My parents were born in Rhodesia and I was born in Zimbabwe - the same country but significantly different systems. They were born into a system that did not allow them their full rights or the dignity that they deserved. It took the courage and sacrifice of many for me to be born into a country that was a dream realised; a dream built on an ideal of freedom for all. I am testament that the hopes of a people and their fight for a better future, can bring about changes that not only improved their lives, but also  the lives of millions of unborn, people like me, my brothers, cousins, nephews and nieces. 

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Now I find myself, in part thanks to my parents' determination, working with Hope for the Future, an organisation dedicated to empowering people and communities throughout the United Kingdom. What drew me to this organisation was the mission statement that we can build constructive relationships with our politicians, in order to bring about robust climate and nature policies and secure a liveable future. My hope is that future generations will benefit from our efforts to build a fair, healthy and inclusive world - different to the one that we currently inhabit. 

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The task of building this world is fraught with its own challenges and amazing twists and turns that can leave anyone, not just those in the environmental movement, with feelings of despondency. To use the Climate and Nature (CAN) Bill as an example, we saw millions of people across the UK galvanise with the intent to write and have meetings with their MPs, asking them to attend the second reading of the bill on the 24th of January. This was the first time that the bill was debated and voted on in the Houses of Parliament. The bill sought to ensure that “policy and action on the climate and nature crises is science-led and people-oriented”. 

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Hope for the Future was part of these incredible efforts. To maximise impact, and support as many people across the UK to ask their MP to back the CAN Bill, we developed a Train the Trainer model, enabling campaigners not only to engage MPs but also to train others in their communities to do so as well - scaling the campaign’s reach. As a result, the number of MPs supporting the Bill rose from 132 to 175. One group Hope for the Future trained more recently was Parent’s for Future York. The group asked us to help them prepare to meet their MP with a request for support as, like many others, they had never met with a politician before. In their feedback to us, they said:

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"We found the training really useful and it had helped us to achieve their goal; for our MP to attend the second reading of the CAN bill’".

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Whilst the Bill, unfortunately, did not progress any further after mediation between the Bill’s sponsors and the government, the new relationship built between Parents for Future York and their MP is a valuable step in the right direction.

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So, what next for the CAN Bill? A further debate has been scheduled for the 11th of July 2025. That said, the Commons Library has stated that the Bill is “unlikely to progress any further”. 

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Since, many people are questioning, what are we to make of this and how can we maintain hope?

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The first action would be to acknowledge how we feel and guard against feelings of despondency no matter how warranted these feelings are. I believe that our politicians must be honest and upfront. The path we are on is long and has nice prickly thorns that will occasionally pierce our feet, causing us pain and discomfort. But, our duty is to continue moving forward with fortitude, courage, and compassion for one another. There remain so many ways that we can work to secure a healthy planet for all.

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Another way to realise hope and get clear on a way forward is by learning from our own stories and past experiences. I have shared part of my story with you. You have a story too, we all do. Our forebears, saddled with their own imperfections, gave us this world. I have shortcomings, as do you. The enviable task in front of us is the same that our ancestors had, which was and is, and will forever be, to “tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world”. Savageness in this case can be translated as doing that which tilts the scales towards vice instead of virtue.  

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I believe that if we continue on this path and maintain hope, our mosaic will stand the true measure of time. Those that will live in the future will be grateful for our efforts and we can feel secure in our knowledge that we will never stop trying to build hope for the future. 

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