News

If you don’t have privacy in your office at 11.30am -12 noon today, (Thursday), to listen to the 'Wales Window of Alabama' by Gary Younge, on BBC Radio 4, don’t worry it’ll be in BBC iPlayer soon after.

I’m convinced it’ll be an extraordinary programme, about an extra ordinary individual that brought the people of Cardiff in Wales and Alabama, in the USA together after one of the worst civil rights atrocities of that era.

Congratulations to playwright, actor and broadcaster and  Kwame Kwei-Armah who has become the new Chancellor of University of the Arts London.

Kwame, who was the first Black British playwright to have a play performed in the West End with Elmina’s Kitchen in 2005, takes over from retired Lord Stevenson, and takes up the honorary post with immediate effect.

Jasvinder Sanghera who is named among the Guardian’s list of 100 of the world's most inspirational women was on the very first MP shadowing scheme that OBV undertook back in 1999.

The aim of the scheme then, as it is now, was to nurture leaders: individuals who could confidently take their place be it in Westminster or as a campaigner or both.

A coalition of BME organisations -BARAC- are challenging the Government as to whether or not they have contravened Public sector Equality Law. Over the past three months more than 2000 individuals have turned up to the groups meetings around the county.

This is an extract from a piece written by the organisation's chair, Lee Jasper.

Vivienne Connell-Hall, Co-Founder HMRC BAME Women’s Network
Pays tribute her remarkable colleagues:  She writes:

On this International Women’s day (IWD), I want to register my appreciation of, and gratitude to, some remarkable women, who have been working tirelessly and unselfishly to make a difference to the status of BAME women in one government department, with remarkable success in a short space of time through the setting up of a BAME Women’s Network. 

Merlene Emerson pays tribute:

Honouring a woman I know -  my friend and colleague, Cllr Linda Chung

Linda and I were born some 2000 miles apart, Linda in Hoysan, China and I in Singapore, but it was here in London that we met.  It was politics that brought us together and our first meeting was at the ‘Making Chinese Votes Count’ workshop in June 2006 sponsored by the Electoral Commission.

Mohand Nour a politics student at the University of Westminster, and currently an intern at OBV has chosen Marcia Ann Hutchinson for his International Woman’s Day tribute.

Mohand writes:

‘Inspirational’ is a word that is often overused and should only be reserved for the people that warrant it.

The John Adams society was formally launched by the US ambassador Louis B Susman at his prestigious residence in Regents Park last Thursday.

The Secretary of State Hilary Clinton sent her best wishes to the new group.

Women's Day Tributes to: Karen Allen, Aneeta Prem and Sabrina Qureshi

Lisa-Marie Carr Salutes Karen Allen.

Karen Allen is a mother of 5 and ‘super mum’; instead of allowing her situation to hold her down she has transformed her own life and hundreds of lives in the process, she is a life coach, author, conference host, and entrepreneur.

Today is International Women’s Day. A day to celebrate the achievements of women, the contribution they make to society and their role in inspiring others.

Adeela Shafi pays tribute to a group of women in Pakistan, who against the odd, is bringing change to their lives and the environment.