Youth offenders unit moving to east dulwich rd

[Jeremy]

LadyDeliah, are you suggesting something which will just give the kids a good understanding of the legal system, or a formal education leading to qualifications?

It sounds like an excellent idea, but you may hit a brick wall if they don't already have a good level of basic literacy.

[LadyDeliah]

I think both Jeremy.

I only managed to get my law degree because I found law fascinating and was passionate about the subjects I studied.

There are lots of ways to educate people, but I think kids who are not interested in more traditional education can come to love studying if they have their interest sparked and it has some relevance to their every day lives.

I think to spark an initial interest it would probably have to cover stop and search, some of the criminal laws etc that they see every day.

Then I could maybe get them interseted in constitutional law and how the whole legal system fits into the wider scheme of things, so show them that there are ways of fighting injustice if you really want to, without resorting to violence.

Some of the best lawyers I have ever seen are tenacious and fearless so I wonder if this might be a way of chanelling the same attributes in the disenfranchised youths.

They don't need to become barristers or solicitors to benefit from some legal education, I think it helps with all round critical thinking and finding alternative ways of doing things.

[LadyDeliah]

I also echo what Peckhamgatecrasher said, email the Peckham Settlement people on [email protected] if you want to help in some way as they are helping to co-ordinate all the disparate groups.

[DJKillaQueen]

I can vouch for the good work of XLP. Have done some mentoring work for them in the past. Maybe the good to come out of recent events will be that more people are now aware of the need to get involved and make a difference to these young peoples lives. They may not be 'our' kids biologically, but they are the kids of 'our' community. You know that saying 'it takes a village to raise a child'? Never was it more apparent.

I think your idea LadyD is great and it might also help young people to see how they can in the long tem get into positions where they can change things too. Part of the belief system of these kids is that it really is them against the rest of the world - that nothing will ever change. The right kind of empowerment is as much a part of aspiration as anything.

[languagelounger]

I just caught the tail end of an interview on BBC R4 World Tonight with a chap whose name sounded like Gavin McKenna, sounded very impressive on this, considerably more to the point than either Cameron or Miliband, he said his org lacked funding.