Why I joined the Young Fabians

When I joined the Young Fabians in 2007, my main motivations were to find out more about politics and to meet like-minded people. During the years since it has occurred to me that underlying these original motivations were a desire for group membership and a feeling of belonging.

For me, joining the Fabian Society was a precursor to Labour Party Membership, which I had thought about and yet been wary of for most of my early twenties. Learning about the Fabians at LSE seemed to augment for me the desire to be part of something greater than myself and where plurality and diversity were also a natural home, within the progressive political realm. The desire to be part of a group can be an innate or instrumental goal. For me it was both, and the Young Fabians have fulfilled my desire on both levels.

Being a Young Fabian was the start of enabling and formalising my identity as someone who is left-wing, and who identifies with socialist principles and seeks to use these beliefs to influence others. With this goal of identity-building there has also been an interplay with more practical objectives.

By being a member and Executive Officer of the Young Fabians I have tangibly used my principles to influence others, for example, as the first Young Fabians’ Equalities Officer, a programme that is now essential to the ethos of the organisation. Also, through organising panel debates and attending events I have been able to strengthen my views through discussion and by being informed by many different perspectives: international, political, feminist, academic (to name a few crude and broad camps).

The end result has been that this experience has made me a more able and confident political citizen, an essential grounding for the years ahead. It has also introduced me to a plethora of wonderful people with a similar aim.

It is with this in mind that I urge anyone with similar desires and thoughts to join the Young Fabians. Believe me, you will not be disappointed. As with most things in life, it is what you make of it and with more opportunities to actively participate in the organisation than ever before, the scope for engagement is tantalising.

You can join for only £5 for the first six months. Your friends can too!

To do so, click here: http://bit.ly/jointheyfs

Preth Rao is Member Involvement Officer for the Young Fabians

Want to help run the Young Fabians?

The Young Fabians are a dynamic section of the Fabian Society for members who are aged 31 or under. The organisation is run completely on a voluntary basis by an executive committee that is partly elected and partly co-opted. It is approximately 3 months away from election nominations and 5-6 months away from co-options for 2011/12′s Executive Committee. As part of our drive to ensure that the process is open and transparent and to encourage a greater and more diverse pool of members to stand, we are hosting two events next week (earlier than ever before) to inform people of the process, what they need to do and the experience of being an exec member. Last year we had a phenomenal turnout for both elections and co-options and are fully aware of the talent of our members which we hope to continue to harness.

Click here for more details on the events.

Serving on the Young Fabian Executive is a unique and exciting opportunity to work both independently and in collaboration with other like-minded young people who want to encourage debate on the key issues affecting the Labour party and progressives. It also gives you unrivalled access to organisations and MPs who are more interested than ever in the output and role of the society as Labour seeks to rejuvenate itself in opposition. Young people’s voices are key to the future. The Young Fabians are growing in our membership and outputs and are recognised for our dynamism and productivity. Our annual report gives an insight into the full range of activities provided for members.

In the first half of this year this has included a number of network events with professionals in the finance and science sectors, the production of our flagship magazine Anticipations which is circulated to key influential think-tanks and Labour MPs as well as the membership, the YF book club, debates and events in parliament, including on the Middle East and UN Women and campaigning events. Our Policy Commissions, will also start very soon, producing policy thinking derived from open and inclusive debate.

However, we are always looking for new ideas and new people and you may be the ideal candidate. We’re running this event earlier in the year so that you have a chance to develop ideas in conjunction with us. If you have passion and motivation and a desire to shape leftwing policy please do come along to the event on May 16th in London or participate in our webchat on May 17th to find out more. If you cannot make either of these events but are interested in standing then get in touch with me directly.

I’ve found my experience on the Young Fabian executive committee over the last three years challenging, stimulating and ultimately, always rewarding. Not least, working with fellow exec members who demonstrate an awesome commitment and enthusiasm for a common cause. I’m very keen that others get the opportunity to experience what I have.

Preth Rao is Member Involvement Officer for the Young Fabians. Email her on prao[at]youngfabians.org.uk.

Harassment of disabled people is a scourge on society and a key challenge

I was recently at a social care event when I was reminded of the horrific murder of Steve Hoskin, a Cornish man with learning disabilities. Having dealt with loneliness and isolation he befriended a couple who tormented him, eventually forcing him to take his own life by jumping off a bridge. A few weeks later I read that a man in Manchester , David Askew, also with learning disabilties had died of a heart attack after confronting people who were harassing him on his doorstep. He had suffered 17 years of abuse. This was also on the back of the case of Fiona Pilkington which gained significant public attention in 2007, as she took her own life and that of her learning disabled daughter after sustaining years of torment.

It was on the back of the Pilkington case that the Equality and Human Rights Commission initiated an inquiry into the safety and security of disabled people. In their research so far, they have concluded that the basic human rights of being able to live free from persecution and torture is denied to many disabled people. This is something that most people would find shocking and equate with oppressive regimes in distant lands as opposed to British Society – but in many cases, for people with mental health problems and learning disablilities in particular, it is an everyday truth.

In defining the key challenges we face to make a more equal society, surely this is a key one. In each of these tragic cases there must have been public servants, local officials and communities who knew of the harassment of these people and thus were in some way complicit in it. As a society we must all take responsibility, not only for turning a blind eye but also, in the case of Steve Hoskin, and certainly many others, being complicit in the isolation which lead him to seek solace in people who intended to manipulate this vulnerability.

What is clear is that a society we still regard disabled people as being intrinsically vulnerable – however these deaths illustrate that their vulnerability is not inherent. It is a function of a society that permits people to prey on those who are the weakest. In the fight for gender equality and against racism there must also be a battle cry for equal dignity and respect for disabled people.

The response to disability hate crime cannot be a return to protectionism, segregation and paternalism however. Instead, we must examine ourselves, our prejudices and behaviours whilst ensuring that disabled people are able to make their own choices and control their lives. And where there are dangers to disabled people and their freedom restricted the Police, Housing and other services must act swiftly to both diagnose and respond to disability hate crime. It is good news that this week the Crown Prosecution Service pledged to identify and prosecute such crimes.