The Royal British Legion is calling on you to:- "Thank you"

TO mark the final year of the World War 1 centenary, The Royal British Legion has launched a movement to say:- "Thank You" to the 1st World War generation who served, sacrificed and changed our world and is calling on mass involvement from the public.

For the past 4 years of the Centenary the nation has commemorated the tremendous loss of life during the War, and as the Centenary draws to a close the Legion is recognising the legacy that was left to us by this remarkable generation.

The movement will honour not only the 1.2 million British and Commonwealth Armed Forces who lost their lives, but also those, both military and civilian, who played their part on the home front, and those who returned to build a better life for the benefit of generations to come.

The Legion wants members of the British public from all cultures and faiths, community groups, Schools, companies and sports clubs to join the movement and express their gratitude to those who gave so much to the war effort and its aftermath, and rebuilt the nation after its darkest hour.

A range of diverse partners and organisations have already committed support to the Thank You movement including, the English National Ballet, the West India Committee, Cadbury's and the United Kingdom Punjab Heritage Association. A national youth competition is also underway where young people aged between 9 to 16 are being asked to create an expression of art, poetry or song that says thank you.

Gillian McKinnon, Area Manager for The Royal British Legion in Merseyside and Cheshire, said:- "The 1st World War left so many legacies that positively impact our lives today, from ground-breaking social change to pioneering innovations. The end of the centenary is a chance for us all to thank not only the British Armed Forces who fought and gave their lives, but the thousands who fought alongside them from countries from across today's Commonwealth, and the countless men, women and children who played their part on the home front. We all have a connection to the 1st World War and we all have a reason to say thank you to this special generation. Whether your personal Thank You is an event dedicated to those who made a difference in your community, a personal visit to a place of significance or a social media post there's no limit to the ways people can take part. We are making a plea to every single person across the UK to get involved and take a moment in this very significant year to say Thank You."

The Legion is asking the nation to plan their 'Thank You' activity to take place from the 8 of August 2018, onwards, to coincide with the Anniversary of the so-called:- '100 days offensive.'

For further information and to find out how you can get involved in the 'Thank You' movement, please visit:- RBL.Org.UK/ThankYou.

Europe has got to stand up and fight for its values - MEP Karim

SENIOR anti racism MEP, Sajjad Karim, has warned that Europe has to stand up and fight for its values if a major crisis is to be averted. The warning comes as the European Parliament begins its 1 year countdown to its next polls, which he fears could be hijacked by extremist parties; due to low participation in the European elections; and as a result, xenophobic views becoming more mainstream.

Mr Karim was hosting a conference on preventing youth radicalisation in Europe when he added the caveat. The event brought together representatives from academia and civil society to identify and discuss ways to encourage constructive engagement against radicalisation.

The speakers included EU Commissioner for the Security Union, Julian King; who gave the keynote speech; and Figen Murray who tragically lost her son, in the 2017 Manchester terrorist attacks.

Speaking in Brussels, Mr Karim said:- "This conference was about bringing together all sections of society to promote positive engagement against radicalisation and to help foster a welcoming Europe. In this respect, we succeeded. Figen Murray and Commissioner King brought together the policy making formulation and someone with direct experience of losing a loved 1. In 15 years of being a Member of Parliament though, I have never been so worried. Xenophobia has been on the rise for many years now and has only been exacerbated by the Brexit vote and a rise in populism across Europe. This is why we; as Europe; are the continent that has to stand up and fight for our values if we are to win the day. There are no others that seem willing to do so and is the reason why I continue to make the European Parliament available as a platform to the tremendous challenge I see ahead of us. It means our Member States must remain totally engaged in fighting this rise of extremism and collectively, under the banner of the European Union, our commitments must be strengthened."

Also commenting on the event was Figen Murray, who after the heart breaking death of her son, Martyn Hett, decided to use her influence to create and promote a strong counter narrative to extremism by talking to young people in Schools, Colleges and Prisons, telling her personal story:- "It was a pleasure to speak to such a welcoming audience today and I am pleased I came all the way to Brussels to do so. I truly believe it is of the utmost importance that I continue to deliver a robust counter narrative to radicalisation and hate that continues to be delivered by extremists across the world. Doing this in a positive way, contrary to the rhetoric of hate, underpins the approach I take. Right now though, it is time everyone took responsibility for what is happening in our societies if we are to see any change in the way people think on the matter."

The other speakers at the event were Estelle Cincinatis from the European Jewish Community Centre in Brussels, Dr Ajmal Hussain from the University of Manchester, Dr Shelley Piasecka from the University of Chester and Professor Simon Piasecki from Liverpool Hope University, all of who came to a similar conclusion that a welcoming Europe is a Europe that accepts people for who they are and that if we build together, then tomorrow will be better than yesterday.

Sajjad Karim is the Vice President of the European Parliament's Anti Racism and Diversity Intergroup (ARDI) and Chair of its Working Group on Islamophobia.