A major focus of my work is identifying causes and finding solutions to tackling institutional
racism and racial conflict.
I’m a community worker and a social science lecturer at Goldsmiths University, London.
I’m involved in the professional training of youth and community workers, and I advise
and work with senior people within organizations on how to tackle institutional racism and
racial conflict.
I also co-ordinate and manage, on behalf of the lay Buddhist organization SGI-UK, The
Three Faiths Community Project – funded by the Home Office as part of its Community
Cohesion program – involving Muslims, SGI Buddhists and black Christians in South London.
The project is looking to provide new understandings to community cohesion by examining the UK
context of discrimination, persecution and racism which Muslims and young black people
face.
They spent a lot of time in the early weeks breaking everybody down
to see that we’re just the same.
One of the things that struck us in terms of wanting to begin this project, we have
to say, was based on what be perceived to be the attacks that were taking place throughout
society on Muslim people.
I found it really encouraging actually that people are very willing to listen and to find
out more, so that it’s been a platform where we’ve been able to address misconceptions.
My personal experience of racism propelled me into this work.
I was separated at birth from my mother, an Indian Gujarati Hindu and adopted three months
later by a white family living in Shropshire.
My family were supportive and caring, but I wanted to be white like everyone around me.
At night I would cry myself to sleep.
I experienced racist abuse and bullying from my peers, and was subjected to ‘Paki-bashing’ attacks.
My consciousness of being black and different meant that I couldn’t be myself.
By my late teens this anguish had translated itself into a profound anger, which I directed
at authority and injustice.
I attacked the beliefs of anyone who had a different view from me.
I trained to become a community worker and channeled my anger into political issues and
fighting injustice in the community.
I believed that it was external factors like social structures that needed changing, not people.
This belief was challenged when a work colleague introduced me to Buddhism.
This colleague impressed me because I could see he was committed to tackling racism in
an effective, sustained way – and he was white.
My name is David Woodger.
I’m a Buddhist and I live in Tooting.
I read a book by Daisaku Ikeda, president of the SGI lay Buddhist society, called
"The New Human Revolution."
He described the emotion and indignation he felt when he saw a young African-American
boy being excluded from a game of football just because he was black.
I was incredibly moved. It so echoed my own experience.
Through my Buddhist practice I came to realize that internal human revolution, human transformation
could help bring about not only personal change but social change too.
I now use my anger constructively in my work as a positive source of energy.
I’ve been able to empower black and white people in a range of public sector services
including education, health, social services, the police and youth services.
You’re pioneers. Not only do you need to get to know each other and become friends,
you need to become advocates for our community because there's not a Muslim community and
a Buddhist community and a , Christian community, – there’s one community.
It helped me to change my whole mindset on how I see things and how I judge people, how
I prejudge people.
I’ve recently been awarded a government grant to undertake research into knife crime
among young people.
Our educational and social institutions are failing young black and Muslim people, many
feel and are excluded from our services.
Before I’d have really shied away from issues of discrimination, issues of racism whereas
now I can really see clearly in my own life, see within my family, my community, my work,
my society at large how there’s a lot of discriminatory dynamics at work.
I actually feel this is something that can be changed.
My belief and vision is that we can establish a more humane society
of genuine race equality.
Work with our differences, transcend those differences, and as a community
really say what we want to say and have a voice.
I want to get the awareness up and just continue to do it.