{"id":28721,"date":"2021-04-29T16:29:41","date_gmt":"2021-04-29T15:29:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/unitelive.org\/?p=28721"},"modified":"2021-04-29T17:33:25","modified_gmt":"2021-04-29T16:33:25","slug":"all-one-multi-ethnic-working-class","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/?p=28721","title":{"rendered":"\u00e2\u20ac\u0098All one multi-ethnic working class\u00e2\u20ac\u2122"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

In this \u00e2\u20ac\u0098tale of two cities\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Oxford Unite member Dr Hosnieh Djafari Marbini, re-standing as a city councillor, believes that local people working together can truly bring about real change in tackling inequalities.<\/p>\n

Onwards then from the South West to the so-called \u00e2\u20ac\u0098dreaming spires of Oxford\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 where we find that this version of the city has little connection for many local residents \u00e2\u20ac\u201c living in some of England\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s poorest estates. We meet the woman who has been fighting for a more equal and fair place to live. Jody Whitehill<\/strong> reports.<\/p>\n

Passionate about building strong links within the community and empowering people to contribute towards policies that affect them, Unite member Dr Hosnieh Djafari Marbini<\/strong>, currently a Labour councillor in Oxford\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s Northfield Brook ward, is standing for a second term on May 6.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Hosnieh<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

Hosnieh\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s passion for social justice began at an early age \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and stems from her own difficult experiences. Her family, fleeing Iran in the early 1990s, arrived in the UK seeking political refuge. During the revolution in Iran her father\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s strong beliefs in equality and justice for all led to him spending five years in prison there.\u00c2\u00a0 Hosnieh was just 13 years old when they moved to a council estate in London. Reliant on public services and the welfare state, Hosnieh spoke hardly any English when she started secondary school. Every day of her young life then was a real challenge.<\/p>\n

But such challenges were to shape her determination to succeed. And now, a proud mum of two children, Hosnieh is a consultant anaesthetist in Oxford where she looks after cancer patients; working as part of a team to try and give her patients the best quality of life and helping them to prepare for the trauma of surgery.<\/p>\n

As a medical student Hosnieh wasted no time in joining a trade union \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the BMA (British Medical Association). But seeing the activity of the Unite branch organising and campaigning at all levels of her workplace, she decided to get involved.<\/p>\n

Interested in true trade union activism that brings about real change, Hosnieh joined Unite during the junior doctors\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 strike of 2016. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bI feel it is so important that a union reflects the key message that we are all in this together,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said, \u00e2\u20ac\u015band I believe Unite really showed that during the strike.\u00e2\u20ac\u0165<\/p>\n

Hosnieh happily threw herself in to union activism, quickly becoming the political officer for Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s health branch in Oxford. \u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere is so much value in standing together to try and build safe and good working environments and ensuring all workers can afford a comfortable standard of living,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Hosnieh.<\/p>\n

Since then she has been heavily involved in many of Unite\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s NHS campaigns \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and during the pandemic has spoken out against the lack of PPE for health workers.<\/p>\n

Vibrant community <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Northfield Brook is a vibrant community five miles outside the city centre with a population of 6,000. Yet it remains one of the most deprived areas of the country. In 2015 it ranked in the top 10 per cent of England\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s most-deprived areas. Oxford City Council is investing millions into regenerating the area, but there is still a long way to go.<\/p>\n

\"\"

Hosnieh in the ward with co-council candidate Duncan Hall<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bFor many residents their children cannot afford to live in Oxford,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Hosnieh.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere are either multigenerational households that are overcrowded or families are split up when their children are forced to move away in search of more affordable housing,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

There is a growing disillusionment with politics in the area and despite the council working hard to build more houses with 620 new council homes promised within the next four years, many residents in the ward feel that it must come with with better facilities, community wealth building projects and access to public services.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bLabour councils have been and must continue to work innovatively to bring wealth into areas \u00e2\u20ac\u201c for example having community run businesses and encouraging residents to use their power to improve access to public services,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 said Hosnieh.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWe must work hard to tackle inequalities daily in our communities and I hope we can keep working towards this by centring those most affected and strengthening local power,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

Hosnieh is campaigning alongside residents for the regeneration to be done in the right way.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bPart of my work is to support others to feel confident to represent their communities,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIn order to see real transformation we need to change who makes the policies and I believe that local people are the best qualified to make polices that will truly improve lives by closing the inequalities gap,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

Solidarity <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

It is Labour values that have inspired Hosnieh to try and influence change through solidarity.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bAs a teenager I would never have imagined that I could walk into Oxford Town Hall and have the confidence to represent people,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI want other people to see that they can do the same. If we have more understanding on a local level of what we can change then that can be a real force for good,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

In 2019 Hosnieh was appointed as Oxford\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first migrant champion. She works with migrants and refugees, helping them to access local services and advice centres, and making sure their needs are considered, barriers removed and voices heard in council policy.<\/p>\n

She has also worked to support community groups such as Leys CDI (community development initiative), a youth and over 50s community project in the parish.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Hosnieh helping to prepare Christmas parcels at Leys CDI.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bDuring the pandemic our volunteers have been running socially distanced food and medicine drop offs and doorstep visits to ensure no one feels isolated,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bThere\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been a real sense of coming together and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s been an honour to be a part of it,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

Hosnieh also campaigns to improve living environments within the ward like better lighting following the abduction and murder of Sarah Everard.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bIt is not the solution to violence against women but it has made a difference and helped women to feel safer walking home at night,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said.<\/p>\n

For Hosnieh the place to start if we want to see change within our communities, is within trade unions.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bI\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to see more local councils and councillors get involved with their unions, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d like to see other people like me who will make that link between migrant\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s rights and workers\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 rights so we can have joined up conversations and move away from divisiveness,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she said.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u015bWhatever the issue, be it access to PPE, a safe environment to work, safe and affordable housing or migrants rights \u00e2\u20ac\u201c many of these issues go hand in hand. We are and always have been one multi-ethnic working class,\u00e2\u20ac\u0165 she added.<\/p>\n

GET INVOLVED<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

If you live in the South East and want to help Hosnieh see her web page here, or contact the Unite South East regional office<\/a> and ask to speak to the regional political officer.<\/p>\n

Wherever you live if would like to help Unite candidates in your area or to find out more\u00c2\u00a0see here<\/a><\/p>\n

By Jody Whitehill <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Stayed tuned to UNITElive for the latest on our Unite candidates<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In this \u00e2\u20ac\u0098tale of two cities\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 Oxford Unite member Dr Hosnieh Djafari Marbini, re-standing as a city councillor, believes that local people working together can truly bring about real change in tackling inequalities.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":28726,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1621],"tags":[109,520,574,29,387],"wps_subtitle":"The Oxford councillor fighting for equality","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28721"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=28721"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28721\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28748,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28721\/revisions\/28748"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/28726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=28721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=28721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/unitelive.test.igniteamt.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=28721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}