5 Minute’s With: Raqhibul Islam
Rak speaking at the Good Life Euston presentation event, sharing his ideas on what residents need to prosper throughout years of heavy development
We caught up with Rak, local Euston resident, Euston Voices Researcher, and founder of YourBikeCIC. He departed with us his thoughts on being a Euston Voices researcher and words of wisdom about enabling equitable participation through citizen-led approaches.
An introduction
Euston is an area in the south of the borough, it is renowned for its station and national links, but its also an area of heavy development which is expected to continue into the better part of the next three decades. Good Life Euston is a collaborative research project which sought to recruit and up skill local Euston residents in aid of consulting both developers and the stake holders. From this endeavour we have found many fruitful conversations with our Euston Voices Researchers and optimistic prospects of the future which we hope to see come to fruition sooner than later.
Rak has been one of 22 Euston Voices Researchers who have been working on the Good Life Partnership Project with our Partners at IGP, London Borough of Camden and Lendlease. Having been particularly passionate regarding the younger generation which he hopes to depart Euston in better shape and increased accessibility to them.
We discussed the hardships Rak has had to endure growing in Euston, actively fighting against becoming a statistic - not only himself but encouraging those around him to do the same. We also touched on what Rak saw were shortcomings from such collaborations, in his passion and concern to see his community thrive sustainably, he hopes to see some tangible change from these conversations.
We will keep working with Rak and others in Euston’s communities to overcome the issues raised here, in particular bringing about more meaningful relationships between large institutions and local residents, one way this could be done is by making funding available to act on the priorities the Euston Voices have identified.
Enjoy the conversation!
“One part of this collaboration was showing up, which they did, but then they also need to be listening”
So we’ve spoken before about how there’s a lot to a person so how do you define yourself?
As an open minded individual, willing to make mistakes - as someone who loves to learn from mistakes. I also enjoy and make a point of challenging narratives. I aim to progress in a way where I am always trying to understand the world around me and as well create a new world around me, for not only myself but others. I also hope to come off as kind hearted but that is more of another’s opinion.
On that, and the idea a person is their environment, what do you think defines a person in Camden/Euston?
Someone who doesn’t like loud noises, minds their business, enjoys peace of mind.
That’s definitely, 100% all me there!
As a local resident, why was it important for you to be part of the CSS?
I feel like, from living in an area you only get one point of view, as a resident and someone who grew up and lives in the area. So it was great to see the points of view of a researcher, developer and council body.
What was the most important aspect of this collaboration, which brought together the stakeholders and Euston Voices Researchers?
Definitely the different people in the room - CEOs, Dames, researches, different organisations etc.
It was also great to see different people in the same room with different experiences and the varied level of education. It was genuinely an inspiration to have that many people there.
To have that show the different intelligence and qualities of life for people… it was a weird one. Particularly as all the Euston Voices Researchers are on their own path and some of them are yet to have found their paths.
In your day to day life, what or maybe who puts you most to a disadvantage?
It’s the fact that I don’t have the ability to see it - see everything - from a white, privileged point of view. I’m seeing. everything from the point of view of a 25-year-old man, coming from hardships and struggles of an individual growing up in Camden, impacted from different intersectional hardships.
There are other disadvantages I see though. There are people wanting to start up their own business, but they lack the simple yet expensive software or tech devices. After that it’s a chain reaction, but it’s where they are having to make that decision of actually investing, and that’s not always n easy choice. We need some form of equity in the area - resources are inaccessible, and that needs to change, because we have so many resources, but they’re not being accessed. There’s an idea we could use spaces like schools to maybe hold night schools or something like that to increase access to everyone.
“The fact that I can’t see through the eyes of a white privileged person puts me to a disadvantage”
Now that the initial phase of the Good Life Euston partnership has ended and you’ve met with stakeholders, what do you think they need to enact on now?
Reply back to emails! We feel that developers are working with people and doing great stuff, but then the project finished and people move on and then nothing has really moved forward. It’s something that really frustrates not only me but members of my community, to have us participate and feel as though they have put on facade.
One part of this collaboration was showing up, which they did, but then they also need to be listening - actively listening - and acting on what we are saying. It leaves us feeling as though there is a lack of real engagement and communication, which is ultimately also not fair.
Thinking bigger picture, what needs to be put in place to help you and people like you fight against the everyday inequalities? Thinking of barriers that you and your community are still having to face.
More open space to talk and communicate with people, physically and not so - like a platform to communicate and continue these conversations. It would be great to have someone ‘on the ground’, like an engagement officer, maybe someone from the Euston Voices Researchers, to have them there, always ‘on the field’. I’d say you would never get data like this, because it may become refined. So it would be great to have someone who is passionate to feed this consistently. This person (or people) could then engage with organisations in Camden or on estates and have that link - that’s what’s missing.
Raq, in the 12 Heroes of Camden open air exhibition last winter.
As one of the younger Euston Voices Researchers and someone who devotes most of their time working with young people, what do you want young people to know? What are you concerned that they’re not understanding?
That we do not need anymore drug dealers or gangsters, we need doctors, lawyers, quality people. We need people that can help maintain and facilitate our community. We don’t need any more trappers or whatever - all they do is give our community a bad name and make everything - the whole area - go crazy.
As this partnership has been all about looking forward to an improved future in Euston, in 10 years, what do you think the ideal Euston would look like?
Depends who’s perspective we’re going off of, but the way its going: it’ll be all about aesthetic: someone will playe a tree for the sake of it. I’d imagine we’d have more retail - something along the lines of how Liverpool St. Station looks. There would be an increase of commercialising and capitalising on the people accessing the station. I’d imagine it would be a playground for the rich.
I don’t see myself living here anymore, I’d like to move out of the country even, maybe start a farm, move to become more self sufficient. Growing up in a city is - to me - synonymous with mental health issues, crime, becoming a statistic - I just want to break those barriers.
Lastly, but definitely not least: what is the best advice you ever received/ could give to anyone ever?
When I was 13/14, I was going home with a youth worker - we’d just finished a session and was being driven home after a project - and he said to me:
‘Rak, study as hard as you can, smash it at university, after you finish, if you want to become that drug dealer you idolise and wanted to become as a kid, then see how you feel after. Put in 110% into education and the curriculum first, then see’
Above are some images Rak captured as part of his walking ethnography research in his role as Euston Voices Researcher
