A third culture kid with a passion for politics

To me being a third culture kid means being someone who has experienced being part of a variety of different cultures and learnt from them. I have developed a cultural understanding of Singapore and Hong Kong and deeply cherish this, as I feel it has helped mould me into a culturally considerate person while also providing me with an understanding of my own unique identity.

I was first drawn into politics and government issues at around the age of 11 when I was leaving Primary for Secondary school. This was the time of the Brexit Referendum and US general election, and as I have a keen interest in History and Geography, I was drawn in to, the ever more present issue of, politics and government which seemed to be an amalgamation of the two (Geography and History). I was especially interested in elections and voting, and thus the Brexit referendum and US election hit home; at the perfect time to spark a general political interest.

Yes, I feel politics and government is an essential subject for understanding the world around us, in an age of ever-increased division and false-information I believe it would be best for students to understand what is true and what is false, understand where these divisions come from and form an opinion through civilized classroom debate, rather than through false information or being influenced by online trolling. Politics and government aren't just about who runs the government and how, but it's also about how students can get involved in politics through voting, candidacy, campaigns etc. which is crucial with such low levels of Jersey voter turnout and the high lack of representation in Jersey’s states assembly.

I had submitted a design for the Jersey youth parliament logo during the summer for the Jersey Youth Service ‘design a logo competition’ and so the Jersey Youth service decided to involve me and a group of other students in a group to design the official Jersey Youth Parliament Logo. I believe that my preemptiveness in regards to designing a logo and general interest in Jersey politics is why I was approached.

I am incredibly excited to be involved in this projects’ infancy and of course the development of it’s image, so to speak. Because, of what it aims to achieve; the youth parliament is aiming to involve young islanders from a variety of backgrounds in our political system. Currently I feel our political system is somewhat exclusive and this is a great opportunity to make significant change. Not only is the Youth parliament a vehicle for wider political representation but it’s aiming to have a wide scope of influence, with a multitude of topics discussed in the Youth Parliament being taken to the States each year.

I think that currently Jersey continues to elect a large volume of deputies and constables without any/little resistance, this does not espouse confidence in the democratic process. If the IoD encouraged more candidates to oppose these deputies and constables I feel more people may get involved in voting, as they would have a reason to get out and vote, it wouldn’t be a waste of time (just voting for the only candidate). I also feel that there is a lack of representation both in views and the range of people running for office, if more people from different backgrounds and with different viewpoints can be encouraged to stand as candidates maybe our Jersey mindset of constant undemocratic misrepresentation may be unravelled, and encourage further participation.

I think a major challenge of being involved in politics in a small community is that you are known by everyone and often encounter your ‘constituents’, which can sometimes be unpleasant. Not only that but your private life is practically impossible to keep private because one small leak and the whole community will find out. However, there are also distinct advantages, such as the fact that it’s not challenging to get your message understood since there are usually a lack of multiple newspapers or news sources. Being in a small community and constantly meeting your constituents is also an advantage as you can constantly comment on and discuss their views, you’re effectively in a state of perpetual campaign.

I believe that I would change how we manage our impacts on the environment. Currently, Governments worldwide are doing too little in the fight against climate change. At the moment as an island we are behind many other European nations in our climate policy, when we could be at the forefront. We have so many opportunities to prevent large-scale environmental damage, yet we have failed to make significant change. Specifically, I feel that we need to be restricting the sale and use of plastic goods, considering a ban on not only petrol but also hybrid cars, researching alternative energy methods (in particular, tidal power) and investing in green jobs and bringing in environmental experts to ensure Government advancement regarding environmental policy. Not only do we need Government change but also change regarding how accessible our future island policy (the island plan) is to young people.

I feel that if the IoD created a separate branch for young people and the advancement of young people’s ideas maybe it would become more relevant to younger audiences. Although I am aware that the IoD has its Future Leaders Scheme to mentor Sixth formers by 'shadowing' a Director or Senior Manager in their duties across the island, I feel that the IoD should possibly set up a Trident scheme, or include GCSE students in their mentoring program. I also didn't find mention of this program, and I feel that the IoD should try to make this program more widely known about. Alongside this, I feel IoD Jersey could set up more social media accounts, such as a Snapchat account to become more relevant and more widely known among younger audiences.

I hope to continue to be a home cook and an avid sportsman, and if I can, in the future, I hope to continue to travel around the globe and garner new, joyous experiences while also visiting my relatives who are spread out across the globe. I am also hoping to represent Jersey Touch sometime in the future, a key sporting goal of mine.