London Boroughs
Jean visited a Lewisham Youth Offending team project, part-funded by the EU. This has raised questions about whether the benefits, education and housing rules really work together well enough.
Jean participated in a networking event at Walthamstow Town Hall organised by the Waltham Forest Muslim Trust and spoke on current issues concerning the EU and Islam.
Jean opened an international women's conference in Greenwich. The conference focused on the 'Women in the global justice struggle to make poverty history' with a particular emphasis on Africa. The event was organised by the Woolwich Simba Project.
As part of Jean's ongoing campaign to improve London's air quality, Jean visited Tally Ho Corner in Barnet, launching the Barnet Greens' election campaign. Tally Ho Corner has registered nitrogen dioxide levels which are in breach of EU air quality standards. Nitrogen dioxide can have acute and chronic effects on airways and lung function.
To mark Kurdish New Year, Jean spoke at the Newroz celebrations at Finsbury Park, Haringey.
London and UK
Jean participated in the State of Race Equality in London event at City Hall.
Jean was one of the guest speakers at a public meeting on human rights in Swansea. Jean gave an European perspective on human rights issues, and spoke alongside Amnesty International and asylum rights campaigners.
Green Party Spring Conference (Scarborough)
At the 'Meet the MEPs' session, Jean spoke about her work on the Services Directive and on Working Time, highlighting her latest report I Must Work Harder?
Jean spoke on a health panel, focusing on work-stress, as part of the conference day focusing on health. Also as part of this day, Jean co-chaired a session on stem cell research.
To mark the 20th anniversary of Chernobyl, Jean spoke on an anti-nuclear panel. The party also presented its Alternative Energy Report, as a response to the Government's Energy Review. Jean chaired that presentation. She also participated in the Young Greens women's group meeting.
A visual display represented highlights of Jean's work from the last six months.
Constituents' Concerns
Recent concerns have included GM contamination of organic farming, the EU Water Initiative and water improvements for poor countries, and individual asylum and extradition cases.
Dublin Foundation Lunch
Jean co-hosted an MEP lunch on the Working Hours with the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (Dublin Foundation). Jean chaired this working lunch at which issues around flexibility in workplace practices were discussed.
Islam in Europe Conference (see photo)
Jean moderated an afternoon session of this conference which was a Dutch Green initiative. The debate focused on issues of identity and raised questions about who represents whom in policy formation.
John Fisher School Visit
Jean hosted a visit from the Surrey based John Fisher School to the European Parliament. The students were treated to a talk about the EU institutions, a visit to the Plenary Chamber and a Green "goody-bag". The Parliament's staff were impressed by the boys' enthusiasm and willingness to learn. MEPs have allotted quotas for such visits which provide some travel and subsistence allowances.
Employment Committee
Jean's Opinion on trafficking was discussed in the Employment Committee and focuses on the issue in relation to labour law. The final vote has been rescheduled to September because of a new Commission report on the issue.
Meeting with Nikolaus Van der Pas
Jean met with the new head of DG Employment to talk about future Commission initiatives. Topics included the Posting of Workers Directive and the Directive on Services of General Interest. Mr Van der Pas also relayed that the Commission would release the next draft of the Services Directive at the April Plenary Session!
Individual Meetings
Jean spoke with a series of representatives from a wide range of organisations this month. These included UNESCO, the EU Kashmir Centre and the RSPCA. At all meetings strategies for future joint action were discussed. For example, Jean will be submitting a written question on firework noise levels as part of a new RSPCA initiative.
Million Faces
As part of the Million Faces campaign, Jean and her staff had their photos taken for this "visual petition" which urges Member States to support the international Arms Trade Treaty. Further information can be found at www.controlarms.org
Vienna
As the European Council Presidency is currently with Austria, the Green Group held their Enlarged Bureau in Vienna this month. Jean was one of the panellists speaking at the opening session - 'social, ecological and ethical responses to the challenges of globalisation'.
Strasbourg
In Strasbourg, Jean gave a Plenary speech on social protection and inclusion. She highlighted the importance of the Article 13 Directives on anti-discrimination, stating that they should be implemented as fully as possible. She also welcomed the call for a Green Paper on child poverty. The full speech can be accessed on Jean's website.
Comment on Current Affairs - Asylum Voucher Systems
UK Ministers are now preparing to ask the Commons for approval on the return of the controversial asylum voucher system. This is Jean's response:
Cash benefits for asylum seekers were reinstated after the original voucher system proved to do more damage than good. Without dramatic changes we will simply end up facing the same difficulties we did five years ago.
The government acts as if asylum seekers have nothing to offer our society or our economy and restricts their right to work forcing them to claim any benefits they can. These benefits are however provided at a miserable level, designed to rob people of their self-respect and personal autonomy and the voucher system certainly succeeds in stigmatising their bearers.
Asylum seekers qualifying for 'hard case' support, receiving the vouchers, are here because their homeland is too dangerous to return to. They are not criminals and should not be punished through the rationing of food, drink and everyday essentials. It is high time the government treated asylum seekers as people with a right to life.
7 April International Day of Action Against Homophobia
11 April Public meeting opposing Thames Gateway Bridge, London
14-22 April, MEP Delegation visit to India
24-30 April RSPCA Week and Real Nappy Week (Women's Environment Network)
25 April – Yom Hashoah, Jewish Holocaust Memorial Day
26 April, Jean co-hosting Reception with ECRE, Brussels
29 April Network for Peace AGM and public meeting: Security, Civil Liberties and Peace', London
4 May London local elections
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