Mojatu Magazine Nottingham M046

It is very unfair for our society to put the responsibility on women to keep themselves safe when the perpetrators show no form of remorse for their crimes and inappropriate sexual advances against women and girls. Men should become allies to women and take part in creating solutions to such menace. Our society has become so misogynistic that women hardly feel safe walking on our streets. This has become an economic burden on them because most women and girls would have to take a taxi to go back home after work since some of them would feel scared and unsafe. Taking a stroll to the park or even doing an out-door physical exercise seems unsafe. Violence against women is a matter of human rights that many women feel being deprived from hence opening a window of violence for men to perpetuate against them. Some men do not give much to such things because they already have a negative view of women while for some, their upbringing, and cultures give them a different perspective of women. The key thing is that men should have more empathy for women and understand their perspective on how they are viewed in some men’s eyes. Organising trainings for men especially the young ones will help in creating a greater understanding of other men’s behaviour and attitude towards women. Men’s violence against women is a serious issue that requires expert knowledge and that’s why initiatives like Stand by Her are so important in raising awareness and developing the required knowledge and skills men need to be allies to tackle misogyny in our communities. Everyone deserves to be treated with respect with dignity.

Kudos to Communities Inc. and Nottinghamshire

Women’s Aid for coming up with Stand by Her

HAKUNA MATATA

Pa Modou Faal

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IS MEDICALISATION THE NEW ANTI-FGM CAMPAIGNS MENACE?

- By Caroline Mwangi

In December 2012, the United Nations General Assembly through consensus, adopted their first resolution i.e., resolution A/RES/67/146, to ban FGM worldwide. This resolution reflected the universal agreement that, FGM constitutes a violation of the human rights of girls and women, a position that has been widely supported by stakeholders that campaign against FGM.

Additionally, most literature on FGM bear the stamp of acquiescence that, whether practiced traditionally or at the hand of qualified medical practitioners, there are no health benefits of FGM. Yet, medicalisation of FGM is becoming a major concern in countries where FGM is traditionally practised and in countries of migration such as the United Kingdom, United States and Sweden. (Matanda & Lwanga,2022; Leye et al, 2019).

UNICEF (2020) reports that, about 1 in 4 girls i.e., 26% or 52 million survivors who have undergone FGM worldwide, were cut by medical practitioners. The numbers are twice as high among adolescents, with 34% being adolescents between the ages of 15 and 19, compared to adult women between the ages of 45 and 49, who account for 16% of these prevalence rates.

In countries where it is traditionally practised, the prevalence rates are increasing at an alarming figure, despite increased legislation against the practice. These include Egypt 38%, Sudan 67%, Kenya 15%, and Nigeria 13%, (UNICEF,2021. The prevalence rates in these countries continue to rise except Nigeria.

So, what is medicalisation of FGM?

This term has been defined by UNFPA (2018) as situations where FGM is practiced by any category of health professionals, whether in public, private, at home or elsewhere. It further includes reinfibulation (i.e., resuturing after delivery or gynaecological procedures of the scarred tissue resulting from infibulation) at any point in time of a woman’s life.

Health practitioners who undertake medicalisation as highlighted by WHO (2010), may include trained traditional birth attendants (TBAs), nurses, clinical officers, midwives, gynaecologists, physicians and assistant physicians, plastic surgeons, and other personnel both in the public and private health care sectors. These medical personnel may either be undergoing training or working in the health sector or retired.

Medicalisation of FGM is often promoted to minimize

the health risks associated with FGM, through access to health care services. It is thus perceived as a harm reduction strategy. It also gives way for symbolic types of cutting where, severe forms of FGM are replaced with symbolic cutting. Proponents of this concept argue that increased medicalisation highlights the risks of FGM, which in turn leads to the decrease in the prevalence of FGM.

They further contend that medicalisation is an intermediate step towards the long-term goal of ending FGM. Hence, they propose that, reducing FGM to a physical procedure performed at health facilities, reduces its visibility or the likelihood to elicit discussions within the community, which in turn reduces the social influence or control on community members, (Ve Nina et al, 2020). However, this proposition in my view, underestimates the significance attached to FGM as a cultural norm, by practising communities.

As Leye et al (2019) correctly puts it, even though medical practitioners might be able to reduce the immediate effects of cutting such as severe pain, bleeding, and infections, it is unlikely that they would prevent the long-term consequences of FGM, particularly the mental effects FGM has on survivors, (Leye et al, 2019). There are various studies that indicate that majority of survivors of FGM/C have reported mental health problems and emotional disorders such as: post traumatic health disorder, severe depression, and anxiety, (Knipscheer et al 2015; Eisold, 2015).

Further, since there is no medical justification for FGM or any perceived health benefits of the practice, medical practitioners who perform FGM violate girls’ and women’s rights which include: the right to life, the right to physical integrity, the right to health, the right to non- discrimination, the right to be free from cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment and the right to be free from violence.

Medicalised FGM may seem like an appropriate and a safe response to FGM, particularly, where it is believed that health practitioners would address the health risk associated with FGM. However, the fact remains that the practice involves the damage or removal of normal, healthy tissue and interferes with the natural functioning of girls’ and women’s bodies.

More on this article, please follow this link: https:// mojatu.com/2022/11/15/is-medicalisation-the-newanti-fgm-campaigns-menace/

STAND BY HER

- By Pa Modou Faal

Stand By Her was created by women for men to be effective ally to women. Violence perpetuated by men against women is a serious issue that requires expert knowledge to tackle. As a result of such acts of violence, Communities Inc and Nottinghamshire Women’s Aid co-developed the Stand By Her Initiative. With a combination of years of expertise in the Bystander intervention training, community empowerment, and supporting women and girls experiencing violence, the two organisations successfully crafted the Stand By Her training programme.

Stand by Her is a unique program that shifts the focus from putting the whole responsibility on women to keep themselves safe, it targets the root cause of the problem which is men’s harmful attitudes and behaviours toward women. The programme is aimed at making men allies to women than just standing by and look when women are in critical situations. It mainly seeks to create solution in addressing misogyny in our society.

“Stand by Her makes a difference. It provides practical ways for men to respond to harmful behaviour and begin their allyship journey. It allows men to send a strong message and change the societal perception of what is and isn’t acceptable.” - Communities Inc.

Stand By her is aimed at teaching men how to become allies to support women in the fight against misogyny and some sexist nasty behaviour of men. The programme is not aimed at perpetrators but men who really want to do something to be able to support women in their lives and the training gives them some tips and ideas on what they can do. In light of awareness raising in the community, a training workshop was organised in Nottingham at the Marcus Garvey Centre where men from Nottingham and Reading were given the opportunity to participate in this laudable initiative.

Michael Henry who coordinated the training workshop said, “the programme is funded by Google which we took on nationally and trained over a thousand people across the country. The programme is independently evaluated, and the report has been very positive.”

“The StandByHer is based on a bystander intervention model we created some years ago and we have a programme called StahndByMe. Bystander

Intervention means recognising a negative situation and responding in a way that can stop or de-escalate it. Hateful behaviour often happens in public places. So, there’s a good chance you’ll witness it when you’re out and about -whether it’s a passing comment or a confrontation, we all must challenge any sign of hate”, Mr Henry charged.

“We have received a lot of positive feedback from trainees, evaluators and in the communities where the programme is being administered. The report shows that people have increased their understanding and are much more likely to intervene when they see women in compromising situations. It is a tried-and –tested model but we are always looking for ways to improve it and keep it up to date”, he said.

Mr Henry said they conduct an evaluation survey at the end of every training, and they do see a significant shift in the response of the participants showcasing their level of knowledge before and after the training. Most of the times, in a scale of 1-5 he continued, participants will give a 2 before the training which often changes up to a number 5 after completing the training.

“It is a serious subject, and we try to break it down so that it would not overwhelm the participants because the videos that are played during the workshops are quite captivating and sometimes difficult to watch and we want to inspire people to do good things rather than make them feel guilty and bad, and just try to get the balance right”, he explained.

Mr Henry further said some men do not give much to such things, but it also depends on their upbringing and peer groups – who they hang around with, their life experiences; some people have a negative view of women, and people who have those views probably would not attend this kind of training. “This training is for men who know women get a bad deal of society but want to do more and want to support them during such difficult moments,” he concluded.

We live in a society where 97% of young women have been sexually harassed. Men’s violence against women is widespread but still perceived as purely a women’s issue. It’s time to change the focus and narrative.

Follow the link for the rest of the article: https://mojatu. com/2022/11/10/stand-by-her/

African presidents say the Western sanctions against Zimbabwe are hurting ordinary people and the entire continent and must be put to an end. The African leaders used the United Nations General Assembly held in New York, United States of America to push for an end to a two-decade-long Western embargo against Zimbabwe, arguing that the sanctions are hurting ordinary people and the region.

African Union (AU) Chairman and Senegalese President Macky Sall led the charge when he delivered his address at the UNGA 77th session in September, where he said the sanctions should be removed immediately to enable Zimbabwe to realise its full potential. “The AU once again calls for the lifting of foreign sanctions against Zimbabwe,” President Sall said. “These harsh measures continue to inflict a sense of injustice against an entire people and aggravate their suffering in these times of deep crisis”, he lamented.

Mr Sall’s impassioned plea was echoed by leaders from Kenya, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and South Africa in their addresses to the UNGA summit. DRC’s President Felix Tshisekedi, the current Chair of the Southern African Development Community, described the sanctions on Zimbabwe as “a crime against an innocent people.”

In his maiden UNGA address, Kenyan President William Ruto said, “unilateral coercive actions, such as those imposed on Zimbabwe and Cuba, apart from undermining the sovereign equality of nations, also indiscriminately punish the general citizenry, reserving their bitterest sting for innocent hustlers and the vulnerable.”

AFRICAN LEADERS PUSH FOR AN END ON WESTERN ZIMBABWE SANCTIONS

South Africa’s Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Naledi Pandor, representing President Cyril Ramaphosa, also condemned the actions on the two countries. “South Africa calls for an end to the embargo against Cuba, which continues to impede the right to development of her people,” said Dr Pandor. “In the same vein, we call for an end to unilateral coercive measures against Zimbabwe, which have compounded the problems experienced by the people of Zimbabwe” he concluded. President Ramaphosa used his meeting with United States President Joe Biden in early September to call for an end to Washington’s sanctions against Zimbabwe, which he said were also negatively affecting neighbouring countries. He said countries such as South Africa and Botswana were battling an influx of Zimbabwean immigrants running away from economic problems in their country, which he attributed to the sanctions.

In his address, Chairperson of the world’s Least Developed Countries (LDCs) Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, who is also the president of Malawi, called the West and rich countries to treat African countries with respect and dignity and never to leave anyone behind in as far as development is concerned. “There is an urgent need for the West to treat Africa and all Least Developed Countries with a measure of equality, dignity and respect. Let no one be left behind,” said Chakwera. He urged the rich countries and global financial lending institutions to cancel African countries’ debts. Western countries, including the US, European Union member states, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, imposed different forms of targeted

- By Peter Makossah

sanctions against the regime of the late Robert Mugabe following a disputed presidential election in 2002. Mugabe’s regime was accused of human rights violations and electoral fraud, but Harare insisted it was being punished for a land reform programme that saw over 2000 white Zimbabweans losing their commercial farms without compensation. The embargoes have remained in place nearly six years after Zimbabwe’s long-serving ruler was toppled in a military coup. His successor, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is accused of failing to honour his promises to implement reforms that were set as a precondition for lifting the sanctions.

The US, EU and the UK maintain that the sanctions do not affect ordinary people as they are targeted at government officials that are linked to human rights abuses. As a result of the sanctions imposed by the West on Zimbabwe during Robert Mugabe’s iron-fist rule, the Southern African nation, a former British colony and formerly known as Southern Rhodesia has had its economy down-spiralling and this forced a lot of its citizens to migrate overseas in search for better life following the draconian rule.

Nottingham is a host to a sizeable population to Zimbabwean migrants. Patrice Musarurwa, businessperson, and owner of Braii King Delight located along Aspley Lane said, “it’s time the sanctions on Zimbabwe are lifted. If they want to keep the sanctions on, then they should restrict them only to the leaders and not the innocent people.”

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/ african-leaders-push-for-an-endon-western-zimbabwe-sanctions/

BRITISH NEW DIVORCE LAW IS BAD

FOR AFRICAN MARRIAGES

IN THE UK-

By Peter Makossah

The silence is deafening. A pair of inquisitive hazel eyes stares down at him as he fiddles idly with a strand of his dreadlocked hair dangling across his forehead. He takes a deep breath and sniffs loudly: “Oh, my God!” He curses himself as he saunters down the Upper Parliament Street past a shabby red brick building with a sooty roof.

James Mashingaidze, 46, of Bulwell in Nottingham but originally from Mutare in Zimbabwe, is noticeably lost, in his mind. And on his face. His spirits are visibly low, and despite the early morning sunlight, Nottingham City Centre looks tired and unwashed. The pale sun seems only to accentuate the yellowing net curtains, cobwebby windows, and faded paintwork - a quick reminder that the legendary ‘Robinhood City’ has existed for centuries. He looks above, but the shops’ rooftops have nothing else to offer; the stucco and brickwork were scarred and scattered. His wounds, suffered in the marriage blitz, still startlingly clean and fresh in his heart. “Why can’t I be free from this bondage?” he yells at himself.

Mr Mashingaidze, who is a psychologist, is aware that whatever he decides, it would lead inevitably to further decisions and actions - and most importantly some legal complications - each creating a ripple effect through his life. “Love hurts. And when it does, the best way is to move on than being a prisoner,” he considers. “Living with someone you love is sweet but being in a loveless marriage is hell.” Mr Mashingaidze complains that he is trapped in loveless marriage as the previous archaic divorce law compelled him to stay on with his wife because she has no fault in the eyes of the law.

Under the previous family law, Mr Mashingaidze would have to wait for five years before divorcing his wife of ten years and mother of his three children but under the new law it will take just a short time. “I expected the court to understand that the only reason I married my wife was that, at that time, I loved her. Now, the reason I want to divorce her is that I no longer love her. It is that simple”, he claims. “If love was the reason I married her, then lack of it should be a reason enough to ‘unmarry’ her,” says Mr Mashingaidze in a matter of fact-tone.

Mr Mashingaidze’s wife (name withheld) 43, is challenging the divorce arguing her husband is incapable of interpreting her needs accurately. “My husband’s neglect of me through unexplained prolonged absence from home continues to produce indescribable solitude and a sense torture. I have done nothing wrong to be divorced”, she said. She exclaims, “James told me in my face he did not want to be with me anymore. I asked him; ‘what has happened to our ‘until death do us part’ vows.’ He didn’t reply.”

The Family Court district judge dismissed Mr

Mashingaidze’s divorce petition because he has failed to satisfy the court with set reasonable grounds to warrant a dissolution of the marriage. However, divorce laws in England and Wales are set to change. The new divorce law, which came into effect in May this year will sweep away the legal principal that one should be at fault for adultery, unreasonable behaviour, and desertion.

The reforms to change family laws in the UK follow years of campaigning by legislators, lawyers, and judges. Under new legislation, brought forward by the “Conservative” Government in 2020, a person will be able to simply walk away from their marriage, no reason given.

Vitalis Ngadi, a family lawyer based in Derby says, “in an African setup, when one marries, they marry the whole family, the whole church or mosque and the whole community and, therefore, you cannot just wake up one morning and decide that you don’t want your wife or husband anymore”.

Nottingham North Labour MP Alex Norris says, “I’ve listened to both arguments and firmly think a no-fault divorce is much safer and easier.”

Pastor Emmanuel Mbetewa, a senior minister at Citadel International Church in Nottingham City Centre says marriage is commissioned by God and the vows people make during wedding ceremonies, they make them with God and not the courts.

Sheikh Ibrahim Khadri Bin-Omar, a Muslim cleric based in Mapperley says, “divorce should not be made easier as this will make people walk away from their families and in the end, it will be the children who will suffer the consequences.”

Please follow the link to read more: https://mojatu. com/2022/11/02/british-new-divorce-law-is-bad-forafrican-marriages-in-the-uk/

CITY COUNCIL’S STREET CLEANSING AND STREETSCENE SERVICES ARE OFFICIALLY THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY -

Edited By Pa Modou Faal

The teams were recognised for their efforts working with volunteers and partners, such as supporting our volunteer-led herbicide-free streets programme and Nottingham Clean Champions programme, as well as urban rewilding which helps to make our neighbourhoods greener and more bee-friendly at a national awards ceremony held in Swansea organised by The Association for Public Service Excellence.

Nottingham City Council’s Streetscene Teams were recognised for “developing innovative partnership work with Nottingham Clean Champions, Community Protection, Community Payback Service and Nottingham City Homes as well as developing more biodiverse neighbourhoods.”

The City Council Deputy Leader Cllr. Adele Williams said she was pleased but not surprised to hear that the Streetscene teams were recognised as the best in the country. Cllr. Williams said, “I would like to pass on my thanks to our frontline staff as well as to all the partners and volunteers who work with them to keep our streets and neighbourhoods clean and tidy – you really are the best!”

City Council Portfolio for Environment, Energy & Waste, Cllr Sally Longford, said, “I’m delighted that the outstanding efforts of our workers and citizens have

been recognised on a national stage at these prestigious awards. Our dedicated teams work hard to ensure we provide the best service to our citizens and respond to their needs to make sure we increase satisfaction and maintain our Grade A standard of cleaning.” She said she is proud of the work around making our neighbourhoods greener and more bee friendly, as this all helps us achieve our CN28 pledge, plus the outstanding contribution of our Clean Champions.

Paul O’Brien, APSE Chief Executive, said, “this year we received an overwhelming number of submissions for the Awards, with each one demonstrating a clear commitment to the goals of continuous improvement and the delivery of excellence in public services. From parks to school meals, from collecting bins to caring for older people, it is a real honour to recognise the fantastic work local councils do at the frontline.”

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/city-councils-streetcleansing-and-streetscene-services-are-officially-thebest-in-the-country/

NOTTINGHAM UNVEILS £9.5 MILLION SCHOOL WORKS PROGRAMME

-

By Peter Makossah

Nottinghamshire County Council has unveiled a major and ambitious programme of school infrastructure improvements to the tune of £9.5 million which will see 23 primary and infant schools get a massive uplift. Over the next two years, 23 primary and infant schools in Nottinghamshire are scheduled to benefit from a multi-million-pound investment from the council’s School Building Improvement Programme (SBIP), designed and delivered by Arc Partnership, a joint venture between the council and SCAPE.

Each Nottinghamshire Borough or District has at least two schools receiving infrastructure improvements, with all works scheduled for completion by the start of the 2024/2025 academic year. The improvements for each school are variable depending on requirements – but the programme includes replacing ceilings, installing air source heat pumps, and upgrading lighting and electrics.

In a statement Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, Councillor Tracey Taylor, said “this council is committed to having fit-for-purpose schools, and the £9.5 million school building improvement programme for the

next two years will deliver them. I’m delighted we’ve now set out our plans to enhance the buildings of more than 20 schools across Nottinghamshire – every borough or district will receive a slice of investment from the programme.”

Councillor Taylor added, “we pledged in our ten-year council plan to provide sufficient school places and to give parents a greater choice and getting our schools’ infrastructure up to speed will help towards this ambition.”

The council is also investing in the creation of a new primary school in Rushcliffe and expanding two current schools also designed and delivered by Arc Partnership.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/nottingham-unveils-95-million-school-works-programme/

MAGISTRATE OPPORTUNITY FOR ETHNIC MINORITIES IN NOTTINGHAM -

By Pa Modou Faal

With support from magistrates in the East Midlands, a new marketing campaign launched by the Ministry of Justice seeks to boost numbers by 4,000 across the country, with recruits expected to help tackle the backlog of criminal cases caused by the pandemic. It represents the largest recruitment effort in the 650-year history of the magistracy and could increase the workforce by up to a third in the coming years.

The Ministry of Justice is keen to tackle misconceptions about magistrates and increase interest in the role in East Midlands. Research shows 28% of people in East Midlands are interested in becoming a magistrate but this jumps to 45% when they learn more about what is involved.

Currently in the Midlands over half of magistrates (56%) are women but only 15.5% are from a Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority background. The Ministry of Justice is keen to continue to attract and increase the number of diverse candidates to ensure the magistracy reflects the diversity of the region. The MoJ is also looking to attract a younger wave of volunteers, with less than one in ten magistrates (7.7%) in the Midlands currently under 39.

People from all walks of life in the East Midlands are encouraged to consider becoming magistrates in a £1 million national recruitment drive to increase the number and diversity of those fulfilling this essential role. Each day magistrates across England and Wales make life-changing decisions in cases as varied as fraud and sexual assault. The work is voluntary with individuals expected to dedicate a minimum of 13 days a year service, meaning many magistrates often

fulfil this crucial role easily alongside full-time employment and caring responsibilities.

Research shows that many in the region do not realise it’s a parttime role that can fit round other commitments, with 28% thinking it is full time. 41% are unsure if they are eligible for the role, while 18% believe it requires a degree in law.

The campaign aims to attract people from a wide range of backgrounds –from teachers to bricklayers, to stayat-home mums, and any individuals who can display reason and sound judgment. It seeks to make the magistracy more representative of the communities it serves and will specifically target younger people –with anyone over 18 encouraged to consider the role.

Pete Dexter (65 years old) from Nottingham is a retired engineer who has been a magistrate for sixteen years. He took on the role having previously been a school governor and wanting to find another way to serve the community. “Being a magistrate is very rewarding, and most applicants have the right qualities – all you need is a sense of fairness and integrity – and you’ll also develop new transferrable skills. If you’re unsure whether it’s for you, come and observe some proceedings and ask questions. If you decide it’s something you’d be interested in, you will be given all the training you need. After seventeen years of service, I’ve never looked back”, said Pete.

Pete said: “If you care about your community and want to give back then I would encourage you to apply to become a magistrate. There are few other opportunities that can make such a difference in people’s

lives. Alongside our plans to double their sentencing powers from six months to a year, this recruitment drive will ensure magistrates can play an even greater role in restoring the swift justice the public deserve.”

Tom Quarton-Manuel from Nottingham works in the energy sector and sits on the board of trustees for a charity that provides housing and support to refugees and destitute asylum seekers. He was sworn in as a magistrate on his 22nd birthday.

He said: “I applied to be a magistrate because I wanted to find a way to support the city I had moved to and to do something that would allow me to learn new skills. Becoming a magistrate married well with my passion for justice and fairness. I am now the Chair of the Magistrates’ Association’s LGBT+ Diversity & Inclusion Network. It’s really important we have a diverse group of magistrates to bring different experiences and opinions to the courtroom. Whatever your background or level of education, you can be a magistrate.”

All magistrates are given robust training and an experienced mentor in their first year to develop their skills and legal knowledge. The top qualities that MoJ and the Judiciary look for in potential candidates are good communication skills, a sense of fairness and the ability to see an argument from different sides. Candidates are being sought to fill positions across all jurisdictions including criminal work, youth cases, as well as certain civil and family proceedings.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/ magistrate-opportunity-for-ethnicminorities-in-nottingham-by-pamodou-faal/

IMPACT OF FGM ON MEN’S MENTAL HEALTH

- By Lubna Mushtaq

The term “FGM” refers to all nonmedical treatments that include the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia or other harm to the female genital organs. Social obligation and marriageability are the two main motivations that continue FGM.

as fathers, husbands, community, and religious leaders, may have a significant impact on the persistence of FGM. It has been observed that in most FGMaffected regions, men may decline to marry a woman who has not had FGM. Few men say it persists out of social duty.

FGM/C affects both women and men and that men may play a more important role in the decision-making process regarding FGM. Men in their roles

Interviews with men in Northern Sudan demonstrated that they had a poor understanding of FGM as it was not until they were newly married that they experienced the unavoidable effects of their wives’ FGM, they too felt that they were victims of FGM’s aftereffects. Men discussed their own issues such as their sexual unhappiness, empathy for the pain of women, and perceived challenges to their masculinity.

Most of the men have trouble in vaginal penetration, wounds or infections on the penis and

psychosexual problems. When men witness their wives’ sexual unhappiness, they think that they are to blame and experience depression, disappointment, and a decline in confidence. Most of the young men today want to marry uncut women but are forced to marry a cut woman because of societal stress and sometimes cultural pressures.

Men’s opinions vary on FGM, many people would prefer for it to end but are unable to express their support for its termination due to social pressure and cultural obligations within the society. Communities must be the source of change, and opportunities for men and women to discuss the practice among themselves must be provided.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/ impact-of-fgm-on-mens-mentalhealth/

POLICE AND CRIME COMMISSIONER ATTENDS NOTTINGHAM CARNIVAL 2022

The Nottingham Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Caroline Henry and her team were at the Nottingham Carnival 2022 held in August, to meet and greet people and show their readiness to work with various communities in Nottingham to bring about effective change especially with those from ethnic minorities. They were well received at the Carnival grounds on the embankment.

Commissioner Caroline Henry was also accompanied by her husband Darren Henry, who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Broxtowe constituency, Nottinghamshire. Penny Cooper and Angela Wathoni of Mojatu Foundation met with Caroline Henry for the first time, since the PCC agreed to fund the Mojatu Foundation Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Clinic in Nottingham, for the past three years.

This funding comes at a time when survivors of FGM needed somewhere as a safe haven to discuss issues affecting them and sharing their lived experiences. Mojatu Foundation greatly appreciate the PCC role

- By Pa Modou Faal

in the community especially for vulnerable people and their families. This is a great step forward for our local communities in the campaign to end FGM in Nottingham.

The carnival hosted a great display of cultural performances, costumes, and other forms of entertainment. Families and children from across Nottinghamshire turned out in large numbers to grace the entertaining atmosphere. Carnivals and festival are beginning to shape back to normalcy after the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged such euphoric entertaining moments.

The Chairperson of Mojatu Foundation Penny Cooper expressed gratitude and appreciation to the Police and Crime Commissioner for her office’s continuous support to Mojatu Foundations projects in ending FGM for a number of years.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/police-and-crimecommissioner-attends-nottingham-carnival-2022/

pandemic, who told him: “Nurses are like curry leaves to food. We lend the essential flavour, but have no recognition beyond that.” Today, however, Kenya’s resilient nursing community certainly has a reason to feel seen.

pandemic, who told him: “Nurses are like curry leaves to food. We lend the essential flavour, but have no recognition beyond that.” Today, however, Kenya’s resilient nursing community certainly has a reason to feel seen.

pandemic, who told him: “Nurses are like curry leaves to food. We lend the essential flavour, but have no recognition beyond that.” Today, however, Kenya’s resilient nursing community certainly has a reason to feel seen.

Anna returned to her home country alongside fellow Kenyan finalist and MCRH colleague Dida Jirma Bulle, who was awarded £4,000 for his efforts in fighting Ebola and improving maternal and health outcomes in the country.

Anna returned to her home country alongside fellow Kenyan finalist and MCRH colleague Dida Jirma Bulle, who was awarded £4,000 for his efforts in fighting Ebola and improving maternal and health outcomes in the country.

Anna returned to her home country alongside fellow Kenyan finalist and MCRH colleague Dida Jirma Bulle, who was awarded £4,000 for his efforts in fighting Ebola and improving maternal and health outcomes in the country.

“I feel great to have reached this far because, at one point, I never expected this to happen,” Dida said. “But it happened because of our commitment and the sacrifices we made in service delivery at all levels.”

“I feel great to have reached this far because, at one point, I never expected this to happen,” Dida said. “But it happened because of our commitment and the sacrifices we made in service delivery at all levels.”

“I feel great to have reached this far because, at one point, I never expected this to happen,” Dida said. “But it happened because of our commitment and the sacrifices we made in service delivery at all levels.”

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NOTTINGHAM ANNOUNCES NEW TRENDY ATTRACTIONS FOR THIS YEAR’S CITY CHRISTMAS

According to the Mellors Group and Nottingham City Council, construction works in preparations for festive season in the city will start soon in the Old Market Square. Helping to cement Winter Wonderland’s reputation as one of the top UK Christmas destinations, a new attraction will be the Sky Skate ice path that will let festive fun seekers skate for 400m around the square high above the crowds.

views of the twinkling city lights and Nottingham’s Christmas tree. The City Council implores those willing for a quick service, they will need to book in advance for fast-track priority access. For those who want to treat themselves, or their loved ones, then Sky Skate VIP could be what you are looking for as they will get a rink side table with food and drink plus on-off access to the ice path. However, for an all-inclusive offer, Sky Skate AAA includes the Ice Bar experience and a ride on the Observation Wheel and the Winter Wonderland will be open from 15 November to 31 December.

Nottingham City Council are informing the public that reduced price skating tickets are available on Mondays to Thursdays outside the school holidays and that between Christmas and New Year, there is a special all-attractions family ticket offer.

Councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, Portfolio Holder for Leisure, Culture and Planning at Nottingham City Council, said they are proud to offer residents and visitors this exciting centrepiece for Christmas in Nottingham. Councillor Kotsonis said Winter Wonderland will bring people into the city centre, not only from Nottingham but the wider region adding that that the City Council is sure the new skating layout will be a hit with visitors.

that this year, alongside our already popular bars and attractions, we are introducing the Sky Skate ice path that will provide a truly unique ice-skating experience. After a tough couple of years for everyone I think Nottingham needs to be both optimistic and ambitious this Christmas. It’s time to come together again, to celebrate, and to have fun.”

Alex Flint, CEO of Nottingham Business Improvement District said that through a shared vision and collaboration with partners across the city, Nottingham city centre has lots to offer visitors and residents all year round, but “this is especially true as we look forward to the Christmas season”.

Mr. Flint explains that they are excited to see the transformation of Nottingham’s Old Market Square’s into Winter Wonderland again this year, and anticipate it being a significant attraction, bringing additional festive shopping and socialising opportunities to the heart of the city. According to Mr. Flint, Nottingham Business Improvement District play a vital role in bringing trade into the city centre noting, “our members can expect us to be working hard to bring our own Christmas campaign to the city, which will complement this centrepiece of Nottingham’s festive offer and show our collective ambition and passion for the city”.

family and friends at Sur La Piste or Altitude ski chalet bars, with great food from Melt & Grill, the in-house kitchen. Furthermore, there’ll be live entertainment, too and to be sure of a seat people are encouraged to book tables online in advance. The Nottingham City Council says there will be an observation wheel in front of the Council House offering

“We’re pleased that by working with the Mellors Group, we are able to stage this fantastic festive attraction at no cost to local taxpayers,” he concludes. Edward Mellors of the Mellors Group on his part said that it is great to be bringing Winter Wonderland back to Old Market Square for Christmas.

Edward Mellors: “We’re truly excited

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/ nottingham-announces-newtrendy-attractions-for-this-years-citychristmas/

CLIVE FOSTER RECOGNISED BY THE HOME SECRETARY -

By Terry Njoki

Reverend Clive Foster, a senior minister at the Pilgrim Church in Nottingham was recently decorated with a national award by the former Home Secretary. Rev. Foster was awarded with the Home Secretary Commendation Award “For an outstanding contribution in the field of home affairs”. He caught up with the Mojatu Magazine editor Pa Modou Faal in this interview:

What was the criteria for the award?

Could you tell us what was the award about?

I was given this award very much to my surprise just recently in August, by the then Home Secretary the right honourable Pretty Patel and every year the Home office gives out awards for contribution of service to the UK Home Affairs. Those awards are given mainly to people who have been working within the Home office capacity for instance, people from the fire service department, the police force, the civil service and also a few people from the community.

How were you eligible?

I was given this award for the work I have been doing more recently with the Home Office surrounding the Windrush Scandal which was people who were unfortunately wrongly classified as being illegal from the Commonwealth and also a series of the work I have been doing in the community over the years as well. I received the award which was very humbling because I know am part of a team of people that have done this work as well.

The outstanding service to the UK Home Affairs, as we know the Home Office has a very important role in a multiple of activities such as protection, security and so on. The criteria include contributions that have brought about significant impact in the UK. The award is a commendation in recognition of such contributions. When I went for the award, I noticed that there were a number of people who received awards as well for the work that they have done in Afghanistan, outstanding works in terms of security in the police force. When I entered the room for the awards, I noticed I had never been in a room where there were so many police in uniform. It was probably two people from the community who received awards as well, as the majority of those who received the awards were connected to actually working with the Home Office in the security forces, fire services and civil service.

What is your contribution towards the Windrush saga?

The Windrush scandal came into the public domain in 2018 which was about people from the Commonwealth who were wrongly classified as being illegal effectively as a result of the government’s hostile environment policy to address immigration and sadly a number of people from the Commonwealth particularly from the Caribbean Islands were classified as illegal to which some of them were wrongly detained and deported while others lost their jobs and could not also get access to social services. But most importantly in some ways, lost a sense of dignity and self-worth and respect as well as a sense of belonging to this country ending up to them giving up ideas.

When that scandal broke, the government came to realise that they have made an error and done wrong, and they were set to rectify it by creating

some schemes to help people get through the situation. The two schemes were one a quicker, efficient, and less pay process to get your papers right and to be classified as the right paperwork. Secondly, a compensation scheme to compensate for the wrongs people had suffered. The local Pilgrim Church in The Meadows and I and the leadership team and members of the community formed a group to give visibility to our community about the schemes.

We had meetings with the Home Office to which we mentioned what is and what is not working for the communities in regard to accessing the scheme. We were able to get a number of people have their paperwork done to get their status sorted out and get on with their lives as proper citizens and enable some people get compensation as well.

Are you involved in other projects in within Nottingham?

Unfortunately, knife crime is still with us, and we do have a situation whereby there are many young people who are carrying knives in our community, and they are victims of both knife crime and sometimes perpetrators of the crime. When it happens amongst the minority ethnic groups it becomes more intensified because we are a smaller group and have a greater level of impact in the community. So, it is still ongoing to work with young people falling into the area of carrying knives and work with the police to get the message out there. We worked with some of the church members to design some T-shirts, flyers and some publicity material as well as worked with barbers and hairdressers in the communities to help publicise our project “Say No To Knives And Save Lives”.

Read more about this interview here: https://mojatu.com/2022/11/04/ clive-foster-recognised-by-the-homesecretary/

NOTTINGHAM RECEIVES £6.5M BOOST TO SUPPORT CITY’S ROUGH SLEEPERS -

The City Council has been successful in applying for more than £6.5m to support rough sleepers in Nottingham over the next three years. The grant is the full amount requested from the Rough Sleeping Initiative and one of the largest awards in the country, which indicates the progress made by the authority and its partners to support the homeless in recent years and throughout the pandemic.

A total of £2,257,587 will be received this year from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, followed by £2,317,639 in 2023/34 and then £2,020,831 in 2024/25 – totalling £6,596,057 across the whole period. Councils are expected to produce annual development plans with targets and report back to the Government on progress against this. Partners such as Framework, Emmanuel House, Nottingham Arimathea Trust, and Bloom Social Housing work together with specialist officers at the City Council to:

• Identify people, engage them, and assess needs.

• Navigate services and deliver support.

• Access and provide supported accommodation.

There will be more emphasis over the next three years on prevention of rough sleeping and sustained resettlement. This will be supported by a further £1.67m of funding secured by Nottingham City Council and partners Metropolitan Thames Valley, Places For People and Framework through the latest round of the Rough Sleeping Accommodation Programme. Over the past two years, Nottingham has been successful in five bids to this project for nine schemes which, by 2024, will deliver 87 new flats as stable homes with support for rough sleepers or single people at risk of rough sleeping.

Councillor Toby Neal, Portfolio Holder for Housing and Human Resources

at Nottingham City Council, said “we welcome this allocation of more than £6.5m, which is our largest award to date and will make a big difference in our city. We’ve had to work hard to secure it, and this shows how much value is placed on the work we do alongside our partner agencies to support rough sleepers and homeless people in Nottingham.”

Cllr. Neal also said, “we’ve had to outline why it’s needed in Nottingham and what support we have in place for rough sleepers, so to have been awarded one of the largest grants outside London is really good news for the city. As ever, we are reliant on our local partners, to quickly respond with quality services and we thank them for their continued contributions and commitment.” He argued that demand is increasing in Nottingham and further pressures are expected as the longer-term impacts of the pandemic and cost of living crisis takes effect over the coming years.

“We remain committed to preventing rough sleeping. It is often a symptom of a wider problem or in more cases a combination of issues like substance dependency, mental health, and trauma. We need to continue our work with partners and ensure commitment across the public, community, and private sectors to help address the needs that cause street homelessness,” said Cllr. Neal.

Hidden Voices is a theme of a research project being undertaken by Pathway Housing Solutions in partnership with University of Nottingham. It recognises that issues of race and housing disadvantage is an under-researched area, and that many statistics and figures underestimate the true scale of homelessness within Black and Minority Ethnic communities (BAME groups), an issue that has very real consequences, even more so now with

By Pa Modou Faal

the rising cost of living.

With hidden homelessness, such as overcrowding and sofa surfing (which are more prominent in BAME communities), getting less media attention and resources than rough sleeping, the research raises some important questions about unmet needs, and about inequity of access and outcomes for people from minority groups in terms of housing and homelessness provision.

• One in three homeless households are not white, compared to around one in seven in the general population (Shelter)

• 22% increase in statutory homelessness. Among white households it rose 9%. Among Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) households it rose 48%.

• Anecdotal evidence suggests that BAME people are underrepresented in rough sleeper data, but overrepresented in unrecorded hidden homeless figures

YOUR HELP - Pathway Housing Solutions and the University will be consulting with Black and Minority Ethnic people to gather their stories and experiences. Please help by completing this short survey.

shorturl.at/csUXZ

Denis Tully, CEO at Emmanuel House Support Centre, said, “Emmanuel House is committed to working with Nottingham City Council and partner agencies to continue to deliver quality services to prevent, intervene in, and aid recovery from, homelessness and to meet the challenges of homelessness and its underlying causes.”

Read the rest of the article in this link: https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/ nottingham-receives-6-5m-boost-tosupport-citys-rough-sleepers/

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE POLICE NEW CHIEF PROMISES ‘TO PUT PEOPLE’S INTEREST AND SAFETY TOP PRIORITY’

By Peter Makossah

Nottinghamshire Police’s next Chief Constable Kate Meynell, the current Deputy Chief Constable at Derbyshire Police says she will strive to thrive on ensuring that the county’s police force serve the public diligently and putting the people’s interest and public safety as a priority. She is now set to return to work at the force where she began and spent most days of her career. The appointment follows recommendations received by the Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Panel, following a special confirmation hearing held at County Hall in West Bridgford.

Make Notts Safe,” said Commissioner Caroline Henry.

Meynell takes the helm from current Chief Constable Craig Guildford in December, after he departs to take up the top job at West Midlands Police. Craig Guildford who is described as an excellent Chief Constable over the last five years at Nottinghamshire Police, during which crime has fallen, officer numbers have reached their highest in over a decade and neighbourhood policing has expanded.

In 2018 Meynell took up the role of Assistant Chief Constable at Nottinghamshire Police before moving to Derbyshire Police. After being confirmed as the new Nottingham Police boss, she said, “what is really important is making sure communities feel safe and listened to. It is about putting the public first, working as a team with really clear standards so everyone is clear what Nottinghamshire Police is about.”

Nottinghamshire Police has a positive, strong workforce. “I do feel we have the opportunity now to continue the improvements that Craig Guildford has started. The force has moved a long way forward under his leadership. I genuinely care passionately about the force and want to build on the good work that has been done and build relationships with external partners and communities,” she said.

According to Nottinghamshire Police, Meynell wants to make sure that Nottinghamshire has a service that is fit for the future, where data is used effectively and are evidenceled in the way they do their work in a professional manner. Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry named Kate Meynell as her preferred candidate for the role in August following a rigorous assessment and interview process. Commissioner Henry said she was delighted that her recommended candidate had now been confirmed. “Kate is an outstanding leader, and I am looking forward to working closely with her,” she said. “I’m delighted that the panel agreed that Kate has all the qualities to succeed in this role and I believe that Kate is the right person to take this work forward as we continue to

She said, “I want a workforce that is engaged and empowered because it is the workforce that will deliver what we are looking for. I very much believe in being a team. It is really important if we are to be successful as an organisation that the public have trust and confidence and we are seen to be legitimate.”

Meynell added, “I’m looking forward to coming back to Nottinghamshire. I grew up in Nottinghamshire and it’s a place I’m proud to call home. I have enjoyed my time working in Derbyshire alongside some great colleagues, but this is a dream job for me.” Kate spent most of her career serving with Nottinghamshire Police after joining in 1993 and being posted to Bulwell. Her previous roles include a two-and-a-half-year spell as Assistant Chief Constable when she led the force’s knife crime strategy and chaired the county’s strategic response to the Covid pandemic.

She explained that she feels that

Nottingham is described as the most dangerous city in Nottinghamshire and is among the top 20 most dangerous overall out of Nottinghamshire’s 236 towns, villages, and cities. The Nottinghamshire Police Force is responsible for 1.1 million people and an area covering 834 square miles. In 2021 the crime rate for Nottingham was 114 crimes per 1,000 people and this compares poorly to Nottinghamshire crime , coming in 33 percent higher than the Nottinghamshire rate of 76 per 1,000 residents. As of 2022, the crime rate in Nottingham is 28 percent higher than the East Midlands and 33 percent higher than England, Wales and Northern Ireland overall figure.

Within the Nottinghamshire Police force, there are 1,893 police officers and 1,244 staff, including PCSOs, and around 250 special constables and 50 police cadets. There has been a 15% decrease in the Nottinghamshire Police workforce over the past 10 years. In the most recent police effectiveness, efficiency, and legitimacy assessment (PEEL), it was found that there are two areas where Nottinghamshire Police require improvement: their effectiveness and efficiency at keeping people safe and reducing crime.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/ nottinghamshire-police-new-chiefpromises-to-put-peoples-interestand-safety-top-priority/

MISUSE OF RELIGIOUS SCRIPTURES TO PERPETUATE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

- By Terry Njoki

Pastor Julia Paul is a minister of religion who was born and raised in Kenya but relocated to the United Kingdom in 2015. She relocated to Nottingham in February of 2018 after finding life in London to be very expensive and difficult because she had family to support back in Kenya. Pastor Julia grew up in a Methodist family and started participating in church activities at a young age in Kenya. She started her organization Women Together in This which helps women understand that they are not alone in the challenges they face in their daily lives. These challenges she mentioned include domestic abuse within the context of religion. She said there are instances when people misuse Bible verses in a misrepresented manner to perpetuate domestic abuse against their partners.

Pastor Julia said she had series of conversations with some pastors during which she realised that some of them did not know much about domestic violence and how much effect it has in the society. As a result, she teamed up with some women and visited some churches to create awareness on domestic abuse.

To further raise awareness on domestic violence and how religious scriptures could be used as a tool to inflict such acts of abuse and violence, she said, Women Together in This organises workshops and trainings at the centre in All Souls Community Centre, along the Ilkeston Road in

Nottingham where women from different faiths are targeted.

She said the centre receives support from Nottingham Women Centre, Mojatu Foundation and NCVS to sustain the organization. NCVS supported the organisation with £500 to help run some workshops and training for the faith leaders which are both online and physical. These sessions help them training and create groups who can have conversations mainly with women facing domestic abuse and violence thus reducing the circulation of myths in this regard.

Three months within its inception, they were able to do at least three trainings workshops within three churches and faith leaders. At Women Together in This, our target is to have by June 2023, toolkits for the faith leaders which is aimed at furnishing them with sufficient and reliable information to disseminate information regarding domestic violence.

She said she does counsel sessions online at night as well as face-to-face sessions at the centre. “Many people are reforming through counselling and signposting is being done for those facing signposting problems”, she said. She also revealed that the personal challenges she faces include juggling between office work, school and counselling sessions saying, “I must therefore keep checking on my mental wellbeing as well.”

Pastor Julia said the other challenges are funding issues affecting the organization which limit her in the area of staff and other benefits. “We are trying to work with the universities around to get some help through student placement because that will help us handle some of the workload”, she mentioned. When she relocated to Nottingham, Pastor Elizabeth introduced her to Mojatu Foundation where she started volunteering as an FGM consultant. She said volunteering at Mojatu was very useful because it helped her mental health and interacting with different people availed her the opportunity to regain her self-esteem. Pastor Julia gratefully noted that when she Joined Mojatu, she found a family in the persons of Frank, Angela, Laura, and Penny who introduced her to community work.

Despite all the adversities she went through, she was entrusted with the responsibility of leading the project for Faith Leaders which was very successful whereby about fifty people were trained on FGM related issues. Through this project, Mojatu Foundation applied for the Princess Training Award (PRTA) and had interviews from the PRTA Awards team which helped them understand how effective the project was and the impact it had on people’s lives.

Fortunately, the project she contributed immensely won the PRTA Award. She was recognized for her hard

work, which privileged her to be among the team that received the award. Such hard work and progress gained her recognition to be the cover girl of the Nottingham Mojatu Magazine (M045), and this has given her more recognition, publicity and positive feedback from colleagues and friends towards what she does.

Pastor Julia who enrolled at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) where she is studying psychology said, “going to back to school to enlighten myself more in the area of psychology will avail me the opportunity to be able to give back to the community”. Training is online on Wednesdays and physical on Fridays 11:30am to 12:30 noon.

Click this link for more on this article: https://mojatu. com/2022/11/11/misuseof-religious-scripturesto-perpetuate-domesticviolence/

CLIMATE CHANGE AND NATURE - “did you know?”

TREES – Did you know that the clearance of rainforest in the Amazon illegally, for logging and cattle rearing (for the sale of meat), if it continues will lead to devastation of the Amazon rainforest. The continued clearance can lead to reduction in rainfall, and water supply to the Amazon River, which in turn will lead to the eventual change of the forest from rainforest to savannah.

The precious collection of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere will be vastly reduced and in fact clearance causes the release of carbon dioxide rather than removing it from the atmosphere. This could be the outcome if clearance of the Amazon rainforest should continue. This is a hard problem to resolve without the Brazilian Government’s intervention and there are many of us who can sympathise with hunger and need to make a living. There are those in other countries who are looking at planting trees, which is a positive step, but we would need more activity along those lines to make up for the Amazon.

There have been wildfires in California, Australia, South Africa, the Soviet Union and many other countries affected by the rise in temperatures, leading to the drying out of forests, and making them more like tinder to start fires. Wildfires here in the UK recently have reinforced the need for action from the world.

TEMPERATURES

Did you know that the average temperature was at its greatest in 2021 for the world since temperatures were written down. The ice at the poles is melting more quickly than expected, leading to a change in the habitat of the Polar Bear and others who rely on the ice for their livelihood.

Here in England, we are experiencing unusual warm weather in the wintertime, which is just unheard of, and summer temperatures which had been extreme, all because of climate change. Earth’s temperature has risen by 0.14F (0.08C) per decade since 1880, and the rate of warming over the past 40 years is more

By Penny Cooper

than twice that: 0.32F (0.18C) per decade since 1981. Recently 40.3C has been reported in the UK, 2022, the highest temperature ever since recordings began.

FLOODING

Did you know flooding is occurring all over the world, and in some parts of the world, the rise in sea level is causing those who live close to shorelines to move their homes completely, having to rebuild and move back from the shoreline, higher embankments, or as it is being spoken of, taking refugee status in other countries because their own islands have been swallowed up by the sea. This is the future for many countries which are on the front line of climate change.

The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change believes that the UK will receive about 10 percent more rainfall on average per year by 2100 compared to 1986–2005. Recently flooding has been reported in Australia, yet again, there is no doubt it is becoming a common occurrence.

WIND

Did you know that there have been some of the highest measured wind speeds and damage in the past year, ever recorded. In Kentucky, the tornadoes wiped out dwellings and environment for many miles across the state, causing a major disaster, at 190 miles per hour. Hurricanes at record speeds off the East Coast of America - Dorian in 2019, reached 185 miles per hour which could be rated as a category 6. Many are asking is this the category of measurement we can expect in future due to climate change. There are many countries experiencing higher wind speeds, enough to cause damage, which at one time would have been occasional occurrence, but now is more regular, and the weatherman on the news channel is telling us it is due to climate change.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/climate-change-andnature-did-you-know-2/

REFUGEE CRISIS OR POLITICAL CRISIS?

By Ophelie Lawson

A question I hear often while working and supporting refugees and asylum seekers is, “why do I choose to refer to the crisis that is happening in Europe concerning refugee flow as being a political crisis rather than a refugee crisis?”

Here is why:

According to Wikipedia the term ‘Refugee crisis’ refers to “difficulties and threatening situations in the reception of large groups of forcibly displaced persons, internally displaced, refugees, asylum seekers, or any other huge groups of forced migrants.”

A crisis could then occur within the country of origin to those fleeing, it could occur while attempting to leave, on the move to a safe country, and/or even after arrival in a country in which one wishes to seek asylum. The crisis is either from the perspective of the forcibly displaced persons, or from the perspective of the receiving state, or both.

In 2015, the Eastern Mediterranean migration route between Turkey and Greece was the main entry point for over one million refugees who fled to Europe by sea, seeking safety dangerously in inadequate vessels, (UNHCR). UNHCR’s figures showed that 1,000,573 people reached Europe across the Mediterranean, mainly to Greece and Italy that year. In addition to the sea crossings, the UNHCR figures also estimated that a further 34,000 crossed from Turkey into Bulgaria and Greece by land.

The number of people displaced by war and conflict was in 2015 the highest seen in Western and Central Europe since the Balkan crises of the 1990s, (UNHCR). This period of which the main character

is the high number of people arriving in Europe by sea is referred to as the ‘European Migrant Crisis’, otherwise known as the ‘refugee crisis’ which was declared by the European Commission in 2019. Although forced migrants continue to arrive, pushbacks at the borders also continue to happen more often.

The pattern of increased forced migration to Europe from other continents is said to have begun in 2014. In 2019, the number of displaced arrivals to the Mediterranean dropped to 129,663. By 2020, it had dropped to 14,854 says the International Organisation for Migrants (IOM).

Arrivals to Greece are still taking place regardless of the so-called crisis being called over by the European Commission which, in my personal opinion, was misinformation in the name of national interests and security and the crisis is still happening. But it’s a political one.

Refugee flow is a matter that has been happening for a long period of time. The only difference is that since 2015 the political response to the high number of forced migrants entering Europe change dramatically and drastically. It started a crisis in terms of European countries struggling to cope with the arrivals. It created divisions between countries and strengthened national borders. In European politics, tensions rose in the area of immigration. But the crisis from the European perspective was not as a result of people leaving their countries, but entering Europe, which was perceived to be overwhelming for European countries in terms of arrivals. Everyone knew about the ongoing conflicts in Syria,

Afghanistan, and Iraq, and that there was a large number of people that would come to Europe. These countries were considered to be “refugee-producing” for whom international protection would be needed.

The crisis is not the human rights abuses that are happening at the border, the crisis is also not what is happening in countries of origin, neither it is what people have to go through until and when they arrive in Europe. The crisis begun when refugees started arriving in Europe. Instead of providing them with the necessary support and protection they need and deserve as per human rights requirement and international treaties and conventions agreed by EU member-States, they are framed as being dangerous by signatories of such international accords. I would argue that the only real goal is to stop people from coming Europe; when they are people who are fleeing persecution, conflicts, torture, environmental disasters, the ruins of colonialism.

Again, it is political.

In 2016 the EU-Turkey deal was passed as a solution to the high flow of people coming. Refugees arriving on the Greek Islands would be sent back to Turkey. Turkey received €6billion to keep refugees out of Europe and accommodate them. This affected mainly people coming from Syria, facilitating their return to Turkey which was considered to be ‘safe’ for them, regardless of what is really happening there for Syrian people. Deals with third world countries were signed to prevent people from entering the EU.

Click this link for more on this article: https://mojatu.com/2022/11/03/ refugee-crisis-or-political-crisis-2/

SINGLE MOTHER AND ASYLUM SEEKER IN ATHENS – MEET LAURENE

By Ophelie Lawson

The reality of single mothers seeking asylum is something that I truly care about. I can but only sympathise with mothers who are raising children by themselves and in a situation that I, someone with legal documents, will never have to experience. I have already in the past written about the life and daily struggle of single mothers living in refugee camps or stuck in our broken immigration system. Let us not forget that mothers too are humans like anyone of us, who were forced to migrate and leave their home, and embark on a journey of seeking safety in Europe.

During my journey helping and supporting mothers, I met Laurene in Lesvos Island, when her little girl was just a couple of months old. Lauren’s journey was not easy. She went on the perilous journey through the Mediterranean when she was only 3 months pregnant. In Istanbul, Turkey, where she was living before coming to Greece, she was arrested 3 times for attempting to cross the sea.

Laurene is 23 years old from Cameroon (her name was changed for safety reasons). She left for a safer future which is what she thought she would get in Europe. In her boat, while crossing, they were 43 in number. “We were really tight on the boat and being pregnant, it was really scary.” she confessed to me.

Laurene is not the first pregnant woman embarking on such a risky crossing. She is the second single mother whom I have met who was pregnant with her first child when crossing the sea. When I met her in April 2021 after being in Lesvos for 11 months already, she was supported by an organisation called Iliaktida. In summer 2021 she was finally moved to the Greece mainland after 1 year of waiting in the camp in the most horrible conditions, where she also gave birth to her daughter. She was moved to a province near Athens where she was taken care of by another organisation.

In January 2022 after another rejection to her asylum claim, she was asked to leave her accommodation given to her as they could no longer help her given that she was now considered to be illegal meaning with no right to remain on the territory. Unfortunately, this is also a harsh reality for so many people there. She reached out to the Unheard Refugee Voice, a project that I set up in 2020 to support black asylum seekers and refugees, so that we could help her in covering the rent for a bed in a room shared with other moms.

As I am writing this article, Laurene has been in detention for after attempting to leave the country with papers that were not hers after over a year of being left stranded in a system that does not have

her best interests at heart, after months of struggling to feed herself and her baby. Laurene and her 2 years old girl had been struggling to have a chance for decent shower. They are being kept in a cell with minimum light. And her mental health is deteriorating as we speak. Refugees in Greece face hunger and homelessness despite legal status. For those without status the reality is even harsher. Generally, when people are caught attempting to leave Greece with forged travel documents or papers that are not theirs, they are released straight away, which was the case during her first attempts, but this time was different.

The social worker in charge of her has been in touch with her lawyer who has called the prison many times and she should have been released by now. Unfortunately for her, there is no higher authority seeing cases such as hers and she is left neglected in a cell. She does have access to her phone, and she is allowed out once per day. At this point neither the lawyer nor the social worker knows why she has not been released yet. I have been in touch with her every day since she has been held captive and she is not well. Every year, many forced migrants try to leave Greece with either documents that do not belong to them or forged travel documents. They usually try to go to islands where many people travel to during tourist season as this give them a better chance. We do not know what is going to happen to Laurene or when she will be released. But what we know is that when she does get released, her situation will remain the same. Cases like this happen every day. Asylum seekers without papers who fall into the hand of a broken system and go silenced and forgotten.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/single-mother-andasylum-seeker-in-athens-meet-laurene/

CITIZENS AT MARCUS GARVEY DAY CENTRE VISITED THE OAKS RESIDENTIAL CARE HOME’S SUMMER FARE

By MGDC Centre

Citizens from Marcus Garvey Day Centre (MGDC) visited The Oaks Residential Care Home to take part in their Summer Fare as activities designed to improve the mental, social, and physical wellbeing of the citizens of MGDC.

During their visit, the citizens took part in many different activities that were organised for residents of The Oaks Residential Care Home. They expressed delight in the visit and most of them enjoyed the different sessions that were held. There was a quiz session geared toward improving their memory and making recollection of historic events in which most of them took part and enjoyed.

Another purpose of the day visit was for the citizens of MGDC to meet new people at The Oaks Residential Care Home and enjoy their day with the refreshments that were on offer in the company of each other. With the end of the pandemic – even though people should be more careful especially the elderly and the vulnerable, these types of visits are those that citizens look forward to because of the joy they bring to them and how they impact on their wellbeing.

The Oaks Residential Care Home which is located on

Campbell Street in St. Ann’s provides residential care for elderly, frail people and specialises in care for people with Dementia. As The Oaks Residential Care Home, MGDC also caters for older African and Caribbean citizens with need in the area of dementia, physical, sensory and or mental disabilities.

The MGDC offers interesting and varied activities including chair-based exercise, day trips and in-door activities such as arts and crafts, puzzles, quizzes, storytelling, and dancing. People with dementia are looked after in their Alzheimer’s group and staff carry out reminiscence and memory work, and other activities designed to stimulate and encourage them. The centre also provides Caribbean meals and cater for most dietary needs at reasonable prices.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/citizens-at-marcusgarvey-day-centre-visited-the-oaks-residential-carehomes-summer-fare/

QUEEN’S PLATINUM JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS AT MARCUS GARVEY CENTRE - Jubilee cloak workshop

By MGDC Centre

In May this year, couple of workshops were held at Marcus Garvey Day Centre by Creative Paths to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee by holding “Tales of the Jubilee Cloak - A Jubilee Arts Project”. This is a Platinum Jubilee project that is meant to celebrate the memories and stories of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and the creativity of 70-year and older adults living in or using care services. Tales from the Jubilee Cloak was delivered in ten different care settings in the Nottingham area.

As part of the workshop there were reminiscence discussions on Queen Elizabeth II and her coronation in 1953, places the Queen has visited and about the Queen’s family history. Lots of photographs were shown and shared with citizens of the Queen’s coronation and royal visits over the years.

There were discussions about the different types of crowns worn by the Queen and their significance. Out of love and respect for Her majesty, the senior citizens have even had discussion about what the Queen might be carrying in her handbag. The reminiscence activity helped to inform the designs for the creative activity that followed.

The Cloak showcased the individual artwork created over the project. All citizens took part in decorating

their own square artwork to celebrate the Jubilee. These squares artworks were unique contribution to the cloak and the project, celebrating everyone’s creativity, memories, and thoughts about royalty. 70 square artworks were created in total for the cloak, a symbolic link to Queen Elizabeth II’s 70-year Platinum Jubilee which were used to make a final long cloak of four metres as of the same measurement of what Queen Elizabeth II wore on her coronation.

Upon completion by Creative Paths, the cloak was brought to the Marcus Garvey Day Centre for citizens to try it on. Citizens also made Jubilee bunting which will be put up in the day centre. The exhibition celebrated the creativity and jubilee memories of everyone who took part and helped to promote the benefits of arts projects in social care. Tales from the Jubilee Cloak was a successful project that empowered 70 people to share their memories, embrace their creativity and be part of a collaborative arts project.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/queens-platinumjubilee-celebrations-at-marcus-garvey-centre/

NOTTINGHAM SPORTS GROUP HELD THE 2022 FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT DESPITE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES - By

The Nottingham Sports Group (NSG) held its yearly sport activity at the Forest Recreation ground as part of activities marking the Nottingham Sports Festival. The tournament, which was held in July, is the second edition since the end of the pandemic. The two days activity was a showcase of young and elderly talents in the form of competitive football matches.

Participants in the tournament came from many towns and suburbs within Nottingham and Nottinghamshire. Fourteen teams participated under the notion of an international tournament where different countries were represented by their citizens. It was a tournament that aimed to bring people who come from the same country but do not have time

Pa Modou Faal

to socialize or have fun together. NSG’s objective towards holding this event is to create an environment where everyone in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire can come together through the medium of sports especially football.

The tournament was coordinated by the Chair of NSG Amdani Juma and Wilfred McKenzie who is the manager of all sporting activities for NSG. Mr. Juma reiterated the need to hold such events because they foster unity, peace, and cohesion within our various communities. He however registered the difficulties they face in organising the events, key among which, is finance. He said the committee buys medals, all the different kinds of trophies and refreshment as well as pay the fee to

ECOFARM OPEN DAY

By Penny Cooper

12 June 2022, take a look at the pictures, can you guess where I am, YES, at the Ecofarm, Screveton for their Open Day event. The pandemic has been hard on us all, farmers, like David Rose have had to cut back on public involved activities like everyone else, so it was a treat to have my daughter visiting and to go along to the Open Day at the farm, the first after the pandemic.

My daughter was visiting from London, and had not been to the farm before, so she took lots of pictures and we had a fantastic afternoon. Because we at Mojatu Foundation due to unforeseen circumstances had not gotten involved this year, I was free with my time to enjoy the farm as a customer. I loved it, the day, weather wise, was ideal, and we wandered around sampling the country life. Caffe Velo Verde is a popular cycling haunt at the farm, and we headed straight there for a coffee and a bacon cob, lunch. It was busy, people sitting outside in the sunshine.

We then headed for the tractor ride, a 20-minute ride around the farm. It was very informative and good to hear what David has been doing on the farm. I was particularly keen to see the Female Genital Mutilation plaques and trees planted in the farm, and wow how they had grown (picture below). I remember many weekends of volunteering and planting of the trees, approximately

hire the ground with very inadequate funds.

Amdani Juma called on local government authorities, corporate entities, and other organisations to join them in their drive to attain such a noble initiative. He commended Mojatu Foundation and National Lottery for coming into their aid, without which, this year’s activities would not have been held.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/15/ nottingham-sports-group-held-the2022-football-tournament-despitefinancial-challenges/

4000 of them, fruit, and nut. I pointed them out to my daughter with pride.

Also, interesting to hear about was a project of apple trees layered between crops, where the wildlife is encouraged to do what pesticides would normally do and provides David with an opportunity to grow organically. He is a great innovator on the farm and very much into the community. Take a look at his website at https://www. farmeco.co.uk/

The wicker giants were still there, but the trees had grown up and much of the view was green in the skyline. The maze you could get lost in this time because the trees were so tall. We visited the sheep shearing, saw the pigs and a giant tortoise. I have to say the tortoise was a surprise, I have only ever seen them as large on Zanzibar in Africa. To complete our visit, we waved to the Queen in the phone box (see picture below) and visited some of the stalls. My daughter was particularly interested in the African jewellery. A thoroughly enjoyable afternoon and good to catch up with friends. Mojatu Foundation in cooperation with David Rose, plan to hold volunteer days to visit the farm in the minibus, if you are interested in helping out, please let us know, info@mojatufoundation.org

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ecofarm-open-day/

THE GAMBIAN COMMUNITY HELD ITS ANNUAL FAMILY FUND-DAY -

By Pa Modou Faal

The Gambian Community in Nottingham and Nottinghamshire organised its annual family fun day in July to bring people together to have fun and contribute to raising fund for the Masjid (mosque) project. Evidently, Nottingham has become very popular city to Gambians attracting a significant influx over the years. This could fairly be attributed to the Cultural and religious integration of a strong and dynamic Gambian community.

a Muslim and human being. He further asked the congregation that they are still in need of funds to meet the target of having their own Islamic centre.

Mr. Touray said the event seeks to attract local Gambian business in and beyond Nottinghamshire as well as other community business to use the day and advertise their businesses. It also solicits support from these businesses and individuals to donate to the project. Mr. Touray used the day’s activity to thank everyone who contributed either in cash or kind for the success of the event.

As a result of this growth, the community identified the need to initiate activities that can generate funds for the sustenance of the Masjid project which is located at 56-58 Thurgarton Street in Sneinton. One among the activities is the annual community football tournament. This event is a fundraising activity that has been going on for almost nine years now and has been deemed successful since its initiation. The day was characterised by a display of football skills, entertainment, and food sale.

According to the Sec. Gen. Edrissa Touray, their main objective for the event is to develop positive relationships within members of the community as well as raise funds for the Masjid project. He said their main target is to be able to generate over £50,000 which would serve as deposit to buy the current place they are occupying now for the Masjid or elsewhere better. The Masjid also has a Madrassa where children are taught the Quran and engaged in how to develop good values as

Imam Baba Njie who is well known for his preaching of peace and fruitful co-existence within Muslims and non-Muslims alike, reiterated his position in the promotion of peace and unity. Imam Baba said peace and unity should be the yardstick of community co-existence because it makes people to love one another, support each other and care for their neighbours. He said the event is not only organised to raise funds for the community Masjid project, but it is aimed at fostering unity within Gambians and other nationals who congregate at the Gambia Masjid.

Imam Baba said a key principle in Islam and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is to nurture the existence of peace in the families, communities, and country. He urged the congregation to be tolerant and respect other people from different faiths because respecting each other’s beliefs promotes love and peace in our communities. He prayed for Allah to reward all who participated, sponsored, and rendered their services to the community.

The Councilor for Mapperley Ward Councilor, Sajid Mohammed was the chief patron of the event. Cllr Sajid joined hundreds of Gambians and other well-wishers to mark the day. There was a lunch-on-sale with a display of different types of typical Gambian dishes. The food was entirely sponsored by members of the community and all sales went to the Masjid project’s bank account. Regular sponsors of the event were presented with certificates in appreciation of their support to the initiative such as Mojatu Foundation, Jula Finance, Yayeh Instant Services, Jollof Flavours, Gagigo’s Kitchen among others.

The round robin football tournament which was held at the Forest Recreation grounds in Nottingham, attracted about ten teams who represented different postcodes of Nottingham. Presentation of trophies and medals wrapped up the event. The team from Sneinton defeated last year’s champions, St Ann’s in a tightly contested match. Both teams were awarded with medallions while Sneinton went home with the giant trophy. Trophies were awarded to the leading goal scorer and the best player of the tournament. The event was also characterised by presentation of awards community champions in recognition of their selfless services they provide voluntarily to the community.

To support please contact them via email at info@ gambiansnottinghamshire.org.uk

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ the-gambia-community-held-itsannual-family-fund-day/

RESEARCH ON HOUSING DISADVANTAGES AND HOMELESSNESS IN ETHNIC MINORITIES

- By Pa Modou Faal

British Academy funded a research collaboration between Pathway Housing Solutions and the University of Nottingham, to look into the links between ethnicity, housing disadvantage, and homelessness. The event marked some preliminary findings from the project and provided a chance to hear from those with lived experiences, as well as from a range of key stakeholders. The event brought together national and local expert to discuss housing problems faced by ethnic minorities in Nottingham.

The councillor for Berridge Ward and Portfolio holder for Housing and Human Resources Toby Neal said Nottingham City Homes (NCH) has the largest network in the city with over 25,000 properties with 25% of the housing within the city as residential social housing while 32% being private rented. The city’s population is about 320,000 people which is broken into roughly 125,000 households. He said the new data indicates a very largely increase in the BAME community from the 2001 census which was 19% of the population, but according to the 2011 survey census, the BAME population in Nottingham rose to 35% which is expected to increase to about 40-45% as of 2022, he argued.

“We have had issues, but we were moving towards bringing back houses anyway which calls for a thorough look into our entire housing strategies as a directorate”, said Councillor Neal. Part of NCH processes he lamented, is looking at who they serve out, how they are served and how they continue to provide such services. But as a social housing provider, Councillor Neal said they face significant levels of challenge, because of right to buy, the inability for one-to-one replacements, as they are seeing a high demand presently on the waiting lists for social housing.

Councillor Neal revealed that there is currently over 8200 people waiting for social housing, and NCH was able to let 1400 properties last year. “We lose 300 properties a year to right to buy and we are currently processing more than 1400 properties. These applications for right to buy tells you that replacement of these properties is very difficult as it is an ongoing process”, said Councillor Neal.

He said NCH’s housing needs assessment shows that 99% of all properties that need to be built in the city, should be affordable housing. To put it into context, he said, in Bilborough, a two-bedroom house goes back on to the polling system which will be opened to at least 400 bidders which shows the level of engagement.

He said working with partners especially in the Rough Sleepers Initiative which goes up to 2025 will provide

accommodation and services for rough sleepers. “We built 136 new council homes since 2019, there are nearly 290 under construction at the moment and we purchase nearly 200 to help us meet our needs”, said the Councillor. There is a housing strategy seen on notification, a number of sites seen across the city and other sites where work has already begun.

He said, “we are always keen for partnerships across the board, in terms of understanding what these issues are and delivering services and that’s an area we will be expanding on in the coming future.”

In the area of diversity, Neal said 25% of NCH tenants are from the BAME community against the current number of 28% which is what they are working with. “35% of all new rents and all the new tenancies go to the BAME tenants and we have statutory homelessness prevention duties, of which 31-32% are from the BAME community”, said Neal.

In a breakdown of the BAME identities, he said 14% are Black Caribbean, African and Black British community while 7% are from the Asian community and the rest from other groups. “These figures are significant in the areas of disparity and some of these are anecdotal, and this project will probably help to identify issues,” said Neal.

He further said that minority ethnic groups lack access to good quality affordable homes who are most likely to be in lower paid jobs and spend a higher proportion of their income on housing cost. The number of waiting for social housing from the BAME community is slightly higher than the city average at the moment and that the allocation rate for BAME community is at a higher rate as well.

“So now social housing issue is reflective of the city in many ways. But the core problem nationally which is demand outstrips supply at the moment. We are looking at various ways of addressing this but until the government actually comes in, some new legislation and rules, that allow us to build new homes, it will continue to be a significant problem”, he argued.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/research-onhousing-disadvantages-and-homelessness-in-ethnicminorities/

SUMMER WITH MARCUS GARVEY DAY CENTRE

By MGDC Centre

Windrush Day Celebration at Marcus Garvey Day Centre

On Wednesday 22nd June 2022, citizens at Marcus Garvey Day centre (MGDC), marked the Windrush Day by reminiscing and having discussions about what they remembered about arriving in the United Kingdom and of their first impressions and experiences.

Green Fingered Activities at the MGDC

The citizens at MGDC recently enjoyed some gardening activities at the day centre. They planted a variety of seedlings and flowers to watch grow and have been assisting in the maintenance of the plots in the outside garden area. The citizens really enjoyed getting their hands dirty and cannot wait for them to grow so that they can sample some of the produce that they have planted and grown, such as tomatoes, spring onions and chives! When the flowers bloom, they will be placed in the day centre for all to admire.

immense benefit to citizens as such visits help to promote wellbeing, retain independence and support in providing a positive experience. These outdoor activities help them in creating social networks and opportunities for them to know each other better.

Jamaican Independence Day Celebrations at Marcus Garvey Day Centre

All citizens agreed that they very clearly remember how cold it was and how things looked so different from the pictures they had previously seen. Citizens reminisced how they lived in shared accommodations and had to share all the facilities. They recollected the hardships they faced during that time and shared stories of how they were sometimes treated when they go to the shop. They said the shopkeeper would ignore them and serve everybody else first and leave them till last. A citizen gave a very touching story saying that she was once sheltering from the rain in a shop door and to her surprise, the shopkeeper asked her to move away. Another citizen shared that she was told that one should definitely try fish and chips and when she went to the chips shop and saw them wrap the fish and chips in newspaper, she walked out of the shop as she was not used to food being served and wrapped in a newspaper. Citizens also discussed how things have evolved and changed over the years from the time when they first came over. A Windrush quiz was also held which was enjoyed by all and there were also displays set up.

Lunch trips Are Back for Marcus Garvey Citizens

Citizens from MGDC enjoyed their first lunch visit out since the beginning of the pandemic at Sherwood Man or pub and restaurant. For them, it was nice to go out for lunch again with staff ensuring that all safety precautions were still followed and adhered to. Citizens also visited the Brookfields Garden Centre and spent time looking around the garden centre and bought potted plants to take home with them.

Citizens have not been able to take part in such activities which was a norm and done as routine prepandemic days but really benefitted by being able to go out knowing that staff are ensuring that the necessary processes are followed to keep everybody safe. Visits out are of

Jamaica Independence Day at Marcus Garvey Centre was celebrated on 4th August 2022. Residents from The Oaks Residential Care Home also visited and took part in the celebrations. A citizen from Marcus Garvey Day Centre knew a resident from The Oaks Residential Care Home with whom they used to work in the past but had not seen each other for years. They spent time reminiscing and catching up with each other. There was a quiz session and a poetry performed in patois by Kim-Marie Gordon, a member of staff, which everyone enjoyed. Caribbean brunch was served and went down a treat with all. The event was also attended by local Councillors Audra Wynter and Audrey Dinnall.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ summer-with-marcus-garvey-daycentre/

WHY IS CLIMATE ACTIVISM BECOMING MORE RADICAL?

By Jack Dixon

Climate activism has undergone a significant transformation over the last three years. The days of large scale-peaceful protests are largely behind us and are increasingly being replaced by new eye-catching acts of vandalism, sabotage, and civil disobedience. What has changed in the last three years that has caused this dramatic shift in tactics for climate activists?

does not allow climate change to compete with more immediate threats like global pandemics, the threat of war and economic collapse on a level playing field. This has meant that public concern for climate change has actually eroded in the last few years, all the while the effects of climate change continue to worsen and deadlines to reduce and halt greenhouse emissions are rapidly approaching. Recent action has been particularly effective: like the throwing of soup over Van Gogh’s sunflowers and the blocking of key transport connections. These actions demonstrate the increasing desperation of activists to garner any media attention for their cause, no matter whether it is positive or negative.

In 2019, millions of young people across the globe mobilised to take part in the ‘Fridays for future’ movement. This reached a peak in September 2019 when over 6 Million took part in the movement to make their voices heard. The sad reality of this is no matter the impressiveness of the scale of mobilisation, the goals of the movement were ultimately never met. Even Greta Thunberg herself admitted that the movement had ‘achieved nothing’ as it had not caused national governments to take decisive action on climate change.

To me, this seems to be a particularly harsh assessment of the campaign as it did manage to bring climate change to the very front of the global conversation, while educating millions on the imminent threat that it poses. Although, even these successes have been undermined over the last three years as more short-term crises have taken hold and turned attention away from the cause. The current media environment

Acts like these often secure not only national, but international media attention, which is rare at this point for any other form of climate protest. The aim of these acts is to be able to go on media outlets and explain the reasoning for these acts to a much wider audience than was previously interested. The hope is that the initial shock of the act is overcome by the compelling arguments made once the spotlight is on the perpetrators.

When we look at the merits of returning to a more palatable climate crisis movement, I am not sure I see much point. It is already difficult to build awareness of a movement as large or even larger than Greta Thunberg was able to three years ago, not to mention the fact that ordinary people are increasingly concerned with issues like the current governmental crisis we face in the UK, the cost-of-living crisis and the war in Ukraine.

Groups like Just Stop Oil seem

to have recognised this: devising tactics that allow them to garner the same, if not greater media attention with as little as two activists, a can of soup and a cameraman. Whether or not you see them as effective in boosting support for climate action, it’s undeniable that these actions are highly repeatable and reliable in catching headlines at a much smaller cost.

This may seem like a risky strategy to try to bring more support for your cause, what other options are left? As we approach the IPCC deadline to cut emissions in half by 2030, drastic action from governments is necessary to change course, and this will not be achieved if activists cannot be heard. The consistent inability (or unwillingness) of large parts of the media to present the existential threat of climate change to its audiences has forced climate activists to make it so they can’t be ignored.

As we move deeper into the 2020s, the effects of climate change will only get worse, and this will mean activists will most likely ramp up their efforts accordingly. It’s my belief that, whether we like it or not, radical environmental activism is here to stay and will most likely grow in the coming years. The only way to avoid this is for governments to take activists’ warnings seriously.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/

BREAKING DOWN GENDER STEREOTYPES: STAYING-AT-HOME-DADS – THEY EXIST

By Ophelie Lawson

There is a common belief that women are the only ones who will benefit from a more equal society. But in reality, men would as well. Men too can face genderspecific issues such as rigid gender norms. For both women and men, it is essential that they are aware of the benefits that gender equality can bring to them as individuals and as members of communities.

Traditional stereotypes are difficult for many men to live up to. There is a constant pressure on them to be a ‘real man’ meaning to be physically and emotionally strong, and to be the main income earner in their household. When it comes to family life, however, many workplaces do not offer men extended parental leave or flexible hours, or worse, for stay-at-home dads, there is only little support available in comparison to moms, as it goes against the norm.

Men are less likely to seek professional help or talk about their problems and emotions with friends or family. They are also more likely to commit suicide, because of those rigid gender norms. They are less likely to talk or open up about their feelings, because they are not encouraged by society to do so and are more likely to be told to “brush it off” when they experience difficult feelings. We have all heard the saying ‘men don’t cry’.

I spoke to a stay-at-home dad about what it means to break out of the norm. It is a tale as old as time: husband goes to work; wife stays home to care for the children. But what happens when the wife goes to work, and the husband stays at home? Do they get enough support? Is it easily accepted ? Below is my conversation with him:

Ophelie: In your opinion what are the stigma and stereotypes

associated with being a stay-athome dad ?

James: It’s not the norm, is it? Having to go out to baby groups; it’s all moms there. It can be a bit daunting to do that. You do get ignored or only spoken to briefly. You see all the moms sitting about, chatting and all getting on. You can feel a bit isolated. My friends all thought it was a bit weird. But I don’t think anybody really understands how much hard work it is. They think you are just trying to get out of working where if it is the mom, it is what she is supposed to do or what society thinks she is supposed to do.

Ophelie: Do you get any support from your relatives ?

James: my mom would come down once a week. From my friends, not really. Just my mom and my first son. But no, I don’t get any real support.

Ophelie: Did you get any unsupportive comment or unsolicited advice since being a stay-at-home dad?

James: Everybody’s got an opinion, but nothing too negative, just joking around, because it is not the norm. People call you the housewife and stuff like that. With my first son I was also helping once a week where it was only him and me, so I kind of knew what to expect. I just forgot how hard it is to be honest. The joking around; I kind of expected, I made the decision to do this. At the end of the day, it is beneficial for me and the kids, so I don’t really care much about other people’s opinions, I am quite happy with what I decided to do. When I told people from the older generation they have always asked when I’m going back to work like this was the most important thing to them.

Ophelie: Do you get supportive comments ?

James: My wife, my mom and some female friends have said how well my son is doing and they know how hard it is. From male friends not really, it’s not really something we talk about.

According to gender norms, it is the mother who should be staying at home to look after the children, but such stereotypes are really just harmful, they limit both women’s and men’s capacity to make choices about their lives and live the life they seek to leave.

For James, a stay-at-home dad, leaving his job to look after his younger son and allowing his wife to pursue her career, as well as eliminating childcare costs, was the best decision he could have made for his family.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ breaking-down-genderstereotypes-staying-at-homedads-they-exist/

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC ON CRIME

By Meghan Elkin is the joint head of crime statistics at the ONS

The impact of lockdown restrictions on levels of crime is one of the lesser told stories of the coronavirus pandemic. With large parts of the population asked to stay in their homes, so-called traditional crimes such as burglary and robbery decreased. However, this was offset by rises in fraud as criminals exploited changing behaviours and more reliance of online and phone services.

To best understand levels of crime, you first need to be able to accurately measure it. While there’s no one perfect source, the best way we have is the Crime Survey for England and Wales, where we interview thousands of people each year, asking them about their experiences of crime. While the crime survey has consistently provided a comparable view of overarching trends, the onset of the pandemic and restrictions placed on all our lives meant we could no longer interview people in their homes. This presented a significant challenge for us and to overcome this data gap, we launched the Telephone Crime Survey for England and Wales (TCSEW) in May 2020. Then in October 2021, we were able to reinstate face to face interviewing through the CSEW and today we’ve been able to provide the first comparable estimates across all crime types to before the pandemic. Caution needs to be taken when interpreting these figures, as the data collection covers a shorter time-period, and we had a lower response rate.

What today’s crime survey figures tell us

Overall crime now looks to be continuing the downward trajectory of the past decade with today’s figures for year ending June 2022 showing an 8% decrease compared to the year ending March 2020. Focusing on individual crime types we see a significant decrease in theft which is now 19% lower than pre-pandemic. It’s too early to tell whether this represents a new trend but suggest a sustained impact of COVID-19 on this crime type.

We also see a significant decrease in computer misuse offences which is 27% lower than the pre-pandemic year. This category includes computer viruses, data breaches and hacking. It’s possible that as people went on-line more during the pandemic, they’ve become more aware of precautions they can take against these offences.

Across other crime types, there has been no significant change in the levels of crime recorded in the survey. This includes fraud which had shown significant increases during the pandemic but has now returned to prepandemic levels. This suggests the increase observed was specific to the pandemic rather than a sustained change

in trends. This has also been seen in other data sources, such as Action Fraud.

What today’s police figures tell us

We don’t recommend using overall Police Recorded Crime (PRC) figures as they are heavily impacted by changes in recording and reporting practices. However, for some crime types that are recorded well, especially lower-volume, higher-harm crimes, we can gain additional insight from PRC data. For such crime types we’ve seen decreases when compared to March 2020 levels. This includes burglary, robbery, vehicle offences, knife crime, firearms and homicide which are all down on March 2020 levels.

For some crime types we’ve seen large increases in the police figures, such as rape and sexual offences and in stalking and harassment. However, these increases are impacted by a number of factors likely including improvements in identifying and recording offences and an increased confidence in victims coming forward to report these offences.

What does our comparability analysis tell us about trends over the pandemic?

During the pandemic we used the telephone crime survey which differed from the traditional crime survey. Importantly, participants who took part in TCSEW were asked to participate in future waves of the survey at approximately three-month intervals. Between October 2021 and March 2022, we ran face to face interviewing as well as on the phone, giving us six months of data from both the TCSEW and CSEW which could be used for comparability analysis.

We’ve found there have been no significant differences in estimates between CSEW and TCSEW for most headline crime types. This provides assurance that the main measures of crime were broadly comparable between the two surveys. However, our analysis shows that the telephone survey may have been underestimating the level of vehicle related theft offences while overestimating the level of computer misuse offences. There are likely to be multiple reasons for these differences stemming from the change in survey design.

During the pandemic we had reported increases in computer misuse. Current decrease when compared to pre-pandemic levels suggests that any increases were likely to be specific to the pandemic. But our comparability analysis also highlights that these figures may have been inflated during this period.

SOCIAL CARE WORKERS SHAPING NOTTINGHAM’S COVID-19 VACCICNATION STRATEGY - By

Peter Makossah

A majority of health and social care workers from across Nottinghamshire have avowed to help shape the local Covid-19 vaccination strategy by getting jabbed at work. In July this year, Nottinghamshire County Council’s frontline staff were invited to share their thoughts on Covid-19 vaccination.

According to Nottinghamshire Country Council website, the survey established that many social care staff would like the opportunity to have the Covid-19 vaccination at their place of work. Many residentsincluding vital social care staff - have busy lives and finding time to get vaccinated between work and family commitments can be challenging.

Based on the feedback received, the Council’s Public Health Team has made arrangements for staff working in care homes for older adults to have the chance to get vaccinated while at work this autumn. The programme will be delivered by the Mobile Vaccination Team.

More broadly, people who are aged 50 and over, residents in care homes for older people, those with underlying health conditions, pregnant women and health and social care staff will be offered a Covid-19 booster vaccine this autumn. The National Booking Service will be available for those who are eligible for the autumn booster jab.

Councillor Matt Barney, the council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health said:

“I want to thank those who took the time to give their views and all social care staff across the county for their hard work and dedication throughout the pandemic. We want to do everything we can to continue to make getting vaccinated as simple and straightforward as possible.”

“Covid-19 will still be with us as we move into the challenging autumn and winter periods and the council’s Public Health Team, working with its partners in the NHS, is committed to making the Covid-19 vaccination accessible to all social care staff, to keep those using, living, and working in social care as safe as possible.”

Added Councillor Barney: “I’d also like to encourage all those eligible for the autumn booster to get the jab when they are invited. Vaccination remains our best defence against infection.”

The NHS will contact people when it is their turn to book a Covid-19 vaccine – there is no need to contact the NHS to arrange an appointment until the booking system has opened.

Further information on the booster is available on the government website.

A guide to the COVID-19 autumn booster - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/social-care-workersshaping-nottinghams-covid-19-vaccicnation-strategy/

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FACING YOUR FEARS

By Mellonie Page

I said I would tell you about Tallulah and how she helped me face some of my fears. Rewinding back to working with Black Mime Theatre Company, the ensemble. The year is 1994. Dense Wong, the director, had a reputation for exercising demons. She saw your limitations; made you face them head on, until they were vanquished. It was known as the Black Mime initiation. My issues were:

1. Lack of eye contact

2. Inappropriate laughter

3. Fear of intimacy onstage

Outwardly, I appeared confident, shiny even. I knew I was talented but was generally good at masking shyness and anxiety. It’s natural to feel uncomfortable onstage. Not all of us feel at ease performing on stage or being the centre of attention. My character had to kiss my onstage boyfriend and trace my hands around his body. We didn’t even get on with each other off-stage! I was mortified, so embarrassed about finding ways of doing this in front of a room of fellow performers. We were devising the play, creating it from scratch together to tell our stories. This was my story. It was about a whirlwind romance that went sour and negatively impacted my life for years to come.

Denise knew it was timidity and fear that partly caused my issues. I’m not saying that this kind of exposure is helpful for everyone, but it helped me over the hurdles I faced at the time. It was enough to get the job done in the moment. I was afraid of exposing myself in the telling of my story, afraid my laughter and awkwardness might turn to tears, scared of letting go

of my inhibitions. Singing was my number one talent, so she said I should sing a song while facing my stage boyfriend. I should perform it over and over again, looking at him in the eyes, whilst exuding the raunchiest performance.

This was highly uncomfortable for me. His instructions were to sit in front of me, maintain eye contact, and only move back if he felt something. He gazed at me for a long time. I laughed out of embarrassment and then composed myself. The first song that popped into my head was My Name is Tallulah (Bugsy Malone). I sang that song like my life depended on it, until I was sick of it, willing him to move back, dancing, swaying, until I rushed to the loo to throw up, come back and start again. By the end of the process, I didn’t have an issue looking at my partner in the eye or any other cast member. Tracing my hands around his body seemed like nothing now and in the more harrowing scenes, I learned to detach myself.

I used the time I spent creating and performing as a cathartic (healing) process. Tallulah was my turning point, my boundary line. Never again would I cross this line as an actress. I became stronger after this trial by fire and knew what I would and would not tolerate in the future, on or off the stage. Audience members would divulge their relationship experiences with me, from ‘Land’s End to John O’Groats’, as my dad would say. I eventually had to learn to detach mentally and find a way to take on the role without trying to delve too deep. I was new to method acting, which was more about tapping into real feelings than pretending to be someone else.

Exposure therapy is a way of dealing with your fears head on; something you can do alone, but the help of a professional is the better option. They can walk you through the process using baby steps and utilising tried and tested methods. Seek out a therapist if you need help. The problem with vanquishing demons alone is that you may run out of steam, think they have gone only to return later, or you may not have the correct weapons to fight them and keep them away. The time you take dealing with them alone could also be curtailed by a professional. The trained eye has another perspective that can be helpful to a client.

Hypnotherapy is another method that can help you heal, accept change, grief, and loss, gain confidence, motivation, stop smoking, stop procrastinating, manage weight and many more issues. I am a qualified Hypnotherapist, registered on the National Hypnotherapy Society’s accredited register. My member number is HYP20-00788. Mellonie Williams Cert HYP CS. I am based in Nottingham and can work with you in person or online.

I am a lecturer, I lead creative and performing arts classes and workshops, I am a singer/songwriter and recording artist. I have a BA Honours Degree in Contemporary Arts. Like & follow Mellonie Page Music on Instagram and Facebook.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ facing-your-fears/

KUDAUSHE MATIMBA PERFORMS AT THE NOTTINGHAM RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL 2022

By Pa Modou Faal

The biggest free summer festival in the East Midlands was held in August at the Victoria Embankment in Nottingham after two consecutive years of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival, which is known for attracting over 200, 000 visitors, is expected to have registered a greater number of visitors from around Nottinghamshire.

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On the Saturday’s line up various entertainment activities was the Southern African rhythms of Kudaushe Matimba and Harare, a spectacular mix of music and dance electrifying urban Zimbabwe dance music reviving the thrill & spirit of the much-loved Bhundu Boys.

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success in Europe and the US. Harare celebrates both the past and the future of African dance music and brings a spectacular mix of Southern African musical styles, particularly the musical styles of Zimbabwe.

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https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/kudaushe-matimbaperforms-at-the-nottingham-riverside-festival-2022/

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Harare are one of only a handful of Zimbabwean dance ensembles in Europe today. Fronted by the exuberance and charisma of Zimbabwean musician Kuda Matimba, Harare feature a ground-breaking line-up, mixing the buzzing acoustics of the Southern African rich-toned marimba, mbira, ringing jingling guitars, swooping basslines, irresistible dance rhythms and uplifting vocals.

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Kuda Matimba a marimbist, was a member of Zimbabwe’s legendary Bhundu Boys, a groundbreaking force in the African music industry, as they

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CARA THOMPSON -WINNER OF SLAM O VISION 2021

By Sharon Stevens

Some time ago, I chatted with Cara Thompson, a poet and writer local to Nottingham. She is forthright and an inspirational young woman. When Cara entered, she represented Nottingham and the UK in the competition. Cara, who began writing poems as a child, became a freelance poet and is part of the Gobs Collective’s poetry group, which encompassed its involvement in the Nottingham Poetry Festival.

2021 was the third event of the Slam O Vision Global Poetry Slam. In 2019 the finalists were from Quebec City, Nottingham, Melbourne, Iowa City, Heidelberg, Tartu, and Edinburgh. The winner (from Utrecht) was Babs Gobs, with her poem Ass Man. In 2020 the finalists were from Manchester, Quebec City, Edinburgh, Melbourne, Tartu, Reykjavik, and Ulyanovsk. The winner was Jardel Rodrigues from Manchester with his poem Barbirolli Square.

This is my conversation with Cara:

Can you tell me a little about yourself?

I have been doing poetry for a few years now. I say that I officially started writing about the age of 15 or 16. It’s something I fell into. In the beginning, I didn’t even realise it was what I was doing. I was writing and enjoying it. It was around my second year of Uni when the performance side started. It’s been kind of a rollercoaster ever since then; from something I’m developing and growing every day. I’ve joined in with local poetry collectives and events. It’s all become its own thing.

How did you get involved in the Slam competition?

So, Slam O Vision is something I became aware of a while ago. Like I said before, I’m involved in a few poetry collectives, and the main one I’m involved with is Gobs Collective. That’s been a huge part of my journey as a poet. I’d say that, up until this year, I really wasn’t even comfortable calling myself a poet. The leaders of the collective shared about the Slam O Vision thing. Initially, I had no intentions of entering. Again, it was a matter of confidence because of the performance side.

Tell me about Slam ’O’ Vision.

Slam O Vision is a competition organised by the UNESCO cities of literature. It’s a global thing, and seven cities of literature take part. Nottingham is a city of literature. We’ve been given the title by UNESCO as we’ve a strong literary heritage, so we are eligible to compete in this competition. It’s exactly like Eurovision, with the same principle. You put someone forward to represent you, and then all these different cities compete. Then it’s a public vote, including my judges, followed by you asking people to vote for you. It’s also about judges in these cities, giving you points so whoever gets the most points win.

Were you nervous when you pre-recorded your performances?

Honestly, no, because I didn’t expect to win. I know it sounds terrible and quite self-deprecating, but I kind of entered with the spirit that there’s nothing to lose in applying. And even if I didn’t win, it was worth a try. I submitted it on a whim - you look back at how you delivered it and see how it’s coming across.

How many people were in the finals?

It was me and six others, so each city would have gone through the same thing, asking poets from the region to apply. The judges then decide on one who will go forward to represent them. My poem went to the final. It was a live broadcast. It was hosted by the Manchester City of Literature, which won last year. Like Eurovision, whoever wins hosts it the next time. Then also the Québec City of Literature co-hosted internationally. It was pleasant as a nice blend, I think, to see how two cities approach things.

How did it feel waiting for the results?

It was mixed feelings. I was just kind of really pleased to be a part of it, I think, for a start. It was almost like I was watching a good poetry gig. Like you just sat and watched these other performances. You just try to enjoy them and appreciate what you’re listening to. Despite that, I think it was when the voting started that I realised that it would be quite nice to win. Literally screamed what! I kept laughing, but I don’t know why that reaction came out. It was all a bit hysterical! How was this possible?

This started with me filming something in my room, not really thinking anything of it, basically throwing it to the wind, and it just became this moment. It was just really, really lovely. I assumed that with the content of my poem, being quite specific to being this Black British person, Windrush and all these things. I thought that there was no way someone from, I don’t know, Finland was going to understand what I was saying, but they did. It took me about two days to actually accept it.

Click the link for the rest of the interview: https:// mojatu.com/2022/11/04/cara-thompson-winner-ofslam-o-vision-2021/

EMBRACING DIVERSITY IN MULTI-FAITH SOCIETY: Challenges and Prospects - A lecture by Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa

By Penny Cooper

The Embracing Diversity in Multi-faith Society lecture was organised by a Nottingham-based community organisation, Karimia Institute in conjunction with Nottingham Trent University (NTU). The Institute’s Human Kind program aims to “build trust between the British Muslim community, the wider British public and vice-versa”.

Karimia Institute was established in 1990 and thirty years down the line, the Institute was decorated with the “British Muslim Awards 2020 Charity of The Year”. The institute’s mission statement reads, “to help individuals and families learn life skills, develop moral and spiritual values through education, worship and recreation”.

The Human Kind program explores common bonds, creation of a world where we can all live in harmony no matter colour, ethnicity, religion and/or gender. According to their website, the Human Kind program has four main objectives:

• Raising awareness and busting myths on Islam.

• Creating opportunities for interaction and dialogue.

• Train a network of ambassadors from various ethnic and religious backgrounds with the skills to promote mutual understanding and build relationships.

• Have ambassadors engage and visit various audiences to deliver presentations geared towards myth-busting.

Dr Musharraf Hussain, CEO of the Karimia Institute, told the gathering that the Human Kind program is a trust building project because where trust exists, people live in an inclusive, connected, harmonious society and peace while where trust is absent, there would be suspicion, distrust, and doubt. In more recent years, Muslims have appeared in a less favourable light, the media paint a negative picture. Over the years, about a quarter of the UK population are suspicious or have negative thoughts about Muslims leading to an increase in hate crime targeting Muslims.

This Program was launched to recruit ambassadors, to train Muslims and non-Muslims to engage with others and provide an opportunity for people to talk to Muslims and experience the commonality between them and non-Muslims. The question is “is it working?” It would seem it is since trust has been found to be built in three main ways:

• Workshops – offering an open and safe forum.

• Personal stories, providing deeper connections, familiarity and understanding.

• Commonalities and shared values – we are all human.

If you would like to know more about the Human Kind program or find out more about becoming an ambassador, you can contact Saima Afzal at saima. afzal@karimia.com

The keynote speaker was Dr Shaikh Khalid bin Khalifa from Bahrain. Who serves as the Executive Director of Isa Cultural Centre and the Chairman of the board of Trustees of King Hamad Global Centre for Peaceful Coexistence in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Dr Shaikh Khalid said, “tolerance, diversity and peace are vices worth aiming for”. He said acknowledged Britain’s position as role model for other countries comparing it with Bahrain saying it is a predominantly Muslim country which nurtures diversity. He said the type of political system does not matter, because freedom of minorities as human beings is what matters most.

If anyone would like a copy of the Quran, it is £5 for a paperback. It is in English and intended as a translation for ease of reading. Contact for this is musharraf. hussain@karimia.com, Musharraf Hussain being the translator.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/embracing-diversityin-multi-faith-society-challenges-and-prospe cts/

MISSING SIR SIDNEY POITIER

By Penny Cooper

The first Black person to win a Best Actor Oscar, gave a string of groundbreaking performances on screen, that helped combat social prejudice.

Sidney Poitier, whose groundbreaking acting work in the 1950s and 1960s paved the way for generations of black film stars, highlighting social and racial issues of persons of colour. Sidney who died aged 94, on 7 January 2022, has left a huge gap in the struggle for stardom by many actors of not only coloured skin but also young and aspiring actors. Sidney arrived in Hollywood at the age of 22 when life for black people in the US was marred by violence, racial injustice, unequal opportunities, and an industry difficult to penetrate as a black person.

The academy bestows an honorary award on a member of the film industry whose input is gearing towards bettering the industry and the influence they have created in the industry and around the world. The academy in 2002 honoured Sir Sidney Poitier with an Honorary Award for his role in all categories, an award which was universally appreciated and celebrated.

Receiving the award, he remarked, “I accept this award in memory of all African American actors and actresses who went before me in the difficult years, on whose shoulders I was privileged to stand to see where I might go.”

The Bahamas Deputy Prime Minister, Chester Cooper, said he was “conflicted with great sadness and a sense of celebration when I learned of the passing of Sir Sidney Poitier”. Tributes rolled in from Barack Obama, Denzel Washington,

Halle Berry and many more.

The multiple Oscar Award winner Denzel Washington at the 74th Oscars in 2002 paid a special tribute to Sidney saying, “for forty years, I have been chasing Sidney… they finally give to me what they gave to him the same night…I will always be chasing you Sidney and following your footsteps because there is nothing, I would rather do Sir”. Denzel recollected before Sidney, “African American actors had to take supporting roles in major studio films that were easy to cut out, but you couldn’t cut Sidney Poitier out of a Sidney Poitier picture. He was the first solo above the title “African American Movie Star… he was unique.”

Peter Bradshaw described him as “a natural film star who quietly pioneered a revolution.” Sir Sidney performed in films such as: The Defiant One, Lilies of the Field and Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. A life to celebrate!

Check out Sidney Poitier on Youtube.com and see him receiving his Oscar.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/ missing-sir-sidney-poitier/

BEST DIETS WHEN YOU HAVE DIABETES - Medically Reviewed

By Michael Dansinger

The right diet will help you control your blood sugar, get a handle on your weight, and feel better. Several well-known and popular eating plans may give you the road map to do just that. You’ll want to choose something you can follow, with foods you like, so you can stick with it.

Start With the Basics : Watch your portion sizes and calories. Cut back on fried foods, sweets, sugary drinks, and anything salty or fatty. Focus instead on lots of veggies, with whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, fruit, and healthy fats. You may need to eat every few hours to keep your blood sugar levels steady.

Low-Carb: You don’t have to give up carbohydrates because you have diabetes. If you want to try a diet that limits them, talk to your doctor about it. Research on the benefits of low-carb diets for type 2 diabetes is still mixed. But a review written by 25 leading experts says this style of eating should be the first step in managing the disease, since it can “reliably reduce high blood glucose.”

Mediterranean Diet: This hearthealthy diet uses lots of fruits and veggies as well as fish, chicken, nuts, olive oil, legumes, and whole grains. What you won’t eat often: Red meat, butter, and salt. Studies have shown the diet can help keep blood sugar levels under control. You can have wine with meals, but it is recommended no more than one drink per day if you’re a woman, two if you’re a man.

DASH: Nutrition experts recommend this eating plan, designed to help lower blood pressure, to lots of people because it emphasizes fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole

grains, lean meats, fish, nuts, and beans. A 2011 study found that it can improve insulin sensitivity when it’s part of an overall weight loss program with exercise.

The Zone Diet: Its goal is to keep blood sugar levels stable. Meals are 40% carbs, 30% protein, and 30% fat. Carbs are ranked as good or bad based on the glycaemic index. You’ll have foods like chicken and barley, but not potatoes and egg yolks. A 2015 study found it had a positive effect on glycaemic control and waist size, so it may be a good choice.

Weight Watchers: You get a set number of points to “spend” as you eat. Most vegetables have zero points, so you can eat as much of them as you like, while fast foods and desserts are assigned high point values. Studies say it’s effective.

Pre-packaged Diet Meals: Whether you have them delivered to your home or pick them up at a grocery store, there’s a huge variety of readymade meals out there. Be careful: They can have very long lists of ingredients, and they aren’t always diabetes friendly. Talk to your doctor to help narrow down your choices.

Paleo: The idea behind this trendy diet is to eat the way early humans did before modern farming, when we were hunter-gatherers. That means no dairy, refined sugar, grains, or legumes, and no processed vegetable oils like soybean oil or canola oil. You can have fruits and veggies, lean meats (preferably grass-fed), fish, nuts, and seeds. Small studies show this eating strategy can improve blood sugar and diabetes.

Vegetarian and Vegan: Limiting

or avoiding animal products like chicken, fish, and yogurt can be a healthy way to eat. Just get plenty of fresh produce and other whole foods, as opposed to gorging on meatless “chicken” nuggets out of a box. Research shows that people who eat a plant-based diet get more fibre and take in less calories and fat than non-vegetarians. Be sure, though, to consult with you registered dietician to ensure your vegan or vegetarian diet meets your nutritional needs.

Raw Foods: People who follow this diet believe that high cooking temperatures destroy vital nutrients in food. They eat lots of fresh produce, seeds, and nuts, and they make meals with the help of gadgets like blenders and dehydrators. Although eating this way is likely to help you lose weight, there’s no evidence it does anything to improve diabetes symptoms.

Alkaline Diet: The theory behind this diet is that foods like wheat, meat, and sugar make your body more acidic, which can lead to longterm diseases. Foods like vegetables and seeds, on the other hand, can shift your body chemistry and make it more alkaline, helping you slim down and stay healthy.

Fasting or Intermittent Fasting: All of the different fasting diets out there are based on the thinking that taking an occasional break from eating could help you lose weight and possibly fight off chronic disease. But going without food for too long can be dangerous for someone with diabetes. It can lead to problems like low blood sugar and dehydration.

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HEALTH BENEFITS OF GINGER Reviewed by Melinda Ratini

Fights Germs: Certain chemical compounds in fresh ginger help your body ward off germs. They are especially good at halting growth of bacteria like E.coli and shigella, and they may also keep viruses like RSV at bay.

Keeps Your Mouth Healthy: Ginger’s antibacterial power may also brighten your smile. Active compounds in ginger called gingerols keep oral bacteria from growing. These bacteria are the same ones that can cause periodontal disease, a serious gum infection.

Calms Nausea: The old wives’ tale may be true: Ginger helps if you’re trying to ease a queasy stomach, especially during pregnancy. It may work by breaking up and getting rid of built-up gas in your intestines. It might also help settle seasickness or nausea caused by chemotherapy.

Soothes Sore Muscles: Ginger won’t whisk away muscle pain on the spot, but it may tame soreness over time. In some studies, people with muscle aches from exercise who took ginger had less pain the next day than those who didn’t.

Eases Arthritis Symptoms: Ginger is an antiinflammatory, which means it reduces swelling. That may be especially helpful for treating symptoms of both rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. You might get relief from pain and swelling either by taking ginger by mouth or by using a ginger compress or patch on your skin.

Curbs Cancer Growth: Some studies show that bioactive molecules in ginger may slow down the

growth of some cancers like colorectal, gastric, ovarian, liver, skin, breast, and prostate cancer. But much more research is needed to see if this is true.

Lowers Blood Sugar: One recent small study suggested that ginger may help your body use insulin better. Larger studies are needed to see if ginger could help improve blood sugar levels.

Eases Period Pains: Got menstrual cramps? Ginger powder may help. In studies, women who took 1,500 milligrams of ginger powder once a day for 3 days during their cycle felt less pain than women who didn’t.

Lowers Cholesterol: A daily dose of ginger may help you battle your “bad” or LDL cholesterol levels. In a recent study, taking 5 grams of ginger a day for 3 months lowered people’s LDL cholesterol an average of 30 points.

Protects Against Disease: Ginger is loaded with antioxidants, compounds that prevent stress and damage to your body’s DNA. They may help your body fight off chronic diseases like high blood pressure, heart disease, and diseases of the lungs, plus promote healthy aging.

Relieves Indigestion: If you live with chronic indigestion, also called dyspepsia, ginger could bring some relief. Ginger before meals may make your system empty faster, leaving less time for food to sit and cause problems.

https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-healthbenefits-ginger

REAL LIVING WAGE INCREASES TO £10.90 IN UK AND £11.95 IN LONDON AS THE COSTOF-LIVING RISES -By

The Living Wage Foundation

10.1% increase in real Living Wage, the largest yearon-year rise. Over 390,000 Living Wage workers are set for a pay boost at over 11,000 Living Wage Employers. £338m in extra wages has gone to lowpaid workers since January 2022, and more than £2bn since 2011. The new rates are now worth almost £3,000 more per year in the UK than the minimum wage, and almost £5,000 more in London

Almost 400,000 people working for over 11,000 real Living Wage Employers throughout the country are set for a vital cost-of-living pay boost, as the new Living Wage rates rise to £10.90 an hour across the UK (£1 increase), and £11.95 an hour in London (90p increase), supporting workers and families. This year’s Living Wage rates have been brought forward in recognition of the sharp increase in living costs over the past year.

The real Living Wage rates remain the only wage rates independently calculated based on what people need to live on. This year the rate increased by 10.1% in the UK, more than ever in the Living Wage Foundation’s 11-year history reflecting sharp increases in living costs New research from the Cardiff Business School shows that Living Wage workers have benefitted from more than £338m in extra wages since the start of this year alone, with one in 10 employees now working for an accredited Living Wage Employer.

The new Living Wage rates and the ‘National Living Wage’ - know the difference

Unlike the Government minimum wage (‘National Living Wage’ for over 23s - £9.50) the real Living Wage is the only wage rate independently calculated based on rising living costs. A full-time worker earning the new, real Living Wage would earn £2,730 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum (NLW), and £1,950 more than their current pay.

In London, a full-time worker on the new real Living Wage rate would earn an additional £4,777.50 a year compared to a worker on the current NLW.

The Living Wage movement continues to grow

Over the past two years the Living Wage movement has continued to grow, with the number of Living Wage employers more than doubling. Major new Living Wage employers announced during that time include the Royal Albert Hall, Aston University, and the Excel Centre. They join half of the FTSE 100 companies, household names like Aviva, Everton FC, Ikea, Burberry and Lush as well as thousands of small businesses, who are choosing to pay the real Living Wage to provide workers and families with greater security and stability.

There are now also 39 Living Hours employers, including abrdn, Aviva, and West Brom Building Society, going beyond payment of the real Living Wage to also provide a guaranteed minimum of 16 hours work a week, a month’s notice of shift patterns and a contract that reflects hours worked.

Low pay

There are 4.8m workers paid less than the real Living Wage. Research published by the Living Wage Foundation found that over the past 6 months more workers are skipping meals and using food banks than ever before.

Katherine Chapman, Living Wage Foundation Director, said:

“With living costs rising so rapidly, millions are facing an awful “heat or eat” choice this winter- that’s why a real Living Wage is more vital than ever. Today’s new rates will provide hundreds of thousands of workers and their families with greater security and stability during these incredibly difficult times.

“We are facing unprecedented challenges with the cost-of-living crisis, but businesses continue to step up and support workers by signing up to the Living Wage in record numbers. We know that the Living Wage is good for employers as well as workers, that’s why the real Living Wage must continue to be at the heart of solutions to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.”

What is the real Living Wage?

The real Living Wage is an hourly rate of pay set independently and updated annually (not the UK government’s National Living Wage). It is calculated according to the basic cost of living in the UK, and employers choose to pay the Living Wage on a voluntary basis. According to the Living Wage Foundation, since 2011 the campaign has impacted over 390,000 employees and delivered over £2bn extra to some of the lowest paid workers in the UK. Only the real Living Wage is calculated according to the cost of living in the UK and in London. Employers choose to pay this wage on a voluntary basis.

Calculations for full time workers are made by multiplying the rates by 37.5 to derive weekly earnings, and then multiplying the weekly earnings by 52 to derive annual earnings. For a Living Wage worker in London, the calculation is £11.95*37.5*52=23,302.50. For a minimum wage worker, the calculation is £9.50*37.5*52=£18,525. This results in a difference of £4777.50 between a full time Living Wage worker in London and a full-time worker who earns the minimum wage.

NOTTS COUNTY COUNCIL INVITES ‘VOICES OF REASON’ ON VISITORS’ ECONOMY -

By Peter Makossah

Thousands of visitor attractions, local businesses and suppliers in Nottinghamshire are being urged to give their voices of reason on the future of the county’s important visitor economy. A robust online consultation led by Nottinghamshire County Council to refresh a visitor economy strategy started early September. The visitor economy includes traditional tourism but also encompasses everything in the supply chain that attracts visitors to Nottinghamshire – including construction, farming, and sport – and the infrastructure that supports it.

According to Nottinghamshire County Council, the strategy is about added value and stimulating market growth through the Council’s role as a leader, influencer, facilitator, and investor. The Robinhood County Council believes that delivering this strategy will contribute to achieving the County Council’s objectives for Nottinghamshire to stand out as a great place to start and grow your business and as a place people are proud to call home.

The Council wants residents and visitors to explore and enjoy the Nottinghamshire countryside, market towns and villages, and to enjoy the County’s fascinating stories and become immersed in its experiences. Additionally, the Council wants to encourage people who are already visiting to stay longer, explore further and spend more during their trip.

Currently, the visitor economy in Nottinghamshire is pegged at £1.75 billion and supports around 15,000 jobs. Nottinghamshire has a loyal base of regular repeat visitors, mainly staying in self-catering accommodation including Centre Parcs. Day visits dominate, accounting for 90% of all trips in the county. This is the first Visitor Economy Strategy (VES) for Nottinghamshire County Council.

The importance of tourism and the visitor economy Tourism is one of the UK’s largest and fastest growing industries, generating £106 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP) a year. It employs over 2 million people and supports thousands of businesses across Great Britain. Tourism and the wider visitor economy works hand in hand with a wide range of sectors across England, including farming, transport, retail, sport, museums and the arts. The visitor economy creates a unique opportunity to showcase the best of Nottinghamshire to external audiences in a way other sectors can’t; ways which help position the County as a great place to live, work and study as well as to visit.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/notts-county-councilinvites-voices-of-reason-on-visitors-economy/

DISASTER CAPITALISM: THE SCHOCK DOCTRINE & FORCED MIGRATION

You might wonder, what on earth is disaster capitalism and the shock doctrine?

Let me explain:

The “shock doctrine” is a political strategy that consists of using the public disorientation following large-scale crises and disasters - wars, natural disasters, pandemics - (in other words massive collective shocks) to push through policies that systematically deepen inequality, enrich elites and which would normally never be accepted in ordinary circumstances. It uses the public’s disorientation following a collective shock to push through radical procorporate measures, often called “shock therapy”.

Shock tactics follow a clear pattern: wait for a crisis, declare a moment of what is sometimes referred to as “extraordinary politics”, suspend some, or all, democratic norms – and then force the corporate wish list throughout hastily.

The term Disaster capitalism is described by Naomi Klein in her book The Shock Doctrine (2007) as the way that private industries spring up to directly profit from large-scale crises. Capitalism uses disasters and catastrophes to privatize new sectors of society and imposes free-market reforms, creating private company profits but failing in terms of democracy, fairness, and justice. It hides behind situations that create hardship for people, profiting from the collective shock.

This concept of disaster and crisis profiteering is not new. In her book, Naomi argues that it really became intense under the Bush administration after 9/11. The aftermath of 9/11 left Americans disoriented and in shock. The Bush administration seized the collective shock and fear felt by Americans after the attack and declared this sort of never-ending security crisis, privatizing security state, launching the ‘War on Terror’, and enabling the “Patriot Act” which violated many constitutional rights. The Patriot Act is an Antiterrorism law, passed by the United States Congress and signed by George W. Bush on October 26, 2001. The purpose of the act is to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world.

Homeland security is now a $200 billion industry. Homeland security companies gained a lot, thanks to the atmosphere of crisis and fear that was being spread through media outlets. It gives the government rights to look at records on an individual’s activity held by third parties, allows security services to access computer data held by individuals and businesses without prior authorisation and/or notifying users.

Now you might wonder, how does that apply to the so called ‘refugee crises?

By Ophelie Lawson

Refugee flow is a phenomenon that has already gained worldwide attention. In 2015, Greece was the main entry point for over one million refugees, forced migrants and migrants who fled to Europe by sea. 1,000,573 people reached Europe across the Mediterranean, mainly to Greece and Italy that year. A further 34,000 crossed from Turkey into Bulgaria and Greece by land, according to the UNCHR

The number of people displaced by war and conflict was in 2015 the highest seen in Western and Central Europe since the Balkan crises of the 1990s, (UNHCR). This period is known as the ‘European migrant crisis’, otherwise called ‘refugee crisis”. And much like any other “disaster,” the crisis has been and is continuously exploited for political and economic purposes, it is the perfect excuse for governments to push through radical agendas, as we have seen unravelling over the past few years. Policy makers within Europe have used the “refugee crisis” to push for more restrictive, selective, and securitised immigration and border control laws. Then came the COVID-19 pandemic and for most European governments, it was the perfect opportunity to push through even more radical immigrant agenda - another ‘disaster’. Earlier this year, for instance, the EU started experimenting with new digital measure to prevent people from crossing, with the Greek border police firing bursts of deafening noise from an armoured truck over the frontier into Turkey using “sound cannon,” to protect its borders. This was part of new experimental digital barriers that were being tested during the quiet months of the Coronavirus pandemic and installed while Europe was still dealing with disorientation and shock in the middle of a catastrophe.

During the pandemic, EU member states have used illegal operations to push back at least 40,000 asylum seekers from Europe’s borders. Their methods have been linked to the death of more than 2,000 people, an article from Guardian revealed following investigations, using the pandemic to both push through their agendas and ‘protect’ the borders.

https://mojatu.com/2022/11/17/disaster-capitalismthe-schock-doctrine-and-forced-migration/

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE COMMON AND NORMALISED OBJECTIFICATION OF WOMEN

By Ophelie Lawson

If you are a man and you are reading this, you probably (and sorry if I am generalising, not all men are like that), ask yourselves “what does she mean by that?”. If you are a woman, even if you are unsure of the term, (and again I am generalising), well, you probably experienced what I am going to talk about, at least, to some extent.

What does objectification mean anyway ?

Objectification means the act or an instance of treating a person as an object or thing, without regard to their personality or trait. Sexual objectification is the act of treating a person solely as an object of sexual desire. To put it into context, it means that women are reduced to their bodies, and that a female’s worth is often dependent on her appearance. Look at mainstream media for instance, and how sexually objectified portrayals of women are in the rise.

Our patriarchal culture promotes the objectification of women to sell products amongst other things. Let’s consider American and European consumer culture, which are pretty much the same. Both cultures are patriarchal, male dominated and mostly male centred. Female objectification can be seen in commercials, television, movies, music videos, magazines, advertisements, video games, etc, and men are more likely to buy a product if it is attached to the sexualised objectified depictions of women. For them, sex sells. But what are they really selling ? Is it just their product or rather a particular image of women, that of a sexual being.

It is estimated that American children and adolescents spend at least eight hours a day consuming some form of media. Data showed that 45.5% of female characters in children’s television programs are depicted in sexually objectified ways, (Ward, 2016). For children at a young age, this results in them associating females with objects instead of people. So, from a young age and through mainstream media, we are conditioning our youth to unconsciously perpetuate this objectification of women. But now the issue is not just on how mainstream media depicts women, but on how the whole Western patriarchal culture has always used women and their bodies for pleasure and as commodities. Women’s bodies are not only used to sell everything but also overexploited. Mainstream media is selling a false and unreal image of a woman’s physique and also behavioural standard. The fashion industry has also a long history of exploiting and hypersexualising girls and women’s body. ‘Sex sells’ is a saying well known, and also very much true in today’s society. Nowadays, the fashion industry is overloaded with sexual and explicit imagery of woman.

While embracing sexuality is important, where does it cross the line from liberation to objectification?

Big clothes companies and cosmetic brands are highly targeting young girls and women. Supermodels, celebrities, beauty queens, even dolls are used by the fashion industry to sell and reinforce the idea that girls and women must have unrealistic beauty and figures in order to be considered. Many studies have shown that this can negatively affect the mental health of women, young women, and girls. It leads to them perceiving their physical beauty as a measure of the amount of consideration and the power they should receive.

But not only that, it also pushing them to try to conform to conventional and unrealistic beauty standards. Leading them to not accept and to criticise their own bodies and/or even develop some mental illness such as body dysphoria. Additionally, this sexual objectification is internalised to self-objectification that undermines self-esteem and promotes self-hatred and sometimes self-harm. This sexual objectification of white, thin, and young females also promotes this ideal as the beauty standard for all women.

Recently, I tried to open up the conversation on female sexualised objectification with a good male friend of mine, a Pan-African, and human rights activist, who, unfortunately comes from a very sexist culture. It had appeared to me after knowing him for a while now that he was objectifying the female body way too much. It was through his constant remarks about my female friends, in professional contexts that it became quite obvious that he was doing it. It seems my female friends appeared to him first as bodies before anything else. He could not have a conversation with them without giving me a comment on their bodies.

When I confronted him, his answer was: “What is objectification?”… to which after I tried to explain to him, he said, “well I don’t think I am doing it, and it’s not something that I experience, and to be honest with you I am not really interested in this subject”. I was shocked and yet not too much since this has really become the norm to treat women like this.

But with the rise in social media and the way it influences our cultures, it is important that the harmful ways in which we as women are portrayed and treated be challenged. Our bodies are not all we are. We are more that our physical appearance. We imperatively need to create positive social change surrounding gender stereotypes, liberating everyone from outdated gender roles. And by breaking down stereotypes on women we are also breaking down stereotypes on men.

Female Genital Mutilation FGM – FACTS , HELP & ACTIONS

Facts

• FGM is any procedure that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

• FGM has been illegal in England and Wales since 1985.

• FGM is a form of child abuse and violence against women and girls.

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• FGM is Non-Islamic, against the teachings of Islam and brings Islam into disrepute.

• FGM is putting the health of our daughters, sisters, mothers and wives at great risk.

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• Over 200 million girls and women worldwide have undergone FGM.

• 103,000 women aged15 to 49 are living with consequences of FGM in England & Wales.

• In the UK, an estimated 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of FGM each year. • 1,230 cases have been reported in the Midlands from April 2020 to March 2021

Help

Are you concerned a girl or woman is at risk or need of support?

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• Join the Community FGM Steering Group: Contact us

• For emotional & peer support for survivors in Nottingham, join the FGM Survivor’s club: Contact us

• Refer survivors needing medical attention to FGM medical specialist in Nottingham: Contact us

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• Drop in sessions at Mojatu Office Unit 7, Howitt Bldg, Lenton Blvd, Lenton, Nott`s NG7 2BY

• Call 0808 028 350 for a 24/7 anonymous FGM helpline or email: fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk

• Call Nottingham City Council Children and Families Direct: 0115 876 4800

• Ring the police on 999 if FGM has just happened or about to happen

Actions

Ac tivities include:

To help end FGM and support survivors, join one of our campaigns or projects

• FGM Survivors Club

• FGM Steering Group

• FGM Global Faith Ambassador

• FGM Global Young Ambassador

• Request for training

Fruit Har vesting

• Volunteer with us

Tree Management

• ‘Adopt a tree’ project

Weeding for

• Donate to support our work

Feeding the animals

• Fundraise to support our work

• Women Skillshare Group

For more information, contac t Mojatu Foundation

Phone: 01158457009 Mobile: 07759 927671

Email: info@mojatufoundation.org | Website: www.mojatufoundation.o

This programme is split into two sections:

1. Participants undertake Accredited Music Production training course to fully develop their technical skills and will also be coached by experienced industry professionals to help them fully embrace their creative side.

2. The final product will be a powerful sound collage that participants will take away with them with the possibility to showcase their work at a series of venues, events and on the radio.

Fearless Youth Collective

Fya Notts

fya_notts

FYA_Notts

An exploration of thoughts, feelings and energy through the creative power of written prose and rhythmic beats.

Writing & Recording Songs

Spoken Word Poetry Production

fyaonline.com

info@fyaonline.com

Unit 8, Howitt Wing Building, Lenton

NG7 2BY