BRIDGE BUILDERS
PAST EVENTS

A PETITION

To The Rt Hon Stephen Timms, MP
Minister for Communications

Dear Mr Timms,

In the spirit of this London Week of Peace, we, the young volunteers of Bridge Builders In Unity, present this petition on behalf of the young people of Newham and on behalf of the young people of London as a whole.

London is a great city in which to grow up.  But, for many of us, it is also a fearful place.  Day by day, we suffer violence on our street and transportation and in our schools, colleges and universities.  Whether students, workers or job-seekers, we are constantly looking over our shoulders.

Police and politicians pay lip-service to peace, safety and security.  But little improves.  We know, because we are the victims of abuse, attacks and murders – terrible onslaughts as we try to build our lives. Too often, it is violence perpetrated by the young on the young.

So we appeal to politicians in central and local government, to educationalists and to those who run our public services, especially the police. 

We appeal for action rather than rhetoric.

We appeal for a strengthening of policing and security measures to protect the young.

We appeal for improved vigilance by staff in our educational institutions.

We appeal for a better, safer society.  We are keen to build it – but our elders must supply the tools to do the job.

In a modest way, Bridge Builders In Unity have brought the police into direct contact with young people in a series of meetings called “Meet The Met”.  As the police are seen as “outsiders”, such contacts are now no longer regarded as “grassing up” culprits but rather as a positive step towards battling crime. 

But we are a charity and our resources are scant.  Despite stringent economic conditions and politicians on all sides signalling cuts in public expenditure, we rely on government to direct more resources in making our city safe.  We need your political will.    

After all, we, the young people of London, are the future.

 

This petition was drafted by the volunteers of Bridge Builders In Unity