Cassandra who never gives up!

Another Life Lost on the Streets of Manchester, The Shameful Reality of Homelessness in Manchester

6/12/2023

We are outraged and heartbroken by the news that another homeless person has died in Manchester city centre on Sunday morning December 3rd 2023. He was found in a shop doorway on Bloom Street, one of the busiest and most affluent areas of the city. He was one of the many people who have been sleeping rough in the freezing cold, as the UK faces a snow and ice warning.

This is a disgrace and a scandal. This is a direct consequence of the government's policies that have created and exacerbated the homelessness crisis in the UK. These policies include cutting funding for homelessness services, criminalising rough sleeping, and ejecting migrants who have nowhere else to go. These policies are not only immoral and unjust, but also illegal under international human rights law.

That is why we launched the campaign "Keep Your Coins - We Want Change" back in 2015. This campaign was led by homeless people themselves, who are the experts of their own situation. They have the right to speak out and be heard. They have the right to demand dignity and justice. They have the right to challenge the system that oppresses and excludes them.

It is ironic that a temporary structure with a roof has been built in the city this week for Chanel’s “street scene” fashion show, to protect supermodels, musicians and film stars from the weather, while people without shelter are sleeping and sometimes dying in nearby doorways.

We are not asking for charity or pity. We are asking for change. We are also asking for the public to join us in our campaign, and to show solidarity and compassion to homeless people. We are asking you to listen to their stories, respect their choices, and support their demands. We are asking you to stand with us in our struggle for human rights.

Homelessness is not a crime, nor a choice, nor a fate and most certainly not a lifestyle choice. It is a social problem that can and must be solved. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can end homelessness.

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Author

Welcome to Cassandra who never gives up, a blog page where we share our reflections on the news stories that are consequences of the policies that we and many others have campaigned about. We are Cassandra, a group of human rights activists who work for RAPAR (Refugee and Asylum Participatory Action Research), a community organisation that supports and empowers people who are at risk of having their human rights violated.

We have been involved in various campaigns for social justice, such as "Keep Your Coins - We Want Change", which aims to end homelessness and poverty in the UK, and "Stop the War on Yemen", which calls for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian aid in the world's worst humanitarian crisis. We have also witnessed the impact of these campaigns on the lives of the people who are affected by them, both positively and negatively.

In this blog, we will share our personal insights and opinions on the news stories that relate to the issues that we care about. We will also analyse the policies and actions of the government and other factors that influence these issues. We will try to highlight the voices and perspectives of the people who are often ignored and silenced by the mainstream media and politicians. We will also try to provide some suggestions and solutions for how we can make a difference and create a better world for everyone.

We chose the name Cassandra who never gives up because we identify with the mythological figure of Cassandra, who was cursed by Apollo to always speak the truth, but never be believed. We feel like sometimes we are in a similar situation, as we try to warn people about the dangers and injustices that are happening around us, but often face disbelief and indifference. However, unlike Cassandra, who was doomed to suffer in silence, we never give up on speaking out and fighting for what we believe in. We hope that through this blog, we can inspire and encourage others to do the same.

Thank you for visiting our blog page, and we hope you enjoy reading our posts. Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback, and share this page with your friends and family. Together, we can make a difference. Together, we can change the world.