The Big Idea
Across Europe there is a shameful waste of young lives as the Eurozone economies and those aligned to them suffer whilst politicians ponder and prevaricate over that once Big Idea: the Euro.
Admittedly the consequences from this failed experiment are as yet unknown and, most likely, will be catastrophic; but will they be any worse than what we are witnessing currently? For the young, the suspension of their lives and waste of their talents is surely too high a price to pay for any political experiment.
New Labour skilfully kept a lid on youth unemployment with Blair’s pursuance of 50% of school leavers heading off to get a degree; what in or what use was irrelevant. The drive towards this arbitrary target seemed even more ludicrous when compared pro-rata with our two major European competitors, France andGermany; both are roughly half that. Of course the hike in tuition fees instigated by the Coalition has reduced numbers, but only marginally.
Stolen Years
There can be little worse than being young and unemployed. Having nothing to do when you should be at your prime is an appalling waste. I was considering this whole issue the other day whilst doing a bit of volunteering cutting the outfield at the local cricket club. We have bits of spare land and I was wondering whether our juniors might be encouraged to learn how to grow food as an add-on skill, one they may come to need the way the economy is going.
Many schools are now actively encouraging students to gain a better understanding of food, its origins and the consequent benefits of a good diet. Whilst sat close to freezing on the mower, and prompted by the Incredible Edibles project in Todmorden I had myEureka moment: cooking, once viewed as extremely “un-cool” is de rigueur these days, so why waste a generation sat on their backsides? Could a scheme like Todmorden’s be extended to a large city or town and engage the unemployed youth in the process?
Basically, Incredible Edibles mantra is simple: “We grow and campaign for local food.” Very much in the way I got into gardening – I started with pots of herbs then moved on to vegetable beds – the rewards are enormous. The Todmorden project goes beyond that and has planted trees and several orchards, with more to come. They are also working with public and private sectors alike including the local fire and railway stations.
Every school in the town is now involved; it is a fantastic achievement. Inspiring even a fraction of kids to leave the fast food outlets behind has to be commendable. And as the scheme has mushroomed it has developed a variety of different sites from donated land including alternative terrains that throw up different challenges and a variety of crops.
Look around your city, town or even village and you will instantly recognize barren plots of land either never used or simply laid to waste. With a bit of creative thinking and inspired leadership this could be a win-win situation. Having a positive impact on your local community promotes a sense of pride. Learning smallholder skills may not lead to a chosen career but, in the short term, they can give someone a reason to get up in the morning and earn a few quid – plus the possibility that they may choose a better lifestyle for themselves as a result.
Extend it further to include the elderly and reconnect the youth and the older generations. Setting up and managing a vegetable garden on behalf of someone too elderly to do so would be a hugely positive experience for all concerned. Equally, transforming eyesores into attractive and productive plots of land would dramatically change our local communities. Managing livestock like chickens would be a natural progression.
Got a Better Idea?
Sceptics, of course, will ask where the money to fund such an initiative would come from and yet the Government remains obsessed with blowing billions on its bloated and hugely ineffective welfare-to-work schemes. To date these have only lined the pockets of the owners of the privileged few chosen companies – A4E and Working Links to name two – with allegations of fraud, malpractice and cronyism commonplace. There is a stench around the operations of these companies that Cameron and Clegg should be ashamed of, particularly as they further disenfranchise the young.
The best ideas often start small and Todmorden’s example has that potential. From acorns to oak trees it is time for a new, much more transparent approach rather than wasting public money and private lives.
My City of Ruins
It reminds me of a beautiful book my friend used to read to her son when he was small. It was all about a run down city with a scrap of land in the middle that no one used, until someone decided to plant a few carrots and before long the whole community were working on it and it became a huge allotment that everyone benefitted from; young and old were speaking to each other for the first time in years. They were growing flowers as well and a former eye-sore became this haven of peace and wildlife in the middle of a city centre. It sounds like a pipe dream?
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