leicester stories

 

1. 
   I’d like to find out what we are still learning from the experience of the lockdown, particularly here in Leicester?

From Quetzal perspective, the lockdown taught us what it takes to be a community that is not defined by a set location, what can we do to mobilise our partners, volunteers and collaborators from remote location, what it takes to disseminate information and make it accessible to people who may not have access, what other type of event can we develop that keep ourselves and other safe, what special provision do we need to make to support better some female survivors, that crisis are great opportunity to reach greater level of consciousness and how important is to cre about our mental health, then that media are so important social mnedia local media to share informatiom between people

1. I’d like to know what conversations and discussions people living and working in Leicester had during the lockdown, especially when these conversations started to focus on the idea of Building Back Better?

When the idea of building back Britain better came out, when was that? March 2021, April 2021, my main focus was what tools can we provide to people to support their mental health. Through a trauma informed programme the first steps are stabilisation and regulation if people are in state of shock we need to support them. During the pandemic many people were not equipped with the skills and ability. My other main concern was how do I pass information when the most low tech technology are not accessible or that people are not using Hugh tech technology anymore, how do I create connection when I cannot go physically to different places. My uncle emile viti abi is a writer with a fascination for Malian African empire and he was telling me that if we wanted an information to reach roma just through word of mouth, it will reach it. How do I tell people that we can support them in their journey towards recovery, how do I deal with gatekeepers, individuals who keep their communities shielded.

During the lockdown, my main focus was what can I do to raise awareness about the trauma of childhood sexual abuse in outh Asian communities by not actually being able to be in their physcial location and not even being able to access them directly, the question what can we do to build better community came to mind, it is about connections with people and bhow we engage with them, it is about what w give them, it was also about creating beter stories, coming from them directly, directly from peoplel, the other element it was about care and mental health and giving people the tools to be take care of their mental health better, it iwa also about raising awareness abotu the value of cousnelling and tell family to give privacy people.

1. What does Build Back Better mean in practice for people living and working in a highly multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial city?

In practice, it is about identifying people gift talents resources and competences and mobilising them where is needed the most. It is about co-crearion of experience that makes United. It is about also identifying people interest that goes beyond their ethnicity.

I think it is identifying people all as having a gift, a resources, a taleknt ebyond their ethnicity and to treat peopel the way we would like to be treated. South Asian communities what does that mean, asset baased community.

for me is about your strength and expressing the best expression of yourself, your interet, your vising and co-creating with ohers experiences that make us feel united.

1. Is Build Back Better just a slogan, or is there some structure and weight behind it?

Yes, Yes, Yes 
 it does infer some form of duality between better or worse, it is also indicate that something has been created and then eventually brought down when the community does not feel it works not more. Who is qualified to build, it highlight some type of expertise. it i alo a question a criteria that we can use to gauge something we've created, there is some weight behind it inviting us to wonder whether what we did is good or not.Building Back Better (BBB) is a strategy aimed at reducing the risk to the people of nations and communities in the wake of future disasters and shocks.^[1] The BBB approach integrates disaster risk reduction measures into the restoration of physical infrastructure, social systems and shelter, and the revitalization of livelihoods, economies and the environment.^[2]

BBB was first officially described in the United Nations' Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction document, which was agreed on at the Third UN World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction held on March 14–18, 2015, in Sendai, Japan. It was adopted by UN member states as one of four priorities in the Sendai Framework for disaster recovery, risk reduction and sustainable development.^[3] The UN General Assembly adopted this document on June 3, 2015.

For me what is most important is to find balance through greater self-awareness and social awareness. Finding a better balance between our purpose by asking ourselves why we exist and our mission which is what we do. my purpose or the why i exist is to give a different perspective to you on the way I see the world and create with you experiences that unite us, my mission is to create more trauma-informed and sustainable communities in Leicester, am I building something or am I co-creating experiences, some exchange with other people.. why would I want to create more balance between my purpose and my mission so I can give space to other to also expres their best expression and together we can create new experience. Building Back Better there is definitely this element of duality, then there is the weight put on those who are perceive are doing best, the expert and actually when reading the report is what they emphasis upon boosting the industry productivity by inviting the best.

Quetzal raison d'etre is to amplify the voice of survivors and what they do is to supprot them is their journey towards recovery. 

Building back also indicate this idea that once built the job is done, when actually it is a never ending project, what is most important for me is to transcend what we've learnt prior to the pandemic, during the pandemic even now, transcend the community that were too static, and develop new connections.  shall we say intead destroy better. why do we need disaster to build better, shall we not dismantle on the daily basis what we know and give rise to something new. the disaster we've experience gave rise to great things bringing at the centre of the conversation the issue of mental health and domestic violence, forcing us to really pay attention to the way we behave

1. If there is a better term, what is it? it is a great term to create some type of discussion - is there a better term to describe what we are doing. For me it is.Taking over the world - Transcending ones world remains the top for me as it is changing worldviews and there is also this elements of learning because ultimately who can claim that the world is or can be taken over, as you even try to take upon one world, you discover and learn there is milliuons more. I give you an example, when I was task at Quetzal to raise awareness in South Asian communities about the trauma of childhood sexual abuse, trying to take over one world, I was mesmerised by all that I discovered. the proces took over my worldviews and perspective and for this I am grateful

2. Change is at the centre of the Building Back Better ethos, but what kind of change are we talking about?

Isn't it that term came through the UN as a strategy to  reduce the risk to the people of nations and communities in the wake of future disasters and shocks. Isnt it in their report they emphasis on creating a net carbon zero economy, creating more green jobs, boosting the economy, investing in infrastructure skills and innovation. Not sure they changed much from their previous agenda to be perfectly honest. At Quetzal, the main change was to continue our support to female survivors using digital infrastructure so that they have the tools, the space to expres their emotions and feeling and better deal with the impacts of disasters and schock. for me, to know that everyone of us have greater consciousness, understand better how the mind works, how their emotions afffecttheir physiology and also their relationships with others is so significantbecause in the face of disasters, they have the tool to deal with it all. and as a community to have people who are skilled counsellors we also indigeneous practices such as yoga alternative practices such as reflexology and more, all those tools are there to support the mind to cope with dissonant externalities. with a better mind, we can better co-create with other experiences that bring joy, good health. if we are not good in our mind, how can we possibly have good relationships with others. i guess mabe what we building back better is our brain, talking abou neuropklasticity and creating new connections between our experiences and our feelings

1. What is the idea of change associated with Building Back Better based on?

Infrastructure

1. Has this been a practical discussion, or is it just an opportunity for lots more talk? I believe any exchange are practical discussion as long a you are truly ready to take the information in. if you are too full with worries, your brain become like a waterlog ponge, but if otherwise, when i listen to people I am alway ready to jump on the opportunity to create something with them. For me it helps to identify where my focus is and it is signpost people who may have a waterlog brain towards services who helped them deal with the new changes coming through.

2. Are there things that have been adopted and put into practice that point in the direction of practical changes we can make?

At which level? 

1. What have been the reactions to those practices, and are the changes making real and lasting differences?

2. Is there support from colleagues and partners that encourage and enhance these changes? Has anything proven intransigent and too difficult to change? What’s turned out to be the most adaptable things to change?

3. Reflection and examination based on hindsight are necessary and essential things for us to do, especially if we are to learn the lessons of the pandemic.

4. I’m keen to find out what improvements have been brought about, either intentionally or unintentionally, to the way we do things?

5. Many, perhaps naively, expected change to come at a galloping pace, but that’s not how change feels in practice. Change is usually drawn-out and seems slow. Yet when we look back, we realise how much is different given the time that has past, or how far we have travelled.

6. I think it’s essential to explore the positive dynamics of social change, particularly those that can be held as good examples for others to follow in the future.

7. As we start to make decisions, draw-up new policies, and redirect resources, the essential question I have in mind, is how will Building Back Better affect us in our everyday lives, and will we see the results of in our neighbourhoods and communities?

When we chat I’ll try to focus on what your experience has been of doing this, as direct experience is much easier to elaborate and consider.