List of upcoming events relevant to refugee and migrant worker issues:

Fall & Winter 2008

• Refugee Council event list for the next six months is available on: http://www.refugeecouncil.org.uk/eventsandtraining/events
   
• HUMAN RIGHTS: PUBLIC FORUM, WHY SHOULD I CARE? Cambridge Citizens Advice Bureau and the Justice and Communities Research Unit at Anglia Ruskin University are jointly organising a public forum to discuss why human rights matter to us all and how we can continue to make our rights a reality. Date: Tuesday, 25th November 2008. Start: 5.30 for 6pmt. Venue: The Mumford Theatre, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge CB1 1PT. For more info contact: Sandra Collins on 01223 222664 or sandarac@cambridgecab.org.uk
   
• Challenging Discrimination – Choosing Equality: Date: 5th December 2008, 10am-2pm. Venue: WORD Offices, Charing Cross Centre, 17-19 St. John Maddermarket, Norwich, NR2 1DN. Advice for Life, AFL, in partnership with EHRC are offering awareness raising sessions for members of BME and migrant communities who have faced or are facing discrimination in employment. In Norwich, AFL has partnered with MENTER and Che Jama. For more information, click pamusa@menter.org.uk or 01603617076/07717220209
   
• Refugee Week conference - a free one-day conference for anyone involved with Refugee Week. Date: 10.00 am - 4.30 pm, Friday 21 November 2008, Venue: Amnesty International, 17-25 New Inn Yard, London, EC2A 3EA For more details visit: http://www.refugeeweek.org.uk/Events/conference-2008/
   
• Are Asylum Seeking Children Safe in the UK? Date: Tuesday 14 October in London hosted by the Children’s Service Network. Delegates will have a unique opportunity to hear from and discuss with representatives from the Home Office, the voluntary sector and local government, concerned with asylum support from legislation to service delivery. They will look at the reform programme put forward by government, children in detention and safeguarding trafficked children, and best practice from local government. For further information visit: http://www.csn.info/csn/events-detail.jsp?&id=187&md=0&section=events
   
• VSRN-EE - Voluntary Sector Refugee network – East of England AGM 2008: Theme of event: Community Organisation and International Development. Date:, 24 October 08, 11.30-15.30. Venue: The Centre at St. Paul’s, Hills Road, Cambridge, CB2 1JP. Who should attend? VSRN-EE member organisations across the Eastern Region; Established and emerging refugee community organisations; Other organisations and individuals who are involved or interested in supporting refugees in their local area. There is no delegate fee for this event. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. For more information please contact: Alain Munyangabe on: Tel: 01473 406432 / 07990 511106 or e-mail office@vsrn-ee.org.uk
• Thursday 18 September 2008, Rowley Mile Conference Centre, Newmarket (9.30am-4pm) Businesses from across the East of England will discuss the benefits of employing migrant workers and learn about how to minimise any potential risks at a national conference to be held in Newmarket. For more information, http://www.eeda.org.uk/2949.asp
   
• NRPF Network and British Red Cross conference on the topic of Domestic Violence and No Recourse to Public Funds Tuesday 7th October 2008 – 1.00-5.00 p.m. Leeds, West Yorkshire Purpose of this event is to:  explore issues and solutions to the problems of victims of domestic violence who have no recourse to public funds (NRPF), discuss good practice in assessing and supporting victims of domestic violence, promote cooperation and understanding between local authorities, the voluntary sector and central government For more information please call Jonathan Price on 0207 527 7121.
   
• International Migrants in Rural Areas: Communities, Impacts and Issues, 10am – 4pm St Martin-in-the-Fields Hall, Trafalgar Square, London WC2 This event will present new research on migration into rural areas. The research has been conducted by the Migration and Equalities Team at ippr, supported by the Commission for Rural Communities. The event aims to: present new research on the impact of migration on public services in rural areas; examine ways in which public services might become more responsive to migrants; present new research on the risk to rural economies caused by changing migration flows, and look at how these risks can be managed. For more information, contact Holly Andrew at IPPR, h.andrew@ippr.org
   
• Introduction to Sustainable Communities, various dates and locations across the region Want to know what a sustainable community looks like?  What to know how you can apply the principles of sustainable communities to your work? Inspire East are running full day and half day Introduction to Sustainable Communities sessions.  Half day session: 10am-1pm on 15 October, at the Smart Life Centre, Cambridge, Full day session: 10am-4pm on 17 December 2008, at the Marston Vale Forest Centre, Bedfordshire, Half day session: 10am-1pm on 27 January 2009, the IP City Centre, Ipswich, Suffolk. For more information about Sustainable Communities Programme, visit http://www.inspire-east.org.uk/sustainablecommunitiessessions.aspx
   
• The New Framework for Employing Non-UK Nationals, 9.30am-4.30pm, London, One Birdcage Walk, Westminster, London. Fees: from £295-£395. A one-day conference, hosted by the Centre for Parliamentary Studies, will provide an opportunity for HR/recruitment advisers, organisational development professionals and legal advisers to understand the new immigration landscape and its impact on employing and vetting non-UK nationals. This event provides an overview of the new legislative framework. For more information, visit http://publicpolicyexchange.co.uk
   
• Free Training - Human rights, tackling inequality and social exclusion, October-November 2008, depending on location. This one-day free regional event is designed to give the Third Sector the opportunity to explore the relevance of human rights to their work. The day will include a short human rights awareness-raising session by the British Institute of Human Rights (BIHR) and a number of consultative discussions aimed at identifying the human rights capacity building needs of the sector. Information will also be provided on the BIHR Principles to Practice Project and the work of the National Equality Partnership.   For more information, visit www.bihr.org.uk for Dates and venues

Summer 2008 Events

Are businesses dependent on migrant workers? The Migration Team at the Institute for Public Policy is undertaking research for the East of England Development Agency (EEDA), on economic risk to businesses and public services should migrant workers not be available to employers. The research has been commissioned as a result of concerns raised by some employers that their businesses had become dependent on migrant workers. The research will be published early in 2009. If you would like to know more about the project, or give information about your own experiences of employing migrant workers, please contact the research team via email. We would also like to interview employers of migrant workers. Contact: Jill Rutter on j.rutter@ippr.org

Regional Launch of the National Transplant Week in Ipswich on Sunday 6^th July 2008 at St Nicholas Centre, 4 Cutler Street, Ipswich, IP1 1UQ from 12:00 – 4:00pm. The National Transplant Week increases public awareness of organ donation and the gift of life it brings and encourages people to join the NHS Organ Donor Register. For more information about raising awareness of organ donation amongst BME communities, visit www.bmetransplantnetwork.org.uk

Free COVER / EERA LSP event for the Voluntary Sector in Cambridge. Thursday 10 July, the Moller Centre, Cambridge. This event provides an opportunity to hear how other VCS organisations are benefiting from their LSP involvement, talk to local government representatives about improving LSP working practices and find out how to get more involved.  The conference has been jointly organised with Aspire2Perform, a new programme for the Eastern region, funded by Improvement East, which aims to get LSPs really working well for the benefit of all. Places are limited, so please book now. Contact: Sue Houlder, Conference Organiser, EERA, Flempton House, Flempton, Bury St Edmunds, IP28 6EG. Tel: 01284 729421  Fax: 01284 729429. sue.houlder@eera.gov.uk

Brazilian Music Show in Thetford featuring Brazilian band MONOBLOCO-Thetford, Friday 11th July, Carnegie Room, Doors open 7.30 PM, Tickets £6. Box office telephone number: 01842 751 975. Event sponsored by Breckland Council and LSP, Thetford Town Council and Norcas. Website: www.monobloco.org

Indian Mela in Ipswich on 13^th July, Christchurch Park, 12pm-6pm- For more information, please visit http://www.onesuffolk.co.uk/isia

Festival of cultures 2008 in Norwich -A multi-cultural event organised by Norwich Mind to celebrate cultural diversity, promote social inclusion and mental health. Come and share gorgeous food from different cultures. Dance and listen to various music, try your hand at drumming, sample free complementary therapies and make new friends! Date: 16 August 2008. Time: 11.30am-3pm. Venue: Norwich Mind, 50 Sale Road, Norwich NR7 9TP. For more details, contact Dr Joy Barredo on 01603 432 457, joybarredo@norwichmind.org.uk

Breckfest sports and culture festival, 24 August-14 September 2008-BRECKFEST is a district wide festival of sport, leisure and culture to mark the handover of the Olympic Games from Beijing to London this summer and the close of the Paralympics Games 2008.   The main musical event will be held on 13th September 2008 at Attleborough Recreation Ground.  The headline acts are: Showaddywady, Suzi Quatro and Hot Chocolate. This high profile event will be the ultimate outdoor music experience and will bring together household names with local musical talent in the biggest musical celebration ever seen in Breckland. There will also be a whole range of sporting and cultural activity across the district over the three weeks of the BRECKFEST festival. Full details

Migrant Gateway Conference: Migrants into the Mainstream: At the end of last week there were 20 delegate places left for the Migrant Gateway conference, 'Migrants into the Mainstream', at Newmarket Racecourse on June 25th. If you plan to be there and haven't registered you need to send your completed form to Migrant Gateway, Unit 8, e-space south, 26 St Thomas Place, Ely CB7 4EX; or to receive an application form call 01353 644150.

Jan 2008- Feb 2008

National Race Equality & Drug conference

Arsenal Emirates Stadium

Date: Thursday 6th March 2008 at 9:30am

From November 2007

Regional Conference: BME and Gender Sports Awareness Training Conference

The conference will be held on Thursday 6^th December, 10.30 am to 3.45 pm.
The venue is: The Arbury’s Community Centre, Campkin Road, Cambridge, CB4 2LD

To book your place, please return your completed form by 1^st December 2007 to Aruna Sharma, 62-66 Victoria Road, Cambridge, CB4 3DU.

Link to invitation letter & nomination form

Partnership Development Project of MENTER