News Service


Review

The Oxford Companion to Black British History

This new book aims to provide schoolchildren and the public with a handy reference guide to Black British history. Black British history is a much-overlooked subject, not least in schools, where even the government’s own survey of the national curriculum noted that ‘little attention is given to the black and multi-ethnic aspects of British history’.

Read More…


News

Former jurors welcome SIAC decision

Earlier this week when the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) ruled that Algerian, Moulod Sihali, was not a threat to national security and that he faced the possibility of torture if he was returned to Algeria, jurors from his former trial were amongst those celebrating. Moulod Sihali had been acquitted of charges in the ‘ricin

Read More…


News

NUT charter promotes achievement of Black boys

In April the National Union of Teachers (NUT) took the opportunity of their annual conference in Harrogate to launch Born to be Great, a Charter on Promoting the Achievement of Black Caribbean Boys. On the basis of the NUT’s belief in the fundamental right of all groups in society to the public provision of quality

Read More…


Review

Border wars and asylum crimes

When Statewatch published the pamphlet Crimes of arrival in 1995, the ‘crimes’ were a metaphorical reference to the way in which the government viewed the arrival on British soil of migrants and asylum seekers. Over a decade later, a recent publication by the same author documents how the metaphor has become a literal truth. ‘Border

Read More…


Comment

The hounding of David Oluwale

An important book investigating one of the first known Black deaths in custody – that of David Oluwale – has been written. Thirty-eight years ago to the day, on 4 May 1969, the body of David Oluwale was pulled from the River Aire in Leeds. Two years later, in November 1971, two police officers –

Read More…


News

The fight over ESOL continues

The Save ESOL Campaign comprising, over 50 organisations, marches on 28 April against the recent cuts to English classes for immigrants and asylum seekers. The march is to highlight the fact that many migrant workers and refugees need these English classes in order to play a full part in society. The campaigners want the ESOL

Read More…


News

Scotland’s BME resource library

Edinburgh-based voluntary organisation Minority Ethnic Carers of People Project (MECOPP) has launched a national resource library for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME ) communities, supported by the Big Lottery Fund, which holds information on a variety of health and social care issues. While MECOPP works specifically to support BME carers in the Lothians, the new

Read More…


News

Still human still here

The Refugee Council has launched a campaign to help end the destitution suffered by refused asylum seekers. The campaign argues that using poverty as a means of getting people to leave the country is both ineffective and inhumane. It is calling on the government to: end the threat and use of destitution as a tool

Read More…


News

National continence charity tackles under-representation

Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence (ERIC), the national charity providing information and support on childhood problems of bedwetting, daytime wetting, constipation and soiling, is anxious to extend its work within Black and minority ethnic (BME) communities. Around one in twelve young people in the UK are affected, but it has become apparent that

Read More…


Comment

Germany: intelligence services target Muslims

As the UK government publishes new proposals to combat violent Muslim extremism, we examine two reports critical of the German approach. Since September 11, European security services have been given unprecedented powers to define which Muslim organisations are ‘legitimate’ and which ‘illegitimate’. Two new publications from internationally-respected bodies are critical of the crude way in

Read More…