Funny old week this one. I haven't been in my office since last Thursday. I was at a Knife Crime conference on Friday at the Centre For Life here. It was reassuring to find out that the North East doesn't really have a gang culture nor much problem with youths and knife crime. Let's keep it that way.
Most of this week I have been on Community Cohesion and Conflict Resolution training course. Again lots of Police on this course. I was very pleased that at last the City Council (who were running the course with Safe Newcastle) have finally acknowledged that we do have some minority ethnic communities and this has not gone down well with the usual white working class on the Estates.
Having said that I have never encountered as much racism as I have whilst working in one of the most affluent parts of this city.This change in the make up of the population has challenged the self perception of the people here that Geordies are all welcoming and friendly ( remember Cockney Mafia out at St James' Park?). Geordies are no different to any other part of the country, in my experience and will only accept you if you fully embrace the Geordie Fatherland concept. Anyway, Thank God, I have been speaking out and challenging racism for years here (lets not bother too much about sexism and discrimination against the disabled as no one here cares)and twenty years (almost) after the Elswick riots there is this course. Better late than never.
Me and the son are off tomorrow to Peterborough to the last game of the season and a promotion party type atmosphere. That'll cheer me up!
No comments:
Post a Comment