Category: it’s not about India

Anti-campaigning

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Anti-nuke

In the 1970s and 1980s, in my early adult years I joined political campaigns and demonstrations. I believe — that’s part of our democratic rights — nowadays the right wing media might label it woke in a divisive way.

We marched and disrupted against war in principle and the locating of US Cruise missiles in the U.K., in particular.

More recently I’ve revisited one of those places and had people from the military on my training workshops. For example, I participated in research about drone bees on Greenham common ewhere the cruise missile airfield is now closed. I’ve also had a manager from the warfare research institute attend one of my corporate workshops (on ethics 🤔🤭) in London.

Non-violent campaigns.

There’s a long tradition of this around the world, given focus and energised by Mahatma Gandhi in the campaigns against the autocratic, racist British colonialists in India

In addition to anti-nuke demos from the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament or CND (1950s onwards so before I was born) we campaigned against apartheid and fascism.

Modern day examples might be seen as the response to Gaza

BUT in countries around the world governments (for example in the U.K.) are legislating against peaceful demonstrations or intimidating demonstrators through arrest (or in India demolishing their homes.)

Our democracy is diminished through these actions. Our rights to challenge and demonstrate are critical parts of an active participative democracy.

Footnote

Let’s be absolutely clear and challenge a blatant untruth here in India.

The demonstrations in the west against the inhuman attacks on Gaza are organised and attended by a great big mix of different people from all communities including Jews and Muslims.

London campaign against the Russian war with the Ukraine

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A campaigning group using direct action to challenge.

Its name comes from World War One when the inept leaders were considered to be donkeys leading the lions who were the ordinary soldiers.

Humour but biting.

A stunt to challenge the war.

The blue and yellow paint helped create the Ukraine flag outside the Russian Embassy in London.

Direct action, questioning and challenging is an essential part of democracy.

My Indian friends can’t quite believe how disrespectful we are of our politicians.

Rupert Murdoch (he’s politically distorted and corrupted our media) even got the treatment in New York.
Innovating at public demonstrations

This takes so much planning, skilful implementation and absolute daring.

I’m so impressed.

…

One of the new books in Manjula’s library.

Challenge and change

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Or stay the same

The choice is ours, whether it’s on an individual, organisational or societal level.

Some changes come easier then others but let’s stick with the question of — should we challenge and change?

In my view there’s an unequivocal yes.

As an individual and the networks, groups or communities we form, of course we change.

What’s learning if it’s not adopting and adapting to changing situations, and developing new ways of doing things (and thinking!).

Some people and organisations will challenge change and prefer to stick with the status quo.

When that happens, look a little deeper.

What’s their motivation not to want to change? Fear? Retaining or enhancing power?

One of the most important aspects of change is personal development, it helps create who we are.

But it’s also nonsensical to suggest there shouldn’t be change in our wider groups and society

It’s critical that we innovate and adapt, developing the requisite abilities. That might be number one priority.

Well not quite.

Our actual biggest challenge is friction, and by this I mean between people, their organisations, communities, and nations.

We need to develop effective sustainable relationships and to achieve that we need to learn to be kind.

That requires us to see things from the others’ point of view, to communicate, to connect, to be flexible and adapt.

Yes… change, constantly.

Maybe we can actually reduce violent conflict …. Now that would be cool.

So we can choose to change and not be stuck …

… in what previous generations have handed down to us

NOR

…. in our personal experiences and traumas

We can shift.

Simple eh?

Admittedly. It’s not straightforward … No it’s our life long challenge, to choose who we want to be and hopefully find happiness and contentment.

But if we’re not conscious and try we might just lose this lifelong opportunity.

There’s books I’d recommend, in Manjula’s library that help cover this.

So when we next hear someone rejecting change, said in so many ways: ‘that’s not our tradition’, ‘that’s how we do it here’, ‘it’s our culture’ we can’t, etc etc then it’s for the WPB

Ok, that might be a bit harsh, at least dive into more reflection and re-evaluation.

– Are our ways of thinking and doing fit for purpose anymore?

– Is it appropriate in this day and age?

Now that’s maybe opened a reactionary can-of-worms.

The following books are in Manjula’s library.

You might also want to check Vedanta! Perhaps recommend a book for the library.

Mama Maria

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“Don’t forget your sun screen and water!”

Maria checks that I’m properly equipped for the day ahead.

Maria first visited Mysore five years ago, a few months after I lost MAnjula.

I’m on my annual trip to the U.K. but Maria had noticed I was coming and sent an invite for me to visit her in Italy

This wonder puts me up at her house, ferries me around, provides simple sophisticated food, takes me on day trips, guides me on walks, introduces me to her fab friends, provides happy insights into her own life and Italianeeeeez.

Maria is a good example of the lovely people that visit Mysore Bed and Breakfast but she’s even more special.

I’m trying to emphasise BK with Kaveri who can quickly tell me what it means: Be Kind.

Well Maria is overflowing with kindness.

Not just in hosting me…

That’s nothing by comparison with the total package …

…. she goes way beyond the stereotypical caring mama … to be a caring precious friend.

She has a social conscience reflected in the life she leads and her work in helping others to flourish through the organisations she sets up and the services they provide. She lives and breaths this throughout her living.

She’ll be revisiting Mysore again in August to undertake training as a yoga teacher and look forward to her becoming Kaveri’s Italian auntie.

I’m honoured to count Maria as an important person in my life, a cherished friend.

Footnote

She claims I photograph her as much as her dad (I think mine capture her essence as I’m certain her dad does) but she’s tolerant and I love that she’s my friend.

….

Thank you Maria for a happy time and the closeness we’ve established. I look forward to more to come.

Love from Stephen.

From Bees to Birds

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I’m now in Firenze visiting the incomparable Maria, more later but first to the birds ….

… sharing my second breakfast

It didn’t take too long to attract many new friends

I’ve discovered a riverside cafe: great location, bargain breakfast. It’s a low cost place where the community of all ages (and some foreigners), and especially older people meet, chat, draw, paint, work, support.

The view

Dancing with the Bees

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Pheromone lure to attract
Ballet
Capturing in the net
Drones (seeking a queen to mate)
Being marked

No bees were harmed. It was ‘citizen’ research on Greenham Common in south England.

Capturing Drones (male bees no sting) who are looking for queens to mate. We hope to track which hives they are from.

It’s one of many places where Drones congregate, as part of their life’s purpose, to find a queen to mate.

Most are unsuccessful and disappointed.

Of course the odds are stacked against them.

Footnote

Initiated by Stephen Fleming with the help of the Newbury and District Beekeepers’ Association on Greenham Common in South England.

Stephen and Richard, from our team, are editors of the leading U.K. magazine BeeCraft.

Follow the link for more info on beekeeping in the U.K.

Doing our LEVEL BEST

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Jill and I, top row and left, led our team of managers of the Kirklees government section that provided services to disabled people, in the 1990s.

Disability Services included day and residential centres, equipment and adaptations to their homes, WORKLINK to get integrated employment, daily meals, care at home, social work and housing.

I have very fond memories of our time together and the dynamic team we created that made a difference in so many people’s lives.

We were fortunate and known for a programme of work (LEVEL BEST) to be able to involve disabled people in telling us what they wanted from the services leading to a series of innovations, including ….

– information service

– advocates to help people understand and get the services they needed

– community based daytime activities

– integrated housing

– disabled people’s electronic village hall providing access and training to computers

– a shop selling equipment

– accessible transport service to the wider disability community.

…and a conference to pass on our learning to other organisations.

We were a wonderful team, at a special time who found ways to do things differently .

Thanks guys.

Footnote

LEVEL BEST was a campaign of different methods such as: a reference group, market research panels, public meetings, interviews, to involve disabled people in telling us what they wanted from a reorganised public service. It led to a business plan and fundamental reorganisation of the overall service.

After footnote

That was thirty years ago. Unfortunately the money available to provide such services is reduced and demand has increased. Political priorities change. People are however continuing to provide essential services in difficult circumstances.

Wales

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South West Wales, a wonderful location, where we spent our annual camping holiday for many year.

Ramsey from Whitesands

A boat trip around Ramsey
My son Oliver and his partner Rachel, visiting from Vancouver
St David’s, the cathedral that makes the village, the smallest city in the country.
Manjula and my beautiful tent makes it’s first appearance of the year.

Gale force wind and rain then sunny Unpredictable British weather. Normal camping and holidays in the U.K.

Trips to the beach often require heavy coats! whitesands
Our favourite pub, the Sloop Inn in Porthgain.

Teenage work

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Reading an article and it’s photographs are flashing me back to work in the 1970s while still at school and later, the gap year before attending university.

I worked in a different location to the one featured in the article but similar situations in the steel city of Sheffield.

One crazy job, from age 17, was when the electric arc furnaces — creating steel — were switched off for the weekend. We’d climb on top of cranes that tipped scrap into the furnace then carried molten steel to be poured into giant moulds.

We’d clip our safety harness on to the structure, then walk along narrow gantries to brush the dust that had accumulated during the week, shovel it into bags to be carried down.

Here’s a photo of a similar crane in the Turbine Hall of the Tate Art gallery in London, formerly a power station.

It’s probably ten metres long and rests on tracks along each wall. The equivalent in the steel works was many (five?) times larger.

It was still really hot, even though the furnace was shut-down and always dusty. By the end of the shift, the dust had worked it’s way through two layers of protective clothing and ingrained into our skin. With sooty faces and light patches (Hanuman style) around our mouth and nose showing the masks did have some protective effect.

Footnote.

It provided insights into how others live that I value to this day. Men and women often working twelve hours, sometimes seven days a week.

It was my first opportunity to supervise a small team.