Welcome to this About RR blog - here we'll be looking further into our principles, explaining where they come from and why we feel they're important to our work going forward - enjoy!
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So, let's start with No.1 - this one is simple, it is our commitment to the power of young people, to the transformative nature of youth. As young people we are told to wait, to grow up before we can start really changing anything - well to be frank, we think thats bollocks... time and time again the world has been changed by the convictions and actions of young people.
We are less indoctrinated, more imaginative, less fearful and right now the #truth is that we need young people to step into their power and change the world.
No.2 - ah wouldn't it be nice if the world was simple? Well no actually, it'd probably be really boring... But when we're looking at massive issues like wealth inequality, colonialism or climate change it can often feel like a dose of simple would be great. However, we believe it's important that we reject this thinking, because the truth is these things aren't simple, rarely anything in life is, and so we welcome complexity because that is a rejection of false solutions and an opening of possibilities.
We say this because when we are taught the world is simple we are also taught not to question it, not to ask why, not to imagine something more - when we unlearn this and begin questioning we will learn not just the truth but the beauty of complexity.
No. 3 - this one might seem obvious, but sadly so much of our world is built on putting some people above others, on oppression and domination - and the number one way this is made possible is by making people seem less than fully human, to be seen as inherently lesser. A key example of this can be seen in the dehumanising language used against migrants, calling them 'vermin' or a 'swarm' reduces them from full human beings and opens them up to be treated as such.
This dynamic, of robbing people of their basic humanity, can be seen across British history and society and we have chosen this principle to completely reject it. Radical Restart is a space to connect and build relationships of trust and solidarity, this is a process of rehumanisation across divides, of regaining our full humanity and seeing others in theirs - no one is better than you.
Can you hear No. 4? No of course not, its a graphic... but learning to listen is a big part of Radical Restart and change making in general. As young people we are very rarely truly heard, yes we talk a lot but how many times do you feel actually listened to? And not just by your friends! Listening doesn't just allow us a glimpse into another persons reality, its how we show someone we actually care about what they are saying, what they are bringing.
We want to create spaces which create the kind of listening that really allows people to grow, not just growing our ideas but our confidence and sense of self - if this all sounds crazy, just wait until someone makes you feel like what you said actually mattered, then you'll feel it!
No. 5 - This photo is taken from La Via Campesina, an incredible group bringing together peasant farmers from around the world to demand justice, and we are using it because we're inspired by one of their core tennants - building unity through diversity. As youth we include every shade of skin colour, every sexual orientation, every class and more, we are the most diverse social group on the planet and it is in this diversity that we find our strength.
Yet sadly as with No. 3, our world is based on stigmatising difference, or putting us in categories, raising one category above the rest and making us feel shit for not fitting properly. We say diversity is our strength because as we fight to overcome this miseducation, to build a world full of many worlds, not ranked but unique and respected, we turn away from seeing difference and the diversity it brings as a bad thing but as core to our identity as youth - core to the rebuilding of a resilient, unified and beautifully diverse world.
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Thank you for reading - this deep-dive has covered our first 5 principles and we hope you'll head over and check out numbers 6-10 as well. These principles are aimed to shape the culture of Radical Restart, to inspire us and hold us together in a shared understanding of how we want to work together - we'd love your feedback, throw a comment down below or email us with anything specific at radicalrestart@gmail.com.
Thank you, RR Crew