[WiLT] Building Communities: Equality and diversity in action

[WiL Admin]

Building Communities: Equality and diversity in action

Wednesday 7 November 2007, Leeds
Met Hotel Leeds, LS1 2HQ

Wednesday 28 November 2007, London
New Connaught Rooms, WC2B 5DA

The past year has seen massive developments in the fields of refugee
integration, community cohesion and equality and diversity. This
creates new challenges for those working with refugees and asylum
seekers to facilitate integration, at a time when Government efforts
to speed case-resolutions are already increasing pressure on the
capacity of service providers to meet potentially conflicting demands.

These two distinct conferences are set in the context of the new Home
Office model for processing asylum applications and its proposals for
national refugee integration services; the Commission on Integration
and Cohesion's report, Our shared future; and the launch of the new
Commission for Equality and Human Rights. The events will call for the
distinct needs and experiences of refugees to be reflected in these
developments and captured in policy making.

We will learn what is meant by community cohesion, and equality and
diversity, as these ideas relate to asylum seekers, refugees and their
communities before focusing on the particular disadvantages they face
when they try to integrate. The conferences will see the launch of new
Refugee Council research, examining barriers from the perspective of
refugees themselves.

Through the examples of education, housing provision, employment and
enterprise, we will hear about some of the key dynamics for successful
integration from people who have developed initiatives that seek out
solutions.

For each conference, the Refugee Council has brought together
different sets of senior speakers including representatives of
government and communities, and experts from services at the forefront
of integration. Speakers will not only highlight the problems we all
face and illuminate the issues; they will be asked to provide the
solutions we need to encourage across the UK. The agenda is planned to
include significant time for all speakers to answer questions, whilst
the round table discussions and panel discussions will enable all
delegates to make a contribution.

The conferences aim to:
* Bring together front-line staff and policymakers from a range of
NGO, business and public sector backgrounds
* Identify potential needs of refugees within the context of overall
service provision
* Clarify the legislative and policy background to refugee
integration, relating to broader themes of community cohesion and
equality and diversity
* Determine the subject and practical barriers faced by refugees in
combating social and economic exclusion
* Discuss recommendations for ensuring access to mainstream and
specialist services

Benefits of attending:
* Update your knowledge around the needs of refugees
* Understand the current policy and practice relating to rights and
entitlements to housing, post-16 education and employment
* Discuss the impact of changing asylum legislation on staff working
with asylum seekers and refugees
* Explore examples of good practice and how they can apply to your
work
* Network and exchange information with colleagues in the sector

Who should attend? The conference is for people working in departments
and agencies that may set policy, provide services for, or employ
refugees and asylum seekers. Particularly:
* Local authorities: Social Services, asylum seekers teams and asylum
consortia
* Regional Development Agencies
* Learning and Skills Councils, Further and Higher Education providers
* Job centre+, careers advisers, human resources professionals
* Trade unions
* Housing-associations and trusts
* Health authorities and services, counselling and advice services
* Legal services
* Policy institutes, policy researchers, civil servants
* Information advice and guidance agencies, libraries and museums
* Community groups, voluntary and charitable organisations

Keynote speakers: Leeds
* Donna Covey, Chief Executive, Refugee Council, Welcome and
introductions
* Inderjit Bhogal, Director, Yorkshire and Humber Faith Forum and
Founder and Chair, City of Sanctuary
* Leoni McCarthy, Project Manager, The New Link Centre, Equality &
diversity: refugees and asylum seekers
* Jill Rutter, Senior Research Fellow, Institute for Public Policy
Research (IPPR), Community cohesion: impact on the refugee sector
* Professor Simon Lee, Vice Chancellor, Leeds Metropolitan University,
Widening participation in further and higher education
* Patrick Wintour, Director, Employability Forum, Employment and
training
* Professor Ian Cole, Professor of Housing Studies and Director of
CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University , Housing
* Bishop John Packer, Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, Building communities:
equality and diversity in action

Keynote speakers: London
* Donna Covey, Chief Executive, The Refugee Council, Welcome and
introduction
* Meg Hillier MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, Building
communities: equality and diversity in action
* Nicky Gavron, Deputy Mayor of London, GLA (invited), Equality &
diversity: refugees and asylum seekers
* Danny Sriskandarajah, Director of Research Strategy and Head of
Migration, Equalities and Citizenship, IPPR, Community cohesion:
impact for refugee sector
* Nahid Majid OBE, Deputy Director, Department of Works and Pensions
(invited), Widening participation in further and higher education
* Roger Kline, National Head of Equality and Employment Rights, UCU,
Building communities: equality and diversity in action with focus on
Education, Employment & Housing
* John Williams, Senior Project Manager, LORECA, Employment and
training
* Heather Petch, Director, Hact, Housing

Rates
* Full: £339.00 (central government/business)
* Reduced: £299.00 (public/educational body/local government)
* Supported: £130.00 (voluntary organisation)
* 10% discount for attending both events

For more information, please email marketing at refugeecouncil.org.uk,
telephone 020 7346 6737, or visit
http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/conferences

Posted on WiLT blog at
http://www.freecharity.org.uk/~womeninlondon/?p=413