2018 Story #2:
This story came from observing & interacting with others & situations throughout the year where I found myself back in London, which gave me some new perspectives on the disparity between those with opportunity & those without..
Global inequality in terms of wealth is at an all-time high Oxfam have shown that 1% of the world’s population are worth more than the other 99% combined. It is not only wealth which exemplifies the growing divide between those with privilege and those without, but in a global population of 7 billion people, one billion currently live without power.
What’s even more interesting though is that It is not only within the third world which now sees poverty. One of the realities of living in a big city is the polarisation that exists in close proximity (over 50% of young people living in London & Birmingham now live in poverty). Early in April, I was walking through Soho, central London and walked past a gentleman who had clearly fallen on hard times and was living, sheltered under a doorway next to a coffee shop. He was sat, in this doorway rolling a cigarette. I saw this gentleman day after day on my commute following this same routine. Sadly, his world had unfortunately become narrow & the opportunities presenting themselves to him, or indeed the opportunities he was able to create had become seldom.
A separate story was when I spent some time with some young people in tough part of London, where they shared stories about their daily life. What struck me, was the lack of opportunities, lack of experiences, that they have in their lives. The system (by age 12) had already let them down for a multitude of different reasons. A different situation, but similarly to the gentleman in Soho, these young people are so limited with the opportunities they have and have a hugely narrow view of the world. Unfortunately for these children they had a very small sense of discovery to understand what the world may have to offer them and even worse, any help / opportunity for them to understand or see what they might be passionate about themselves.
What I realised, was if you think about a spectrum of living a narrow life (like the examples above) to a life of discovery and opportunity, those who live the most fruitful lives are the ones who are able to somehow achieve the latter. What we need to do better at understand is that not everyone is born with the same opportunity & there is much in society which needs to change to create more of a level playing field. I found it ironic for example how in a city such as London, where you can explore, where opportunities are exponential, without even leaving the boundaries of the city, let alone the shores of the country, there are so many examples of people living narrow lives due to lack of opportunity.
From this, I reflected. Exploring, discovery and opportunity doesn’t have to be a 6000-mile trip across the ocean. Seeking new places, meeting new people and being open can and will lead to living a full life. As I articulate above, sadly not everyone is born with the same opportunities, so I believe more than ever that those in power, those with wealth have a responsibility to close the gap and provide opportunities to more people, whatever that looks like. I read last week that Brighton F.C & Nigerian footballer Leon Balogun will pledge 1% of his salary to the Common Goal charity, with a view to ‘actively help and support people in their communities & open up doors to a better life’. Well done Leon.
I understand that we are all responsible for our own lives, and people do make mistakes, but the more sports stars, actors, rich and famous are able to use their platforms to raise awareness, I believe the more people will be able to lead a rich and fruitful life.
So, my closing thought for 2018 I will use a quote that I have heard many times…never look down on someone unless you’re helping them up’. Please head in to 2019 with this in mind, if we all do our bit I believe the world will become a better place.