Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Leading activist praises council’s BAME work
A leading academic and human rights activist has commended North Lanarkshire Council for its work in addressing equality issues for Black Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) residents.
Sir Geoff Palmer OBE, Professor Emeritus in the School of Life Sciences at Heriot-watt University in Edinburgh, met with members of the Black Lives Matter Working Group to discuss its work and has given his support to the council’s approach.
The working group was set up following an unanimously endorsed council motion in August last year supporting the Black Lives Matter movement. It includes elected members from the three political parties and council officers.
Co-chair of the group, Councillor Junaid Ashraf, said: “Our aim is to tackle all forms of racial injustice and discrimination across North Lanarkshire.
“We started by carrying out research into the experiences of the area’s BAME people across different areas of life including employment, housing, discrimination, hate crime and wellbeing.
“Our priorities are promoting diversity and challenging discrimination through the school curriculum, and pro-actively improving equality in employment for current and potential council employees.
“The working group will be informed by ongoing engagement with our BAME communities, to ensure we meet their needs in future policy and services.”
Councillor Paul Kelly, co-chair of the group and the council’s depute leader, added: “The Black Lives Matter Working Group was very pleased to hear from Professor Sir Geoff Palmer, a highly respected academic who works to tackle discrimination and promote equality.
“He firmly believes that education is key to challenging racism, and he commended the council on its commitment to addressing the issue positively by engaging with local BAME residents and listening to the issues they face in everyday life.
“Since the working group was set up last year, we have made significant progress in understanding the issues around racial discrimination and identifying how we can achieve positive change for North Lanarkshire.”
A package of support materials is being developed for teachers and school staff, while learning resources will be produced for pupils to learn about the history of slavery worldwide and the inks to North Lanarkshire.
A Race at Work Charter will set out a pro-active commitment to advance equality in employment for BAME employees and potential employees, informed by a staff survey.
Work has also started on exploring North Lanarkshire’s historical links to the slave trade and how this is interpreted today.