Now that the crazy week of pulling, tweaking and tidying my work for assignment is over I finally have time to tell you about the West End Local Community Planning Partnership meeting I went to last Wednesday night. Even though I have carelessly lost the notes I had taken!
I was invited to go to this meeting by Councillor Fraser MacPherson after I emailed him some questions on the current "RESM" and "HARM" graffiti that is covering Dundee. I arrived an HOUR early because of my bus so took the time to relax - as I was very nervous - and to get a little bit more sketchbook work done.
When the meeting began there were 8 people in attendance, myself included. 3 local residents, 2 councillors, a councillor candidate and a member of the City Council Leisure and Community group. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss in further detail the Anti - Graffiti Initiative. The idea behind this is to have a community clean-up day. Where residents of all ages could join in clearing away graffiti. However, it was pointed out by a man at the meeting that cleaning the graffiti off of his fence led to more, abusive, graffiti being sprayed onto it. We recognised that it was very likely that any graffiti that was covered would just be sprayed over again but on the other hand, it would be joining the community together, showing a resistance and a united stance against graffiti so I still believe it would be worthwhile. I also believe that involving High School 1st years would be beneficial.
It was agreed that one of the residents in the meeting, who works within the construction industry, would use his work ties to get the materials needed to hold the clean-up donated as they are expensive and there is no funding for this. There was also the issue of health and safety to discuss as the solvents used to remove most graffiti could not be used by members of the community. This meant that the materials that could be used could only be things to cover graffiti. Meaning areas which were easy to colour match would have to be used.
Another point raised was that the child found guilty of the graffiti's parents did not care as they said it was art. Members of the group seemed unsure but I think they felt it was a youth culture "thing." So I pointed out to them that there are 4 recognisable types of graffiti; art, political, protest and tagging. The discussed graffiti was definately tagging as it was merely a way for the graffitist to leave his mark. I also pointed out that very few youths consider it to be art.
The idea of a graffiti wall to help prevent the graffiti was mentioned. Again, rather nervously, I told the people at the meeting that through my research (interviewing people and reading online journals) I found that graffiti walls do not make the slightest difference. The people who graffiti on the streets would not use these walls as they would not get the buzz that they get by doing something illegal and it would not be seen as cool. If anything it only adds fuel to the fire as it allows graffiti to be legal and turns it into art.
Due to all of the planning, legalities and formalities required it was decided that the clean-up would not happen until roughly February 2010. Although this is leaving a lot of time for the graffiti to have an effect on the communities and to influence other youngsters I understand that this is neccessary. There will be another meeting nearer this time that I will definately be attending and will keep you informed about any other developments via this blog.
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
Sunday, 22 November 2009
"Victims of Torture"
On Tuesday night I went to a lecture with 2 friends. It was held by Dr Phil Cotton and was called "Victims of Torture." The purpose of the lecture was to raise awareness of the hardships that asylum seekers and refugees face. Before the lecture I was ignorant to the severity of the torture that goes on in the world. I honestly thought these things only happened in horror movies. Although, I am sure some of the things he told us would not even happen in the goriest of Hollywoods films.
I think it is important to point out how inspirational Dr Cotton is. He is a part time GP in Glasgow to provide himself with a salary but the rest of the time he is a volunteer, helping torture victims - 99% of these victims are asylum seekers. Throughout the lecture I found myself horrorfied and sickened by the violation of human rights that these people faced and the fact he had seen people between the age of 8 and 80. I left the lecture with a huge weight on my shoulders so I can not imagine how much effort it must take him to keep his work and personal life apart.
The way these people are treated in their home countries is a disgrace to human civilisation. They are subjected to the most extreme cases of torture so when it is possible, many of them escsape to our country. A country that prides itself on its democracy and justice system. However, this justice system often decides that these people are not allowed to stay in this country due to INCONSISTENCIES in their story. Some of the examples we were given were absolutely shameful.
One story we were told was about an asylum seeker who was given shelter in England. He was given a train ticket and a hotel reservation for Glasow as the next day he had his meeting with Dr Cotton. When he got to the hotel, the receptionist told him that he had no reservation there and to go to the police station. Once he got to the police station a policeman told him that it was not a hotel and turned him away.
This man was in a strange place and had nowhere to go. So he made his way back to the train station, sat on a bench and stayed there overnight, freezing cold and petrified. When he arrived at the meeting the next morning Dr Cotton asked how he was and the man burst into tears and told him of his ordeal. He said he had been made to feel like an animal.
I found it difficult not to cry myself when listening to this story. How could this happen in this country? If I was lost and in a strange place I would certainly expect someone to empathise and help me and I would certainly not expect the Police to send me packing! It turned out that he did have a reservation at the hotel. The receptionist had merely typed in the wrong number AND there were other vacant rooms in the hotel that she could have given him.
He was not a bad person, in fact, he was a human rights lawyer in his old country. Ironically, he had wanted to make the world a better place. Instead, he was a victim of a corrupt government. Dr Cotton furiously complained to the hotel and the manageress was truely sorry and wrote him a handwritten letter of apology which, the man accepted.
I am not trying to say that people in Britain are that uncaring and unkind. Although I do know from personal experiance that not many people are willing to stop to help someone. The main point I took from Dr Cottons lecture was to take the time to stop and help someone if they look scared or need help. People need to remeber that everyone has feelings and sometimes people just need a shoulder to cry on or a little bit of friendly advice. It also made me completely change my opinion on immigration as it was the first time I had been told about the reasons that many people come to this country, instead of getting the usual negative slant from the media.
I think it is important to point out how inspirational Dr Cotton is. He is a part time GP in Glasgow to provide himself with a salary but the rest of the time he is a volunteer, helping torture victims - 99% of these victims are asylum seekers. Throughout the lecture I found myself horrorfied and sickened by the violation of human rights that these people faced and the fact he had seen people between the age of 8 and 80. I left the lecture with a huge weight on my shoulders so I can not imagine how much effort it must take him to keep his work and personal life apart.
The way these people are treated in their home countries is a disgrace to human civilisation. They are subjected to the most extreme cases of torture so when it is possible, many of them escsape to our country. A country that prides itself on its democracy and justice system. However, this justice system often decides that these people are not allowed to stay in this country due to INCONSISTENCIES in their story. Some of the examples we were given were absolutely shameful.
One story we were told was about an asylum seeker who was given shelter in England. He was given a train ticket and a hotel reservation for Glasow as the next day he had his meeting with Dr Cotton. When he got to the hotel, the receptionist told him that he had no reservation there and to go to the police station. Once he got to the police station a policeman told him that it was not a hotel and turned him away.
This man was in a strange place and had nowhere to go. So he made his way back to the train station, sat on a bench and stayed there overnight, freezing cold and petrified. When he arrived at the meeting the next morning Dr Cotton asked how he was and the man burst into tears and told him of his ordeal. He said he had been made to feel like an animal.
I found it difficult not to cry myself when listening to this story. How could this happen in this country? If I was lost and in a strange place I would certainly expect someone to empathise and help me and I would certainly not expect the Police to send me packing! It turned out that he did have a reservation at the hotel. The receptionist had merely typed in the wrong number AND there were other vacant rooms in the hotel that she could have given him.
He was not a bad person, in fact, he was a human rights lawyer in his old country. Ironically, he had wanted to make the world a better place. Instead, he was a victim of a corrupt government. Dr Cotton furiously complained to the hotel and the manageress was truely sorry and wrote him a handwritten letter of apology which, the man accepted.
I am not trying to say that people in Britain are that uncaring and unkind. Although I do know from personal experiance that not many people are willing to stop to help someone. The main point I took from Dr Cottons lecture was to take the time to stop and help someone if they look scared or need help. People need to remeber that everyone has feelings and sometimes people just need a shoulder to cry on or a little bit of friendly advice. It also made me completely change my opinion on immigration as it was the first time I had been told about the reasons that many people come to this country, instead of getting the usual negative slant from the media.
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