TACKLING HATE CRIME IN EUROPE
Communities; strength in unity
12th November 2007 – City Hall, Queens Walk, London
Overview of Conference
On November 12 in conjunction
with the Mayor of London and the London Criminal Justice Board,
London Probation and the Reducing Hate Crime in Europe Project will
host a conference on the difficult and complex issue of
understanding and tackling racism and the challenges posed by
extremism on Criminal Justice in the capital and across Europe.
The conference will discuss ways in
which to tackle race and faith based hate, including looking at how
to reduce the impact of extremism in a diverse and inclusive
culture. Our European partners will share their experiences of
radicalised acts with us and we will discuss the lessons learned
from these experiences and our own in London.
We will also look at what can be
done in the UK and in Europe to help stop people turning to
extremism and how to enable individuals move away from violence
based on hate.
The conference is presented with
the support of the Mayor’s Office, London Criminal Justice Board,
London Probation, the Reducing Hate Crime in Europe 2 Project, and
the European Union
Speakers Include:
- Baroness Scotland, The Attorney General
- David Scott, Chief Officer, London Probation and Deputy Chair
of the London Criminal Justice Board
- Baroness Ludford MEP
- Toaha Qureshi BSc Chief Executive Stockwell Green Community
Services
- Elena Noel, Hate Crime Project Manager, Southwark Mediation
Centre
- Matthew Collins, Director of Operation Wedge, part of
Searchlight Information Services.
Conference Aims
The conference aims to bring
together practitioners, academics and policy makers to look at
practical ways of reducing hate crime and the impact of hate
crime.
The conference will also launch
several products designed to help support the work of tackling
racism, including:
- A model of good practice between the criminal justice system
and non governmental organisations in London.
- The results of research into the unique challenges extremism
pose for delivering effective community punishments.
Attendee Benefits
Meet and share experiences with our European partners from–
Malta, Bulgaria, Northern Ireland, Holland and Germany.
- Learn about the Criminal Justice response to race crimes and
extremism in London.
- Meet projects that are tackling hate-motivated extremism and
radicalisation.
- Learn about London Probation’s work with race hate offenders
and extremists.
- Network with other organisations, professionals and law
enforcement officers
Who should attend?
- Those interested in tackling Hate Crimes across Europe
- Community Groups
- Voluntary Organisations
- Statutory agencies: criminal justice agencies, youth
workers
- Central and local government agencies
- European agencies
- European Practitioners with an interest in radicalisation
Speakers
The Rt. Hon Baroness Scotland of Asthal
QC
Lady Scotland of Asthal was
appointed Attorney General by the new Prime Minister, Gordon Brown
in June 2007 - she is the first woman to hold this office. Prior to
this she was Home Office Minister of State for the Criminal Justice
System and Law Reform. Previously she was the Parliamentary
Under-Secretary of State at the Lord Chancellor’s Department and
Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
David Scott
David Scott has been the Chief
Officer for London Probation since 2005. Prior to this he was the
Chief Officer for the Hampshire Area of the National Probation
Service and Chief Probation Officer for West Sussex. He served as a
member of the Parole Board for six years. As well as being London
Probation's Chief Officer, he is also Vice Chair of the London
Criminal Justice Board (LCJB).
Lee Jasper
As race equality campaigner and the
Senior Policy Advisor on Equalities to the Mayor of Greater London,
Lee is responsible for the development, enactment and promotion of
equalities policies for the Greater London Authority and has
corporate responsibility for the development and delivery of anti
discriminatory policies. He also advises the Mayor on policing
issues and is an expert on police and community relationships.
Baroness Ludford
Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP has been
a member of the UK House of Lords since 1997 and London's Liberal
Democrat MEP since 1999. She is European justice spokeswoman for
the UK Liberal Democrats on the European Parliament’s civil
liberties, Justice & Home Affairs Committee, which covers
asylum & immigration, freedom & non-discrimination, and
security & law enforcement. Sarah is also vice-chair of the
human rights sub-committee and was vice-chair of the temporary
committee on extraordinary rendition 2006-7.
Toaha Qureshi
Toaha Qureshi is a trustee of
Stockwell Mosque and chairman of Stockwell Green Youth Project
(SGYP). He established SGYP in 1999 to support disenchanted and
socially excluded members of the black and minority ethnic
communities, particularly young Muslims in the London Borough of
Lambeth. He works with organisations across London to address
issues such as gang/gun culture, social exclusion, extremism and
terrorism among young people, with a global vision of helping
reduce the current trend of violence.
Elena Noel
Elena Noel has been a mediator for
10 years, specialising in Hate Crimes. She is the Manager of the
Hate Crimes Project at Southwark Mediation Centre. The Hate Crimes
Project successfully deals with incidents of racism, homophobia and
prejudice related to sexuality in the community. It works both with
those who experience hate crime, and those who cause it. Elena also
gives consultancy to agencies and research graduates dealing with
hate crime.
Matthew Collins
Matthew is a journalist, committed
anti-racist and anti-fascist activist. He is currently Director of
Operation Wedge, part of Searchlight Information Services.
Operation Wedge is designed to help young people build an awareness
of the way that extreme groups spread messages of hatred and
intolerance. He has worked extensively to bring together a
presentation that shows how music and football violence have been
used by some extreme right wing groups.
Chitra Karvé
Chitra Karvé is Director of
Equality and Diversity at London Probation. She comes from a
background of extensive equality and human rights work and is a
practising solicitor. Prior to joining London Probation she was the
Commission for Racial Equality’s Head of Enforcement and Public
Duty and Liberty’s Ethnic Minorities Human Rights Lawyer.
Alan Weston
Alan is currently Acting Head of
Equality & Diversity, and European Projects Manager for London
Probation. He manages the Reducing Hate Crime in Europe projects,
Belief in Work, London-wide Hate Crime multi agency training and
the Community Crime: Gangs and Hate Project in Southwark. He also
manages the development of approaches to tackle hate motivated
crimes and London Probation’s externally funded European
projects.
Agenda
(Subject to change)
09.30 Registration, Coffee, Networking
Session 1- CJS Responses
10.05 Lee Jasper
Extremism and hate crime – a London context
10.25 David Scott
Raising public confidence in a climate of extremism
10.50 Baroness Scotland
Combatting racism: The Race for Justice action plan a year
on
11.20 Questions
11.30 Coffee Break
Session 2 – Community responses to extremism and crimes
of hate
11.50 Toaha Qureshi
The role of communities in addressing extremism
12.20 Elena Noel
Mediation as a means to reduce radicalisation
12.50 Questions
1.00 – 2.00 Lunch – visit displays/networking exercise
Session 3 – UK and Europe, a Wider View
2.00 Baroness Ludford
Crimes of hate and extremism: the search for a European
answer
2.30 Matthew Collins
The impact of right wing extremism in Europe
3.00 Questions
3.20 Chitra Karvé
Closing Remarks
If you require further information please contact Maeve
Hunnisett on 020 8 514 9224 or by email at
equality_diversity@london.probation.gsi.gov.uk