November in Review

The defining event of this month, both in the news and in peoples experience, has been a unique World Cup, hosted, controversially, in Qatar. The choice by FIFA to award the event to the "semi-constitutional" monarchy caused uproar at the time and the problems have only become more prevalent. The population has swelled due to the migration of nearly 1 million workers to construct the infrastructure needed for the event. Reports suggest that over 6,500 of these have died. The consistent and appalling abuse of human rights has shocked the world, yet little has actually been done to combat these. The fear of on-pitch sanctions has caused many to withdraw from protest, particularly the much touted one love armband. Protests have little effect if we abandon them at the first sign of trouble.

This month has been a significant one for me personally. I took the step into adulthood. Although an arbitrary line, it is one that must be drawn somewhere, and one that we all must cross. In the days and weeks leading up to this, I have found myself facing the future, and I have found this quite daunting. I was exceptionally fortunate to be a part of the Rushcliffe Outstanding Achievement for Youth Awards on the 25th, in my capacity as a member of youth parliament. Seeing the winners of these awards, the way that they carried themselves, their navigation of major obstacles in their lives, I was reminded that all we can control in our experience is our response, not the circumstances which provoke them.

This month has seen the liberation of Kherson, a city that has been under Russian occupation since the beginning of the invasion (around 8 months). This liberation has brought with it numerous instances of war crimes and human rights abuses. And again raises the issue of condemning without taking action, or without taking action if it has no benefit to oneself.

This piece was written by student writer, Oliver

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