The Possibilities of Privilege

Yesterday, I went along to the Oxford & Cambridge Club in Pall Mall, London to a networking/social event held by the Oxbridge Muslim Alumni. The OMA has had a storied history going back about a decade with several well-intentioned management teams lasting an enthusiastic couple of years before life caught up with them and the OMA had to take a back-seat. As a former Secretary, it happened to me too*.

Mingling as we did yesterday, surrounded by the very tasteful interior decor of the O&C Club, it was quite easy to recognise that every single person in the room was in an uncommon and closed-off position of privilege. Everyone I spoke to seemed comfortable. Perhaps not happy but firmly comfortable and assured. Naturally, each person will have their own issues, but certainly with the environment and the atmosphere, it was several worlds away from the Children of Adam homeless food project that I help out with.

Privilege is a tricky beast to control and can be used for positive or for negative. We've seen very recently with the release of the Panamanian Mossack Fonseca Papers just how much privilege and access can be used to preserve that privilege for a select few. When a lone miser, who has been blessed with the light of a candle and doesn't use it to help others if they can, the world may not notice. But when many candles are hidden away, the world becomes a much darker place for everyone. Inequality has existed in all previous societies and, given scarcity of economic resources, will probably always exist. But that doesn't mean it's not worth trying to make a difference.

Which brings us back to OMA and other similar networks/communities. I had a really enjoyable evening reminiscing about university life with old friends, making new friends from the Other Place and I was very pleased to hear that the access and mentoring dreams of the previous incarnations of OMA are still strong in the new committee.

It's an excellent use of initiative to set up these kind organisations and I strongly believe they should do the best they can to help and develop their members but that in the long term it's vital to help others gain access to that privilege. When you've seen the abyss and you've seen the summit, it'd take a very cold soul to insist that people shouldn't be helped to climb to the top. To paraphrase from Spiderman - with great privilege comes great responsibility.

* The year was 2010 and I was innocent, fresh-faced, bright-eyed, had left Cambridge only the year before and was determined to try and continue the community that I'd gotten so involved with when I was Vice President of the University Islamic Society. My involvement lasted 3 up-and-down years and ended when I moved away from the hub of all things important (London).

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Helping the Homeless

Walking the streets of London at this time of year you can't help but wonder at the sense of cheer that is built up by the bright lights and festive mood. The nights are long and you might well go to work in the dark, come home in the dark and see very little of the sun but that's easily forgotten when all forms of media are shouting out that we should be happy, content and spending lavishly.

When you hear about the problems that people are facing elsewhere in the world from refugees escaping parts of the Middle East and parts of Africa to Donald Trump somehow being a front runner in the Republican nomination and from terror attacks in Paris to asylum seekers living in the Calais 'Jungle' it's easy to believe that as a country, we're doing pretty well over here in the UK. And I think for the most part you'd be right. For the most part.

Take a moment to look away from the distracting lights and the less rosy parts of life begin to emerge. And they emerge right here on our doorstep.

For the past few Sunday evenings I've been going along and helping out with the Children of Adam Homeless Food Project at Lincoln's Inn Field. Every week, come rain or shine, a group of volunteers meets in Holborn to give food to homeless people and every week there's 200 or so homeless people who queue up to receive. Crisis puts the total homeless numbers in London at around eight thousand in a city of eight million so there's a lot of people who hopefully find somewhere else to get food.

I've learned quite a lot from even my minimal activity with the project. When I first went along I had an image in my head of what a homeless person would look like - an image that had been built up from media I'd consumed and my own uncharitable imagination. Rough looking men wearing ill-fitting, unkempt and mismatched clothing was what I imagined. Upon seeing the crowd of homeless people queueing though, I was struck by an unsettling thought. There were no easily distinguishable features - they were generally dressed just like anybody else would be on a cold December evening. Put me on the other side of the volunteer table and I'd have blended right in! They were young and old, men and women, British and international, bearded and clean-shaven, quiet and loud.

What was common though was that they were appreciative that there are people who are trying to help. As they walk past the tables they're polite and friendly. Even when food runs out at the end of the evening or things go wrong there's no complaining. Just last week the stall opened 40 mins later than usual when the hot food delivery was delayed but I heard barely a murmur from the waiting crowd - some of who had already been waiting hours (the project runs on a first come, first served basis). One of the homeless folk had even brought along a ghettoblaster and put on some radio to help pass the time delay! And when we did start there were no words of recrimination - they took their food and went on their way.

I'm going to finish off with a plea - the project is always in need of volunteers (as are most charitable initiatives!). It runs on a zero-commitment, come-and-go-as-you-please volunteer basis so if you just turn up to help at 1745 on a Sunday evening, the team will find a use for you. It's not particularly glamorous (available roles include Sandwich Distributor, Coffee man, Tea man, Security and Bagger et al) The other volunteers are an interesting mix of people and you do get good banter from the volunteers and the homeless folks and I really do think it's worthwhile getting involved in this or perhaps other projects closer to you.

Food donations are welcome but better to visit and volunteer first to get an idea of what kind of food works best and how much is needed before bringing food donations. I've heard stories of a family who turned up unannounced with a thousand homemade tuna sandwiches - the vast majority of which went to waste given that at the time there were only a hundred homeless people who came!

Money donations are probably helpful as well.

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