and fans was huge. As the cliché goes, with him an era also goes: that of the troubadour  popularising and revitalising  people's music whose authenticity credentials were unmatched.

Seeger's music, it seems to me, would be a fitting music background for Steinbeck's novels; it would accompany the Joad's odyssey in their desperate search for a better life in California, and it would be played as Lennie and George sought their (mis)fortunes among the dispossessed.But as most great artists, his music was understood and felt beyond his native America and the country's working clasess; Seeger's voice sang international causes too, from Cuba to the Spanish Civil War and the rise of totalitarianism in the Soviet Union (though he would remained a communist).
Peter Seeger represents, perhaps like no other, the example of a musician whose music became the soundtrack to people's struggles, accompanying endless fights for those who found themselves on the wrong side of History; the voiceless found one grave and clear voice in someone who was, above all, a symbol of integrity and bonhomie.
Let the future generations discover and cherish his legacy; if we make sure that this happens, then we will know that there will always someone with 'a hammer of justice... and a bell of love, all over this land'.
And that will be the best tribute to Peter Seeger.

Guerrilla Girls: The Avengers of Art

Naming and shaming: the conscience of modern art

Before the likes of Pussy Riot, Femen and other gender-orientated activist groups that have recently sprung up and have somehow created a new wave of feminism that has, once again, put this issue high on the agenda (or at least, I would like to think so), there was a group of women who were true pioneers in shaming and reacting against the old and long-lasting male hegemony in the arts.
Guerrilla Girls, always hiding behind the gorilla masks, were born almost thirty years ago after a supposedly 'international survey' of contemporary art at MoMa in New York had featured only 13 female artists out of a total of 169.
Their direct and simple approach brought a new social conscience and awareness hitherto ignored or forgotten which was further enhanced when they incorporated racial inequality as one of their flags. Through banners, t-shirts, artwork, stickers and also protests, they managed to disseminate their powerful and indisputable message: how institutional art (galleries, museums, academia etc...) had failed to incorporate or take into account women and ethnic minorities, beyond sexual and racial stereotypes.
Art books and exhibitions were overwhelmingly populated by white male artists; these activists, with their gorrila masks as a symbol of anonymity but also what they understood as the beauty cannon, set out to challenge and debunk outdated realities in a post-colonial context.

Of course, things have changed since the mid-80s and we have the Guerrilla Girls to thank them for this. But as the previously mentioned Femen (a Tea & Sympathy old post has already covered this group), Pussy Riot and others have shown, there is still a long way to go; contemporary art, and the wider society, desperately need more combative voices prepared to challenge and raise awareness. There's plenty of issues out there worth the fight.

Femen: the topless revolution

Breasts Feed Revolution

The protest movement that started back in 2008 in Kiev, Ukraine, under the name of FEMEN, has become one of the most recognisable brands worldwide.
One thing is clear about this group of young women activists: they pull no punches when it comes to make themselves heard.
Thanks to their trademark approach, which mainly involves organising topless protests against religious institutions, world leaders, international institutions (eg. FIFA), embassies and other targets, FEMEN have also alienated many people, not only from the (predictably) more conservative sectors of society but also from more supposedly liberal and progressive people who dismiss these tactics as counterproductive and even as 'racist colonial feminism'. Feminist groups and Muslim women, among others, have been very critical of FEMEN's strategies.
Nudity, it would appear, still makes people uncomfortable; women's nudity even more so.
Facebook had recently had its moment of glory (again!) when it decided to block FEMEN's account after accusing the activist group of 'promoting pornography and prostitution', something that smacks of double standards.
Either Facebook can't cope with the sight of women shouting and exposing the hypocrisy of a fundamentally corrupted moral system or- perhaps more likely- they find FEMEN's message hard to swallow (perhaps bowing to the pressure coming from high above?).
But they continue-unfazed- their mission, caring very little about what the breast-phobics have to say and if there is something I admire about them is their determination and courage. Their ability to expose the powerful (men) who allow themselves to preach morality is outstanding and remarkable.
You may or may not agree with their ways of protest but if there is something clear about the emergence of FEMEN is that they have brought back to the table feminism and what does being a feminist mean in the 21st century. And just for that, I think, they must be heard and respected.

Whatever happened to Bradley Manning?

Shooting the messenger

Spare a thought for Bradley Manning, the U.S. Army soldier arrested in 2010 on suspicion of having released classified documents to the Wikileaks website. Last weekend a series of protest acts around the USA and other countries marked Manning's 1,000th day in prison without a trial.
This was a reminder of the tough prospects faced by a man whose act of disclosing highly confidential documents that led to the Cablegate, in which thousands of cables from the U.S. State Department were released, created an unprecedented diplomatic and political row.
It wasn't a war nor a terrible terrorist attack yet his impact and media coverage were huge.

While we often hear a lot about Julian Assange's case and his current confinement in the Ecuador embassy in London, it seems that Manning's case is somehow overlooked.
However,for many people he is a sort of hero who was catalyst in exposing the flaws, interests and hypocrisy of the the diplomatic relations amongst countries; some commentators also credit him with being instrumental in the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011 and he was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 and 2012.
Undoubtedly, he is of the most important whistleblowers of all time and the U.S government wants to punish him for that because they think that with his acts, he put the lives of many soldiers in danger by aiding the enemy.
His case is due to start in June but the immense pressure Manning has been exposed to has  become a problem and according to his lawyer, Manning's mental health  is 'almost gone'.
Let's hope that this 'heroic young man', in the words of Jeff Paterson ( a spokesman for the Bradley Manning Support Network), faces a fair trial.

Leading the way- Bristol Pound

The colour of (local) money    
Photo Chris Bahn

Perhaps one of the few interesting and positive things that the unprecedented economic crunch we're experiencing is the fact that scores of people have awoken from their slumber and realised that things shouldn't be left in the hands of those corrupt and incompetent fiddlers in grey suits. The numbers simply don't add up as the gap between the haves and have-nots widens; the 1% meet up in luxurious suites in five stars hotels whilst the remaining 99% reclaims its slice of the pie.We're in a mess and I find it hard to believe that those in charge have any idea whatsoever of how to get us out of it.

It is our aim to highlight and promote those projects that offer something and are not necessarily given the credit they deserve.There are plenty of initiatives that are worth mentioning here but what is taking place in Bristol is somehow an excellent example of what it was mentioned above: a community-led experience that has a real effect on people's lives.
This British city has always been an interesting and active city, which may explain why the Bristol Pound has become an example of an alternative currency aimed at promoting and boosting  the local economy.The idea is to support the city's independent retailers against the mighty large corporations whose huge benefits are barely reinvested in the local economy.

This scheme had already attracted attention and media coverage but it was last week when we heard again about this as the newly-elected mayor, George Ferguson, chose to be paid in Bristol Pounds; a rare example of consistency (he'd pledged to make Bristol a 'healthier and more sustainable city' in his  campaign) and commitment. We can only hope that more public and elected members lead by example and back this kind of schemes.

On the shoulders of a giant: George Orwell

Voice of (many) generations

It is highly likely that if you want to describe an oppressive political regime, you'll use the word Orwellian; likewise, big brother will spring to mind whenever your conversation or thoughts take you to issues concerning rogue states and/or organisations that exercise a rigid control on people. These are only two examples-thought police could be another one- that have become part of our daily language whose origin take us back to the influential and visionary novelist and journalist George Orwell (real name Eric Blair).
A series of  radio programmes  to be broadcast  by the BBC Radio 4 over the following days ( http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01pyz0z) is the perfect excuse to delve into the work of this most formidable Englishman; it is also a reminder of how influential Orwell remains today, not only because some of those most perverse and bleakest premonitions he'd imagined in his fiction novels have today become real  but also because some of his less well-known journalistic pieces illustrated readers about  a range of key issues of the time: imperialism, totalitarianism, social justice...
Orwell's accounts of his different experiences -and he had a few- make him, in my and many others' opinion, a master of political and social journalism, a true craftsman, an example of how to tell the tale in a way that is direct yet deeply touching without being pretentious; and that isn't always easy to achieve.
 If that wasn't enough to justify his status,  here's another example: he once again was spot on when in his masterpiece 1984, he wrote this chilling message: ' Who controls the past controls the future, who controls the present controls the past'. Frightening.

Unsong heroines: Mary Seacole

Keep her in the books: Crimean War heroine

 The UK Secretary  State for  Education, Michael Gove, is one of the most controversial figures of the  Tory-LibDem coalition, and one that the Left loves to hate.Admittedly, education is a sensitive issue that is taken very seriously by people and indeed most governments.Tony Blair understood this very well when he made it a priority and coined what would become one of most quoted soundbites of his years as PM ('education, education, education').
Every so often, heated debates and exchanges on any intended reform or change in the National Curriculum grab the headlines;therefore, it is hardly surprising to see that a proposed change by the mentioned Secretary for Education has caused a new wave of indignation among many people who see this as pandering to the right-wing and their recurring PC myth mantra (Polical Correctness).
So  this new row is because of the proposed removal from the National Curriculum of  Mary Seacole; she was a black woman of Jamaican origin who was involved in the Crimean War, whose role helping the wounded soldiers gave her the status of heroine in Britain at the time. Thanks to a campaign organised some years ago for her inclusion as a relevant figure and a black role model, Mary Seacole became the only black person to be included in the Curriculum who was not associated with either the civil rights movement or slavery, thus giving students a different perspective on the role of people of diverse origins and backgrounds in Britain.
 In response to this proposal, another petition  has been organised, this time to ask the government to keep Seacole in the National Curriculum, on the basis of her role in the Crimean War.
Regardless of the outcome of this initiative, we take this opportunity to bring to this blog the figure of an inspirational  woman who defied the odds and helped change attitudes towards people from different backgrounds.Let's hope Gove's proposal stays that way:just a bad idea once proposed that ended up in the bin.

Excuse me sir but you're under arrest

'Smart' speaker with blood on his hands

'Tony Blair, I am making a citizen's arrest for your war crimes,' were the words uttered  by Kate O'Sullivan in 2010 at a book signing event in Dublin, before being taken away by security staff. It has become a sort of familiar scene, whenever an individual manages to approach former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and makes an attempt at arresting him on the grounds of international war crimes.Wherever he goes, there will be people following him and remind the world of  what he is responsible of.
This is part of a campaign -Arrest Blair www.arrestblair.org/ - which seeks Blair's arrest for his involvement in  launching a deadly war on Iraq, causing thousands of deaths. The campaign stresses that any attempt to arrest him must be done peacefully and a financial reward is offered to people who successfully manage to perform an attempt.
The campaign acts as reminder of the fact that justice has not been done yet and that  Bush and Blair, both ultimately responsible for the Iraq's war, should be held accountable for what has been a politically and economically-motivated war based on a massive lie.
The people behind this campaign are driven by a desire to restore some sense of justice or, at least, expose  Blair and remind the world that he is still at large, living a very comfortable life full of well-remunerated events in which he is asked to speak (presumably to spread and share his 'wisdom').
 All my respect and admiration goes to these people who so bravely go out of their way and  risk their own safety in order to perform a completely logical act: ask Tony Blair to face justice for crimes against peace.
Bush and Aznar should face the same public exposure.

New Internationalist: independent and ethical journalism

Worth reading and supporting

Not a day goes by without hearing dreadful news concerning journalism (and journalists): newspapers closing down or drastically reducing their size, journalists working in dire conditions, being victims of either censorship or political and commercial pressure, publicity revenues dropping...the list goes on. It seems clear that this most noble profession is undergoing a painful process with an uncertain ending for now, though it is safe to assume that it somehow will have to reinvent itself.Theories and opinions on the future of journalism are widely available so we won't discuss the matter here.
I am more interested in focusing on positive, inspirational examples that defy the odds in  difficult -some would say almost impossible- times for the publishing industry.
The good news is that there are still professional, interesting, reputable publications out there that are worth reading and supporting. One of them is the monthly magazine New Internationalist (http://www.newint.org)), a workers' co-operative that focuses on 'people, ideas and action for global justice'. Both its print and digital  editions are an excellent way of accessing well-researched,thought-provoking articles and reports that you will rarely find in the mainstream media. Despite being published in the UK, it provides a refreshingly non-Euroccentric viewpoint and approach, tackling issues affecting the Majority World, as they call it. Covering a range of topics (social, environment, political, cultural...), New Internationalist sets an example of how a critical, independent, ethical and radical magazine can compete and find its own public in the 21st century, far from the media circus and the fat cats that control and dictate the mainstream publishing world. Buy it, read it, share it and cherish it.It is a more than recommendable read, it is a necessary one.

A Soundtrack for a Revolution

 Ain't let nobody turn me around

'We were ordinary people doing extraordinary things' says civil rights activist Julian Bond and it somehow perfectly sums up the spirit of this fantastic documentary that retraces the story of the U.S.Civil Rights Movement.Through the testimonies of the some of the Movement's main voices and participants, this heartfelt and moving documentary takes us back to an era that is hard, if not impossible, to imagine;such was the level of discrimination for African-Americans at that time.Thankfully, the uncompromising fight for freedom and equality showed by people who were not prepared to put up any longer with such barbarism and brutality inflicted by White supremacists serves -or should serve- as inspiration for present and future generations.
To my delight, and to that of music lovers in general, the documentary is greatly enhanced by absolutely cracking performances by artists such as The Roots, The Blind Boys of Alabama and John Legend whose cover versions of some of the most powerful and symbolic songs associated to the Movement provide unforgettable moments of pride and passion for a cause that shaped the United States' recent history.
Among the wealth of information and worthwhile projects we read about daily, I can't quite remember how I found out abut this brilliant documentary but I'm glad I did and that I dug further and managed to get a copy, one that I will cherish for years to come.Which side are you on?

Roads against hatred and intolerance

Still  from the short film 'Dark Angel' about Sophie' death

Sophie Lancaster was a young woman who got murdered by a gang of teenage males while she was walking through a park in Rossendale, Lancashire, in  2007. The simply reason for this atrocious and unspeakable act was the way Sophie and her boyfriend, Robert Maltby, dressed and looked.Sophie and Robert chose to dress differently, to express their creativity and interests in a way that was different to the majority; they were part of the goth subculture.That someone's life can be so cruel and cowardly brought to an end is a sad indictment of our 21st century.Prejudice and hatred are still rife, especially towards those who are and/or look different.
At Tea & Sympathy we are proud to report that Sophie's mum, Sylvia, gathered the courage and strenght to work towards ensuring that Sophie's dead is not in vain, something she and other equally committed people do through the Sophie Lancaster Foundation,which was created as an educational tool to 'stamp out prejudice and promote respect and understanding amongst subcultures'.The foundation's work is key to try to raise awareness about issues like this one, and it should be a priority for any government in conjunction with educational organisations and communities.
The above mentioned short film Dark Angel, made by French director Fursy Teyssier with the soundtrack provided by Portishead is a heartbreaking  and poignant piece that illustrates Sophie's fate on the day she was attacked; it is a wonderful and somehow uplifting tribute to a young person who saved her boyfriend's life with her death.As the marvellous voice of Beth Gibbons remind us in this great song (Roads):' how can it feel this wrong?'

Please click on this link to watch the whole short film and help spread the work of Sophie Lancaster Foundation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qW2ve6_BkRA

God save the Queeen ('cause tourists are money')

The Sex Pistols en route for their 1977 jubilee celebrations

This weekend's Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations are a good excuse to remind us that not everyone in Britain cares or is proud of the royal family and what they symbolise. In 1977, the punk group Sex Pistols organised their very own 'boat trip' down the river Thames, which was a way of  mocking the official one the Queen and her troupe had planned for a couple of days later. As you can imagine, that trip ended in chaos when the police intervened but the Pistols' song God Save the Queen became a major hit, outselling more 'respectable' and 'serious' artists.This is all the more interesting since it is important to remember that this song became the most heavily censored record in British history, according to music critic Alex Petridis. Predictably enough, the BBC and most independent radios refused to air the song.
People may or may not like the Sex Pistols (and I'm not a huge fan either, specially considering some of the group's members latest media antics) but it is undeniable that the sight of a punk group playing Anarchy in the UK outside the Houses of Parliament  and openly criticising monarchy is a refreshing one, which takes an even bigger significance now that the whole establishment (from bankers to politicians and other vampires) has been exposed over and over again as rotten to the core.It certainly takes guts and determination to expose the monarchy, and everything they represent, on a boat trip bound to incense and infuriate the elites and their acolytes.
No doubt, this weekend the 'real' national anthem will be played a few times, the Queen will be politely praised and thanked for her services to the nation and all that boring ritual that follows but an ever-growing number of  people will also look back to 1977 and wonder once again what is the point of such an outdated and elitist institution.

And now for the good news

News worth reading

Unlikely as it may seem, it's not all doom and gloom out there.It is very tempting,and at times hardly difficult to avoid the idea that we are forever swamped and buried under layers of negative news;switch your radio/TV/PC on and you are likely to be fed a torrent of by now depressingly familiar and repetitive news that can only confirm, yet again, the stupidity and greediness of a ruling elite that continues to fiddle while a system they helped create (and benefit from) crumbles.
Which is why is all the more refreshing and exciting when one finds out about projects such as Positive News (positivenews.org.uk); with the motto'Inspiration for a change', this is a newspaper aiming at doing what it says on the tin.Focusing on solutions and projects that bring sustainability and contribute towards a fairer world, Positive News is a timely reminder of the wealth of very interesting, creative and proactive communities that don't necessarily find their voices heard in the mainstream media.
Flicking through the pages of the latest print issue(Spring 2012)found in a North London organic restaurant, I learnt about, for example,how more and more people are choosing to break their ties with traditional banking and shift their money to ethical banks, thanks to the success of the Move Your Money UK campaign;also, it was nice to read how the online campaigning organisation Avaaz is giving voice to millions of activists on a range of issues;and have you ever heard of initiatives such as Cidades Sem Fome,which work in the Sao Paolo shanty towns, reducing hunger and joblessness through different actions linked to urban agriculture.
So in a matter of a few minutes I was reminded of the power of staying positive and how through organised and conscious action,communities can develop social and environmentally responsible projects.I also realised about the importance of spreading the word, a word that will ultimately inspire others to achieve this change.Beat the gloom,Roll on the positive news!

TED:food for thought

Amid the flurry of depressing news we are fed every day (corruption, incompetence and abuse of power- courtesy of the political and economic elites- unemployment, spending cuts, the ever-growing class gap, wars, drought...) it is almost- or at least it should be- compulsory to find a 'breathing space' against this confusing and terrifying spiral;more than ever, I think that we are desperately in need of reasons to be cheerful and try to keep an optimistic outlook on the world.I often find my share whenever I come across passionate people oozing talent and that 'can-do' attitude; they are the people who make the world go round, to paraphrase The Stylistics.
I was reminded of all that last weekend thanks to the TEDx event organised in London by the UK's oldest Sunday paper, The Observer.
If you haven't heard about TED, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, it is definitely worth checking their website (www.ted.com);dating back to the mid-eighties, this not-for-profit project aims to spread ideas that are worth...spreading. Hundreds of videos covering an amazingly wide range of topics are available on the project's website so I'll leave it to you to visit it and discover it and hopefully be inspired by any of these videos. A warning though, it may cause addiction...
TEDx organise events throughout the world;one of them took place, as mentioned, in London at the Saddler's Wells theatre (this event could be followed live at the venue, on screens or as I did, online). It was a day packed with presentations and performances by people who coming from different backgrounds presented an array of initiatives and ideas that can only be classed as inspiring, brave and  forward-looking.Speakers and performers included, among others, singer-songwriter Plan B who presented his forthcoming documentary iLL Manors on the grim reality of gun culture, Hackney's community worker and 'heroine' from last summer's riots Pauline Pearce as well as Peter Lovatt and Alvaro Restrepo's work in Bogota's neighbourhoods in which dance is used as a creative tool to build self-esteem and fight exclusion.
In short, this was a day to feel optimistic and enthusiastic;a day where food for thought was indeed served and hopefully digested by the audience.Inspiration met action.

Emmeline Pankhurst: 'deeds not words'

As the world marks today International Women's Day, here at T&s we will also have our own small event with the screening of a fabulous film (Made in Dagenham) that highlights the struggle of a group of women who were working at a factory and fought for equal pay in the 60s. Long before that fight, there were many other ones throughout the world; this post wants to celebrate the figure of a woman whose legacy is today acknowledged as helping to raise awareness about society's injustices towards women. Emmeline Pankhurst was a British political activist and suffragette who created and led the Women's Social and Political Union, a movement that defended and carried out civil disobedience acts; she took part in different hunger strikes and travelled widely, campaigning for women's equality and of course the right to vote. For some, Pankhurst remains a controversial figure not only because of her tactics but also her late defence of the British Empire and its values. That aside, it seems clear that Pankhurst was a pivotal figure whose influence towards the creation of a feminist movement and conscious has to be recognised and praised.
So let's raise our mug (or cup) and toast to all the women who have and are doing their bit towards a fairer society.

Go west, young man...

It is not very often that a book grabs my interest in such a way as John Steinbeck's  The Grapes of Wrath did when I read it a few months back. So much has been said and written about this masterpiece that any attempt at giving any thoughtful insight is bound to either sound pretentious, clichéd or both.
But what really struck me about  this great book was the fact that, though published in 1939, it felt as though it were depicting a very contemporary story. The Joads' hardships and their odyssey in search of El Dorado could be (and it has been) retold in countless occasions and circumstances, whenever a migrant community falls victim to rapacious and benefit-led people; by following the adventures of the Joads, you will find yourself with a story that is depressingly similar to what we daily read and witness in many parts throughout the world.
Perhaps unsurprisingly- giving the fact that the book is a direct denunciation of the consequences of unregulated and wild capitalism- The Grapes of Wrath was criticised by some people when it was first published; it was accused of having socialist leanings*  and a smear campaign was orchestrated by politicians and the media. Again, this sounds all too familiar and similar cases happen every so often, whenever an inconvenient truth is aired.
Today, individuals and families find themselves in similar situations; the current financial meltdown offers no perspective and migration is the only option left again for many people in these bleak times. A new generation is on the move and, almost a century later, things are not much different to what the Joads went through. Remember the 'we are the 99% campaign'?
John Ford's film based on the book has contributed to further the book's popularity, thus giving faces to the different family members we get to know so well. Bruce Springsteen also wrote a song with his own lyrics inspired by this universal story for his 1995 album The Ghost of Tom Joad ('I'm sitting down here in the campfire light/ Waitin' on the ghost of Tom Joad').
It is not an easy read and it won't have you laughing out loud  but it is as relevant, haunting and poignant as it was in 1939. To me, that is the true sign of a major piece of art. A must-read, if you ask me.
*Source: Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism ©2003 Gale Cengage