They also witnessed the shocking and subsequent riot which spread around cities in the UK.
I would like to focus on this civil unrest from a youth worker’s perspective. It is important to state two things from the outset however, firstly the rioters were people of all ages and secondly whilst hatred, violence and racism was clear, there was also an outpouring of kindness and community support, Vibe and other charities got additional donations to support their work alongside offers from people wanting to volunteer.
Ok, let’s start with some key questions.
What is meant by social fabric? What holds society together? Is it law enforcement? If all the police disappeared tonight would everyone go rioting, looting and start attacking their neighbours?
Clearly some people would go wild, and law enforcement has a clear role in catching and punishing them. But would these include the people who have had the opportunity to develop their values and build relationships with people different to themselves.
Youth workers are experts, working day in and day out on the personal and social development of young people, they help build social cohesion, and they are well placed to know when people are feeling angry and/or disconnected.
I may have been a year early but on the 23rd of May last year I tweeted ‘It is also very worrying, many young people are feeling disenfranchised as we head into summer 23’,
When social fabric is under strain we can forge ahead with more police officers, more prison cells and longer sentences; or we can invest in those services which prevent, develop and build appreciation for one another and repair social fabric.
Multiculturism enhances communities but to be successful it takes work. It takes open-mindedness and it takes skilled people to proactively build relationships.
There’s a Cherokee Indian legend about the battle between the good and the bad within us. A grandfather is teaching his grandson about life and explains that each of us has two wolves inside us, locked in battle. One wolf is evil - angry, vicious, arrogant, consumed by lies, false pride and ego. The other is good - joy, peace, love, humility, kindness, truth and compassion. “Which wolf will win?” asks the boy. The old man replies: “The one that you feed.”
Intolerance, disunity and prejudice has been having a feast on social media for years, whilst since the riots of 2011 youth services have been cut by 75%.
Youth workers are a tremendous asset, making sure people are more personally grounded and socially connected, they play a significant role in preventing civil unrest.
Many of the rioters were heard chanting, ‘we want our country back’, perhaps the Britain of old was more tolerant, more community minded or perhaps it wasn’t? If we want a better country going forward, we need young people to experience kindness and connectedness.
- Paul Oginsky is chief executive of youth work charity Vibe
