Have a look at this report from the national young volunteers service – makes interesting reading for politicians after all the rhetoric about our ‘feral’ young people following the riots
I never thought that I would read sense in the Telegraph - but Mary Riddell is bang on...
The failure of the markets goes hand in hand with human blight. Meanwhile, the view is gaining ground that social democracy, with its safety nets, its costly education and health care for all, is unsustainable in the bleak times ahead. The reality is that it is the only solution. After the Great Crash, Britain recalibrated, for a time. Income differentials fell, the welfare state was born and skills and growth increased.
That exact model is not replicable, but nor, as Adam Smith recognised, can a well-ordered society ever develop when a sizeable number of its members are miserable and, as a consequence, dangerous. This is not a gospel of determinism, for poverty does not ordain lawlessness. Nor, however, is it sufficient to heap contempt on the rioters as if they are a pariah caste.
One of the most tragic aspects of London’s meltdowns is that we need this ruined generation if Britain is ever to feel prosperous and safe again. If there are no jobs for today’s malcontents and no means to exploit their skills, then the UK is in graver trouble than it thinks. Mr Osborne may congratulate himself on his prudence, but retrenchment also bears a social cost. We are seeing just how steep that price may be.
We’ve just had a useful discussion about the current climate and how this affects work on influence and using voice and echo – the current cuts and the fear that people in both the VCS and public sectors feel about their own survival; the ‘heads down approach and the isolation this engenders in individuals, groups and organisations. People are generally not challenging decisions – the power dynamic is definitely power over.
Many thanks to all those who have got back to me about this – some really interesting, thought provoking and useful feedback. I took your comments to the International Association for Community Development in Lisbon last week where the CDJ – Community Development Journal – held a workshop on this topic. Five of us from the editorial board took part in the workshop.
What CD practitioners would find helpful when considering writing articles for academic journals: (a no brainer really!!)
· Confidence to write something ‘good enough’ with the belief that someone wants to read it or would find it useful
· How to get own experiences/ideas in writing – tips that work and clear guidelines
· Writing mentors who buddy CDPs through a writing process
This topic prompted some lively discussion around the possibility of mirroring a deficit approach by ‘skilling up’ CD Practitioners with information and protocols to write in a way that is acceptable to the academic institution. This would then be ‘invited space’ and ‘others’ have to fit in.
The workshop raised the issue about where can community activists get their writing published and whether an academic journal is the best place for this. The feeling was that it isn’t the best place.
I’ve attached 2 docs – one is a how to guide written by Abbey Day from Lancaster Uni and the other is a short reflective piece of writing by Jenny Fisher at MMU about her approach to writing for academic journals – having gone into academia from a CD background.
Phew...interesting and challenging stuff. Got my brain working J
Jill Bedford
01743 245659
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Isabel Rebelo explained the idea of spiral community development – never ending, building on what went before... She works with a community development co-operative ‘Sociedade de Estudos e Intervencao em Engenharia Social’ (SEIES) which has been going for over 30 years...a group of CD practitioners and researchers got together to only work on things they saw that mattered.
The workshop focus was on women’s development and the methodology used...a type of project planning which places the CD ‘technician’ in a position of responsibility to listen and understand the relationships, power dynamics, the reality of women’s lives – and remove one’s own assumptions in order to see clearly something new. Example: the message coming back from some other CD practitioners in Mozambique was that women were resisting the idea of contraception...SEIES got involved and gathered women in women only space where the discussions were more open about traditional ways of preventing babies and the fear of rotting internal contraception devices... the climate is very hot and humid and things rot very easily. There was no resistance, only logical concern.
An important aspect of their methodology is that women have to provide some of the resources – not matter how desperate the circumstances are. It doesn’t matter how small the contribution is. This really resonates with me as free training and free stuff are often not valued or they are taken for granted. It seems to me that contributing a part of the whole positions you differently to someone receiving free stuff. Example: when asking women to meet with them to discuss their issues there was no lunch provided (on purpose) and women were miffed. SEIES said there is a kitchen and next time bring some food and we can cook together – and so the women brought rice and vegetables and SEIS brought fish. Example: a group of young women in a village lost their football and could not afford another one. The boys in the village would not let them play with their ball and there was a general feeling that girls were useless at football anyway so what else was to be expected from them. SEIS said the girls had to provide some money to buy a new ball and the next week they had a tiny amount of cash which was augmented by SEIES and a new ball was purchased. There were lots of discussions in the girl’s group about how to look after the new ball and who had the responsibility for it. This lead to a continuing girls group and more ideas for making cash.
Jill Bedford
01743 245659
...check out our networking site at http://changesuk.net/network
twitter @jillbed
If you have trouble reading this email, click here Editorial /// Barroso said so We finally met with President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Durão Barroso. The best thing about this meeting were obviously the successful outcomes: Mr. Barroso endorses the State of the Union on Disability, committed to ensuring the right enforcement of the UN Convention throughout the European Commission and shared EDF worries on the impact of austerity fiscal measures on people with disabilities. That is what the disability movement is fighting for, and this is also why disability rights have to stay on top of the EU agenda. A couple of days before this high level meeting, the whole European disability movement met for its Annual General Assembly- the most important event of the year for the European disability movement. This annual event is always a very intense moment for all of us. We talked about what really matters: the crisis that is hitting people with disabilities hard and we adopted the 2nd manifesto on the rights of women with disabilities. Amidst all the discussions and these important topics, the 200+ participants focused on how to make sure the European Union will guarantee freedom of movement for all persons with disabilities. The debates were lively, with many expressing concise demands for what is needed and to improve the life of persons with disabilities: a strong European Accessibility Act and the appropriate implementation of the UNCRPD. In this issue of Disability Voice, you can read all about the latest news on Disability in Europe. Further to the meetings mentioned above, you will learn of the latest efforts regarding the Digital Agenda and what is necessary to make sure all public websites will be accessible to everyone. You will also find out why we teamed up with Vodafone and what our reactions were to the latest Council conclusions on Disability strategy. Preceding this you will be granted a unique view into the state of residential care in institutions. Thanks to the recent BBC documentary that caused an outrage in the UK and across the EU and the ensuing media attention, the dark side of this care system was illuminated once more and caused a new wave of action on this. June was intense. It is going to be hot a summer. Javier Güemes, European Disability Forum Acting Director
High Level Meeting EDF MEETS BARROSO: DISABILITY RISES HIGH ON THE EUROPEAN AGENDA A delegation of the European Disability Forum led by its President, Yannis Vardakastanis, met with President of the European Commission Barroso in Brussels on 31 May 2011. This was the opportunity to discuss the next steps for disability in the EU.
Intense General Assembly THE DISABILITY MOVEMENT WANTS FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT From 27th to 29th of May; the 15th Annual General Assembly of the European Disability Forum (EDF) gathered the whole disability movement in Budapest. Among all the important topics, the 200 participants focused on how to make sure the European Union will guarantee freedom of movement for all persons with disabilities.
Web-Accessibility DIGITAL AGENDA: EDF AND PARTNERS LAUNCH NEW CAMPAIGN On the occasion of the 1st Digital Agenda Assembly EDF and its partners are launched their campaign for Accessible websites on 16 June 2011. 95% of public websites remain inaccessible. Concretely, this means that older people and persons with disabilities cannot access vital information online and perform the same everyday tasks as non-disabled people can. EDF, represented by its Secretary, Rodolfo Cattani, and its Acting Director, Javier Güemes, presented concrete proposals, for increased accessibility, at the Digital Agenda Assembly.
LAST MINUTE >EDF TO MEET WITH EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR TRANSPORT On the 29th of June, EDF President Yannis Vardakastanis, EDF executive member Stig Langvad, policy officer Maria Nyman and EDF Acting Director Javier Güemes will meet European Commissioner for Transport, Siim Kallas, in Brussels. Topics discussed will cover, amongst others, the new White Paper on Transport, the report on the implementation of regulation EC 1107/2006 concerning the passenger rights of persons with disabilities and persons with reduced mobility. >VODAFONE FOUNDATION LAUNCHES EU SMART ACCESSIBILITY AWARDS WITH AGE AND EDF In the week of the first EU Digital Assembly in Brussels, Vodafone Foundation launched the Smart Accessibility Awards. This is a new competition to promote the development of IT applications designed to improve the lives of people with disabilities and older people to help them become more actively involved in society. >INSTITUTIONS AND DISABILITY: MAJOR HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE IN RESIDENTIAL The Maltreatment of persons with disabilities in closed institutions or residential care is unacceptable. The European disability movement continues to lobby key decision makers in the field to end institutionalisation and promote community-based living. >COUNCIL CONCLUSIONS ON THE EUROPEAN DISABILITY STRATEGY 2010-2020 At the 3099th Employment, Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs meeting of the Council, the support of the implementation of the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 was discussed. This initiative has been closely followed by EDF and its members. The Council conclusions invites Member States and the Commission to promote the ratification of the UN Convention, make appropriate use of EU funding, and pay attention to disability issues in the design of Member States' National Reform Programmes. Another pleasing outcome was the fact that the Council showed to be open towards the idea of revising the tasks and the status of the High Level Group on Disability with a view to strengthening its role as well as involving civil society, in particular persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. This is indeed a positive development, considering that EDF would like the High Level Group to evolve into a Disability Committee. Similarly, the Council invites the Commission to support any measures taken by the Member States towards the designation or strengthening of one or more independent mechanisms for monitoring the implementation by the EU of the UN Convention. Although the Council conclusions on the Strategy do go into detail, promoting positive actions across all the 8 priority areas it highlights, and these do demonstrate a good will attitude, a real, new impetus for action however, is lacking. A stronger commitment towards improving the legal framework that could impact on the rights of people with disabilities is also not sufficiently addressed. The Council shows its support, yet its loose definitions and general statements do not infer concrete actions. Further, what appeared to be completely overlooked during the discussions is the matter concerning the conclusion of the Optional Protocol attached to the UN Convention. EDF believes that this is an integral part of the UN Convention and a vital tool for change and thus looks to the next Presidency to take up on this and promote its conclusion more actively.
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European Disability Forum - Square de Meeus, 35 - 1000 Brussels
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The Wakeman school has had £4.5 million spent on it recently and, if it closes, within 10 years the town will need another secondary school – which will cost about £25 million. The saving I heard being talked about was £450,000. What a very poor decision that would be.
Use this letter as a template or chop it around a bit. Letters to be received by the council by Friday this week 24th June
Jill Bedford
01743 245659
...check out our networking site at http://changesuk.net/network
twitter @jillbed
media release
European Disability Forum
DIGITAL AGENDA: EDF AND PARTNERS LAUNCH NEW CAMPAIGN
16 June 2011 /// On the occasion of the 1st Digital Agenda Assembly EDF and its partners are launching their campaign for Accessible websites. 95% of public websites remain inaccessible. Concretely, this means that older people and persons with disabilities cannot access vital information online and perform the same everyday tasks as non-disabled people can.
>Why is access to websites crucial?
In an increasingly digitalised society, more and more essential information and services are available online. To access them, persons with disabilities and older people require websites designed according to web-accessibility standards to operate correctly with their assistive technologies. Unfortunately, most of the websites, including public websites, do not respect those standards and are inaccessible to a vast majority of the population.
>What is needed?
The European Commission has committed to improving web-accessibility by 2015:
- The Digital Agenda for Europe, one of the flagships of the Europe 2020 Strategy, and the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020 mention a legislative proposal that would “ensure that public sector websites and websites providing basic services to citizens are fully accessible by 2015”.
- By concluding the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the EU committed to take action to ensure equal access to information to persons with disabilities.
In the past, the European institutions have repeatedly promised to make public websites accessible but this has not been fulfilled.
>Web-Access must become a reality for all!
It is time to act! On the occasion of the first Digital Agenda Assembly, 4 key European organisations, AGE platform Europe, ANEC, EBU and EDF, have come together to call on the European Commission to propose a binding legislation, that delivers web accessibility for all, as soon as possible.
EDF, represented by its Secretary, Rodolfo Cattani, and its Acting Director, Javier Güemes, will present our proposals, for increased accessibility, at the Digital Agenda Assembly on 16 June 2011.
>More information:
Download the ‘Access Denied! Campaign for Accessible Websites’ leaflet
Read the EDF position on the Digital Agenda
Read complete media release on EDF website
Charlotte May-Simera
Communications Assistant
European Disability Forum | nothing about us without us
Square de Meeus 35 | 1000 Brussels Belgium
T +32 2 286 51 83 | M +32 470 39 50 68 | F +32 2 282 46 09
Charlotte.may@edf-feph.org
www.edf-feph.org
save a tree: think before you print
we want freedom of movement
2 women from the women take part course say what it means to them
Jill Bedford
01743 245659
...check out our networking site at http://changesuk.net/network
twitter @jillbed
A few of us were chuffed to be asked to facilitate a workshop at the UK Feminista summer school in Birmingham as ‘older feminists’ – the email with the suggestion caused much laughter as we don’t think of ourselves as ‘older ‘ J
But we are all away on 13th and 14th August so can’t do it... L
Jill Bedford
01743 245659
...check out our networking site at http://changesuk.net/network
twitter @jillbed
