Solutions..- How can we make the riots less likely to happen again?

Solutions
A. Parents need to take responsibility for their children. If the parent does not know where the child is when they go out, that is a breakdown in parenting. The parent needs to ensure there are activities for the child. Find them work placements or part-time jobs, if they are not studying or are NEETs. (not in education, employment or training). I sincerely believe no matter how old the child is, the parents are still responsible for helping to steer their path. Mothers usually try their best to do this. Fathers, or step-fathers, or father figure friends of the family need to step up the plate and help guide youths. Spend time with them. Mentor them. It costs next to nothing to make a phone call, or spend time talking with a youth in the park. Take time to listen, talk, guide, and follow up.

B. Government needs to rethink it's cuts where it affects youth services. Cuts to connexions, job opportunities and youth club funding will mean youths will create their own entertainment, which will include gangs, drugs, alcohol and underage sex leading to teenage pregnancies. There are many mentoring organisations and community youth services working out of the goodness of their heart, but without funds, the time offered might be one evening per week, or one day at weekend per month, because people are busy with their normal jobs, trying to earn a living. However I was pleased to see that Prince Charles mentioned the increase of funding from his charity for youth projects. Perhaps more charities can pick up the slack.

C. Spirituality should not be undermined. It should be recognised that religious groups play an important part in the fabric of society. Churches and other religious groups need to become more relevant and active in the communities they serve and beyond. They do not need to soly rely on funding. They have a continuous source of income from the tithes and offerings received weekly, and many have premises which are closed 5 days a week. These organisations are usually well structured, and any additional help that can be afforded them should be taken up by the Government.

D. Disadvantaged groups need to unite and work together to improve their lot. Black groups need to put aside differences and join together to make solutions happen. Everybody is good at talking in their own little separate groups and yet behave like crabs in a barrell. Asians work together, Jews work together. And yes, they have disagreements too, but black people typically find it hard to support their own organisations or businesses, constantly find fault, and will rarely ever work with others to build corporations. Small businesses remain small. Partnerships orginally made in heaven, break up in hell. People need to know they don't have to like somebody to work with them and build something that lasts.

E. Black role models need to have a more high profile presence in British society. I was amazed at the number of black people found to comment on the rioting during and up to 2 weeks after. All of a sudden we had a multi-racial society on our screens. But why not have more black people on more often, when there are no riots. How comes we are just called in a crisis. In the corporate world, racism means that many black people are the last hired and first fired, or kept on but not promoted. Black businesses exist and are doing well, and can fill that gap and instil training and discipline as well as pay wages. How comes we hardly see black business owners, or community workers on TV. If your name is not Jay Z or Oprah or Ashley Cole, we are just not getting a look in. 0.0001% of people doing wrong on the streets should not be used to condemn a whole race, or to condemn young people in general.

F. The Media needs to take responsibility for showing the right way to live. We need to give equal or more attention to what is good in society. If only the column inches given to the riots could be spent on the positive things happening in the black communities, the world would be a better place. The media is powerful, but their emphasis on bad news is dragging down the world. Will someone please start a GOOD news channel.

It's not the end of the world as we know it. Life goes on and good will come out of this.

There is nothing new under the sun. Let the lessons of the past be taught again and again. Lest we forget.

(c) Black Economics, 22nd August 2011