Left and right

'The presence of NGOs in upholding democracy is irreplaceable in liberal society'.

I agreed with the above statement, said by someone at this conference. Communications challenges abound, however, in increasingly polarised societies, where NGOs can be increasingly seen as a scourge pushed by liberal elites. The concepts of 'civil society', 'NGOs' and the 'charitable sector' in general are not well understood. In the UK 'charity' is the outdated term that people know and there's a common belief that those who work in the charitable sector are volunteers. In fact NGO workers are highly skilled mostly non-partisan professionals who, in the absence of anyone else, prop up innumerable services and fight for rights and social change.

Today was a heavy day, with sleep deprivation from staying up late to watch UK election debate coverage, Brendan Cox the husband of the murdered British MP Jo Cox appearing on a panel about division and unity, and an evening event at the Museum of the History of the Polish Jew. The image is of Nazi German rules and regulations introduced to Warsaw after the invasion.

What strikes me more and more when watching Conservative politicians in debates is that they don't realise the extent of their own prejudice towards those that face greater disadvantage. It must be a narrow existence that lacks an enrichment or understanding of diversity. When Amber Rudd states boldly that her party will fight for the good of everyone, half the room breaks into laughs and she reacts bemusedly, unaware of the hypocrisy she's spouted. I've seen Theresa May, David Davis, Priti Patel and others do the same in recent weeks. Their view of the most disadvantaged being undeserving, non-contributing members of society must be mostly subconscious as I refuse to believe so many elected officials would lie so blatantly. And arguments about arms dealing with Saudi Arabia being needed for the economy do not hold as much weight as the humanitarian crisis in Yemen that these arms contribute to. Conservatives perpetuate this image of being strong with the economy but most Brits would agree that there are trade-offs with what we invest in as some deals are abhorrent to British values. However millions upon millions of Brits vote Conservative regardless. I urge my fellow countrypeople to think less about whether a leader has a scruffy collar or a freshly pressed suit, and more about whether they will genuinely stand up for the interests of the many and reject hypocrisy in their actions.