Home is where the heart is, as the saying goes. That’s a place where you can be yourself, somewhere you feel you belong. Finding a good home that is safe and secure with family, friends or neighbours to lean on for emotional support and compassion.
For some, they are looking to find their political-home. Voters who don’t feel represented, and mistrust politicians, when the political parties twist in the wind of world politics and populism. As politics impacts us all, who do we look to get involved and who can we trust on the decisions that matter to us most?
From pavement politics and fixing potholes locally to global crisis of climate change and wars, politics can seem chaotic and overwhelming whoever’s in charge. The easy answers of populists and simple slogans for ‘change’ distil complex issues into sound bites designed to appeal to a seemingly disengaged public at large. Yet this fails to engage us in politics, rather it provides a get-out clause for those who just want to trust politicians to get on and do what they say they’ll do. People’s levels of trust have little impact on their interest in politics.
Rather, populism and slogans galvanise the base and provide shelter and cover for like-minded souls. It may secure transient votes, but is less of a home. A political home – and good government – requires compassion and empathy that can support you through thick and thin, over time.
Reductive politics is who can put a pound in your pocket, to feel better off. Compassionate politics is looking beyond our differences with policies that replicate fairness across our communities; where the role of the state is to provide services that unite us as a society, for a sense of belonging and mutual respect. A society is built on trust and trustworthy politicians.
At Citadel, we have made our home in areas of social justice and in policies for education, health and employment in particular as they impact young people. Whether that’s for charities, business leaders, public services or government. Our longest serving, continuous client of two decades since Citadel was founded in 2005, is Centrepoint. Its mission is to end youth homelessness by 2037.
Affordable housing and accommodation for young people in crisis is needed. Yet providing a home is essential and built on firm foundations of strong relationships, health and work. It is to recognise our inter-dependence if we are to achieve independent living for all. As in politics and the governments we elect, it is to have faith and show humanity in how we treat others, if we are to be supported ourselves. Without compassion and humanity we have no place to call home.
Citadel 