I recently returned from Paris. The city was full of Olympic buzz, as they prepare to host the event this Summer. Infrastructure taking shape across every renowned Parisan site from the Eiffel Tower to Versaille Palace. Ready for the world to see this incredible city in all its glory. But there was something missing.
The city of love, is apparently not so loving! Homeless people and migrant camps were nowhere to be seen. Social cleansing has become the norm for the Olympics. The UK conducted the same practice ahead of 2012.
Human rights, along with empathy, are not part of the plan when it comes to planning for this global event.
And whilst we allow this act to happen, the problem only gets worse.
Social cleansing creates significant problems:
1. Moving the homeless and migrants from their ‘homes’ causes vulnerable people severe distress. Stress that creates further damage to their mental health and their wellbeing.
2. Homeless charities loose contact with the individuals they are supporting. The homeless individual is now without that much needed support to protect them.
3. Migrants are prevented from being able to process the paperwork they need. They potentially get lost in the system, preventing them from attaining legal status and support.
4. It reduces the ability to support, change and reduce these social issues.
5. It costs money, resources and time, putting added pressure on that country and city.
Hiding problems is not a solution, it just causes further issues.
Society needs to wake up and be confronted with reality.
Seeing the problem and accepting the problem enables empathy, thus enabling an opportunity to create change.
You may argue that seeing people homeless and desperate for asylum isn’t nice?
Of course it isn’t!
But denying there is a problem, is ugly.
It’s unkind.
Events like the Olympics are a powerful opportunity to create a legacy of kindness.
Changing the make up of society not to upset those that are privileged enough to attend the Olympics harks back to the days of Workhouses. As history has taught us, Workhouses weren’t designed to support the most vulnerable as depicted at the time, they were created to remove the poor from the streets for the benefit of those more fortunate. And to use and abuse them, vulnerable men, women and children.
Slave houses, where people went to die.
Social cleansing creates a rose tinted visual of the world, a world we want to see. A visual of how it should be. But removes the opportunity to create that world.
Seeing is believing after all.
Seeing the desperation of homelessness isn’t nice but it evokes thought, discussions, and change.
Much the same as we can’t hide the problems we have a responsibility to resolve in our businesses, we can’t hide them, they won’t go away, they just get bigger.
There’ll be many businesses benefiting from the Olympics, supporting the Olympics, even just posting about the Olympics. Businesses with social policies, businesses who say they support the homeless, poverty eradication and the protection of human life. Businesses saying they are kind but aligning themselves with such significant unkind action.
But businesses have a platform to challenge this Olympic event, and support the eradication of social cleansing.
To enable kindness.
The best sport of all.
www.kindcurrency.co.uk