‘WE’VE GOT TO DO BETTER THAN THIS’
ON ST David’s Day this year we established the Clinton Scholarship programme with Swansea University to research children’s rights, citizenship and democracy.
This unique collaboration aims to put children at the heart of public policy making on both sides of the Atlantic. The scholarship builds on the Welsh and American traditions of governance that is compassionate and effective, especially when it comes to our youngest citizens.
This week we mark the second anniversary of the Brexit referendum, which means the UK is just months away from leaving the European Union. These are dangerous moments for liberal democracy, liberal society, and shared prosperity – as the exit door looms larger, it is increasingly the nuts and bolts of an EU/UK agreement that holds the political focus.
Wha t we risk losing is the big- ger debate about what sort of future we want for our children and grandchildren. How we can march forward together as an international community in a spirit of co-operation, peace and security. An international community that doesn’t just tolerate diversity, but celebrates it as a sign of strength.
As we look at the debates raging across Europe and beyond, too often they are based on fear and misinformation, where minorities are ignored at best – and, at worst, demonised.
The sight of children being separated from their families at the southern border in the United States has rightly caused heartbreak and outrage in the United States a n d around t h e globe. It is a moral a n d humanitarian crisis, and counter to the core values of civilized nations. And while the current administration in the United States has bowed to pressure to some extent, the future of the separated children and their families is still unknown. We have already seen that Brexit is a foot in the door for extremist views that wouldn’t have been given the time of day a few years ago. The same can be said of the political climate in America right now. We’ve got to do better than this, and doing so should mean enforcing laws and protecting security while being humane and in keeping with our shared values.
We have to be smarter about striking that balance and adhering to what’s in our long-term best interest. But it will require courage to regain the initiative.
What the world desperately needs now is a return to honest debates among public officials that are rooted in fact and reason, and that requires people being willing and able to stand up and defend our shared values on a local and global stage. There are only a few short months to final- ise a deal between the UK and the EU, but there is a whole future ahead for our children and grandchildren – the tone of the debate needs to change to reflect that.
The Clinton Scholarship programme will play a small part in developing and spreading best practices when it comes to children’s rights, but we also need our politicians and civic society to step up now, and ensure that research is taking place against a backdrop of compassion and unity.
In a battle between progress and regression, the world’s most vulnerable children cannot afford the latter.