TRANSPONDER
GLOBAL CHALLENGES MEET LOCAL SOLUTIONS:
Interview conducted by Anthony Silberfeld on February 16th, 2022 with Mete Coban, councilor for Stoke Newington in the London Borough of Hackney.
My Say, a nonpartisan charity that encourages democratic participation among young people. Reflecting his wideranging interests and activities, he talks in this interview about the ways in which climate change is sparking innovation on the local level and his efforts to mobilize the next generation for political engagement.
INTRO: Mete Coban is an
QUESTION: You represent
INTERVIEW WITH METE COBAN
elected councilor for the Stoke Newington district in the London Borough of Hackney. He serves as the borough’s cabinet member for energy, waste, transport and the public realm. Coban is also the founder of My Life TRANSPONDER: 10
a fascinating neighborhood in one of the world’s most dynamic cities. What makes Hackney so special? COBAN: Hackney is a very
interesting place. I always refer
to Hackney as the world-in-oneborough because it’s probably the most diverse municipality in the whole of Europe. It’s got a huge Orthodox Jewish community, Turkish and Kurdish communities, and a huge African Caribbean community. Hackney used to be one of the worst places to live in the United Kingdom. It was actually ranked as the worst place in 2006 out of 434 local authorities. When my family came from Cyprus, Hackney had one of the highest rates of crime in the UK and one of the highest rates of poverty. This was particularly so among children, with 36% of children in Hackney living under the
