Change over the Horizon - Part II.

I always thought that the rule of law was designed to preserve and enlarge human freedom, giving a voice to the voiceless and justice to the judged. Applying to us all equally, regardless of social status, race, religion, gender, or colour. I sincerely believed this, or maybe I wanted to. But what I have experienced is anything but, where legislation is used as a tool, a hammer to shape the world into something I don’t believe in. But the law was made by people, right? People like you and me. It’s a system. And systems can change.

After finishing my final Bar exam, I applied (unsuccessfully) for over 200 positions in the legal & human rights sector. It seemed that a career in the legal field was nothing but a hopeful dream despite having come so far. I simply couldn’t afford another unpaid internship, so I applied to a Graduate Programme, Charityworks. Through their BAME FastTrack I was given a chance of employment. Although a part of me was still hoping for a legal opportunity, on 5th November 2020 I received a vacancy, from a place called Collaborate.

Having never heard of the organisation and not even knowing what a CIC was, I was intrigued as to why I was matched with them. As I researched about them, it was on their website that I came across systems thinking for the first time, and people like me who were trying to make a change, but in a way I had never come across before.

I always assumed that to make the change you want to see in this world, you have to go out and change it yourself, but my time at Collaborate has shown me something different. This revelation came early, while working with homelessness services in Nottingham. No matter what they tried, they were facing one obstacle after another. During an internal meeting I was asked what I thought about the situation and honestly, I had no idea.

But this meeting helped me realise I was looking at the situation all wrong. I was seeing every individual element as a problem to be fixed, and trying to think of ways I could fix it all. In reality, I was not in a position to fix anything, and that’s fine, because that wasn’t my role. With complex social problems no single organisation — or person — has the ability to fix anything alone.

So what did we do? We listened. We tried to understand the relationships between the various parts of a system so that everyone involved could see how their work contributes to the whole. Instead of assuming what they wanted, we asked them. And we worked together to achieve change.

And as my time at Collaborate went on I have begun to better understand what real change can be, and more importantly what role I can play in this messy world — exploring a whole new world by coming to grips with the reality of it. You can’t change structures and systems you don’t understand, and you can’t change the world on your own.

I have spent my time at Collaborate helping to create change where we can, working with those who are committed to bringing about positive social change. Whether it’s working in the Boroughs of Hounslow & Hackney on practical Green Recovery solutions or embarking on a journey with the Ministry of Justice and East Sussex County Council while they attempt to do things differently, I’m in a position now where I can still make the difference I want to see but without feeling like I’m climbing that mountain on my own.

And with that, the biggest change I have seen is in myself — and my own sense of purpose in the world. From where I started — wanting to change everything, with all the frustration and feelings of being overwhelmed that can bring — I now know how I can play a part in changing something.

And for the first time in a long time, I feel like I am where I need to be, because I have found hope again.

Because the organisations, people, and places we work with inspire me and give me a reason for optimism. Don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of issues that make it hard, that make real change difficult. But within that complexity there are also pockets of brilliance and innovation, and that brilliance can, and will, inspire movements in time.

Because this sector is filled with people like me, trying to make change happen in the best way they know how. I’m not alone in this belief, which gives me hope.

So, this New Year I am returning to Madrid, armed with my new experiences and mindset to spend some time volunteering at the same human rights organisation that began this journey. To bring more stories to light. To bring hope to those who need it, like so many have done for me this past year.

Because it’s hope that keeps us going, that if we just give it our all, with whatever resources we can muster, together we can make the world shine a little brighter, with the horizon becoming a little clearer with each passing day.

Because this time I know the harsh realities of change. It is damned hard for a reason, but it is possible.