{"id":2645,"date":"2014-10-05T07:24:25","date_gmt":"2014-10-05T07:24:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.katewilloughby.co.uk\/?p=2645"},"modified":"2014-10-05T08:35:13","modified_gmt":"2014-10-05T08:35:13","slug":"vottingmatters-at-the-are-we-powerless-debate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.katewilloughby.co.uk\/?p=2645","title":{"rendered":"People Power Now – #votingmatters"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Emilymatters_80096b\"<\/a><\/p>\n

P E O P L E\u00a0\u00a0 P O W E R \u00a0 N O W \u00a0 –\u00a0\u00a0 # V O T I N G M A T T E R S
\n<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Votingmatters_Emma<\/a>

Emma Thompson adds her support. Because #votingmatters.<\/p><\/div>\n

.<\/p>\n

The weather was changeable outside but the speeches and discussions at the Are We Powerless?<\/strong><\/a> event were brimming with energy and moved in an unstoppable positive direction.<\/p>\n

The debate centred around 3 main themes:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • who has the power in the UK in 2014<\/li>\n
  • are we really powerless<\/li>\n
  • what we can do to make our voices heard<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    Given the title and premise of the event, it was important that we got involved. And the inspiring nature of the event plus response to the #votingmatters<\/strong><\/a> campaign more than justified getting involved.<\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    \"AreWePowerless_Grid_04Oct14\"<\/a>

    #votingmatters at the Are We Powerless? Public debate on democracy today.<\/p><\/div>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    Those present heard innovative and thought-provoking ideas from\u00a0Louise Beaumont<\/strong> (founder of award-winning alternative finance company Platform Black),\u00a0Jamie Kelsey-Fry<\/strong> (editor at New Internationalist and campaigner), the human rights lawyer Michael Mansfield QC Christopher Hird<\/strong> <\/strong>(chair of the Editorial Board of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism).<\/p>\n

    The majority of the event focused on where the speakers saw power and how people might break the barriers to\u00a0using their own power with active input from the audience.<\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    \"Emilymatters_respect<\/a><\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    There was a huge amount to take in, from the broken financial system and digital surveillance, to peaceful activism, alternative finance and successful examples of people power, such as the Save the Lewisham A&E<\/a> campaign.<\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    \n

    People who don’t take action are the extremists.
    \n– Jamie Kelsey-Fry<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    Like the Are We Powerless? speakers, suffragette Emily Davison stood up and insisted on a better society.<\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    \"TO<\/a>

    TO FREEDOM’S CAUSE – People power (Cast included Katie Russell, Kate Willoughby, Rachel Duck);
    Photo: Chris Wheatley; 2009<\/p><\/div>\n

    .<\/p>\n

    #votingmatters<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0is a new campaign from\u00a0#Emilymatters.<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0which champions gender equality and encourages young women to vote, ensuring that legacies such as suffragette\u00a0Emily Davison\u2019s<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0are not forgotten.<\/p>\n

    We’d love you to get involved and have your say.<\/p>\n

    This brilliant speech by Ciara O\u2019Connor<\/strong> (co founder of the fantastic Emily Tree Project<\/strong>) echoes the calls for peaceful activism at Are We Powerless? – so listen up!<\/p>\n

    .<\/p>\n