Boston, has long had issues with cultural divide and prejudice. As part of a two-week programme with National Citizens Service, 11 young people are trying to fight this issue with their ‘Abate the Hate’ campaign.
As of 2017, an estimated 30% of Boston’s 68,000 residents were foreign born and have chosen this historic town to be their home, living and working in our community. With them comes rich diversity, bringing culture, religion, and foods. As a nation, there is often a divide between people of different nationalities; Boston, in particular, has found integration hard, with many holding unfounded stereotypes against those born outside the UK.
As part of their ‘Abate the Hate’ project, they have been rebutting many common stereotypes, proving that, in most cases, they are unsubstantiated and unproven. Furthermore, they have been trying to provide local people with knowledge on both the history and culture of Eastern European countries to try and reduce ‘hate’ and prejudice.
Moreover, they are hoping to help ‘Abate the Hate’ by raising money for Boston More in Common, a local organisation working towards the seamless integration of all cultures and ethnicities. A dedicated committee of European representatives have partnered with Lambeth More in Common to try and bridge the gap between different cultures and ethnicities in their areas.
As a way of supporting this essential scheme, they will be holding a few fundraising events over the next week:
Tuesday 6th August (10am to 4pm) – Tombola and other games such as Guess the Name of the Teddy at Boston Stump
Wednesday 7th August (8.30am to 3.30pm) – Bake sale at Boston Market. Their stall will feature a range of sweet treats from across the world, including Pakistan, Russia, and Lithuania.
They are hoping to make an impact on the Boston community and lead the charge in the campaign to stop hate.
Will you help them?