Manchester atrocities and my response to Aleks Lukic

I actually decided to put this blog to bed for a while. I had plenty to say, but never enough time to actually say it.

Since the snap election was announced in March, I've become the Green Party candidate for Wirral South. This isn't what I wanted to discuss. I wanted to discuss a cross-party pledge email I was sent by a Mr Aleks Lukic less than 48 hours after the atrocities in Manchester. 

I have gone to a number of concerts in the MEN Arena over the years, as well as in and around Manchester (namely the academies and O2 Apollo). I've had some incredible evenings in these venues, met fantastic people that you get chatting to in the queue, and it never once occurred to me that something this heinous could happen. 

I think we can all remember a time when we've waited months, if not years, for our favourite bands to finally do a UK tour, where you've waited for hours in suspension for the tickets to finally go on sale, the sheer joy of knowing you have your ticket and you'll finally see your idol. 
To the excitement of the day itself and travelling to the venue, not wanting to blink for fear of missing a single moment, the adrenalin coursing through your veins, hotly anticipating which of your favourite songs they're going to kick off the show with. 
Seeing a show at the MEN far surpasses anything in your wildest imagination, the atmosphere's electric, surrounded by people who understand how incredible that moment is to be alive in that room. It's a shared experience that you could never hope to replicate. 

That's why the atrocities in Manchester that they targeted children, young people, and families - many of whom were probably experiencing their first concert - was such an abomination.  You're still reeling from the ecstacy and elation, to then face complete devastation and heartbreak. 

That sheer joy to terror, it's unfathomable.

My heart goes out to all those families affected, to the victims who will forever hold those physical and mental wounds. If only I could take some of your pain away, I would. 

That's why, when I received an generic email from Mr Aleks Lukic (an independent - former UKIP - candidate for Batley and Spen), I was disgusted and felt compelled to respond.

Mr Lukic's email to all parlimentary candidates:

"On 2017-05-24 18:42, Aleks Lukic wrote:
> DEAR FELLOW CANDIDATES,
> 
> As local campaigning resumes across much of the country today
> (depending on local circumstances), I am writing to ask if you will or
> will not support a cross-party pledge to eradicate Islamist extremism
> and all sympathy for Islamist extremism from the United Kingdom.
> 
> See my video and transcript I have linked below.
> 
> As candidates, we are the closest thing we have to a UK-wide
> Parliament at the moment. I think it is very important that we stand
> up for the innocent and say we will not accept this as a part of life,
> even though we will differ on how to achieve this goal.
> 
> This is obviously something you can do personally without responding
> to me, but I will be happy to receive any response you might have.
> 
> The media will be informed about this initiative.
> 
> Kind regards,
> 
> ALEKS LUKIC
> INDEPENDENT BREXIT CANDIDATE FOR BATLEY AND SPEN
> 
> _VIDEO:_
> 
> _HTTPS://WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/BREXITLUKIC/VIDEOS/293523931059609/ [1]___
> 
> _"My name is Aleks Lukic, and I am an Independent candidate standing
> in the Batley and Spen constituency. This is a message to all my
> fellow Parliamentary candidates nationwide standing in the general
> election on the 8th June._
> 
> _"We have all by now paid our respects to the victims of the
> nightmare at the Manchester Arena that took place on Monday night._
> 
> _"We always see citizens standing together in the aftermath of
> horrific incidents such as this. The support the citizens of
> Manchester have been offering the victims and the emergency services
> has been a testament to this._
> 
> _"It is now time for all Parliamentary candidates standing to unite
> in a pledge to completely eradicate all Islamist extremism, and all
> sympathy for Islamist extremism, from the United Kingdom._
> 
> _"On this occasion, more than ever, politicians must not fade away
> when it comes to challenging the ideology that seeks to turn our
> communities against one another._
> 
> _"Politicians need to stand up for their fellow citizens and say we
> will not accept this as a part of life in Britain; that the way things
> have been recently is not to be considered normal, or business as
> usual._
> 
> _"In my own constituency over the last six months, two people have
> been convicted of terrorism offences relating to Islamist extremism.
> One for seeking to join ISIS in order to fight for them in Syria, the
> other for promoting a speech by the ISIS leader on Twitter.___
> 
> _"I will admit myself that I let these convictions pass by without
> comment, when I should have condemned these people and anyone who
> would sympathise with them._
> 
> _"We should all be doing this on every single occasion, not just
> politicians but all people in positions of influence, and citizens
> alike across all our communities._
> 
> _"We will disagree on exactly what we should do, and it is not an
> easy goal, but that's politics. We should not let that stop us from
> speaking out with one united voice to the world right now: __We will
> end Islamist extremism in the United Kingdom. Join me in this
> pledge."_
> 
> Links:
> ------
> [1] https://www.facebook.com/BrexitLukic/videos/293523931059609/

My response: 

Dear Mr Lukic, 

I found your email in bad taste. As a parliamentary candidate in the North West of England, a mere 45-minute drive from the atrocities in Manchester (and as someone who has been to the MEN for a number of gigs, over the years), I found your email insensitive at best, with a blatant disregard for the families, friends, and the communities at the heart of this.

You have not allowed the dust to settle, for hearts to weep, or even for all families to have been notified of their tragic loss.

I will not support your cross-party pledge to eradicate Islamist extremism because this isn't so singularly a Muslim issue. Jo Cox was not murdered by an Islamist extremist, so will you tackle the hateful and vengeful white alt-right of this country too? No, because they are your core demographic.

This is the time where we should be standing together with our friends and neighbours, within our communities, reaching out and embracing those around us, regardless of creed or colour. Now more than ever it is imperative that we build bridges, not walls.

Focussing on Islam reaffirms misconceived ideas that they are all the bad guys. Just like the KKK do not represent Christian ideology, ISIS and associated terror organisations do not represent the Muslim community. By attacking those disenfranchised youth with bigotry, we push them further to a place where they feel accepted - to those extremist groups who seek revenge for their own failures.

They do not sign up to be radicalised; they get swept away in the acceptance those groups provide for them.

To tackle extremist views, to stop British youth from being so readily taken away by those hateful outside forces, we need to be more inclusive and accepting in our attitudes and behaviours, towards our fellow countrymen and women. We need to embrace each community and develop a dialogue that demonstrates that we do indeed have more in common that what divides us.

We will stand up for the youth of this country. But we must do it in a way that is inclusive of our diversity, and does not seek to push their peers towards the hate that compels them to carry out such atrocities. It is no coincidence that the lad that carried out the atrocities in Manchester was in the same age group as many of his victims.

We need to end extremism, but it exists in too many areas of our communities countrywide for it to be relegated to an Islam issue.

I cannot support your pledge when it so determinedly seeks to vilify one area of our community.  You failed to mention any other extremist group when they have more in common with ISIS than the rest of society.

You have used this heart-breaking act of barbarity as a way to fuel your own agenda, to capitalise on your own hateful rhetoric, and to strike people when they are most vulnerable. You yourself are perpetuating the radicalisation you claim to condemn.

Any attempt at ending extremism must be done from the same page, and yours certainly won't end anything. 

I was disgusted to find out that you’re a teacher, how much of what you think impacts the young that you teach? I was disgusted to find out that you are standing for the seat Jo Cox once held before her senseless and tragic murder, yet you have done nothing to focus on a significant issue you have in your own constituency.  

That extremism is colour-blind.

I don’t expect a reply; I only hope you consider my response. 

Regards

Mandi Roberts

Green Party candidate for Wirral South "

Tempers and tension are fraught, but inciting hatred only fuels the mission of those extremists. They want division, and it appears that Mr Lukic's mission is to create those divides in our communities. 

I was in two minds about whether to post this, but as Mr Lukic has already said he would contact the media, and I didn't want him to assume he has the backing of all parliamentary candidates. 

If I do get a response from Mr Lukic, I will make it public on here. 

The Day After...

Resurgence

I haven't written a new post in quite some time. It's been a long 10 or so months since the EU referendum, and an even longer 18 months+ since I wrote my last post on the David Sheldrick Elephant run. 

I finished my postgrad research a few months ago and had my graduation a mere two weeks ago. 

The study was possibly the most full-time thing I've ever done (despite it only being a part-time course!) and frankly, I was burnt out and needed time to reflect for my next move. 

The Day After...

This will probably all sound a bit dramatic, but the day after the EU referendum result, I was in utter dismay.  

It was a hellish type of week anyway but I digress, the results of the referendum was the last thing I needed! 

As I said in my EU ref post, I'm half-Brit/half-Dutch, so the referendum was personal to me. And still is. 

Politically Minded

Though I've always had an interest in politics, I'd never joined as a member of a political party. It's not possible to agree with absolutely everything in a manifesto, so why throw away the freedom to change your mind? 

I had been a Liberal Democrat voter for over 10 years. They're a strong presence in my local area (one of the councillors is my neighbour!), and though they aren't in power, they still champion for work and change. Something neither of the other two main parties has ever done until an election is around the corner. 

I still defend some of the choices Nick Clegg made during his stint as Deputy PM, though I never voted LibDem after that.  I deflected my allegiance.

The day after the EU referendum, when the speeches, the dismay, the disbelief and the gaudy glee of Farage's face filled our screen, I felt like giving up. 

Then a facebook post that came up from the Green Party. Something they said stoked the fire that had been burning out. 

It felt like a call to arms, a resilience, a resistance... The Bresistance! 

There and then I nailed my colours to the mast. 

And they were Green! 

My First Political Party Meeting

I didn't end up going to my first local party meeting until the December - six months after signing up. Study and work commitments took every last drop of energy out of me. 

Sometimes in life, we need a catalyst. Something to fire up the furnace to make us get out there to create change. 

A facebook post called me to join The Bresistance.

A threat called me to Action. 

The proposal of yet another golf course on the Wirral - where I live. 

We already have 14 underused golf courses! 

It was threatening the site of wintering bird I'd been studying and would be catastrophic to our local wildlife, habitats, and green belt land. 

The local Green Party - my Wirral Greens - were due to discuss it at the next meeting, and I had to be part of the conversation.

I met some brilliant people who are pioneering the campaign to stop this atrocity. As it turned out, as we got to the subject of the golf resort, someone drove into the side of my car, which was parked just outside, and I ended up missing the discussion. 

It also turned out to be the metaphor for my year.  

Nevertheless, we've managed to discuss it since and created a new blogsite specifically for the campaign... check it out! 

EU Referendum

How do you feel about the UK abolishing the Birds and Habitats Directive, The Bonn Convention, or the Ramsar Convention to name but a few?

What about the EU grants and funds we have access to to protect and conserve our wildlife and habitats? 

What about the freedom of sharing knowledge, resources, and working in partnership with other universities and organisations to protect species in this country and those that migrate?

Do you - hand on heart - believe that the UK government would keep these pieces of legalisation and fund them? Taking into consideration they have not seemed to agree on a ban on wild animal circuses; have not banned driven grouse shoots where illegal killings of our birds of prey is rife, and numbers of hen harriers have plummeted, yet no one is brought to justice; have some of the worst conviction rates against wildlife crime and the illegal trade in the world, never mind the EU; where they're more concerned with the economy and immigration, than putting food on your table, clean air in your lungs, and planting trees so you can breathe.

As a conservation biologist, specialising in benthic ecology, my study site (Dee estuary) has a UCG exploratory license, held over it like a noose at the gallows. It's European legalisation that is protecting it from being churned to hell. 

Do I think any UK government would protect it to the same standard as the European Union has? 

Not a chance in hell. 

Not when the UK government has granted permission for it to be explored for cheap, unsustainable gas.

No one is saying the EU is some infallible beast that can never be changed - it can, it has and it does, all the time. The EU changes as people bring the issues and the solutions to the table; how can you possibly move forward and strive for a better future, when you've turned your back to the issue?

The RSPB, The Wildlife Trusts, Friends of the Earth, World Wildlife Fund for Nature are some of the biggest conservation organisations that are supporting the EU Remain Campaign because they know that leaving would risk everything they've work incredibly hard for, since their inception. 

From a scientists perspective, working with Europe and having that access and freedom of knowledge, expertise, and shared resources is vital to the future of research and the planet. Becoming a powerful force together (by the way, this is not a 'superstate' argument) will only prove to be a better way of advancing our education system, access to health care and a caring for our planet.

DSWT Enormous Elephant Run

Saturday 25th July 

David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust 

Enormous Elephant Run

Manchester - Heaton Park

For those still unaware, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, based in Kenya has cared for orphaned elephants since 1977. 

They have a dedicated team of ele-carers headed by the incredible Dame Daphne Sheldrick, and have successfully cared for over 150 eleorphans. 

I've written about elephant poaching before (please see Blood and Ivory); we know we cannot stop it over night but events like the Enormous Elephant Run highlights the plight and brings it to the attention of the media. 

Despite the atrocities of poaching and the lengths poachers will go to in order to obtain ivory or rhino horn, the media still views it as a fluffy animal story, even though the illegal trade in wildlife and wildlife parts is the second largest illegal trade.  

Image: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

Some have been victims of poaching - having seen their family massacred, others have been found lost and separated from their families. 

Caring for these eleorphans is 24 hours, every single day. 

Simotua, found with a snare wound on his leg and a spear wound to his head
Image: sheldrickwildlifetrust.org

The Elephant Run (ironic, as elephants cannot run - as it turned out, neither could I!!) had two events, one in Manchester and the other held in London.

I took part in the run at Heaton Park, Manchester; I've never run before, not in school or even for a bus, but for this I made an exception. As a complete amateur, I decided it would be best to stick to the 5km run, with the promise of doing the 10km next year (though I'll probably walk!!). 

The pre-run warm up. Couldn't figure out which foot went first!!
Image: Matt Ratcliffe

As it turned out, I managed it in around 40 minutes! Hurrah!  

Me and Jo (right) with our medals!

It was brilliant to see so many ele runners and we were grateful for a lovely day! 

And an incredible £60,000 was raised for DSWT!  

Sponsorship for the runners is open until the 25th August, so please give what you can, and if you fancy doing a bit extra, you can always foster an orphan!! 

Hazel, Audrey and Dawn
Liverpool's Global March for Elephants and Rhinos volunteering at the run!

Runner 181

I came third for most money raised (as of 22 July) and Jo came first!!!

Thank you DSWT for a brilliant day!!! 

Lion Ark

"The human race should be 

completely ashamed of itself "

- Jan Creamer, Lion Ark (ADI)

Some of you may have heard of Animal Defenders International (ADI), particularly if you're from the UK, you may have seen the campaigns to free Anne the Elephant (Bobby Roberts Circus - 2010) or the infamous Chipperfield court cases in the late 1990's (The Ugliest Show on Earth); and if like me you turn Hulk at the sight of someone stabbing a pitchfork into the side of an elephant, or repeatedly beating chimpanzee's with riding crops, then Lion Ark is a film you must see. 

Lion Ark isn't the desperate plea you see in so many other animal related documentaries. The Cove, Food Inc., Blackfish, Earthlings, Speciesism: The Movie are all incredible and incredibly important documentaries - they really are and I urge you all to watch them - however, for me at least, I watch them and despair at the human race; how I cannot relate to my own species?

A pride of lions found in squalid conditions
unknowing and unaware of the life that await them

How can I love my fellow earthlings, but so many, many more of my kind are willing to commit heinous, abhorrent and just cruel acts against animals and the natural world, and for what? 

Personal gain? Greed? Entertainment?

I was expecting to see the worst prior to taking my seat in The Light Cinema (not in terms of terrible film making, by the way; in fact, its beautifully shot); I was expecting to see inbred lions, open and bleeding wounds, beatings, starvation and malnutrition, dirty, tiny enclosures and the loss of willingness to live in the eyes of the lions.

And I did see that (I'm not going to lie!). 

Three stunning boys imprisoned behind rusting red bars

But, more importantly, I saw dedication, cooperation, teamwork and camaraderie, decisiveness and fierceness, courage and enormous willpower, and action from a government that I've never seen in any other country (ahem*crappyUKgov*ahem) to ban animal circuses and to succeed

ADI petitioned to get wild animals circuses banned in Bolivia. 

With a land surface area 5 times that of the UK, and a population of just 9 million, you would imagine that banning wild animal circuses wasn't a great priority or even possible to track down travelling circuses, but when legislation is passed it must be acted on within a year. And that is exactly what happened.  

Lion Ark follows a small ADI team of staff and dedicated volunteers as they track down 25 lions in 7 circuses across Bolivia; there are bumps in the road, and some treacherous driving too... 

As much as I would love to divulge the wonderfulness, hope and inspiration that is Lion Ark, I cannot - I would not want to take that away from anyone... 

... I'll just say that I adore Campeon...

I was lucky enough to meet and speak to the inspirational Tim Phillips (ADI VP) after the film and finding out that there is currently an ADI team in Peru rescuing 30 lions after wild animal circuses were banned there too. 

With more bans being pushed through across South America the world needs to take note: the next evolution of man is our attitude to the species we share the planet with - they are not commodities to be paraded around for entertainment, they are sentient, charismatic earthlings that demand and deserve the respect that they are owed. 

Mexico banned wild animal circuses just on Thursday (coincidentally, the night I went to see Lion Ark!) and the Netherlands (my country of origin) banned wild animal circuses just yesterday (13th December) - I couldn't be more proud! 

Now that's a proud and handsome lion!

ADI needs your help - volunteering opportunities are available in the UK and abroad, whilst locally, letter writing and petitioning to your MP to finally push through the UK animal circus ban cannot come soon enough (if you have an MP like mine, it's harder than it looks, but visit their offices and surgeries and knock on as many political doors as you can!).

Nature is speaking

I'm not going to say too much about this, because if you watch these shorts by Conservation International (CI), then it will say much more that I can - much more powerfully too. 
If you want to know more about CI and their work, please go to click here

Blood and Ivory *Graphic Images*

Global March for Elephants and Rhinos

4th October 2014

133 global marches to end the illegal ivory and horn trade

Start of the Liverpool march outside St. Lukes a.k.a The Bombed-Out Church;
at the top of Bold St., around the corner from China Town! 

Whether you're a passionate wildlife nerd like me, or an admirer of the natural world (just not if its raining), or someone who has just been bombarded with pictures and posts on Facebook or twitter, about some nonsense to do with elephants and rhinos and wanted to see what all the fuss was about. Welcome!

One hundred and thirty three marches took place around the world yesterday, to raise public and political awareness of the plight of elephants and rhinos. 

Those who do not know, you may be thinking "bloody hell, haven't they saved them yet??", the answer is we're trying - desperately. 

Over the last 10 years, sales in ivory and rhino horn have grown exponentially; in order for these 'products' to be obtained, elephants and rhinos are killed and their faces are hacked off. Sometimes, they're still alive. 

Elephant tusks - ivory -  is made into ornaments and is a symbol if wealth within Asian, though predominantly, Chinese communities (North American is actually the second largest consumer of ivory - this must not be forgotten in this campaign). Last year, the Chinese government authorised the creation of new ivory carving factories and new outlets to sell the finished products in; despite turning up for the United for Wildlife conference earlier this year, very little has been heard about what China is doing to combat this issue. 

The word 'issue' makes it sound trivial... 

In 2013, 33,000 elephants were slaughtered for ivory.

83,000 elephants were estimated to have been poached between 2011-2013

                                One every 15 minutes.

Within Africa, we're facing the same crisis as the culls of the early 1990's (Kruger and Pilanesberg) experienced; calves are losing their families. They heavily rely on their mothers and maternal families for the greater part of their early life - for females, their entire life; without this support and knowledge passed to the next generation, calves are growing up (if indeed, they survive) to uncertain and potentially conflict-ridden futures. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is just one organisation that fosters these orphaned calves, with the hope of returning them to the wild. 

It doesn't stop with African elephants; Asian elephants are being targeted too. Within the four subspecies of Asian elephant (Sri Lankan, Indian, Sumatran and Bornean pygmy), females do not produce tusks (some produce tushes - teeny, tiny tusks), males can produce tusks, but not all do (not that its a choice!). 

This may not seem like such a grave situation, as the one faced by Africa's savannah and forest elephants; yet, there are only around 40,000 Asian elephants across all four subspecies, and this targeting of males with tusks means there will be a higher ratio of female to male elephants, they then cannot pass on the 'tusk' gene. Asian elephant families are also being targeted for their calves for the tourism industry - please. do not give money for a street-begging elephant, or visit elephant camps for rides; you're simply fueling this unethical industry.

The role elephants and rhinos play within their habitats, ecosystems and environments is enormous. 

Linked are videos to two brilliant and inspiring talks by Dr Ian Redmond: from London GMFER and his Ted talk on the Gardeners of the Forest. 

Whilst elephants are losing their tusks, rhinos are losing their horns.  

Rhinos are losing their horns to pseudo beliefs that it can cure cancers and ailments, as well as being used as an aphrodisiac. 

If that were true, science and research would have found a positive correlation between people who bite their fingernails and being the healthiest people on the planet, with no problems between the sheets (for want of a better word).

After all, rhino horn is made from the same stuff as your fingernails are - keratin. 

Between 2011-2013, it has been estimated that 2,120 rhinos were poached; during this time, the Western Black Rhino was declared extinct in the wild. 

How does that make you feel?

It is estimated, that at the current rates of poaching, rhinos will be extinct in the wild by 2020 - that's just five and a half years away.

It is estimated that elephants would have been poached to extinction by 2025, if the current poaching rates continue -10 years.

Nevermind people saying this will affect your grandchildren, or this will affect your children's future - 

Extinction is in your lifetime... 

How does that make you feel?

How do you feel about losing two of the planets most awe-inspiring animals?

I know how I feel. 

I feel sick. I get chills. I get uncomfortable in my skin, that this could so easily happen on my watch. I feel ashamed that I am apart of the species that would allow this to happen. I feel disgusted that we could allow this to happen. 

I'm part of the species that is financially profiting from the extinction of two of my fellow earthlings. 

For a conservationist, for an environmentalist, for an animal-lover, it feels like your standing in the middle of a packed room, screaming at the top of your lungs and no-one turns to look. 

I'm one of the lucky ones; I've watched elephants in their natural habitats.  

I, however, refuse to allow this to happen on my watch. 

I will not be part of the generation that stood back and watched. 

Global March for Elephants and Rhinos 

Liverpool, UK

Of the 133 marches that took place around the world, I attended my local one which, for a change, actually was local! 

It was the first time the march has gone through Liverpool - organised by the incredible Hazel Jones - the turn out was brilliant, amazing local support, and a lot of videos and photos were taken by passing tourists and residents! 

Tim Ellis read out his inspiring poems ('Rhinoceros' and '600 elephants' were incredible!!).

We even had a song especially written and performed for our event - End the Slaughter by Dvid Beethoven; it is absolutely fantastic, please, please, please check it out and share share share!!!

Andrew Foreshaw did a sterling job as chant leader, and Ray Knowles gave a wonderful speech about working with the late David Sheldrick, to name but a few contributors. I met some incredible people and new friends, and I know that we're all going to keep marching to save elephants and rhinos, right to the end. 

To march with people to the beat of the same drum, allows you to feel as though there is still hope. There is still a chance the people who write the laws, can change things, all with the stroke of a pen. Knowing that thousands upon thousands are marching to the beat of the same drum across the world, gives you goosebumps - the good kind. 

London had some incredible talks - as you've already seen Ian Redmond's brilliant speech. Dominic Dyer , Simon Jones and Nicky Campbell gave a passionate and inspiring speeches too, that you need to check out! 

The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust's iWorry march for elephants and rhinos

I know that this is not a sprint but a marathon, but the stopwatch is set for sprint. We need urgent and immediate action; we need to support our rangers, risking life and limb to save our incredible wildlife; we need to raise awareness in the East and the West; we need wildlife crimes to be dealt with on a global level - as an international crime, from the poachers, to the exporters, to the carvers and consumers, to the law makers - every link in the poaching chain has blood on its hands. 

As controversial as China's one child policy is, it has successfully curbed the population growth of the country (something more countries should be doing, but that's for another time!).

The pen is mightier than the sword.

China could end the poaching crisis overnight. 

Extinction is forever.

Not on my watch.