Journey to Justice

Islington

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The Journey to Justice exhibition came to Resource for London April-June 2019, thanks to Mike Butler & a cross community Islington JtoJ steering group. With Ethel Tambudzai, Chrys Chijiutomi, Oongah Gay, Susan Hahn, Lela Kogbara, Caroline Kamana, Roz Currie, Christabel Gurney & many volunteers and partners.

JtoJ Islington receives great coverage in the local press

Our exhibition appeared in both the Islington Gazette and Islington Tribune. Thank you to the reporters, participants and all our team for getting the exhibition such great exposure. Check the links out for the full stories

https://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/heritage/history-journey-to-justice-islington-1-6090362

http://islingtontribune.com/article/young-mayors-message-to-heads-schools-should-work-together-to-tackle-knife-crime

http://islingtontribune.com/article/excluded-pupils-are-at-greater-risk-of-knife-crime

Celebration Event – Islington, June 6th 2019

The event celebrated – through art and music – action to create equal opportunities in Islington including the Keskidee Arts Centre – Britain’s first art centre for the Black community.

The evening gave people an opportunity to look at the Journey to Justice travelling exhibition about human rights issues related to gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion and culture through stories of ordinary people who campaigned for equality through different time periods in the US, UK and in Islington.  The exhibition shows the success of campaigns and the positive effect they have had on people as well as the negative effects of prejudice and discrimination.

“It reminds me how easy it is to forget the important legacy of activists struggling for rights and opportunities for poor people.”

Nyahbingi drummers and santor and kora players joined singers, poets a storyteller and speakers to celebrate how Islington is a special place to live thanks to the struggles of the past to reduce inequality and create a place where rights are respected.

‘Yes. Amazing. Islington stories extraordinary things by ordinary people. So inspiring. We can do this.’

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To see Islington JtoJ stories visit:
https://jtojhumanrights.org.uk/local-stories/london/islington/

Climate Change is a Social Justice Issue, June 8th 2019

The climate change event provided information on people’s right to a healthy, safe and sustainable environment and how to ensure this. It also provided information to prevent people becoming ill and injured by an unhealthy and unsafe environment.

‘Very informative concerning the environment and human rights.’

Talks were delivered by environment and human rights activists Mama D Ujuaje, a food justice advocate, Muzammal Hussain from Wisdom in Nature and Judy Ling Wong, Honorary President of Black Environment Network (BEN) at Resource for London on Holloway Road in Islington. The speakers made their talks on environmental issues engaging and entertaining with the use of videos and pictures.

‘I feel more able to explain and trigger reflection about difference of perspectives, climate inequalities and how to engage all communities.’

We discussed how climate change and pollution contaminate and  damage urban and natural surroundings, affect food and wildlife and their consumption and harm the environment. We looked at how environments can be kept healthy, safe and sustainable through protection, preservation and conservation so that future generations can enjoy urban and natural environments.

‘This for me was a different focus on environmental issues – that is the importance of relationship and starting the process of change from the ground up – from the richness of our human diversity.’

Participants gave their views on environmental issues and everyone enjoyed the day.

‘I gained lots of new perspectives, which is exactly what I’d hoped for.’

Blogs by Michael Asamoah, JtoJ volunteer

Judy Ling Wong OBE CBE environmental activist & artist &
UK Director of the Black Environment Network.
Islington Launch

April 18th 2019 at Resource for London

JtoJ trustee Parul Motin. Image: Birmingham, Alabama ‘Children’s Crusade’, 1963

Islington story panels. Edith Garrud trained people in Jiu Jitsu to protect suffragettes & Tricia Zipfel, community activist.

Mike Butler, JtoJ Islington Coordinator

Copyrighted photo by Richard L. Copley. The well-known image (behind Mike) captures an important moment in the civil rights movement, with these simple four words that became the battle cry when city sanitation workers and their supporters participated in a march led by Martin Luther King on the 28th March 1968. The crowd was more than 5000 strong.

Below are our lovely JtoJ Islington volunteers and JtoJ Islington Volunteer Coordinator Ethel Tambudzai. We look forward to seeing you there soon.

Islington JtoJ…is here!

At Resource for London Islington 15th April – 10th June 2019

The Journey to Justice multi-media exhibition explores how advances in the protection of rights are hard won and cannot be taken for granted.  Taking inspiration from the US civil rights movement, UK and Islington’s struggles for freedom and justice, the exhibition tells stories of less well-known men, women and children who were involved and explores the factors that are essential for a human rights movement to succeed.

For the full programme, see here

Bob Marley playing in 1978 at the Keskidee Centre in Islington, the UKs first black arts centre, which was established by Oscar Abrams. Reproduced by permission of Urban Image Media Ltd.

Press Event 

Thursday 18th April from 5 p.m. at 356 Holloway Rd, London N7 6PA

Partners include Ringcross Community Centre, Islington People’s Rights, ROTA (Race On the Agenda), CANDI (City and Islington College), London Metropolitan University, Islington Museum and Islington Anti Apartheid

Black Britain: the long history

Tuesday 23rd October, 12-3pm, Ringcross Community Centre 60 Lough Rd, London N7 8RH

(Caledonian Road tube) Click on the poster for more details

There was a deep discussion about the relationship between the failures of the way British Black history – including long Black presence and antiracist activism – is told, the policing of stop and search and the prevalence of youth violence. We considered the idea of an event next spring aimed at local young people and addressing these issues. Big thanks to all at the Ringcross Centre for the warm welcome, the delicious food and the strong support they gave.

‘I really enjoyed the inclusion we had and the very interactive atmosphere. Additionally, I love the new experience of meeting like-minded people and demonstrating our ideas and research to them. Overall, it was a great success and I would definitely want to do that again.’ (Esme)

‘I believe Tuesday was amazing because what I learnt boosted my will and power to perform and love my history.’ (TC)

‘I really enjoyed our performance at Ringcross Community Centre because of the feedback we got from the audience and our Q&A. It helped me to understand people’s feelings towards our performance and the knowledge not only they, but also I myself, gained from it.’ (Shanaz)

 ‘I really like how we’ve managed to profoundly touch the audience. The conversations altogether were stimulating and raised a lot of questions and thoughts in my mind. Everyone felt comfortable to share what they had in their hearts and minds. We listened to each other carefully with understanding, love and appreciation. What a great afternoon with some delicious biscuits at Ringcross!’ (Tania)

“It was great to meet Martin and Tania and see how a session works. It was a really vibrant and interesting conversation with interesting points of view shared and informed between the different age groups around the room. Starting the session with a positive look at Black History gave the whole session an uplifting feeling in a month when there is a lot of focus on the more negative elements of recent Black history.” (Camilla Churchill)

Taster Day at Resource for London where our exhibition will be in April-May 2019

People from education, Disabled People Against Cuts, Room to Heal for refugees, Race on the Agenda, City University and Stand Up to Racism attended our taster on July 12th 2018. It was planned and delivered by JtoJ’s young volunteers Tania, Arianna, Richard, Maz and Michael. We were joined by Amina Gichinga who spoke about her experience of JtoJ in Newham. And Oonagh Gay, a LB Islington guide who told us less told stories of local people involved in struggles for rights and freedoms with the Chartists, Suffragettes, Spanish Civil War and against apartheid.

For the full programme see here.

Aims of the session

  • Introduce participants to the work of JtoJ: mission, activities, projects, approach
  • Showcase our projects: exhibition programme, work with young people
  • Discuss bringing the JtoJ exhibition programme to Islington in 2019
  • Identify potential steering group, audiences, activities, funding sources
  • Begin to explore some local, untold stories of struggles for rights and freedoms

Response

 After a discussion about priorities for the borough – economic inequality, the impact of austerity, cultural divisions – we were delighted with the number of people who want to be part of making the project happen in Islington and look forward to working together.

 We asked: Was there an aspect of the session which inspired you or was most memorable? and participants’ answers included:

 Amina’s presentation plus the approachability and welcome from Tania and other the volunteers; I really enjoyed Oonagh’s talk about people in Islington and found it powerful to connect with others in the group over shared issues/ideas; It was all inspiring and memorable; I want to write songs with choirs on social justice and facilitate arts projects and perform with Journey to Justice; Yes, when looking at the pictures and trying to build a story; the last discussion, about Islington; most memorable was connecting to the Hillsborough tragedy; Hearing from Newham organiser.

Blog by Michael Asamoah, JoJ volunteer

The Islington Taster was delivered by the human rights education charity Journey to Justice. The aim of the event was  to gain support for and awareness of issues regarding equality in the London Borough of Islington. It was an introduction to Journey to Justice’s, mission, activities and approach, showcased JtoJ projects and was about  bringing the JtoJ exhibition programme to Islington in 2019. The charity’s aim is to galvanise people to take action for social justice.

There was a presentation about the history of less well known  people who campaigned for freedom and supported victims of unfair treatment in Islington. It included information regarding the campaigners and supporters and what they undertook to change policies and practice. The people they campaigned for were treated unfairly, sometimes due to their characteristics, belief and culture.  There was an activity focused on stories about challenging  injustice, prejudice and discrimination using photos and interpretation.

There were refreshments and other speakers and questions from the audience including a discussion about running JtoJ in Islington There was a high amount of positive feedback.

With thanks to the National Lottery Community Fund for supporting this project