09/12/2010
One Society Many Cultures National Conference, Saturday 11 December
One Society Many Cultures National Conference: Speaking Out Against Racism and Islamophobia
Date: Saturday 11 December
Time: 10am-5.30pm
Venue: Mary Ward House, 5/7 Tavistock Place, London
Across Europe we are witnessing a frightening rise in Islamophobia and other forms of racism. Explicitly racist parties have entered government or are exerting considerable influence on mainstream governments. Bans on the right to wear religious clothing and other forms of religious expression are increasingly frequent, whilst violent protests have been organised against mosques and other religious centres. This climate of hatred poses a direct threat to all Black, Asian and Jewish communities as well as to wider democratic society and must be challenged. It took hundreds of years to establish our fundamental human rights and freedoms including the rights to freedom of thought, conscience, religion and cultural expression. These universal rights form the basis of a liberal, open, diverse society. They are increasingly threatened by the legitimacy given to intolerance in the mainstream political and media arenas, by the election of racist extreme-right representatives and by racist
demonstrations on the streets. The conference offers an opportunity to discuss these challenges, ways to turn back this tide of Islamophobia and racism and how to build support for the values of freedom of conscience and expression and in defence of multiculturalism.
Conference themes include:
Reversing the tide of reaction - racism and Islamophobia today
Muslims under siege
Defending our freedoms - no to religious bans
One Society Many Cultures
- No racist concessions to the BNP and EDL
Speakers include:
Ken Livingstone
Doreen Lawrence OBE
Shabana Mahmood, Shadow Home Office Minister
Jack Dromey MP, Shadow Minister for Communities and Local Government
Anas Altikriti, Spokesperson, British Muslim Initiative
Sir Geoffrey Bindman
Christine Blower, General Secretary, National Union of Teachers
Mathew Bolton, London Citizens
Kay Carberry, Assistant General Secretary, TUC
Rt.Rev Stephen Cottrell, The Bishop of Chelmsford
Dr. Edie Friedman, Executive Director, Jewish Council for Racial Equality
Dr. Jonathan Githens-Mazer, Co-Director, European Muslim Research Centre (EMRC)
Billy Hayes, General Secretary, Communication Workers Union
Diana Holland, Assistant General Secretary (Equalities), Unite the Union
Talha Jamil Ahmad, Muslim Council of Britain
Bruce Kent, Vice President, Pax Christi
Jean Lambert MEP, Green Party
Claude Moraes MEP, Labour Party
Lisa Nandy MP, Labour Party
Peter Oborne, Daily Telegraph's chief political commentator
Ismail Patel, You Elect
Kanja Sesay, NUS Black Students' Officer
Martin Smith, Love Music Hate Racism
Hywel Williams MP, Plaid Cymru
Salma Yaqoob, Leader, Respect Party
London Citizens
For more information visit: http://www.onesocietymanycultures.org/
News type: Events
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