Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
Take part in council’s first BLM Conference
People in Monklands are being encouraged to take part in North Lanarkshire Council’s firstever Black Lives Matter (BLM) Conference this month.
The online event, taking place on February 21, will explore ways in which communities can advance race equality and relations in North Lanarkshire.
Councillor Paul Kelly, co-chairman of North Lanarkshire’s BLM working group, urged people to attend the conference and share their views and experiences on “this important matter”.
He told the Advertiser: “The conference will also highlight the achievements of the council’s BLM working group including the ongoing work of the council’s schools, museums, workplaces and communities.”
There will be a presentation by guest speaker Sir Geoff Palmer, Chancellor of Heriot-watt University and human rights activist, on why the BLM movement is so important and relevant today for North Lanarkshire.
There will also be a Q&A session to allow people the opportunity to put questions to each of the panel.
Co-chairman of the group, Councillor Junaid Ashraf, told us: “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 proactively improving equality in employment for current and potential council employees.
“We’re encouraging everyone, especially representatives from minority ethnic communities, to ensure we meet their needs in future policy and services.”
A package of support materials is being developed for teachers and school staff, while learning resources will be produced for pupils to learn all about the history of slavery worldwide and the links to North Lanarkshire.
Work has also started on exploring the region’s historical links to the slave trade and how this is interpreted today.
In August 2020 councillors unanimously endorsed a motion supporting the BLM movement.
In doing so, the council became one of the first local authorities in the UK to formally state its backing for the movement.
The motion also reaffirmed the council’s stance that there is no place for racism and that further action must be taken to eliminate racial injustice and discrimination in Scotland, but acknowledges that efforts to end discrimination have been inadequate and many residents of North Lanarkshire continue to suffer racism and racial inequality on a daily basis.
For more information on the conference, which will be held from 10am to 1pm, and to register to attend, head to https://www. eventbrite.co.uk/e/black-lives-matteradvancing-race-equality-in-northlanarkshire-tickets-230917810387