EQUALITY & HUMAN RIGHTS: A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

At the Peepul Centre this afternoon, for a half-day conference commissioned by the European Multicultural Foundation, supported by Vivitas Resourcing, UNISON and Leicester City Council. This is the third and final meeting of its kind which has been held across the East Midlands, the earlier ones having been in Nottingham and Northampton.

The meeting is chaired by Dr Mohammed Aslam, Senior Partner with Vivitas Resourcing. He introduces th speakers: Dr Tara Mukherjee (Chair, European Multicultural Foundation); Patrick Devine (Chief Officer, Telford Race, Equality and Diversity Partnership): Councillor Abdul Osman (Cabinet Lead for Regeneration, Leicester City Council); and Helen Black (Regional Secretary for the East Midlands, UNISON). Each of these gives an individual presentation, then joins in a panel at the end. There are about 50 attendees, many of them representing groups and organisations that I haven't seen before at this sort of event.

One thing said today (by Dr Aslam) sticks in my mind, expressing something with which I've struggled recently myself, about the difference between equality and diversity: "Diversity stands out there on its own, with or without support of legislation."

Photo of the Peepul Centre by Ned Trifle (used with permission)