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“A life unlike your own can be your best teacher” 

This quote is ascribed to St. Columban; the 6th century Irish missionary and reflects my own life’s journey.

The experiences I had as a volunteer in India with the Salesians of Don Bosco and teaching in China for The British Council remain some of the most formative of my adult life. 

These experiences led me to Malawi where I led a team for Progressio on the International Citizen Service scheme. ICS was built on previous schemes and was launched by David Cameron.  It was inspired by the US’ Peace Corp programme intended to give opportunities to young people who otherwise wouldn’t have them to experience the wider world, learn about the work done in international development, and develop their own skills while doing so. Like all of these kinds of schemes the participants gain far more in experience than we realistically contribute to the programmes visited. From a financial viewpoint this is wasteful, for what that experience can give you; priceless. 

ICS was quietly shut down last month, and now Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO) (who had been the lead partner in ICS) are facing the end of much of their other work. VSO’s experience in connecting skilled professionals with international development over 60 years appears to be the latest victim as this government continues its’ shameful attacks on international solidarity; the abolition of the Department for International Development and the slashing of that budget. Seen as part of the petty nationalist outlook of the current administration this is not a surprise; albeit it is a disgrace to see our country abandon an outstanding soft power asset (if one thinks like a diplomat) and our duty to our brothers and sisters in the global south (if one thinks of our social teaching). 

I fear something far more sinister is happening. Robbing young people of the chance to experience what Columban described be it through the shutting down of ICS, or the choice (and it was a choice) to deny future students involvement in the Erasmus Scheme the government seems set to ensure that those best teachers be put out of reach of our young people. 

I am not someone who believes that everything about other cultures is better; in my travels I have seen things which appalled me, as well as those which inspired. This, surely, is the point of the learning that comes from living amongst another culture. With all this coming in the same week that the government rushed through a policing bill which effectively removes the right to protest it begs the question as to what future this government is planning for our young people? 

Denied the chances to learn from other cultures and denied the right to protest against the injustices this government is heaping upon them.

St Columban – pray for us!