The Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees in the UK (ICAR) has just released a new briefing paper entitled Women Refugees and Asylum Seekers in the UK. This briefing paper is available to download from the ICAR website and further details can be found at:
Web: http://www.icar.org.uk/briefings_womens
ICAR state that "This briefing addresses four key issues relating to refugee women: the introduction of gender guidelines, female genital mutilation (FGM), the trafficking of women and women in detention. The briefing aims to complement ICAR’s Navigation Guide on Women Asylum Seekers and Refugees in the UK, which provides a broader overview of this subject."
Monday, 30 July 2007
ECOI.net
ECOI.net is an online resource which provides up-to-date and publicly available country of origin information with a special focus on the needs of asylum lawyers, refugee counsels and persons deciding on claims for asylum and other forms of international protection. Access to information is facilitated by a comprehensive search tool and Topics & Issues files, offering thematically structured information on asylum-relevant topics and issues for a set of focus countries.
Web: http://www.ecoi.net/
Web: http://www.ecoi.net/
New WTYL Digest
The latest Welcome To Your Library (WTYL) Digest has just been mailed by Helen Carpenter and John Vincent. Details of how to subscribe to their regular emails can be found on the WTYL Jiscmail pages. The WTYL website is available at: http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk and information from the latest posting is included below:
Dear All
This digest has been compiled by Helen Carpenter (Welcome to Your Library) and John Vincent (The Network). To send a message to all subscribers e-mail wtyl@jiscmail.ac.uk. To contact Helen Carpenter and/or John Vincent use e-mail addresses at the end of this digest
WTYL News
Refugee scheme scoops second award
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/press/2007/june/refugee-scheme-scoops-second-award.en;jsessionid=2F4330FB3B10EDC346CCFB7F843CE896.node1
The London Borough of Camden library scheme that helps refugees improve their skills, confidence and job prospects has won a second national award. The refugees work experience project has so far trained 32 refugees as library service assistants. It was chosen from schemes across the country to win the organisational change award in the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Diversity Awards 2007. See weblink above for more information.
http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/content/press/2007/june/refugee-scheme-scoops-second-award.en;jsessionid=2F4330FB3B10EDC346CCFB7F843CE896.node1
The London Borough of Camden library scheme that helps refugees improve their skills, confidence and job prospects has won a second national award. The refugees work experience project has so far trained 32 refugees as library service assistants. It was chosen from schemes across the country to win the organisational change award in the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) Diversity Awards 2007. See weblink above for more information.
Note from HC: warmest congratulations to Helen Pollock helen.pollock@camden.gov.uk and everyone who has participated or been involved in some way.
WTYL Survey
Very many thanks to those of you who have completed the survey - if you haven't yet returned it, please could you let JV (john@nadder.org.uk) have back your completed survey asap? (If the email with your survey didn't arrive, please contact JV and he will send another!).
Conferences
Building Communities: equality and diversity in action
Leeds 7 November 2007
Leeds 7 November 2007
London 28 November 2007
With the recent publication of the Commission on Integration and Cohesion's report Our shared future and the launch in October 2007 of the Commission for Equality and Human Rights, these Refugee Council conferences seek to clarify the legislative background to refugee integration and examine current policy and practice in this area, establishing it both as a critical; issue in its own right and as an essential element within the wider context of equality, community cohesion and integration. The conferences will examine the needs of refugees and asylum seekers as a distinct group, in terms of:
- The focus of the new Commission on Equality and Human Rights
- Existing frameworks for race, equalities and immigration
- Post-16 education and employment
- Access to services
- Links between refugee integration and community cohesion
Further information, including speakers and a preliminary programme will be available soon from www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/speakers
Diverse Britain 2007: Promoting Race Equality
http://www.neilstewartassociates.com/re103/
Mon 10 and Tue 11 December 2007, QEII Conference Centre, London
Following last year's hugely successful CRE Race Convention, "Diverse Britain" will be the landmark event in the UK on race equality. It will be invaluable for professionals, managers and campaigners with a role in equality and social justice.
Mon 10 and Tue 11 December 2007, QEII Conference Centre, London
Following last year's hugely successful CRE Race Convention, "Diverse Britain" will be the landmark event in the UK on race equality. It will be invaluable for professionals, managers and campaigners with a role in equality and social justice.
This event provides a unique forum to examine the challenges and most effective measures in building race equality. It will celebrate the diversity that contributes to give Britain a leading edge in the worlds of government, business, sport and the arts. See weblink above for more information.
Resources
Updated resources for women asylum seekers
http://www.asylumaid.org.uk/Press%20statements/gender_guidance_campaign.htm
The Refugee Women's Resource Project has produced a leaflet directed at asylum-seeking women which explains the Home Office policy for deciding women's asylum claims. This is available to download from the weblink above in English, Amharic, Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, French, Pashto, Somali, Turkish, Tigrinya, Urdu and Vietnamese. An audio CD for training and awareness-raising purposes is also available (free), covering the Home Office policy for deciding women’s asylum claims and the consequences if this policy is not followed. The six tracks can each be used individually (15 minutes total). The CD is in English only. See weblink for more information about what it covers or e-mail women@asylumaid.org.uk
The Paul Hamlyn Foundation Evaluation Resource Pack
http://www.phf.org.uk/news.asp?id=172
This pack by Jane Thompson, published by the Paul Hamlyn Foundation in association with the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education, is intended for staff and volunteers in the voluntary sector to help with evaluating their work. It considers the different types of evaluation that can take place with a particular focus on participatory forms of evaluation, and what types of evidence can be used. Price £12.50 - see weblink above for more information and how to order a copy.
Diversity Works for London website
http://www.diversityworksforlondon.com/
Website includes useful basic facts and figures about diversity in London and tools to help organisations ensure that it isn't the responsibility of one person to manage diversity effectively. Whilst the site is intended to support business to engage with diverse communities in London, the tools on the site are applicable anywhere, and include, for example, a guide to writing a diversity strategy.
Background reading
Guidance on the duty to promote community cohesion
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/wholeschool/Communitycohesion/Community_cohesion_case_studies/
(Source: www.irr.org.uk)
The Department for Children, Schools and Families has published guidance on the duty to promote community cohesion. The link above is to a series of case studies and there is a link to the actual guidance at the bottom of the page. Although this relates specifically to schools, there are opportunities for public libraries to link in and contribute to this work in partnership with their local schools.
Note from HC: ...and finally, in case you missed this when it was first published, as I did
Localism, governance and the public realm: issues for the local cultural sector
http://www.mla.gov.uk/resources/assets//L/localism_governance_public_realm_11107.pdf
The MLA commissioned the report Localism, Governance and the Public Realm from Kevin Harris (see www.local-level.org.uk) to look at culture in the context of civil renewal, community cohesion and localism and governance. Through a variety of interviews with museum, library and archive professionals already delivering against these agendas and policy analysts, the report shows that the cultural sector can play a vital part in engaging citizens in civic life at the local level.
Best wishes
Helen Carpenter John Vincent
Project Co-ordinator The Network
Welcome To Your Library t/f: 0845 128 4897
t/f: 020 7641 5266 e: john@nadder.org.uk
e: helen.carpenter@llda.org.uk w: www.seapn.org.uk
w: http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk
Project Co-ordinator The Network
Welcome To Your Library t/f: 0845 128 4897
t/f: 020 7641 5266 e: john@nadder.org.uk
e: helen.carpenter@llda.org.uk w: www.seapn.org.uk
w: http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk
Friday, 27 July 2007
Development and Change [ToC]
The latest Table of Contents [ToC] for Development and Change - Volume 38, Issue 4 Pages 587-792 - is now available via the Blackwell Synergy website: [ToC]
Thursday, 26 July 2007
New Publications
Produced courtesy of the Forced Migration Current Awareness blog produced by Elisa Mason. Web: http://fm-cab.blogspot.com/
New Publications :
2007 Armed Conflicts Report: Preview (Project Ploughshares, 2007) [text]
Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons: Implementing the ‘Pinheiro Principles’ (OCHA/IDD, UN HABITAT, UNHCR, FAO, OHCHR, NRC & IDMC, March 2007 (print), July 2007 (electronic)) [text]
Internally displaced in Chad: Trapped between civil conflict and Sudan’s Darfur crisis (IDMC, July 2007) [text]
Planning for the future - The impact of resettlement on the remaining camp population (Thailand Burma Border Consortium, July 2007) [text]
- Refugees International discusses this report in a July 25th blog post.
Real-time evaluation of UNHCR's IDP operation in Eastern Chad, PDES/2007/02 - RTE 1 (UNHCR, July 2007) [text]
Real-time evaluation of UNHCR's IDP operation in Liberia, PDES/2007/02 - RTE 2 (UNHCR, July 2007) [text]
Safe Schools and Learning Environment: How to Prevent and Respond to Violence in Refugee Schools. A Guide (UNHCR, June 2007) [text]
The State of World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth (UNFPA, July 2007) [text]
New Publications :
2007 Armed Conflicts Report: Preview (Project Ploughshares, 2007) [text]Housing and Property Restitution for Refugees and Displaced Persons: Implementing the ‘Pinheiro Principles’ (OCHA/IDD, UN HABITAT, UNHCR, FAO, OHCHR, NRC & IDMC, March 2007 (print), July 2007 (electronic)) [text]
Internally displaced in Chad: Trapped between civil conflict and Sudan’s Darfur crisis (IDMC, July 2007) [text]
Planning for the future - The impact of resettlement on the remaining camp population (Thailand Burma Border Consortium, July 2007) [text]
- Refugees International discusses this report in a July 25th blog post.
Real-time evaluation of UNHCR's IDP operation in Eastern Chad, PDES/2007/02 - RTE 1 (UNHCR, July 2007) [text]
Real-time evaluation of UNHCR's IDP operation in Liberia, PDES/2007/02 - RTE 2 (UNHCR, July 2007) [text]
Safe Schools and Learning Environment: How to Prevent and Respond to Violence in Refugee Schools. A Guide (UNHCR, June 2007) [text]
The State of World Population 2007: Unleashing the Potential of Urban Growth (UNFPA, July 2007) [text]
Wednesday, 25 July 2007
Kuwait: State of Exclusion
From Refugees International:
Kuwait: State of Exclusion
Download a .pdf of this policy recommendation.
The Arabic word, "bidun," meaning "without" and short for "bidun jinsiya" (without citizenship), is used to denote longtime residents of Kuwait who are stateless. The estimated number of bidun in Kuwait ranges from 90,000 to 130,000, less than half the number who resided in the country prior to Iraq's invasion in 1990. Those who remain are subject to systematic discrimination and their future is uncertain.
Many bidun are descendants of Bedouin tribes such as the Shammar and cAneza that roamed freely across the borders of present day Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Iraq. Either because their ancestors failed to understand the importance of citizenship or, given their centuries-old nomadic way of life, demurred at the idea of belonging to any one country, or because they were living outside the city walls, in the desert or "badiya," and often illiterate, they could not furnish adequate proof that they were settled in the country and were consequently classified as stateless.
Denied the right to register officially a birth, marriage, or death, bidun are relegated to a bureaucratic no man's land. In Kuwait, nationality is deemed a matter relating to sovereignty and by law courts can not review sovereign actions of the state. Accordingly, the bidun can not petition the courts to have their citizenship claims adjudicated. Their children are barred from free education in public school. They are not permitted to own property, register a vehicle, obtain a telephone line or purchase a SIM card for a cellular telephone. Healthcare offered free of charge to citizens is withheld from them. On driving licenses they are characterized as "illegal residents." Their passports, grey in color and valid for five years, must be renewed after only one journey.
The majority of the bidun live in virtual exile, in squalid housing projects in Sulaibiya and Jahra, in Ahmadi and the rundown neighborhood of Jilib ash-Shuyukh. They are nevertheless indistinguishable from citizens and for years enjoyed the same services and privileges. They share a common language and culture. It is common that families comprise members who are citizens and others who are bidun.
Bidun once made up the bulk of the armed forces and police and served their country loyally. They believed that eventually the government would extend them citizenship. After 1985, however, the government took a number of punitive steps to disabuse them of this belief. Bidun were dismissed from their jobs, children were barred from public and private schools, and driving licenses were revoked. They could no longer carry passports (known as Article 17 passports) unless they left the country and renounced the right to return.
Following the liberation of the country from Iraqi occupation in 1991, the government stepped up its efforts to strip the bidun of their rights. They were fired en masse from positions in the military and police, and only a small fraction was rehired. Those dismissed could not collect their severance pay unless they produced a passport, either Kuwaiti or foreign, or left the country. Tens of thousands of bidun who had fled the country or were forced to the leave subsequently were not allowed to return.
With a foreign passport, bidun would have been able to obtain five-year residence permits like other guest workers. In desperation, many bidun bought counterfeit passports from countries such as Somalia, Yemen, Eritrea and the Dominican Republic. There have been instances when bidun traveling with forged documents were forcibly returned to Kuwait, and the country was compelled to admit them. There are now 15 bidun in prison awaiting deportation. They can not be deported, however, because no country will take them in, and so they languish in jail.
The country's 1959 Nationality Law defined Kuwaiti nationals as persons who were settled in Kuwait prior to 1920 and who maintained their normal residence there until the date of the publication of the law. Approximately one third of the population was recognized as bone fide citizens, the founding families of the country. Another third was naturalized and granted partial citizenship rights. The remaining third was classified as "bidun jinsiya." The law has been amended 14 times since and with almost every amendment, it has become more restrictive. For example, the 1959 law (Article 3) granted citizenship to children of a Kuwaiti mother when at least one of four circumstances existed: the father was unknown, paternity could not be proven, the father's nationality was unknown, or he was stateless. When amended in 1980, the mention of unknown nationality and statelessness was omitted.
Citizenship in Kuwait is passed on to children through their fathers, not their mothers. Consequently, the children of a Kuwaiti woman and a bidun husband are also bidun. A child of a divorced Kuwaiti woman or widow can acquire citizenship, so that there is an incentive for couples to divorce to guarantee their children's future.
Several legal experts in Kuwait are of the opinion that the country's nationality law is in need of revision. More liberal nationality laws of other Arab countries, such as Saudi Arabia, where long-time residents can apply for citizenship, limit the problem of statelessness. Laws in Algeria and Tunisia, which grant mothers the right to pass on their nationality to their children, could serve as models for revisions in Kuwait's law.
In June 2000, the National Assembly passed a law requiring the bidun to register with the government to begin a process that would allow some of them to be documented as citizens. The last step in this process entails DNA testing to prove that family members are in fact blood relatives. Those who failed to register would be considered illegal residents at risk of being deported. Many bidun are able to demonstrate convincingly their families' presence in the country for several generations, and their applications for citizenship deserve consideration.
Feelings of distress, frustration, resentment, disappointment and anger among the bidun are palpable. An older generation of bidun, who once served or still do in the military and police force, are reluctant to protest their plight too strenuously. Their children however are more impatient. Unable to afford the cost of tuition, they are prevented from accessing higher education. Barred from employment in the public sector, they have to accept work that is poorly paid and intermittent. Many are reluctant to marry, because they can not support a family and fear that their children would face the same hardships. The suicide rate among bidun is reportedly high.
There is perhaps greater interest in the plight of Kuwait's stateless now than there has been in many years. In July 2006 Kuwait's parliament created a committee to address the issue of the bidun and earlier this year the parliament approved a law granting citizenship to 2,000. A list of those to be granted citizenship will be approved in October. In January, the Ministry of Interior announced that it would issue driving licenses to bidun. Loath to be identified as illegal residents, however, many if not most refuse to apply for one. More constructively, the government recently announced that 100 places in Kuwaiti universities would be designated for bidun. The bidun themselves and sympathetic citizens have formed a Popular Committee for Support of the Bidun.
There is general agreement in Kuwait that the humanitarian consequences of statelessness should be addressed immediately, leaving the contentious issue of citizenship rights to a later date. At the same time, however, many Kuwaitis acknowledge that the problems associated with statelessness will escalate. There is concern that young disenfranchised bidun may resort to crime, turn to alcohol and drugs, and subscribe to extremist ideologies. It would therefore be in the best interests of the state to find a just and equitable solution to the plight of the stateless sooner rather than later.
REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL RECOMMENDS:
The Government of Kuwait:
- Immediately undertake transparent evaluation of unresolved bidun cases, with intent to grant citizenship for qualifying individuals and families.
- Revise nationality law to bring it into conformity with more progressive legislation in the region, particularly regarding the equal right of women to pass on nationality to children.
- Become signatory to the 1954 Convention relating to the status of stateless persons and the 1961 Convention on the prevention of statelessness.
- Amend law barring nationality from court jurisdiction to allow bidun access to due process.
- Provide all civil registry and social services equitably and without discrimination.
- Refrain from arresting or detaining stateless persons solely on the basis of their being stateless.
- Include tuition fees for children of bidun in the national budget.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees:
- Translate and publish its previously completed survey of bidun in Kuwait.
- Actively support government efforts to end statelessness in Kuwait.
United Nations Human Rights Bodies:
- Appoint a special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Kuwait and address the issue in the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
- Establish presence in Kuwait to assess and recommend resolution to the bidun situation.
Senior Advocate Maureen Lynch and Patrick Barbieri just returned from a two-week assessment of the situation of bidun in Kuwait.
Download a .pdf of this policy recommendation.
Read more about Refugees International's recent mission to Kuwait
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies / Women's Asylum News
The latest issues of the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies and the Women's Asylum News have now been releases. Details are as follows:
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 33, no. 6 (2007) [contents]
- Special issue on "Governing Islam in Western Europe: Essays on Governance of Religious Diversity."
Women's Asylum News, no. 67 (June/July 2007) [text]
Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 33, no. 6 (2007) [contents]
- Special issue on "Governing Islam in Western Europe: Essays on Governance of Religious Diversity."
Women's Asylum News, no. 67 (June/July 2007) [text]
D.R. Congo News from Refugees International
A POWERFUL VOICE FOR LIFESAVING ACTION
July 20, 2007 Contacts: Sayre Nyce and Rick Neal
ri@refugeesinternational.org or 202-828-0110
Democratic Republic of the Congo: Protection of Civilians in
North Kivu Must Go Beyond Monitoring
Download a .pdf of this policy recommendation.
In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the UN Security Council has given a clear mandate to MONUC, its peacekeeping mission there, to protect civilians; Directive 01/07 issued by the MONUC force commander is equally clear about this duty. Mechanisms to collect information, monitor needs, and develop recommendations are impressive, yet these improvements have not led to action in the volatile province of North Kivu. While the presence alone of peacekeepers might give hope to the population and deter abuse, MONUC must be more proactive in protecting civilians.
In a country where the majority of people are rebuilding their lives following years of war, one area remains a bed of insecurity and abuse for Congolese civilians. In North Kivu, which borders Uganda and Rwanda, 160,000 civilians have fled conflict and attacks since the beginning of the year. While there are considerable humanitarian needs, the crisis is above all one of protection.
Every day, women and girls in North Kivu face the threat of rape by armed forces. In Masisi Territory, they walk from the village of Buhabo to Masisi Center to sell their produce. On Tuesdays and Sundays, the market days, their biggest fear is encountering soldiers from the national army who attack and rob them. According to residents, sexual assault and rape is also common. While hiking this route, Refugees International met a group of women carrying heavy loads who asked about soldiers on the path. When told that four soldiers were coming their way, the women quickly decided to take an alternate path to the market, adding an hour to their route. There is a MONUC base close by, but MONUC soldiers do not patrol this road to the market.
Mechanisms exist for reporting abuses and making recommendations to protect civilians. MONUC publishes regular reports on human rights, and teams from the UN and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) travel throughout the territories to talk with villagers about their concerns and then share recommendations with MONUC and other agencies. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has made much progress in establishing a working group on protection under the new Cluster Leadership Approach to gather information and advocate for an end to attacks and abuse of civilians.
The results of these efforts, however, are disappointing: recommendations go unimplemented and attacks continue. In some cases MONUC or NGOs may not be able to conduct protection or assistance activities; insecurity, bad roads, and insufficient operational capacity limit the amount of work that can be done. Nevertheless, MONUC and humanitarian agencies must develop creative solutions to protect the population of North Kivu from attack.
MONUC must mainstream gender concerns through all of its work, as required by Security Council Resolution 1325. Given that violence against women is one of the greatest protection problems in the DRC, and that MONUC has a protection mandate, there should be systems in place to bring women peacekeepers and translators to talk with Congolese women about their concerns and to implement protection activities. Forces loyal to Tutsi warlord Laurent Nkunda have used rape as a weapon of war in North Kivu, yet in areas where his troops are deployed, very little is done to protect women who walk to the market, to church, or to get firewood. MONUC should work with Congolese women and gender experts to develop protection strategies such as firewood patrols and deploy in areas of known abuse such as market routes and military checkpoints.
Unaccompanied women and children, the elderly, orphans, and people with disabilities are especially vulnerable. In a site where thousands of displaced had recently arrived, people reported that those with disabilities and some of the elderly had not been seen since the violence started. Women reported that they must sometimes walk for an entire day to find firewood, clearly a risk in such a highly militarized area. A community leader stated that she could think of six children in the camp from different families who were separated from their parents. The government of the DRC has the primary responsibility to protect its civilians, and international agencies have the responsibility to do so when the government cannot, yet there are very few programs to support those who are especially vulnerable to abuse.
Civilians in eastern DRC are suffering from widespread human rights violations especially at the hands of Nkunda and his troops, as well as from the Congolese armed forces and the FDLR (a rebel force which includes individuals responsible for the Rwandan genocide). Nkunda's troops are ostensibly in North Kivu to conduct operations against the FDLR. However, the troops, especially the Bravo Brigade deployed in Rutshuru Territory, mostly attack and abuse civilians, saying that the civilians are FDLR supporters. The FDLR then conducts reprisals against the people. A person who had fled these abuses explained: "Since Bravo arrived, we've never had any peace. . . . The FDLR used to come to our homes from time to time to ask for things. But, once Bravo came, then the FDLR started becoming worse. The FDLR says that the population elected the government and those responsible for sending Nkunda's troops here."
The story of one displaced man illustrates the threats to civilians. Facing danger in his village, he had hidden in the forest during the night for the previous six months, but then even the forest was no longer safe. "They followed us in the forest and killed one man from my village. Another, a woman, was hurt and is in the hospital. All of our goods were stolen. The animals were stolen. So, we came here [to the site for displaced people] with nothing."
He lamented the fact that they are caught between Nkunda's forces and the FDLR. First, "The military killed many people. After killing people, they throw the bodies down the latrine." As for the FDLR, "They come and force open the door. They ask for three kinds of money: Congolese francs, Ugandan shillings, and U.S. dollars. You show what you have; they tell you it's too little and they beat you." In his case, the soldiers took his belongings, then made him transport them for about 10 kilometers. "If you're lucky, they'll say, 'Leave these things and go home.' In other cases, they'll kill you," he said. Now, he does not know where to go and how to provide for his children.
The main request of the people in areas controlled by the most abusive force, the Bravo Brigade, is to have these troops transferred elsewhere. Nkunda's forces, the majority of which are Tutsi, must be fully integrated into the national army and moved from the majority-Hutu areas in North Kivu. To further defuse the situation, the Government of the DRC must mitigate inter-ethnic tension and deter violence by deploying more government civil servants to North Kivu, supporting local conflict resolution efforts, providing social services, and investigating and prosecuting all perpetrators of violence.
In the near term, however, the only force capable of stopping attacks on civilians and protecting them from abuse is MONUC. While supporting the government, it must take immediate steps to secure the main roads in Rutshuru and Masisi, and protect women during their daily movements. Recommendations to safeguard the people of North Kivu are plentiful; the time has come for MONUC and the rest of the international community to act.
REFUGEES INTERNATIONAL RECOMMENDS:
MONUC:
- Deploy troops immediately along the road between Kiwanja and Nyamilima in Rutshuru Territory in order to deter attacks on civilians.
- Provide greater safety for vulnerable people, conduct night patrols, deploy to areas of greatest risk such as market routes and military checkpoints, and employ women as soldiers and translators.
- Engage fully with the Protection Cluster on both the provincial and national level in order to meet its recommendations as quickly and as effectively as possible.
Humanitarian agencies:
- Expand presence in internally displaced communities to identify vulnerable people, work with the communities to create protection programs, and advocate that troops stay out of sites for internally displaced persons.
- Provide feedback to MONUC about its mobile operations and, for security purposes, share information with MONUC about NGO operations.
The Government of the DRC:
- Prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, including sexual violence.
- Train all soldiers in human rights, including the rights of women and children.
- Deploy government representatives from Kinshasa and from Goma into communities in North Kivu to talk with people about protection concerns.
- Train more police officers for deployment in eastern DRC, including training in the rights of women and children.
Advocates Sayre Nyce and Rick Neal visited North Kivu in June 2007.
Download a .pdf of this policy recommendation.
Read more about Refugees International's recent mission to the Congo.
Monday, 23 July 2007
Latest Digest from WTYL Team
Dear All
This digest has been compiled by Helen Carpenter (Welcome to Your Library) and John Vincent (The Network). To send a message to all subscribers e-mail wtyl@jiscmail.ac.uk. To contact Helen Carpenter and/or John Vincent use e-mail addresses at the end of this digest
Conferences/courses/events
Free volunteer management training
http://www.csv.org.uk/Get+Trained/IAVM/IAVM+Regional+Workshop+Series.htm
Mon 30 Jul: Newcastle; Tue 31 Jul: York, Wed 1 Aug: Leicester, Thu 2 Aug: Birmingham, Fri 3 Aug: Central London
"Dare to Care" is a government-funded campaign to make time to end child poverty, led by CSV and the Campaign to end child poverty. As part of the campaign there are free volunteer management training workshops on two themes: developing your organisation for volunteer involvement and capacity building through your volunteers. See weblink above for details and how to book.
Free volunteer management training
http://www.csv.org.uk/Get+Trained/IAVM/IAVM+Regional+Workshop+Series.htm
Mon 30 Jul: Newcastle; Tue 31 Jul: York, Wed 1 Aug: Leicester, Thu 2 Aug: Birmingham, Fri 3 Aug: Central London
"Dare to Care" is a government-funded campaign to make time to end child poverty, led by CSV and the Campaign to end child poverty. As part of the campaign there are free volunteer management training workshops on two themes: developing your organisation for volunteer involvement and capacity building through your volunteers. See weblink above for details and how to book.
State of Emergency. Exiled Lit Cafe
Mon 6 Aug, Poetry Cafe, London
http://www.exiledwriters.co.uk/cafe.shtml
Mon 6 Aug, Poetry Cafe, London
http://www.exiledwriters.co.uk/cafe.shtml
With Soleïman Adel Guémar, whose poetry book State of Emergency has just been published by Arc, Jean-Louis N'tadi, Cristina Viti , Janet Simon and Tom Cheesman. See weblink (scroll down) for more information.
Mixedness & Mixing: new perspectives on mixed-race Britons
On-line Conference, 4-6 September 2007
Mixed-race people account for around one in six of all ethnic minorities in
The CRE, in partnership with the Runnymede Trust, London South Bank University's Families and Social Capital Research Group, and DCLG is hosting a unique online conference. It will look at issues relating to
Further details available at the above web-link.
Libraries for everybody seeking to understand the world and themselves
http://metlib.mlp.cz/
June 1-6 2008, Prague, Czech Republic
Advance notice for International Federation of Library Associations' (IFLA) Metropolitan Libraries Section conference. Registration will commence in October 2007. More information at weblink above.
http://metlib.mlp.cz/
June 1-6 2008, Prague, Czech Republic
Advance notice for International Federation of Library Associations' (IFLA) Metropolitan Libraries Section conference. Registration will commence in October 2007. More information at weblink above.
Jobs
Outreach Worker
(Source: diversity-forum@mailtalk.ac.uk)
Following a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Sutton Library & Heritage Service is looking for a freelance outreach worker to help deliver the "Gentlemen Slavers" project. You will be required to liaise with local teachers and schools (KS3) and organise a programme of activities linking our Gentlemen Slavers project to KS3 history and citizenship. Work with local teachers to produce a teachers' resource pack from the materials produced by the project Researcher. Fee: £250 per day including expenses to a maximum of £3500. Period: fixed period between September 2007 and no later than March 2008. For further information and how to apply contact Kath Shawcross: k.shawcross@sutton.gov.uk
(Source: diversity-forum@mailtalk.ac.uk)
Following a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, Sutton Library & Heritage Service is looking for a freelance outreach worker to help deliver the "Gentlemen Slavers" project. You will be required to liaise with local teachers and schools (KS3) and organise a programme of activities linking our Gentlemen Slavers project to KS3 history and citizenship. Work with local teachers to produce a teachers' resource pack from the materials produced by the project Researcher. Fee: £250 per day including expenses to a maximum of £3500. Period: fixed period between September 2007 and no later than March 2008. For further information and how to apply contact Kath Shawcross: k.shawcross@sutton.gov.uk
Resources
The Changing Face of Metropolitan Libraries: inventing the future, but anchored in the past
http://www.ifla.org/VII/s46/conf/SeattleProgram.htm
Presentations at this International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference in Seattle in May 2007 are now available to listen to and/or read. See weblink above.
http://www.ifla.org/VII/s46/conf/SeattleProgram.htm
Presentations at this International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) conference in Seattle in May 2007 are now available to listen to and/or read. See weblink above.
Immigrant Gateways
http://www.urbanlibraries.org/showcase/partners.html
Note from HC: Following my recent visit to Canada and USA, I realise that the library world could and should be doing much more in the UK to learn from demographers and also to work with people cross-sectorally on future forecasting. This is a great example of how other places are going about generating debate and pulling in people from other sectors:
http://www.urbanlibraries.org/showcase/partners.html
Note from HC: Following my recent visit to Canada and USA, I realise that the library world could and should be doing much more in the UK to learn from demographers and also to work with people cross-sectorally on future forecasting. This is a great example of how other places are going about generating debate and pulling in people from other sectors:
The Urban Libraries Council (in USA) held a conference 4-5 May: "Partners for Success: The Changing Face of Cities." See weblink above for more details. See also very interesting blog about one of the presentations on immigrant gateways by Governing Magazine's Anne Jordan:
http://governing.typepad.com/13thfloor/2007/05/immigrant_gatew.html and excellent resources from the presenter on this topic, Audrey Singer, from the Brookings Institute: http://www.brookings.edu/index/scholarwork.htm?scholar=Singer*Audrey**
You may also find this link below of interest about libraries. A browse through the other menu headings brought up other items of interest too:
http://governing.typepad.com/13thfloor/libraries/index.html
The First Black Britons. Black History and Citizenship DVD Learning Resource
http://www.sweetpatootee.co.uk/
Black British TV Actor/Comedian Gary Beadle (Eastenders' Paul Truman) presents a journey of discovery, from the Napoleonic Wars to the grand imperial age and a struggle for equality. He visits archives, museums and historical sites in Jamaica, Barbados, Liverpool, London and Windsor; revealing a vital missing chapter in the making of modern Britain. The incredible hidden history of the West India Regiment. And the unique act of Parliament that established a new class of citizen - Black British. 'The First Black Britons' is designed to be a catalyst for lesson-plans in Black History Month, that can also support cross-curricular schemes of work throughout the year. See weblink for more information. UK distributor www.beckmanndirect.com will supply copies. Kelly Smith, Sales & Marketing Director T: 01624 816 585 F: 01624 816 589 E: KSmith@beckmanngroup.co.uk
Between ‘Parallel Lives' and ‘Community Cohesion.' Toward new models of immigration, integration and multiculturalism
http://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/events/AC_Schedule07.shtml#topLeft
This COMPAS conference, which took place on 6 and 7 July, included a very interesting presentation by Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow, Migration and Equalities Team at ippr, entitled Social Segregation, Integration and Community Cohesion: Challenges for Public Services. See: http://www.compas.ox.ac.uk/events/AnnConf07-papers/rutter%20compaspresent.pdf. Although not directly about public libraries the presentation provides food for thought about the role they can/could play.
News
Well London
http://www.londonshealth.gov.uk/well_london.htm
BIG - the Big Lottery Fund announced on 18 July that Well London alliance, a partnership brought together by the London Health Commission, has been awarded £9.46m for a portfolio of projects targeted the capital's most deprived neighbourhoods in twenty London boroughs. See weblink for details. Note from HC: Opportunities for public libraries to play their part in this!
MLA appoints Roy Clare CBE as new Chief Executive
http://www.mla.gov.uk/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=82&Section[@stateId_eq_left_hand_root]/@id=4289&Document/@id=28963
Capital ideas. His latest research shows ethnic diversity reduces social solidarity, trust and happiness. So why is Robert Putnam so optimistic we can all get along? Madeleine Bunting reports in The Guardian, Wed Jul 18
http://society.guardian.co.uk/communities/story/0,,2128343,00.html
Best wishes
Helen Carpenter John Vincent
Project Co-ordinator The Network
Welcome To Your Library t/f: 0845 128 4897
t/f: 020 7641 5266 e: john@nadder.org.uk
e: helen.carpenter@llda.org.uk w: www.seapn.org.uk
w: http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk
Project Co-ordinator The Network
Welcome To Your Library t/f: 0845 128 4897
t/f: 020 7641 5266 e: john@nadder.org.uk
e: helen.carpenter@llda.org.uk w: www.seapn.org.uk
w: http://www.welcometoyourlibrary.org.uk
Exposed and Hungry: Life in Eastern Congo
Exposed and Hungry: Life in Eastern Congo
17 July-15 September
UNHCR and UN World Food Programme present an exhbition of photographs from the Democratic Republic of Congo which photographer Susan Schulman took on a recent assignment for both agencies.
Venue: The Brunei Gallery, School of Oriental and African Studies, London
Admission free
Click here for more information
Sunday, 22 July 2007
International Migration Table of Contents
UNHCR Launch of Refworld Online
Dear colleagues,
To increase awareness of UNHCR recommendations, guidelines and related papers,
UNHCR regularly sends out e-mail notifications of recently released papers of
interest. We would like to draw your attention that, on Thursday 14 June 2007,
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres officially launched the new
Refworld website (www.refworld.org), in the presence of Assistant High
Commissioner for Protection, Erika Feller, and the Director of the Division of
International Protection Services, George Okoth-Obbo.
Refworld is UNHCR's state-of-the-art, internet-based protection information
system. It is a knowledge resource which facilitates quality, evidence-based
and effective decision making in refugee status determination procedures.. Over
approximately 15 years, UNHCR has built up a wide patronage among users,
including UNHCR protection officers and other staff, government decision
makers, non-governmental organizations, the judiciary, private practitioners
and academics. The system has proved vital for evidence-based advocacy for
resettlement, internally displaced and stateless persons, migration, and
various other protection concerns.
The information in Refworld has been carefully selected and compiled in
collaboration with UNHCR's global network of field offices, governments,
international and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions,
judicial bodies and others.
The new website includes a professional and consistent design, vastly improved
search functionality and navigation/browsing options, topic guides and
specifically developed special features on core issues. Refworld includes
multiple and advanced possibilities for browsing the collection of documents by
region and/or country, by publisher, by topic/keyword and by document type. In
addition, it has a powerful full text search engine and advanced search
facilities. The complete contents of Refworld - including country reports,
national legislation and case law, and all public domain UNHCR protection
policies and guidelines - are now, for the first time, freely accessible to all
UNHCR staff, external partners and the public at large.
Refworld online is accessible at www.refworld.org.
Please also see today's top news story on the UNHCR website:
UNHCR relaunches Refworld as state-of-art online protection tool
15 June 2007
http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4671697f4.html
Best regards,
Status Determination and Protection Information Section (SDPIS)
Division of International Protection Services (DIPS)
E-mail: refworld@unhcr.org
Web: http://www.refworld.org
To increase awareness of UNHCR recommendations, guidelines and related papers,
UNHCR regularly sends out e-mail notifications of recently released papers of
interest. We would like to draw your attention that, on Thursday 14 June 2007,
UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres officially launched the new
Refworld website (www.refworld.org), in the presence of Assistant High
Commissioner for Protection, Erika Feller, and the Director of the Division of
International Protection Services, George Okoth-Obbo.
Refworld is UNHCR's state-of-the-art, internet-based protection information
system. It is a knowledge resource which facilitates quality, evidence-based
and effective decision making in refugee status determination procedures.. Over
approximately 15 years, UNHCR has built up a wide patronage among users,
including UNHCR protection officers and other staff, government decision
makers, non-governmental organizations, the judiciary, private practitioners
and academics. The system has proved vital for evidence-based advocacy for
resettlement, internally displaced and stateless persons, migration, and
various other protection concerns.
The information in Refworld has been carefully selected and compiled in
collaboration with UNHCR's global network of field offices, governments,
international and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions,
judicial bodies and others.
The new website includes a professional and consistent design, vastly improved
search functionality and navigation/browsing options, topic guides and
specifically developed special features on core issues. Refworld includes
multiple and advanced possibilities for browsing the collection of documents by
region and/or country, by publisher, by topic/keyword and by document type. In
addition, it has a powerful full text search engine and advanced search
facilities. The complete contents of Refworld - including country reports,
national legislation and case law, and all public domain UNHCR protection
policies and guidelines - are now, for the first time, freely accessible to all
UNHCR staff, external partners and the public at large.
Refworld online is accessible at www.refworld.org.
Please also see today's top news story on the UNHCR website:
UNHCR relaunches Refworld as state-of-art online protection tool
15 June 2007
http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/4671697f4.html
Best regards,
Status Determination and Protection Information Section (SDPIS)
Division of International Protection Services (DIPS)
E-mail: refworld@unhcr.org
Web: http://www.refworld.org
Runnymede Trust Bulletin
Runnymede Monthly Email
We apologise for re-sending the July newsletter to those of you who have already received it earlier this week.
Upcoming Events/Activities
European Anti-Discrimination and Diversity Training
Runnymede is involved in an EU-funded project, Capacity Building of Civil Society dealing with Anti-Discrimination, which aims to provide training on European and national anti-discrimination law and policy to non-governmental organisations and trade unions across the UK. Acting as the UK partner on this project, Runnymede, together with a team of national trainers will design two seminars with approximately 40 representatives of NGOs from across the UK. The first seminar will take place in London on 21-22 November 2007; the same seminar will be delivered in Glasgow in early 2008. Please click here for further information and registration details for the seminar.
Mixed Heritage The Commission for Racial Equality is hosting an E-Conference in partnership with Runnymede, London South Bank University’s Families & Social Capital Research Group and Communities and Local Government. Looking into issues relating to Britain’s 'mixed-race' population (mixedness) and mixed families (mixing).
The E-Conference will feature a number of short papers written especially for the event, along with the upcoming Runnymede Perspectives paper Mixed Heritage: Identities, Policy and Practice. The public will be able to discuss and debate the issues raised in a number of forums alongside policymakers, academics and people working in the voluntary sector. From September 4-6, the conference will focus on the three discussion themes of Equality, Interaction and Participation. For more information on the E-Conference and how to register, please visit Mixedness and Mixing Website.
Recent Work at Runnymede
Respect Launch
Runnymede’s first ‘State of the Nation’ report was launched at a small seminar held in Canada House on 4th July. The report discusses the idea of ‘respect’ as a justification of policy, and argues that a respect agenda – if coherently and fairly formulated – could be beneficial for all Britons. Omar Khan, the author of the report, presented a short summary of the report, followed by responses from Professors Jonathan Wolff (Philosophy, UCL) and Francesca Klug (Law, LSE). To download a copy of the report, please click here.
UKREN
In March, UKREN held the seminar entitled Impact of the European Integration Agenda in the UK. To download the final report, please click here, and to see the report of the ENAR seminar held on the same topic in Brussels, please click here.
UKREN held its 5th Annual General Meeting (AGM) on 26 April 2007 at the Commission for Racial Equality offices in London. The UKREN AGM adopted a resolution on the Constitution to correspond to the growing range of responsibilities UKREN is involved in and to allow for a new management structure. Please click here to read the amended Constitution.
The latest issue of ENARgy (issue 20) - Driving the future of the European anti-racist movement- has now come out. This issue features articles on social inclusion, the role of equality bodies and examples of successful campaigning and advocacy. To download, please click here, otherwise contact Katalin Halasz on 020 7377 9222 or by email - ukren@runnymedetrust.org - if you would prefer hardcopies.
Real Histories Directory
The Real Histories Directory continues to explore issues in commemoration of the abolition of Transatlantic slavery through the Topic of the Month. The topic for July is The Art of Slavery written by Vastiana Belfon.
Work in Progress
Response to Discrimination Law Review
Runnymede’s project considering Race Equality Impact Assessments has entered its consultation stage. The implications of the project are two-fold: (1) more effective use of REIAs will help to promote greater trust between service users and service providers; and (2) it will help to inform government plans to roll-out the current duty to assessments of how policies impact upon people of different sexualities, age groups and religious groups. To this end, Runnymede has posted a consultation paper on the website which we encourage you to respond to. To download the consultation report, please click here
Call for Open Letters
With the change in government leadership and call for a renewed relationship between the state and the citizenry these are times full of potential. Runnymede is preparing a feature for the September edition of the Runnymede Bulletin which will ensure that we publicly record our hopes for the coming years in terms of improving race equality and race relations. The feature will consist of a series of open letters to Gordon Brown as the new PM, and Trevor Phillips as Chair of the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights. We are inviting people and organisations who have a long track record in the field of race equality to share with us their hopes for the coming years in the form of a letter to either or both new leaders.
The letters should be between 200 and 400 words in length and be submitted to Rob by Monday 20th August. Alongside invited letters, we will also be making an open call for contributions and be hosting a special page on our website to share them with a wider audience.
Financial Inclusion
In the past year Runnymede has produced research papers on financial inclusion. While income poverty is of course an important concern for all Britons, lack of access and knowledge to financial services and products may also influence patterns of disadvantage in the UK. We are now beginning a more wide-ranging project to examine whether black and minority ethnic Britons have disadvantaged or different experiences of accessing financial products including pensions, savings, bank accounts and other investments.
Video ART (Anti-Racist Trails) Postcards initiative
Manifesta and Runnymede have joined forces to deliver Video ART (Anti-Racist Trails) Postcards, a youth and digital media initiative designed to inspire young people about contemporary struggles against racisms and injustice –looking at the legacy of slavery and the abolitionist movement, and reflecting on the colonialism/anti-colonialism of a later era.
This month two groups of 20 young people from Newham will engage with two learning activities - they will explore sites related to historical racism and anti-racism in the East End of London and learn to express their interpretation of this heritage creatively, using digital media. Each young participant will have produced a personal short video work 'postcard', informed by their workshop learning which will then be showcased at museums, community centres, TV and online platforms, and a dedicated web-site. In addition, selections of the postcards will be incorporated in a toolkit and other educational materials, for use in formal as well as non-formal learning situations. For further information on the Video ART Postcards, please contact Marion
International Journal of Refugee Law Table of Contents Alert
- A new issue of International Journal of Refugee Law is available online:
- July 2007; Vol. 19, No. 2
- The below Table of Contents is available online at: http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/content/vol19/issue2/index.dtl
-
Articles
- Gender-Related Refugee Claims: Expanding the Scope of the Canadian Guidelines
- Nicole LaViolette
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:169-214.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/2/169 - North Korean Refugees and International Refugee Law
- Elim Chan and Andreas Schloenhardt
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:215-245.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/2/215 - Creating Legal Space for Refugees in India: the Milestones Crossed and the Roadmap for the Future
- Prabodh Saxena
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:246-272.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/2/246 - Assessing the Credibility of Refugee Applicants: A Judicial Perspective
- Steve Norman
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:273-292.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/2/273 -
Case Law
- Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs (Appellant) v. Qaah of 2004 & Anor (Respondents) High Court of Australia
- ACJ Gummow, Kirby, Callinan, Heydon, and JJ Crennan
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:293-338.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/19/2/293 -
Documents
- Case for the Intervener in Zainab Esther Fornah (Appellant) v. Secretary of State for the Home Department (Respondent) and UNHCR (Intervener) (House of Lords)
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:339-359.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/19/2/339 - Outline of Submissions on Behalf of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (As Amicus Curiae): In the High Court Of Australia
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:360-371.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/19/2/360 - Guidelines on International Protection: The application of Article 1A(2) of the 1951 Convention and/or 1967 Protocol relating to the Status of Refugees to victims of trafficking and persons at risk of being trafficked
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:372-390.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/19/2/372 -
Book Reviews
- Freedom, Security and Justice in the European Union: Implementation of the Hague Programme
- Tom Obokata
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:391-394.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/19/2/391 - The Ethics of Refugee Policy
- Marco Odello
- Int J Refugee Law 2007 19:394-397.
http://ijrl.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/19/2/394
International Journal of Refugee Law Table of Contents Alert
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