Policy Statements and Initiatives
CLG: Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly has published a ‘new’ action plan to ‘step-up work with Muslim communities to isolate, prevent and defeat violent extremism’.
New proposals in Preventing Violent Extremism - Winning hearts and minds include:
- strengthening governance in mosques to make them less susceptible to takeover by minority groups
- extending provision of citizenship education, and
- measures to support communities strengthen Muslim and theological leadership to better connect with young British Muslims
A new independent study into radicalisation in local communities by Muslim academic Tufyal Choudhury from Durham University was published alongside the action plan. While the report says there are some encouraging signs a new 'British Muslim' identity is forming in reaction & opposition to violent radicalism, it makes clear that the extremist tactics still involve targeting vulnerable young people searching for identity during times of crisis.
Press release ~ Action plan: Preventing Violent Extremism - Winning hearts and minds ~ Preventing Violent Extremism Pathfinder Fund 2007/2008 - Case studies ~ The Role of Muslim Identity Politics in Radicalisation (a study in progress) ~ The Radical Middle Way ~ Moslem Council of Britain ~ Community Development Foundation ~ Promoting Common Ground Between Muslim and Western Countries and Communities to Tackle Extremist Discourse ~ National Extremism Tactical Coordination Unit - NETCU~ Preventing Extremism Together - DCLG ~ Problems and Practical Solutions to Tackle Extremism; and Muslim Youth and Community Issues ~ Promoting good campus relations: dealing with hate crimes and intolerance ~ Community Cohesion: SEVEN STEPS - A Practitioner's Toolkit ~ Commission on Integration and Cohesion
Home Office: The Government has outlined how it will provide further support for victims of sexual violence, through better support facilities and improving the response from the justice system to such crimes, in a new publication, the Cross Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse.
The measures set out in the plan are intended to:
- increase access to support & health services for victims of sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse
- improve the criminal justice response to sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse, and
- prevent sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse from occurring wherever possible
Press release ~ Cr oss Government Action Plan on Sexual Violence and Abuse ~ NSPCC: Child maltreatment in the United Kingdom: a study of the prevalence of child childhood sexual abuse and neglect ~ Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) plus various guidelines ~ NSPCC inform - Protecting children from sexual abuse: a guide for parents and carers ~ H ome Office - Protecting you from sexual abuse: booklet about sexual abuse and the law for people with learning disabilities ~ Tackling the Health and Mental Health Effects of Domestic and Sexual Violence and Abuse ~ National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) ~ Hidden Hurt abuse information and support site
DH: Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt has claimed in a new strategy document - 'Maternity Matters' - that the government will guarantee mothers-to-be that the NHS will provide them with a full range of birthing choices - including home births - and a midwife they know and trust to care for them.
The strategy sets out a new national choice guarantee that, by the end of 2009, women will be able to have:
- choice of how to access maternity care, women will be able to go directly to a midwife or via a doctor
- choice of type of antenatal care - women will be able to choose between midwifery care or care led by both doctors & midwives
- choice of place of birth - home births, midwifery unit or with midwives & doctors in hospital
- choice of place of postnatal care - women will be able to chose how and where to access postnatal care
Press release ~ Maternity matters ~ Royal College of Midwives ~ Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists ~ National Childbirth Trust ~ NPEU - The Birthplace in England Research Programme (Birthplace) ~ Unemployed midwives ~ NICE consultation ~ NICE - Intrapartum care ~ Intrapartum care - National Collaborating Centre for Women's & Children's Health ~ BMA - Intrapartum care.
