Dear IRR News subscriber, This week, we have a round-up of racially motivated attacks and convictions since the beginning of the year; a report on a recently closed consultation which will impact on Travellers and Gypsies and a review of a brilliant new play which tells the story of the campaigning Glasgow Girls. And in
News Service
Spotlight on racial violence: January-February 2013
An overview of racist attacks and convictions over the last two months. Last week David Cameron said he was ‘disturbed’ to hear that the proposed building of a small mosque in his Witney constituency had been cancelled as a result of racist threats to burn it down. It should not, however, have been that much
Glasgow Girls impress
A new musical based on the story of the Glasgow Girls, who fought for the rights of asylum seeking children, is a masterpiece. The Glasgow Girls was the name given to a group of young girls who began campaigning after a school friend was arrested for deportation in a dawn raid. A campaign emerged at
Gypsies and Travellers concerned over Coalition plans
The government’s recent planning policy developments are set to ‘make things worse for the poorest Gypsies and Travellers’. A number of Gypsy and Traveller groups have recently announced their concern over the latest planning proposals from the Coalition government. The Irish Traveller Movement in Britain (ITMB), Friends, Families and Travellers (FFT) and JUST West Yorkshire
Facing up to racial violence
The IRR publishes a report today on how racial violence is shaping the UK. Racial violence: facing reality warns that attacks on BME individuals are actually spreading to new areas of the country, as under the impact of globalisation and austerity measures, populations swiftly change; and points to the potential dangers in ‘decanting’ those affected
IRR News 8-14 February 2013
Dear IRR News subscriber, This week, the IRR publishes a report, Racial violence: facing reality, on how racial violence is shaping the UK, read the press release or download the report here (pdf file, 180kb). Jon Burnett assesses a report from British Future which advocates a new patriotism, while Ryan Erfani Ghettani reviews a report by
British Future and the new patriotism
A report by the British Future think-tank suggests the need for a new British patriotism. Patriotism is back on the agenda. It is a patriotism which draws on the success of the feel-good pride said to have been generated through last year’s Olympics. It is a patriotism which seeks to harness the widespread bunting-brandishing joy
Shambolic and unworkable: outsourcing of court interpreting services
Aisha Maniar, a freelance legal translator and editor, reports on the recent privatisation of court interpretation services by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). From schools and hospitals to the police force, almost all vital public services are affected by the current cuts and privatisation agenda. Often poorly thought through, many of these government programmes are
Dublin refugee reception centre targeted
Since the start of the year, there have been at least four suspected racially motivated attacks on residents at the Balseskin reception centre for asylum seekers in the Finglas area of Dublin. The latest incidents occurred on 8-9 February. The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) has expressed concern about the institutional response to these attacks, stressing
Liverpool’s Irish community under attack
A new report by an Irish community group based in Liverpool is a call for help against growing far-right and Loyalist attacks. In 2012, members of the far Right attacked three commemorative marches organised by the Liverpool Friends of Ireland and other Irish community groups. Among those taking to the streets in opposition were the