Dancho Yakimov: We're stronger together

Two months ago, I began my internship at Operation Black vote - an organization and a team that I learned so much from! It is now time to say goodbye to the people that enriched my understanding of what it really means to be an advocate for social change! I can not explain how much I learned during my work with them, but I would like to recall a few things which made my summer so productive and inspirational!

First of all, I realized how OBV is an organization with a mission that expands way beyond empowerment and advocacy for Black communities in the UK. For my short period of working closely with the team, I have been engaged in advocacy for Asian, Caribbean, and Roma people in the UK. I have participated in protests, I have been involved in campaigns and I have written articles on issues related to human rights and equal treatment.

Through all these experiences I learned my first lesson: We are stronger together! Stronger in standing against discrimination, raising our voices against far-right populism and ensuring that every person has the rights to live a dignified life! This message represents what OBV stands for. I was so happy to see the power of those values placed in practice, influencing and changing the lives of people!

Shadowing my supervisor and the Director - Simon Woolley, took a crucial role in my understanding of advocacy and lobbying. If I will remember one thing from our fruitful conversations with Simon, it will definitely be his argument "Decisions are made for us every day. Therefore, it will be good if we are at that table as well! His words resonate with my understanding that we do not have to be politicians in order to influence public policies. We have to be politically informed and to pursue dialogue with our governments!

Simon's words strengthen my opinion that we, as citizens, should actively participate in the decision-making process, without feeling less influential but to hold our institutions accountable! At OBV, I learned that each of us has the power and the authority to influence our governments! We can all find our way to political engagement! Whether individually, as organizations or as businessmen - we can shape our institutions, laws, and policies so they can work better for us and our future generations! I was enthusiastic to see Simon's role in advisory boards and committees to the Prime Minister of the UK and wish him and a OBV successful future!

We are stronger together and there are no boundaries that hold our strength in the realm of political participation! I leave London with these thoughts and I hope I will find wisdom and opportunity to attach them to my personal and professional endeavors!

Thank you OBV for your professional and friendly environment! You gave me so much of a courage and insights! You assured me that that there is plenty of humanity and solidarity around the world! Let's spread it together!

Dancho Yakimov