CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY
WHO HELPED TO STOP THE BNP
IN THE LOCAL ELECTIONS !
Before the elections earlier this month the BNP had 49 councillors. 880 BNP candidates contested the elections this month and the BNP was hoping to end up with a total of at least 100 councillors. They ended up with an overall gain of just 1 council seat! (They won 9 new seats but lost 8 of the 9 that they were defending.) They now have a total of 50 council seats.
The anti-racist and anti-fascist movement, thanks to their targeted campaigning, stopped the BNP in its tracks in these local elections. We must ensure that we continue the campaigning to stop the BNP making any break-throughs in the European and London Assembly elections in the not-too-distant future. All progressives must recognise that the BNP’s 50 council seats do give them an electoral base to contest these forthcoming elections and we cannot afford to underestimate them.
The campaigning goes on!
Watch this space.
(For more local election details go to www.hopenothate.org.uk)
Red Nose Day Fundraising
Aratrust (Anti-Racist Alliance Trust) joined forces with local Harrow band, the Mighty Goodfellaz Live Band, playing classic rock pieces in the open air in Harrow Shopping Centre to raise money for Comic Relief. There was a terrific response from thousands of shoppers, young and old and from all sections of the community. Over £500 was raised for Comic Relief.
BNP Infiltration: Court finds in favour of union
"On 27th February 2007 the European Court of Human Rights found in favour of ASLEF in a case that will have profound and positive implications for trade unions.
In ASLEF v UK, the ECHR held that:
- Art 11 does not impose an obligation on a union to admit those who do not share their values (para 39); and,
- the right of ASLEF to choose its members outweighed the BNP member's right to freedom of expression (para. 50)." IER
For further information click here.
"Towards Quality" capacity-building workshops for voluntary organisations
SKEIN are organising these workshops in different parts of London. The courses provide participants with an understanding of the issues relating to quality improvement, including sustainability, self-assessment and quality project management.
The SKEIN workshops being held in North-West London in late February and March are in partnership with NLTEN, Harrow Anti-Racist Alliance, CARRAMEA and the Somali Cultural & Educational Association. Please ring 0208 808 7344 or email haringeytn@aol.com (please mention the ARA website!)
Protect Generic Drug Production -
Message From Oxfam
Giant drug company Novartis is challenging Indian Patent law in the courts, to protect its exclusive right to sell medicines in India.
If they win, it will threaten India's ability to produce and export cheaper generic drugs, including HIV medicines, which benefit millions of people in developing countries.
This action is against an international agreement that allows developing countries to produce and import cheaper versions of medicines in the interests of public health. You can stop this action.
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Saturday, March 4, 2006
Anti-Fascist Campaigning
London Anti-Racist Alliance is supporting local groups’ anti-fascist campaigning throughout London in the lead-up to the local elections in May 2006. Campaign details are available on the Searchlight 'Stop the BNP' website.
Saturday, February 21, 2006
21 March International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
18-26 March European-wide Action Week Against Racism
During the annual European-wide Action Week, centred around 21 March
(International Day for the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination) and organised by UNITED for Intercultural Action, thousands of people actively engage themselves for tolerance, equal rights and celebrate the diversity of Europe. The campaign aims to highlight the issues of racism from an NGO (non-governmental organisation) perspective on all levels - local, national and European.
UNITED calls upon all organisations to take part in the campaign!
The ARA is organising an arts event based on the concepts of tolerance, equal rights and diversity. For futher details contact us on: arts4real@antiracistalliance.org.uk
Saturday, October 29, 2005
Black History Month
arts4REAL premiered the group’s new production, “Segregation”, at the GMB’s BHM celebration at CoNEL in Tottenham. Over 200 people attended the Tottenham event including politicians and national, regional and local trade union representatives and activists.
Saturday, October 22, 2005
Black History Month
arts4REAL premiered excerpts from the group’s new production, “Segregation”, in Harrow.
Saturday, October 01, 2005
Black History Month Launch
arts4REAL young performers joined professionals to launch Harrow’s Black History Month in St George’s Shopping Centre.
Saturday, October 09, 2004
European Social Forum 2004
If you are against racism, war and injustice then this is where you should be between 14th and 17th October 2004 in London.
Events include music, drama, film-showings and exhibitions, discussions, debate, a large opening event on Thursday 14th, and an International demonstration through central London on Sunday afternoon.
The European Social Forum (ESF) emerged from the first World Social Forum held in Brazil in 2001. The first ESF was held in Florence in Italy in 2002 and the second one in Paris in 2003.
This year's event is being held in London and the themes include:
- Racism, discrimination and the far right
- War and peace
- Environmental crisis and sustainable society
- Social justice and Solidarity
- Corporate globalisation and global justice
- Democracy and fundamental rights
Thousands of people from all over Europe are expected.
arts4REAL, the Anti-Racist Alliance's performing arts group, will be presenting drama, poetry and rap at a BLACK HISTORY MONTH Celebration organised by the GMB London Region Race Committee and supported by the CONEL School of Trade Union Studies and Haringey Council in North London on Saturday 16th October.
This event is included in the ESF programme and will be held at 12 noon - 4pm at the College of North East London, High Road, Tottenham. Nearest Tube: Seven Sisters
Genuine Marriages and Bogus Marriages
In addition to the emotional hurt and the financial loss to the betrothed, there is a huge cost to the public purse.
Whilst registrars' estimates of "suspicious" marriages can receive widespread media coverage, the actual number of people charged with offences relating specifically to bogus marriages and the percentage of guilty verdicts in such cases, receive little, if any, coverage. Of about 75,000 marriages between British nationals and non-EEA nationals in 2003, only 37 people were charged with any offence at all after registrars reported 2,700 of these marriages as "suspicious".
In the context of the new measures in the Asylum and Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act 2004 that can be taken against suspected bogus marriages, there are concerns about how discriminatory these new measures are in relation to non-EEA nationals and non-Christians and the extent to which stopping someone marrying another person of their choice is a breach of the Human Rights Act.
The Anti-Racist Alliance would like to hear from British citizens whose genuine marriages to non-EEA citizens have been interfered with by immigration officers or whose weddings have been stopped.
Write to us at PO Box 307, or e-mail us at aratrust@antiracistalliance.org.uk
World Poverty
Instead of spending money on basic health and education for some of the world's poorest people, 53 countries in the world, whose debt repayments are at crisis level, have to spend their limited resources on debt repayments to rich countries.
Every day Sub-Saharan Africa repays almost £16 million in debt - adding up to over £5.4 billion per annum more than it receives in aid.
About half of the region's 330 million people live in extreme poverty and almost 1 in 5 children die before their fifth birthday.
Want to do something?
http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/
International Trade Justice
International trade is controlled by richer countries for their own benefit and is a major cause of continuing world poverty, as millions of families in poor countries don't get a fair share of the wealth they create. Low commodity prices and unfair competition from rich countries undermine the livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers and producers.
The Fair Trade movement, including Traidcraft and Oxfam, is a growing, international movement which is:
(1) helping producers in developing countries to get a fairer price for their products - a price that covers the cost of production and guarantees a living income, and
(2) is working for a fairer system of international trade - one which works for small-scale producers as well as rich countries.
The Fair Trade movement gives you an opportunity to use your purchasing power to tilt the balance, however slightly, in favour of the poor, and to voice your concerns about this crisis.
Find out all the Fair Trade products you can buy in this country.
FAIRTRADE FORTNIGHT 2005 (1st -13th March)
Watch this space.
http://www.maketradefair.com/en/index.htm
Missing Persons
The Red Cross and Red Crescent will help you to re-establish links with missing persons (including displaced people, refugees and prisoners) who have been separated from you by war
The service is available in different languages.
http://www.ifrc.org/
http://www.icrc.org/
Recommendation 61, Stephen Lawrence Inquiry Report
"That the Home Secretary, in consultation with Police Services, should ensure that a record is made by Police officers of all "Stops" and "Stops and searches" made under any legislative provision (not just the Police and Criminal Evidence Act). Non-statutory or so called "Voluntary" stops must also be recorded. The record to include the reason for the stop, the outcome, and the self-defined ethnic identity of the person stopped. A copy of the record shall be given to the person stopped."
The Home Secretary has directed that the Police Service of England and Wales will implement this recommendation by 01/04/05.
Following two pilot schemes in Hackney and Tower Hamlets, the Metropolitan Police Authority is aiming to begin the process of introducing Recommendation 61 across London this month in order to prepare their officers, test out their systems and iron out any issues well ahead of the national go-live date of April 2005.
A training pack is expected to be available this month for a rolling training programme.
A London-wide advisory panel to monitor the implementation of recommendation 61 is being set up with people nominated from boroughs across London.
Watch this space.
Friday, October 08, 2004
Stops and Searches
The Institute for Race Relations has warned several times this year of the threat of terrorism being used as a pretext to discriminate in police stops and searches, particularly against British Asians. The IRR has reported that new statistics published by the police reveal that, in the year 2002/03, police in England and Wales were stopping and searching an average of 60 people a day as suspected terrorists.
Whereas 13 per cent of stops and searches under normal police powers resulted in arrests, the arrest rate for stops and searches on suspicion of terrorism was just 1.7 per cent.
Only eighteen arrests in connection with terrorism were made in that year as a result of the 21,577 stops and searches carried out.
From 2001/02 to 2002/03, there was a fourfold increase in the number of Asians stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000.
http://www.irr.org.uk/2004/january/ak000006.html
http://www.irr.org.uk/2004/july/ak000006.html
Saturday, September 11, 2004
The Morris Inquiry
The Morris Inquiry was set up by the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) to look into professional standards and employment in the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). It is chaired by Sir William Morris, formerly General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union.
The Inquiry, which began in January 2004, includes assessing:
- policies, procedures and practices for and resolution of complaints and allegations against individuals and grievances by individuals;
- policies, procedures and practices for and resolution of Employment Tribunal claims, in particular those claims involving allegations of race or other discrimination against the MPS;
- policies, procedures and practices for and resolution of workplace conflicts falling short of allegations or grievances;
- whether the policies, practices, procedures and structure of the MPS represent good effective practice in line with key strategies and the statutory obligations of the MPS and MPA under the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 and other relevant legislation;
- lessons to be learnt from the outcome of recent high profile cases (including recommendations made by the Gurpal Virdi Inquiry, and the outcome of the case involving Supt Dizaei);
- the role of the Police Authority and its Members in relation to the consideration of high profile or sensitive cases, and the oversight of the performance of the MPS in relation to the matters covered by this Inquiry.
Evidence has been gathered from Trade Unions and staff associations, and the Inquiry team has spent time at police stations and Hendon Training Centre and with officers on patrol.
In addition, 43,000 police officers and staff were sent a questionnaire about employment issues and their experiences in the Metropolitan Police Service. 15,616 of them responded and the survey results were published on 10 September. Among the 64 findings based on the returns were:
- 49% agreed that the MPS demonstrates commitment to equal opportunities for all staff
- 49% agreed that the MPS treats people equally regardless of their ethnicity
- 31% were confident that MPS managers are confident in dealing with diversity issues
- 45% were confident that diversity has become part of the MPS culture rather than something which needs to be consciously thought about
For all the findings check the report of the survey on the Morris Inquiry website.
The Inquiry is due to report on its findings and recommendations towards the end of this year.WATCH THIS SPACE!
Saturday, August 21, 2004
Combating Racism, Promoting Anti-Racist Art
We are going to have a gallery of anti-racist art on this website.
Are you an artist or a writer? We will publish original art, poetry and short scripts. Please state your age if you are under 26. Children's work is welcomed. The work still belongs to you, we would just like to publish it online for you.
Send your work for consideration to the address at the top of this screen, with a stamped addressed envelope for an acknowledgment.
This picture, inspired by arts4REAL, the ARA's drama group, is by Meera, aged 13.
Refugee directory for West London goes online
On REAP's new website is an easy-to-search online directory of refugee organisations, services and resources in West London. You can search by borough and by keyword and find lists of groups that provide translation or interpreting services. The directory is amended and updated at monthly.
You can visit REAP's website at www.reap.org.uk.
Website design
This website was designed by Jason King of Hillingdon Association of Voluntary Services with funding by Community Cohesion in West London.