Topic: Community

Climate change is a global pressing issue. It affects everyone, irrespective of their religious beliefs. But in this film we are focusing on the viewpoints on the climate crisis from the Buddhist community. How does Buddhism tackle climate change and what are some of the steps they are taking help alleviate the problems we are facing.

Check out our other Climate Change films from the series:

https://www.truetube.co.uk/resource/climate-anxiety

https://www.truetube.co.uk/resource/climate-change-multi-faith-views

Transcript

Climate Change: Buddhism

Sean: A Zen Buddhist is a tradition of Buddhism where there's a focus predominantly on meditation. The word Zen actually comes from a Sanskrit word, dhyana, and a Chinese word, chan, and it means meditation. So it's practicing Buddhism through meditation. Zen Buddhism Buddhism in general is not particularly a belief system. So Buddhism itself is kind of some guiding principles that are about people discovering their true nature. And the end result of that is to try and end suffering. So Buddha taught that life. Life is suffering. It contains suffering, old age, illness and death, and that there is a path through practice, through meditation, through how we live, whereby we can bring an end to the suffering we might experience. That doesn't mean that we won't die, but it means that we don't need to actually suffer. There is no distinction between it being the suffering of humans, or the suffering of plants, or the suffering of animals. As a practitioner of Zen Buddhism, my aim, as grand as it might seem, is to end the suffering of all beings. So you can't practice that without being concerned about nature.

David: Basically, from a Buddhist point of view. Humans and nature are completely interdependent, but isn't very much about that. All things are interdependent with each other. So if we if we harm the natural world, we are harming ourselves. If we take care of the natural world, then we're taking care of ourselves. It's very simple. Of course, the Buddha, when he became enlightened, he was meditating underneath a tree. So he had great respect for trees. And actually, in a lot of Buddhist countries, there are Buddhist movements protecting trees and protecting rivers and things. It's always been very important in Buddhism. We follow Tibetan Buddhist traditions, Himalayan Buddhist tradition. It's a very, very fragile ecosystem there. So the people that are extremely environmentally conscious, and that's all part of, you know, the Buddhist practice.

Bell: What I was saying earlier in my meditation to myself is nothing is anyone's and everyone is each other's. And I think that's a pretty spiritual way of looking at nature, I guess the oneness of it. That's what I'm trying to say. That there's no distinction between nature and you and you and nature and me and you and. Yeah, we've made distinctions and it's not very helpful.

Sean: Buddhism and activism. There's been a lot written about it, so a term that resonates with me is Engaged Buddhism. So what can be a Buddhist and sit on a cushion and meditate and kind of hope that being a good person influences other people, and that will happen and it will ripple out. But then there is also a practice of saying, is that enough? Do you also need to get off the cushion and be visible and be a voice that stands up? So not taking life is one of the Buddhist precepts, but standing by while other life is taken isn't something that aligns with that either. So many Buddhists. Might struggle a bit. Finding the balance. There's a balance between doing something that is ultimately spiritual and something that's just very practical and worldly. But the two of them can't really be separated. My teacher's teacher describes Zen as a sword that cuts two into one. So this is about bringing the ordinary everyday world and the spiritual together and not seeing them as two separate things. So to be a good Zen Buddhist and a good Zen Buddhist teacher, which is what I try to be. You can't do that on your cushion alone. Do it on the cushion, and you do it out in the street and in the real world where people aren't, and certainly Extinction Rebellion Buddhists. It's a great family of people from all different Buddhist traditions who are aligned in that thinking that we must do more than just meditate at home.

Bell: The overlap between climate activists and Buddhists. Big Venn diagram, big overlap there. I actually didn't know about the Extinction Rebellion Buddhist group until yesterday, and I have morphed over to it. And I've really enjoyed it. I found it really powerful because I automatically feel a connection to other bidders, even if I don't know them. There's a mutual understanding I feel at home. And to add on top of that, that everyone's here because they care about the climate. A lot of Buddhist ethics are about not doing harm, acting with deeds of loving kindness, being generous, being kind, being acting with integrity and authenticity. All of these things are the kind of things that everyone here is displaying, not just the Buddhists. I think Buddhists can bring something to climate activism that is needed. And I think that's this really beautiful way that we can display how we're channeling rage and anger into a peaceful and calm way of doing it.

David: I think it's everybody's responsibility to look after the planet. We can't leave it to the government because the government is just a really projection of the mind of all the people. So if people are not being environmentally conscious, we're not going to get an environmentally conscious government. Um, we all depend on each other. We depend on the animals, we depend on the plants, we depend on the whole ecosystem. Um, and we can't there's nobody up there who's going to do it for us. So unless everybody takes responsibility, it's not going to happen.

Climate Change: Buddhism

Video length - 06.08

Published date - Apr 2024

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

A short film following the experiences of two young women’s neurodivergence (Autism and ADHD) and the difficulties they encountered in the education system as they journeyed to understand themselves. This documentary highlights the issues surrounding diagnosis for women and girls in the UK and was created in partnership with the BFI during the BFI documentary residential 2024.

Transcript

Not So Typical

Ruby: As a kid, I didn't really realise that I thought differently and I felt differently. I just felt like a bit of an outsider at times, and I felt like I didn't fully have control in how I was behaving and how I was feeling as much as other people did.

Eva: I had so many friendship issues in school. Um, primary school and secondary school specifically because I wasn't diagnosed, I ended up calling myself a nomad friend. I would move from group to group. I actually struggled really badly with bullying. That period of my life of just being like, I can't change who I am and you're bullying me for it. I got really upset.

Ruby: I remember always feeling like I couldn't settle into a group in school. I got bullied quite badly through like year 7 to year 9 and that was all surrounding, like how I was like, and I never really fully understood it. But people were just always like, you're too much like you're too loud. You're too intense. If I didn't do my homework, it was because I was lazy or my attendance was really low because I couldn't be bothered to come into school kind of thing. Whereas there was actually like an issue that was going on that was just completely undetected. I was diagnosed with ADHD at 17 years old. I think when it came to getting my diagnosis, it took quite a long time. There's always waiting lists. I started looking into getting the diagnosis at around 15, and I didn't actually get my formal diagnosis and assessment until I was 17.

Eva: I was diagnosed with autism when I was 16, a month before my 17th birthday. My brother's diagnosis was the spurring point of mine. Girls are diagnosed later than boys, especially with autism and a lot of medical conditions. When they first did the research on the topic, they only did it on white boys. They only use them as their subject, and so their symptoms, in a way, are the ones that they look for.

Ruby: I actually don't really know how I got through school with it being undetected by teachers, because I think, to be honest, like when I look back, I was quite textbook ADHD. I am someone that can't sit still. I've always been fidgety. There's a lot of issues with concentration. I've just felt very misunderstood at school and feel like when you're not made for the society that we live in, you are isolated within such a massive group of people and it can feel like so detrimental to like your mental health. When I think about it, it makes me feel really sorry for that girl, because at the time I was only like, you know, 14, 15 and when you feel like you don't fit into like society, like society was not built for you, you like, you have no other place to go.

Eva: Primary school. I used to cry in a corner when I was overwhelmed, and it was a corner because no one could come behind me. I was safe, no one could touch me. I was there, but it was a lot of almost loneliness. At secondary school I just hated the noise. It was always really loud and so I liked to sit outside, even if it was raining, because it's not noisy outside.

Ruby: When I actually got my diagnosis. I remember speaking to my mother was being like, it's crazy that that was never suggested to us. I got tested for bipolar, I got tested for all sorts of things, but they never even thought about it.

Eva: I find with a lot of people I've spoken to, they're like, oh, they said I had borderline personality disorder. They said I had bipolar. Um, and they get all these misdiagnoses because everything had been done for men. Why aren't we talking about something that half the population of the world goes through or will go through in their life?

Ruby: I think when it comes to women, there is a lot of issues when it comes to getting diagnosed because women's ADHD can manifest in such a different way. I think because women in general kind of have to put on a facade anyway. We're used to performing. That's constantly what I've been doing my whole life. When I was a child, I was always told I was bossy. So then I think I then internalised that and I was like, I can't be that because people don't like bossy women. So yeah, I definitely tried to be something I wasn't, but then that made it so that I was just struggling inside. Whereas now, like I viewed the world just completely differently after I got my diagnosis.

Eva: My diagnosis did empower me. It kind of gave me a reason, and with a reason I could go about doing the things I wanted to do. It definitely gave me freedom, and I feel like I found empowerment in the freedom.

Ruby: I'm so much healthier with my mind. I'll take up however much space I need.

Not So Typical

Video length - 06.03

Published date - Apr 2024

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

The climate crisis is having a deep impact on the world around us, how we live our lives and how we feel. With a global increase in web searches of the term ‘climate anxiety’ (up by 4,590% from 2018-2023) this film is a timely exploration of the emotional effect of climate change through one individual’s remarkable true story.

Joycelyn Longdon (Climate in Colour) takes us on her journey across the intersection between social action and climate activism, shedding light on the urgent need for change and deepening our understanding of the intricate relationship between the environment and our well-being. She answers the question, ‘what is ‘climate anxiety?’ And can we cure it?”

Check out our other Climate Change films from the series:

https://www.truetube.co.uk/resource/climate-change-buddhism

https://www.truetube.co.uk/resource/climate-change-multi-faith-views

Transcript

Climate Anxiety

Joycelyn: I've always been interested in nature and the environment. Like any Brit, I grew up watching nature programmes on TV. However, I lived in London where I didn't have much access to nature, but there was a local meadowland where I used to go running.

I remember going on a trip when I was younger to Northern Ireland. We visited an ancient wood and it was there that for the first time I felt a deep connection to nature, so when my friend invited me on a march for nature, it seemed like the right thing to do.

At the climate march, maybe I was a little naive, but I didn't realise the extent of climate change.

I felt overwhelmed by the information on the signs and banners. The people there were not like me, and it was a shaming experience where a lot was expected of me and I left it feeling isolated and I didn't belong.

I felt lost. I wanted to do something, but I didn't know how I could get involved. How do I break into the space? If this is who climate activists are, if this is what I meant to be like, then I don't fit in.

Often when we are presented with a threat, it triggers one of three responses fight, flight or freeze. Many people feel so overwhelmed by the threat of climate change, they freeze up and become apathetic or immobilised. Many want to run away from the problem. To ignore it. To dismiss it. To tell themselves it's not real or won't be that bad, or that some invention will save us, but I have always been someone who, if they see an injustice or something wrong in the world, I am motivated to fix it.

But what am I meant to do as an individual? How do I get involved? I felt like an outsider. Okay, so I'll change what I can. Food. Clothing. Travel. But others were not doing the same, and this felt stressful and frustrating and my climate anxiety was still there.

My thoughts were telling me I could always do more. I always do. Could always do more. I could always do more. The overwhelming feeling, the racing thoughts, the tight chest, the constant questioning and blaming myself and if I was doing enough was making me depressed.

The climate crisis is a huge topic. It is affected by and affects so many different aspects of the world, from environmental to social to economic to political. It's clear that seemingly small changes can have a huge impact on someone somewhere in the world.

For every tree felled, every half a degree of temperature rise, there will be worse hurricanes, wildfires or floods, which may devastate someone's home, because climate change is such a broad issue. I worry I'm not using my skills in the right area.

At its very worst, this causes me to feel overwhelmed and like I want to disappear. I knew from past experience that exercise is a great way to combat these feelings. Exercise releases chemicals and hormones into the brain that affect how you feel, which can help us to feel less stressed and more clear headed.

Another thing I found helpful was the switch off to stop thinking about it, to take a break and to escape either through a good book or film, or by going for a walk, especially in nature.

Nature has been proven to have an incredibly calming effect when I go for a walk in nature, whether that's in a park or a local word. I don't listen to music. I try to notice the world around me the birds, the sounds, the plants, the trees, and try to stay present with it and realise I am a part of nature, but my climate anxiety was still there.

Talking about concerns and worries was also very important, but it took me a while to realise the best way to do this. I would talk to my friends about the climate crisis, but we would easily fall into a spiral of oh, isn't this bad? Or did you hear about this negative climate news story? And sometimes talking about it can feel like action, but it isn't.

It is important to share those feelings and to get them off your chest. But now what I found is that if we talk about it in terms of ideas or solutions, by sharing groups or campaigns which are tackling these issues, then together we can turn those feelings into action, but my climate anxiety was still there.

This was because I didn't realise that climate anxiety is also a result of a failure of the systems of power, from government to big business that impact us all.

At the same time, I'd become aware of racial justice issues around the world and thought, what can I do? How can I help people of different races being treated unfairly throughout the world? I set up a group of creatives called Black and Black and I wrote articles, I designed leaflets, and I organised events. The more I learnt, the more I realised that racial justice and climate justice are linked.

People in other countries who had contributed the least to cause climate change, suffering the worst effects of it. I found this deeply unfair. I found a way in to the climate movement. And my voice and my identity not only belonged, but a useful. The skills I developed through racial justice campaigning are the same ones needed in the campaign for climate justice.

We put so much emphasis on looking to one person, one hero to save us, whether that's Greta Thunberg or whoever. But some people believe that if they're not doing as much, they have no right to be involved.

But no one action will change the world, and no one person is so important that without or with them, they would bring an end to climate change. It will take all of us. Each of us doing what we can together.

They say that action is the antidote to anxiety, and it's not just a phrase. So I set up an Instagram account called Climate and Colour. I never expected it to grow in the way it has, which made me realise I was not alone.

I used to worry that I didn't have a purpose or have the ability to make a difference. So I did something about it. I decided to do a PhD to become a doctor in Conservation technology, looking at how tech can monitor changes in forests and improve the variety of animals within them, with the hope that if I can work with local communities to help protect wildlife, I'll be making a difference.

I know that my climate anxiety is not cured. It will not go away permanently, but I now know that it's a perfectly normal response to climate change. Not only is it normal, but I'm proud of it because it shows I care.

I now use my climate anxiety as a tool. I do not let it depress me or overwhelm me, but to empower me and motivate me. It motivates me on my journey, a journey that has taken me to some amazing places and to meet some inspirational people.

I have been privileged enough to speak on panels, and to decision makers and world leaders about the climate and biodiversity crisis, but I now know that no single individual can do it all, and it's important not to think that as an individual, all of the responsibility lands on my shoulders, because no one can be a perfect activist, and it's important to be tolerant and to recognise and respect others.

Everyone is on their own journey and their own path, and what works for you might not work for others. So I try to live my life and lead by example.

When I started my journey on that March all those years ago, I felt like I didn't belong. I felt shamed and made to feel guilty that I wasn't doing enough. But now those marches are much more diverse, and there are so many different groups representing so many different aspects of the climate crisis. But you don't just have to attend climate protest to be actively doing something for the climate.

You can help researchers by surveying the bird or insect species in your garden. You can find out about tree planting organisations and volunteer days near you. Whatever your passions and interests, there will be a space for you in the climate movement.

So just think what you could do. But remember that you're not on your own. We won't solve the climate crisis with individual action alone. You can be part of a wider movement of people pushing for the change we need, and be proud of your climate anxiety and let it lead you to action.

At the climate march, maybe I was a little naive, but I didn't realise the extent of climate change.

Another thing I found helpful was the switch off to stop thinking about it, to take a break and to escape either through a good book or film, or by going for a walk, especially in nature.

This was because I didn't realise that climate anxiety is also a result of a failure of the systems of power, from government to big business that impact us all.

Everyone is on their own journey and their own path, and what works for you might not work for others. So I try to live my life and lead by example.

Climate Anxiety

Video length - 09.15

Published date - Nov 2023

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Step into the vibrant celebration of Bandi Chhor Divas with our latest film. This film immerses you in the rich traditions and cultural significance of this special occasion. Bandi Chhor Divas, is a Sikh holiday that coincides with Diwali, the festival of lights. It commemorates the release of Guru Hargobind Ji, the sixth Sikh Guru, from imprisonment in the historic Gwalior Fort.

“Bandi Chhor Divas” is a captivating exploration of tradition and faith, making it a valuable resource for educators, students, and anyone interested in celebrating and understanding the beauty of cultural festivals.

Transcript

Bandi Chhor Divas

Davina: Waheguru ji ka Khalsa, Waheguru ji ki fateh.

My name is Davina Kaur.

Arvinda: My name is Arvinda Singh.

Hello, my name is Harwinder Singh.

I'm here today at the Park Avenue Gurdwara in Southall.

And today is Bandi Chhor Divas.

Narrator: Every autumn, Sikhs all over the world celebrate the festival of Bandi Chhor Divas,

which means “The Day of Liberation”.

They get together at the Gurdwara

the Sikh Temple

to worship, to eat, and to set off fireworks!

Bandi Chhor Divas is celebrated on the same day as the Hindu festival of Diwali,

and the two are sometimes mixed up,

but for Sikhs, the day marks a very special moment in their history…

Harwinder: Today is the day of Diwali,

which is a festival celebrated by many people,

predominantly Hindus,

but also some Jains, Sikhs and some Buddhists commemorate the day.

Sikhs celebrate on this day

the Bandi Chhor Diavs,

which is the date that we call the Day of Liberation.

Narrator: 400 years ago, India was ruled by the Emperor Jahangir.

He was an incredibly vain man

who liked everyone to think he was a good Muslim,

but he drank wine, smoked opium,

and never made a decision without consulting his astrologers

all things that Muslims are not supposed to do.

Paintings of Jahangir stared down from every wall of his palace,

and all the courtiers had to wear a portrait of him around their necks.

If anyone else became important or popular, he got very jealous.

This might be why he hated Guru Arjan so much.

The Sikh leader was attracting more and more followers to the city of Amritsar,

and the rumour spread that he was building an army to overthrow the Emperor.

Jahangir took the gossip seriously

and ordered a courtier called Chandu Shah

to arrest Guru Arjan and throw him in prison.

But Chandu Shah was a very cruel man,

and took delight in slowly, horribly, torturing Guru Arjan to death.

Just before he died,

Guru Arjan announced that his son would be the next Guru,

the sixth leader of the Sikh people.

His name was Hargobind,

and he was just 11 years old.

Guru Hargobind decided that -

in order to survive - the Sikh people should learn how to defend themselves.

He used two swords to explain the new direction his leadership would take. He named the sword on his right Bidi, which means heaven, and it represented that he would continue to be the spiritual leader of the Sikh religion,

but the Sudanese left was named Mirai, which means Earth, to represent that he would also be a political leader of the Sikh community and fight for their rights. Over the next few years, the Sikhs became a formidable fighting force and Emperor Jahangir realised that he'd made a big mistake. He had Guru Gobind Singh Ji brought to the royal court to make it clear who is in charge. But by now the guru was a grown man and not easy to intimidate. So the Emperor pretended he wanted to be friends with the young guru instead.

A huge hunting party was laid on, and they set out to track down a rogue lion that had killed several people. They'd got it cornered when suddenly the lion broke cover and leapt straight for Jahangir. Guru Gobind Singh slammed his shield into the lion's head, followed up with his sword, and the lion fell dead.

General Shah was worried. Jahangir and Guru Gobind Singh Ji were really becoming friends, and the emperor might be persuaded to punish the person responsible for Guru Arjun. Their death and that meant trouble.

When Jahangir became ill, General Tendulkar saw his chance. He forced the royal astrologers to tell the emperor that the illness was due to an inauspicious alignment of the stars or something, and that the only way to be cured was to send a holy man to the fort at Gwalior to say special prayers. The holiest man Jahangir knew was Guru Hagopian Singh.

So, as Tendulkar had anticipated, the young guru was given the mission, but the Gwalior Fort turned out to be a jail where political prisoners, anyone who disagreed with Jahangir, were held captive.

There were 52 Hindu princes locked up within its walls, and on Chandu Shah's orders, Guru Gobind Singh was forced to join them. When Jahangir eventually recovered from his illness, he demanded that Guru Gobind Singh Ji should be released. But the guru refused to leave the fort unless the Hindu princes were also given their freedom. Jahangir didn't want a Sikh revolt on his hands, so he came up with a compromise. Guru Gobind Singh would be released, and as many princes who could hold onto his cloak as he passed through the narrow gateway would be allowed to leave the fort with him.

A large crowd waited outside for Guru Gobind Singh Ji to appear. Finally, the gate opened and there he was. But how many of the princes had managed to keep a hold of his cloak for five? Six, maybe. Following behind Guru Gobind Singh. All 52 of the princes emerged from the fort, each holding onto a tassel of an enormously long and flamboyant cloak that the guru had got specially made for the occasion.

Jahangir blamed Chandu Shah for the whole fiasco, including the death of Guru Arjun, but the Empress friendship with Guru Gobind Singh Ji never recovered. The guru was given a hero's welcome when he returned to Amritsar on the day of the Hindu festival Diwali in 1619, and every year since then, Sikhs have celebrated Bundi. Shortly was the day of liberation.

This and Diwali are two separate festivals in their own right. From the time of the sixth Guru Nanak freedom from prison onwards, six began to celebrate Bundi short lives alongside Diwali, and so the festivities differ quite starkly.

Everyone who comes to the goodwill shows their respect to God and the gurus by bowing down to the Guru Granth Sahib ji, the Sikh holy book. The very first copy of the Guru Granth Sahib ji, known as The Adherent, was put together by Guru Arjun, the father of Guru Har Gobind Singh. Then there is food, vegetarian food, which is given out for free to all visitors in a big dining hall called a Langer Hall. The people cooking and serving the food and clearing up afterwards are all giving their time for free as well. And this is called seva, which means selfless service.

Harwinder: What most of us try to do is remember that the guru was a political prisoner, and how even to this day, there are political prisoners around the world who are incarcerated and their freedoms are being kept from them. So on this.

Davina: Day, we come together to celebrate the occasion as well as this. For those who are interested in the history side of it, we also partake in political conversations. The whole point of the reason why we celebrate it was because Guru Gobind Singh celebrated the fact that selflessness, humility, being politically minded, thinking about living in a world, trying to make it just, and for us, it's a key element, is merely petty.

Davina: The fact that we should be spiritual and also remove ourselves from the material world and illusions, but also within the world, make it better for the good of others. One reason why this celebration is really important is because regardless of whether you're a Sikh, a Hindu and Muslim, a Catholic Jain, it's the same message coincides with an all face. The fact that we should be political, we should be helping each other. We should be sharing the message, having that commonality, that unity, having peace, prosperity and fairness.

Narrator: As night falls. Candles and little lamps called divas are led to celebrate Guru Singh's return home to Amritsar. And the victory of light over darkness. And later on, there are fireworks.

Interviewee 1: Bandi Chhor Divas is showing that light will be over darkness in all forms.

Interviewee 2: Both Diwali and Bandi Divas. They are both based on freedom. Well, it's usually the victory of good or evil. That's what it's all about.

Interviewee 3: I'm here to celebrate the Diwali and Bandi Chhor. So Diwalli is basically the festival of light. And when guru, the sixth guru, he came and came out and he took everyone with him. And it shows like you have to be free and everything. And that's why I came to the Gurdwara with my family, to celebrate and celebrate with your friends and family and prayer in the temple. It's important to us because it's our religion and like we do fireworks.

Davina: We're here to pray, meditate, enlighten, but also help others and not just be. As an individual in this world, but as a community within this whole world. Why Guruji made it all and all is his and that is where we want to return to. That is where we've come from. So it's the fact that seeing that commonality between us all are reminding ourselves that we have a voice. We should use that voice. We should help others. But for justice, equality and tool that has reached, we have not yet reached our purpose.

Bandi Chhor Divas

Video length - 09.28

Published date - Nov 2023

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Roots of Carnival celebrates London’s annual carnival held in Notting Hill – a perfect resource for Black History Month. It features a host of voices from those who attend the event and those who help organise it. Made in conjunction with the BFI Documentary Residential.

Transcript

Roots Of Carnival

Zephaniah : Carnival is family.

Khirleasha :Fun. Freedom. Cultural.

Sherma: It's very exciting.

Carnival is part of the roots of Notting Hill. Carnival started because black people who came from Caribbean to Ladbroke Grove, and that is why Carnival happened in Notting Hill and not anywhere else. It goes all around Notting Hill, comes right back around in a circle, goes through Queensway, Bayswater and up to Kensal Rise.

Leslie: Where Carnival celebrates the freedom of the enslaved people - The African people remember the old African traditions and mixed with the French traditional costumery, or characters in the carnival, they express themselves, and after today, it's an expression of freedom.

Sherma: Merle Major is a woman that started Carnival in Ladbroke Grove, and she's also a political activist in the community.

Khirleasha : For Caribbean people, the police were very rough with us and the area was very rough in itself, rough in terms of housing. So the black people did not get any decent housing, although they were invited to come here to fill the labour market gap that was left after the war.

The reason it's important to tell Merle Major's story is because Merle Major had a duty of care to the community where young people really trusted her and they felt safe in her company.

She's like a leading figure within the Ladbroke Grove community. She was well respected in the black community.

Sherma: She wanted to give them that safe place that they could come to and tell her their problems, and she would help them with housing.

For anything that was difficult for them, she was there to help them. So when we had Carnival, Carnival was to help people to make something, be creative, do this, do that, everybody get involved. People started to hear about Carnival. Bigger, more bigger stars started to come over, you know, big bands, and it just got bigger and bigger. And, you know, nobody really wanted to go home. Nobody thought that even Carnival was going to turn out like this.

Khirleasha : Carnival is everything. We live for Carnival all year round. Even right now we're doing a countdown. We're like, "what are we gonna wear for Carnival?" It just means everything. It's like it just brings so much happiness.

Sherma: You wake up and you get this, you hear this music and you think, 'I'm sleeping', and then, "'what is that noise?" And then all of a sudden - you think, "it's Carnival!"

Zephaniah: It's just a big mood. That's all I can call it. Like, it's vibes. It's euphoric and you'll be family.

Sherma: It's made a lot of money. It's brought people together. The whole community comes out now. They sell their food and anything. Their culture is all involved. It's a really beautiful thing.

Khirleasha: To someone who had never been to Carnival before, I would say it's like a big party in the street.

Vaugnie: It's gonna be your best time. You're going to have the time for your life.

Khirleasha: It's like a big festival in the street.

My favourite thing about Notting Hill Carnival is just how different London looks when it's happening.

Corey: I'd say my favourite part about Carnival is the music and definitely the food.

Khirleasha: The way that, all of the streets get boarded up. The fact that the road just looks completely different because there's no cars, people are just walking in the road. It just feels so free.

Zephaniah: I've been to Carnival in London. I've been to Carnivals in Berlin, Germany, and also Trinidad.

Vaugnie: The Carnival is longer in Trinidad. And here (London) it's just two days.

Corey: I'm out with a with a friend from near where I live, but by the time I got there, you know, like you get five minutes in and you've lost them already.

Khirleasha: I fell asleep. I got so tired from the walk in with our mass band that we had like a bus. You know, sometimes there's like floats and buses. So we had a bus going behind us, and my parents just put me in the bus and I just fell asleep, and then I woke up and I couldn't see my parents and they were outside still walking, but I was like freaking out because I was like, "where's my mum, where's my dad?"

Zephaniah: The moment you turn left and turn your head, your best friend, your sister, your cousin, they are gone.

Khirleasha: It was funny because it's just like - the other thing I love about Carnival is it's just full of aunties and uncles. I feel like there's always people there that just want to look out for you.

Jubilee is festival of colour.

You need to make sure you cover your hair because everyone's throwing paint, powder, baby powder, flour. I love Panorama. I love to hear the Steelpans. I can sit there and just listen to it all day. There's all these different groups and they all battle it out. I just love it. I think it sounds so sweet. Like a pan beating. It's amazing. I love it.

Sherma: Caribbeans were like Trinidadians, so Trinidadians were into Calypso. I mean, we all know Jamaicans like reggae, but they also are involved in the carnival now as well. They have Soca. It spreads everywhere now.

For us, it's the masquerade and it's going with the floats, it is the dressing up, it's going in costume and parading for the day, you know what I mean? Like, that's unity.

Zephaniah: I want it to just remain wholesome and be what it is. You know what I mean? I want the message to always be there and just never leave. So it's carried on through my children's children's children's children, you know? I mean, everyone can have fun. You know what I mean? But go and experience the culture and see what it's actually about and you will have a better understanding of what Carnival is and what it stands for.

Khirleasha: That's it.

Zephaniah: Come on, man.

Sherma: Thank you. Thank you.

Roots of Carnival

Video length - 06.00

Published date - Oct 2023

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Climate change is a global pressing issue. It affects everyone, irrespective of their religious beliefs. In this film, viewpoints on the climate crisis are explored and we hear about how different faith communities are coming together and focusing on what binds them together to help combat some of the problems the world is facing. The film features representatives from Faith for the Climate, Islamic Relief and Christian Aid.

Check out our other Climate Change films from the series:

https://www.truetube.co.uk/resource/climate-anxiety

https://www.truetube.co.uk/resource/climate-change-buddhism

Transcript

Climate Change: Multi-Faith Views

Shanon: Today we have set up an interfaith stall in lower marsh in London in front of the offices of Islamic Relief UK and Christian Aid, who are both members of Faith for the Climate. They are part of the network with the support of our other members as well, from Buddhist, Hindu and Sikh and other Christian backgrounds and Muslim backgrounds. And we're trying to get people to understand that rich governments and big polluters in the world need to do more to support the communities in the worlds that are suffering from the worst impacts of climate change, especially since they've done the least to cause it. So this campaign is called Make Polluters Pay, and it's about paying up for the loss and damage that's suffered in these other communities in the world. And so often in the news headlines, we see how faith can become a divisive force in the world. But what we know is a network that's doing work on the climate emergency is that there are people of every single faith who want to come together for purposes like this to save the planet for environmental justice. And they come based on different teachings in their faith traditions. So the Buddhists in our network talk about their belief in the interconnectedness of all life. The Hindu based traditions talk about non-violence. The Muslims will talk about the need to respect balance or misran in creation or the trusteeship of God's creation. The Christians will talk about good stewardship. The Jews will talk about tikkun olam or the need to repair the world. And lots of pagans in our network will basically worship nature. When everyone comes together and shares these different teachings, they realize that even though we come from quite different backgrounds, we do have a common purpose. I actually used to work with an oil and gas company in Malaysia, and this is how I saw firsthand how the fossil fuel industry causes environmental damage and then tries to wash its hands off it. There is a concept in Islam that's really important for me personally, which is torba repentance, and there's always hope if you repent. So actually doing climate justice and human rights work, for me, it's now a kind of repentance from having been part of the fossil fuel industry. There is a tradition about the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him in Islam, and it's when a companion of his comes to him a little bit distress and asks him, Please help me to think about sin and righteousness. I want to know the difference. And the prophet jabs him in the heart three times and says, Ask yourself, ask your heart three times. The prophet says that he explains, Sin is that which disturbs your heart. Even though other people say something might be lawful and righteousness is you acting on that, even though other people tell you you don't need to act on it. And this is known as the fatwa or the ruling of the heart. And that is something I hold very close to me. If my heart tells me something is wrong, I know that the prophet says I should listen to it. How could you possibly love God if you don't love your fellow human beings? It's as simple as that. And what does love mean? Love means helping people when they need your help. In the Abrahamic faiths, it's about caring for the stranger, the visitor, the poor person, the orphan, the person in need. That's love. How can you love God if you don't do that? And if we think about what the climate crisis does, it actually makes people lose their homes, lose their jobs, lose their families, lose their health. If you think about how they have to deal with extreme heat and drought and floods and the illness that comes with that, if they're facing that, how could we possibly love God if we don't love them and help them? So one quote that I've come across in my line of work really inspires me. It's from Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, who was an American rabbi who actually supported the civil rights movement there. He marched alongside Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. So this was in itself is a beautiful example of interfaith friendship. But what Rabbi Heschel said and he was talking in the context of racism and the Holocaust was few are guilty, but all are responsible. And I think that is the way we need to think of what we can do in the climate crisis as well. We all have a role to play. If you know that you are in a position where you have more power and privilege, how can you use more of that power and more of that privilege for climate justice, especially to help people who have less power and less privilege and are suffering more from the climate crisis than you are? So this is why whatever we do, whatever choices we make, won't just affect people on the other side of the world. In the global South, we will be affected to all of us together. If not today, then at some point in the very near future. And this is why it's important for all of us to take action together.

Alaa: As a muslim or those who follow the Muslim faith. We strongly believe in environmentalism. We believe that it's rooted in our tradition. It's rooted in scripture. We looked at the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him as a guiding source for for us in terms of emulating his characters and his attitude to things. And he really valued the environment. And so it's very important for us as Muslims to act on that. We believe that God places on his earth as stewards to look after his green planet. And so that is what inspires me in this role. As I work for Islamic Relief, it inspires me as a muslim and as a worker to do more in this space, because I believe that is something that it serves my religion but also the greater good for the planet.

Lydia: So I think it's important as a Christian to look after the planet because God gave it to us as part of a creation and gave us a role to be a steward over this. It's part about also about showing love to each other and to all elements of nature. And that's part of our faith. We are called Jesus showed us that example to show love to everyone, every neighbor, every individual, everything in the world, every living creature. I think it's everyone's responsibility to look after the planet. And we each can do it in our own individual lives and our own actions. But also it's really important to recognize that governments and companies which have larger power have a larger responsibility. They're global and international. They're big organizations with lots of power, and they can change the structures of our whole world.

Alaa: I think working with other faiths is a fantastic way of bringing people together in a neutral space. For many people, we come from all walks of life. We may believe different things. We might we may feel, you know, follow different deities. But actually, at the heart of it, we believe in some very fundamental principles. It's wonderful to be here today on the sunny, really bright day, working with colleagues across faiths to come together around a combined message. It's great to feel that we're doing something to combat the climate crisis in our own way, as well as just come together around positive action.

Shanon: And I wake up in the morning and I come across news about some climate disaster in the world or another, you know, the damage that private jets are causing or the Arctic sea ice melting or wildfires somewhere and people dying. I get really hopeless and terrified and helpless. But when I come out and do things like this and I realize that there are people around me, even people of different faith traditions, but we connect so well because we are so passionate about this issue. I feel inspired and I feel energized. I feel like it's going to be a challenge, but we can do this if we do this together. If you are anxious about climate change, talk about it. There is actually value in making your feelings known and talking to people who feel the same way that you do and finding support with them. And then you realize that it doesn't stop there. You can do things together. You can talk about this with more people and then you can start talking to anyone your local MP, local councillors, local faith leaders, schools, businesses. There are so many charities like Friends of the Earth or Christian Aid or Cafod that have local chapters as well that you could get involved in. And then we realise that when we get together we can do things from very small local actions to the really big stuff that's about changing the system at large and we can do it together.

Climate Change: Multi-Faith Views

Video length - 08.13

Published date - Sep 2023

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

What are British Values? What do they mean? The government says they are: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, respect for different beliefs – and that they should be taught in schools. TrueTube took to the streets during the late Queen’s Jubilee to test who actually even knows that (?!), in a series of voxpop interviews. But before revealing the answers, we asked the people what they personally think defines ‘Britain’…

Transcript

British Values

S1 00:00:04:03

Great Britain. The British Isles. Britannia. We all know what it means to be British. And of course, we all share the same values.

S2 00:00:17:01

Whoa, hang on. Do we, though? It seems to me there's a lot of debate about that.

Well, you can't get more British than Shakespeare.

What about music festivals?

Bangers and mash.

Barbecues in the rain.

Seaside holidays.

Chicken tikka masala.

Bagpipes.

Seagulls.

Royal Guards.

00:00:22:22 00:00:25:15 00:00:26:13 00:00:27:27 00:00:28:14 00:00:29:14 00:00:30:18 00:00:31:04 00:00:31:18

1/9

Clip: British Values.mp4

S2 00:00:32:08

Folk music.

S1 00:00:32:20

British bulldog. Taxis.

S2 00:00:34:21

Carnival. Bowls. British Values. What do you think they are and what do they mean? We sent a film crew out onto the streets of London during the late Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee to ask random people some key questions about Britain's identity. Are you British?

S3 00:00:54:07

I am. Yes.

S15 00:00:55:11

Yes. Yes.

S4 00:00:55:23

Yes recently. This is the fifth year that I'm living in the UK and I am applying for becoming British. That's why I am still learning from it. I'm from Iran.

S5 00:01:06:00

I'm as English as they come.

S6 00:01:07:28

Yes. In education. In values. And in understanding the system. Yes.

S7 00:01:12:05

I'm Welsh, actually, I'm from Wales. I now live in Newcastle. But yeah, British through and through.

2/9

Clip: British Values.mp4

S17 00:01:17:04

Yes.

S8 00:01:18:00

No. We are from India. And we are just students here. Master students.

S13 00:01:23:03

Yes.

S19 00:01:23:14

No.

S10 00:01:24:16

I am British, born in Scotland, but I classify myself as British. British subject.

S2 00:01:29:18

What do you think of when I say Britain?

S5 00:01:33:16

The Queen, the castle and the corgi.

S12 00:01:40:00

Uh... good humour.

S13 00:01:45:12

Football.

S12 00:01:46:10

Rain. Although it's not raining.

S14 00:01:50:20

The bus. The red bus. Of course. Yeah.

S12

You have a pretty flag.

00:01:53:01

3/9

Clip: British Values.mp4

S9 00:01:57:07

Traditional royal telephone. I mean, not royal.

S6 00:02:00:13

Number one is the monarchy because there is no other country on the planet Earth that has a constitutional monarchy that has that unique arrangement between parliament, the ministers and monarchy.

S2 00:02:16:03

What do you think Britain's values are?

S5 00:02:19:18

There ain't any - that's the problem eh.

S7 00:02:21:08

With things like democracy, it's obviously really important for our country. And we see around the world where that isn't the case. You know, and how sad that is.

S6 00:02:29:11

Fairness. That means everybody has a say. Everybody has a part.

S4 00:02:33:24

Hospitality. Accommodating all people from all around the world, I mean me as well. And the second thing is that they're very kind and very warm.

S5 00:02:42:21

Today everyone's out being patriotic, isn't it? But yeah. Any other day. No, no one's too English are they.

S12 00:02:46:29

Being kind? Um, help each other and go to the pub and have fun.

4/9

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S10 00:02:59:23

British values used to be according to scripture, according to the Bible.

S15 00:03:04:11

When we talk about British, we're talking about generosity. Caring. And consideration for other people. Humanity. Humanity. Everything. Multiculture. Multiculture. Yes, of course. Yeah.

S17 00:03:19:20

I think there's a stigma with British. I think for a lot of people it's probably being well spoken. I think it's being quite upper class, and I think that stigma hopefully has now gone.

S7 00:03:33:04

Um having your own individual views. Teaching children that they should have a right to be heard and we should listen to them and respect their views and they should therefore respect the views and the rights of other people that they're growing up with.

S2 00:03:48:08

Next, we told them the government's four official British values: democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty and mutual respect and tolerance for those of different faiths and beliefs.

S12 00:04:03:24

I think they're very good. They should stick to them.

S4 00:04:06:12

Yeah, I see it in everyday aspects of my life. I can feel it and touch it. Yeah. All these four values, especially democracy.

S2 00:04:13:28

Are the British living up to those values?

5/9

Clip: British Values.mp4

S6 00:04:17:18

Tries to.

S15 00:04:18:27

Yeah. Yes they are. Yeah.

S11 00:04:20:19

No. Do we hell. No, no, not at all, I don't think so.

S3 00:04:26:03

I think generally the majority of people want to. Whether our leaders do is another matter.

S10 00:04:30:20

Well, you can't live up to them if you forget God, see if you forget God in your life, you live a life of sin.

S9 00:04:37:03

They've been supportive for us. And they are always ready to accept everyone from any country or anything like.

S13 00:04:43:15

I wouldn't agree to that.

S19 00:04:47:05

Yeah. No, I don't think fully.

S17 00:04:48:13

Yeah. Rule of law, I think that's a difficult one. I think you should learn enough I think this day and age, and especially down to being able, like, competent when you leave school, to be able to say, well, what is right and wrong?

S19 00:05:01:18

Not, not every member of the country is equal under the law. And especially those in power. Which is quite hypocritical of them.

6/9

Clip: British Values.mp4

S13 00:05:10:11

You can't preach something and then not do it.

S17 00:05:12:13

Democracy can be quite a big thing in terms of what we have that other countries necessarily don't. And I think sometimes that can be in a positive or a negative manner.

S3 00:05:21:13

Sometimes there are only poor choices, but we still have to make a choice.

S19 00:05:25:22

The actual concept of monarchy is completely contradictory to democracy as a sentiment. It's just one person who has arbitrary power.

S10 00:05:33:20

We're supposed to be the United Kingdom, but in my opinion, we are now the perverted kingdom. The situation is now that lying has been institutionalised in the political realm.

S1 00:05:42:12

You definitely feel that our British values have been lost. It seems.

S10 00:05:46:11

Not lost, destroyed.

S2 00:05:48:26

What examples are there of British values in action?

7/9

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S4 00:05:53:09

I got a neighbour. She's almost about 70 years old, and she told me that she's going to throw a party for the elderly people that are living in the care house - care homes. And she's doing very much in order to prepare food for these parties, for the platinum Jubilee parties. And I'm so excited to see how she's keen to prepare everything for people.

S7 00:06:15:22

Where we live near Tynemouth, the north coast, there's some groups that support people who are struggling with mental health and they do that by going wild swimming early in the morning. So there's groups for children and for adults to get into the water on the North Sea. Right. Pretty cold and doing that, fresh, in the morning, in the middle of winter, is really helpful for your mental health.

S17 00:06:39:10

Through work, you know we have the values of treating everyone fairly, making sure that, you know, that we take everyone at face value, that nobody, you know, like pre-judging or down to, you know, anything to do with religion or ethnicity or anything like that. And I think you need to have those values going forward because everybody's equal on that point. So hopefully that's what the next generation will see.

S2 00:07:00:28

Any country's values change with time and vary from person to person. Traditions matter more to some than others.

S1 00:07:08:22

Ha! Indeed they do.

S2 00:07:10:13

But new traditions need the chance to evolve. What do you think of the government's official values and what makes Britain 'Britain' in the 21st century?

8/9

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9/9

British Values

Video length - 7.27

Published date - Apr 2023

Keystage(s) - 3 and 4

Downloadable resources

Black British Stories – Christina Shingler: In this short film Felix, aged 10, talks to his grandmother Christina (Tina) Shingler, a writer who decided to do something about the lack of black characters in British literature.

Felix interviews Tina to find out what life was like growing up as one of the only two black children at her school in Ripon, North Yorkshire.

Tina was often teased and her ‘frizzy’ hair in particular, became a target. To deal with this, Christina lost herself in books and spent much of her time at Ripon library.

She always dreamed about was being a princess but she never found any princesses in books that looked like her. They all had “silky smooth, grade-A blonde, princess hair”; this was something that Christina could not identify with.

In 2004 Tina decided to do something about the imbalance of black characters in British literature and she wrote Princess Katrina and the Hair Charmer.

This film is from the series Black British Stories. A collection of short films for primary schools, exploring the experiences and contributions of people from communities across the UK, and celebrating the rich contribution of the black community to the culture, society and economy of the UK.

These short films are suitable for teaching history at KS2 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and at 2nd Level in Scotland.

For teachers’ notes and more episodes: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach/class-clips-video/history-ks2-black-british-stories/z3w84xs

As this film is embedded you will not be able to download it.

The TrueTube and CTVC team made this film for BBC Teach, so for more resources go to BBC Teach: https://www.bbc.co.uk/teach

The Black British Stories series was commissioned by BBC Teach and produced by CTVC/TrueTube.

A film by Alastair Collinson.

Black British Stories – Christina Shingler

Video length - 04.16

Published date - Oct 2021

Keystage(s) - 2

Centre Stage: Racism in the U.K. – This film discusses the existence of racism in the U.K. and demonstrates healthy conversation and good communication skills when discussing challenging topics.

Centre Stage: Racism in the U.K.

Video length - 03.46

Published date - Oct 2021

Keystage(s) - 3, 4 and 5

Downloadable resources

Doreen’s War: Keep Smiling Through – Doreen was only 8 years old when World War 2 began. While many children were evacuated from London’s east end, Doreen stayed with her family in Plaistow and was homeschooled – even during the deadly Blitz between 1940 and 1941. Her best friend Marjorie had been evacuated to a different part of the country, but their relationship stayed strong and they’re still friends 75 years later.

Just before VE Day in 2020, this interview with Doreen recounting her memories of WW2 was recorded during lockdown conditions due to the coronavirus. Doreen compares how the nation felt then to how it feels during the pandemic.

This film includes an accompanying worksheet that can be used by pupils.