The Final Countdown
In three weeks time I will have landed in Boston to embark upon my Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Fellowship in the United States. I can barely believe that it is here, but I am really excited to be making the final arrangements for my travels.
Even this week I have managed to find one or two more contacts, engaged with them and agreed to meet and the people I had already been in contact with have been so amazing, so lovely, and so helpful to me. In truth I am also learning more about myself and the crucial things that I need to be better at, I am hopeful that I will bring a lot of practical learning back to the UK but also personal development.
I am a middle aged white man living in Suffolk, as much as I try to be aware of and respond to the fact that I experience privilege on a daily basis I am reminded that I do not work hard enough to live up to what should be expected of me. What should be expected of me is to use my role to give a platform to people who don't usually get to be heard, whether that is women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, the LGBTQ community or those from deprived backgrounds.
We have a fantastic conference coming up, my hope is that it shines a light on many issues and that the speakers - people who I know will be fabulous - make people listen. But I am also aware that many of them look and sound like me, they are white, male, they are my friends. We know that the US has had simmering issues around race for many years, but I now know that a crucial piece of learning for me is how a trauma informed approach becomes something that everyone can access.
So with 20 days to go until my flight I'm incredibly excited, I remain humbled by the opportunity, but also am determined to keep this blog updated with my activities. If I can just indulge myself for one moment.... as someone who has always been an avid watcher of American politics, a West Wing geek and an absolute 'Yankophile' I had the warmest feeling in my tummy when I had an email suggesting we could have 'some meetings on the hill'. If you get that then you will get it, if you don't then you won't but don't worry it's mainly just cool to me!
Even this week I have managed to find one or two more contacts, engaged with them and agreed to meet and the people I had already been in contact with have been so amazing, so lovely, and so helpful to me. In truth I am also learning more about myself and the crucial things that I need to be better at, I am hopeful that I will bring a lot of practical learning back to the UK but also personal development.
I am a middle aged white man living in Suffolk, as much as I try to be aware of and respond to the fact that I experience privilege on a daily basis I am reminded that I do not work hard enough to live up to what should be expected of me. What should be expected of me is to use my role to give a platform to people who don't usually get to be heard, whether that is women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, the LGBTQ community or those from deprived backgrounds.
We have a fantastic conference coming up, my hope is that it shines a light on many issues and that the speakers - people who I know will be fabulous - make people listen. But I am also aware that many of them look and sound like me, they are white, male, they are my friends. We know that the US has had simmering issues around race for many years, but I now know that a crucial piece of learning for me is how a trauma informed approach becomes something that everyone can access.
So with 20 days to go until my flight I'm incredibly excited, I remain humbled by the opportunity, but also am determined to keep this blog updated with my activities. If I can just indulge myself for one moment.... as someone who has always been an avid watcher of American politics, a West Wing geek and an absolute 'Yankophile' I had the warmest feeling in my tummy when I had an email suggesting we could have 'some meetings on the hill'. If you get that then you will get it, if you don't then you won't but don't worry it's mainly just cool to me!
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