University of Manchester: Making a difference

When Lemn Sissay MBE became Chancellor of the University his promise was to ‘inspire and be inspired’.

His new poem mixes powerful words to inspire the University to continue to make a positive contribution to society through teaching, research and public engagement.

Making a Difference (a poem to be read aloud)
We are shaking and waking and breaking indifference
We are quaking and taking and making a difference
We are working observing recording researching
Wherein we’re conferring subverting referring
We’re counting the minutes the moments the loss
Redressing the balance addressing the cost
We are citing and fighting it’s all in the writing
The spark is igniting in dark we are lightening
We are breaking the brackets the fact is the planet’s
In rackets and rackets of rackets in brackets
The systems the victims the damning the scamming
The biased predicting the beating and banning
The skills we exchange the breaking of chains
The actions sustained the makers of change
To relentless censors the damned and defenceless
Our words are the action the louder reaction
When no one is listening we hear
When heads turn away we volunteer
We work we stand tall we rise up to be counted
We climb mountains
We are shaking and waking and breaking indifference
We are quaking and taking and making a difference