Dear friends, this is slight digression on the subject of South Sudan!
I can not but feel a little nervous as 23 June approaches and I read articles stating that the Brexit campaign has taken the lead in the polls. I wonder what is going on my country, I wonder why we have become so anti-Europe.
I have lived outside of Europe for almost 7 years now, most of that time in the States and during that time my notion of Europeaness have been completely reinforced. The British are European, we always were and we always will be. We can pretend we are half way between Europe and North America, but you try living in the States for six years and you will soon realise which bus you are on.
We are bound by a common set up principles, a strong understanding of personal liberty, a respect for the rule of law that goes back centuries, a respect for culture, a respect for the environment. I may still squabble with my French friends on customs of eating, with Irish friends on the behaviour of the British during the troubles and with countless others on the foibles of our continent, but we are all brothers and sisters and it feels like that to me more than ever. There is always an instant connection with a European in the international sector within which I live and work, a familiarity that I can not quite put my finger on. We understand each other on a very subconscious level.
You stroll along the thoroughfares of Madrid, get lost in the alleyways and canals of Venice, enjoy the quaint bars in a French ski village and feel numb in the wind on the German Baltic coast, but most of all you feel safe, because you are free within this network of countries that has worked very hard to resolve their differences and to this day spends hours pouring over mundane legislation such as the right length and shape of a good carrot. As a gay man, the EU protects my rights, as it does for many many minorities of every shape, colour and physical ability. We are home to the European Court of Human Rights, the Human Rights Council and the International Criminal Court. We have laws that prevent our employers from making us work too long hours, mobile roaming charges have been dropped, or soon will be, regulations safeguard our travel and ensure a more transparent financial industry. Corruption and the death penalty is something we lecture other countries about.
Let's not throw this all a way because certain politicians fear monger about migrants, or a loss of a way of life. We are not going to stay the same, Britain is not going to always be as it is now. We must unite on finding solutions to issues such as the environment and how to assist the "have nots". I want to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the French and the Germans when we must intervene militarily and financially to save others, or to find a way to combat extremism, whether that be the ill intentions of ISIS, or the racism of Nigel Farage and Marie Le Pen.
The British will continue to grumble in their idyllic country gardens, the French will continue to turn their noses up and insist their cheese can not be countered and the Italians will still throw the best parties. We won't lose this if we stay, we will just continue to do it under one big umbrella!
http://bit.ly/1UlmxAo
