Multi-dimensional discrimination: Justice for the whole person Event

The Equality and Diversity Forum and JUSTICE will host a one-day conference on Friday 23rd November 2007 in central London on multi-dimensional discrimination.

The aim of the conference is to raise awareness amongst NGOs and policy makers about multi-dimensional discrimination, how it is experienced, its impact on society and ways to tackle the problem.

Multi-dimensional discrimination occurs when someone experiences discrimination on more than one ground. For example, being treated less favourably not only on the grounds of age but also on the grounds of disability.

Under the current equality laws there are many situations where the legal framework is totally inadequate: when the discrimination involves more than one ground and those grounds interact with each other in such a way that they are completely inseparable. In many situations it is only possible to take a discrimination case in the UK alleging to a single ground for discrimination.

The conference will consist of a keynote address by Niall Crowley Chief Executive of the Equality Authority, Ireland; a presentation from Gay Moon, JUSTICE, on the legal dimensions of multi-dimensional discrimination; and a presentation by John Wadham, Head of Legal ECHR, about the Commission’s work on multi-dimensional discrimination.

The Equality and Diversity Forum is a national partner of the “For Diversity Against Discrimination” campaign in the UK.

www.edf.org.uk

[25.09.2007] - Age Awareness Week 2007

Age Awareness Week 2007

The Changing Ageing Partnership (CAP) brings together Age Concern Northern Ireland, help the Aged, Queen's University Belfast and the Worker's Educational Association and is funded by The Atlantic Philanthropies.
CAP's Vision is of "a strong informed voice capable of challenging and changing attitudes and approaches to ageing".
One part of CAP's programme of work is to organise an Age Awareness Week which highlights issues of discrimination which affect older people to the rest of society.

Age Awareness Week is based on International Day for Older People,1st October each year. It is intended that the week will include a recognition and celebration of the multiple identities of older people.  The week is an element of Age Concern Northern Ireland’s (ACNI’s) contribution to the integrated Changing Ageing Project (CAP) and is organised specifically with Help the Aged in Northern Ireland but with the welcome contribution of Queens University Belfast and the Workers Educational Association.

CAP's vision is that after five years the week will have become an established part of the Northern Irish calendar and that it is an established measurement tool for highlighting improvements to the quality of older people’s lives and pointing to new challenges to be surmounted.

The CAP partnership agreed that the theme for Age Awareness Week in 2007 would follow one of the four key themes of the European Year, Respect.

Respect - The Theme for Age Awareness Week 2007

Promoting a more cohesive society

Action will be taken to raise awareness among the general public of the importance of eradicating clichés, stereotypes and violence, and promoting good relations among all members of society.

Age Awareness Week 2007 will strive to promote and disseminate the values underlying equal treatment and the fight against discrimination.

 Download invitation to the launch of Age Awareness Week 2007 (PDF-file) 146 KB

 Download Age Awareness Week 2007 events guide (PDF-file) 376 KB

 Download Age Awareness Week 2007 information postcard (PDF-file) 163 KB 

[24./25.07.2007] - The 2007 European Diversity Truck reaches Liverpool

Polish street theatre “Three Hours Theatre” performing

Liverpool was the first city in the UK to host this year's Truck tour. The vehicle’s mighty wheels ground to a halt on 25 July in the centre of the city, where crowds had already gathered for the event. Some had heard about the Truck Tour from the local press, others were from local community groups and others young passers-by who just wanted to join in the fun.

The event was organised by the Diversity and Social Inclusion Team alongside the Youth Service of Liverpool City Council and ran for two days. The program on each day was a mix of awareness-raising activities and entertainment.

Four different workshops were held in the offices of the Job Centre Plus in Williamson Square. Hosted by Diversity Ambassadors Jo Anne Brown and Joel O’Loughlin as well as by the Faces of the Year Bill Majrowski and David Neita, the following topics were covered: "Discrimination at school, at work, in life" targeted at teenagers; “The business case for diversity" for SME employers; “Recognising and managing harassment in the workplace: a workshop for employees" as well as "Diversity poetry".

While the workshops were in progress, around the Truck was a hive of activity! Information stands, games and giveaways were organised and representatives from different organisations helped the audience get involved. They answered questions, gave advice on personal discrimination issues and handed out information on what the ‘For Diversity, Against Discrimination’ campaign is all about. 

Then came the entertainment…

Many of the acts came from the Brouhaha International Festival and included an eclectic mix of performers and music. There was everything from Portuguese drummers (Eclodir Azul) to Polish street theatre (Three Hours Theatre), Liverpool-based Hip-Hop artists (Young Kof) to Uruguayan dancers (Vamos). There was also some Ukrainian street theatre (Theatre Artmask) and German B-Bop dancers (Roots and Routes).

But what got the crowd really going was the “Diversity Idol” karaoke competition. People got to jump up on stage and sing their heart out to their favourite tunes. The competition was so popular that on both days they had to extend the whole contest by another hour!

But this was what it was all about – having fun whilst also getting important message through to a wide cross section of the community. The campaign is there to provide advice, get people to interact and to spread the word. And yet again, the Truck Tour was a great success.

To find out where your nearest truck stop will be click here.

Finding Romanistan

London International Gypsy Film Festival

16th-30th March

At the Ciné Lumière of the Institut Français, South Kensington; Curzon Soho; Genesis Whitechapel and the Rio Cinema, Dalston.

With exhibitions at the National Theatre, University of Greensich and Curzon Soho.

Romany peoples are among the most maligned and persecuted in Europe, while at the same time the romantic ideal of the Gypsy is constantly held up as embodying the spirit of freedom and a love of the open road. How can such polarities of response co-exist and where does the reality of life lie for the Romany today? In the first gathering of its kind and scale in the UK, the London International Gypsy Film Festival offers a unique chance to view 30 programmes of features, documentaries and short films that both celebrate the extraordinary culture and experience of this diverse global community and also reveal the suffering and oppression they still face.

Click here for more info.