Jean being presented with her MEP Award by Commissioner Margot Wallström
MEP Awards
Jean won the MEP Award in recognition for her work in the field of Civil Liberties and Human Rights. Based on nominations from NGOs and not for profit organisations across Europe, the awards honour MEPs that have made an outstanding achievement in five policy areas.
Social Platform Conference
Summing up the two day conference on social policy and fundamental rights, Jean delivered a speech which highlighted the need to be interested not just in what the EU does to promote but what it does to undermine the European Social Model. Similarly, discussions on the Constitution need to address what we want to remove from the current text but also what we want to keep out.
Moon Bears
Having championed the cause for some time now, Jean joined Jill Robinson Director of Animals Asia and a cross party panel of MEPs in a press conference against the bile farming of Moon bears in China. The MEPs hope to gain strong Parliamentary backing for this campaign and help to end this horrific practice by the time of the Beijing Olympics. Further information can be found HERE.
Women's Institute and REACH
Jean had time to briefly catch up with the Women's Institute to talk about the future of the REACH Directive. The WI campaign focus is on the growing number of chemicals in the human body and the effect they have on our health.
London Voluntary Sector Training Consortium Visit
Jean hosted a visit by the LVSTC who kindly repaid the favour by inviting her out to dinner! Following a talk from Jean, the Group were lucky enough to sit in on a Committee meeting in Employment Committee where they listened to Commissioner Spidla talk about the European social model. Meanwhile in the Regional Committee, other LVSTC delegates heard an "exchange of views" with Mr Jean-Charles Leygues, Deputy Director-General of European Commission's Regional Policy.
Environment Agency
Jean co-hosted a meeting with the Environment Agency on climate change. Also featuring speakers from the Hadley Centre and the German Environmental Protection Authority, the event was well attended and Jean received some very positive feedback.
Kashmir Leaders
As part of the All Party Group on Kashmir Global Discourse on Kashmir in the European Parliament, Jean met with several of the leaders from both sides in her capacity as member of the SAARC Delegation.
London Development Agency Equality & Diversity Lunch
At the LDA Equality & Diversity team lunch Jean and Labour Party MEP Claude Moraes gave an overview of the activities of the European Parliament Intergroup on Anti-Racism and Diversity. They also discussed how the LDA should engage with the EU agenda on these issues.
Marseilles
The Group study days in Marseille provided an opportunity for the Greens to discuss topics such as trade and globalisation, enlargement and the future of social Europe. Jean introduced a session on the latter. In the discussion that followed, there was a feeling that a one size fits all social model was not an easy task in such a diverse Europe but that certain standards needed to be maintained and that there is a key role for Europe in the protection of these social rights.
Conference of Presidents
Jean was whisked off towards the end of the Marseille study days in order to represent the Greens at the Conference of Presidents discussion on the social model. Following the Presentation given by José Manuel Barroso the Commission President, Jean stated that the EU is now seen by many as enemy of good social standards rather than their defender. Jean agreed that there was a need to improve public opinion but the EU institutions should be trying to drive standards up rather than let them fall to the lowest common denominator.
Strasbourg
In Strasbourg Jean met with Vladimir Spidla, Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs to discuss preparations for "the Year of Equal Opportunities 2007".
The Social Model was up for debate when Tony Blair came to speak in Plenary. You can read the full debate HERE. Jean's response is below in the current affairs section.
Peace Issues
To mark the beginning of 'Keep Space for Peace' week, Jean gave a speech at the CND Space and Security conference in Leeds. Jean covered issues relating to the EU satellite system, Galileo, and other questions of peace and security in the global, EU and national context.
The Kings Cross-based independent bookshop Housman's Books celebrated its 60th anniversary. The bookshop champions peace and other progressive issues. Jean attended its birthday party celebration and gave a short speech.
Jean spoke at a public anti-war meeting in Ilford, organised by Ilford Against War. She also spoke at the meeting held in the House of Commons organised by the Refugee Project, in support of refugee rights and justice, and opposing deportations and torture, which result from the UK government's current policy.
In the aftermath of the shooting of innocent Brazilian, Jean Charles de Menezes, by the Metropolitan Police, Jean gave her support to the United Families & Friends 'No shoot to kill' campaign. Jean spoke at their campaign launch and has signed up to their public statement. The campaign is also supported by the Churches Commission for Racial Justice, the Islamic Human Rights Commission, and Mother Against Gun Crime.
Migration
The Churches Commission for Migrants in Europe (CCME) held a public conference at City Hall, 'Global governance of migration – a response to global migration'. Jean spoke at the event as part of the MEP panel addressing the question of 'European responses'.
Trade
North-West London World Development Movement held a major public meeting asking “Trade Justice or Free Trade?” at the Camden Centre. Jean was one of the speakers on the panel, speaking alongside NGO representatives. The meeting aimed to raise awareness and build for the mass lobby of the UK Parliament in November
Black History Month
To mark Black History Month, Jean participated in a day-long series of events in Greenwich, organised by Simba. The main focus of the day was to build and develop a Black-Green dialogue with local constituents and community group representatives.
Remember Saro-Wiwa
The launch of the 'Remember Saro-Wiwa' season coincided with Black History Month. This season of events marked the 10th anniversary of the execution of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight Ogoni colleagues by the Nigerian State for campaigning against the devastation of the Niger Delta by the oil industry. Jean attended the season's launch event at the Museum of London. She also spoke at the Commemoration Ceremony on 10 November. The ceremony included a minutes' silence, dedications, and the selection of the Living Memorial, a public art project of commemoration.
Environment
Jean spoke at a public meeting on climate change in Welwyn Garden City, as part of One World Week. Jean's London researcher represented her at a major day conference in the City of London addressing the issue of peak oil and climate change.
Jean gave her support to the local campaign of 'Aldersbrook Residents' Mast Solution', in Redbridge, which is opposing a new phone mast. Jean joined local protesters laying on Wanstead Flats to spell out 'No to T-Mobile', and gave an address at the event. Jean is continuing to make representations to the phone companies and planning authorities in support of local campaigns which are trying to stop new masts in inappropriate locations.
To mark World Animal Day, Jean highlighted the potential wildlife threat arising from a proposed development next to the Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre in Barnes, West London. She focused on the importance of defending habitats for the protection of wild animals.
Jean supported World Vegan Day by making a public appearance at the Vegan Food Fair at Hampton, outer West London. The event offered free vegan food tasting and promoted veganism as a cruelty-free, low impact diet.
Jean launched the Waltham Forest LETS website at a Community centre in Leyton.
Jean met with a range of organisations in London. These included London 21's BME programme, Global Skills for Africa, Medecins du Monde, and a delegation from the Maldives MDP party (Jean is on the European Parliament delegation which covers the Maldives). Jean spoke to pupils at a school in Beckenham, South-East London, about European politics and her work as an MEP.
European Parliament Green Group London conference on Climate Change
Jean and her office co-organised a major conference on climate change in central London in early November. The event was attended by a wide range of unions, local authority representatives, energy experts, non-governmental organisations, green campaigners and party activists. 14 Green MEPs participated, from 9 of the 13 countries currently represented in the Group. These were Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK. Irish and Scottish Greens were also represented.
Speakers included representatives of the Commission, the European TUC, the London Climate Change Agency, the Learning and Skills Council, the London Assembly Greens, CCOO (a Barcelona trade union), Friends of the Earth, the Association of British Insurers, the Hans-Bockler Foundation from Dusseldorf, and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. London/UK-based academics and the Guardian Economics Editor, Larry Elliott also participated.
The conference was held to mark the UK Presidency of the European Union, and to highlight the Green response, calling for greater action at both EU and UK level on climate change. It focused on energy, training for sustainable development, transport, and the problems with nuclear power.
More information on the conference will shortly be available on Jean's website.
Back to Top
When Jean was awarded MEP 2005 for Justice and Human Rights she received press coverage in the London press including the Ilford Recorder, Bromley Times and Waltham Forest Guardian. Further coverage was gained on EU Politix and the Activist Network.
Local press in Ilford highlighted Jean’s support for the ‘No T Mobile Mast’ phone mast protest.
On World Animal Day the Barnes, Mortlake and Sheen Times ran a front-page story voicing Jean’s concerns over the development of a sports centre that would destroy the dark corridor surrounding the Barnes Wetland Centre.
During One World Week Jean received coverage in the Welwyn and Hatfield Times when she addressed the Welwyn Garden City climate change meeting.
Jean was interviewed for Indymedia’s radio show regarding asylum and the ‘Brides without Borders’ Campaign after Jean attended the demonstration outside the Houses of Parliament in London. Further coverage was gained on Indymedia regarding the Keep Space for Peace Week Conference where Jean was a speaker.
When the new report ‘So Much Hot Air’ was launched, co- commissioned by Jean, coverage was gained in the environmental trade press including edie.net, Climate Ark and the Green Consumer Guide.
Following the Rape Crisis Campaign, in which Jean appeared in ‘Glamour’ magazine and The Observer Jean wrote a letter to the Guardian voicing concerns at the news that the Home Office does not believe rapes and beatings amount to persecution. The letter was published the following day.
When Tony Blair came to Strasbourg to mark the half way point in the UK Presidency, Jean had a few questions to ask him in Plenary:
Mr President, I wish to begin with the Services Directive. I also hope that the message has got through to the Presidency that there are many in this Parliament who believe that services of general interest – important though they are for social cohesion and social mobility – do not belong in the scope of that Directive.
Secondly, on energy: presumably, a common energy policy will include very dynamic movement on eco-efficiency; what lead is the Presidency giving on that? What shift in the budget will move funds to renewables in order, at least, to put them on a par with nuclear energy?
It is true that it is essential to make progress on climate change, especially if we want to make progress on poverty in Africa. How, then, is the Presidency linking issues on climate change to other issues, for example within the Lisbon Agenda, promoting, I suppose, things like a really radical training strategy in order that our workforce can cope with climate change?
Lastly, what action will the Presidency be taking in terms of globalisation to drive standards up on an international level in the labour and environmental spheres?
!The next newsletter will be in Mid December!
10 November, Remember Saro-Wiwa Commemoration Ceremony, London
18 November, ETUC Event on Working Time, London
21 November, Human Rights Committee Debate on Terror, Brussels
29 November, British Beer Club Event, Brussels
29 November, AGE Pensions Seminar, Brussels
29 November, Dialogue on International Migration, Brussels
30 November, St Andrews Night Celebrations, Brussels
3 December, Climate Change March, London (Holborn Tube)
6 December, EPSU Conference, Brussels
!The next newsletter will be in Mid December!