The Politics of Place

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Mary Carter

Between NASS and a hard place: Refugee housing and community development in Yorkshire and Humberside: A feasibility study Author: Carter, Mary, El-Hassan, A. Azim Author Organisation: Housing Associations' Charitable Trust (HACT) Date: 2003 Summary Aims To explore the impact on refugee housing and community development of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999; to draw national lessons by examining the experience of one specific dispersal region, Yorkshire and Humberside; to make a constructive contribution towards integration which keeps the needs of asylum seekers and refugees at its heart and highlights good practice to lead future efforts. Methodology The report brings together the findings of a feasibility study commissioned by Housing Associations' Charitable Trust (hact). Field work involved face-to-face and telephone interviews with various agencies including refugee community groups, housing providers, statutory bodies, other relevant agencies; in-depth one-to-one semi structured interviews with 44 refugees and asylum seekers; field notes from participating community research workers; focus group discussions with 22 refugees and asylum seekers to validate the research findings. Training was provided for 12 community researchers recruited to help identify and carry out interviews. Key Findings The picture of settlement and integration within the context of dispersal is a confusion of responsibilities and overlapping policies and the needs of asylum seekers have yet to be fully integrated within local planning and delivery mechanisms for mainstream services. There is a fundamental lack of joining up of central government initiatives; dispersal coincided with many other programmes and was also affected by the building of a deterrent factor into the provision of support. Furthermore, the failure to ensure that asylum seekers and refugees are included in the broader neighbourhood renewal schemes and regeneration agendas means that asylum seekers are isolated from the mainstream at the time of receiving a positive decision. In addition the 28-day transition period to find and move into long term accommodation is too short. The areas in which asylum seekers are placed may also be places where they face racism and discrimination; they need to feel safe in both their temporary and permanent homes. The role of community development, in direct provision of services and support, as well as the identification, planning and delivery of local statutory, voluntary and community services, has also been belatedly recognised but lacks the resources needed to support the commitment and skills of community workers activists and volunteers. Recommendations Greater coordination and improve effectiveness for all the agencies involved, including the Home Office, NASS, the Office for the deputy Prime Minister, the Department of Work and Pensions, the Benefits Agency and local authority housing and benefit sections An increase in [or at least adherence to] the 28-day transition period available to refugees to leave their NASS accommodation and find alternative support and housing A range of measures to be taken on advice, information and training by all parties Greater recognition of, and support for, the role and development of RCOs Measures to improve the safety and inclusion of refugees Settlement planning and policy that recognises the different stages of refugee housing need - including the vital involvement of refugees, asylum seekers and refugee community organisations at all levels of decision -making Title Information: ISBN 0 954373 0 0

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Ralph Nader

The man who shook up American politics in 2000 -- and is doingso again in 2004 -- returns to hold both parties' feet to the fire with his straight talk about Bush, corporate government, and the whole political charade.Ralph Nader -- relentless activist, brilliant visionary -- may also be the most honest man we've got left in politics. And yet from the moment Nader declared his presidential candidacy on Meet the Press, he's faced relentless opposition, mainly from Democrats fearing that competition from an inspiring independent could dent their voting block "as it did in 2000." Even his old pals at The Nation joined in the party panic.Now, in The Good Fight, Nader swings back harder than ever at those who "want to block the American people from having more voices and choices" and have lost touch with the concept that votes must be earned, not inherited or entitled. He takes on corporate-occupied Washington and the government's daily abuse against ordinary citizens: "Corporations are saying no to the necessities of the American people. They're saying no to health insurance for everyone, no to a living wage, no to tax reform, no to straightening out the defense budget, which is bloated and redundant, no to access to our courts." And most of all, he urges a speedy return to stronger civic motivation. If fed-up citizens don't actively join the fight for improvement, then ultimately we have no one to blame but ourselves for the inadequate checks on the erosion of our civil liberties. In an era when politicians sell us rhetoric and then sell out our principles, Nader stands as a crucial voice of candor. The Good Fight is a call to awareness and action that will captivate readers of all political stripes and help us define what we must do to shape the brightest future for our nation.

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George Monbiot

In this collection of essays on money, religion, war, power, culture and nature, the author explains why we are heading into an uncertain future in which peace and sound politics are paramount to our survival. From his attack on the countries that deny the existence of global warming to his rally against the injustices of the Iraq war, the author turns his gaze on the aspects of modernity that most endanger the prevailing world order. With characteristic precision, he offers unassailable proof that the desecration of the resources on which we all depend threatens the peace, equality - and very existence - of humanity. This book is an urgent wake-up call that we cannot afford to ignore. -- Publisher details.

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Enrique Barón

This book offers a pragmatic vision of the Europe of the future as seen by a citizen who is heavily involved in its construction. The book raises critical questions about the future challenges for the Union, including a single currency, common citizenship, a foreign and security policy, enlargement to the east and the great issue of employment and welfare. The author explains the importance of the European Union in the world as a bastion of democracy and stability, and the critical need to involve the citizens of Europe in the building of the Union. In looking at the critical decisions about the future of the Union, this book shows that the record of the past only shows a way forward along democratic federalist structures.