Inspire News - Spring Edition 2021

inspirenews SPRING EDITION Book review: I am Malala Mental health awareness Why is LGBTQ+ month so important?

What is activism?

inspirenews SPRING EDITION

To contribute to Inspire News, please contact your teacher.

Welcome to Inspire News!

This publication has been created by budding writers from our family of 14 academies, supported by their teaching teams. At Inspiration Trust, we believe that every child deserves an excellent education. Our family of schools collaborate, support and innovate to give every child the best start in life. We’re proudly committed to improving the standards of education in the East of England.

Message From Our Editor Dena Eden Like schools all across the country, at Inspiration Trust we have had an unusual academic year thus far.

School looked very different in September with year group bubbles and 2 metre distancing – but students and staff adapted quickly; and then everything changed yet again in January when we shifted to remote teaching and learning. Again, our students adapted quickly.

Students from across our high schools have contributed to the publication and in doing so have demonstrated not only true talent and scholarship, but also a real resilience when faced with unexpected and challenging times. The young people I am fortunate enough to work with every day have impressed me beyond measure and I am extremely excited to share their incredible writing with you in this first edition of Inspire News.

DON’T MISS OUT Why you should care about politics!

DON’T MISS OUT The terrible effects of climate change.

See page 18

See page 20

DON’T MISS OUT Some great new music tips!

See page 12

Breakfast visitors Miriam, Jane Austen College

For the ground-feeding birds, just scatter seed or porridge oats on the ground. They also love crushed digestive biscuits and apple slices.

If you are patient enough to watch and wait, you'll get to know which birds visit your garden. They've cheered me up in lockdown - I hope they cheer you up too!

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‘I am Malala' book review

Every morning, even in lockdown, we've had guests for breakfast. Squabbling blue tits, chirping robins, pesky pigeons, even a shy coal tit or two. These are just a few of the birds that come to visit our garden. Many of the smaller birds like to hide in the shrubs and trees: anything sheltered or a bit overgrown.

Beth, Hethersett Academy 'I am Malala' follows a true story of a courageous school-girl on her mission to allow all girls to have the right to education.

Her life is transformed when the Taliban move into her area and from this point, strict rules control how people should live their lives. This includes disallowing women's right to education. However, Malala is willing to stand up for her rights.

Some, like the blue tits and coal tits, love to come to our bird-feeders, whereas a blackbird or dunnock prefers to be fed from the ground. Would you like to have some visitors for breakfast? Here are some simple ways that the birds can be tempted to come to you for their breakfast too:

Knowing it was a true story added to the inspirational feeling of the whole journey.

Therefore, I would recommend this book to 13-15+ year olds because it contains mature content but it is an absolutely necessary read.

Make sure your feeders are relatively high off the ground and near shelter so the birds feel safe.

The easiest things to feed the birds are peanuts and wild bird seed.

During the winter, fat cakes and fat balls go down particularly well, but watch out for the squirrels stealing them!

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Our Feature of the Week The Impact of Covid-19 Dominique, Hewett Academy Covid-19 has had an impact around the world – especially for our education.

From March 2020, public and private schools around the world were ordered to be 'closed.'

been told to stay at home other than for essential reasons such as food, medical appointments and work.

When this all began, we never imagined we would have to be stuck inside for so long. However, this time inside has also given us the opportunity to rekindle relationships neglected with family. The fast-paced lives we were living meant we hardly sat together as a family. Now, we are all sitting and eating together and spending more quality time with people close to us.

UNESCO states that over a dozen countries, including China, Italy and Japan, have shut school nationwide impacting almost 290 million students worldwide. A further nine countries have implemented localised school closures to prevent or contain the spread of Covid19 which means an additional 180 million students having limited teaching input. This means 470 million students will be learning remotely.

So although Covid may be having some negative effects on the world, those of us who are lucky enough to be able to, should continue to protect ourselves and enjoy ourselves and the people around us. We only get one life and we should spend it well.

At the time of writing this article, there had been 3.9 million confirmed cases in the United Kingdom and over 110,000 people have died according to government figures.

During the current lockdown, people have

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Bridgerton Bridgerton

Bethany Smith, Thetford Academy Bethany, Thetford Academy

Does the hit Netflix series 'Bridgerton' send the wrong message to our future 'leading ladies'?

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The original book series written by Julia Quinn has taken the world by storm. No exaggeration is needed when over 82 million households streamed the episodes in 28 days alone. The eight novels follow the courtship fortunes of eight well-to-do siblings. Season one concentrates on the character Daphne Bridgerton (Phoebe Dynnevor) who begins her season courting as her mother's pet project, but who is corrupted by Simon Basset (RegeJean Page) her scandalous love interest.

'Bridgerton' was inspired by the 'Regency Era' (Georgian Years) where flamboyance and extravagance were encouraged.

pet on a lead to show them off. The Georgian wigs may look like poodle hair, but this does not excuse the similarities.

Throughout the eight episodes, women are often objectified and treated as prized possessions. An example of this is at the debutante ball when a possible suitor has to write his name on a dance card and 'wait his turn.' Though men acted politely in public, their indiscretions were hidden in the 'men only' clubs of the era.

The books and the series are fictional in nature; however, is it possible they may teach or encourage modern women to think this behaviour is desirable? The dangerous narrative may encourage young ladies to whine and pine for a man to sweep them off their feet. On TikTok, one trend currently forming is of women dressed in corsets and hoop skirts; is this just a fashion fad or could

Upon viewing, I personally found issues arising and a regression of feminism – particularly the mothers flaunting their eligible daughters to Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel). This pageantry, to a contemporary audience, has 'dog-show' tendencies with an owner holding their

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this be a sign of modern women craving the Georgian era and a man 'to save the day?' This could have potential terrible effects on the feminist movement today.

Back to the story itself: the 'pot stirrer' is a character called Lady Whistledown – an enigmatic and anonymous town gossip who brings London to its knees with their all-knowing scandal sheets.

Many female writers in the 1800s were forced to conceal their identities as it was deemed inappropriate for them to take part in any activities expressing their own voice. Whistledown offers constant narration guiding the audience through the storyline. Having the strong, independent female character driving the story is satisfying and could arguably contradict my concerns about the apparent oppression of women.

Regardless of the possible damage Bridgerton may cause, the production team and script writers have manifested some key pivotal messages within the series. An example of this is their diverse casting. The character Queen Charlotte is meant to represent the real life 'Queen Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz' who is said to have been of African ancestry and the actress therefore accurately reflects this. The series also addresses the male struggle of the Georgian era. Simon Bassett is the Duke of Hastings and epitomises the 'romantic hero' who is uncomfortable and unhappy with the pressures of being a 'superior' being and having to make all the decisions. This is a new perspective on gender roles in Regency Britain; nonetheless, I have little sympathy for the struggles of men at the time.

Whilst watching or reading 'Bridgerton' it is down to the individual to form their own opinion and reach a conclusion about the behaviours of both men and women of the time.

Game review - Minecraft Jacob, Jane Austen College From the pixelated blocks to the highly detailed monuments, Minecraft has it all and more. There are endless possibilities where you can let your imagination run wild. The core functions of Minecraft are: building, crafting, farming, and mining, which can allow you to make better items to eventually defeat the Ender Dragon. The Ender Dragon in Minecraft is the final boss and puts up a tough fight. Minecraft was originally released in 2009 and created by Notch and through the years it has been bought by Mojang and Microsoft with two other games called Minecraft: Dungeons and Minecraft Story Mode.

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Creative Writing Bonnie, Hethersett Academy

The sky was as blue as the lake beneath it, harbouring soft clouds as fluffy as candyfloss. From where I was standing, they seemed like they hadn't a care in the world. The way they were clustered together reminded me of families who are willing to do anything for each other.

The piercing cry of a swallow, perched on the mountain, ripped me from my thoughts. It was so beautiful up there, with moss covering the cliffs and clouds adorning the sky. The most wonderful weather in the world.

Slowly, I gazed down at the glittering lake beneath me. It glimmered in the sun, as if it was daring me to dip my hands in and have a feel. Reflected in it, I saw the people exploring the mountains up above.

I felt as if they were curious about the reason I was down here at the water's edge. Swiftly, birds glided through the air making me feel 10 times smaller. I sighed.

If only I was as free as them.

HAVE YOU GOT A STORY TO TELL? Get in touch with your teacher.

We’d love to hear from you!

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Reviews Our students have reviewed the latest books.

Find out what they think of the hottest releases.

'Divergent' book series Madison, Hethersett Academy Recently, I have started the Divergent series

by Veronica Roth. The series is about a Dystopian society in which there are 5 factions. Tris doesn't fit into only one faction and is therefore 'Divergent.' In the novel's society, at sixteen you have to choose a faction to stay in which is solidified by the saying “faction before family”. Tris takes a wild choice which then forces her to make the hardest choices she's ever had to make.

So far, I would definitely rate this series a five star as it is impossible to put down.

‘Venom'

‘Sawbones'

Eben, Hethersett Academy

Susanna, Hethersett Academy This book is fiction based in Victorian London. In this book, Ezra McAdams is working as an apprentice for a highly respected surgeon. Despite being very grateful to Mr McAdams for saving him from a life of slavery and instead educating him on anatomy and science, he is eager for independence. After an unfortunate incident, Ezra meets the unconventional Miss Loveday Finch and aids her in discovering the truth of her father's mysterious death.

'Venom' by Steve Backshall is a very intriguing but easy to understand interpretation of venom and the creatures that use it. He gives a sense of understanding you don't get with any other naturalist that indicates his passion and vast knowledge of the subject. He is not only a non-fiction writer, he also exceeds outstandingly in his level of description and detail when creating ideas. His fictions aren't a fantasy but more of a treacherous path through today's wild landscapes. In my opinion, Backshall is a truly remarkable and unmatchable writer.

It's a gripping mix of mystery, horror and non-fictional history of science. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.

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Reviews 'Harry Potter' series

I would definitely recommend the movies and books to everyone who asks. My rating is definitely a 10/10. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did.

Rumer, Great Yarmouth Charter Academy I was surprised when I heard that some people in the world haven't seen the Harry Potter movies or read the books. If you haven't seen them, you're actually insane.

Maybe you have seen a bit and haven't liked it. Maybe this review can change your mind.

'Birthday' Sarah, Great Yarmouth Charter Academy I would recommend reading this if you're interested in or part of the LGBTQ+ community as the book focuses on two friends that have known each other since birth. It follows their lives from the age of thirteen to eighteen, and it tracks the life of a transwoman and her friend as they find their true selves and fall in love. I would say it is an emotional, moving book as it made me want to cry. It also would help you support an LGBTQ+ friend and gain an understanding of LGBTQ+ issues.

Harry Potter is a wizard who gets into lots of different adventures. I love the movies because it gives me a certain message. That message is 'don't be afraid'. Sometimes if you're afraid to do something, it probably isn't as scary as it seems. The Harry Potter movies and books have inspired me to be a writer myself. Maybe if you give these movies a chance, you may really like them and it might inspire you to try something new.

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Mental Health Awareness Holly, Hethersett Academy

Mental health is something that many people struggle with and shouldn't be taken lightly. This includes our emotional and social well-being. Our mental health affects how we think, feel and act. This is why it is so important to talk about anything bothering us and express our thoughts and feelings.

Talking about feelings isn't a sign of weakness; it's part of taking charge of your own well-being. You are strong and capable of doing what you want to do and not letting your mental health define you as a person. Here are some ideas for improving your mental health: surprise yourself with positive people who inspire you.

We are currently in yet another lockdown which can make our mental health even more difficult to deal with. Some find it more challenging than others, but my message for everyone is to talk. Talk to those who love and care about you; you might be shocked at how many people you know are going through the same thing. One in four people suffer from mental illness so you are not alone.

get some fresh air – it clears the mind and relieves stress as well as focuses the mind. speak up.

Above all, the most important thing to remember is to not silence your mental health. Your feelings are valid.

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It’s all about the music The Impact of Music Freya, Hethersett Academy Music can promote a positive mind-set and get us ready for the day. Some types of music are calming and can help calm us down whereas others are energetic and can wake us up. Listening to the music that we love produces serotonin which in turn, makes us feel good. Music can also promote good health because it can get us up and moving. If you listen to music when you get ready or when you are having breakfast it can help you have a positive attitude for the day ahead.

Our connection to Music Evie, Hethersett Academy We all have that one song we know off by heart. Whether it's a family song, one that reminds you of a loss of a loved one or one that helps you through a hard break-up, it always triggers the same emotional response.

My recommendations for music to make you feel good...

TPWK (Treat people with kindness) - Harry Styles

Most of us have a private playlist on Spotify because we don't want to share these as it exposes our vulnerability.

Wonder - Shawn Mendes

As it was Mental Health Awareness Week (3rd-9th February 2021), I have listed song suggestions that help me, and may help you through difficult times:

Afterglow - Ed Sheeran Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

'All I Want', Olivia Rodrigo

Here are some new releases...

'Train wreck', James Arthur 'Wondering', Olivia Rodrigo, Julia Lester

The Weekend - Save your tears Willow - Taylor Swift

Now there is only one thing that won't leave our side. It's music.

Gwen Stefani - Let me reintroduce myself

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Sport

The Premier League Caden, Hethersett Academy The premier league is in a state like we have never seen before due to Covid-19.

Surprisingly for both the clubs and the fans, there are unexpected turns as well as massive improvements, especially from David Moyes' West-Ham side, who are coming in to play and beat Tottenham to keep 4th from Lampard.

This has turned out to become a problem because it is stopping Chelsea from gaining the opportunity to play in the Champion's League. Although, there is an incredible comeback from Manchester United who are in second and showing great improvement since Sir Alex Ferguson left the club. Marcus Rashford, Fernandes and Cavany linked up create what Garry Nevil has quoted as an 'unstoppable attack' but they do not

have a winner's mentality; finally, we can't forget Luke Shaw's lately incredible performance.

Main fixtures within the top 5 are: 27th February Man City - West Ham 12:30 28th February -Leicester - Arsenal

12:00

-Sheffield - Liverpool 19:15 -Manchester United - Chelsea

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Why is LGBTQ+ history month important?

Sophia, Hewett Academy

It is important to know that LGBTQ+ people were not allowed to get married in the United Kingdom until 2013 and it was 2015 in the United States of America. Did you know, in some countries, people get punished with execution for dating someone of the same gender? It is still illegal in certain countries and in some religions to be in a relationship with someone of the same gender or to change your gender to how you properly feel.

prison camps. Being able to date your own gender was accepted to some extent in the 1980s but as I mentioned earlier, it was still illegal to marry.

LGBTQ+ History month then celebrates the lives of the people who can finally be happy; it also remembers the wonderful people who fought for LGBTQ+ people to be themselves and be with whoever they want.

In the United Kingdom now, there are many LGBTQ+ groups and clubs to support you if you feel you are unsure or have questions about sexuality and gender. They are welcoming and available to everyone. To find a local group, you can visit The Proud Trust website: https://www.theproudtrust. org/for-young-people/lgbt-youthgroups/where-can-i-nd-a-youth-group

February is LBTQ+ history month. Now, you may be thinking, why do we need it? Well to put it simply, LGBTQ+ people have not always been accepted and it has been a long and difficult journey to ensure LGBTQ+ people in society are treated the same as heterosexual people. For example, during World War II, anyone who was not 'straight' would have been put in Hitler's

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bunch of recommendations on: http://queerbooksforteens.com/resourc es-for-teens/

There are also groups which are more focused on individual sexualities, so you can get the most support from people who feel the same as you!

LGBTQ young people

Did you know that people can figure out their sexuality at any age? Children as young as seven already know that their bodies are not their real gender, or that they identify with more than one gender.

There is more information at this website: https://www.barnardos.org.uk/whatwe-do/supporting-young-people/lgbtq Watch Mike's story. He figured out his sexuality when he was eight or nine. It's very inspirational.

The 'Be You' Project

This group was started within the NHS; it is supposed to help people become part of the LGBTQ+ community and support them in 'coming out' and sharing their sexuality with pride and no shame or embarrassment. To find out more go to: https://thebeyouproject.co.uk/resources/

Books for Queers

Did you know that there are loads of books which share stories about LGBTQ+ and show true diversity? There are a

Creative Writing Mia, Hethersett Academy

Surrounded by nothing but dark and endless water, we wonder how a simple walk turned into a phenomenon. A phenomenon that would change our lives forever.

All of the 15 people on my road have at least one dog. Everyone I've spoken to either found their dog, like me, or bought one from a shop in London.

It was about a week ago when the new rule was put in place. If you had the virus, you and your family were forced by the government to not leave the house. You had to exercise in your house and shopping was to be delivered to you.

Unfortunately, the 5 strains going around were easy to catch and both me and Sage had someone in our family with it.

The virus shutdown process lasts 6 months, so me and Sage haven't been able to see each other for over 3 months.

So we made a plan on FaceTime one night - we were going to sneak out.

Life was pretty normal for us both before the night: we had met in online high school during English and spent the day calling. We have always had a lot in common which is probably why we spent all of our time talking to each other.

In the early days of high school lockdown was simpler: we could meet up almost every day and be near each other. Now we have to be 3 metres away from each other and have to wear masks. Me and Sage don't have many other friends except my dog, Malu. Lots of people have bought dogs since the start of lockdown.

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What is activism?

Joanna, Hewett Academy

Activism is action to make a difference, or stop something happening in society.

It can be trying to persuade a government to change its laws, or trying to make regular people change their actions or beliefs. Activism is making a difference for the better. A well-known form of activism is 'collective action'.

There have been many activists. And perhaps you may know some of them: Martin Luther King Jr. Malala Yousafzai Rosa Parks Mahatma Gandhi Nelson Mandela Emma Watson A. Phillip Randolph Milly Bobby Brown Greta Thunberg

Collective action refers to action taken together by a group of people whose goal is to enhance their conditions and stand up for what they believe in. It is a term that has different forms and theories in many areas of the social sciences including psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science and economics.

And many more!

Social Activists

Activism has taken many forms throughout history. For example: The Civil Rights Movement, The Salt March (lead

by Mahatma Gandhi), the Peasants' Revolt (in British history) and many more revolutionary movements.

Social activists work to promote, guide or impede changes in the government or businesses and influence the actions of people. They build connections among groups and communities and spread information on specific issues to create awareness and influence change.

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Humnitrianas

Why is activism important?

Humanitarians actively engage in promoting human welfare and social reforms. They have no prejudice and fights against human suffering on the grounds of gender, religious or national divisions. Their goal is to save lives, relieve suffering and maintain human dignity.

Activism is important because it helps people fight for what they believe in and can help towards making the world a better place to live in for everyone. To have a part in helping to create a better future, some of the few websites you can go to are:

Feminists

www.youngminds.org. www.unicef.org.uk www.greenpeace.org www.heforshe.org www.worldwildlife.org www.globalvoices.org www.globaljustice.org.uk www.un.org/en/

In the past, feminism was solely about women's rights and women having an equal value as men. But today, feminism is intersectional. This means that feminism can fight for gender equality as well as equality in terms of socioeconomic status, ability, race and sexuality.

Guidance on becoming an activist: https://mashable.com/article/how-to-bean-activist-jamie-margolin/?europe=true

Things to do

We have all been spending much more time at home. I imagine you might be quite bored. What can you do? I'm here to help.

Jacob, Jane Austen College

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Maybe make something? You could make a whole lot of things, depending on what you want to use them for. You could draw or paint something to display on a wall in your house, or you could even recycle items you have lying around to create something!

How about some baking? You could make some cookies or a cake with all of your favourite things on it. If you're not keen on baking, you could help whoever cooks for you and assist them with making dinner, lunch, or breakfast.

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You could speak to the people you live with! Spend time chatting or playing with your siblings or whoever you live with!

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Now is an excellent time to start writing! You can write a book - maybe a novel! Or maybe a drama? You could research something interesting that you're learning about at school, or catch up with homework.

I hope my suggestions keep you entertained!

If you still don't like those ideas, you can do something relaxing like watching television or playing on computer games

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Climate change Tyler, Thetford Academy

Climate change is affecting everyone's lives differently. We, as a nation, produce 5.3tCO2 emissions on average; this is above the 4.8tCO2 average in 2018. This is extremely high and as the younger generation, we will be the people to suffer the consequences of this as will our children to come.

The graph below demonstrates that South Africa is suffering from very high levels of global warming. Humans live here – real people with family and homes - these people are suffering because of our global actions.

In the Maldives the water is rising dramatically at around 0.03 to 0.06 inches per year. This nation has been forced to start building defences from sea erosion. Globally, the sea is rising 0.14 inches per year. We need a dramatic change if we want to save one of our most beloved islands and travel destinations. 10% of the money in the world comes from tourism and it would be a shame to lose one of our most beautiful places on this planet.

Countries in Africa don't produce as much carbon dioxide as the rest of the world but

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still they are suffering the most. The next image shows how much countries are emitting in terms of CO2. We can see that South Africa is emitting less than or 1% of the global carbon dioxide emissions. Other African countries are less developed than South Africa so they will be producing even less.

will have no water. Before the water dries up, flooding will become more common and water will rise to lethal levels.

Buildings will come crashing down - there will be no safe place from this if no further action is taken.

This could happen in a fairly short number of years if we keep increasing the emissions of greenhouse gases. This could happen in our lifetime. We need to cut our emissions now and by at least half in the next year. From there, we will need to slow the emissions down until we are catching more carbon dioxide then we are emitting. I admit, this all sounds terrifying. So what can we do?

As an individual, you can do many things:

We need to drastically cut down our emissions of CO2. We need to think about the whole world and our future. We will soon tip past a point of no return if we do not change our ways. Unfortunately, countries around the world lack political will which means that the rulers or governments are not helping in this climate change catastrophe.

One of the easiest is RECYCLE. Check your products and make sure you are recycling everything you can. Local council websites will help with this if you are unsure!

Essential items. Only buy what you need! Especially food; buy what you need and try to use up leftovers.

You would not like to see your family members suffering or dying. You would not like to see your future children or grandchildren having to deal with the mess we have made. We need to think about what we are doing.

Use environmentally friendly cleaning products – these are available in most supermarkets now.

Re-use items.

Everyone needs to do their part in this world, even if it is the littlest thing. All for one and one for all. Let's stop climate change for the better.

Over the last hundred years, global temperatures have increased by 0.75 degrees; this is at a rate which is threatening to mankind. Life as we know it will start to break down if we don't do something now. Plants will start to die.

What happens to our oxygen then?

Animals will suffer; they will start to perish. We will have no food to eat. Water will start to dry up: lakes and oceans - we

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Why should we care about politics?

Sophie, Thetford Academy freedoms. That is so important for us as young people because politics affects us most of all. Society is constantly changing, and as the next generation to inherit it, we should care about what it is going to look like and how it is going to affect our lives.

There are plenty of examples we can look at. One of the most recently debated being the rights and freedoms of ethnic minorities.

Protests erupted in the United States and here in the UK after police brutality and systematic racism led to the deaths of several black Americans last year.

Politics are important.

Saying that has never made me very popular - especially with the way things are at the moment. But just because a statement is unpopular doesn't make it untrue. Politics are important. Especially for young people.

The rights of individuals are in the hands of those with political power. Women, the LGBTQ+ community, certain religious groups and ethnic minorities have only received equal rights within the last century; for many, the decisions that made their lives legal are still in living memory. Same sex marriage was made legal in 2014 - simply put, same-sex couples have been able to marry for less than seven years.

They may seem like a big, scary and complicated mess that everybody would like to leave alone, but the truth about politics is actually quite simple. In essence, it's this: Men and women who sit in Parliament talking (and sometimes yelling) about the way things are currently before deciding whether or not to change something. That's pretty much it.

Decisions like these have huge impacts.

For us to be in control of who we are, what we believe in, who we love, how we express ourselves and the freedoms we have, we need to care about, pay attention to and involve ourselves in politics. There are lots of things that young people can do, from following the news to forming opinions and simply talking about current events. As long as we care about politics, our lives are ours.

A surprising amount of people my age simply don't care about politics, and that prompts the question - why should we?

There's one reason that I think tops any other and it's this: When you care about politics, you remain in control of your life.

Being involved with and caring about the decisions politicians make means you have control over your life, beliefs and

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