Youth and Inequalities in the UK

Contributor(s): Michaela Rafferty, Jeremiah Emmanuel, Jason Allen | Even before the pandemic, young people in the UK faced many forms of inequality and their health and wellbeing was being eroded by a lack of jobs, a shortage of affordable housing, and cuts to public services. As the gap between the generations grows and young people’s voices and concerns are not adequately taken into account by policy makers and politicians, it is no surprise that young people increasingly feel anxious of what the future holds. This panel brings three young leaders who are working in and beyond their local communities to address inequalities in education, housing, employment and the criminal justice system. The three panellists, Jason Allen, Jeremiah Emmanuel, and Michaela Rafferty, will draw on their ongoing work and share their experiences in dialogue with one another and the audience. In doing so, they will not only consider the consequences of inequalities on young people’s lives and their wellbeing, but also discuss what can be done to tackle those inequalities. Meet our speakers and chair Jason Allen has a dedicated career and specialism in the treatment of trauma in young people. He is recognised as an national expert in gang and youth violence in London and currently runs Mary’s, a hub for counselling, mentoring and gang mediation in Camden which he built from its inception in 2006. His professional training is wide-ranging and he is currently completing a Masters Degree in Psychology and Trauma. Jeremiah Emmanuel (@je1bc) was raised in a single-parent family in south London and started working within his local community from a young age, campaigning around issues that affect his generation. He was elected into the UK Youth Parliament and later became a young mayor within London, as well as setting up a Youth Council for the BBC. Dreaming in a Nightmare, his new book, is a manifesto for how we can tackle inequality in the UK and improve the lives of young people today. Michaela Rafferty (@MichaelaRaffert) is a Youth Engagement and Campaigns Organiser at Just for Kids Law, who exist to ensure young people have their legal rights and entitlements respected and promoted, and their voices heard and valued. She spent 12 years as a community youth worker and human rights activist in Belfast, and has worked in youth rights initiatives in Palestine, women’s empowerment projects in Tajikistan and human rights education in refugee camps in Greece. Michaela is a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Social and Economic Equity. Armine Ishkanian (@Armish15) is Associate Professor of Social Policy and the Executive Director of the Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity programme at LSE. Her research focuses on the relationship between civil society, policy processes, and social transformation. She is co-convenor of the Politics of Inequality research theme based in the International Inequalities Institute. More about this event The International Inequalities Institute (@LSEInequalities) at LSE brings together experts from many LSE departments and centres to lead cutting-edge research focused on understanding why inequalities are escalating in numerous arenas across the world, and to develop critical tools to address these challenges. Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEIII Featured image (used in source code with watermark added): Photo by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.