Gary's views

Gary's weekly views

Each week an article by Gary has appeared in the Plympton Plymstock and Ivybridge News in South West Devon. The articles are published here

FETES

I have attended 3 summer fetes in the past 2 weeks, with plenty more to come later in the month. Jan and I always enjoy them, not just for the home made marmalade and butterfly cakes, both a particular favourite, but because of the warm expression of community that they encapsulate.

Young and old, rich and poor, the busy and the more sedate, all come together to enjoy a few hours of pottering and pleasure, usually raising money for a very good cause. As ever, the work of organising falls to the same few who work their socks off behinds the scene so that the day will flow smoothly like a grand old river. In this hurtling, often bewildering, rapidly globalising world, it is good to remind ourselves that, despite the awesome achievements of technology, life is still lived locally. It all still comes down to human relationships knitted together, in our families and in our communities.

I am genuinely thrilled at the achievements of the Live8 concerts and the Make Poverty History movement in the run up to this week’s historic G8 encounter. I pay tribute to all of those involved. I pay tribute to Tony Blair in his leadership of this time. I support the move to increase aid and cut debt for many struggling African countries, although I urge all concerned not to forget that no matter how much help we pour in from the outside little progress is sustainable unless there is good governance. We can help with that too.

But while we all now think globally, we live locally. We should help our overseas neighbours but we should also make sure our own communities get the help they need. Not through unwanted projects imposed from on high, not through taking away from communities the need to stand together and help themselves, but in doing what it takes to enable this kind of living to endure.
What is that? If our villages and small towns are to flourish into the future there must be more small-scale affordable housing, dedicated to locals to help them to stay in the community. There must be more help for vital institutions like the post office. There needs to be improved public transport.

It is important, no matter how the world develops, to ensure that local communities have the infrastructure they need to survive.
Give people the tools to do the job and they will do the rest.

posted by Nigel on Thursday, July 14, 2005