Puffin Books together with the Eastside Educational Trust is championing its aim to build awareness and visibility of reading and books among a diverse population of young UK pupils, offering an East London school the opportunity to win best-selling author Louisa Young as a mentor for a whole academic year.

As part of its ongoing diversity initiative, Puffin aims to celebrate reading and writing within ethnically diverse schools through a creative competition based around the Lionboy trilogy, written by Louisa and her 14-year old daughter Isabel.  Chosen for its handling of interesting themes such as ethnic minorities, the African continent, animal conservation, climate change and the use of medical science, Lionboy, with its mixed race hero Charlie at the heart of the story, lends itself brilliantly to the scheme in which twelve schools from Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham and Islington will be selected to participate. 

Each school will be required to submit a story, artwork and another creative response to the Lionboy trilogy for the chance to host a programme of visits by Louisa who will share her author experiences, develop talent and work with students on their own stories.

Louisa Young, her daughter and co-author Isabel Adomakoh Young, Lionboy editor Sarah Hughes and a member of Puffin’s design team will judge the competition.  The winning school will be evaluated on their ability to fully engage with the trilogy demonstrated through their creative activities. 

All participating schools will be invited to an awards ceremony later this year, during which the winner will be announced.  Louisa will then begin her mentoring at the start of the academic year in September 2007. 

The TUC has welcomed today’s decision by the European Court of Human Rights that unions can expel members of the far-right BNP, and that this is not incompatible with the European Convention on Human Rights.

The case was brought by traindrivers’ union ASLEF, after the UK courts found in favour of a BNP member expelled from the union because of the incompatibility of BNP views and those of the trade union movement.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said, “This is an important and welcome judgement. The European Court of Human Rights has made the common sense decision that the right to freedom of association does not force unions to accept into membership people opposed to the basic principles of trade unionism. Instead it says that the European Convention’s provisions protect unions from excessive interference by government in deciding how they run their own affairs, including how they choose their members.

“We will need to discuss further all the implications of this judgement, including what changes now need to be made to UK law, but every union will welcome this clear decision that they can now expel BNP members.”

Hundreds of Christians, along with Londoners from all communities, will unite in a prayer walk through the two London boroughs blighted by recent tragic attacks.

The torch-lit walk, from Peckham Square to Windrush Square in Brixton, follows the murders in the area in the past month.

It will take place from 5pm to 7pm on February 22, the same day the Prime Minster holds a Government summit on gun crime, with ministers, police and experts.

The walk has been organised by a coalition of Black church and other Christian leaders, and there will be representation from people of other faiths and diverse communities. It is being supported by the Mayor of London’s office and the Metropolitan Police Service.

Pastor Nims Obunge, of Peace Alliance, said: “Drugs and guns are a menace to our society.“We all need to work together with criminal justice agencies to help vulnerable young people and keep guns off the street.”

One of the leaders at the walk will be Pastor Les Isaac, Director of the Ascension Trust Street Pastors Initiative. This organises hundreds of volunteer pastors across the country, who go onto the streets to talk to young people at night.

Pastor Isaac said: “Parents have spoken to us about young people going to school wearing bullet-proof vests.

“I’m walking because there is an expectation that the church should do something – should stand with those who are mourning. They should also find a solution, a way forward to get our young people out of this quagmire.”

Lee Jasper is Director of Policing for the Mayor of London’s Office and Chair of the Metropolitan Police Service Operation Trident Independent Advisory Group.

He said the Mayor’s Office applauds the response of Black majority churches to the spate of murders of teenagers in South London.

“This prayer walk will demonstrate the total abhorrence of the vast majority of black Londoners to gun violence,” he said.

“Our children need to see we care.

“We must support the police tackling these crimes. We must also face the reality that we have a serious problem with a small minority of our young people. Parental and familial responsibility here is absolutely key.”

Cheryl Sealey, an anti-gun campaigner and a member of the Operation Trident advisory group, said: “As believers, it’s important for us to work and pray for peace – faith without works is dead.

“We want as many people as possible to support the march on Thursday.”

The Black Police Association works with young people and faith communities in London.

Its deputy chair, Bevan Powell, said: “The police cannot tackle this problem alone.

“The churches are critical partners in addressing the issues and providing a moral and positive framework for young people.”

With a programme of commemorative events and the opening of the new International Slavery Museum in August

They will remember that we were sold but they won’t remember that we were strong.

They will remember that we were bought, but not that we were brave.

William Prescott, former slave 1937

Liverpool will mark the bicentenary of the abolition of the British slave trade with a series of events, and the opening of the International Slavery Museum in August. Liverpool, central to the transatlantic slave trade in the 18th century, is a fitting location in which to commemorate the anniversary of this important landmark.

The galleries of the museum will open in Liverpool on 23 August, Slavery Remembrance Day 2007, a day that commemorates an uprising of enslaved Africans on the island of St Domingo (modern Haiti and the Dominican Republic) in 1791. Designated by UNESCO, the date was chosen as a reminder that enslaved Africans were the main agents of their own liberation.

To accompany the opening of the International Slavery Museum, there is a programme of events and activities planned in Liverpool in 2007. These range from a series of debates to a schools twinning programme.

The year-long programme of events for 2007 has been generously supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) with a grant of £50,000 and includes a series of lectures and debates, two multi-faith cathedral services and a family history event. The first debate on 14 March from 5pm, chaired by Stephen Small, associate professor at the University of California, Berkeley, will explore the abolition of the British Slave Trade and the different abolitionists active at the time.

25 March will mark 200 years - to the day - that the Parliamentary Bill was passed to abolish the slave trade in the former British Empire. To commemorate the date a multi-faith Service of Penitence will take place at Liverpool Cathedral in partnership with Churches Together on 24 March 2007.

The lecture programme will explore a range of topics from the economic impact of the abolition to contemporary slavery and will feature speakers such as Professor Joseph Inikori of the University of Rochester, USA and Queen Quet, Chieftess of the Gullah-Geechee Nation.

This year’s Slavery Remembrance Day commemorations promise to be better than ever and will feature a memorial lecture by Dr. Molefi Kete Asante, a distinguished author - most recently of The History of Africa - and Professor in the Department of African-American Studies at Temple University, USA. There will also be a day-long programme of performances, children’s activities and a libation to commemorate this important day.

As part of a range of contemporary art In August the Merseyside Maritime Museum is host to La Bouche du Roi, an artwork by Romauld Hazoumé. The structure of La Bouche du Roi is based on a famous late-18th century print of the Liverpool slave ship the Brookes, and is a powerful memorial to the horrors of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. A multi-media artwork, it has been created using over three hundred ‘masks’ made from plastic petrol cans used by motorcyclists who run black market fuel between Benin and Nigeria. The artwork was recently acquired by the British Museum with the help of the Art Fund and the British Museum Friends.

An International Schools Twinning Programme will take place in June.  This collaborative project with Plan International will see five schools in Liverpool work with schools from Senegal, Brazil, Haiti and Sierra Leone to focus on issues affecting young people.  They will examine what it means to be free, how to safeguard liberty and tackle what slavery really means.

Background - International Slavery Museum

The galleries at the International Slavery Museum will feature new dynamic and thought-provoking displays about the story of the transatlantic slave trade. Crucially, it will include new displays about the legacy of transatlantic slavery and will address issues such as freedom, identity, human rights, reparations, racial discrimination and cultural change. The museum will also seek to address ignorance and misunderstanding by looking at the deep and permanent impact of slavery and the slave trade on Africa, South America, the USA, the Caribbean and Western Europe.

A second phase of the project, due to open in 2010, will include the development of a new visitor-focused education centre with an events programme of performance, public lectures and debate using the newly-acquired Dock Traffic Office. A research institute based in the museum is being developed in partnership with the University of Liverpool.

The opening of the International Slavery Museum in August has received support at the highest level from both the UK and US Government. On a recent trip to the Merseyside Maritime Museum US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, described it as an ’extraordinary museum’, adding ‘your efforts help us both to remember and to overcome our past’. The project has received support from the Heritage Lottery Fund with a grant of £1.65m and the DCMS, and the UK’s Culture Minister David Lammy is also an advocate of the new museum.

Responding to Unicef report which puts the UK at the bottom of a league table for child well-being across 21 industrialised countries, Councillor James Kempton, London Councils’ Executive Member for Children and Young People said:

“Unicef is right to draw attention to the extremely high rates of child poverty in the UK. This has significant consequences for London since the capital has the highest proportion of children in poverty in England.

“Government child poverty policies are falling short in London. One way the Government can make serious strides towards achieving its target of halving child poverty in the UK by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020 is to revise how it tackles child poverty in London.

“Policies like the childcare element of Working Tax Credits are not working in London as effectively as elsewhere in the country due to the capital’s significantly higher costs of housing, transport and childcare costs. Returning to work just doesn’t pay for low income families in London because of the loss of benefits that leave them trapped in poverty.

“Government action is urgently needed. As well as tackling benefit traps, this year’s comprehensive spending review is the Government’s best opportunity to ensure London has the resources it needs to tackle child poverty.

“In addition to borough initiatives, London Councils has established the London Child Poverty Commission with the Mayor of London to take forward this work.  London boroughs are keen to play their part in working with the Government in making the difference on this vital issue.” 

Following the shootings in south London over the past two weeks, Christians are calling for all members of the community, black and white, young and old, and of any faith,  to work together to stop the killings.  

Christian leaders have expressed their sorrow at the deaths and sent their condolences to the families and friends of those killed.

Rev Katei Kirby, the Chief Executive Officer of the African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance, said that although the recent shootings have happened in the black community, everyone must work together to tackle the problem. She said: “It is especially sad that the victims of these shootings are so young and our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends. It is clear that more needs to be done to both protect our young people and prevent a rise in gun crime that seems to have its roots in a culture of fear and disrespect for another human life. We call on church leaders, and other community leaders, to do all they can to make sure these tragedies do not happen again.”

Dr R. David Muir, Public Policy Director of the Evangelical Alliance, and a former Deputy Chairman of the Metropolitan Police Authority, welcomed the announcement of more armed police in London. He said: “Churches already do an extensive amount of youth work, and are helping to combat gun crime through initiatives such as Street Pastors, Gunz Down, and Mothers Against Guns. The African and Caribbean Evangelical Alliance and the Evangelical Alliance UK, are calling on Churches to redouble their efforts to engage with and reach out to young people. The police should be commended for the work they are doing in investigating these recent crimes and offering reassurance to the community. But they can’t do it alone. It is critical that all communities co-operate with the police and that churches and the criminal justice agencies work together to devise effective preventative strategies to support vulnerable young people and families.”

Linford Christie is backing this year's Share the Care Week (19-26 March) by stressing the urgent need for more Black and Asian families and individuals to provide short breaks for disabled children - and he's supplied the voice-over for a new training video on the best ways to recruit them.

"Short breaks provide wonderful opportunities for disabled children," he said.
"They give them the chance to make new friends, visit new places and gain greater independence.  They give their families a bit of breathing space and the chance to do things that might be impossible with the disabled child.  There's an urgent need for more Black and Asian carers, so I hope that plenty more will come forward during Share the Care Week."

Short breaks are the support service most frequently requested by the families of disabled children, but there is an urgent need for more carers. Nearly 10,500 children currently benefit from short breaks, but over a third as many (3,500) are still waiting to be linked with a carer.

Short breaks are usually provided in the carer's own home, and can be anything from a few hours a month to a weekend every fortnight.  Training and support are provided, and expenses paid.

"Wherever possible, short break schemes aim to place Black and Asian disabled children with carers from similar cultures - it means that their new environment is still reassuringly like home," says Candy Smith, Chief Executive of Shared Care Network, the national charity promoting short breaks for such children.
"During Share the Care Week we're launching our new DVD, to help short break schemes recruit more Black and Asian carers. "

"Elena adores her carer and her carer's children.  She looks forward to her next visit, and is becoming more independent. And I get a full night's sleep!" Mother of mixed race daughter who has short breaks with a black carer

"I enjoy observing the determination and growth in the child I look after. It is a worthwhile opportunity to help others." Black carer aged over 60

For further information, and details of local short break schemes, contact Shared Care Network on 0117 941 5361, or see www.sharedcarenetwork.org.uk /ends

setting up interviews with Black or Asian families or carers in your area:
contact Pat Simmons or Candy Smith on 0117 941 5361 the launch of our new training DVD on recruiting more Black or Asian carers:
contact Michelle Walker on 0117 941 5361

Members of the youth groups from UCKG churches across the UK attracted an audience of 2,000 to the recent premier of their 2007 national tour in Birmingham's city centre.

Entitled 'Where U Going?' the topical open-air performance in the city's Victoria Square, tackled issues of drug taking, alcohol abuse, prostitution, gang violence and theft  The aim was to leave young people asking themselves 'Where am I actually going with my life?' and 'Is the life I have the one I really want?'

Pastor Rafael Panceiro who heads the church's youth ministry, the Victory Youth Group (VYG), in the Suffolk Street branch said: 'We see a lot of young people here wasting their youth on potentially harmful pursuits that may well affect them for the rest of their lives. Our show puts out the message that it's possible to turn your life around and escape deprived, crime-ridden and destructive lifestyles."

The event kicked off before an excited crowd with the VYG hosts building the excitement in preparation for the dance and music performances that lay ahead.

The Stamford Hill VYG from North London started the show by singing the youth group's anthem accompanied by some truly acrobatic dancers.  The stage was then opened up to members of the public for an energetic dance competition.

Testimonies from youths who had overcome their past involvement with drug dealing, gangs and various degrees of anti-social behaviour provided powerful and thought-provoking breaks between performances.

Daniel Passley told how he became consumed by a life of gangs and drugs until he got involved with the VYG which showed him how to turn his life around. "Being in the VYG guided me and showed me how to apply myself to see the change in my life."

Pastor Rafael Panceiro said of the event: "The day was a huge success and the performers inspired the audience. We look forward to hosting a number of performances around the country and hope to encourage more young people to change their lives for the better."

The next stop for the 53-strong group of performers will be Luton on Saturday 5th May. Other venues are being arranged in various locations including London's Brixton and Islington and a repeat performance in Birmingham is to be confirmed shortly.

Cultural commentators are to speak at De Montfort University (DMU) in Leicester.

Broadcaster Darcus Howe, writer and comedian Hardeep Singh Kholi and poet Daljit Nagra are to take part in cultural eXchanges later this month,

The festival will feature top names in the media and the arts, with free lectures, talks, debates and performances from 26 February - 2 March.

Established six years ago, the annual event is run by 17 dedicated students in their final year of the Arts Management degree course.

On Wednesday, 28 February, Darcus Howe and Hardeep Singh Kholi will take part in a debate on the future of multiculturalism.

Darcus Howe is a broadcaster and columnist and has been described as "Britain's leading black radical commentator". His broadcast career began on Channel Four's Black on Black. Since then he has presented other shows including White Tribe, a look at Anglo-Saxon Britain, and the current affairs programme Devil's Advocate. He writes for the New Statesman.

Hardeep Singh Kholi is a writer, director and comedian. He has written various award-winning short films, screenplays and comedies.

He is best known for writing, directing and starring in the Channel Four comedy Meet the Magoons. He has also written and presented the documentary In Search of the Tartan Turban, which saw him exploring cultural identity as a Scot from an ethnic minority. He has also starred in a five part documentary series looking at race and religion amongst other topics.

Daljit Nagra will read from his much-anticipated poetry collection, Look We Have Coming to Dover, on Wednesday, 27 February.

The title poem won the Forward Prize for Best Individual poem in 2004. Daljit's poetry explores the idealism and reality of multicultural Britain with wit, intelligence and a little bit of mischief.

Both events are free. To book seats at events please call 0116 250 6229 or see www.dmu.ac.uk/culturalexchanges for details.