Sisters, we salute you.

Hey Folks!

At this point, I'm sure you're all aware of er...Russia's pussy situation. (okay, stop laughing it's actually quite serious) 

If you haven't, you need to escape from whatever woodland you've been living in, and head over to 

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/pussyriot and http://freepussyriot.org/ pronto!

A balaclava clad Russian punk band, criticizing the Russian Orthodox church (and it's vice like hold over Russian politics) and Putin's regime, has been imprisoned for 2 years on the medieval charge of 'Blasphemy'.

Whilst you may not agree with gatecrashing a church service and singing punk songs, Pussy Riot's message is a far deeper one.

Their aim is to highlight what really happens underneath the veneer of Putin's regime. In recent years Russia seems to have been making small steps of progress towards respecting human rights, but this is clearly a crumbling facade.

Although now cruelly imprisoned, Pussy Riot have achieved their aim. Everyone from Paul McCartney to my Gran is watching Russia's every move, with the message that Russia is wrong, and the hope that Pussy Riot will be freed. 

So, whilst you're drinking a brew, all cosy and warm in bed tonight, spare a thought or two for the martyrs of Pussy Riot, in a freezing prison cell, missing their families, all in the name of free speech and punk rock, whilst Putin relaxes in comfort and grandeur. 

                                                             Girl Power!! 

It's not the winning, it's the free buffet that counts.

Hello Folks!
I take it you all want to know what I've been up to?

Well, other than being up to ears in chemistry revision and having the Scooone/Scon debate with any one who'll listen (Scooone obviously) I went to the guardian offices and the Amnesty UK headquarters on Wednesday for the young human rights reporter of the year competition! That was 2 days I'll never forget, trust me!

4 Yorkshire girls dive head first in to London culture. Yeah, we got lost, yeah we set a carrier bag on fire with my straightners and yeah we went swimming and walked in on a fully naked woman with a beaver like an afro, but we also had an absolutely amazing time! (Yes, that really did happen, I fear it may have left lasting and irreparable emotional damage)

On the day before the awards we travelled up to London, went swimming and had a lovely Italian at Strada which I thoroughly enjoyed.

On the actual morning of the awards we had a journalistic workshop at the guardian offices and generally got treated like V.I.P's!! (Hey, we even got interviewed on camera!) After the workshop wegot a taxi up to the human rights action centre and heard some extremely inspirational speakers, amongst them was Martin Powell, an amazing performance poet, Jack Shenker, a hilarious and empowering journalist, and the lovely Ellie Crissell (who my 8 year old self desperately longed to meet) an ex-newsround presenter.

I was up against Georgia Gilholy, who wrote a really interesting article about Child Brides, and Alice Renynolds who wrote a a powerful article about labour camps in Vietnam. Unfortunately I was only runner up (Alice Reynolds was the deserving winner) but I'm just really honoured to have been there with the cream of British journalism.
It shows that contrary to what the scaremongerers think, the written word isn't dying out, and when used effectively really has the power to change lives. It was also a beacon of hope in a landscape ravaged by the recent collapse of the Murdoch empire.

So if anyone from amnesty or the guardian happens to be reading this blog, I'd just like to say thank you.

Also, here is a photo of me and Ella at the guardian offices for all you nosey people.

If anyone would like to read about the young human rights reporter competition further, here are some links:

  This is my article, (a copy of it also exists somewhere in the archives of this blog, if you fancy digging round) http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/may/14/human-rights-lower-secondary-award1?intcmp=239 

This an amazing piece the lovely Miss Shah wrote about our time at the guardian. (She deserves a medal!!) http://www.guardian.co.uk/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2012/may/15/teaching-schools?newsfeed=true

This is a piece Emily Drabble ( From the guardian teacher network) wrote abut the winning articles: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/may/14/amnesty-human-rights-reporter-competition?intcmp=239

 And Finally, this is a piece about past, previous and future young human rights reporter competitions, and how to enter the 2013 competition, which I strongly suggest you do! 

http://www.amnesty.org.uk/content.asp?CategoryID=12085

Snow flakes from Russia.

Hello there,
I still can't believe that less than 3 days ago, the sun was shining down over all of us, so hot that I burned, and now it's snowing.

The snow is beautiful, it's not sticking yet, but the flakes are raining down thick and fast, in little flurries and swirls. It's made me hibernate in the dark of my room, just watching the snow from my window. I've put all my radiohead albums away, and swapped them for piano music. My trusty telecaster has been downed, and I've dusted off my old acoustic to play Bon Iver songs. I want to be a tiny little embryo again.

Doesn't it look cosy?

Anyway, never mind the old English habit of rambling on about the weather, there are more pressing issues here. If you don't want your little bubble of happiness shattering, look away now. 

Russia. They've done it again. Yep, Russia. Everyone's favourite *coughs* Ex Fascist (sorry, Communist) country. The very same that's indirectly slaughtering thousands of Syrians, the same Russia that's put thousands of innocent people in prison due to it's corrupt political system. Well, Russia have scored again!

They're trying to 'Ban' Homesexual 'Propoganda' (Whatever the hell that is?!)  That basically stops LGBT people from speaking out in public. As the Russian government deems it 'a form of peadophila'. Usually I'd include a link for you to go to take action about this, but sadly the laws have been passed, and with Russia's AMAZING human rights record on freedom of speech, there's not a lot anyone else can do either!

All is not lost though, slightly closer to home, the gay marriage debate rages on, with seemingly no sign of ending. Now I could write pages and pages about gay marriage. I could rant endlessly, but I shall try to restrain my self.  Okay, so some M,P's and religious leaders believe that legalising gay marriage in Britain would 'undermine the institution of marriage'. So Sinead O' Connor can divorce her 4th husband after 16 days, and that's fine, but two people who love each other and happen to be of the same sex, and wish to be married is not? Don't give me a load of crap religious excuses,  LOVE is LOVE.  Has anyone ever asked God about his stance in gay marriage? No. All we have to go on is some moribund religious text that's 2,000 years old. The pope hates gays, and yet he is a man, in a dress. Hypocritical, no?

So, even if we can't help Russia just yet, we can help our folks back at home,  go sign the petition for Equal Marriage in the U.K at http://www.equallove.org.uk/

I promise it will make you a better person.

And for all those who disagree....

Love your inner lesbian.