News

2012 is to be a big year in US Politics with November 6th deciding who will become the next President of the United States. The US Presidential election is critical as it will as define what kind of country America wants itself to be and determine the fate of not only the American economy, but the global economy too.

The Council of Europe's project against hate speech, racism and discrimination in its online expression is searching for participants to attend a preparatory seminar for the campaign.

The seminar will take place in the European Youth Centre, Strasbourg (FR) from 10 to 12 October 2012.

And so the summer of the most exquisite global sport ends: The London Olympic and Paralympic games. For four to five weeks more than three billion viewers have been, at times, transfixed on London’s east end to watch the unfolding drama that was these extraordinary games.

With the annual birthday celebrations of Kwame Nkrumah coming up on 21st September, it is worth reflecting on the man that many regard as the greatest son of Africa.

This year, many Commonwealth member states are in the process of celebrating 50 years of independence from the United Kingdom. Some may argue that the British Empire is now dead and buried, but there are still outstanding cases where the effects of empire are still being argued over:

In the UK, when a case comes to court, the assumption is innocence with the burden on the prosecution to prove guilt beyond reasonable doubt. An outcome must be decided based only on the facts of the case. In 2010, the case of Regina vs Pun  heard at Ipswich Crown Court and involving four members of the same Suffolk family, made me question whether this was in fact the case.

In less than three short years, OBV alumni Helen Grant MP has been made a Minister in David Cameron’s Ministerial reshuffle.

The Maidstone and Weald MP has been appointed joint Parliamentary under Secretary of State at the Ministry of Justice and for women’s and equality issues. Accepting the appoint Helen Grant MP once again makes political history by becoming the first Conservative woman of African descent to become a Minister.

During a time when students across the country find out whether they have made the grade for further education, this year has witnessed a significant number of head teachers, teachers and students complaining about the last minute change of grade boundaries to the English G.C.S.E results. The Exam Boards’ sudden decision to move the goalposts, Parmila Kumari argues, will only exacerbate the problems related to access to education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

For the first time in 10 years the Cabinet of Her Majesty’s Government will be all white. The removal of the only BME Cabinet member, the former Conservative Party Co-Chair, Sayeeda Warsi leaves David Cameron with a political top table looking distinctly unprogressive. Overall the number of women in Cameron’s Cabinet has fallen from five to four.

A blasé attitude seems to encapsulate pockets of Spanish society's view of racism, where this particular form of prejudice, is not self-censored or distinguished from acceptable conduct. This has been exhibited on numerous occasions, frequently in sports, where the Spanish have been responsible for a number of racial slurs and other faux pas.

So when the Spanish Magazine de Fuera de Serie printed an image of Michelle Obama as a semi-nude slave, it was not necessarily a shock, rather another disappointment.