Ayrton Cable

Ayrton Cable (born 10 January 2003 in Nové Zámky, Slovakia) is a social activist, best known for his activism on issues surrounding food and water security and his campaigns to feed the world sustainably and alleviate poverty.

On 5 September 2012, when Cable was 9 years old, he launched a bill in the UK Parliament with major NGOs for more ethical food, addressing MPs and the media by screening a film about food labelling and animal welfare.^[1] The film, entitled How was this animal kept?, was professionally produced and shot at Hampton Court House School with the help of Mexican film director Alejandro Sesma and Ffinlo Costain,^[2] EU Labelling Project Manager at the Farm Animal Welfare Forum. Cable is a pupil at the school.

In June 2014 Cable founded the Humanitarian Water and Food Youth Award,^[3] (WAF-Y) raising awareness of issues relating to poverty and in particular food and water security. He has spoken and appeared on TV, radio, at awards ceremonies, and at TEDx.^[4]

Early activism/First campaigns

Cable was inspired after seeing the controversial documentary film Food Inc, which explores the issues around factory farming. He launched the Labelling Matters campaign, organized by Compassion in World Farming, RSPCA, Soil Association and WSPA, which calls for a new law to be introduced in the UK, labelling meat and dairy food more clearly to show how the animals which were used to produce the food had been kept.^[5] An early version of his campaign film was Highly Commended by the Parliamentary Education Authority, chaired by Lord Puttnam. He was invited by the NGO Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) to partner with them to obtain passage of the law, known as 'method of production labelling'.^[6]

Cable's campaign film, made in partnership^[7] with Compassion in World Farming, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, World Animal Protection and The Soil Association was titled How was this animal kept?^[8] and was premiered in September 2012 at the UK Parliament to MPs and the media. Since its launch, the film has been shown in schools nationwide, and used to teach children about ethical food and farming in the Geography and Citizenship curriculums. After its screening in Parliament, Cable discussed his film in media;^[9] he also met with David Heath, the UK Minister for Agriculture.^[10]

In 2013, Cable supported Bandi Mbubi's campaign for fair trade mobile phones, Congo Calling,^[11] after watching Mbubi’s TED talk^[12] for TEDxExeter on conflict minerals in the Congo. Exploitative sourcing of minerals for mobile phones has caused severe harm in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Cable came Runner Up in Amnesty International's 'Young Photojournalist of the Year Award',^[13] contributing a photo showing his mother using a mobile phone and the text 'Blood Phones: Demand A Fair Trade Mobile Phone'.^[14]

Cable is a Youth Ambassador for the anti-poverty charity Tearfund,^[15] one of 200 UK charities and churches forming part of the 'Enough Food for Everyone IF' campaign aimed at urging world leaders to tackle global hunger.^[16] In May 2013, he travelled to Malawi on behalf of Tearfund and ITV as part of the IF campaign. Whilst there, he met Mapangano, a young boy his own age who regularly goes to bed hungry.^[17] He documented his experiences in Malawi both on ITV and BBC Radio, raising awareness for the IF campaign and urging world leaders to tackle the problem of global hunger.^[18]

Humanitarian Water and Food Youth Award

As a result of his activism, Cable was invited to create a Youth component for the Humanitarian Water and Food Awards,^[19] using gamification as a way to encourage young people to take an interest in social activism.^[20] Founded in 2008 and based in Copenhagen, The Humanitarian Water and Food Awards promote global best practices in water and food security initiatives.^[21] At the 2014 WAF Awards, held in London on June 19, Cable launched the Humanitarian Water and Food Youth Award (WAF-Y).^[22] The WAF-Y Award has its roots in Mahatma Gandhi’s dictum, "Be the change you want to see in the world". Its goal is to empower young people to be a key part of solving food and water security.

Cable has contributed to The Huffington Post^[23] and an early version of his film introducing the awards, The World Food Challenge,^[24] was shown as part of the International School Meals Day Initiative in front of the World Bank and USAID and was aired during We Day UK, 2013 at Wembley Arena^[25] in front of other social activists who spoke on the day including Malala Yousafzai,^[26] Al Gore, Richard Branson, and over 10,000 young people.

In launching the award, Cable invited young people to participate in activities, lessons and projects to find solutions to feeding everyone in the world and providing safe water. In line with the WAF Award's approach - based on the view that we already have the resources to sustainably feed our world, but that we need access and the tools to use these resources sustainably - he and the staff of WAF-Y, in collaboration with the 'Water Explorer' programme created by Global Action Plan,^[27] set up WAF-Y as an online platform for schools. During 2015 and 2016, at least 100,000 children will participate in the programme from 1,400 schools in more than ten countries. The country teams scoring most highly will be entered as finalists for the WAF-Y International Awards Ceremony at the World Expo in Milan in October 2015. Cable was invited by Skype in the Classroom to be a Guest Speaker, introducing classes to WAF-Y.^[28] He will guide students through current problems and solutions for food and water security issues through a series of lessons beginning in the third quarter of 2015, becoming the youngest Guest Speaker for Skype in the Classroom.^[29]

Continuing activism

On 26 June 2014,Cable gave a TED talk as part of TEDxYouth at Hampton Court House School.^[30] His talk, titled ‘“What’s missing from our efforts to change the world?”^[31] described his previous campaigning and activism. He went on to raise awareness for the success of FairPhone, the Permaculture Research Institute, and the Green Belt movement to ask questions regarding how we can change our world. He introduced the CARE Revolution. This initiative was fostered and developed by The100Hours, a charitable organisation based in the UK whose aim is to bring 'wise and compassionate living and leadership' into the centre of education; Cable is also a spokesperson and ambassador for The100Hours and in November 2014 was named an #iwill Ambassador for youth social action^[32] In January 2015, along with his parents, educators Paul Vincent Cable and Agnesa Tothova, Cable co-founded a chain of 'changemaker' schools known as EnSo,^[33] aimed at children at the bottom of the economic pyramid in Sub-Saharan Africa and India. These schools will adopt in their curriculum a version of the methodology Cable has used in his social activism and social entrepreneurship.^[34]

Ayrton Cable is the grandson of former UK Secretary of State for Business, Innovation, and Skills, Vince Cable.^[1][17]

Awards and honours

• Live Unltd Award for social entrepreneurship,
• Diana Award for campaigning
• Jubilee Award and named as an #iwill Ambassador^[35] from Prince Charles’ #iwill campaign for youth social action
• Nominee and recognition from British Red Cross Humanitarian Awards.
• Member of the Youth Advisory Panel for MyBnk. Nominated for International Children's Peace Prize
• Recognition from Amnesty International
• Recognition from the Parliamentary Education Authority^[36]

References