Project 25 – The World and Me
This year I turn twenty-five, that is in my view a very long period a time to look back at the where were you moments. I want to ask not only what’s happened but what impact has it had on my life, our world and if the dramatic events of the last few years mean the world will ever be the same again?
First thing I should say my exact memory of events isn’t great, and I have needed to research these. The biggest thing which I think has impacted on my life I believe was the collation of the conservatives and Liberal Democrats, over the past ten years I have seen the cuts to our sociality.
The lack of community and social care, the benefit reforms have pushed the less well off into debt, we see the rise in food banks and the most vulnerable fighting just to survive that isn’t right.
It was the wealthy who pushed us into a recession by causing businesses to collapse, not fixing the roof, and deregulation. The financial crisis forced Labour from power, and I believe that what we are now is the party who wants to work build the society which I want to live in.
Equality, as I have written about before has come a long way, both for disabled and LGBT people. I believe generally over my lifetime that being homophobic, treating disabled people differently and the fact women still aren’t treated equally in any country is unacceptable.
For me personally, I am proud I live in a country where I can live as an openly gay man without fear, and where I can have the same rights as straight men, having the same rights a people who are straight.
The biggest where were you moments I have witnessed, the 9/11 attacks the miracle story of the Copiapó mining accident where forty-four miners survived and the death of Nelson Mandela. The accident at Copiapo will be one which defends the power of hope.
My generation, from what we see in the media is that engagement in the bigger issues is starting. We are the generation which is feeling the effects of the next big battle climate change.
The death of old new Labour, the move towards socialistic values I think has changed politics and in the UK we still have a two-party system. But we are beginning to see it creak, however, I believe the two-party system is here to stay.
The other thing which has changed is LGBT rights, I was doing a project last year the age of content for gay sex was lowered on my birthday. Ten years later civil unions and then gay marriage. That has to be something we need to celebrate.
The highlights… has to be the summer of 2012 with the London Olympics and the Queens Dimond Jubilee, it was an incredible summer where you couldn’t help but be proud to be British. But, you need to wonder if that sense of pride in our nationally sparked the whole vote to leave the EU in 2016, and the results of the 2019 EU Election.
One of the biggest changes I believe is the empowerment of women and the young… I think while social media has been a drive for change with the Arab Spring and the #MeToo movement, climate strikes have shown that the normally forgotten aren’t prepared to stand by.
Some of the biggest events of my life were sparked by 9/11 leading to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, my memories are vague, but I remember hearing through the news and towards the end of the Afghan conflict I believe it’s a war we couldn’t win.
I remember the death of Nelson Mandela, one of the heroes of the 20th century. It was amazing how many people from across the political, religious and cultural divides were paying tribute to him. It’s hard to imagine for people like myself what apartheid South Africa, which as a man with South African heritage I condemn.
I remember watching a 1995 documentary about the life of Ayrton Senna, where Martin Bundle said “Nelson Mandela in South Africa and Ayrton Senna’s died”. Though I wasn’t alive, I believe they were the moment which defined the year of my birth.
Another big story I vaguely remember from clips on YouTube was the retirement of Concorde in 2003. But I think that defines the technical and digital revolution, something which I could use my experience at school and college as an example.
My first computer was a big tower one which needed its own desk, leading to me being separated from the others. That wouldn’t have been suitable when I moved to senior school, imagine a TA pushing a computer around!
Now I have both a desktop iMac and a laptop, I mainly use my iMac but my laptop is for when I go away and for work (voluntary) stuff like at the Labour Party and Church. I use my windows laptop, one of the advantages is the ability to sync settings across devices. This was to me unthinkable in the early part of my education that would be possible.
Reality TV has become part of our life this has been controversial Big Brother both rose in popularity and then programmes like The Island with Bear Grylls, SAS Who Dare Wins a challenge type of reality TV has changed.
But as we move into the next decade there are many challenges ahead… the world will be different for someone born in 2019 in 2034. What will they say, what will I say if I rewrite this then?