Feed aggregator

Orbán Viktornak üzennek a három napos rendezvényükkel az európai szocialisták, de saját maguknak is próbálnak irányt szabni.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/10_9_2013-100313---stockshots---reducing-emissions-of-co2-16-9-preview_2.23_thumb_169_1433865230_1433865229_129_97shar_c1.jpg

Ministers will take stock of preparations for the UN conference on climate change that will take place in Paris in December. In this context they will discuss the Commission communication: "The Paris Protocol - A blueprint for tackling global climate change beyond 2020" (6588/15), which is part of the Energy Union package.

Download this video here.

The success of extreme right-wing parties in last year’s European elections is a worrying symptom of the nationalism which has grown across the continent in response to austerity and the financial crisis.

Migrant communities are all too often the target of such movements, and indeed of ‘mainstream’ politicians and media who claim migrants have a detrimental impact on employment, housing and public services.

Birmingham hit world headlines in January when  Steve Emerson – a self-proclaimed ‘terrorism expert’ – told a Fox News debate on the Charlie Hebdo attacks in Paris that our city had become “totally Muslim” – a place that non-Muslims do not visit. The statement was completely erroneous. Birmingham is in fact one of Europe’s most diverse cities, one that has been welcoming people from different countries, backgrounds and faiths for decades.

“It is too simplistic to view issues around diversity and identity through the lens of “immigration”. The social demographics of modern cities are much more complex than that”

Typically, the people of Birmingham responded with humour, wit and intelligence to Emerson’s claims. If you missed it, the #FoxNewsFacts hashtag is well worth reading. Birmingham continues its long history of embracing new arrivals from around the world.  We welcomed a significant Irish community that arrived in the 19th Century to flee famine; post-war economic migration from the Commonwealth saw large communities from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and the Caribbean coming to take up important roles in our local economy; more recently those fleeing conflict in places like Somalia and Afghanistan found a home here alongside others from Central and Eastern Europe seeking employment using their rights as EU citizens.

It is too simplistic to view issues around diversity and identity through the lens of “immigration”. The social demographics of modern cities are much more complex than that. Birmingham is now the embodiment of a ‘superdiverse’ city. Around 42% of our residents are people from what we term BME (black and minority ethnic) communities, this includes 2nd or 3rd generations who are not considered, nor consider themselves, as immigrants. Coupled with the fact that half our population is under 35, this gives Birmingham an extraordinary energy and a strategic advantage in this globalised world. Over the past two decades, we have seen our societies change at an unprecedented pace. We live in a world increasingly interconnected through advanced communications, transport and trade. This has resulted in fundamental changes in migration patterns and the social makeup of urban areas.

Around 22% of Birmingham’s 1.1 million residents were born outside the UK, compared with an average of 14% across England as a whole. Those who arrived in the UK after 2001 make up 9.6% of the city’s residents. Research from Professor Jenny Phillimore at the University of Birmingham’s Institute for Research into Superdiversity indicates that people have moved to the city from nearly 190 countries in recent years. This superdiversity has had a clearly positive impact on the city – migrant communities contribute tremendously to Birmingham’s cultural life, to its day-to-day vibrancy and they bring their own trade and business links. However, it also raises significant challenges for cohesion.

Newly-arrived communities are often among the most excluded, because they do not know how to access services or where to seek advice. Superdiversity can lead to fragmentation. Many arrivals come in such small numbers that they are unable to fit in to established or emerging community clusters. Without social connections, they risk becoming isolated and disconnected.

“Young people from all backgrounds must receive the high-quality education they are entitled to”

We work hard to provide services that are flexible and responsive to the needs of our diverse population. Particular emphasis is given to newly-arrived communities, where we work with partners to develop practical solutions such as:

-       Birmingham Places of Welcome – a network of small community organisations, including faith communities, who offer an unconditional welcome to local people for at least a few hours a week.

-       Birmingham’s Near Neighbours programme which brings people together in religiously and ethnically diverse communities to build relationships of trust and is being used to create a minimum standard of service for those needing advice.

Birmingham City Council also works closely with local faith groups. We were the first in the UK to sign the Faith Covenant which was developed by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Faith and Society to facilitate partnerships between local authorities and faith groups. It sets down a joint commitment on principles for working together with an open, practical engagement on all levels.

Demographic changes also place pressure on planning and mainstream local services. For instance, a combination of net migration into the city and high birth rates has led to a population bulge among young people. Youngsters under 15 make up 22.9% of Birmingham’s population, something that would be welcomed by parts of Europe experiencing an ageing and declining population. The City Council works with schools and other education partners on innovative school place planning and providing additional primary and special school places.

In the past year, the city has had to manage a sensitive case in which individuals on school governing bodies were alleged to have made a systematic attempt to introduce an Islamic agenda into a small number of Birmingham schools. An independent government review into the so-called Trojan Horse case has since found there was no evidence of a conspiracy, but it recognised there were actions by a few people which fell far below acceptable standards. The City Council unequivocally condemns such actions.

While this case undoubtedly warranted a full and independent review, the way it was handled by the government and reported on in the media raised the spectre of Islamophobia, an on-going problem for our Muslim communities and wider society.

Important lessons have been learnt by schools, the City Council and our communities. The most crucial is that young people from all backgrounds must receive the high-quality education they are entitled to. Issues raised by the Trojan Horse case are being addressed swiftly, in partnership with the schools concerned.

Another important issue is civic engagement – making sure all parts of the community feel they have a stake in society. Low voter turnout in Britain and across Europe shows that this is clearly not just an issue that concerns migrant communities, but they are often disproportionately affected. We are tackling this by working with Operation Black Vote, a campaign group, which has developed a Civic Leadership Programme designed to nurture future leaders from Black and Minority Ethnic communities in the West Midlands with the aim of increasing their representation in all areas of civic and public life.

In another practical step, the city has hosted citizenship ceremonies over the past 10 years for Birmingham residents who have successfully applied to become British citizens. These ceremonies provide formal recognition and are an important ‘rite of passage’ for new citizens.

“Shared values are central to building strong and cohesive societies”

We are building a city where diversity is embraced, and where there are shared values and a real sense of belonging. We are currently developing a Birmingham Equalities and Social Inclusion Strategy to ensure that the Council positively promotes equal chances for all.

I firmly believe that the superdiversity of Birmingham’s community deeply enriches our city and contributes both to its social and economic prosperity and its vibrant cultural life. Promoting cohesion is at the very centre of what the city strives to do. The challenges of migration do not prevent Birmingham from developing progressive social policies. Shared values are central to building strong and cohesive societies.

I’m proud that Birmingham is a place where people from all faiths and backgrounds live and work together, peacefully side by side.

 

IMAGE CREDIT: CC / FLICKR – looking4poetry

The post Cultural diversity should go hand in hand with progressive social policies appeared first on Europe’s World.

Toute l'Europe vous présente L'Europe en saucisses par CLAC !Tous les vendredis, découvrez cette nouvelle série de dessins de presse aux couleurs européennes !Juncker, Mogherini, Cameron, Merkel…: tous prendront l’allure d'une saucisse, le temps d'un dessin.

We are often told that feeding the world requires more efficient agro-industrial units, further genetic modification of plants, or cloning of ever-more productive animals. The facts speak otherwise: we already produce enough food for 14 billion people – double the global population – but around 40% of it goes to waste. What we really need is a more sustainable and coherent food policy. That policy should cover all aspects of food production and consumption to minimise waste and ensure a more equitable distribution of global food supplies.

The European Commission had taken a step towards a common European food policy by drafting a Communication on Sustainable Food, but unfortunately its publication has been postponed and risks being withdrawn altogether. As co-chair of the European Parliament’s Sustainable Food Systems Group, I believe future food policy should incorporate health, sustainability, ethical production, food safety, productivity, affordability and quality.

The world’s obese now outnumber the malnourished. With rapid increases in the prevalence of heart disease, adult diabetes and other chronic diseases related to diet and nutrition, food policy needs to encourage healthier eating. That means more vegetables and fish instead of red meat, and vegetable oils instead of animal fat for cooking.

But buying healthy food isn’t always an easy task. Whole-wheat bread can be poor in fibre, healthy-sounding breakfast cereals can give kids their daily quota of sugar, and canned guacamole may contain just 2% of avocado.

“Future food policy should incorporate health, sustainability, ethical production, food safety, productivity, affordability and quality”

The popularity of organic and locally produced food shows that consumers want to know what their food is made of. To help consumers make informed choices, we need to improve the way food is labelled in Europe and to introduce minimum health standards for food authorised for sale in the EU market.

We also need to bear in mind that unhealthy food increases health inequalities since underprivileged people eat the unhealthiest diets and pay relatively more to get the nutrients they need. Seasonal vegetables offer a way to strike a balance between nutritional needs and the weekly food budget. Instead of having everything available throughout the year, we should give more priority to seasonal, locally produced ingredients. We don’t need to eat fresh strawberries every day of the year; and besides, they taste much better during the summer season.

Turning to ecologically sustainable food, we have to change the globalised production methods which leave enormous carbon footprints through excessive transport and inefficient land use. Intensive farming and pesticides impoverish the soil. We need to put more effort into recycling nutrients that protect our ecosystems. Instead of giving cattle access to pasture, we keep them indoors, growing huge amounts of soya to keep them fed. Through genetic modification we alter ecosystems without knowing all the long-term consequences.

 “Labelling schemes that clearly indicate origin and respect for welfare standards should be made mandatory”

Most Europeans want to eat animal products from animals that have led happy lives. Although our animal welfare standards are higher than in many places, Europe needs to do more to ensure livestock production is ethical. Long distance transportation, inhumane housing conditions and the demands of high productivity remain the dark side of livestock farming in Europe.

The answer here is again to give consumers the power to choose. In addition to strengthening wider legislation on animal welfare, labelling schemes that clearly indicate origin and respect for welfare standards should be made mandatory. A succession of food safety scandals have produced a wide consensus in Europe on the need for stricter and more harmonised rules. Yet long and often opaque food production chains are still vulnerable to fraud.

Stronger safety rules are also needed to control the use of chemicals in food. Current restrictions on residues are not set at sufficiently low levels, and are not keeping pace with scientific data on issues such as the negative effects of endocrine disruptors.

On a larger scale, millions of people are fed through public procurement arrangements. Schools, hospitals and other public institutions offer lunch based on public tenders where all too often price is the dominant criteria, to the detriment of environmental, ethical and health standards. Public procurement processes need to be adapted also to ensure that farmers who commit to produce sustainable food are rewarded. Europe-wide indicators to better define sustainability in food production would help.

Finally, it goes without saying that eating should be a pleasure. I believe that, if we stick to the criteria mentioned above, we can lay the foundation for sustainable food production for generations ahead, while treating ourselves to food that’s healthy and delicious – just like my favourite dish of Broccoli-cashew salad with cucumber and feta.

 

IMAGE CREDIT: CC / FLICKR – Alison J-B

The post How to make our food sustainable, healthy, affordable and delicious appeared first on Europe’s World.

La chaîne d'info continue a réussi deux beaux sujets qui seront diffusés dans les jours qui viennent :
Plus d'infos »

Jeudi 11 juin 2015, Thomas Gomart, directeur de l’Ifri, était l’invité du “Grand entretien” du JT de 22h sur Public Sénat.

Il aborde dans cet entretien l’actualité internationale, et plus particulièrement la situation en Russie, et présente à cette occasion le numéro 2/2015 de Politique étrangère, dont le dossier principal est consacré à la Russie.

Lire l’article de Thomas Gomart, « Russie : de la “grande stratégie” à la  “guerre limitée” ».

S’abonner à Politique étrangère.

Le livre que l'éditeur Pierre de Taillac consacre au 13e RDP est une petite mine à anecdotes et à
Plus d'infos »

Choisi pour donner le coup d'envoi de la Semaine de la mode à Alger mercredi, le couturier français né en Algérie s'est aujourd'hui fait un nom dans la haute-couture. Portrait.

Le 6 juin 2015, le commandant de la force Sangaris est allé, avec plusieurs autorités centrafricaines et françaises, à la rencontre des habitants de Boda, pour constater les progrès accomplis dans le processus de paix et de reconstruction.

France 2 diffusera le 12 juillet une émission spéciale sur la police et la gendarmerie. Les tournages
Plus d'infos »

Séance plénière : Les relations entre l'Union européenne et la Russie étaient au cœur des travaux de cette session plénière. Dans deux résolutions distinctes, les députés ont appelé l'UE à maintenir une unité dans le contexte de l'annexion de la Crimée et ont attiré l'attention sur la militarisation du bassin de la Mer noire. Le débat et le vote sur les recommandations du Parlement concernant le partenariat transatlantique de commerce et d'investissement ont été reportés en raison d'un nombre élevé d'amendements.

Source : © Union européenne, 2015 - PE

Du 25 mai au 8 juin 2015, dans le cadre de l’opération Sangaris, le détachement des hélicoptères Fennec (DETFENNEC) a réalisé des missions d'appui, de reconnaissance et de renseignement au profit des troupes au sol. À cette occasion, il a passé le cap des 600 heures de vol cumulées depuis la mise en place des appareils sur le théâtre centrafricain.

http://tvnewsroom.consilium.europa.eu/uploads/council-images/thumbs/uploads/council-images/remote/http_7e18a1c646f5450b9d6d-a75424f262e53e74f9539145894f4378.r8.cf3.rackcdn.com/851c536e-10d7-11e5-bc01-bc764e083742_34.31_thumb_169_1434095864_1434095838_129_97shar_c1.jpg

The 7th EU-Mexico summit takes place in Brussels on 12 June 2015. This is the first bilateral summit since 2012, and the first one to be chaired by Donald Tusk, President of the European Council.

Download this video here.

Au Rwanda, la campagne pour une révision de la Constitution ouvrant la voie à un troisième mandat de Paul Kagamé prend un nouveau virage. La moitié des électeurs Rwandais auraient signé des pétitions en ce sens. Certains dénoncent des pressions.

Le patrouilleur hauturier (PH) l’Adroit qui effectue actuellement une mission de présence en Afrique de l’Ouest a fait une première escale de trois jours à Pointe Noire, au Congo. L’occasion d'approfondir la coopération avec les autorités congolaises. Le capitaine de frégate Regnier, commandant du patrouilleur, a notamment profité de cette escale pour échanger avec le commandant de la zone de défense n°1, le général Olessongo Ondaye.