Articles by Dan Raymond-Barker

And the winner of the prize was…

Reserve your place at The State of the World Atlas launch, with author Dan Smith, MP Rushanara Ali and BBC correspondent Alan Little.

Shortlist announced; award is less than two months away; and the book has just gone to print! 

Shortlist announced; award is less than two months away; and the book has to just gone to print!

As world population passes 7 billion Vanessa Baird’s timely book urges us not to be fooled by the myths and lies.

The winner of the 2011 Caine Prize is Zimbabwean writer NoViolet Bulawayo for her story ‘Hitting Budapest’.

Read the stories for yourself and then find out what others think by following the Caine Prize blogathon. 

The shortlist for the 2011 award has been announced and the stories are available online. Choose your favorite before the award on 11 July.

‘If you don’t like the system do your own thing instead. Don’t lose hope – there are huge challenges ahead but together we have the power to turn things around.’

Symon Hill, author of the No-Nonsense Guide to Religion, will walk from Birmingham to London this summer, speaking along the way, in repentance for his former homophobic stance. 

Four poems from the poetry anthology Fire in the Soul will feature in two upcoming Tenebrae concerts directed by James Weeks. 

"The young people of today should have the courage and confidence to know that they too will be able to tackle the problems that they face."

‘We want to make it easy and exciting for all those people who care to come together to make a difference.’ David Babbs, 38 degrees

‘Active young citizens in Britain can do lots of really useful things. You can help work out how best to involve many more young people in the decisions taken in your area and further away… There is also a lot of opportunity to become involved in public and community life locally.’

"We try to bear in mind that the corporate media is the source of some of the greatest, most lethal illusions of our age. We feel that challenging those illusions is of real value in efforts to combat human and animal suffering."

"Once you’re sure that you’re on the right side of a debate, and that it’s an issue you care deeply about, don’t let anyone talk you out of pushing forward with it."

"Whenever we see something wrong, whenever we see an injustice, we should speak out. I don’t think we should shrug those responsibilities. We do human rights work not because it’s easy but because it’s necessary."

"Nothing worth fighting for has ever been achieved without a fight! Young people have always been the drivers of change – if we just accept the world as it is, for most people, that means continuing to have pretty miserable lives."

“I think a lot of young people don’t realise how powerful they are… I know that clever, strategic campaigning by young people can change things because I have seen it happen. So my advice would be ‘just do it!’”

"When you face a big problem by yourself, it can seem really scary and daunting.  But when you take action collectively with others, you feel empowered and stronger together."

"…my hope is that others will be inspired by living at this historic time and that together we will take action in our own lives, within our communities, on our high street and at the most public and political levels…"

Fuel Theatre’s stage production of Jo Wilding’s book, Don’t Shoot the Clowns, will travel around the UK until 17 November. You don’t want to miss this moving story.

An Introduction to the Rax Active Citizenship Toolkit textbook for secondary schools by the author Jamie Kelsey-Fry. Illustrations and graphic design by Anita Dhillon. 

Listen to Jarvis Cocker interview Rax author Jamie Kelsey-Fry. Originally aired on  BBC Radio 6 on the 5th of September, 2010. Recorded at the Port Elliot Festival 2010.

Week 3: Take a trip to Greece with these gorgeous Cheese Pies, straight off the streets of Athens! 

The best messages are simple, relevant and compelling, be they discussed among friends or on tv news - new technology can help you get organised and make your point!

We make the campaigns accessible, utilising a variety of platforms to highlight the problems and promote the sustainable, achievable solutions.

"Follow your conscience. Do what you believe to be right. Don't follow the mob or do something just because it is popular. Think for yourself."

“I suppose you just have to keep pushing and carry on climbing that uphill struggle in making change happen. NEVER GIVE UP!”

"Democracy is not a spectator sport. There are countless campaigns for peace, anti-racism and the environment for people to get involved with - and of course trade unions, which fight to win a fair deal for workers both in the workplace and through political lobbying."

“The potential with any campaign that involves so much commitment and effort is that it could sometimes drive people apart as well as together and I think the ultimate goal is to try and stay close to your end vision and everything else will fall into place and have the significance that it deserves.”

"…people find it harder and harder as they get further sucked into their lives to see how things could be different. It requires energy. It also requires you to imagine it for them. Nothing can be done if it has not first been imagined."

“Be bold and seek truth; be humble, but also confident in what you know and don’t lose your curiosity in trying to figure things out; and based on your search for truth and discovery of truth, speak that truth loudly and clearly to power if given that chance.”

“…the only thing stopping us is ourselves. Our collective actions in the coming months and years will define our generation for all time. Are we going to be the Age of Stupid or shall we give saving ourselves a go?”

“If we are civil and helpful to people they are likely to be civil and helpful back.”

“Certainly don’t take yourselves too seriously, no one wants to be lectured to by some know it all.”

“Lots of people call this lots of different things; 'environmental justice,' 'climate equity'... but to us, it’s all about 'fairness'.”

“If a young person plants a tree and sees it grow the likelihood is that they will protect that tree. This is how communities are built; when young people and older people work together to build it in unison.”

"Start local, build community strength, and build an intranet in your street so that you can link the people who live there."

“The kind of society I want to live in is where people speak out for what they believe in and take a stand.”

"You may have a fantastic idea but you have to break it down and explain it in the right way otherwise it won’t work."

"I’ve met many a 13 year old that could teach many a 30 year old a lot…"