My Life My Say, Next Gen 23’
On Saturday, I headed down to London for My Life My Says Next Gen conference at Plexal. 💚
Next Gen is all about empowering young people to take steps towards building a better future for all of us. The day brought together a bunch of campaigners, activists and politicians from all over the place! We talked about the cost of living crisis, sustainable fashion, climate change, clicktivism or activism ... And more! ⚡
Next Gen was shamazing! Karl and I were there repping Curv and as if by magic, Rob Greenfield from Earthtopia (and Curv) showed up too. 🧡
The highlight for me (sorry Karl and Rob) was meeting the WONDERFUL Clover Hogan, Clover kicks ass like nobody else! It was so cool hearing her keynote speech, its a real shame that the Tory MP before her didn't stick around to hear what she had to say! 🌟
The conference kicked off with a welcome from Mete Coban, founder of My Life My Say. I loved hearing all about how MLMS began! 🗣️
Then we jumped into panels and keynote speakers…
💂♀️Sadiq Khan (London Mayor)
"Celebrate diversity, don't denigrate it.
You have more power than you know
Authenticity and humility are everything"
📰 My Life My Say X The News Movement
Kamal Ahmed (Founder)
Freddie Feltham (Journo)
Older generation must hand over the mic to young people in partnership
The News Movement began because his son asked him: Why is that the news? Why is it covered in that way
The news gods - not relatable, not trusting the news, not servicing us
75% of new info will be in your phone as a video
We need a different kind of storytelling, listening to the audience first and sourcing matters
Sourcing matters - all about equity
You don't always get challenged on social media
🌍 Climate & Sustainable Fashion
Isabella Noero (Host & Earthrise Studio)
🪡 Lydia Bolton - giving textiles a new life, repair, collabs, big brands and corps
Reusing unwanted stock
Only works with brands that align with value
Intersectionality - 80% of women who make out clothes are 18-24. 2% of garment workers are paid a livable wage.
🧑🏫 Eddie Rose (Teach the Teacher)
The output of a perfectionist is a blank piece of paper
Everything is connected - intersectionality
The first step is spotlighting the mass producers
No ethical consumerism under capitalism rhetoric - more complex than that, more nuanced
Knowledge is power - take up space
This weekend MLMS announced their...
My Future My Vote Campaign - all about getting young people to the ballot box. The announcement followed a session that discussed what it means to be a voter. 🗳️
🛍️ Alice Mazzola (The Body Shop, Global Head of Activism)
The Body Shop has a long history of activism, stores are hubs for conversations
50% of the world is under 30... 3% of elected officials are under 30.
Be seen be heard - dismantling barriers (75 countries, in the UK, lowering the voting age to 16, India and Japan lowering the age of being allowed to run for office)
The same people can't keep making the same decisions that have led us here, politics can change everything,
🫂 Saeed Atcha - Youth Leads UK
Set up Youth Leads when he was 15 (fed up with the portrayal of young people)
There is a lack of youth voices in the halls of governance so we must invite young people into politics and bring others along for the ride.
🤳 Max Baledge - TikToker, trans rights, co-organised fundraiser for Not a Phase (raised 40k)
Influencers have a role to post responsibly and have an ear to the ground on what matters to them and their audience.
Gen Z are more likely to listen to an influencer than they are to watch the news.
💡 Lauren Kay-Lambert - Shape History
Creative storytelling and campaigning are so important
It's important to be proud to be a voter
We should be meeting people where they are
Every young person registering to vote, 200 orgs around the world working on the campaign, 31% of young people don't think their voice matters in politics
🌿 Clover Hogan (Founder of Force of Nature)
Speak out when the silence feels defeating
Find the flickers of light
Show up with courage in your hearts and conviction in your thoughts
And if you can't find pockets of a better future then this moment is calling for you to be the beacon of light, for others to follow
🎤 Athian Akec (Keynote Speaker & Artist)
Our generation is coming of age in an age where power feels elusive
The need to be heard is evident
Young people feel like the political systems under us fail us.
Apathy
Walk the path of independence. The cost of inaction is higher. Move beyond being a responsive regeneration but one that's engaged in the creation of new political changes.
Every generation has dared to dream, and we must do the same
🧠 Cost of Living Crisis & Mental Health
🎗️ Ben West (Host) won the Pride of Britain award at 20 Host. Ben wrapped up the panel by asking each panellist how they would want us to move forwards...
🏚️ Kwajo Tweneboa - social housing activist & artist,
The majority of tenants come from black and ethnic minority groups, and are treated terribly. Acknowledge the problem.
130 million homeless kids on the street. Politicians punch people down when they are already on the ground. We need to help them back up.
If it's not homeless people it's migrants or disabled people. We have to shift the narrative.
What has to next happen?
We need to start pushing for the government to stop dangling a golden carrot in front of us before every election. They are out of touch. Better representation in Westminster - include working-class people in this conversation. 📣
💥 George Fielding Bem (disability campaigner)
What underpins the Autumn statement is that if people don't work from home they get their benefits cut, and disabled people are put on curfew to prove the idea that we all must be productive and must measure our impact in pounds shillings and pence. This disables all of us. Excluding disabled people is rooted in ableism. We need to redefine what disability is - we need to rediagnose what systems disable them.
Shame, guilt, powerlessness, and paralysis we need to turn the meaning of having a job into a meaningful purpose - then each of us has a reason to get up in the morning. Social movements are driven by passion. The movement moves faster than the system.
What has to happen next?
We need to start every conversation with the systems we are living in are broken. Break down the barrier between personal and private - the biggest scandals happen behind closed doors. Give space to the topics and conversations that should be happening on kitchen tables. Have awkward conversations. Once we've done that we can rebuild anew. 🤩
🙌 Louise Lyons Appiah - fear and uncertainty, renters for life, comparison (social media), sacrifices, in schools the funding is crap, young people can't afford to come to school they don't have a home, they can’t access mental health support
26% of referrals to CAMHS are refused
What happens needs to happen next? Shame around where you come from. Funding into the mental health sector. Value social carers more. 👏
💥 Boom! 💥
Wow, what a day! And that's not even the half of it. Alistair Campbell even stopped by! I know for a fact that I'll be there next year! 🥳
