Sanctuary in the Sun
By Nick Pelling
The sun shone on the Hastings Sanctuary festival and the general multitude of people seemed to be enjoying themselves and the music. But it would be very wrong to assume that this was just a final fun-loving hurrah for summer lovers. The real moral purpose of the event was clear at every one of the many stalls and in the ardent discussions floating in the hubbub.
It was pointed out to me that Hastings and surrounding coastlines now form part of the ‘front line’ for those refugees risking the perilous journey across the channel. The politics surrounding this issue is now so heated that tempers can quickly fray. But, if this festival is anything to go by, many people in Hastings still believe that the issue is stark and simple: it is just morally right to help people in desperate circumstances. The petitions being signed on the day may not deflect our government from pandering to lowest common denominator thinking, but this gathering, at least, suggested that there may be a quiet majority of people who want a change of heart.
It was a great day and, in many ways, an uplifting one. Why the simple compassion of the festival goers cannot find adequate expression in contemporary politics is hard to say. And that paradox reminded me of the old question asked by Elvis Costello: ‘What’s So Funny About Peace, Love and Understanding?’
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