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A HARINGEY YOUTH PUBLICATION

free oct 06

issue 83

HOODIES: They just WON’T go away

THE MODERN SLAVE TRADE

WOMEN DO IT FOR THEMSELVES

£0.00

Contributors

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joey

Ben Henquitez, Flo Codjoe, Joey Leskin and Muna Saeed.

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ben

Editorial Team

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Features

Carlos Mateos Gil Imogen Massey

14 - GALLERY

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James Kelly Josh Büyükyilmaz

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18 - HOROSCOPE 22 - AGONY 26 - POETRY

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Samantha Alice Martin Thomas Cox and Tizita Lemma

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nick

27 - DIRECTORY Nick May Nicole Brown

Haringey Uncovered: Bruce Castle

Exposure is free and open to anyone aged between13 and 19 living in and around Haringey. • write, edit, illustrate & design this magazine • build your own website • make a video

www.exposure.org.uk To volunteer, or arrange work experience or a work placement, call Gary Flavell on 020 8883 0260, email gary@exposure.org.uk or just walk into the office. The Bigger Shoe Box, Muswell Hill Centre Hillfield Park N10 3QJ Tel: 020 8883 0260, Fax: 020 8883 2906 Mob: 07947 884 282 Email: editor@exposure.org.uk

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Issue #83 October 2006 News According to the British Crime Survey, violent crime is falling, the number of burglaries is decreasing, and the risk of becoming a victim of crime is at an all time low. But, for some reason, almost three quarters of people think that crime is rising. Could that be something to do with... DUN, DUN, DUUUNNNN... the media? Misreporting on TV, exaggerated claims by politicians and headlines like ‘YOB CRIMEWAVE’ in newspapers, give the impression that crime is spiraling out of control. And after a burglary, assault, mugging or act of vandalism, how often are the police said to be looking for a gang of youths in hoodies? At the BBC, Hoodies

and crime are so closely linked that the new Robin Hood has been dressed in a very modern looking hooded top. So people have been given ASBOs banning them from wearing hoodies, and some pubs and schools, and Bluewater shopping centre, banned hoodies altogether. It’s as if the hoodies, and not the people wearing them, are responsible. It’s not young people in hoodies who are responsible for the ‘crimewave’, it’s the media who invented it. Before people blame ‘the youth of today’ they should wonder why the media don’t want to tell us things are better than they used to be.

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Articles 08 - How Do You Think We Got Free Travel?

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Ben Henriques on the UK Youth Parliament.

10 - A Touchy Subject

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Muna Saeed breaks the silence on masturbation.

12 - Stop The Traffic

20 - A Lesson In Real Life Samantha Tasnim on how young Bangladeshis get out of school.

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- Looks Can Kill Perceptions of youth by Esther Opoku-Gyeni and Flo Codjoe.

samantha

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Esther Opoku-Gyeni on the modern day slave trade.

Regrettably our office is inaccessible to wheelchair users but we will nevertheless make every effort to include your contributions.

Tottenham Grammar School Foundation

Youth Support Service Voluntary Sector Team

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By Ben Henriques

e know what we want, so let’s get it. If you want more youth centres or more respect from the police, you have to fight for it. That’s what the UK Youth Parliament (UKYP) is all about. The UKYP “was one of the main pressure groups that got young people free travel and the minimum wage at 16,” says 19-yearold Sebastian from Hackney, a former Member of the Youth Parliament (MYP).

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The UK Youth “ Parliament is about getting what you want

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The reason the UKYP achieves so much is that it is run by young people who really want to make

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changes to their lives. As Sebastian puts it, “The UKYP doesn’t take the conventional route, it goes straight to the issue.” UKYP members recently finished making a DVD called Project: Consider with the Met Police. It is due to be launched in October and the UKYP hope it will stop teenagers using knives and guns. It’s not a cosy, clean education video, it just tells it like it is. It’s exactly the kind of thing young people need to be doing if we want to make our lives better. It’s made by young people, for young people.

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The UKYP is a group of young people elected by teenagers in their area to represent their views. Each London borough elects one MYP for every 16,000 young people in that area. The MYPs meet to decide what changes they want. There are adults involved but the young people have ultimate control over the issues they

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more young “ The people, the faster change will happen

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campaign on. Nikki Brooker, the UKYP’s London Co-ordinator, says: “My role is to help the young people achieve their aims, but all the decisions are made by them.” “But,” says MYP Amy Haldane, “The UKYP is not doing as much as it should. MYPs should have access to more young people.” Many young people have never heard of the UKYP, and most teenagers think they can’t get anything out of politics. If teenagers don’t get involved, we can’t expect things to change for the better. There is also a lack of support

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from local councils. Some, like Haringey, haven’t held UKYP elections yet (though hopefully Haringey will in 2007). Change isn’t easy, and we might not get everything we want, but if we don’t campaign we won’t get anything at all. And we can’t rely on adults to represent us properly – we have to do it for ourselves. Some people will say the UKYP won’t change anything, but without the UKYP those same people couldn’t get on buses for free and probably wouldn’t have been paid as much as they were in their summer jobs. The more young people who get involved the faster change will happen. The choice you have to make is whether one of them will be you. For more information visit www.ukyouthparliament.org.uk

By Muna Saeed emale masturbation is only spoken about in whispers, as if it was somehow dirty to explore your sexuality and enjoy yourself.

When the word ‘masturbation’ is used in conversation people either rush to change the subject, protest their innocence or ask, open-mouthed, if you really do it, with the same scandalised gasp as if you were

nothing “ There’s wrong with female masturbation ”

admitting to a shameful love triangle between you, a 60-year-old gigolo and your half-brother. Men learn from a young age that masturbation is a normal thing to do. It is accepted as a part of growing up, hormones and puberty. Women, who have the same biological

hormonal changes happening to them, are told that it is disgusting to touch themselves down below and that masturbation is just interfering with yourself. They are encouraged to keep ‘pure’ and ‘clean’. Why is it that fingering yourself is plain wrong but, when your boyfriend tries, it is suddenly acceptable and even expected of them to have a go? Normally, this is an amateur attempt in the back of a dark cinema: the poor fella fumbles about, poking and prodding at you, waiting for a reaction that’s never likely to come (kind of like England and winning the World Cup). The bottom line is there’s nothing wrong with female masturbation. It is natural to feel curious about your body, and finding out what feels good and what doesn’t is the best way to help you find pleasure and even reach the orgasm (ohhhh… ahhhhh) when you finally do decide to have sex.

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What is confusing though is, although girls seem to do better than boys, boys have known masturbation’s rewards for centuries, so when it comes to full-on sex they’re more knowledgeable about their likes and dislikes, more confident in the working order of their equipment, and more likely to enjoy it.

than keeping your legs silky smooth, chewing gum to keep your breath sweet, the pointless conversations about things you are not particularly interested in, or any of that effort that usually doesn’t even add up to a decent romp, a millisecond of pleasure, or a glimpse of an orgasm.

less demanding “ It’s than keeping your legs silky smooth ”

Of course, masturbation does not have to be a replacement for a relationship with someone. It is a base for further sexual development, an uncomplicated tool that females can take advantage of whether they’re single or in a relationship. At the very least, it is less demanding

By Esther Opoku Gyeni 00 years after it was supposedly abolished, slavery is as rampant as ever.

Most people’s idea of a bad day is waking up late, getting told off by a teacher and getting a one-hour detention. But imagine waking up to yet another day of prostitution or being forced to work in a sweatshop or some other hard labour in awful working conditions. For many people all over the world this is a reality.

to 800,000 “ Up people are trafficked across borders each year

”

Human trafficking involves moving people to other countries, or within their own country, and using violence and threats to force them to work against their will. Traffickers target young children and women, promising them opportunities that too few of us really appreciate. Imagine for a moment: you are 15 years old, living in a third world country, and longing for a good education, a roof over your head and a life full of hope. You are promised this by a stranger who you think has your best interests at heart, only to find out that you were horribly mistaken. By the time you realise this, it’s far too late. Your self-worth is now measured by how much you are

sold for and your dignity becomes a thing of the past as you are given yet another list of people you have to sleep with that afternoon. Due to a lack of media attention many of us are unaware of the scale of this problem. A US Government report published in 2004 estimates that up to 800,000 people are trafficked across borders each year. These figures are likely to underestimate the problem as trafficking is often hidden, but that doesn’t mean it’s not lucrative: it generates an estimated $9.5 billion every year. People are being taken away from everything they know and all to make a quick buck for cruel traffickers who are rarely caught. Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Over 200 years ago slavery was common. The only difference was that back then radical campaigners like Olaudah Equiano, Granville Sharp and Elizabeth Heyric saw the injustice and sought to end it.

million people “ 27 are living in slavery today

”

What’s happened to us now? Why is it that nearly 1 million people are being forced into prostitution and hard labour and hardly anything is done about it? During history lessons in school, when we learn about the slave trade, many of us are horrified at the cruelty of the human race. Just

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because modern slavery is not as open as it used to be doesn’t mean we can ignore it. Occasionally the media will report on the arrest of a trafficker but, with some 27 million people living in slavery today, a small article at the back of a tabloid newspaper isn’t enough.

Just because we are young doesn’t mean we don’t have a voice. We can make a difference. There is a website dedicated to bringing worldwide attention to human trafficking, www.antislavery.org. Find out for yourself what you can do to help. You have a voice, make sure you use it.

GALLERY 14

by Nick May

Send your artwork to: The Bigger Shoe Box, Muswell Hill Centre, Hillfield Park N10 3 QJ Tel: 020 8883 0260, Fax: 020 8883 2906, Mob: 07947 884 282, Email: jon@exposure.org.uk

GALLERY

by Tizita Lemma

Send your artwork to: The Bigger Shoe Box, Muswell Hill Centre, Hillfield Park N10 3 QJ Tel: 020 8883 0260, Fax: 020 8883 2906, Mob: 07947 884 282, Email: jon@exposure.org.uk

This article has been prepared by talking to young people on the Get On bus. The Get On bus is a participation initiative providing young people with a first step into volunteering and contributing in Haringey. For more information visit www.getonbus.co.uk

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By Esther Opoku-Gyeni & Flo Codjoe ex-crazed, trouble-making, knifepacking, hoody-wearing, underachieving little hooligans with no future. That’s the stereotype, but how far is it from the truth?

We are all individuals with our own minds and blah, blah, blah... let’s be honest: when adults look at us they don’t see our individuality, they see our youth. One reason is the way we dress. When adults see young people in a hooded top they see a ‘thug’. “The ‘hoody’ is just a political gimmick,” says Michelle Forbes, a cofounder of Mothers Against Guns. “It’s deflection, so you don’t have to take responsibility. As a society we’ve got into a blame culture, but at the end of the day they’re still young people. It’s not the hoody, it’s the person inside. ”

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The ‘hoody’ is a political gimmick

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“Young people are portrayed in the media as either teenagers with babies or teenage boys with dogs,” says Tony, 19 from Hornsey. “It’s not positive.” “The way we are portrayed in the media is derogatory,” says Amelia, 16, from Hornsey. “They only show bad things. We hear about young people when there has been a murder or a serious assault, but I would describe young people as having intelligent minds and just needing a place to express themselves and be heard.”

But sometimes we help build these stereotypes ourselves: 78 per cent of young people admit to having been involved in a fight, smashing a window, or even carrying a weapon.

It’s hard to fight against a negative persona when so many of us are perpetuating it. “Some of the young people who carry weapons are just trying to protect themselves, says Antonio, 18, Seven Sisters. “Nobody knows the fear you have in your heart, but no one has the right to take another person’s life.” “Carrying weapons creates a vicious cycle of violence,” says Amy, 17, from Seven Sisters. “On the one hand young people are polite and respectful, then the violent anti-social ones tarnish the image for all of us.”

should not have “ We to conform ” “Sometimes the way the media portrays us is understandable,” says Leah, 16, from Northumberland Park. “But people build stereotypes on what the minority does, and sometimes young people aren’t as bad as they look.”

“Young people have a difficult time at the moment,” says Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green. “There is an issue about the image, but it isn’t what young people wear, it’s what they do.” We should not have to conform to what the media thinks we should look like or act like - we’re not clones. But we shouldn’t have to change the way we look just because somebody else doesn’t like it. We are intelligent, expressive, unique, creative individuals with a bright future, it’s about time we reminded the media of that. But, as Tamia, 16, from Tottenham, says: “Just because you are from the ghetto doesn’t mean you have to be of the ghetto.”

AGONY... By Carlos Mateos and Nicole Brown

My mum is determined to go with me to a school dance. She is really embarrassing. She steals my clothes and make up, and even tried to get into an under-21s party last weekend. I want to remind her she’s over 40 but I don’t want to hurt her feelings. How can I get her to realise what she is doing? You are one of thousands of young people who go through this with their mothers. Although she needs your support through this difficult time of being too old for school discos, if you talk to her and tell her how you are feeling, she will understand (unless she is already senile).

I’m 17 and all of my friends drink alcohol, but I don’t. I have seen them very drunk - being sick, falling over, and trying to make each other pregnant - and I wouldn’t like to be like that. But when we go out, it looks like they have a better time than me. Should I start drinking too? The fact that your friends drink alcohol doesn’t mean you have to. Be strong and stick to your decision; if they are your friends, they should respect it. Though it may look like they’re having a better time, they will pay for it the next day with a big headache, furry teeth and, in some cases, damage to the intricate architecture of the liver.

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& SEXTACY By Aysha Tegally

I’m 14 years old and I thought I had a normal sized penis until I accidentally saw my mate’s, his looked massive! Later, when I measured mine, it was only four inches long and that’s when it was erect! What can I do to get bigger? Don’t worry, you don’t need to take any pills, do any weird exercises, or go under the knife. Lots of boys worry because other boy's penises are a bit different to their own. You’re only 14 and probably still growing, and your penis will grow too. Most women’s vaginas are around 3 to 6 inches deep so anything extra just won’t fit, and will probably be quite painful for your partner.

I have really painful periods. It hurts so much sometimes I can’t even stand up and have to miss days off school. Is there anything I can do to stop the pain or my periods? Painful periods are the leading cause of lost time from school among women in their teens. Gentle swimming, walking, jogging or cycling may ease the pain. A hot water bottle, heat pad, or electric blanket on your lower abdomen might help too, or try a hot bath. If the pain continues, see your doctor who may be able to advise you and if necessaryprescribe you painkillers.

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By Samantha Tasnim o you know how many young people in Bangladesh desperately want to go to school but can’t?

Bangladesh is a poor country where earnings are very low. The population is incredibly high, and the government cannot provide all the people with jobs, so many people are jobless and cannot afford to send their children to school. There are some government-run schools that are free but very few children get the chance to go.

I earn “ Sometimes nothing and starve

with my father about school but he says it’s a waste of time when you could be earning money by doing work. He forced me to join the labour work where I break bricks every day. I earn 100tk a month but I have to hand over all my money to my father. If I don’t he beats me up.”

a waste “ School’s of time when you could be earning money

”

Some children start earning money at the age of six. Working is rare but begging on the street is very common. “I earn 10tk a day by begging,” said 10-year-old Naima. One taka (tk) is worth less than one penny. “I give 6tk to my mother because I have to and with the rest I buy something to eat. That is my meal of the day. Sometimes I earn only 4 or 5tk which I hide from my mother to eat something for myself. There are some days when I earn nothing and starve for the whole day.” Naima said how difficult it is to stand on the roadside the whole day begging from people under the hot sun.

12-year old Rashid does labour work. “I wanted to go to school but I didn’t get the chance. My friend got into school and he says it’s fun. I spoke

How many times did you miss school this week? Once or twice? Children like Rashid and Naima don’t have the opportunity to attend school and their parents don’t even care! What would happen if they were in your place? They dream of the chance and would not miss a single day. In Britain primary and secondary education is free, but in Bangladesh you have to pay a huge amount of money to get a proper education. The schools in Britain have TVs and computers, but in Bangladesh the schools can’t even afford to play a radio. So who is lucky and who is not? Next time you get up on a school day morning, think about what’s better: begging on the street or going to school and having fun with your friends? Make a wise choice.

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DIRECTORY YOUTH CLUBS Muswell Hill Youth Centre Hillfield Park, Muswell Hill 020 8883 5855 Bruce Grove Youth Project 10 Bruce Grove, Tottenham 020 8808 1604 Wood Green Area Youth Project New River Sports Complex, White Hart Lane 020 8489 8940 / 020 8489 8942 SEXUAL HEALTH 4YP Haringey Tuesday 2.30-4.30pm St Ann’s Sexual Health Centre, St Ann’s Hospital, St Ann’s Road Tottenham N15 3TH 020 8442 6605/6536 4YP Drop-in Sessions: Northumberland Park Monday 3.30-6.30pm Aspire Youth Project, Kenneth Robins House, 240 Northumberland Park Rd, N17 0BX. Wood Green Wednesday 3.30-6.30pm Sky City Community Centre, (Wood Green Shopping City), 65 Penwortham Court, 50 Mayes Road, Wood Green, N22 6SR. 4YP Bus 0800 1613 715 www.4yp.co.uk Young Mums To Be Alexandra Court 122-124 High Road Wood Green 020 8889 0022

STAFF Andreas Koumi Enrico Tessarin Jon Golds Ryan Alexander

Aysha Tegally Flo Codjoe Luke Pantelidou

Outzone www.outzone.org.uk MENTAL HEALTH Antenna 9 Bruce Grove, Tottenham 020 8365 9537 www.antennaoutreach.co.uk info@antennaoutreach.co.uk Host Excel House, 312 High Road, Tottenham 020 8885 8160 LEARNING DISABILITIES Markfield Project Markfield Road, Tottenham 020 8800 4134 DRUGS AND ALCOHOL Step-ahead 40 Bromley Road, Tottenham 020 8493 8525 Turning Point The Old Health Clinic Suttton Road, Muswell Hill 020 8883 8887 HAGA 590 Seven Sisters Road, Tottenham 020 8800 6999 Freephone Child helpline: 0800 389 5257 Haringey Drugs Education Team Family Resource Centre 4 Pulford Road, London N16 6SP 020 8489 2240 HERB ONLINE www.herbonline.info EMERGENCY HOUSING Shelterline 0808 800 4444

David Warrington Gary Flavell Mirella Issaias

is a registered trademark of Exposure Organisation Limited, registered in England no. 3455480, registered charity no. 1073922. The views expressed in Exposure do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. (c) 2005. All rights reserved. ISSN 1362-8585 AWARDS Purple Youth Award for best youth representation website London Electricity Londoner of the Year Award Nationwide Award for Voluntary Endeavour Phillip Lawrence Award Ed & F Man Award for Best London Youth Publication ADVERTISING If your organisation wants to get its message across to young people call 020 8883 0260 PRINTERS Miter Press Ltd, Miter House 150 Rosebery Avenue, N17 9SR Tel: 020 8808 9776

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87% of young people think the media misrepresent them.*

Time to talk back. When theyâ€™re not being labelled as violent, anti-social criminals whose exams are far too easy, young volunteers at Exposure are using words, images and film to show what young people are really like.

Fed up of being stereotyped? Volunteering at Exposure gives you a chance to develop your creative skills, build a portfolio of work, and be a positive influence on the people around you. And it looks good on your CV.

If you want to be a journalist, a designer, an illustrator, a photographer, a web designer, or work in the film industry, Exposure can give you the skills and experience you need to stand out from the crowd.

Express yourself at Exposure. Volunteering at Exposure is FREE. If you are14 to 21 years old, and live in or around Haringey, talk to Gary Flavell by calling 020 8883 0260 or email gary@exposure.org.uk and arrange a time to visit. * Respect? survey, YouthNet and the British Youth Council, 2006.