UK Britain, Anarchist Federation ORGANISE! #85 - Book REVIEW - Underground Passages anarchist resistance culture 1848-2011 Jesse Cohn

Jesse Cohn is extremely widely read. An academic and author of Anarchism and the Crisis of 
Representation: Hermeneutics, Aesthetics, Politics he now in this book tackles anarchist 
influences on and in art, whether it be fiction, poetry, songs, plays, 
illustrations,painting and cinema. He has read everything from Vallès to Ursula Le Guin, 
Stéphane Mallarmé to Kenneth Rexroth, listened to everything from John Cage to punk music. 
---- This present work is staggeringly encyclopaedic and comprehensive. Not only does he 
range across the vast territory of culture in most of its forms but he breaks out of 
Eurocentric preoccupations and includes China, Japan, Argentina, Brazil and Cuba. ---- As 
the blurb on the back cover states: "What anarchists demand from art is what they demand
from all aspects of their political lives: that it should, as much as possible, embody the 
principle in the practice, the end in the means.

While prefiguring a post-revolutionary world, anarchists
simultaneously created a vividly textured "resistance
culture" to sustain their ideals and identities amid everyday
lives defined by capital and state, allowing an escape from
domination even while enmeshed in it."

As Cohn told an interviewer[1]: "When I was in grad school
studying for my Ph.D. in literature, I was struck by the fact
that we were being introduced to a huge spectrum of literary
theory, much of it derived from radical political traditions,
but that anarchism was conspicuously absent from any
discussion, as if it had never existed, much less contributed
any insights into literature and culture."

Cohn certainly succeeds in producing the most complete
study of anarchist culture so far with sections of the book
dealing with different aspects of culture with poetry, songs
and music, fiction, drama, art and illustration and cinema
dealt with in order.

Now, art and politics have often been uneasy bedfellows
as the individual artist wrestles with the need for artistic
expression versus what can be a straitjacket of adhering
to the right political line. The avant garde by its nature was
not something that could be readily adapted to political and
social movements. Cohn accepts that and draws attention
to the "deliberately obscure" poetry of Mallarmé and the
"entirely undecipherable" sound poetry of Hugo Ball (both
identified as having anarchist influences and sympathies).
As Cohn notes:"...the anarchist movement, which refused to
nullify social commitments in the name of the autonomous
individual, was not, on the whole, welcoming towards these
experimenters, whose work, they often saw as wilfully
obscure at best, more suited to the narcissistic enjoyment
of a self-appointed elite than to the needs of working-class
people in struggle". He states that there is little trace of the
avant gardes- be they Dada, Imagism, Futurism, Surrealismin
anarchist literature at the time of the flourishing of these
movements and that anarchists developed their own art forms
in their journals, with widespread use of poetry, but admits
that the poetic forms were very often traditional. For example
the anarchist Voltarine de Cleyre was producing political
poetry in a "genteel" Victorian form at a time when modernist
movements were in revolt against such gentility. Cohn does
acknowledge the contribution of the French Surrealists to the
anarchist weekly Le Libertaire, though he notes that some
militants were concerned about the "hermeticism" (read
closed-off world) and "originality for originality's sake" that
they thought was intrinsic in modern art. He signally fails
to mention the German example of Franz Pfemfert and his
political-artistic journal Die Aktion which had close links with
Expressionist artists whilst pushing revolutionary anarchist
and left socialist views, and ignores Expressionism and
anarchist influences on it completely. He also ignores the
quite close relation between the bohemians of Greenwich
Village and leading members of the Industrial Workers of the
World and the resulting artistic contribution to such struggles
as the Paterson strike (see American Moderns: Bohemian
New York and the Creation of a New Century by Christine
Stansell).

This problem of avant garde versus accessibility is tackled
full on in Cohn's concluding chapter. He addresses the period
of 1945-1973 when the working classes of the wealthier
nations were effectively co-opted into the apparent economic
success and consumerism of that period. In response
"anarchist resistance culture increasingly began to borrow
from the styles that had developed in the bohemian countercultures
of the late-nineteenth century and early-twentieth
centuries, which had themselves grown up in the shadow of
the anarchist movements".

He rather harshly describes the main tenets of the merging of
modernist movements and anarchism as Noncommunication,
Nonsense, Nonutility, Noncollectivity and Nonpopularity where
there is a deliberate turning away from accessibility and the
popular to the dramatic gesture, absurdity, abstraction, and
aesthetic individualism. He seems to associate the period
of what he incorrectly identifies with that of "propaganda by
the deed", that is the period when some anarchists used
assassinations against members of the ruling class, as one
when the connection between "aesthetes" and anarchists
was strongest and that this waned once mass anarchist
movements emerged. As a look at the lives of many anarchist
artists shows, this was not strictly true as they maintained
their allegiance through the rise of syndicalism and beyond.

Similarly, just to take poetry as an aspect of culture. Some
Poets in the period of 1945-1973 (which he describes as
"valley times" as opposed to the periods of mass anarchist
organisation before and the period of a turn towards huge
attacks on the working class) like Kenneth Rexroth and Phillip
Levine DID produce accessible poetry, alongside perhaps
less accessible work.

He feels that once these mass movements had been destroyed
then "anarchist poets like Robert Duncan and anarchist
dramaturges like Judith Malina recovered the tradition of
the aesthetes...In so doing, they constructed a more selfcontained,
hermetic, opaque counterculture." And here is
the problem, he feels. Can such countercultures now evolve
again to "provide the symbolic framework for a new anarchist
movement that would stand in the public square, that would
have broad popular appeal and institutional staying power."
He points to the inwardness of the punk music scene as an
example, as well as the punk zines and concludes that the
political message is often lost because lyrics cannot be heard,
articles are spoilt by "teeny-tiny handwriting...deliberately
crude photocopying, words crossed out, corrupted, blurred,
misspelled."

However he comes to no fully worked out conclusion as
to break out of the subcultural ghettoes that he feels are
self-imposed, other than posing "mutual aid, direct action ,
participatory democracy, cooperation etc" to a movement that
he feels appears to be "ridiculous, inconceivable, unintelligible,
nonsensical". All he can fall back on as an alternative is citing
groups like the British Reclaim the Streets of the 1990s where
collective action is coupled with individual enjoyment and to
the hackneyed concept of the Temporary Autonomous Zone,
designed to avoid confrontation with the State "And to remain
only as a shared memory." Now as we know, RTS actions
DID come into confrontation with the State. Other examples
he points to are long established infoshops, bookshops,
social centres, though he acknowledges that these too do not
always successfully open to a wider and more varied public.

Unfortunately at times Cohn lapses in academic and
"hermetic" ways of expressing himself which he criticises
some of the avant garde movements for. But all in all, the
book is a massive compendium of an enormous number
of contributors to anarchist culture in all its forms and has
certainly inspired this reviewer to look at some artists and
writers I had not heard of before and certainly asks the right
questions about breaking out of the anarchist ghetto.
[1] See: 
http://www.panthernewsnetwork.com/topstories/2014/09/19/underground-passages-anarchistresistance-culture/#sthash.aC5Rc6bu.dpuf

UK, Britain General: Gay people make a more effective army‏

Jessa, Jeff, and Jill Duggar, almost definitely in that order.

The Financial Times reports that the commander of the UK’s land forces has called for more homosexuals and transgender people to sign up.

“Operational effectiveness is at the top of the pile” of reasons, said Lieutenant General James Everard in an interview with the Financial Times. “Diverse teams, well led are far more effective than bog-standard teams.”

The UK dropped its ban on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people openly serving back in 2000, but lately it’s been actively encouraging their recruitment as it seeks to adapt to the times.

“[Diversity] in our ranks gives us a breadth of understanding and capability we don’t get in any other way,” Lt Gen Everard says. “We need to reach into [places] that probably people would have said were non-traditional — away from the working class of Middesborough and all that sort of stuff and into a much more diverse and broader range of characters. That’s hugely important for us.”

Since the Ministry of Defense allowed LGBT service people to wear their uniforms at pride marches in 2008 for the first time, the armed forces have actively worked to alter the prevailing public opinion that they’re hostile towards sexual minorities.

“Like most problems, [fixing] the first 70 per cent is quite easy,” Lt Gen Everard says. “It’s closing out the last 30 per cent [which is hard] . . . and that’s to do with attitudes.”

So far, only 230 serving troops out of 80,000 have declared themselves as gay or bisexual.

“I think that’s probably woefully low but actually there are more people that come to the [LGBT] meetings that are gay than have declared they are gay — so that’s probably just a confidence thing,” Lt Gen Everard says.

Source : www.lgbtqnation.com

UK Wales Debra Williams blog Only Boys Aloud - The Welsh choir's BGT 2012 audition -...

Gepubliceerd op 24 mrt. 2012

Watch Welsh choir Only Boys Aloud's awesome Britain's Got Talent audition in full!

All 133 members of Only Boys Aloud sang their hearts out to impress Britain's Got Talent judges Simon Cowell, David Walliams, Amanda Holden and Alesha Dixon.

See more from Britain's Got Talent here:

http://itv.com/talent

http://twitter.com/gottalent

http://twitter.com/OnlyBoysAloud

http://www.facebook.com/BritainsGotTa...

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Debra Williams blog: Moved to tears by Only Boys Aloud

IT is a humid Sunday evening and I am heading to Atlantic College with my friend Claire to see Only Boys Aloud in a private concert. We thought they were the younger version of the Only Men Aloud choir that performed on Britain's Got Talent. How wrong were we; they were so much more than that.

Formed in 2010 to encourage 14-19 year old young men in South Wales to make positive changes to their lives through music, they have enjoyed commercial success with a number one record in the classical charts, Calon Lan, a recording deal with Sony, appearances on X Factor final, This Morning and Songs of Praise.

But their true focus is committed to inspiring young men.

One of our proudest Welsh exports is our music and our male voice choirs have the ability to move me to tears. Only Boys Aloud teaches the discipline, the work ethic and social skills needed to be part of a team. What I didn't realise is that there are in fact 14 choirs around Wales, each led by a 'captain' from Only Men Aloud who give up their time to educate and mentor these young men.

There are three choirs in our area: in Neath, Swansea and Bridgend. There are no restrictions or auditions, making everyone welcome regardless of ability and background. This open access policy and a rolling recruitment programme.

Each year, the Principality Building Society supports an academy aimed at the older members, where 32 places are available on a residential course. Selection is tough and made through auditions and presented to those who show particular musical promise.

These fortunate individuals receive intense training in general musicianship, singing and performance.

The confidence and enthusiasm is obvious to see. Many of these boys come from challenging backgrounds and some have battled through hardships yet they have the dogged determination and strength to improve themselves and invest in their futures. Employers should take note of any application received from these young men.

They will have proven themselves reliable, hard working, confident and tenacious. All skills an employ would be looking for in a young person.

Many thanks to Tim Rhys-Evans, the musical director, his team of tutors and teachers and a huge thank you to the young men who entertained us with their vocal talents.

Tim tells me that the choirs relish having business people take an interest in them and are welcome to visit them at their rehearsals. Local employers can also get to know some of these impressive young men and assess their suitability for future employment.

The choir is always looking for opportunities to support local business and show off their considerable talents.

To find out when the choirs are performing next, where their rehearsals are or how you can help support The Aloud Charity, log onto www.onlyboysaloud.com.

Read more: 

http://www.southwales-eveningpost.co.uk/Debra-Williams-blog-Moved-tears-Boys-Aloud/story-27457882-detail/story.html#ixzz3gqzPVZqa 

Follow us: @SWEveningPost on Twitter | SWEveningPost on Facebook

UK Out of the Blue - OOTB - Better Together - Jack Johnson | Vulture Sessions

Gepubliceerd op 11 jul. 2015

Out of the Blue, Oxford's most well-known a capella group, live in session in the Taylorian Library with Jack Johnson's classic, 'Better Together'.

Arrangement: Bobby Goulder (OOTB alumnus 2012-14)
Performers (in soloist order): Charlie Hicks, Joel Fishel, Roshan Forouhi, Will Northcott, and Ollie Nicholls
Audio recording: Joel Fishel and Roshan Forouhi
Audio editing: Jonny Stewart
Audio mixing: Roshan Forouhi and Joel Fishel
Audio mastering: Joel Fishel
Director and video editor: Nick Hampson
Filming: Jack Saville and Romain Réglade
With special thanks to Oxford University's Taylorian Library for granting us access to their beautiful facilities for filming.

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Europe,UK,The government of Mobility‏

Hi everybody,

another contribution from UK concerning the European government of mobility. 

Hope you'll enjoy

Best

Paola

The Government of Mobility 3. The defeat of the Europe of Rights and conditioned freedom of movement Part II

di GABRIELLA – Leeds Solidarity Network

We publish the second part of the analysis of current transformations of welfare systems and government of mobility proposed by Gabriella from the Leeds Solidarity Network. The first part was published with the title: The Government of Mobility 2: The (United) Kingdom of workfare versus welfare for migrants Part I

***

To understand what is going on in the government of mobility emerging from the different positionings of these two main countries of destination we may identify a divide between freedom of movement with equal treatment only for workers (German position) on the one hand, and free movement of labour only with no right to social rights even for worker (UK position). In fact while the British calls for a revision of the existing systems at EU level – including the availability of benefits to EU migrants who are in employment – the worker rights element of equal treatment remains a stronghold for the more Europeanist states such as Germany. Whether the ruling will make the former argument less likely to be heard it is something that is unfortunately far from being confirmed by the current proposals by both the Tories and Labour, who suggest that also migrant workers may be excluded from in-work benefits during the first years of their residence…read more.

http://www.connessioniprecarie.org/2015/02/09/the-government-of-mobility-3-the-defeat-of-the-europe-of-rights-and-conditioned-freedom-of-movement-part-ii/

UK,Activists are helping migrant refugees at the expense of the Daily Mail

http://i100.independent.co.uk/article/activists-are-helping-migrant-refugees-at-the-expense-of-the-daily-mail--lyKdW3vijg

http://i100.independent.co.uk/discover

World,UK,Hope Susan Boyle || Full Album 2014

UK,All I Want For Christmas Is You - Out of the Bleu - Christmas Charity Single - Mariah Care...

EU,UK,GREECE,The government of mobility 1. Conditioned freedom and mobility «on probation»‏

Ciao,

You can find below some reflections concerning the transformations of welfare 

in EU, how they are affecting internal migrants and how they have been experimented on extra-eu migrants. 

All the best

Paola

The government of mobility 1. Conditioned freedom and mobility «on probation»

by LAVORO INSUBORDINATO

→ IT

British Prime Minister David Cameron has recently stated that «freedom of movement it is not an unqualified right». Otherwise stated, the freedom of movement can be limited. Hence, with these words Cameron clearly expresses the spirit of our times. Indeed, in several European countries it is taking place not only an erosion of social rights paralleling a generalized increase in job precarity, but also a growing tendency to limit the possibility for internal and external migrants to access welfare rights. The latter tendency is happening especially in such countries as England and Germany that have, since the beginning of the crisis, become destinations for an increasing number of migrants from neighbouring European countries. The national measures adopted to limit the freedom of movement do not contradict the declarations of the European Union that considers the internal mobility as a positive element able to homogenize its space by bridging the gap between job supply and demand and the differentials in «human capital» and of unemployment rates. We are, rather, dealing with two faces of a government of mobility that, while fostering movements that are favorable to profit and in line with the regional organization of production, opposes the desire that millions of internal and external migrants have not to be deemed just as disposable labour force and to be able to effectively choose where to go and where to live...read more...

The government of mobility 1. Conditioned freedom and mobility «on probation»

				The government of mobility 1. Conditioned freedom and m... by LAVORO INSUBORDINATO → IT British Prime Minister David Cameron has recently stated that «freedo...
				Visualizza su ww...	Anteprima per Yahoo

 

Athens 5 December 2014. It continues to the bitter end , in front of Greek Parliament the garrison and the hunger strike of three hundred Syrians , mostly families with small children , who claim the right to be welcomed in dignity and demand the possibility to leave Greece and reach another European country . This is a protest that highlights all the negative effects of the Dublin Regulation III, nailing in the first country of entry all the potential asylum seekers ,at the point that many of them prefer to be rejected at the border, or to continue the journey placing themselves in the hands of “land-smugglers ", fueling the business of illegal immigration , rather than be forced to release the fingerprints in a country like Greece , which cannot be defined "safe " for asylum seekers for the systematic shortcomings of its reception centers and for non-performance of the full-blown European Directives and Regulations relating to international protection .
http://www.balcanicaucaso.org/aree/Grecia/Centri-di-detenzione-in-Grecia-benvenuti-all-inferno-157449 (Italian) /http://balkans.courriers.info/article26072.html

International reports confirm for years the abuses of the Greek authorities against refugees , but are unable to find a solution for those who are trapped into a country that has a systematic lack of the reception system , so that the international courts have suspended Dublin referrals to Greece .

Until now Syrian refugees have turned exclusively to the Greek authorities without any kind of outcomes.
There is no hope to leave Greece and reach other European countries also because the European Union continues to lock down the borders, even the inland borders, to prevent the so called secondary movements from one state to another , with a more rigid application of the Dublin Regulation III, decided at a police level, with multilateral agreements such as the latest ones between Italy, Austria and Germany .

We reiterate once again the request for the immediate opening of humanitarian channels for refugees of third countries, today mainly Syrians ,
present in Greece .

The European Union cannot simply suspend Dublin referrals to Greece and then close the legal channels to entry into other European Union countries for refugees who remain trapped there. Chi riesce a sfuggire raggiungendo altri paesi EU subisce abusi altrettanto gravi e finisce anche per essere arrestato, come si sta verificando in Bulgaria ed in Polonia. Those who manage to escape and reach other EU countries are seriously abused and they often end up being arrested, as in Bulgaria and Poland .

The arrival of a growing number of Syrian refugees in Europe has all the characteristics of a " mass influx of displaced persons ." This is why the EU should introduce instruments and channels of temporary protection provided for by Directive 2001/55 / EC , to decongest the asylum system and enable a secondary mobility in different EU countries without being subjected to “land-smugglers . Once equipped with a temporary document of legal residence , and therefore the freedom of movement , refugees should have recognized the right to seek asylum where they have family or social bonds and in countries that have a reception systems respecting human dignity and the right of family reunification.

The new European Commissioners , the Parliament , as well as the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Interior of the EU countries must answer for the continuous carnage taking place in the seas in front of Europe , for the inhumane conditions of service , first reception and detention of refugees , migrants asylum seekers and economic migrants . Should take note of the failure of devices such as Dublin , and work for integration policies really effective as well as guaranteeing the right to freedom of movement .

the Civil society in Italy and in Europe asks to take urgent actions to monitor the safety and security of Syrian citizens now present in Greece , that is guaranteed the possibility for them to move to other EU countries for family rejoining or to request international protection

Erri De Luca, Fulvio Vassallo Paleologo, Gabriella Guido, Yasmine Accardo, Tenda per la Pace e i Diritti, Galadriel Ravelli, Genni Fabrizio, Giacomo Dessì, Alessandra Ballerini, Francesca Koch, Coordinamento contro il razzismo, Casa Internazionale delle Donne di Roma, Stefano Galieni Resp Immigrazione PRC, ...

send to ggabrielle65@yahoo.it
yasmina14@hotmail.it

UK, Out of the Blue - Sweden 2014

UK,Anarchist Action Network - Callout to Demonstrate against 2014 DPRTE arms fair in Cardiff

8.30 am at Cardiff Motorpoint Arena. Wednesday, the 8th of October ---- ?When the rich 
wage war, it?s the poor who die.? ? Jean-Paul Sartre ---- On the 8th of October Cardiff 
will host one of the UK?s biggest arms fairs at the Motorpoint Arena. Let?s show them what 
we think of their dirty business! We call on people from south Wales and beyond to come 
and picket outside the arena that day from the time they open for registration at 8.30 am. 
---- DPRTE this year will be attended by some of the UK?s biggest arms companies, as their 
exhibitor list shows. They also host a conference, with keynote speakers from industry and 
government. ---- The arms fair was previously held in Bristol, but was forced out by 
protests. ---- We hope to see you there. If you would like to be a legal observer contact 
us at stopnatocymru@riseup.net . You can also contact us by that email address for any 
additional information regarding the demonstration

UK,Out of the Blue, 2014 University Champions

Now that we’ve all had a chance to recover from the buzz of the Festival Weekend, 2nd-time University Champions Out of the Blue have taken the time to reflect on their success, as well as the Festival Weekend in general…

Winning the Voice Festival University Competition was undoubtedly the most exhilarating feeling of the year so far! The fresh group – containing eleven new members – got off to a flying start in October and grew in confidence and togetherness in the December UK Tour. Our second term until the Festival Weekend, however, had been one of high stress and intensity, with seemingly little gain due to a frustratingly small amount of performance opportunities compared to the previous term. The competition provided a much-needed goal towards which the group could work, and the members bonded through a great deal of blood, sweat and tears (especially sweat in choreography rehearsals!) to come to the Festival Weekend in high spirits.

The weekend itself was a fantastic opportunity for the group to spend time together away from the pressures of usual Oxford term-time life and also to socialise with other university groups. This meant that, by the time we arrived backstage immediately before our Final performance, we all felt a unified collective buzz and a complete confidence in one another. That was perhaps the most exciting thing – looking around at each member before the performance, and knowing we had a really good chance of winning. 

Not even that inner trust could have prepared us for the feeling when our name was announced as the winner, and for the special awards we received on top of that. All of intense work we had put in that term was now worth it and we returned to Oxford with a new drive to continue working and succeeding. Off the back of this achievement, we are thoroughly excited to take what we have learnt from the Voice Festival experience away with us on our Easter tour to California, and also on our month-long run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in August!

- See more at: http://thevoicefestival.co.uk/news/out-of-the-blue-2014-university-champions/#sthash.yAaQ2SYZ.iGtylkQK.dpuf

UK : Man dies in UK detention removals centre‏

Investigation underway after immigration removal centre death

Disorder breaks out at Morton Hall centre in Lincolnshire following the man's death, forcing staff to seek refuge

• Kevin Rawlinson and agencies
• theguardian.com, Saturday 6 September 2014 18.35 BST

A general view of Morton Hall immigration removal centre near Swinderby, Lincolnshire. Photograph: Rui Vieira/Press Association

An investigation has been launched after a man died at an immigration removal centre on Friday.

Disorder broke out at Morton Hall centre in Lincolnshire after the death and staff were forced to seek refuge. About 30 detainees are thought to be involved.

A Home Office spokesman said: "A disturbance involving a number of detainees is currently ongoing at Morton Hall IRC.

"Specially trained staff have been deployed to bring the situation to a safe conclusion. There are no reported injuries to staff or detainees relating to this incident."

According to the Lincolnshire Echo, fire engines and police vans were sent to the centre and staff withdrew to a "place of safety".

James Brokenshire, the immigration minister, said: "Our thoughts are with the family at this very sad time. Deaths in removal centres are rare but tragic events.

"We take our responsibilities towards detainees' health and welfare extremely seriously."

He said a full investigation into the man's death had been launched.

The Prison Officers' Association said extra prison staff in riot gear had been sent to the centre but that it had no further details.

Morton Hall, in the village of Swinderby, is run by the prison service on behalf of UK Border Agency.

It has 392 rooms spread across six residential units, and holds adult men.

Source

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/sep/06/immigration-removal-centre-death-investigation-uk-swinderby

UK,LONDON : CALAIS MIGRANT SOLIDARITY FUNDRAISER PARTY

• vrijdag 29 augustus om 20:00 in UTC+01 Morgen · 22°C/15°C Overwegend bewolkt

• Kaart tonen Larc 62 Fieldgate Street, E1 1ES London, United Kingdom

Spoken word/DJs/Cheap bar till late!
**5 pounds entry or material donation (don't take the piss!)**

"Calais Migrant Solidarity have been doing solidarity work with some of the hundreds of migrants in Calais on a daily basis since June 2009.

There are currently around 200 migrants in the Calais, sleeping in the streets, and constantly subjected to police chases, arrests and beatings. Any attempts to set up shelters are promptly crushed. The repression is severe, but the growing movement of resistance there has been inspiring.

Following the No Borders Camp in June 2009, French, British, Belgian, Dutch, German and Italian activists set up a permanent presence in Calais. We do a variety of activities, aimed at showing resistance to the police harassment of migrants, raising awareness about the situation in Calais, showing solidarity with the migrants, as well as simply trying to make people’s lives easier. We are overtly political and in the long run we aim to build a stronger transnational movement against migration controls, comprised of those with and those without papers." 

more info http://calaismigrantsolidarity.wordpress.com/

UK : Petition: Keep Fahim and Zubair in the UK‏

Hello  everyone

Zubair and Fahim are friends of ours, originally refugees from Afghanistan, now threatened with being deported back. They have made a massive contribution to their community in south Somerset, in all kinds of ways; it would be a great wrong if the Immigration authorities go ahead with their threat to force them to leave. Their appeal is in Newport in about a month's time. Please sign the petition, and spread the word.

Many thanks
http://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/home-office-keep-fahim-and-zubair-in-the-uk

A lesbian sentenced to death‏ - World

In days, Aderonke could hear from a judge who decides if she's sent back to Nigeria, or can stay in the UK. That's how long we've got to halt deportations of LGBT people. Will you ask your friends to add their names? Just click the button to share on Facebook: Or you can forward them this email and ask them to sign here: https://www.allout.org/aderonke ----Original email---- "I was forced to endure the murder of three members of my family, who were killed because of my sexuality. I was sentenced to death. I fled for my life." – Aderonke, Nigerian lesbian in the UK. Call on the UK Home Secretary to stop Aderonke’s deportation. Dear Luc, Aderonke's family was killed and she was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death in Nigeria for being a lesbian. She fled to safety in the UK. She went through a humiliating interrogation by UK officials whodidn't believe she's a lesbian. Aderonke's waiting to hear from a judge who could decide to send her back to Nigeria – where she could be killed. But there's still a chance to help her. The UK Home Office just announced that the process they use for lesbian, gay, bi and trans asylum cases like this is degrading – but so far no changes have been made. If thousands of us speak out right now, we can create a massive media story that could convince the Home Office to take the next logical step and halt the deportations. Will you sign the petition to Home Office Secretary Theresa May now? https://www.allout.org/aderonke It's not just Aderonke's life at stake.There's dozens more LGBT asylum seekers facing the same. One man from Cameroon, who's bisexual and blind, reported last week that he was beaten by deportation officers. Theresa May's already said that some people have been forced to submit video of themselves having sex or answer humiliating questions during hours of interrogation. And, many people who provide evidence to the Home Office that they will be jailed or killed for who they love have been deported back into danger anyway. May has the power – and the responsibility – to stop the Home Office from deporting Aderonke until they can be sure everyone's being treated fairly and humanely. But the Home Office may think they've done enough by agreeing to review their process – unless UK citizens and the global media hold them accountable. Sign now and demand Theresa May take action: https://www.allout.org/aderonke The very first campaign All Out members joined together on was to stop the UK from sending a woman back to Uganda where she could be jailed for who she loved. Last year, thousands of us called the Home Office to try to stop the deportation of a young gay man to Nigeria. If we can all speak out right now and get Theresa May to halt the deportation of Aderonke and all other LGBT asylum seekers like her, this could be the last time we have to do this. With fair and humane processes and training for Home Office staff dealing with these cases, people like Aderonke could have a real shot at justice and safety when they're genuinely fleeing for their lives. Sign now to help Aderonke: https://www.allout.org/aderonke Thanks for going All Out, Andre, Hayley, Jeremy, Mike, Pablo, Sara and the rest of the All Out team. P.S. The All Out office team's in touch with Aderonke. She says that this campaign isn't just important for her but also for other LGBT asylum seekers whose voices are unheard and are facing this hostile asylum process. Will you join Aderonke as she bravely fights for her life and the lives of others in the same danger?https://www.allout.org/aderonke SOURCES: Review ordered into intrusive questioning of asylum seekers – The Telegraph, 28 March 2014 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10730856/Review-ordered-into-questioning-over-intrusive-questioning-of-gay-asylum-seekers.html Home office reviews questioning of asylum seekers – The Guardian, 8 February 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/08/home-office-gay-asylum-seekers-questioning Blind bisexual asylum seeker beaten by UK deportation officers – Gay Star News, 10 April 2014 http://www.gaystarnews.com/article/blind-bisexual-asylum-seeker-beaten-uk-deportation-officers100414 Gay asylum seekers humiliated by Home Office – The Guardian, 8 February 2014 http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/feb/08/gay-asylum-seekers-humiliation-home-office Asylum interview policy guidelines – UK Home Office https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/conducting-the-asylum-interview-process Missing the Mark – UK Lesbian and Gay Immigration Group, 13 September 2013 http://www.uklgig.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Missing-the-Mark.pdf Support All Out We don't take money from governments or corporations, so the only people we have to listen to are our members. Our tiny team stretches every contribution to make them count.