Bid to help people who have been displaced
I CONCUR with Bill Price in his call to welcome refugees (Viewpoints, June 20).
Manchester has a proud history in providing sanctuary to different people who have needed it and the vast majority of them have responded positively, contributing not only to their own communities but also to others.
However, we should also remember that only a minority of displaced people are international refugees, and only a small minority of these international refugees make it to our shores. Christian Aid reports that of the 65m people displaced around the world, more than 40m remain within their country. Seeking safety but unwilling or unable to leave, denied the official protection given to refugees.
The reasons for their displacement are many: conflict, flooding, drought, fear. Torn from their homes, their families and their communities, displaced people are among the most vulnerable to poverty and exploitation in the world.
Yet these people are usually ignored internationally.
Christian Aid is campaigning and has an online petition anyone can sign urging the Prime Minister to honour the UK’s commitment to leave no one behind by:
Speaking out for internally displaced people at the UN.
Ensuring that the UK, and other states, uphold and protect the rights of all people on the move .
Joining the calls for a follow-up process to strengthen protection for internally displaced people.
Surely this isn’t too much to ask in a country that looks on itself as civilised and compassionate?
The petition can be found on the Christian Aid website under ‘Campaigns.’ ‘Christian Aider’
No need for rail shambles
AS a commuter who has been affected by the recent railway shambles, I would just like to know why Northern Rail did not postpone the release of their new timetable until they had completed their driver retraining program ?
Granted, it is not all their fault but the existing timetable could have been used until such time as the electrification program had been completed, and enough drivers had been recruited to cope with the change.
And the fact that the government had known about this for two years speaks volumes.
Nationalisation and privatisation have both failed to provide us with a first-class railway system, but the former is the lesser of the two evils if managed properly.
If the Germans, French or Dutch can run successful state-owned railways, why can’t we? After all, we invented the railways. Mohammed Ismail
Secrets of a happy life
EVERYONE wants to have a happy and contented life. We all have our ways of achieving this. These are mine:
Always be curious with a desire to want to keep learning new things.
Read a variety of books that stimulate both your mind and imagination.
Discuss a variety of things with different people and have an open mind about them.
Be prepared to change your points of view sometimes It is how we develop as human beings.
The vast majority of newspapers either support Labour or the Tories. If you read the same newspaper every day you are in a way being brainwashed .Try reading different newspapers.
Be courageous and express your own beliefs. Sometimes they will be different to the majority view. However if you really want to make a difference you have got to have the courage of your convictions and not follow the crowd.
Have a mixture of different interests
Try to live a healthier lifestyle because it is the best way of living a longer healthier life.
Help others because when you help others two people benefit .It makes us feel good about ourselves and it helps the person we give to
BE HAPPY! Harry Singleton, Ashton-UnderLyne
Dangers of trade deal...
I ACCEPT I’m not going to convert Brexiteers like Graham Stringer, Bill Newman et al who take exception to my concerns about the future and the comparative closeness of the referendum result.
So let’s please stop squabbling and, as J Cade protested (Viewpoints, June 20), let’s stop ‘nutting’ each other.
I accept some who are pro-Brexit are sincere and see the European Commission as undemocratic. I just think they overlook the checks and balances of MEPs, Council of Ministers, and national (and regional) parliaments which saw Wallonia (population only 3.5m) stay the imposition of the EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA)in November 2016 (until they were cajoled with a revision and concessions).
Be that as it may, wherever they stand on Brexit, I hope our MPs don’t accept ‘there is no alternative’ inertia-selling of CETA without proper scrutiny and debate which Liam Fox has lupinely re-timetabled for a rubber-stamp vote.
It would be sad if we were so busy shaking off one yoke we let another be slipped on our necks and those of our children without noticing. B Price, Ancoats.