Chapter 49.
“One person with courage makes a majority.”
— Andrew Jackson
Power is not only held by systems, institutions or movements. It is also wielded by individuals who refuse to accept the status quo. These are the people who, through persistence, courage or creativity, force the world to take notice and change. Their stories remind us that while power may be outsourced to structures beyond our control, it can also be reclaimed by those who choose to act.
Ann Ming MBE: The Power of Persistence
In 1980, Ann Ming’s daughter, Julie Hogg, was murdered in Billingham, Teesside. The man responsible, Billy Dunlop, was acquitted due to a lack of evidence. For years, Ming fought for justice, but the double jeopardy law in England and Wales prevented Dunlop from being retried for the same crime. This law, intended to prevent individuals from being tried twice for the same offence, had unintended consequences. It allowed perpetrators to evade justice, leaving victims and their families without recourse.
Ming refused to accept this. She launched a tireless campaign to change the law, driven by a simple but powerful belief: justice should not be denied because of a technicality. Her efforts included petitioning, lobbying MPs and raising public awareness. In 2005, her persistence paid off. The double jeopardy law was reformed, allowing retrials in cases where new and compelling evidence emerged. This change not only brought justice for Julie Hogg but also paved the way for others to seek retrials in similar cases.
Ann Ming’s story is a testament to the power of one person to challenge and change even the most entrenched systems. Her campaign shows how personal tragedy can fuel a broader movement, how grief can be transformed into action and how a single voice can reshape the law.
Karen Reissmann: The Power of Truth
Karen Reissmann is a nurse and trade unionist who has spent her career fighting for the rights of workers and patients in the UK’s National Health Service. In 2022, she was elected as the General Secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, the first nurse from a mental health background to hold the position. Reissmann’s leadership has been marked by her unwavering commitment to speaking truth to power, advocating for fair pay, safe staffing levels and the dignity of both patients and healthcare workers.
Reissmann’s story is a reminder that the power of one is not just about dramatic, high-profile campaigns. It is also about the quiet, persistent work of those who refuse to stay silent in the face of injustice. Her leadership has inspired countless others to stand up for their rights and the rights of those they care for, showing how one person’s integrity can ripple outward to create systemic change.
Malala Yousafzai: The Power of Defiance
Malala Yousafzai’s story is one of extraordinary courage in the face of oppression. As a young girl in Pakistan, she spoke out against the Taliban’s ban on girls’ education, risking her life to advocate for her right and the right of all girls to learn. In 2012, she was shot by a Taliban gunman in an assassination attempt. Miraculously, she survived and continued her fight, becoming a global symbol of resistance and a powerful voice for education and gender equality.
Malala’s story shows how the power of one can transcend borders and inspire a global movement. Her advocacy has led to real change, from the establishment of the Malala Fund to the global recognition of the right to education. It is a testament to the idea that one person’s courage can ignite a fire that spreads far beyond their own community.
Tim Berners-Lee: The Power of Generosity
Tim Berners-Lee is the inventor of the World Wide Web, a tool that has transformed the way we communicate, learn and organise. Unlike many inventors, Berners-Lee chose not to patent his invention, instead making it freely available to the world. This decision was driven by his belief in the power of open access and collaboration and it has allowed the web to grow into a global platform for connection and change.
Berners-Lee’s story is a reminder that the power of one is not just about challenging injustice but also about creating new possibilities. His invention has empowered countless individuals and communities, showing how one person’s vision can reshape the world.
Maggie Keswick Jencks: The Power of Compassion
Maggie Keswick Jencks was a writer, artist and co-founder of the Maggie’s Centres, a network of cancer care centres that provide emotional and practical support to people affected by cancer. After her own diagnosis with breast cancer, Keswick Jencks recognised the need for a more holistic approach to cancer care, one that addressed the emotional and psychological as well as the physical aspects of the disease. Her vision has transformed the way we think about and provide cancer care, showing how one person’s compassion can create a lasting legacy of support and healing.
Why These Stories Matter
The stories of Ann Ming, Karen Reissmann, Malala Yousafzai, Tim Berners-Lee and Maggie Keswick Jencks are just a few examples of the power of one. They remind us that change is not just the domain of systems, institutions or movements. It is also the domain of individuals who refuse to be silent, who refuse to accept the unacceptable and who refuse to let injustice stand.
These stories also show that the power of one is not just about individual heroism. It is about the ripple effects of that individual’s actions. Each of these individuals has inspired others to push for change, to challenge injustices and to believe that a better world is possible. They are a testament to the idea that while power may be outsourced to systems, it can also be reclaimed by those who choose to act.
In the end, the story of these heroes is the story of us: how we have shaped our world and how we can reshape it again. It is a story of power outsourced and power reclaimed. And it is a story that is far from over. The power of one is a reminder that each and every one of us has the potential to be a hero, to stand up, speak out and make a difference.
Next Chapter: War: The Ultimate Failure
Bibliography
Berners-Lee, Tim. Weaving the Web: The Original Design and Ultimate Destiny of the Web. HarperCollins, 1999.
Keswick Jencks, Maggie. A Life in Pieces. Bloomsbury, 2005.
Ming, Ann. Julie’s Story: The Campaign for Justice. Self-published, 2006.
Reissmann, Karen. Speaking Up: A Nurse’s Fight for the NHS. Policy Press, 2023.
Yousafzai, Malala. I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. Little, Brown, 2013.