Dawn’s Blogs

By Dawn M. Sanders

Okay, so I’m not doing or saying anything anyone else isn’t and it’s a cliché, but oh well, what does anyone expect?

This year started out with the death of an artistic/music icon – David Bowie, along with a whole string of others: Prince, Sharon Jones and Leonard Cohen – but these are only sad because they were all famous and broke down barriers through their music and art. Twice as tragic is death and drowning from just a lot of ordinary people fleeing war and the unleashing of human horror.

There were the shocking shifting political sands and mud fights of Brexit, the US primaries and the chaos or full-blown elongated circus that followed. The end results signifying the beginning of an unpredictable era, with undoubtedly more quakes to come, as the earth shudders from the wrath of her inhabitants.

The point is, in the last several years, I’ve noticed, each year tends to end with some kind of large-scale catastrophe: a boxing day tsunami, plane crashes… This year is no exception and, it all happened simultaneously just yesterday: the Russian plane crash, a strong quake in Chile and yet another death of a popstar, George Michael.

That was ‘one day’ the universe and those watching over it, telling us what is inevitably on the horizon…

What is on the horizon? I think we all know: more seismic turbulence which will test human resilience and resolve, to the limit, but to what limit?

Where/when, do we as world citizens, the majority, the subjects of the powerful elite say, enough’s enough, take our world back – and I don’t mean with a click of a mouse in signing yet another petition, going to yet another debate or protest, then cracking on with the washing or going down-the-pub to sit and philosophise! No, who will light the fire under our scared and wary asses, to remind us of what we must fight for, reclaim and salvage?

The tug-of-war could never be more clear and defined between good and evil.

I’m no sooth sayer, but there are already those who have been brainwashed by fascism, extremism and reactionism, and all the other toxic ‘isms going. Those are the ones shaking up the world in discontent and desperation.

Yet, there are those who, are bemused and bewildered by the normalisation of insanity and recklessness in all its belligerence and jaw-dropping bullshit!

As corruption festers within crumbling democracies of the West and dictators wage holy hell to keep their power at any human cost, what will it take for us, the majority to open the flood gates to a new brand of revolution?

Old revolutionaries like Fidel Castro are dying off – the world needs, not just one person to unlock those gates, but a tsunami of change to bring down the walls of division, a movement manifesting in wave after wave of unrest, challenge and the kind of revolt we only now read about in history books of the distant past: the Crusades, the War of the Roses – not of course because I endorse bloody battles – far from it. I’ve been to every Stop the War Coalition and anti-capitalist, anti-racist demo I can get myself to in the last decade, but how do we storm the halls of power and destruction with peaceful, meaningful intent – retaking our governments and planet?

How?

? .

Convoy to Calais
By Dawn M. Sanders

“It’s not just doing something to help it’s also saying, this is wrong. If you see thousands of people dying in the sea – trying to get to fortress Europe…”

Protested Julia Armstrong, trade unionist and long-standing journalist for the Sheffield Star.

On the 18^th June, 2016, a convoy to Calais massed at the French border, carrying supplies and solidarity to those inside the notorious ‘jungle’ migrant camp at Calais, France – only to be turned away.

As the convoy and protests erupted 5 days before the UK voted to leave the EU – eclipsed by shifting political sands, followed by a US election which paralleled the shock of Britain’s Brexit, what has become of those who inhabited ‘the jungle’ some 5 months on?

 Leading from the London rally preceding the convoy, Ms. Armstrong detailed the unfolding events of the convoy, with people meeting from the north and south, eventually congregating in the car park close to the Dover border – it was suspected the convoy could encounter a roadblock and it did, the French authorities, refusing to let anyone through.

According to Armstrong, the reason given by the French border patrol was: “Something about public order/disorder which there was none of, the intention was to have a peaceful protest outside the camp.”

In autumn, with the jungle dismantled and its inhabitants dispersed, it’s Sangatte (a pre-jungle migrant camp from 1999 to 2002), to the jungle, the jungle to where?

As migrants are moved to Caos: various processing centres throughout France; to Cadas: places for asylum applications, the capacity of centres, let alone the unwelcoming of communities, yields uncertainty and hostility for beleaguered migrants.

At the epicentre of the mass-migration which has seismically riveted from wars in Syria, Iraq and other war zones, wave after wave of migrants continue to crash onto European shores – many perishing in the sea.

According to the BBC, The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that more than 1,011,700 migrants arrived by sea in 2015, and almost 34,900 by land.

135,711 migrants arrived to European shores by seas alone, in the beginning of 2016.

Germany had the highest number of migrants in 2015 – around a million, Hungary came in second place and Sweden was close behind, as the UK had a meagre 60 applications against 100,000   of its population, according to the BBC report.

Meanwhile, in a now post-Brexit Britain, where the issue of immigration is never far from Brexit debates within the public domain, the seemingly barely concealed face of racism has appeared from behind a thin veil, in what could be deemed a fresh mandate of post-Brexit hate crime.

Robert Spooner, former chairman for Assist Sheffield, a small organisation helping to resettle refugees and asylum-seekers said: “I think the debate about Brexit has changed the attitude toward immigrants – they are scapegoats.”

“On the other hand, there is still a lot of feeling arisen from this baby washed up on the shore of Turkey which caused a huge increase in people wanting to help.” Spooner said.

“It’s not just doing something to help it’s also saying, this is wrong. If you see thousands of people dying in the sea – trying to get to fortress Europe – dying in various ways or places, horrendous things happening to people.” Ms. Armstrong said.

Despite the recent shock referendum result, the hostile environment created by the Home Office and other pillars of UK government, is nothing new.

According to an Independent exclusive The government has been forced to pay £14M to 573 people wrongly detained over three years, in squalid and harsh conditions.

In recent years the number of refugees has risen to 32,400 in the UK.

Under the current Tory government, terms are about to get tougher,.

The article points out, the UK has the largest immigration detention estate in Europe. Yet as the BBC figures show the UK takes on the least amount of asylum cases.

Spooner said: “There’s no refugee crisis as such, because the numbers arriving here are small and the ones most able to get here, are the ones most likely to develop our country in a positive way.” He carried on emphasising the nasty approach taken by UK immigration, designed to deter settlement here.

However, a Home Office spokesman (name not supplied) maintains: “Detention is an important part of a firm but fair immigration system, helping to ensure that those with no right to remain in the UK are returned to their home country if they will not leave voluntarily. Decisions to detain or maintain detention are taken after careful consideration – and we are committed to treating all detainees with dignity and respect.”

A London pensioner, speaking on condition of anonymity with close links to black and ethnic minority communities, said:

“The Immigration Service is ruining people’s lives, breaking up families & stripping people of their income & networks of support.”

She detailed immigration’s pounce strategy, capturing people at random, bombarding them with impenetrable official language – often giving people 72 hours before deportation, no time at all to defend themselves or prove they hold a UK passport in some cases, never mind the lack of access to legal aid.

She spoke of the openly racist stance of detention centre staff, G4S, which Mr. Spooner also pointed out as prevalent, yet the privatised, low-waged untrained workers continue not to face reprimand.

From the dangerous journey by land or sea, rescues on European shores, migrant camps, processing centres or maybe detention, in the small possibility a migrant reaches the UK, it is impossible to document the traumatic and desperate plight of a migrant on their journey of hope, in one feature.

So, what else can be said of the migrant crisis that hasn’t already been said?

Ms. Armstrong said: “I haven’t got any ideas, I think we have to keep saying it.” With political deadlock from the Middle East to the West, the crisis continues…

© 2016

By Dawn M. Sanders

“The UK is facing the biggest roll-back of human rights in its history.”

Was a statement posted on 18 May, by Amnesty International UK.

Is the proposed scrapping of the Human Rights Act (HRA) a catalyst for staying in the EU?

Nikki Sharpe, a solicitor, former councillor and human rights campaigner said: ” I would say the two are interlinked – particularly under this government, you only have to look at the erosion of human rights.”

Simply put, the winners and losers in a replacement of the HRA,as described by Ms. Sharpe, would be those seemingly at the top, i.e. politicians and people with financial leverage, versus the losing poor and disenfranchised at the bottom.

“This is attributable to cuts in legal aid.”

According to Chambers Associate, legal aid was brought about in 1949 – allowing 80% of citizens access to the law. However, accessing legal aid was at 29% as of 2008.

Immigration/asylum cases have been at the forefront of cuts, while the Legal Aid Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act (LASPO) goes much further. The LASPO suggested cuts of 320M from 2014 and 220M each year by 2018.  Article 6 of the act, the right to a fair trial, is compromised if one has no access to the funds to take a case to trial.

Both Ms. Sharpe and Alex Jagger, of Amnesty Sheffield point out many people have no knowledge of the HRA or how to access it.

Mr. Jagger said: “The Human Rights Act, is the British implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and it really brought human rights on shore, as of 1998.”

He emphasised one had to apply to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg after an initial hearing in the UK before the introduction of the act.

“As far as the British Bill of Rights – we don’t know anything about it, because the government hasn’t proposed anything.” Jagger said.

In a workshop led by Ms. Sharpe on 21^st June 2016, it was reiterated how most ordinary people do not know where they stand with the law. It was pointed out our rights often hinge on whether one gets arrested or not. Ms. Sharpe stressed how organisations often bypass the HRA, such as local authorities.

She said it was more crucial than ever, that we fight for our human rights.

On 28 April of the same year, the Independent sited the crucial use of article 2 of the ECHR, the right to life, which gave pardon to the Hillsborough deaths in 1989.

The government are seemingly awaiting the outcome of the referendum. The Guardian’s Owen Bowcott, stressed how, within parliament there are fears of the damages on crucial political processes: such as the Good Friday Agreement, fighting international crime and the constitution itself, should the HRA be scrapped – therefore, there are few in favour.

Like many things, whether we leave or remain, the HRA is in jeopardy and will no doubt spark fierce opposition should the Tories try to replace it.

© 2016

By Dawn M Sanders

I am a single mum, severely visually impaired and have a son who is hearing impaired/partially sighted. Throughout my life I have always aspired big. I wanted to be good at something, whether it was contributing to society by helping to break down endless social barriers or being somehow in the public sphere.

After many colourful highs and lows, having my son, completing an international politics degree and other skill-building manoeuvres, I knew I wanted to be an independent advocate for others in similar circumstances to myself. Advocacy provides a voice to those less confident, less able to articulate themselves, or those who do not know their rights when facing barriers due to circumstance.

I had faced countless barriers with no choice but to self-advocate from an early age. Every time I moved to a different area since coming to the UK, I was faced with over-reactions and downright hostilities from local authorities, often mirrored within communities. I encountered shockingly blatant instances of discrimination, even within the voluntary sector. When I tried making advocacy available directly to disadvantaged people through various organisations, it was impossible to bypass co-ordinators who supposedly knew best.

Once successfully completing an eight-week business course, I began building my social enterprise, Barriers to Bridges. I knew that as an independent advocate, I wanted a not-for-profit framework, but I needed to earn a wage.

It must be pointed out how many people with additional needs opt for self-employment due to discrimination remaining so rife in this country. Government statistics say there are 11 million adults in the UK living with a disability. With rates of unemployment among people with additional needs double that of those with no significant additional needs, self-employment can provide alternative avenues for our population to enter the workplace or forge a satisfying and financially rewarding career.

Note that I have changed the wording of the above paragraph from the subordinating language of ‘disabled’ versus ‘non disabled’. There are volumes to be said on the use of more empowering language and associated implications.

Despite people with additional needs often turning to self-employment, it still must be highlighted how self-employment is twice as challenging if one needs additional support or resources.

Access to Work (AtW) is a wing of the Department for Work and Pensions providing assistive technology, personal assistants and some aspects of work-related travel to employees and entrepreneurs with additional support needs. When I was awarded help from AtW it gave me the vital ingredient to take on a part-time assistant to help with admin and other visual tasks.

Everything was going well, apart from the fact that I hadn’t made any revenue or sustainable income. In fact I had made losses, because any expenses came from my personal budget, which I was no longer able to afford.

My AtW adviser had originally stated there would be a review at the end of a year, which was standard practice for the scheme and, “all being well”, it could continue. But what he failed to tell me was that the fact I am receiving Employment Support Allowance (ESA) was a defining factor in whether or not I could continue to receive AtW. Within the space of a week, my crucial additional support was gone. The ruling surrounding AtW support was straight from government policy. I had not made an income in order to get off benefits, so nothing could be challenged. Having been rejected twice by project funders for my one-to-one advocacy project, everything has now come to a halt.

Naturally I was devastated and demoralised after all the hard work I had put into the business. Even a business starting up as a sole trader is not guaranteed to break even within one year. The government’s fixation with people coming off benefits has no sense of logic, certainly not for entrepreneurs facing a mountain of obstacles. I needed more time to build a client base and a track record.

In ‘daring to dream’ – not just the romantic ideals which mushroom in your head, but putting those dreams into pragmatic motion – you risk everything, including your integrity. You need guts and determination of steel.

I am exploring alternative directions to take the enterprise, cautiously hoping for a community media presence and other creative outlets, but I need collaboration with like-minded individuals and organisations. I am determined to provide a platform for marginalised communities in Sheffield.

© 2016

The invisible veil of unspoken social barriers, presumptions, stigma and taboo is what shrouds those of us who have a visible difference or additional needs. These barriers are projected by, and often shield us from, the majority adult population, thus marginalising an entire section of society.

The majority of people often look upon those with additional needs as asexual – unaware of their own biological changes, nevermind acknowledging the same desires as everyone else. According to frank interviews and research for this piece, what was unearthed was the glaringly obvious truth.

It takes being considered as social material before one can get beyond first base in the big game of life. An interviewee who wished to remain anonymous stated how, as a visually impaired person, it’s almost impossible to make meaningful social connections in crowded or unfamiliar places because you are left waiting for someone to approach you, as the all-prevailing lack of eye contact seemingly rules in the watch-and-wait, look-and-smile category. On the flip side, people with no additional needs might lack the confidence or inclination to approach someone with a visible difference they have never experienced. It was also pointed out that if one finds it hard to get from A to B, then just getting out to socialise, let alone anything else, can render someone socially isolated.  

The barriers faced by people with additional needs are constant and can vary depending on the nature of someone’s circumstances, so the natural desire to be socially included, liked or loved is often seen as secondary to someone’s supposed primary needs being fulfilled. A woman with additional needs on her own might face the double stigma of ‘what’s she doing here’ or ‘need any help, love?’ rather than a classic chat-up exercise. Any interaction is often functional, rather than social.Adolf D. Ratzka of the Independent Living Institute in Sweden forthrightly stresses that because people with additional needs are routinely portrayed as “objects of care or sick, how could they possibly be viewed as sexy?”

Marilyn M. Irwin of Indiana University rightly asserts how sex is still a taboo within society and often spoken in hush-hush circles. She says, “Add disability to the equation and myths about people with disabilities and sex abound. It is assumed people either aren’t interested or capable.”

It all starts with education – at home or school. Cultural blueprints may dictate whether or not sex will be discussed openly in the home, regardless of whether a child has additional needs or not. Young people still find out in the playground if a school only furnishes the reproductive facts. At specialist schools, societal assumptions and presumptions are mirrored both through parent’s increased anxieties and the school’s approach. Another interviewee pointed out that the approach of specialist schools is patchy at best in the sex ed department.

Sharon Rhodes, Pathway Leader for Life Skills at Communication Specialist College in Doncaster, explained that sex ed is not a straight-forward curriculum and widely varies according to a learner’s individual needs and level of understanding. Despite policies and the media opening up, Ms Rhodes points out the fact that “outside the college environment, the notion of young people as sexual beings is still viewed as disdainful. Parents often adopt the view that their youth are still small children needing to be taken care of, not real people with real needs.” The college will provide practical guidance for potentially sexually active couples, yet many specialist education providers have no sex ed programme at all, thus bypassing the issue.

With internalised oppression so deeply ingrained in our pecking order, perpetuating those with additional needs as the weakest in society, for those of us craving greater social and sexual inclusion it drowns out any calls for dignity, equality or acceptance as capable potential relationship material. It makes the job of levelling the playing field an uphill climb.

In short, with increased integration in schools and other areas of communities, things are changing, yet possibly too slowly for people’s immediate sexual needs.

Ratzka illustrated how people with physical difficulties often engage with sex workers for their relief: a mutually understood exchange between demonised individuals.

However, small initiatives at local level, such as supported nightclubs are making a difference.

Dawn M. Sanders

I’m always astounded when I hear of the likes of Fleetwood Mac’s Christine McVie, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters and others out there still touring, traipsing the world and playing their hearts out while pushing their seventh decade.

I just saw Courtney Love live on her UK tour; still ronching and shouting out that timeless passion and rage – pushing fifty…

My point is, at fourty-something, I still want to make a lifelong dream a reality and sing, write songs and perform them.

So, I recently not only put out ads and pounded some of Sheffield’s streets to pen ads on notice boards, I answered an ad – both came to nothing.

Of course the landscape of popular music is typically and tradditionally dominated by twenty-something-year-olds; male and, yep I’m gonna say it, clinging onto cool like a life raft!

So the lads I responded to sent me clips of their punky stuff – it was fine, but after they had described themselves as ‘all between twenty-four and twenty-six, I thought “hmmm, not sure”.

All I said in reply was: I’m slightly wary of my age, which maybe I shouldn’t have said, not actually revealing my age, but the result was: ‘we don’t think it would fit with us, thanks for your interest’.

Okay, so I’m a “late bloomer” and no, don’t really want to tag onto kids where I’m old enough to be their mum, but should age be the ultimate defining factor in considering the dynamics of a band?

I think not!

Of course we all need to creatively connect with like minds and commonalities.

Yes, I wanna sing about the constant barriers I face, loneliness, political decay and life experiences.

While I’m not held down by marriage, mortgage and keeping up with the Jones’ – I still have a life and want to keep it more colourful and vibrant than my eyes can see…

I won’t be adopting a folky, gently gently, guitar strum strum strummy persona with a flowing skirt; the caricature often taken on by more mature female singers.  I won’t be blagging it with the mindless/shallow rinky dinky winky the younger girls seem to be happy with in what is so flippantly dubbed pop.

Nope, I’m a die hard, set in my ways and opinions; yet could diversify and cross genres.

I just wanna sing, rock and write the truth.

I have all the pent up passion and rage, moody melancholy and zeal that the big well-known die-hards possess.

Anyone care to join me?  HAHAHA – I won’t hold my breath.

I still need a drummer, base and guitar – preferably mature (that could even mean mature-minded) with some commitment, willing to work, real and ready to rock.

Dawn M Sanders