Blackbright News to Widen Your Perceptions

Black - B r i g h t Stimuates - Educates - Motivates A Philanthropic Publication that Inspires by Sharing Information, Concepts & Opinions Issue 33

What’s Inside...?

ISSN No. 1751-1909 Blackbright News Magazine (not for profit) Registered Office Studio 57 LU2 0QG Tel: 01582 721 605

- Editorial, Stupidity made me do it!

- Iddah (Waiting Period) An insight into Islam

email: blackbrightnews@aol.com ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

- Are Hijabis treated with Respect or Disdain?

- Can we bring Manhood Back - Mummy, don’t force me!

- Will new Welfare Reform tip us over into poverty?

Founder & Managing Editor Myrna Loy Logo: Flo Alowaja Photos taken from Google Images Graphic Design: M Loy For previous issues go to: www.issuu.com/blackbrightnews

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- Silk or Carpet?

The Power of Words - Changing Mental Challenges together - Big Brother is watching us (under the guise of Universal Credit) - When Poets become Philosophers

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- Children and their emotional wellbeing

The turning point for me, was a channel that played Demarco’s “It’s my life”, which is a reggae track. Everyone, regardless of age were dancing dancehall style. I identified with the energy and then listen to Pastor Goodman who was really down to earth. I took a note of the location and the venue and decided to check it out.

I have come to the conclusion that (and this is my interpretation only), the Bible is a motivational tool. While it warns about hellfire and damnation, by and large, it is a reinforcer of what great human beings we can become.

I found it comforting reading the Bible because there were so many passages that made me feel supported; accepted - I also got the sense that there was someone there for me.

I went through a period a couple of months ago, when I felt totally confused. It was as if, I could no longer rely on my gut instinc to protect me. I realised I had misjudged situations over and over and chastised myself for making the same mistake over and over again The words, “make a mistake once, you can be forgiven but make the same mistake twice – you are a fool”, rang in my head. I felt so stupid and wretched that I needed uplifting - I decided to tune into the Inspiration Channel on Sky TV. I had a couple of weeks off work, and with remote in hand, I went through various relgious channels for 14 days. I flicked between one preacher to the other at 30 minute intervals, trying to find someone who would make me feel better and I came across a Japanese preacher by the name of Joseph Prince – he was an educator who kept stressing that it didn’t matter how many mistakes his congregation made, they had been forgiven through grace. I wondered if that message applied to me. I pressed teh down arrow on the remote and watched Joyce Meyer – her high pitched voice irritated me at first, but there was something in the way she walked confidently to and fro and commanded the attention of her enormous congregation that capitvated me.

I now understood why so many people filled the American arenas to listen to inspirational speakers like Joyce Meyer, Joel Osteen and Joseph Prince because they, like me, needed constant reinforcement that it was OK to make mistakes and that we are accepted regardless of how stupid we feel.. It was encouraging finding out that regardless of how impatient anyone is; what prison sentence they have completed; what drugs they have taken; whether they are low-income and disadvantaged, middle class and aspiring or upper class and still yearning, there was a passage that would make them feel better. The Bible promises what we all want to hear, i.e., that regardless of what we have done, what we look like and where we are from we are all equally loved and can aspire to greatness.

Some of us are embarrassed about things we have done; others believe they are not good enough to have good things happen to them; many continue to judge themselves against others and feel discouraged. Doing ‘wrong’ doesn’t necessarily mean we get written off, we are encouraged to reflect and do better.

The Bible stimulated my conscience - it made me reflect on my behavior and encouraged me to be more thoughtful kind and forgiving, and the weird thing is, it made me feel so much better about myself and other people!.

I switched over to Joel Olsteen, a motivational speaker who was very inspiring.. He had a gentle voice, a warm smile and humble stance. He would start off with a joke Myrna Loy and used self-disclosure to identify with his congregation.

His key message was ‘do not worry’, whatever we have done wrong, we have been forgiven for it. The reinforcement of positive messages over 14 days of being accepted, forgiven and loved, compelled me to buy a Bible online and start reading it..

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nant though, then the iddah will be over when she delivers.

INSIGHT INTO ISLAM...

Iddah (The Waiting Period) In Islam there is a waiting period called an ‘iddah’ one has to observe if they wish to divorce their spouse. (Practising) Muslims follow the rules of iddah because it is a commandment of God, written in the Qur’an.

One of the main purposes of iddah is that if a woman were to get married straight after her divorce and got pregnant, it would cause complications in terms of figuring out who the father of her child is. That is partly why the waiting period before re-marriage is there, in case of unexpected pregnancy. The iddah length varies depending on the circumstance.

Iddah literally means to keep ‘count’ because that is exactly what the spouses are expected to do - keep count and when the prescribed time is up, they are then officially ‘divorced’.

When a husband chooses to divorce his wife this is called ‘talaq’ and for this the iddah lasts three menstrual cycles i.e. three months. Not only will this enable the woman to figure out if she’s pregnant or not, it will give the man time to think deeply about the life-changing decision he’s making. Divorce is completely acceptable in Islam, but Islam also places great importance on the sanctity of marriage so therefore divorce isn’t something one should rush to. This is also why talaq isn’t accepted in certain situations, so for example if he’s angry it doesn’t count because he’s acting on emotion etc. If the woman does turn out to be preg-

If a wife however chooses to divorce her husband, this is called ‘khul’ (or ‘khula’ I think) and the iddah for this is one menstrual cycle i.e. one month. One menstrual cycle is enough because by then she would gave figured out whether she is pregnant or not. So after that month is up she is no longer married to him.

You may recall that I once wrote “women have far more rights in Islam than men do” and this is one of them. If a woman wants to leave her husband she has to wait a month, whereas if he wants to do it he’d have to wait three months.

If a husband and wife have never been intimate (more specifically, never been alone together where no one can see them), then there’s no iddah at all (because there’s no chance of a baby).

I hope I’ve answered your questions. Again I may take a while getting back to you because I’m busy with all my work and I won’t be free until April or something. But hopefully I’ll try and squeeze in time to write back to you, the same way you did to me. And in case you’re still wondering, my dissertation topic is on media ideological manipulation, I’m studying language used in newspapers. Hopefully I’ll manage to get all my work done so I can finally breathe. I miss having a life (smile).

By Sana (Luton)

up having the whole pavement to myself! There is something about the hijab that commands respect, especially from males.

Don’t get me wrong, girls in hijab also get abused and treated with disdain, but that is usually from racist bigots. There are a lot of good non-Muslim folks out there too. The stories I have shared about experiences with wearing hijab are my own and I write this because ‘hijab experience’ stories will obviously differ from girl to girl. So therefore my experiences can not be taken as a generalisation. I know some women who have never been harassed, but I also know of other girls who have been beaten up and had their headscarves pulled off, just for wearing it. However in spite of the different experiences and reactions we receive, the overriding factor that every hijabi I’ve met agrees with me on, is the level of respect we get treated because of our attire.

Dear Editor In response to your question on the response or received by women wearing a Hijab.

I personally feel honoured because I am treated with such respect because of my hijab. Most people behave this way because they associate the attire with Godliness. Muslims treat hijabi’s (girls in hijab) with respect. The attitude is somewhat expected because I’m ‘one of them’, but what’s extraordinary is when some non-Muslim men exhibit respectful behaviour as well. For instance there is a man who lives just up my road and he is always seen walking his dogs. Whenever he sees me, he stops and he tells his dogs to stop, and goes to the other side of the pavement to let me pass. Another time there was this teenage boy - cap; hoodie; walking with a limp; giving off the don’tmess-with-me vibe, accompanied by a grizzly scary looking dog... but when he saw me (I was walking on the same side as the dog) he moved his dog over to his other side and shifted himself over too.

So whilst he was walking near the bushes, I ended 5

I’m no psychologist so I don’t know the exact reason why we command respect from some nonMuslim men, but I think it’s something to do with the fact that a lot of the time men tend to judge a woman based on her appearance - it’s usually the first thing they notice. So maybe when they see a girl covered up, they are then left with no choice but to appreciate her for her other qualities (personality, character etc) as her beauty is hidden.

That’s just my opinion because that is what I have experienced.

When I didn’t wear a hijab, boys used to start conversations with me. I (being a naive teen) thought they were just being friendly. However, after I put on the hijab, these same types of boys no longer noticed me and I basically became invisible. It was only then that I eventually came to realise that a girls’ value in society, unfortunately, rests on her appearance - the more skin she shows, the more attractive she will be in the eyes of men.

den tool? You can count me out! I’m so glad and proud of my ‘hijab experience’ because it made me understand this important life lesson.

Just the other day I was listening to an Islamic lecture given by a Muslim woman who is a convert and she said when she first put on a hijab, it made her realise that she couldn’t just “flutter her eyelashes” and get her way with people, she had to work a lot harder for things that normally came so easily. I remember listening to this thinking: that is sooo true! It really is. I love my hijab because without it I wouldn’t have become the woman that I am today.

Women like attention because it’s what makes them feel beautiful. Yet what saddens me is that they use the frequency of male attention as a measuring stick to determine their level of beauty, hence using it as a means of determining their own sense of ‘value’.

So a girl who doesn’t get any attention may wrongly assume she’s worthless. This is why if a girl doesn’t have self-confidence, she will struggle with wearing hijab because dressing like that in front of a guy may mean he will not acknowledge her.

Another perk is that I know when I meet prince charming someday, he will like me for who I am because with a hijab there’s nothing to see on a girl’s outside - you’re sort of forced to appreciate her for her character. So in essence he’ll choose me because he’ll truly love me for the kind of person I am on the inside. Also the very first time he will see me without my hijab will be on our wedding day, when I’ll be the opposite - all dolled up! It may sound corny but I think that makes it more special. I feel sorry for girls who reach the stage where they finally decide to let their partner see them without makeup, because I see how much it frightens some of them as they feel like their partner may no longer find them attractive. It’s sad really. No disrespect to them but I would never want to experience anything like that, I rather do it the Islamic way.

If a guy completely ignores or disregards a hijabi whilst paying attention to the ‘Barbie look-a-like’ beside her, it could reveal how shallow/superficial he really is. Likewise if he flirts with a hijabi and asks for her number etc. it will show the lack of respect he has toward her and her/his own religion. These are just a few examples of how a man’s character will be exposed - I have seen this type of thing many times.

Like I said, women like attention because it makes them feel beautiful, but what they don’t understand is that if her looks are all a man sees in her, then she is no different to a KFC drumstick. In other words, a piece of meat!

As a young teen, things like this never crossed my mind. I used to think it’s good if boys thought you were pretty. However, after I grew up and matured a little, I realised pretty looks is not enough because these are the same guys who will drop a girl like a habit the moment she gains a bit of weight, gets pimples, etc. Who on earth, with an ounce of dignity, would want to be treated like that - put down, picked up, put down ... like they’re some kind of gar-

by Khadeeja, Luton (not her real name)

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her own genre of music, backed a lot of reggae veterans but never quite made it as a lead singer or famous soloist, which was her ambition.

Patience had no sisters, but had three brothers - all older than her.

Patience told me once that her mother was always telling her eldest brother that he was a lazy good for nothing and wished he was more like her other two brothers.

or Carpet Are you a Product of People’s Opinions?

Words carry power. I wonder how many of you grew up being compared to your brother, sister, a distant relative or a celebrity? Do you remember how that made you feel? It probably made you feel inadequate, insecure, defeated and rejected. Depending on the source, you could have felt like a disappointment.

Most people who push labels that make us feel inadequate, don’t mean to be cruel, they are usually projecting from their own experiences, that is why it is so important not to allow negative criticism to define us. For example, young people who hear things like: “Why can’t you be like..”; “you will never amount to anything...” and if you are a young person constantly being fed negative messages, you can grow up feeling mediocre, that you have made too many mistakes so you won’t amount to anything or be accepted.

Worse still, that you will never achieve success or be in a position of influence.

Words can destroy or empower.

My best friend at school was called Patience. She was Ghanain and came from a family of musicians. Her father was a brilliant Jazz pianist, her brothers all played instruments and I recall backed a popular reggae group. Patience was a greast artist who created

Patience met Ben who was in the American Navy and got married to him at 19 years old. As her parents had a very large house, she and husband lived there planning to buy their own home later on.

Patience’s mother saw Ben as a role model. An American, working good money and a good provider for her daughter. Ben was also disciplined, astute, clean and hardworking so her mother saw in Ben, everything she did not see in her eldest son which frustrated her. She started to reinforce the negative message hoping that her words would encourage him to do better: “Why can’t you be more like Ben – look how neat he is; look how hard he works; look how disciplined he is...” and so on. Patient’s brother heard that message time and time again, and interpreted it as rejection - that he wasn’t good enough; that he wasn’t accepted. One day he snapped killing his mother, father, Patient’s husband and causing grevious bodily harm to Patience - nearly puncturing her lung when he stabbed her. She physically survived the trauma, but never fully psychologically or emotionally.

Words give life and they can take life!

We cannot minmise the impact of words, and Patience’s mother thought she would motivate her son to go out and work, but instead, her words dragged him down and destroyed her son’s sense of morale, sense of manhood and sense of self-esteem.

What I have written is a tragic and factual example of what words can do, so we need to be wary about what we say

to others.

mother had ‘bad’ knees and could hardly walk; my mother has bad knees ended up having several surgeries and suffering immense pain and finally had her leg amputated.

Time and time again, we hear of ‘unprovoked’ mass killings of children in schools, in what appears to be random acts, e.g. Adam Lanza who sprayed 150 bullets in 6 minutes in Newtown, Sandy Hook (USA) killing 20 children and 7 adults! None of us know what words were reinforced throughout the murderer’s life!

I used to say, “I am going to have bad knees as well – it is hereditary”, but seeing the pain my mother went through, I rejected that legacy. I decided, I am not going to have bad knees and started taking preventative measures, i.e., calcium, cod liver oil, extra Vitamin D, and slowly the twinges disappeared. If I had continually moaned about my knees, accepting specialilsts’ diagnosis of a degenerative disorder, I would be limping around requesting a knee replacement!

if I am admonished or put down – I will go to great lengths to redeem myself. I was, and sometimes still am, rebellious, but not everyone is like that, some crumble under attack. Most chastisers have good intentions, their words, although harsh, are meant to motivate, but everyone is created from different cloth; some of us are made from silk, others are made from carpet. Some, depending on their upbringing, are very fragile, while others are more resilient; some of us can withstand the wear and tear of reprimands, while others are so delicate, they shred, tearing the whole fabric.

We have to be so careful about what we say to ourselves and to others. I am always self-talking – and sometimes I catch myself telling myself something negative, and I change it quick time.

Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having negative thoughts, but it is the nurturing of negative thoughts that is destructive!

I have my mother’s genes. My mother is a resilient woman, with a great sense of humour and a lot of faith in God. I place my mother on a pedestal as being one of the greater matriarchs in my lifetime, not just because she is my mother, but be-

While it is important not to say negative things to ourselves, it is just as important not to speak negatively to others and to reject negative messages from others.

Sometimes, people sandwich compliments –“That was good, but...” Try to be careful about what people say to you, and how you absorb it.

I am aware of my responsibility with Black-Bright News magazine, and conscious that anything I write or publish can impact someone positively or negatively. I am also wary about what images I use, what articles I accept and what messages I promote.

cause she is a testament of strength, fortitude, charity and has a smile that lights up the room.

I listen to friends who are constantly telling me how sick, in pain, or demotivated they are and wonder if they are talking ‘defeat’ over their lives without realising it.

I remember when my knee started hurting me about two years ago. My grand-

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We all have an individual and personal responsibility to reject negative labels that people give us. We need to stay close to people who have faith in us and who can encourage us. We need to be sceptical of people who constantly criticise us or disappoint us and who ultimately prevent us from reaching our full potential. There are many ways to breakdown willpower and commitment –

so we need to arm ourselves with a positive self-image, confidence and determination to do well.

supposed to get at the end of each day – that is called administration; you try to keep your customers coming back – that is called customer service!” What Joel was proving was that skills are transferrable, so think outside the box!

Words are like seeds, they can be planted in your mind, and if you dwell on them long enough, they will take root. Depending on whether the words are constructive or destructive, will determine how you react/respond to individual situations, so try to ensure that if you are pondering or dwelling on the words that enter your mind, that they are of the constructive kind so that when they take root, it will produce positive outcomes.

Some people cannot see beyond what is in front of them – we all need to widen our horizons and enhance our vision. We need to look for the uniqueness in ourselves and embrace it.

So this is about us all, embracing that part of us, that is unique and marketing it to others. We are all masterpieces in our own right; we are all one of a kind which means that we are all valuable.

You are not the product of people’s opinions, i.e. too old, too fat, too young or too ugly. People cannot tell you who you are and do not determine your destiny, you do! You can be unemployed, but you are not unemployable unless you deem yourself to be. The only power that the words people say have over you, is the power you give them.

Nothing negative that anyone says to you

Parents or teachers who chastise children with harsh words are usually coming from a place of sincerity and an assessment made at that particular time. However, you should have your own opinion of yourself and decide that you can achieve anything you want and believe it!

can define you. Take it on the chin, and if you feel it is constructive you can learn from it, but if it is destructive - dismiss it.

Words to uplift should come from a place of sincerity, awareness and consciousness, never from jealousy, fear or inferiority. You will find when you let insults bounce off you, you will become more resilient; you will start achieving things you never thought you could, and you will leave behind a positive legacy for those around you.

Some people may feel disadvantaged because of poor literacy skills, but they can improve their levels if they really want to.

We have all made mistakes, but it’s not the end of the world - in other words, don’t let perceived obstacles discourage you.

I listened to Joel Osteen who was talking about changing labels. He spoke about a drug dealer who said to him: “I can’t change my life – I have always been a drug dealer, it is all I know”. Joel said to him: “The same skills you use as a drug dealer you can use to sell stocks and bonds, i.e., You attract customers – that is called ‘advertising’; you know how much you sell and how much you are

Remember: You are not what people call you, but what you answer to!

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With so many men being raised by women can we bring manhood back?

Many single mothers try their best to bring up their sons in the best possible way, but tend to overcompensate for not having a father figure. Even in a committed relationships, whether the mother and father are together, boys tend to lean towards their mothers, and mothers tend to spoil them regardless of how big they grow or old they get. Many mothers continue to cook for their sons, clean for them, complete forms for them, pay their bills, lie for them, iron their clothes, give them money and get them out of sticky situations regardless of their age.

While this way of raising male children is wellmeaning, it can cause dependency and self-sufficiency issues. When young men who have been ‘mothered’ enter relationships, they are more likely to move into a home a woman has already built or set up; they are also more likely to expect their partner to cook, clean and iron for them; lean on their partner to pay the bills and make all the decisions - in other words, continue the role of their mothers in looking after them.

band’ attractive: “I don’t mind kicking back why my missus goes out to work – she earns more than me anyway!” but if they were in touch with their manhood, they would repel the idea.

Men were born to be productive and to be providers for their family.

The ‘system’ has, and continues to make it difficult for the majority seeking work and financial sustenance, so that men who have not been raised to be resilient, are more likely to feel useless, incapable and insecure.

When a man lives off of a woman, his manhood is in question. He may feel anger, frustration, resentment that he is unable to do what he was called to do and may disguise it under flippancy, adultery, arguments or lack of interest.

Wives/partners may be willing to accommodate their unemployed spouse at the beginning, but they soon grow resentful having to foot bills and take on other financial responsibilities by themselves.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not suggesting that if you Many men find the prospect of being a ‘house hus- 10 have been in a long-term relationship, and your

husband/man has been made redundant, that you do not support him, but to look at the mindset of the man who has lost his job to see if he is determined to get another one regardless of what he has to do. Is he prepared and able to learn new skills or is he too proud or arrogant to accept a job below his qualifications? Is he prepared to do 2-3 jobs to make up the difference in pay or is he looking for one job that does all? Conversely, women should not be moaning when they know their partner is working to keep food on the table, they should remain loyal, patient and committed.

Too many men have tried to provide for their family by taking on 2-3 jobs, sacrificing home life to ensure that bills are being paid, only to have it thrown back in their face, that they are never at home to spend quality time with the family - you can’t have it both ways!

If conflict arises, it means that couples need to reexamine their priorities. They need to conduct a force field analysis to determine what is restraining quality time, and what can facilitate it, and examine what is really important to both partners, and how can they both work together to achieve it.

At a time when money and unity in the family is a rare commodity - you need to be thinking about rebuilding, restructuring, relearning and re-establishing unity of thought, goals and dreams to make things work, regardless of whether central government is trying to push you further and further into poverty. As men, you must believe, “I have dreams, hopes, passion and a creative mind – I will work my way out and up!” Only then can he bring manhood back, fulfil his destiny to become the warrior he was created to be.

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EDWARD KAMAU , POET AND WRITER (b.1930) Poet, playwright, critic, and historian, whose works deal with the complex Caribbean heritage and its African roots. Braithwaite has been a major proponent of the use of “nation language”, which is closely allied to the African experience in the Caribbean. It is not dialect or creole merely, but “the kind of English spoken by the people who were brought to the Caribbean, not the official English now, but the language of slaves and labourers, the servants who were brought in”.

Never seen a man travel more seen more lands than this poor pathless harbourless spade. (from Rights of Passage, 1967)

Edward Kamau Brathwaite was born Lawson Edward Brathwaite in Bridgetown, as the son of Hilton Brathwaite, a warehouse clerk, and the former Beryl Gill. He attended Harrison College, an elite school, and then went with a Barbados Scholarship to England, where he studied history at Pembroke College, Cambridge. From 1950 he started to publish short stories, literary criticism, and poetry in the West Indian magazine Bim, edited by Frank Collymore.

department of the Ministry of Education. “I want to submit that the desire (even the need) to migrate is at the heart of West Indian sensibility,” wrote Brathwaite in 1957 in Bim, “whether that migration is in fact or by metaphor.”

In 1957 a new nation, Ghana, was born, and became a model for other colonies struggling for independence. During these years Braithwaite familiarized himself with traditional verse and precolonial African myths, which were considered an essential part in building a new Ghanaian cultural identity. Brathwaite was influenced especially by the work of Kwabena Nketia, the director of Ghana Institute for Study of African Culture.

Braithwaite established a children’s theatre, and wrote children’s books and plays, of which Odale’s Choice was later produced by the Trinidad Theatre Workshop.

Brathwaite married in 1960 Doris Welcome; they had one son. He returned to the West Indies in 1962 and was appointed a tutor in the department of Extra-Mural Studies of the University of the West Indies in St. Lucia. Next year he moved to the Mona campus of the university, in Kingston, Jamaica. He produced programs for the Windward Island Broadcasting Service, was the founding secretary of the Caribbean Artists’ Movement in 1966 and in 1970 started to edit its magazine Savacou. Deeply conscious of his social role both as poet and professional historian, he started after 1976 to use the culturally divided first names Edward Kamau.

After graduating with honours in 1953, Brathwaite studied for a year for a teacher’s certificate. In England he felt an outsider but entered the British Brathwaite received his Ph.D. from the University colonial service, and left in 1955 for the Gold Coast of Sussex in 1968. His dissertation was titled The (now Ghana), where he worked at the textbook 12 Development of Creole Society in Jamaica 1770-

1820 (1971). The years were to Braithwaite of crucial importance for the direction and limitation of Jamaican creole identity. To heal the traumas of colonialism, he has suggested that the denigrated Creole language should be introduced into the education system. Braithwaite’s other notable scholar works include Jazz and the West Indian Novel, published in Bim in 1967 and The Folk Culture of Jamaican Slaves (1969).

In 1983 Brathwaite was appointed professor of social and cultural history at the University of the West Indies, where he worked until 1991. After retiring he spent some time as a visiting professor in America, and in 1993 he became professor of comparative literature at New York University.

Among Brathwaite’s several awards are the Cholmondely Award in 1970, Guggenheim and Fulbright fellowships in 1983, and the Neustadt Prize from 1994.

In his poetry Brathwaite has infused European and African influences. He combines spoken word with modernist techniques, and new spellings, and uses rhythms from jazz and folk music. But in Braithwaite, play with words and linguistic inventions are not a manifestation of self-absorbed individualism or postmodern ironic attitude toward aesthetic practices. His poetry is a part of the collective search of Caribbean identity and racial wholeness. Feelings of rootlessness emerge often from Braithwaite’s poems, and in an interview he has confessed that his travels have given him a sense of movement and restlessness.

Brathwaite made his breakthrough with the dazzling trilogy Rights of Passage (1967), written while he taught at the University of the West Indies, Masks (1968), and Islands (1969), reissued in one volume as The Arrivants: A New World Trilogy (1973). Its central theme is a Dantesque spiritual journey in which the Paradise is lost, but eventually it leads to a recovery and rebirth into knowledge of the past. The Arrivants starts with an alienated voice saying: “To hell / with Af- / rica / to hell / with Eu/ rope too, / just call my blue / black bloody spade / a spade and kiss / my ass. O- / kay? So / let’s begin.” The journey continues as an examination of the black condition in America, heard

through several voices. Masks is a dream and pilgrimage to the forest empire of Ashanti. “But the way lost / is a way to be found / again; / the moist / stones, warm / pebbles of rain, / move into tossed / leaves of darkness; round / my mud hut I hear again / the cry of the lost / swallows, horizons’ halloos, found- / ationless voices, voyages.../” Islands moves from Africa to the Caribbean world, to its beauty, myths, and violent history.

Brathwaite normally uses the computer in his writing. In the poem ‘Stone’ from Middle Passages, dedicated to Mickey Smith, who was stoned to death on Stony Hill, Kingston, he combined basic word processing techniques with deliberate mispellings, onomatopoeia, graphic rendition of the rhythm and syntax of agitated everyday speech: “murderrrrrrrrr / & i throat like dem tie. like dem tie. like dem tie a tight tie a. / round it. twist. in my name quick crick . quick crick . / & a nevva wear neck. tie yet .” (from Middle Passages, 1992) The term ‘Middle Passages’ refers to the trip across the Atlantic Ocean that slaves experienced before arriving in America.

In Black + Blues (1976), which earned Braithwaite a prize at the Cuban Casa de las Americas poetry competition, he plunged into the language and experience of Rastafarian and urban slum subculture. The Zea Mexican Diary (1993) was a tribute the poet’s wife, Doris, written in 1986 when Brathwaite learned that she was dying of cancer. It was composed in “nation language” of Jamaica and Caribbean. Mother Poem (1977), Sun Poems (1982), and X/Self (1987) form a family trilogy with autobiographical elements, which tries to give a total picture of the Caribbean experience. The trilogy starts with the world of Caribbean women, and focuses then on fathers and following generations.

Source: (http://westindianencyclopedia.com/wiki/Edward_Kamau_Brathwaite)

Kamau Brathwaite: The Emigrants (1967) From his: Rights of Passage[excerpts]

In London, Undergrounds are cold.

The train rolls in from darkness with our fears and leaves a lonely soft metallic clanking in our ears.

So you have seen them with their cardboard grips, felt hats, rain-cloaks, the women with their plain or purple-tinted coats hiding their fattened hips.

These are The Emigrants.

On sea-port quays at airports anywhere where there is ship or train, swift motor

In New York nights are hot in Harlem, Brooklyn, along Long Island Sound This city is so vast its ears have ceased to know a simple human sound Police cars wail like babies an ambulance erupts like breaking glass an elevator sighs like Jews in Europe’s gasses then slides us swiftly down the ropes to hell, Where is the bell that used to warn us, playing cricket on the beach, that it was mid-day: sun too hot for heads. And evening’s angelus of fish soup, prayers, bed?

car, or jet to travel faster than the breeze you see them gathered: passports stamped their travel papers wrapped in old disused newspapers: lining their patient queues.

Where to?

They do not know.

Canada, the Panama Canal, the Mississippi painfields, Florida?

Or on to dock at hissing smoke locked Glasgow?

Why do they go?

They do not know.

Seeking a job they settle for the very best the agent has to offer: jabbing a neighbour out of work for four bob less a week.

What do they hope for what find there these New World mariners Columbus coursing kaffirs What Cathay shores for them are gleaming golden what magic keys they carry to unlock

The chaps who drive the City buses don’t like us clipping for them much; in fact, make quite a fuss.

Bus strikes loom soon.

The men who lever ale in stuffy Woodbine pubs don’t like us much.

No drinks there soon.

Or broken bottles.

The women who come down to open doors a crack will sometimes crack your fingers if you don’t watch out.

Sorry! Full! Not even Bread and Breakfast soon for curly headed workers.

So what to do, man?

Ban the Bomb? Bomb the place down?

Boycott the girls?

Put a ban on all marriages? Call You’self X wear a beard and a turban washing your turbulent sex about six times a day: going Muslim?

Black as God brown is good white as sin?

An’ doan forget Jimmy Baldwin an’ Martin Luther King...

what gold endragoned doors?

But now the claws are iron: mouldy dredges do not care what we discover here: the Mississippi mud is sticky: men die there and bouquets of stench lie all night long along the river bank.

Our colour beats a restless drum but only the bitter come.

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change may therefore mean loss of entitlement to extra means tested benefits that depended on DLA such as blue badges, council tax discounts and the ability to access certain grants, as well as some carers losing Carers Allowance.

The poor seem to be paying for miscalculations of Central Government: For the post 1950s children, there does not seem to be enough money to pay pensions to those who have been paying into the system all their working lives.

HMRC ignores parts of income and assumes they know what you receive unless you tell them, overpay and then ask for it back

DID YOU KNOW...

Personal Independence Payments (replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA)) and will affect anyone between the ages of 16 – 64 years old.

There is nothing wrong with poverty as long as you can get out of it.

Benefit cap, which rolls out nationally in September will affect approximately 800 families in Luton, where benefits will be capped at £500 for couples and £350 for single people [Please Google the implications of this roll out!]

What I have written is a rough guide to some of what is being rolled out in the Welfare Reform Policy throughout 2013, so for specific and more accurate details, please visit the DWP website.

The Universal Credit which is payable to people whether in or out of work affects everyone, because it is subject to a benefit cap, e.g. Housing Benefit.

The new welfare reform policy is abolishing: Interest payments on mortgages for the unemployed

What are the exit strategies available today, for the poor?

emergency grants and interest free loans for household goods, clothing, bedding, replacement of lost or stolen items and living expenses etc

At the end of the 20th century, according to John Bird of Big Issue Magazine, there was a 70% increase in the middle classes, because people were able to work their way out of poverty, whether it was having a job ‘on the side’; having more than one job, or finding creative ways to make money, but now all of the escape routes out of poverty are being done away with.

Job Grants (i.e., £100-£150 formerly awarded when offered a new job) and aligning it with universal credit ESA. People who are getting ESA are having their claims stopped after 12 months (unless in ESA Support Group) and being asked to apply again via a means test. Many mental health service users in particular are having difficulty engaging with the ESA process – they are too fearful to attend medicals, or are being found fit for work or are losing their entitlement because of the new 12-month limit to contribution based ESA and are then failing the means-test because of savings or a partner’s income

The Big Issue Newspaper, which is a newspaper that is bought by the homeless for 50p and sold for £1, has proved to be a way to enable and empower the poor, because they are able to work (sell the magazine) and make money, but this is only one of a few.

The poor need to take responsibility of getting out of poverty, and NOT by hurting each other. They need to find a way out of self-abuse and Blackbright News welcomes suggestions.

From June 2013, DLA for working age claimants is being replaced over three years by a new benefit called Personal Independence Payment (PIP). This will require a new medical assessment conducted on behalf of the DWP. Around 20% of current DLA claimants are expected to lose some or all entitlement.

It is important to be aware that the loss of DLA/PIP may result in the loss of a disability status. The

John says: “It doesn’t matter what changes you, as long as you change”.

Change comes from believing and getting involved with others.

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Equifax, the Post Office and Sample IdP. But Dover said the department is taking an “open market” approach and would be inviting all providers to apply once the testing is complete.

Claimants will have the option of choosing their own trusted provider, which might even involve a supermarket brand, said Dover.

“The next step is the completion of integration testing on the beta. We are working with the Cabinet Office to make sure whatever plans we put in place are docked with them,” he said.

Did you know...?

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is testing a voice recognition system to authenticate claimants of its flagship Universal Credits system, as part of the department’s work on identity assurance (IDA)?

“None of this is new, the new thing is bringing it into reality. And the DWP with HM Revenue & Customs are doing just that. We are designing the service from a customer point of view. There are 162 top-level customer scenarios we are building through. We could deliver UC brilliantly in 2013, but it would be useless without a secure and straight-forward way to access it.”

IDA is the process citizens will have to go through to verify who they are when accessing public services online - a key part of the government’s aims to drive down costs by moving to a “digital by default” model. Central to the IDA proces will be the creation of a market of private sector identity assurance services to enable access.

The DWP is working with BT, which has partnered with specialist voice recognition technology company Nuance, to test the use of voice-print technologies.

Steve Dover, corporate director of major programmes at the DWP, said voice recognition could act as an initial log-in for claimants as part of the front-end of the Universal Credits (UC) application.

“We trialled a demo a couple of weeks ago, it is effective. Once the customer is authenticated, it puts them on a voice print. It’s not possible to just put on a different voice, Rory Bremner can’t crack this thing,” said Dover, speaking at the Trusted Serices and Identity Assurance event hosted by the Technology Strategy Board this week.

The DWP is doing beta testing for UC applications with providers including Microsoft, IBM and BT. The department is consulting with identity providers including PayPal, Transactis, Experian, 16

Iain Duncan Smith’s new database, being built in India, is set to be the most expansive data-mining operation ever carried out by any Government against it’s citizens.

The Universal Credit system will contain an unprecedented amount of information on all aspects of our lives, much of which will be controlled by private companies. In a chilling development it appears that the database will use ‘voice biometrics’ as part of its security protocols.

The new system, which is due to be launched in 2013, will dwarf the plans for a National Identity Register which was dropped by

Labour after storms of protest. With the advent of smart phone and hand held readers this new system could easily become an effective, electronic National Identity Card.

details of ethnicity, religion and sexuality.

Should you fall sick and need disability benefits then the database will also contain full details of your health condition. It will probably also have all the results of the planned regular health checks to be carried out by private companies like Atos and security companies like G4S. As Job Seekers Allowance is also to be built into the system, it is likely the database will include details of criminal records, job search activity, educational achievements and even your CV.

Universal Credit is the Government’s policy to replace all benefits and tax credits with one unified benefit. The database set up to manage it will be built into the tax system and rely on the ‘real time reporting’ system for tax payments which is currently in development. It is therefore likely that everyone, with or without a job, will find themselves on the database.

No Government before has ever attempted to collate such a huge amount of data on their citizens all in one place. It is not yet even known whether the system will have scope for further information retention as the project is shrouded in secrecy. Iain Duncan Smith has refused to say how the system will manage any child care payments or whether Council Tax is also to be built into the new software which IT insiders have nicknamed ‘The Beast’.

Under Real Time Reporting, the Government will require self-employed tax-payers and PAYE employers to submit monthly figures on earnings. The Government will know where you are on a month to month basis, unlike the current system which only relies on annual returns. This will create a huge amount of additional work and bureaucracy for self employed people and small firms alike. Like many aspects of the plans, this is something the Government hasn’t been particularly forthcoming about.

Universal Credit is set to be ‘digital by default’ meaning people will only be able to input information online. People without online access at home will be required to use insecure internet cafes and, if they can still find one, libraries, should they need to report in personal information changes to the Government.

Like the current tax database it will also contain details of whether you are married, your basic details such as name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number, along with details of your children. To accommodate the changes to child benefit, the database will also need details of whether you live with a partner even if you aren’t married.

Presumably this data will need to be updated ‘in real time’. If you split up with your partner, be sure to tell the Government as soon as possible.

Should you ever claim a benefit such as Housing Benefit, sick pay or Employment Support Allowance, the database will be even more intrusive. At present Housing Benefit data is largely collected locally, and requires a huge amount of information, ostensibly to prevent fraud. Claimants are required to provide full financial details, bank statements, tenancy agreements, details of anyone who may live with them, even housemates, plus information about the type of property, how many rooms it contains etc. All this information will now be held by central Government, quite likely along with information claimed to be for ensuring ‘equal opportunity’ such as

It is the voice recognition system however which will be of most concern to civil liberties campaigners. Known as ‘voice biometrics’ this relies on the fact that everyone has a unique ‘voice print’ which can be used to identify them. Whilst it has never been tested on such a huge scale, the DWP are trialling voice recognition technology right now in the hope of building it into the new system. This has the potential to become an ID Card by default. Whilst the police will not be able to demand to see your papers they will only need a sample of your voice to access your extensive government file. You have the right to remain silent. Follow me on twitter @johnnyvoid

17

For article on the DWP trialling voice recognition visit: http://www.computerweekly.com/news/224011029 3/Government-trials-voice-recognition-for-Universal-Credit-benefit-claims

Challenging Mental Health Prejudices Together

The two day festival of music, film, drama, comedy and wellbeing workshops celebrated the strengths and achievements of African and Caribbean people living with mental health problems. As part of the event volunteers who have experience of a mental illness engaged visitors in conversations about mental health by sharing their stories. They also informed people about Time to Change, and talked about why the festival was focusing on African and Caribbean communities.

By Hayley Richardson Mental health problems affect one in four of us, yet despite this stigma and discrimination is still debilitating the lives of many people and preventing them speaking out and seeking the support they need. Time to Change is England’s biggest programme to tackle this stigma and discrimination, and is run by the charities Mind and Rethink Mental Illness and funded by the Department of Health and Comic Relief. The programme aims to change attitudes so that everyone can speak openly about their experiences and lead discrimination free lives.

Among the many people who turned up to enjoy the festival were Chelsea’s first black footballer Paul Canoville and acclaimed boxer Herol ‘Bomber’ Graham. Both featured in ‘Black Men on the Couch’ workshops to talk powerfully to the audience about their experiences of mental health problems.

Nine out of 10 people with mental health problems face stigma and discrimination as a result, and this can manifest itself in different ways in different communities. Stereo-Hype encouraged African and Caribbean communities to talk openly about mental health with the conversation led by the community itself, and challenge prejudices that surround the issue. Time to Change hopes the event will encourage more people from this community to get more actively involved with the campaign.

People in all communities report stigma and discrimination and Time to Change works to create safe spaces to enable people with and without mental health problems to get together and start new conversations about the issue. Evidence suggests that this kind of ‘social contact’ is one of the most effective ways of breaking down stigma and improving attitudes.

Recently Time to Change worked with the east London mental health group Mellow, on a fun and engaging festival, ‘Stereo-Hype’, which aimed specifically to get people from the African and Caribbean community talking about mental health. This year’s festival attracted over 500 visitors.

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Festival Coordinator Sandra Griffiths said: “Many black people with mental health problems live in the community. The current debate needs to go beyond the question of why there are so many black people in the system and address the support systems for those who already live in the

community or who are released from hospital without a safety net. We also want to encourage black communities to start talking about what they can do to support black people with mental health problems and not just rely on mental health services to fill the gap.”

Time to Change has also just launched its latest national marketing campaign – ‘It’s time to talk.

It’s time to change’. The campaign encourages everyone, regardless of their background, to start a conversation around mental health. It also aims to remove the awkwardness around mental health by focusing on the small steps we can all take to support someone who’s going through a difficult time.

Since Time to Change began in 2007 there has been great progress in challenging the negative attitudes and behaviours around mental health problems. Last year in particular was a landmark year with many events and discussions that have really help to challenge some common misconceptions about people with mental health problems. Now this momentum has been achieved we need to grab it with both hands. There is a long way to go but if we all do our bit we can reach the tipping point where the topic of mental health isn’t something we shy away from.

The campaign is inspired by stories of real people who have been there for someone experiencing a mental illness. A new advert featuring these ‘everyday heroes’ was aired on TV screens throughout January and February to highlight the importance of staying in contact and being supportive of friends and family members.

By Hayley Richardson

As part of the campaign, Time to Change found that three quarters of people (75%) who have experienced a mental health problem say they have lost friendships as a result of their illness1.

1. It’s a LIE that …Being tough on yourself will lead to success.

Constantly criticising every move you make will slowly wear you down and undermine your will to try.

Furthermore, the survey found that 40%2 of British adults would feel awkward talking to a friend who was experiencing a mental health problem. And, only around a quarter (27%)2 feel it would be their responsibility to bring the subject up if they knew a friend was going through a tough time with their mental health.

2. It’s a LIE that …Self-compassion is a form of selfishness. In fact, people who are willing to give themselves a break are much more likely to be kind to other people, too.

Sadly, these findings show that despite many people knowing someone with a mental health problem, they still don’t feel equipped with enough knowledge to be a supportive friend.

The misconceptions that still surround people with a mental health problem make others worry about offending or embarrassing someone, or saying or doing the wrong thing. So people avoid seeing their friends or speaking to them, when in fact these are the very things that can be helpful.

4. It’s a LIE that …You should always be working to achieve some goal. Although it’s good to have a plan and direction in your life, we also need to be willing to alter our course if we learn that something different would be much better for us.

However, as part of the campaign, Time to Change shows people that you don’t have to be an expert to start a conversation about mental health. Being a supportive friend can include small gestures like sending a quick text or email, or an invitation to meet up.

3. It’s a LIE that …Security is something that’s achievable. The world is a changing and uncertain place. There’s little in this life that ever stays the same. It is better to aspire to be adaptable, and to learn to embrace the reality of change.

5. It’s a LIE that …Other people are all normal – but there’s something wrong with you. We’re all a bit weird, and have idiosyncrasies.

It’s just that you’re aware of your own quirks and flaws.

6. It’s a LIE that …Acquiring some new stuff or achieving that great goal will make you happy, or will turn your life around. But the truth is that happiness is always transitory. As soon as you have grasped it – it seems to get away. (Note: According to research into positive psychology, 10% of our happiness is the result of what is happening in the environment; 50% is dictated by genes; and 40% is determined by our attitude.)

7. It’s a LIE that …You need to have all the answers to live a happy life. Life is about growth and self-development … And none of us is perfect – we all make some mistakes.

19

community feeling they have some control over their own life having the strength to cope when something is wrong (resilience) and the ability to solve problems.

Most children grow up mentally healthy, but surveys suggest that more children and young people have problems with their mental health today than 30 years ago. That’s probably because of changes in the way we live now and how that affects the experience of growing up.

Dealing with change Mostly things that happen to children don’t lead to mental health problems on their own, but traumatic events can trigger problems for children and young people who are already vulnerable.

Changes often act as triggers: moving home or school or the birth of a new brother or sister, for example.

Some children who start school feel excited about making new friends and doing new activities, but there may also be some who feel anxious about entering a new environment.

Mental health problems affect about one in ten children and young people. They include depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives.

Teenagers often experience emotional turmoil as their minds and bodies develop. An important part of growing up is working out and accepting who you are. Some young people find it hard to make this transition to adulthood and may experiment with alcohol, drugs or other substances that can affect mental health.

The emotional well-being of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Risk factors

Things that can help keep children and young people mentally well include:

There are certain ‘risk factors’ that make some children and young people more likely to experience problems than other children, but they don’t necessarily mean difficulties are bound to come up or are even probable.

being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors

Some of these factors include: having a long-term physical illness

being part of a family that gets along well most of the time

having a parent who has had mental health problems, problems with alcohol or has been in trouble with the law

going to a school that looks after the well-being of all its pupils

experiencing the death of someone close to them

taking part in local activities for young people.

having parents who separate or divorce

Other factors are also important, including: feeling loved, trusted, understood, valued and safe

having been severely bullied or physically or sexually abused

being interested in life and having opportunities to enjoy themselvesbeing hopeful and optimistic

living in poverty or being homeless

being able to learn and having opportunities to succeed

experiencing discrimination, perhaps because of their race, sexuality or religion

accepting who they are and recognising what they are good at

acting as a carer for a relative, taking on adult responsibilities

having a sense of belonging in their family, school and

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having long-standing educational difficulties.

How parents can help If they have a warm, open relationship with their parents, children will usually feel able to tell them if they are troubled. One of the most important ways parents can help is to listen to them and take their feelings seriously. They may want a hug, they may want you to help them change something or they may want practical help.

Children and young people’s negative feelings usually pass. However, it’s a good idea to get help if your child is distressed for a long time, if their negative feelings are stopping them from getting on with their lives, their distress is disrupting family life or they are repeatedly behaving in ways you would not expect at their age.

Dear Editor,

Types of mental health problem

Re: Issue 32

These are some of the mental health problems that can affect children and young people. You can find out more from the Mental Health Foundation booklet Whatever Life Brings.

I read through the entire issue, well at least a part of each article, and it is an excellent issue containing much useful information on meeting some of the most common life challenges. It is rich with very readable articles, filled with self empowering advice and information.

Depression affects more children and young people today than in the last few decades, but it is still more common in adults. Teenagers are more likely to experience depression than young children.

Self-harm is a very common problem among young people. Some people find it helps them manage intense emotional pain if they harm themselves, through cutting or burning, for example. They may not wish to take their own life.

Children and young people with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) become extremely worried. Very young children or children starting or moving school may have separation anxiety.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can follow physical or sexual abuse, witnessing something extremely frightening of traumatising, being the victim of violence or severe bullying or surviving a disaster.

Children who are consistently overactive (‘hyperactive’), behave impulsively and have difficulty paying attention may have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Many more boys than girls are affected, but the cause of ADHD isn’t fully understood.

Eating disorders usually start in the teenage years and are more common in girls than boys. The number of young people who develop an eating disorder is small, but eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa can have serious consequences for their physical health and development.

Source: www.mentalhealth.org.uk

The problems of depression, domestic violence, the deep and disabling hurt causing loss of confidence, are problems that can be crippling but are often not addressed because people are embarrassed by them or, otherwise feel they are too “private” to seek help for or even discuss. I appreciate that your articles are positive and encouraging (I especially appreciated the comment that life cannot be altered by remote, you have to get up and change it yourself”) The problem too often is that people don’t know where to go for help and are afraid to expose their inner torment.

It is good that you are offering specific suggestions regarding where to go and advertisements from those offering professional help (I trust you have vetted these and have confidence in their work).

Many people do not know where to go for help and I suggest that you provide even more names of places to seek assistance, especially if such consultation is covered by the British health system.

We, in the US, do not have adequate resources attuned to treating mental health and limited insurance coverage of such problems. If these do not exist, in Britain, you face a greater challenge. I hope that your more universal coverage will enable people to get help where you send them.

GD, Washington DC, USA

Mummy, please don’t make me get married!

I didn’t really consider the difference between an arranged marriage and forced marriage before the Freedom Charity conference explained it to me.

An arranged marriage is where the parents on both sides arrange meet to arrange a suitor for their child and their child has some input and these marriages are legal, workable and often welcomed, but a forced marriage is where parents force their child to marry someone, either by selling them, or to get a visa, and the child has to get married whether they want to or not, and if a child refuses to marry that person, they can be isolated, tortured, mutilated or killed.

Mothers may, themselves, have experienced forced marriage, so they prepare their daughters for it believing what was OK for them is OK for their children and usually, they feel they know what is best for them.

For some, the decision to marry off their daughters forceably, is an attempt to hold onto tradition; for others, it is to get a British passport. Ego comes into it as well, where parents are afraid they will bring shame to their community if they refuse to offer their son or daughter up for marriage when an influential family asks them to. Refusal can sometimes result in honour-based violence.

The police said they received 259 reports (referrals) of honour-based violence last year, and 197 of those affected young people under 18 years.

Forced marriages usually impact children aged between 16-25 years old, sometimes even as young as 11 years .

One victim who shall remain nameless, said she went from being nurtured until the age of 14 years old, to being a burden to her parents – someone her parents wanted to marry off to anyone who would have her. From the moment she reached puberty, she was groomed and psychologically prepared to be a wife and a mother. School and skill-building was not encouraged, but piety, humility, cooking and cleaning was.

This Saudi-Arabian-Indian victim chose not to marry the person chosen for her by her parents even though he was very rich, and ran away. She was homeless and slept rough for weeks, and in her vulnerable state she met a man and developed a relationship with him. However, her rescuer became her abuser so she ran away from him as well, and ended up in a refuge. At the refuge, she found an elderly woman who was willing to help her - who took her into her home and looked after her – and that was how she escaped.

Now she feels liberated. She is an artist, an esteemed designer running her own business and happily married.

She recalls: I had no choice, no voice and no courage.

Now I am free, and I am married to someone who is thoughtful, caring and kind - I can do so many things I was restricted from doing as a child”.

“But it’s not fair” is a book written by Aneeta Prem, a victim of domestic violence. It is for anyone facing the prospect of a forced marriage, and will empower anyone with limited knowledge about the issues facing the victims of 22 forced marriages.

As mentioned earlier, young women/girls are usually forced to marry men they are not happy with. Threats of isolation, torture or death is usually the reason why they remain in the situation.

According to the Freedom Charity, 84% of forced marriages involve young people under 25 years old, and while there are many women who have defied tradition, their death or removal from the country has been discovered by the school, college or university system reporting their absence.

The Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) was established in 2005, and seeks to protect British-Asians or those of dual nationality.

FMU provides options; secure a safer and more protective environment for the victim.

Some victims have made statements to the police in desperation, only to withdraw it. We need to recognise that where children are involved it is more difficult, so while the mother might wish to leave the forced marriage, it is more difficult when children are involved, because she may not want to uproot the children. In these situations, there is nothing FMU can do.

Many victims will endure hardship if they know there is someone out there to offer support, even if they don’t want to accept it – it just knowing that they are not completely alone that keeps them going.

Sometimes it can appear as though ‘the West’ are interfering, but FMU say that it is more about preventing violence against women and to keep the vulnerable protected.

Did you know... there is an organisation that can give you a new passport, if your old passport has been destroyed or taken away? that safe transport to and from an airport can be arranged? that if you are a victim, you can be met by a social worker at the airport?

D ON ’ T B A S E YOU R D ECIS IO NS O N T HE AD VIC E O F P E O P L E W H O D O N ’ T H AV E T O D E A L W I T H T H E R E S U LT

Support is available through the Bedfordshire Race & Equality Council (Tel: 01234 350 459).

Arranged marriages are accepted, but on 8 June 2012, forced marriages were criminalised. However, legislation is not enough to stop it from continuing.

Awareness raising is considered very important, hence the reason it forms a feature information piece.

FMU is victim-centred. They do not ask the victim to do anything they do not want to do. While it is in the public interest to prosecute the perpetrators, ultimately it is the victim’s choice. All they need to know is that there is someone out there who can help, and that they are not alone.

Resources: ‘The Survivor’s Handbook – email: fmu@fmu.gov.uk National Helpline: Telephone 0207 008 0151 Public Protection Unit Support Team 01582 394 355/6 or 01234 846 960

For the best in interviews, Chat & Reggae Lady Loy, Sundays 8pm - 10pm (GMT) on www.jamrockradio.com

The Child Protection Service, The Local Authority in conjunction with Health & Education can usually work towards securing ex parte court orders to protect women and families. Takes 1 – 3 days www.appg-popdevrh.org.uk

ACCM (UK) 07712 482 568 or 01234 356 910

23 For previous shows: http://loyonlife.podomatic.com

Blackbright News

w w w. i s s u u . c o m / b l a c k b r i g h t n e w s emai l : bl ack br ightnew s@a ol .com