After an amazing month of cricket, which we were lucky to hold in the heart of Britain, we saw on Sunday the impact that an individual can have in the face of adversity and the sheer power of self-belief. From a poor start, the England Cricket team clinched victory in the World Cup final, where once again through skill, commitment and determination, they emerged victorious. It is this spirit of determination that I want to focus on today.
This Nelson Mandela Day (18th July), I feel it would be appropriate to reflect on the power of his protest. Nelson Mandela was a politician and statesman of the highest order and set an example for idealists and pragmatists everywhere. Alongside his incredible achievements in dismantling the apartheid state and fostering racial reconciliation in South Africa, I think his greatest legacy for the world today is the model of activism he left behind. Mandela, like Gandhi before him, never stopped believing in the power of the individual to bring about transformational change in society: “your playing small does not serve the world. Who are you not to be great?”.
Today we feel plagued by problems that seem to be completely beyond our control. Brexit aside, our society is dogged by injustice and racism, climate change, rising homelessness and the crumbling state of public services, all of which are being tragically ignored by this Government. However, we can also see the power and dedication of individuals and activists today who refuse to be found “playing small”. Greta Thunberg, the 16-year old Swedish climate change campaigner and pioneer of the school strikes, has built an international movement and arguably done more than anyone else to move climate change to the top of the political agenda.
Richard Ratcliffe, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe's husband, is another courageous campaigner, who I was lucky enough to meet a few weeks ago. His wife Nazanin has been unjustly and unlawfully imprisoned in Iran, and Richard has been protesting outside of their embassy for several weeks now, culminating in his hunger strike. When I met him outside of the Iranian Embassy, I met a wonderful man who was utterly humbled by the support he has received from people across the country and indeed the world, but also from his own family. His sacrifice, courage and determination will help to see her home, I am sure of it.
I think that we should all look to their examples and as Gandhi memorably said, “be the change that you wish to see in the world”. On an optimistic note, I believe that the passion and enthusiasm that young people have for politics and campaigning today means that we have a bright future ahead of us. Their energy can help us to tackle injustice and make a society fit for many, not just a few. But politics is far too important to be left to others. It is up to all of us to be the change, whether it is through participating in a political party, trade union or perhaps a local campaign in your community. After all, as Mandela said, “what counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead”.
