Reclaim our streets – 100 days of
peace
After
the Mayoral assembly on 25th April, the competition for the four
candidates almost came to the end, not surprisingly, Boris Johnson (the
candidate of Conservative party) won on 3rd May. He has the opportunity to prove
that he will keep his words to work with Citizens on the five agenda in the
coming four years (please see http://www.citizensuk.org/campaigns/london-mayoral-election-2012/ ) that he promised in front of 2,500
people, 230 institutions on the assembly.
From
housing to safety, from a just wage to a brighter future for young people,
those challenging and growing issues become more and more severe for all the
Londoners during recession (especially for migrants!). The end of the election
is just the beginning for the coming action for all citizens. The coming
Olympics in August will not only bring million tourists to this historical city
which is already notorious enough for its traffic, but also increase the load
massively for the limited police force which had been proved insufficient in
the riot last summer. Celebrating for the game, expecting it could bring London
significant profit, but still simultaneously worry for its side effect.
As
the Olympics Game is pending, London Citizens and member institutions raise a
new action called “100 days of peace,” which base on the story in 776 BC in
Olympia in ancient Greece where 50 days before the game and 50 days after, the
communities and city-state will agree to a truce to let athletes travel safely.
Under the City safe campaign which London Citizens initiative working with
schools, shops and churches to make our neighborhood safer and connected, we
are going to launch the new “modern 100 days of peace ” on June the 9th to reclaim our
street.
Safety
has been an important issue for many areas in London for years, especially in
last August, the riot which started in Tottenham and spread to other areas in
days. City safe is working to rebuild the community – police relationship also
the awareness in local community that the only way to make our street safer is
to act.
(school kids talk to the shop keeper, share
their feelings on safety and ask this shop to commit to be a city safe heaven,
which means when young people enter the store and declare that they are in
danger, the shop keeper will welcome them and help them find a safer place in
the store and also help them report to the police. )
Safety
is also the prior issue for Chinese community in South London, many members of
Chinese communities feel unsafe. The Deptford Chinese and South London Citizens
team has been listening to the Chinese community in Deptford before and after
the riot. We found that many have been attacked repeatedly, especially in
Deptford. Chinese families who live in Deptford have been persistently targeted
in robberies and burglaries in broad daylight at gun and knife point, many have
been physically attacked suffering brutal injuries. For most of the Chinese in
south London, safety is always their main concern. There are a few who would
bravely try and report the crime but are left helpless and deterred from
reporting; they remain targeted by criminals due to their vulnerability.
Last
year, On 26th July, the Chinese communities in Deptford decide to break their
silence. Under the banner of “one community, one voice” to stop crime, over 80
people including children came together to reclaim their streets.
After almost
one year working with the local police, the diaspora community has built a
relationship that has helped the police to understand where the Chinese
community coming from and how to work with the community. In April, we build an
organized team of leaders that would act as the bridge not only to support the
local police to reach the community, but also be equipped with the ability to
provide basic suggestions to the community which will incorporate the reporting
of crime, home safety, victim support, etc. by joining the neighborhood watch
team training.
On 9th
June , the launching of “ the 100 days of peace” , thousands of people from
London Citizens and members will be taking to the streets of London, there will
be singing and dancing in different city safe zone , and a helicopter circle
those assembling spot ,not only to mark the areas that we are making safer but
also an action to remind people the real underlying purpose of Olympic Games.