The archives...past Sheroes features
June 2006
BNP...coming your way soon?
You can't have failed to notice that local elections have been held since the last Sheroes newsletter. You must also be aware that the BNP have managed to win 11 out of the 51 available seats on the council in Barking and Dagenham, making them the official opposing party in that borough.
There has been much debate in the media about why this happened. Some camps feel it is because the other political parties are losing credibility and the trust of the voting population. Others feel it happened because people either did not 'bother' to vote or used their vote as a form of protest by voting for an alternative party. Either way, the Black and Asian residents of Barking and Dagenham are now faced with this situation as part of their daily life. Experts are concerned that this success, although limited, may make racists in that area more confident and may lead to an increase in racial harassment incidents.
Why do you think this has happened? Do you live or work in the area and if so, how does it make you feel? Does the BNP really represent the views of a large majority of people in that area or was it just a lack of voting for the other parties that eased their way? Do you think this can happen in other parts of the country? What is the solution? What do Sheroes members think of anti-racist organisations such as Unite Against Racism - should we be supporting them to further the cause?
Sheroes would like to hear your views on the BNP in Barking & Dagenham.
For further information, visit the following websites.
Operation Black Vote
Unite Against Fascism
Love Music Hate Racism
Join the forum or send your emails to: features@sheroes.co.uk.
Your comments will be available for viewing on the website.
Inspirational emails - are you a reader or a deleter?
If you have an email address you will have at some point have received an inspirational email. People react to them differently. Some people take them very seriously while others treat them as jokes. Some of them have a religious overtone, which for some can indirectly play on deep held beliefs. Others question our spirituality and can make you feel guilty if you don't pass it on.
So who writes them and where do they come from? How do these e-mails make you feel? Do you actually feel inspired? Do you feel guilty? Should we take them seriously or dismiss them as 21st century chain mail? Are we trying to re-ignite our religious and spiritual values by passing them on or is this a more sinister abuse of the information highway?
What's your opinion? Add your comments to the Sheroes Forum or send your emails to: features@sheroes.co.uk.
Your comments will be available for viewing on the website.
Engage Magazine
A new magazine has just been launched entitled engage. It has been developed to bridge the gap between BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) businesses and larger organisations.
One Spare Chair Limited, publisher of engage, aims to promote and support supplier diversity in the UK through the new 68-page quarterly magazine. The magazine, which will be complemented by networking forums and a website, will be used as a tool for larger mainstream companies wishing to reach the BAME market.
This is a fantastic magazine and Sheroes totally supports the publication. If you have a business or know someone with a business, tell them about engage. They can register their business details on the website www.engagemagazine.co.uk/register
To subscribe to engage and for further information visit: www.engagemagazine.co.uk