The Resurgence Event held in Camden on 3rd October was an inspiring event with a whole range of knowledgeable and well-informed commentators, activists and politicians.
Crispin Tickell, former adviser to Margaret Thatcher, opened with the worrying if not new mesage that the world was crossing the boundary in a whole range of areas: from Climate Change to the nitrogen cycle, water availability and population. He spoke of the need leadership and bemoaned that feature of US politics where naked self interest still affects debate.
There was some optimism too - about the gains that China and India bring to the table as they are beginning to face the problems of climate change already.
He spoke of the importance of continued public pressure in the run up to Copenhagen, but wondered whether benign catastrophes would be necessary to push things along. Unfortunately, as Crispin Tickell pointed out it may take "benign catastrophes" to provide the impetus for change. It may take the actual expereince of the consequences of climate destabilization where we can see the link to climate change to help us address these grve issues.
He asked how we will cross the long and rickety division between science and policy? The key to this in his view are the Kyoto modalities or requirements, reviewing and reforming our energy systems and also our, water systems from reservoirs to drainage.
John Sauven, the head of Greenpeace bemoaned the fact that mainstream politicians and journalists don't have developed view of how to green our economies. Though some like, surprisingly enough, Adair Turner, ex-chief of the CBI, and Nick Stern, ex-Chief World Bank economist, do recognize that we need radical change and that we need to be moving away from pursuit of growth of GDP.
He made the point very clearly and forcefully that our current system based on the pursuit of self-interest by business and debt fuelled growth was is not in society's interest. The irony of the situation is that Gordon Brown, Greenspan and others, he explained, continue to retain their faith in this flawed system. And thats an important point that needs to be picked up on - its our current system with risk takers with a "I'll be gone, you'll be gone" attitude that needs to be changed. When will the leaders of the mainstream political parties wake up to this?
Later in the day, we had some excellent discussion about how we achieve this change. Caroline Lucas, leader of the Green Party, spoke about the Green New Deal as well as the need for a positive vision of a post-climate change world. George Marshall gave us environmentalists some real insight into how the ordinary person views the climate change debate and responds to this threat to their way of life by denial. It was obvious to all, if not already clear, that we needed to think much harder about how we get a much wider section of society seeking and pushing for change. Stephen Hale spoke about Green Alliance's 10 manifesto proposals which seek to develop a "common cause" across all the political parties.
I'd like to finish with Tony Juniper's excellent campaign which he is working on, on behalf of the Prince of Wales Rainforest project. A package has been put forward for addressing deforestation which leads to 1/5 of the worlds emissions - a massive contributor to climate change.
The aim of this is to address the deadlock which is expected in respect of the negotiations on Reducing Emissions from Climate Change (REDD), under the auspices of the UNFCC. This emergency package asks OECD governments to pledge action irrespective of what happens in Copenhagen. It would involve about £15 - 20 bill being spent over 5 yrs which should lead to 25% reduction in emissions worldwide. That is more than total emissions of UK and France plus others. It is apparently the cheapest way to get a big hit. Some OECD countries have alreadybought in: Norway, Brazil.
We should all sign up on line to persuade world leaders to do this in time for Copenhagen. http://www.rainforestsos.org/ or see http://www.princesrainforestsproject.org/blog/category/deforestation
Add links: Resurgence and REDD
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
Thursday, 1 January 2009
2009 - the Year of the Environment
2009 needs to be the year of the environment - the dawn of a Green era.
Please watch Rupert Read (propospective Green MEP for East of England) explaining why acting collectively as well as individually is essential if you want real change.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OLG4eXHthao&fmt=18
Please watch Rupert Read (propospective Green MEP for East of England) explaining why acting collectively as well as individually is essential if you want real change.
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=OLG4eXHthao&fmt=18
Sunday, 28 December 2008
Leading Women - the Green New Deal
It is several months now since the Green Party elected its first Green Leader, Caroline Lucas MEP. Caroline has spent much of this time explaining the importance of the Green New Deal a strategy for taking us out of recession, addressing long term structural problems with our banking system and ensuring the nation remains working. Along with other renowned Green thinkers and activists, "the Green New Deal Group", a set of policies have been put together and in my view are crucial to our recovery.
The Green New Deal takes us back to the Roosevelt years when the US struggled to get out of the recession which saw millions lose their jobs and people flee their homes often as a result of repossession by banks and head West looking for work. This time the "Green New Deal" seeks to address a set of problems: climate change, the credit crunch and impending recession.
Job creation would be promoted and climate change combatted through investment in the green energy sector: energy efficiency and renewables. By raising the standards of insulation in our homes not only will we have higher levels of comfort and lower fuel bills but we will also reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. Combined with seeking to make every building a source of energy through solar panels, ground source heat pumps etc even more can be done to combat climate change.
The tools would be, not only awareness raising and a small fund for subsidies, but a large £50bn fund combined crucially with skills training. An Oil Legacy Fund is proposed, paid for by a windfall tax on energy companies, which would pay for this.
And for longer term structural security banking reform is proposed which will involve separating investment banks from retail banks and tightening regulation all round.
What does this mean to me as a councillor working at a local level? It means pushing for an integrated approach by Camden which involves investing in insulation and renewables levering in money from energy companies to pay for this but also investing in and ensuring we have appropriate skills training. We have a vast deficiency in people who are able to insulated your floors or put in good quality double-glazing. Camden could be and should be doing more to use what will be a fallow period to train people up to take on these jobs. Our Green MEP Jean Lambert has also been working to have the training agenda included Europe wide (see Jean's new report "Green Work: Employment and Skills - the Climate Change Challenge" http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/reports_publication.php) . This is what the Greens are asking for within Camden. We have yet to see a commitment by the Lib-Dem/Conservative administration to adopt this forward-looking integrated approach.
The Green New Deal takes us back to the Roosevelt years when the US struggled to get out of the recession which saw millions lose their jobs and people flee their homes often as a result of repossession by banks and head West looking for work. This time the "Green New Deal" seeks to address a set of problems: climate change, the credit crunch and impending recession.
Job creation would be promoted and climate change combatted through investment in the green energy sector: energy efficiency and renewables. By raising the standards of insulation in our homes not only will we have higher levels of comfort and lower fuel bills but we will also reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. Combined with seeking to make every building a source of energy through solar panels, ground source heat pumps etc even more can be done to combat climate change.
The tools would be, not only awareness raising and a small fund for subsidies, but a large £50bn fund combined crucially with skills training. An Oil Legacy Fund is proposed, paid for by a windfall tax on energy companies, which would pay for this.
And for longer term structural security banking reform is proposed which will involve separating investment banks from retail banks and tightening regulation all round.
What does this mean to me as a councillor working at a local level? It means pushing for an integrated approach by Camden which involves investing in insulation and renewables levering in money from energy companies to pay for this but also investing in and ensuring we have appropriate skills training. We have a vast deficiency in people who are able to insulated your floors or put in good quality double-glazing. Camden could be and should be doing more to use what will be a fallow period to train people up to take on these jobs. Our Green MEP Jean Lambert has also been working to have the training agenda included Europe wide (see Jean's new report "Green Work: Employment and Skills - the Climate Change Challenge" http://www.jeanlambertmep.org.uk/reports_publication.php) . This is what the Greens are asking for within Camden. We have yet to see a commitment by the Lib-Dem/Conservative administration to adopt this forward-looking integrated approach.
Saturday, 16 August 2008
The Standing Committee for the Muslim Community in Camden
I was invited to speak at the inaugural meeting of Camden's new Committe for Muslim Organisations which took place last Friday. I addressed the meeting along with our local MP, Frank Dobson. It was a good opportunity to make contact with a full range of organisations from different Bangladeshi community groups to Somali groups too, and useful to get a good understanding of the issues that are a concern to them.
I spoke about worklessness levels especially for women which is one of the major problems in the large Bangladeshi community. The audience recognised this as an issue as well as male unemployment. They were very responsive and clear about what they saw as solutions. They key solution for them was ensuring a skills match amongst the local BME community and the jobs that were available in the area - especially the construction sector. They did not know that a construction training centre had been set up in Kings X for just this purpose. Unbelievably this did not seem to have been communicated to these local organisations.
Other issues for the community included after school or supplementary education for their children to raise their educational levels, provision of halal meat in schools, a burial ground for muslims and a mosque and cultural centre. There has to date been cross-party support for the mosque but it looks as if the other parties are dragging their feet on finding some land. I offered to play a part in pushing the Council to find some land possibly through a s.106 planning agreement in relation to the new Euston development.
All in all it was a great evening for me - it was good to spend some time with fellow immigrants from the sub-continent and explore the issues that affect immigrants in London and try and work together to improve their situation.
I spoke about worklessness levels especially for women which is one of the major problems in the large Bangladeshi community. The audience recognised this as an issue as well as male unemployment. They were very responsive and clear about what they saw as solutions. They key solution for them was ensuring a skills match amongst the local BME community and the jobs that were available in the area - especially the construction sector. They did not know that a construction training centre had been set up in Kings X for just this purpose. Unbelievably this did not seem to have been communicated to these local organisations.
Other issues for the community included after school or supplementary education for their children to raise their educational levels, provision of halal meat in schools, a burial ground for muslims and a mosque and cultural centre. There has to date been cross-party support for the mosque but it looks as if the other parties are dragging their feet on finding some land. I offered to play a part in pushing the Council to find some land possibly through a s.106 planning agreement in relation to the new Euston development.
All in all it was a great evening for me - it was good to spend some time with fellow immigrants from the sub-continent and explore the issues that affect immigrants in London and try and work together to improve their situation.
Justice for Ethnic Minority Lawyers
A report, published by Lord Ouseley this week, showed that black and minority ethnic lawyers are disproportionately targeted by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority.
It highlights the continuing presence of discrimination in many areas of society,and that much work is still needed before organisations like the SRA can claim to be truly fair and even-handed.
As both a lawyer and a member of the government's 14-strong Black,Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors' Taskforce, I felt it was important that I responded to this report.
I would like to see the Law Society, the SRA and organisations representing BME solicitors work together to tackle these problems and show other organisations what can be done.
Rather shockingly, the Ouseley Review found 'evidence of some stereotyping' within the SRA, which led to an assumption of guilt in respect of lawyers from some communities even before an investigation had begun. It also pointed to the focus of regulation on sole practitioners (a higher proportion of black and Asian lawyers are sole practitioners) as a reason for this discrimination.
It found evidence of a greater proportion of BME solicitors referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Board, a greater proportion of cases where a decision was made to intervene in the practice and a disproportionate number barred from student applications or admission to the roll.
While making clear its findings of institutional racism, the report also makes a broad range of recommendations to help eliminate this,from applying equality and diversity strategies to working with the Law Society to develop better systems of support and guidance.
The upside of this review is that it's clear that the public sector equality duties, which have led to impact assessments being carried out, are leading to proper investigation of practices that would previously remain hidden - something that members of the public suspect but cannot establish.
It also reveals how affected we all are by stereotypes of different communities and how this affects the ability of people to be scrupulously fair. Being fair and even-handed is something that we in the UK pride ourselves on and I hope that this report will lead to consideration as to how we can surmount this problem if we are to be a fair multi-cultural society.
For the legal profession it also raises other issues - why do more ethnic minorities become sole practitioners? What are the barriers to them achieving success in larger firms and how can this be tackled? Do sole practitioners require greater assistance and support?
This issue of support and guidance is of increasing importance as fees for legal aid practitioners are cut and lawyers in this sector, who are disproportionately BME, will have to operate on lower incomes.
There is a lot more work to be done to address these issues as well as the disproportionate representation in certain aspects of work of the SRA. I hope to see the Law Society, the SRA and organizations representing BME solicitors work together to tackle these problems and show other organisations what can be done.
It highlights the continuing presence of discrimination in many areas of society,and that much work is still needed before organisations like the SRA can claim to be truly fair and even-handed.
As both a lawyer and a member of the government's 14-strong Black,Asian and Minority Ethnic Women Councillors' Taskforce, I felt it was important that I responded to this report.
I would like to see the Law Society, the SRA and organisations representing BME solicitors work together to tackle these problems and show other organisations what can be done.
Rather shockingly, the Ouseley Review found 'evidence of some stereotyping' within the SRA, which led to an assumption of guilt in respect of lawyers from some communities even before an investigation had begun. It also pointed to the focus of regulation on sole practitioners (a higher proportion of black and Asian lawyers are sole practitioners) as a reason for this discrimination.
It found evidence of a greater proportion of BME solicitors referred to the Solicitors Disciplinary Board, a greater proportion of cases where a decision was made to intervene in the practice and a disproportionate number barred from student applications or admission to the roll.
While making clear its findings of institutional racism, the report also makes a broad range of recommendations to help eliminate this,from applying equality and diversity strategies to working with the Law Society to develop better systems of support and guidance.
The upside of this review is that it's clear that the public sector equality duties, which have led to impact assessments being carried out, are leading to proper investigation of practices that would previously remain hidden - something that members of the public suspect but cannot establish.
It also reveals how affected we all are by stereotypes of different communities and how this affects the ability of people to be scrupulously fair. Being fair and even-handed is something that we in the UK pride ourselves on and I hope that this report will lead to consideration as to how we can surmount this problem if we are to be a fair multi-cultural society.
For the legal profession it also raises other issues - why do more ethnic minorities become sole practitioners? What are the barriers to them achieving success in larger firms and how can this be tackled? Do sole practitioners require greater assistance and support?
This issue of support and guidance is of increasing importance as fees for legal aid practitioners are cut and lawyers in this sector, who are disproportionately BME, will have to operate on lower incomes.
There is a lot more work to be done to address these issues as well as the disproportionate representation in certain aspects of work of the SRA. I hope to see the Law Society, the SRA and organizations representing BME solicitors work together to tackle these problems and show other organisations what can be done.
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Statement for Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator
I am standing for the Executive, for the post of Equality and Diversity Co-ordinator. This is my official statement, that will go out with the ballot.
A committed Councillor & activist
As a committed Green Party Councillor and activist I am hugely excited by the creation of this new position on the Party’s Executive.
Working to increase women BME councillors
I have recently been appointed to a Government Equalities Office national taskforce. This seeks specifically to increase the number of women BME councillors in England and Wales, and the opportunity to dovetail this role with that of Green Party Equality & Diversity Coordinator would be exceptional.
Representing all groups facing discrimination
I am ambitious for the role and would want diversity to mean all diversities. I would work to develop for the Party both internal and external facing strategies, helping it to reflect better all sectors of society as well as widening its local and national policy engagements with them.
Working for rights, Trades Unions & against discrimination
Currently I work as an advisory lawyer for Defra, on policy secondment to their soil protection program. I established a diversity group in Defra Legal and am currently a member of the Natural Environment Group's Diversity Group.
My other relevant experience includes:
I am 39 and of East African Asian background. After graduating from Oxford University with a 2.1 in Philosophy, Politics and Economics I went on to gain a Masters in Law at University College London (SOAS), where my submission papers included comparative human rights and ethnic minorities and the law.
A committed Councillor & activist
As a committed Green Party Councillor and activist I am hugely excited by the creation of this new position on the Party’s Executive.
Working to increase women BME councillors
I have recently been appointed to a Government Equalities Office national taskforce. This seeks specifically to increase the number of women BME councillors in England and Wales, and the opportunity to dovetail this role with that of Green Party Equality & Diversity Coordinator would be exceptional.
Representing all groups facing discrimination
I am ambitious for the role and would want diversity to mean all diversities. I would work to develop for the Party both internal and external facing strategies, helping it to reflect better all sectors of society as well as widening its local and national policy engagements with them.
Working for rights, Trades Unions & against discrimination
Currently I work as an advisory lawyer for Defra, on policy secondment to their soil protection program. I established a diversity group in Defra Legal and am currently a member of the Natural Environment Group's Diversity Group.
My other relevant experience includes:
- Working for a Southall Monitoring Group speaking for minorities, especially Asian and Somali, in seeking to address problems of racial violence, domestic violence and employment discrimination.
- Working in a legal aid firm in Southall, helping to bring one of the first services claims under the Disability Discrimination Act 1996.
- Working for Trade Union law firm Rowley Ashworth, where my casework included race, gender and disability discrimination cases.
- Seeking to address high levels of worklessness in certain sectors of the population including BME, disabled and lone parents as one of three councilors on a Camden Worklessness Taskforce.
I am 39 and of East African Asian background. After graduating from Oxford University with a 2.1 in Philosophy, Politics and Economics I went on to gain a Masters in Law at University College London (SOAS), where my submission papers included comparative human rights and ethnic minorities and the law.
I would be honoured to serve as the Equality and Diversity Coordinator on the Green Party Executive and delighted therefore if you would consider voting for me.
Friday, 20 June 2008
A new job on a national taskforce
I am honoured to be appointed to the Black, Asian And Minority Ethnic Women Councillors Taskforce and I believe as a Green Party member with its strong history of gender equality I have a lot to contribute.
This is a cross-party taskforce comprised of key local councillors to seek to empower other women to get involved in local politics as well as to take this message of positive action and empowerment out to Councils and political parties
Women in the UK are under-represented in Councils and at Westminster. Women councillors currently only make up 29.3% of councillors. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women are particularly under-presented.
They make up 5.4% of the population but their share of local councillors is only 0.9% only around one sixth of that figure, a mere 168 out of 20,000 councillors. A significant increase is needed across the UK if women and especially ethnic minority women are to be properly represented in our local democracies.
Local councils make many decisions that have a huge impact on all of us – from housing policy, the environment and education and also nurseries, after-school clubs and youth services.
Women can’t afford to leave all these decisions to men – it is vital if all interests are to be properly taken into account and good decisions made that women play a full part in local politics. Councils of course are also a stepping stone towards entry into parliament where women remain woefully under-represented. We are yet to have an Asian woman MP in the UK and have just to ethnic minority women MPs!
I’m intending to work with my fellow councillors, whatever their background, to seek to empower women, ethnic minorities in particular, and bring this wealth of talent and experience into the formal structure of the Council as well as the informal structures such as the network of liaison groups and our area forums.
Key to this will be seeking to ensure greater involvement of all parts of our community – across class, gender and ethnic groups - in these structures and for good role models and mentors to step forward. I’d also like to take some of the successes of Camden where since early 2008 we have had 3 ethnic minority women councillors to other parts of the UK.
I hope to work on this project in particular with my colleagues Geethika Jayatilaka and Nancy Jirira who are both effective and well-respected councillors and I am glad to have received a strong message of support from the Leader of the Council Keith Moffitt.”
This is a cross-party taskforce comprised of key local councillors to seek to empower other women to get involved in local politics as well as to take this message of positive action and empowerment out to Councils and political parties
Women in the UK are under-represented in Councils and at Westminster. Women councillors currently only make up 29.3% of councillors. Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Women are particularly under-presented.
They make up 5.4% of the population but their share of local councillors is only 0.9% only around one sixth of that figure, a mere 168 out of 20,000 councillors. A significant increase is needed across the UK if women and especially ethnic minority women are to be properly represented in our local democracies.
Local councils make many decisions that have a huge impact on all of us – from housing policy, the environment and education and also nurseries, after-school clubs and youth services.
Women can’t afford to leave all these decisions to men – it is vital if all interests are to be properly taken into account and good decisions made that women play a full part in local politics. Councils of course are also a stepping stone towards entry into parliament where women remain woefully under-represented. We are yet to have an Asian woman MP in the UK and have just to ethnic minority women MPs!
I’m intending to work with my fellow councillors, whatever their background, to seek to empower women, ethnic minorities in particular, and bring this wealth of talent and experience into the formal structure of the Council as well as the informal structures such as the network of liaison groups and our area forums.
Key to this will be seeking to ensure greater involvement of all parts of our community – across class, gender and ethnic groups - in these structures and for good role models and mentors to step forward. I’d also like to take some of the successes of Camden where since early 2008 we have had 3 ethnic minority women councillors to other parts of the UK.
I hope to work on this project in particular with my colleagues Geethika Jayatilaka and Nancy Jirira who are both effective and well-respected councillors and I am glad to have received a strong message of support from the Leader of the Council Keith Moffitt.”
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