Loomio

Equality and liberation

ST Simon Thorpe Public Seen by 276
CW

Clare Walden Thu 31 Mar 2016 11:30AM

From the 5th March meeting

PRINCIPLES

-That policies to do with equality and liberation should always be intersectional - this will mean sometimes uncomfortable- but that’s okay!
-That the cultural and historical context of areas of London need to recognised, eg Brixton
-that we should understand whether something is racist or sexist or transphobic through it’s effect eg. gentrification may not be purposely racist or classist, but the outcome is that it is both racist and classist.
-That we should focus on the structures that create discrimination, rather than individual behaviours.
-The protection of specialist services and welfare should be embedded in policies

POLICIES

-Councils, GLA, Mayor have to engage in proper community consultation/planning process.
This means: giving communities the right to block new developments, adequately translating plans into community languages and simple language, communities consulted much earlier in process (not towards end when deal is basically done) and have to hit quota of people properly consulted (that actually reflects the area).

-Local, small businesses should be protected and given a protection status (like an old building would be) - recognise that diverse, small businesses are part of an area’s heritage and shouldnt be erased.

-Community spaces should be listed and protected - this means that long-term funding or spaces need to be there so that funding/spaces arent removed with every new set of politicians that moves in or out

-Decriminalisation of sex-work

-Education: representative/marginalised groups should create the teaching on ‘multiculturalism’ in schools- right now it’s all “British values” and Prevent-- racist and biased. Students should have to learn about the history of how and why people have ended up in Britain (eg colonialism).

CW

Clare Walden Thu 31 Mar 2016 11:48AM

My proposals so far...

-The GLA help to produce educational materials that properly reflects the history and culture of London's school children, and that this is included in Citizenship/British Values lessons. This should include a true representation of British colonialism and the immigrations patterns that followed, and the struggles and discrimination migrants face(d) and the contributions they have made.

-That the likely outcome of a gentrification/regeneration project is analysed and considered through anti-discriminatory best practice and law. Eg. if a new block of flats is to be built which will likely lead to poorer, black people disproportionately disproportionately having to leave an area, that councils and developers are obliged to consider whether this is discriminatory and breaks any best practice or legal guidelines.

-Protection of spaces of cultural and community value.
Community spaces and buildings/spaces of value to the community should be considered community assets and protected as such. Just as historical building and green-belt land are protected, local shops/businesses, community centres, and buildings that are deemed to have cultural and community value should be protected. This should reflect the full, diverse nature of a community.

NM

Njilan Morris-Jarra Thu 31 Mar 2016 7:57PM

Think this sounds perfect. Covers everything we discussed at the event.

I think emphasis on inequality as a structural issue is key here, countering the victim-blaming rhetoric of other parties/candidates. We should address demographic inequality as failure of society rather than of the individual.
I'm not sure exactly how to word it but it includes emphasising a commitment to examining and tackling the root causes of issues within BME/Minority/working class communities. E.g. disparities in crime statistics/ educational achievement

(Is this too broad?)