News: Diversity & multiculturalism

27.08.2004 A racist cartoon in the Sun newspaper showing Mark Thatcher being cooked by cannibals has provoked calls from campaigners for editor Rebekah Wade’s resignation.

23.08.2004 Kick It Out, the national campaign against racism in football, is offering grants for community organisations to participate in October's Anti-Racism Week of Action. The week of action is held every year during Black History Month to use football as a tool for education, anti-racism and encouraging inclusion. This year Kick It Out hopes to explore the links between football and Muslim communities.

17.08.2004 Public hostility and official indifference are forcing many Gypsies and Travellers to live in third world conditions. The Commission for Racial Equality, in a move backed by the Local Government Association, is lobbying the government to amend the housing bill to reintroduce a statutory duty on councils to meet the accommodation needs of Gypsies and Travellers.

10.08.2004 The young, British-educated conductor making his UK debut at the opening concert of the Edinburgh international festival this week said yesterday that he had "no optimism for the future" for black children making it as the stars of classical music. Canadian-born Kwamé Ryan went to school in Britain and studied music at Cambridge University. Barely known in Britain, he has a flourishing career in Germany.

09.08.2004 The Commission for Racial Equality has announced its second funding cycle this year, inviting bids from community based organisations to deliver specialist race equality projects. The CRE wants to fund innovative projects that deliver real benefits for all of Britain's communities. It will also invest in capacity building work for organisations, particularly those in areas experiencing community tensions.

09.08.2004 At a mosque in Finsbury Park, London, this weekend, Muslims were working together in pursuit of a radical cause. Using some money, a lot of devotion and even more energy, volunteers began packing the first of £1m worth of books, DVDs and videos about Islam to send to 300 public libraries across the country.

04.08.2004 Somalis have lived in the UK since the 19th century, and over the last 20 years tens of thousands have fled to the UK as refugees. Yet the community remains relatively ignored by mainstream services and unrepresented in national debates. A recent report from the Information Centre about Asylum and Refugees has been welcomed by Somali community representatives.