Shea Williams’ Blog Series: Plane Watching
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Shea Williams’ Blog Series: Plane Watching

I got on a plane this month, freely and without hassle. Showing my passport wasn’t an issue, I was born in the UK, had a British passport that didn’t expire for another 3 years and no flags on my record. Which got me thinking –

What about those people who hold their breath and clench onto their passport for dear life, every time they go to an airport?  

This is not to say that being born in the UK is the ultimate key to freedom of movement, but both immigrants and migrants who will now (particularly if the new borders and nationality bill goes ahead) will find it much harder to complete activities such as travelling. We often think of travelling as quite a leisurely activity, but it’s a necessity to leave the country (family emergency, etc). As a child I would watch planes go buy and be envious of those who get to travel to another country. It was only when watching my favourite podcast (shoutout to the 90’s Baby Show) did I realise that not everyone on the planes I watched would have wanted to be on them.

Projects and training such as Global Learning London’s Shared Ground CPD   are so important. While we campaign for systemic change, we must not forget about local change. Engaging and educating those around us can make way for a deeper permeation of knowledge, promoting change from the ground up.

One example is school teachers who have some students who were not born in the UK.  Having a better understanding of concept, cultures, terminology and differences and similarities, may help to break down some of the subconscious biases and unchallenged assumptions we hold.

In conclusion, we must fight for change. We must be more empathetic to people as we may never know their stories, and we must educate ourselves as much as possible.

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