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David Cameron makes his first speech as prime minister, May 2010 outside No 10 Downing Street
Photo: theguardian.com
I- Then:
What was Promised
The full transcript of David Cameron's first speech as prime minister outside No 10 Downing Street on 11 May 2010
“Above all it will be a government that is built on some clear values. Values of freedom, values of fairness, and values of responsibility.”
Her Majesty the Queen has asked me to form a new government and I have accepted.
Before I talk about that new government, let me say something about the one that has just passed.
Compared with a decade ago, this country is more open at home and more compassionate abroad and that is something we should all be grateful for and on behalf of the whole country I'd like to pay tribute to the outgoing prime minister for his long record of dedicated public service.
In terms of the future, our country has a hung parliament where no party has an overall majority and we have some deep and pressing problems - a huge deficit, deep social problems, a political system in need of reform.
For those reasons I aim to form a proper and full coalition between the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats
I believe that is the right way to provide this country with the strong, the stable, the good and decent government that I think we need so badly.
Nick Clegg and I are both political leaders that want to put aside party differences and work hard for the common good and for the national interest.
I believe that is the best way to get the strong government that we need, decisive government that we need today.
I came into politics because I love this country. I think its best days still lie ahead and I believe deeply in public service.
And I think the service our country needs right now is to face up to our really big challenges, to confront our problems, to take difficult decisions, to lead people through those difficult decisions, so that together we can reach better times ahead.
One of the tasks that we clearly have is to rebuild trust in our political system. Yes that's about cleaning up expenses, yes that is about reforming parliament, and yes it is about making sure people are in control - and that the politicians are always their servant and never their masters.
But I believe it is also something else. It is about being honest about what government can achieve. Real change is not what government can do on its own - real change is when everyone pulls together, comes together, works together, where we all exercise our responsibilities to ourselves, to our families, to our communities and to others.
And I want to help try and build a more responsible society here in Britain. One where we don't just ask what are my entitlements, but what are my responsibilities.
One where we don't ask what am I just owed, but more what can I give.
And a guide for that society - that those that can should, and those who can't we will always help.
I want to make sure that my government always looks after the elderly, the frail the poorest in our country.
We must take everyone through with us on some of the difficult decisions we have ahead.
Above all it will be a government that is built on some clear values. Values of freedom, values of fairness, and values of responsibility.
I want us to build an economy that rewards work. I want us to build a society with stronger families and stronger communities. And I want a political system that people can trust and look up to once again.
This is going to be hard and difficult work. A coalition will throw up all sorts of challenges.
But I believe together we can provide that strong and stable government that our country needs based on those values - rebuilding family, rebuilding community, above all, rebuilding responsibility in our country.
Those are the things I care about. Those are the things that this government will now start work on doing.
Thank you very much
II- And Now:
“A picture is worth a thousand words”
It's a funny old world!
Chris Riddell Illustration: Chris Riddell/Observer Sunday 10 April 2016
Panama Papers demonstration in Whitehall on Saturday 9 April 2016
Photo: the guardian.com
For background and further readings see:
The Corrupting of the British Politics, Politicians and Institutions: A very sad day for democracy
“The charge sheet is this. The government is led by a clique of toffs who have neither respect for their colleagues, nor empathy with the average voter. Their born-to-rule mentality means they have a greatly over-inflated view of their own capabilities, which deafens their ears to the advice and warnings of others who might actually know better. They are nothing like as good at governing as they think they are. And this, the charge sheet concludes, is now inflicting serious harm on both the country and the Conservatives' future electoral prospects. This view is now becoming more and more prevalent in the media, too, even among the press that the Conservatives would normally count as their friends.”-Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer, 29 April 2012
The Moral Blindness of the English Posh Boys
On the Myth of British Democracy, Market Economy, and We are All in It Together!
"Bankers drowning in money. Out of touch politicians. Unaccountable quangocrats. Not for generations have those who run Britain been so far removed from the common man"-Dominic Sandbrook, The Daily Mail, 20 April 2012
On the Myth of British Democracy, Market Economy, and We are All in It Together!
The Panama Papers
The Guardian view on David Cameron and tax havens: a dodgy day at the office
Living our Values
“Integrity is choosing our thoughts and actions based on values rather than personal gains. A critical aspect of integrity, then, is the idea of a moral wholeness, or oneness, demonstrated by a consistency of thought, word and deed. Integrity is best described through four components: personal convictions (what we believe), stated values (what we say we believe), operational values (what we actually do), and ethical principles (what we should do).”
Open Letter to Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England
And finally, What might an Economy for the Common Good look like?
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A well functioning society, community, economy, business, politics, or indeed anything else in life cannot operate without trust, a trust that has been destroyed by neo-liberalism that values everything else, but trust.
Photo: wordpress.com
“Persistent misconduct and an aggressive sales culture has cost the UK’s banks and building societies £53bn in fines, compensation and legal fees over the past 15 years.
“According to research published on Monday the cost of the payment protection insurance (PPI) misselling scandal has reached £37.3bn – about four times the cost of the 2012 London Olympics.
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'To be a person is to have a story to tell.' - Isak Dinesen (pseudonym of Karen Christence Dinesen, Baroness Blixen-Finecke)
‘Stories, because of their imaginative power which engages the brain, have much greater impact than simple facts. Increased brain engagement leads not only to increased thought on the engaging topic, but increased memory as well. When that engagement and memory are controlled and focused in a positive way, the brain’s love for storytelling can be the key to healing and happiness.’-Greater Good Magazine
‘Have you ever been so wrapped up in a story that you forgot about your worries and escaped from your troubles?
‘Have you ever been hungry to find out what happens next in a story about make-believe people in a make-believe place, and not understand why you’re so invested in their fairytale?
‘Or, have you ever been in the heart of a crisis, and someone told you a story that gave you hope and opened your eyes to the joy beyond the hurt?
‘If so, you’re not alone.
‘A story is a powerful, unifying tool that connects mankind, breaks down barriers, and heals wounds.
‘What is it about the stories and legends we hear that captures our hearts and minds so deeply? In this article, we are exploring the science behind the phenomenon of storytelling.
‘Before it’s possible to understand why a good story keeps us fascinated, it helps to think about what a story is and how it’s structured so we can better understand the stories of our own lives.
‘There’s no doubt about it: stories are powerful. When a person can identify their role in their own story as well as the individual elements of their story, they can then begin to understand their lives and the world they’re part of in a way most people never experience.
‘This idea of healing through storytelling is especially true in the Native American tradition. Storytelling is central to the cultural and oral tradition of Native Americans in this country.
‘Renda Dionne, clinical psychologist and member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians, says, “Stories are how we come to understand ourselves and the world around us. For American Indians stories are medicine…being present with yourself and the audience and speaking from the heart.”
‘For Native Americans, living with the legacy of historical trauma passed down over generations, stories can provide powerful opportunities to see the bigger picture and to embrace strength, honor, and courage in the face of difficulty.
‘Stories are a bonding tool. They unite people in their quests to overcome turmoil because everyone can identify with and relate to a story.
‘Hearing someone else’s story can provide hope to the broken. Often, the only thing that can comfort someone who has lived through great tragedy or tough circumstances is the account of someone else who went through something similar and made it through, wounds and all.
‘When you understand the story you’re part of and the role you are capable of playing, you can heal the wounds of the past and focus on the challenges and joys of the present.
‘It’s just as important to share your own story as it is to hear the stories of others.’- Excerpts from NATIVE HOPE
Storytelling for the Common Good: Telling our Stories, Sharing the Wisdom
A GCGI Project to be inaugurated on Friday 2 September 2016 during the 13th GCGI International Conference and the 3rd Joint GCGI and SES Forum at Waterperry House
Why Values Matter: GCGI-SES Joint 2016 Conference
The Storyteller: Anker Grossvater, 1884, Museum of Art of Bern
First Call for Stories
As it has been observed, “For the first nomadic peoples who had no written language, storytelling was the only way to pass on knowledge of the world. Storytelling was their history and their science. The first cave paintings are visual records of the stories that were told at that time.
"With all the books and recordings available today, all the visual and aural records we now have, more stories are preserved than have ever been.
"But preserving stories does not keep storytelling alive. Books and movies and CDs do not create communities. They do not bring people together. It is only through storytelling – the interaction of the teller and the audience – that stories live and touch people. What the ear does not hear will not move the heart.”
Moreover, as it has been noted, “Once upon a time one way-back day, long ago and far away, before the beginning of time, before the beginning of everything, before there was a beginning, there was a storyteller.
"Storytelling is the beginning of everything. Storytellers were our first teachers, artists, philosophers, and priests. Stories told us how to understand the world. Stories are the roots of everything we know – our culture, our philosophy and our religion.
"Stories explained the inexplicable, from how the world was formed, to why the loon (diver) has a necklace. Stories provided our first entertainment. And stories brought us together to create our first communities.”
Photo: xtrii.com
And as I have noted in my own story Coventry and I: The story of a boy from Iran who became a man in Coventry:
“Storytelling has the capacity to touch our deepest emotions and it can allow us to peer at beauty. We glance at our own creativity and breathe our own thoughts. But more than that: Storytelling is also a wonderful path to set ourselves free, by opening our hearts to others and letting them in; becoming one with one another.
Because, after all, as many have reminded us, the best way to know truth, wisdom or beauty is to try to express it and share it with others.”
I firmly believe that storytelling - opening our hearts to others - is instrumental in enhancing inclusion, social justice, cultural life, and improving physical and emotional health at the individual, local, national and international levels.
Moreover, storytelling nurtures both the young people and the older generation by providing a spiritual path to a meaningful and rewarding intergenerational dialogue, benefiting each group equally.
Storytelling also builds community. Storytelling, as has been noted, is a means of bridging gaps of cultural difference. Hearing another person’s story promotes empathy and recognition of a common humanity that is a basis for respecting human rights. Knowing and celebrating one’s own cultural stories builds self-esteem. Knowing and celebrating others’ cultural stories creates cross-cultural awareness and understanding.
So, here you have it. And now, with this project, I wish to invite you to share your story with us, open your heart and let us in, and watch how your friendship grows stronger and deeper, and experience enhanced physical and emotional well-being, as I did, when I wrote "My Coventry Story".
How to Submit your Story
Photo: kisbyto.blogspot.co.uk
A Common Good Story is an inspirational, true story about ordinary people having extraordinary experiences. It is a story that opens the heart and rekindles the spirit. It is a simple piece that touches our readers and your listeners (when presented orally at our GCGI Conferences and gatherings) and helps them discover basic principles they can use in their own lives. These stories are personal and often filled with emotion and drama. They are filled with vivid images created by using the five senses. In some stories, the readers feel that they are actually in the scene with the people.
The most powerful stories are about people extending themselves, or performing an act of love, service or courage for another person.
Your story must be true. No fiction, no creative writing.
If you would like to contribute please email me (k.mofid@gcgi.info) an abstract of no more than 300 words, to include the title of your story, a brief summary, and a short biographical note, by no later than 15 May 2016.
A magical storyteller in the woods: Once Upon a Time by James Christensen
swoyersart.com/james_christensen/onceuponatime