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Speech Ila Chandavarkar: “Tackling deprivation is needed in economic, moral and social terms.”
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Skills, employment and enterprise services research
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The Akashi project: exploring climate change
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MENTER secures £473,430 grant from Big Lottery Fund
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Commission for Equality and Human Rights
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Ila Chandavarkar: “Tackling deprivation is needed in economic, moral and social terms.”
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“We need to develop a clearer evidence base of the impact of poverty on our region and the kind of partnership work that is needed to tackle deprivation effectively.” This was the key message that MENTER’s Chief Officer, Ila Chandavarkar, gave RODGE, the Regional One Dialogue Group East, on Thursday 5th June. She said that strategies to tackle deprivation are needed in economic, moral and social terms.
Ila argued for joint work leading to a strategy that can provide the environment to tackle deprivation. As such, RODGE, formed the ideal platform, being a voluntary and public sector partnership which aims to act on key regional issues and to stimulate partnership work on both a regional and sub-regional level.
At the start of the speech Ila focussed on the Regional Economic Strategy; goal 5 on economic participation: “The last RES goal was around social inclusion. This has now changed to economic participation. In 1997, New Labour came to power with a powerful rhetoric on tackling poverty, especially child poverty. Eleven years later the dialogue has changed. We may talk about poverty, we certainly don’t do this in connection with class. We may not want to use the word “working class” any more because of the association this has with an older style employment scene with a large manufacturing base. But we don’t have a word to replace it and I find that sometimes slightly derogatory terms are replacing it, like “under class”. On the whole, we refer to the “socially excluded or deprived” which might carry the connotation that poverty has to do with the social failure of those who are deprived. I think we need to re-look at the concept of class. People still divide into particular social groups not solely through income but through a complex structure of relationships, where income is only one factor. Aspiration, for example, may be another. We will fail to tackle deprivation if we do not base our strategies on understanding this grouping, however we want to modernise the language.”
General statistics show that the Eastern Region is quite affluent, but looking more closely 2003 figures show that 34% of all households in the region have an income of £15,000 or less per annum - in poverty or at risk of poverty. 16% of the population, an estimated 884,000 actually live below the poverty threshold. Debts levels are rising and employment levels are low for particular groups. To tackle deprivation in the East of England in any significant way, strategies will have to take on board poverty in working families, vulnerable employees and rural poverty.
With regards to BME groups, Ila had found that the word “migrant” suddenly seems to have replaced the word “BME” in employment and skills development strategies. Migrant workers are a section of the BME communities, not the whole. Ironically, strategies focussing solely on this group may lose understanding of what we term an “embedded ethnic penalty” as experienced by the resident BME population which in the end, may apply to migrant workers as well. ESOL provision and information services alone, will not help change matters for those at the bottom of the heap. There is a considerable body of research e.g. from Lucinda Platt at the University of Essex, showing that educational systems today may actually reinforce the disadvantage of deprivation rather than mitigate it. Ila believes that part of the solution lies in personalised services which will look into learning needs with an understanding of community/class/life factors. This may well be how those in greatest needs can be reached. “We need to fully understand the links between support, informal learning and formal learning to reach those most in need.”
The full text of Ila Chandavarkar’s speech can be downloaded here.
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MENTER secures £473,430 grant from the Big Lottery Fund
January 2008
MENTER was delighted to hear of the announcement that it would be receiving a £473,430 grant from the Big Lottery Fund for a new 3 year project.
MENTER Chair Kuldip Rupra explained that the money would be used for the BME infrastructure and outreach projects which will lead to BME led organisations improving in terms of management structures, fundraising capabilities and funding management.
The project will focus around consultation and assessment with BME Groups. This will include publicising and sharing good practice, new ideas, workshops and countywide forums.
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Skills, employment and enterprise services need to take on the race agenda
Spring 2007
There is an urgent necessity for policy across the skills, employment and enterprise services in the East of England to take on the race equality agenda in a more comprehensive, systematic and consistent way. This is one of the key findings of the research commissioned by MENTER in December 2006 into BME communities’ access to skills, employment and enterprise services. The research was funded by the East of England Development Agency (EEDA) and carried out by the Centre for Economic and Social Inclusion.
This is the first time in the country that systematic research of this kind has been done in a region. MENTER and EEDA hope to disseminate the findings of this research both within the Region and outside as inequality in access to services persists and more joined up work needs to be done by service providers in order to address the issues raised in the report.
The research was done in four stages: (1) a review of previous studies and data on BME groups in skills, employment and enterprise; (2) an analysis of the policy context in the East of England; (3) stakeholder interviews and survey; (4) focus groups to capture the individual and community-shared experiences of services, from a BME perspective. The report concludes with some good practice examples for each of the three areas.
Some of the key findings were:
Although inequalities exist these vary across communities e.g. much higher unemployment rates in Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities especially for women A number of crosscutting barriers that BME groups experience such as labour market changes, an ethnic penalty etc. that make for poorer access Low take up of programmes and services, low awareness of services and higher prevalence of poor outcomes among BME groups BME individuals are more likely to be Job Seeker Allowance claimants than white people BME groups have higher rates of self-employment and individuals are more likely to go into higher education than the white group
Some of the recommendations were:
A need to personalise services to be more flexible and adaptable to a range of needs. If services were revamped with BME groups in mind it would produce a system better suited for all The necessity of increasing partnership between mainstream service providers and the voluntary community sector More work needs to be done with employers e.g. the promotion of a diversity kitemark such as C2E Work to improve the number and capacity of BME business networks or better connections with existing networks Work to promote clearer understanding of regional and sub-regional roles fostering new relationships and mutual learning between the VCS, mainstream services and employers / agencies.
We would like to thank EEDA and all the various participants who helped with the research either through the survey, through stakeholder interviews or through joining focus groups. Involvement with the focus groups was one of the most enjoyable parts for MENTER as it helped us meet members, discuss issues and stimulate our thinking on how we can play a part in addressing issues. The Inclusion report will be central to a new, refreshed MENTER Business plan for the next three years.
Click here to download the full report.
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Commission for Equality and Human Rights
The Equality Act 2006 requires the establishment of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights (CEHR). It will be a Non-Departmental Public Body and an independent influential champion whose purpose is to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people and protect human rights. The CEHR will take an active role in helping to achieve change to benefit some of the most vulnerable and least well represented people in our society. It will become operational on the 1st October 2007.
Trevor Phillips has been appointed Chair of the CEHR, with Margaret Prosser as Deputy Chair, and Kay Hampton has taken over as Chair of the Commission for Racial Equality. Dr Nicola Brewer has been appointed as the first Chief Executive Officer of the CEHR and several of the committees that will guide and coordinate its work have been formed. It will bring togetherwork of the Commission for Racial Equality, the Disability Rights Commission and the Equal Opportunities Commission – the CEHR is being formed from a merger of these Commissions.
The CEHR will take on all of the powers of the existing Commissions as well as new powersenforce legislation more effectively and promote equality for all. It will champion the diverse communities that make up modern Britain in their struggle against discrimination.
It will also promote awareness and understanding of human rights and encourage good practice by public authorities in meeting their Human Rights Act obligations. New powers to take human rights cases will give a new arrow to the bow of many minorities who suffer discrimination.
The CEHR will cover England, Scotland and Wales. In Scotland and Wales there will be statutory committees responsible for the work of the CEHR.
Draft vision and mission statement for consultation
The following draft vision and mission (in full below) have been out for consultation, which closed on the 25th May 2007.
Our vision
A Britain at ease with all aspects of its diversity, built on fairness and respect for all.
Our mission
The Commission for Equality and Human Rights is the independent advocate for equality and human rights in Britain. The CEHR aims to reduce inequality, eliminate discrimination, strengthen good relations between people, and promote and protect human rights.
The CEHR will challenge prejudice and disadvantage, and promote the importance of human rights.
The CEHR is a statutory body established under the Equality Act 2006. It will enforce equality legislation on age, disability and health, gender, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or transgender status, and encourage compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998.
The CEHR will work to bring about effective change, using its influence and authority to ensure that equality and human rights remain at the top of agendas for government, employers and society. It will campaign for social change and justice.
The CEHR will act directly and by fostering partnerships at local, regional and national levels. It will stimulate debate on equality and human rights. It will give advice and guidance, including to businesses, the voluntary and public sectors, and also to individuals.
The CEHR will develop an evidence based understanding of the causes and effects of inequality for people across Britain, and will be an authoritative voice for reform.
The results of the consultation will be available this summer. For more information on the CEHR please visit the website at www.cehr.org.uk
James Doubleday
CRE Regional Hub
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The Akashi project: exploring climate change
The Akashi project is a positive project aiming to explore the increasingly crucial issue of climate change from a variety of cultural and faith perspectives. The project launch was launched in August 2006. Representatives from a variety of BME and faith community groups gathered to learn about what climate change is and brainstormed ideas for how best to work with their communities to raise understanding of this global and local phenomenon and make it relevant to their lives.
So, what is climate change? Heat waves in the UK, flooding in Mumbai, hurricanes in the United States, increasing desertification in west Africa, flash storms in Cambridge… whether we call it ‘climate change’ or simply ‘weather chaos’, it is becoming obvious that conditions on our planet are changing.
These extreme weather events and changing temperatures are caused by increased levels of carbon dioxide and other polluting gases in our atmosphere are released by burning fossil fuels - coal, oil and gas - and by cutting down forests.
Solutions to challenging climate change will have to come from all different sections of society, from international organisations to individuals. The Akashi project will engage communities and individuals in a lively, positive way to show that by cutting down on use of fossil fuels through energy saving in the home, garden and when travelling and shopping, we can make a difference by reducing our personal impact on climate change.
An old Kenyan proverb states "Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents. It was loaned to you by your children." In the Holy Qu’ran, men and women are given the responsibility of acting as ‘God's vicegerents’ on Earth, who must ensure that ‘al mizan’ (balance) in nature is maintained. The Dalai Lama states "it is our collective and individual responsibility to tend to the environment in which we all live.’
These are just three examples; the protection of our planet and all life living on it, is a theme which underpins the majority of cultures and faiths. Yet, the mainstream media’s portrayal of climate change and other environmental issues — from the hype surrounding Al Gore’s film ‘An Inconvenient Truth’ to politicians attempting to show off their party’s environmental credentials — does not reflect the diversity of opinion on the issues.
Exploring climate change and its relevance to our lifestyles from a cultural or faith perspective is important for two reasons: making it relevant to who we are, where we come from and what we believe helps us to make it ‘real’ and it also emphasizes different traditional views on energy saving and celebrates stories and philosophies that may not have yet been highlighted.
When William Shakespeare quipped, "One touch of nature makes the whole world kin", he highlighted the potential of coming together to hope for a better future for our planet. The Akashi project works with individuals and community and faith groups (via social gatherings at a church, mosque, village hall, community centre, youth club or even with a group of friends at a local café!). We can run discussions and group activities that will help you to consider the future of our planet in a fun, interesting way, that is relevant to your lifestyle and values.
We would love to hear from more interested groups. To get involved, please contact Shilpa Shah, the Akashi Project coordinator, Unit 6, 23-25 Gwydir Street, Cambridge, CB12LG, telephone: 01223 460475, email: shilpa@cambridgecarbonfootprint.org or visit www.akashi.org.uk
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The Dementia Advocacy Network
Who is it for?
The network is for people working in dementia advocacy who wish to take part in a forum to discuss issues, share ideas and learn from each other’s experience. Meetings are held every other month and offer advocates a chance to gain support from colleagues experiencing the same challenges. We often invite guest speakers in a relevant field to provide up to date information that members will find useful in their work.
The Network is funded by the Department of Health (Section 64).
Training and Support
The Network provides training designed to explore the challenges and seek practical solutions to this developing and specialised area of advocacy.
We also provide over–the-phone support so if you have a specific query about a piece of advocacy work you can contact WASSR on 020 7297 9384.
The DAN Newsletter
The Network welcomes advocates from all over the UK but meetings are held in London. Not everyone can travel to every meeting so the newsletter keeps members in touch with news, contributions, and information about forthcoming network meetings and events.
Dementia Advocacy ‘Charter’- Principles & Good Practice
The network is currently working towards developing a ‘working document’ that meets the needs of advocates and their clients with dementia and provides guidance for those working in this still developing field of advocacy.
Dementia Advocacy Network on the internet
We are currently constructing a web page dedicated to the DAN on WASSR’s website. We hope this will provide information and a point of contact for existing members and others who are not yet in touch with the network. The website can be found at www.wassr.org
If you would like more information about advocacy for people with dementia or the network and training events please contact Sally Wells at WASSR on 020 7297 9384 or dan@wassr.org
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