Cwmni’r Frân Wen, a professional educational theatre company, has produced a new play about Johnny Delaney, who was murdered in 2003 on the outskirts of Ellesmere Port, when a gang of youths reacted towards his Irish accent and attacked him. The theatre project, a Theatre in Education Project (with follow-up workshop and a cross-curricular work
Theme: Health
The baby and the bath water: community cohesion and the funding crisis
Over the last few months a row has been brewing as to how the government’s community cohesion agenda is likely to affect the funding of BME groups. ‘Our Shared Future’, the report of the government-appointed Commission on Integration and Cohesion (chair: Darra Singh) which came out in June 2007, recommended, as Ted Cantle had suggested
Rebels and trouble makers
A controversial exhibition of portraits of people, whose courage, bloody mindedness and instinct for rebellion, have enhanced London’s radical tradition, has opened at City Hall. To accompany artist Jolie Goodman’s four portraits – of Walter Wolfgang, Camilla Batmanghelidjh, Helen John and Brian Haw – are specially-commissioned photos from the East London Photographers Group. Doreen Lawrence,
National campaign against anti-terror laws
Community groups across the UK and human rights organisations have come together to campaign against proposed new anti-terror laws. The Queen’s speech next week is likely to announce a new Counter Terrorism Bill, which will: Extend pre-charge detention in terrorism cases from 28 days to 56 or even 90 days; Seek to create a new
Iconic symbol – too negative!
IRR News has learnt that a university in the Midlands has stopped one of its student societies from using an iconic Black Power symbol on a poster advertising a Black History Month event at the university. The society organising an event for Black History Month hit political censorship when posters designed for the event, which
Stop the Islamophobia of Europe
As the far-Right organisation Stop the Islamisation of Europe holds its first demonstration in London (to coincide with the US’ ‘Islamo-fascism’ Awareness week) the IRR’s European Race Bulletin argues that European countries’ new security laws are removing Muslim communities from the protection of the ordinary rule of law and legitimising the Islamophobia of extreme-Right movements
Remembering Ira Aldridge
Two new publications for young people retrieve the life of Black actor, Ira Aldridge. 2007 marks not just the bicentenary of the abolition of the slave trade but also the two hundred years since the birth of Ira Aldridge. One of the greatest actors on the British stage, he has been utterly neglected – because
IRR News develops new ‘learning the lessons’ workshops
Practical workshops, learning from past struggles against racism, are being organised by the Institute of Race Relations (IRR) for newly arrived refugee/asylum seeker and migrant groups. Because of the success of the conference and a series of seminars held in 2006 and demand from new user groups, the IRR has received funding to run a
New report criticises age-assessment procedures for asylum-seeking children
Every year, thousands of individuals who arrive in the UK and claim asylum as separated children are age disputed and treated as adults. A new report, released by the Immigration Law Practitioners’ Association, examines the reasons why age is disputed, current policy and procedures for the assessment of age by local authorities, and the implications
Building an anti-deportation campaign
A practical, political guide for those fighting to remain in this country has just been produced. The No One is Illegal campaign, based in Bolton, has created a 23-page, simply-written briefing document aimed at those who may face deportation or removal. It explains why using the law is not protection enough – ‘a campaign means