London Marathon 2012 Week 23: City of York Wall

Now only 3 Sundays to go before the London Marathon 2012. I am resigned to do it but am wondering why on earth am I doing it? For the second time??? The painful after effects of the long training runs remind me exactly why I swore I would never, ever, never run a marathon again after my experience in 2002. I should have known better!

I've got fitter, lost a little bit of weight and I'm raising funds for a very good cause but frankly I think I will stick to a 30 minute jog around Wanstead flats and putting money into charity buckets at railway stations in the future.

Run of the week was on Saturday morning while I was in the City of York for the UNISON International Seminar. In the morning I went around the medieval City walls which are almost still complete. It was a foggy and the picture collage above does not do justice to York which is a breathtakingly beautiful and historic City. This is a fantastic run with lots of ups and down stairs at the numerous City gates.

When I was a child the Gray Clan use to come at Easter to York for camping and caravan holidays. So visits always brings back good memories. The one deeply unpleasant but very important memory I have of York was when visiting the 900 year old Clifford Tower, the old keep of York Castle, (see in collage on right) and slowly realising that this was the site in 1190 of a shameful "pogrom".  150 Jews (men, women and children) living in York at that time, were attacked by a mob and had tried to take refuge in the Royal Castle but were forced to commit mass suicide inside to avoid being tortured and murdered by the mob.  As a history obsessed teenager, very proud of his Country's history and heritage,  the realisation of what had occurred on this very same spot was a complete shock and a never forgotten lesson. A lesson sadly repeated on occasions in future years but never with the same first time chest thumping appalled impact.  

I am running the London Marathon for a charity set up to prevent young people becoming homeless and helping them if they do. Check out "Alone in London". Click here to sponsor me on the Justgiving website.

Power, individuals and world events

The 3rd presentation on Saturday at the UNISON International Seminar 2012 was by trainer Dave Hampson (left) chaired by Paul Gover NEC. Dave has worked for a number of BOND-affiliated aid agencies such as Christian Aid, Oxfam and VSO as an evaluator and human rights advocate. He is also a security risk consultant and advises organisations who work in the developing world on the risk of kidnapping!

This was an icebreaker session and light hearted look “at what power means to individuals and...what that means in respect of world events”. I won’t reveal what happened since it will spoil it if you ever attend a similar training. It was a relatively “physical” activity and aimed I think at NGO workers rather than trade unionists but it did make me think about the advantages that I have had in life as a white, British born, able bodied, university educated male.

Dave also reminded us of this saying by Margaret Mead "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has".
At the end International Officer Polly Jones (right of picture), briefed us on how to apply to UNISON for support from the UNISON Development Fund (UIDF).

Colombia Peace Campaign

This presentation to the UNISON International Seminar 2012 was by Mariela Kohan (left), Director of “Justice for Columbia” and Chaired by Josie Bird, NEC member. Columbia is still the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist. 70% of all such murders take place in Columbia.

The new government claims that right wing militias have been disarmed. However, trade unionists and human rights activists are still assassinated and others threatened. While many are imprisoned without trial on “preventative custody” orders accused of “rebellion”. JFC was set up by the TUC in 2002. All major unions support it and 80 MPs/Peers are “Parliamentary Friends of Columbia”.

JFC has recently launched its “Peace Campaign”. What many people do not realise is that the chief problem in Columbia is the bitter 50 year old “civil war” between the Government and the FARC, not “drugs”. JFC hope that the campaign will help bring about a “Northern Ireland” style peace process in Columbia.

UNISON International Seminar 2012

The seminar is taking place in York. It actually started Friday evening which I missed due to work commitments. This morning the first presentation was by  local Labour MP Hugh Bayley (former junior minister) on "International Development and the UK Parliament". Isobel McVicar, Community NEC and member of the UNISON international Committee chaired.

Hugh reminded everyone that York itself use to be an Italian and Danish Colony. While he in a former life was a NALGO district and national officer and can remember the "incredibility" he use to face (I suspect he is being polite) when he first tried to get NALGO to take international trade union solidiarity seriously, especially with regard to the staff pension fund and a boycott of investments in Apartite South Africa. Nowadays it is also widely accepted that the purpose of international aid is to eliminate poverty not promote trade. This is a victory for progressives. He remembers the howls of protest by the Tories in the Commons when he first suggested this. It is also a victory that the Tories have agreed to honour the Labour Commitment to 0.7% of GNP to international aid (even if they have cut this with a £1.2 billion delay). You can be cynical that they are just pretending not to be "the nasty party" anymore but there has been a sea change in views. The same with Gay rights.

Hugh sees himself and the Labour Party as very much the "political wing of the wider Labour movement".  Which may I suppose be the reason why he was sacked as Pension minster by Tony Blair!