This is our brand-new events listing page, and we're
still tidying it up and making some changes so that it works well for
you all. Please let us know (
at events@w4mp.org ) if you
think it can be improved in any way.
In January 2009 the model of Franklin D
Roosevelt’s first hundred days in office loomed large for
the incoming President, his advisers and the media. There
was a major financial crisis and a major recession had
followed. A discredited outgoing President had been
succeeded by a charismatic president with an electoral
mandate and large congressional majorities. There was even,
as in 1933, an upcoming international economic conference to
try to engineer and coordinate global economic recovery.
Obama expected his financial stimulus package to pass on day
one of the congressional session, as FDR’s bill to reopen
the banks had done.
A year into Obama’s administration, what lessons
did the president learn from Roosevelt whose model of
dynamic leadership has been the standard by which all modern
American presidents, especially Democrats, have been judged?
This lecture explores why it has been so
difficult for Obama to sustain the popularity of his
economic stimulus and why his signature issue of health care
reform has been politically intractable. The lecture will
examine, firstly, the very real differences between 1933 and
2009 in terms of the economic circumstances of American
voters and the constituency pressures exerted on politicians
of both parties, secondly, the structural obstacles in the
American political system facing any ambitious president
and, thirdly, the missteps that resulted from failing
properly to understand the Roosevelt model.
Professor Tony Badger
has been Paul Mellon Professor of American History in
Cambridge since 1992 and Master of Clare College since 2003.
He is chair of Cambridge Assessment and of the Kennedy
Memorial Trust. He has published extensively on the New Deal
and on the post-1945 South, most notably The New Deal: The
Depression Years, 1933-1940 (1989) and New Deal/New South:
The Anthony Badger Reader (2007). He is currently
writing a biography of former vice-president Al Gore’s
father, Albert Gore Sr, the senator from Tennessee from 1952
to 1970.
His most recent book FDR: The First Hundred Days
(2008) was described by the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown as
‘a brilliantly written, compelling and moving portrait…a
classic example of how a work of history can illuminate the
issues we’re dealing with today.’ The Observer described it
in January 2009 as ‘top of the political class's reading
list on both sides of the Atlantic.’
City University London
City University London is committed to quality
education, research and knowledge transfer for business and
the professions. To find out more visit
www.city.ac.uk
Event Detail
Location:
Oliver Thompson Lecture Theatre, City University
London, Northampton Square, London, EC1V 0HB
Christianity and Public Life: Who do we think we are? Religious and national identities
Gresham College Event
Museum of London
Speaker(s): Rt Rev Lord Harries of Pentregarth
Date/Time: 11/03/2010, 1pm
Venue: Museum of London
In a multi-cultural, multi-religious world identity has become a key issue, one with the potential for tension and conflict. Christians find their identity 'In Christ'. How does this affect and shape the modern debate?
Novelist, speaker, playwright and politician, Jeffrey Archer, will give us a talk on his experience as a public speaker and a writer, especially for the Guild.
It will take place from 1-3pm in the lecture theatre at the back of The Crosse Keys.
There will be opportunities for networking over a light buffet lunch.
Cost £25 to non-members, £20 to e-members and £15 to standard members. Places are limited.
Electoral systems in the United Kingdom - Parliament, Devolved
Assemblies and local authorities.
The 2005 UK General Election.
Where to find reliable results of elections; Library products and
sources, and those from other bodies.
Elections in other countries.
Prospects for the next General Election in 2010?
The talk will provide an overview of elections in the UK with particular
focus on elections to Parliament, and knowledge of how to find reliable data and
secondary analysis in this area.
Hansard Society Parliamentary Reform Lecture Series - David Howarth MP
Hansard Society Event
Grand Committee Room, Westminster
Grand Committee Room, 6.00pm
Since its inception the Hansard Society has made many influential recommendations for parliamentary reform. In the run up to the general election the Hansard Society has asked the three main parties to lay out their party's plans for parliamentary reform.
David Howarth MP (Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Solicitor General) will set out the Liberal Democrat Party's vision for parliamentary reform.
The lecture will be chaired by Peter Riddell (Chair of the Hansard Society)
This is the second lecture in the Hansard Society Parliamentary Reform Series - other lectures are:
March 9 - Rt Hon Jack Straw MP (Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)
March 18 - Sir George Young MP (Shadow Leader of the House of Commons)
NOTE: When you sign up using the online registration system or by emailing hans_admin@hansard.lse.ac.uk please tell us if you would like to attend all three lectures, or specify which lectures you would like to attend.
Parliamentary seminar, Tuesday March 16th 2010, 4.00 - 6.00pm, Members' Dining Room, House of Commons
The economy and human psychology are profoundly connected, but what can psychological research tell us about the recession and economic recovery? Research in behavioural economics is helping us understand how cognitive and social factors can determine our short and long-term fiscal behaviour.
This seminar will feature presentations from leading economists and psychologists who will highlight how policymaking - from tackling consumer debt to incentivising saving for retirement - could take account of the human aspects of financial decision making.
This event follows recent work on the subject - a POST briefing on Delaying gratification and a podcast on short-term thinking featuring an interview with Dr Vince Cable MP.
Please note that places for this event are limited and that priority will be given to parliamentarians and their staff.
To attend please email post@parliament.uk or call Nadine Walters on 020 7219 8377.
A two hour course looking at the sources of information about Parliament that
are available on the Internet, particularly on Parliament's website. This
includes:
Parliamentary proceedings and papers
information about parliament and how it works
information about Members of Parliament and Peers
This course is designed to show what sort of parliamentary information is
available to those who do not have access to the parliamentary network.
Independent MPs: what can they bring to Parliament?
Debate
Grand Committee Room, House of Commons
Hansard Society event
6.30pm - 8pm
Speakers:
Professor Philip Cowley (academic and author of Revolts and Rebellions: Parliamentary Voting Under Blair)
Chris Mullin MP (Labour MP for Sunderland South)
Cllr Diane Park (Independent PPC for Halifax)
Dr Richard Taylor MP (Independent MP for Wyre Forest)
Chair:
Fiona Booth (Chief Executive, Hansard Society)
This Democracy Forum will debate the effectiveness of Independent MPs, whether it is likely that the forthcoming general election will produce a higher proportion of Independents and what this means for the operation of Parliament and politics in general. Will Independent MPs spend more time in their constituencies at the expense of Parliament? Can a large number of Independent MPs without the influence of whips effect real change? How will Independent MPs with diverging views work cohesively together?
This event is free to attend, register to attend at www.hansardsociety.org.uk.
All Party Parliamentary Group for Taxation launch of report on PAYE, 16 March 2010: 10am – 11am, Committee Room 6, House of Commons.
This event will launch the APPG for Taxation's new report, which expects to evaluate current methods and ongoing improvements of PAYE at HMRC, examine innovative ideas for reforms to how the HMRC collects income taxes, and highlight how changes might be implemented. Concepts addressed will include: helping individuals better understand their income tax, improving the IT infrastructure, redesigning the income tax collection process, and learning from international best practice.
The report follows the APPG for Taxation's 2008 report, which outlined some of the costs to both individuals and businesses from the current PAYE system.
The report is published at a key stage in the political calendar and the APPG plans to hold further sessions on PAYE reform after the General Election.
The event will include a short statement by the APPG for Taxation's Chair, Ian Liddell-Grainger MP, and the report’s author, Jonathan Graham. These statements will be followed by a question-and-answer and discussion session.
A 2 hour hands-on course on the Parliamentary Information Management Services
(PIMS) system.
PIMS is a database of parliamentary proceedings, papers, questions, debates,
legislation, Early Day Motions and deposited papers. It also contains
non-parliamentary material such as research briefings and selected press
articles.
This course covers:
what material is included in the PIMS system
Advanced and Type-specific search for more successful searching
examples showing how to use Boolean and proximity operators
an introduction to the PIMS report options
Other PIMS training
Training on PIMS Enquiries and the PIMS Content Management Application is
available for staff who need to use these applications (mainly Commons Library
staff but also certain Lords Library staff). Lords Library staff requiring PIMS
CMA training should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
Table Office staff requiring tailored PIMS Search and Retrieval training
should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
Since 2004 two men or two women may enter a legally recognised union that carries many, but not all, of the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage. This is a trend throughout the Western World. How has civil partnership become established, and should it be recognised as marriage?
Since 2004 two men or two women may enter a legally recognised union that carries many, but not all, of the legal rights and responsibilities of marriage. This is a trend throughout the Western World. How has civil partnership become established, and should it be recognised as marriage?
This is a part of the lecture series, Family Relationships and the Law since the 1960's.
Time: 09:00 - 10:30 Date: 17 March 2010 Venue: Demos, 3rd Floor Magdalen House, 136 Tooley Street, London SE1 2TU
Demos is delighted to host a keynote speech by Caroline Lucas MEP, The Leader
of the Green Party of England and Wales, on 'Progressive Politics: What future
in the UK?'
Details to be confirmed.
Please contact politics2010@demos.co.uk
or call 0207 367 6333 for additional information or to reserve a space.
Westminster City Council and the New Local Government Network invite you to the launch of the Living City Manifesto at 6:30 PM on Wednesday 17th March.
As the general election approaches, all the major political parties have stressed the importance of ‘localism’. The Communities Secretary himself called recently for councils to be “fully equipped with the powers they need to act decisively and effectively.”
Meanwhile other parties are adopting similar positions. In his foreword to their “Control Shift” policy paper, Conservative leader David Cameron stated his party’s ambition for “nothing less than radical decentralisation.” And the Liberal Democrats have made a commitment to “give communities the freedom and funding to fix any problems they do have.”
However, devolving power from the centre is not simply a matter for great constitutional change. As a local authority, we know that there are many small, practical changes that central government could make which would produce a real shift to benefit local communities.
We have now set out the results of our learning and experience in our Living City Manifesto. The manifesto sets out five bills, based on our experiences of service delivery, to make ‘localism’ a practical reality and not a political aspiration.
Our proposals cover both the everyday concerns that often matter most to people, such as the quality of local streets, and broad, ambitious proposals to deliver local services more efficiently.
The manifesto will be launched on 17th March 2010, in partnership with the New Local Government Network. For more information, please contact Ravi Akinlawon on 020 7641 2852; rakinlawon@westminster.gov.uk
The Magna Carta Institute is holding a seminar entitled An Introduction to
Public Affairs on Wednesday 17 March 2010 at the Plaza Westminster Bridge Hotel.
The event will feature four senior practitioners from the public affairs
industry and will be chaired by Professor Justin Fisher, Director of the
Institute.
The seminar is designed for those considering pursuing a career in public
affairs. It will appeal to recent graduates, current interns and those
considering career change and development. The guest speakers will give
practical and expert insights into the key challenges of working in different
areas of the public affairs industry.
Hansard Society Parliamentary Reform Lecture Series - Rt Hon Sir George Young MP
Hansard Society Event
Macmillan Room, Portcullis House
Macmillan Room, Portcullis House, 6.30pm
Since its inception the Hansard Society has made many influential recommendations for parliamentary reform. In the run up to the general election the Hansard Society has asked the three main parties to lay out their party's plans for parliamentary reform.
Rt Hon Sir George Young MP (Shadow Leader of the House of Commons) will set out the Conservative Party's vision for parliamentary reform.
The lecture will be chaired by Peter Riddell (Chair of the Hansard Society)
This is the final lecture in the Hansard Society Parliamentary Reform Series - other lectures are:
March 9 - Rt Hon Jack Straw MP(Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice)
March 15 - David Howarth MP (Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Justice and Shadow Solicitor General)
NOTE: When you sign up using the online registration system or by emailing hans_admin@hansard.lse.ac.uk please tell us if you would like to attend all three lectures, or specify which lectures you would like to attend.
Prohibited in some states, but very common in the Middle East and Asian communities, cousin marriages result in a small increase in the number of babies with genetic problems. How serious is the problem, and how should it be addressed in the UK? Should our human rights to marry and reproduce be constrained by wider societal considerations?
This is a part of the lecture series, Family Relationships and the Law since the 1960's.
The Impact of the Recession on Secondary Shopping Centres
BCSC Seminar
The Royal Institution of Great Britain, 21 Albemarle Street, W1S 4BS
Tuesday 23 March 2010, 17.00 - 19.30 including networking drinks
The perspectives of the financial sector, landlords, retailers and local authorities will be debated at this critical industry seminar on Tuesday 23 March - in which the findings of the critical BCSC commissioned research will be explored by a panel of industry experts.
The BCSC report Secondary Centres: The Impact of the Recession on Secondary Shopping Centres explores the impact of economic conditions on secondary retail property, the scale of the banking sector's exposure to retail real estate, the approaches being adopted to manage these depreciating assets and what specific action is required across the whole industry to facilitate improved performance of secondary shopping centres.
RADAR - the Royal Association for Disability Rights – would like to invite
you to our next Empowerment Forum in London. Please save the following date:
Thursday 25th March 2010, 10am-4pm at The Resource Centre.
Tired of your voice not being heard and not being included in local decisions
that may affect you as a disabled person? Or just want to have more of a say in
issues that are important to you? If the answer is yes to either of these, than
RADAR's empowerment forum is for you. We kicked off with our first Empowerment
Forum - Midlands in Birmingham in September 2009; followed by the second one for
the South West region in Plymouth.
This is an exciting opportunity to learn about how to have real input on
local services that matter to you and how to realise your full potential. The
purpose this e-mail is to:
(a) get the date in people’s diaries and (b) to generate interest for giving
a speech, doing a workshop or to come along as a delegate.
With regards to speeches/workshops we are looking for local representatives
from Third Sector organisations, Local Authorities and Primary Care Trusts who
would like to speak or hold a workshop on their experience with involving people
with ill health, injury and disability (IID) in decision-making processes, e.g.:
how to be able to influence the commissioning of local services (barriers,
good practice etc.)
a workshop on how to engage with local authorities/Primary Care Trusts (key
points of contact, methods of contact e.g. phone, email, letter)
someone from a local authority or PCT who can speak from their perspective
on how to become involved in local services
someone who can run a workshop on how to present yourself and make your
voice heard
A 2 hour hands-on course on the Parliamentary Information Management Services
(PIMS) system.
PIMS is a database of parliamentary proceedings, papers, questions, debates,
legislation, Early Day Motions and deposited papers. It also contains
non-parliamentary material such as research briefings and selected press
articles.
This course covers:
what material is included in the PIMS system
Advanced and Type-specific search for more successful searching
examples showing how to use Boolean and proximity operators
an introduction to the PIMS report options
Other PIMS training
Training on PIMS Enquiries and the PIMS Content Management Application is
available for staff who need to use these applications (mainly Commons Library
staff but also certain Lords Library staff). Lords Library staff requiring PIMS
CMA training should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
Table Office staff requiring tailored PIMS Search and Retrieval training
should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
A 2 hour hands-on course on the Parliamentary Information Management Services
(PIMS) system.
PIMS is a database of parliamentary proceedings, papers, questions, debates,
legislation, Early Day Motions and deposited papers. It also contains
non-parliamentary material such as research briefings and selected press
articles.
This course covers:
what material is included in the PIMS system
Advanced and Type-specific search for more successful searching
examples showing how to use Boolean and proximity operators
an introduction to the PIMS report options
Other PIMS training
Training on PIMS Enquiries and the PIMS Content Management Application is
available for staff who need to use these applications (mainly Commons Library
staff but also certain Lords Library staff). Lords Library staff requiring PIMS
CMA training should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
Table Office staff requiring tailored PIMS Search and Retrieval training
should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
A two hour course looking at the sources of information about Parliament that
are available on the Internet, particularly on Parliament's website. This
includes:
Parliamentary proceedings and papers
information about parliament and how it works
information about Members of Parliament and Peers
This course is designed to show what sort of parliamentary information is
available to those who do not have access to the parliamentary network.
The Future of Services for Children Seeking Asylum: Best practice and reform
One-day conference
Central London
This unique one day conference offers delegates the opportunity to explore
the future role all associated professionals will play in ensuring that all
children seeking asylum within the UK are provided with the best possible start
in life. This will be the first public conference focusing on children in the
care system seeking asylum since the Supreme Court decision on age and the new
duty on the UKBA through the BCI Act. It will facilitate professionals to
develop the expertise they need, ranging from good placement planning through to
effective implementation We will hear from trailblazing local authorities,
policy makers, frontline practitioners and academic experts who will inform on
best practice development and future strategy. The programme is designed to be
interactive, encouraging good debate and exchange of ideas.
Benefits:
Explore the current situation and issues facing asylum seeking children
Assess how to support asylum seeking children leaving the care system
Identify best practice in safeguarding asylum seeking children
Develop multi-agency strategies to tackle child trafficking
Explore recent developments including Lady Hale’s Judgements
Consider how to raise educational attainment of asylum seeking children
Learn about good placement planning
Consider the mental health needs of asylum seeking children
Furthermore, Nadine Finch, a Barrister at Garden Court Chambers will be
presenting the findings of “Levelling the Playing Field.” This is a cutting-edge
joint UNICEF and Garden Court Chambers report into the extent to which the
housing, educational, health and social needs of unaccompanied foreign children
are being met by three different local authorities in England.
Who should attend?
Professionals working in local authority children’s services departments
Professionals working in local authority asylum seeker teams
Local education authorities, schools, further education colleges
Short course- volunteering holiday & sustainability learning in Wales
Otesha UK
Cardigan, Wales
Looking for the perfect kick-start to your very own sustainable journey?
The very first Otesha 10 day tour is rolling out this summer from April 23rd - May 2nd.
Together with the amazing 10:10 campaign and hosted at Fforest Camps in Cardigan Bay, Wales, we've dreamed up the perfect week for anyone who wants to get more green but doesn't know where to start.
Expect a jam-packed 10 days, full of interactive learning about sustainability- volunteering on a permaculture farm, visits to other amazing projects, cooking delicious seasonal food together, films, inspiring speakers, games, the great outdoors, tinkering with bikes, music, crafternoons, meeting like-minded people and more.
Experience sustainability in action - living low-impact and getting involved with projects from growing organic food to making homes more energy efficient. You’ll also learn about how your day-to-day choices impact global issues like climate change and poverty, and learn which lifestyle changes can have the biggest positive impact.
The registration fee of £500 includes accommodation, meals and snacks, adventure activities, training workshops and all materials. If you need to rent a bicycle, we can arrange this for an additional cost.
A two hour course looking at the various techniques of searching the
internet. This course is aimed at users who are overwhelmed by the information
on the internet and covers:
different types of search tools (search engine, directories, meta search
engines)
effective search techniques
guidance on how to make the most use of your Internet browser (eg
Internet Explorer)
A 2 hour hands-on course on the Parliamentary Information Management Services
(PIMS) system.
PIMS is a database of parliamentary proceedings, papers, questions, debates,
legislation, Early Day Motions and deposited papers. It also contains
non-parliamentary material such as research briefings and selected press
articles.
This course covers:
what material is included in the PIMS system
Advanced and Type-specific search for more successful searching
examples showing how to use Boolean and proximity operators
an introduction to the PIMS report options
Other PIMS training
Training on PIMS Enquiries and the PIMS Content Management Application is
available for staff who need to use these applications (mainly Commons Library
staff but also certain Lords Library staff). Lords Library staff requiring PIMS
CMA training should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
Table Office staff requiring tailored PIMS Search and Retrieval training
should contact Catrin Owens on ext 6110.
Factiva is the Library's online newspaper and trade journal resource on the
Intranet. The customised interface provides:
user-friendly searching of electronic newspapers
trade press
breaking news
content access to the full text of the New Statesman, the Spectator and
the Economist
Additional functionality enables users to:
save searches
set up news alerts for their areas of interest
create personal source groups
The course is a hands-on training session delivered by a trainer from
Factiva. At the end of the course the Factiva trainer is happy to stay on to
discuss any queries and help course delegates set-up saved searches and alerts.
The Future of Services for Bereaved Children: Best Practice and Reform
One-day conference
Central London
Childhood bereavement is an issue of great importance. Not only will the
death of a friend or family member leave a child in confusion and despair but
young people can, as a result, develop depressive disorders and suffer post
traumatic stress. Unfortunately bereaved children have more to deal with than
just the initial trauma. A bereaved child is likely to suffer temporary loss of
support from other grieving relatives, suffer from financial difficulties, move
house and even change school. Therefore support must extend beyond initial
grievance counselling.
This unique one day conference offers the opportunity to explore the roles of
front line practitioners in supporting bereaved children. We will hear from our
own trailblazing local authorities, schools, educational psychologists,
academics and politicians who will inform on best practice development and
future strategy. The programme is designed to ensure good debate, exchange of
practical ideas and, of course, lots of PARTICIPATION.
Benefits of Attending
Explore the reasons why bereaved children have become the ‘forgotten
mourners’
Understand the role of bereavement support services from a first-hand
and political perspective
Identify key areas for improvements by assessing the UK’s bereavement
services in an international context
Explore the role of non-kinship carers, such as foster parents and
residential care workers in supporting a bereaved child
Explore the role of the school in supporting a bereaved child
Indentify the necessary support kinship care givers require in caring
for a bereaved child while, in turn, coming to terms with their own grief
Explore the role of hospices in preparing children for bereavement
Explore different forms of support needed by a bereaved child dependant
on circumstances including suicide, terminal illness and sudden, tragic
death
Discuss the implications of bereavement for children with learning
disabilities
Discuss the role of the media
Learn how best to access Child and Adolescent Mental Health services to
better support a bereaved child
Identify how best to restore hope in a bereaved child
Understand, from a first hand perspective what it means to be bereaved
as a child
Who Should Attend?
School nurses
Teachers
Children’s home staff
Child protection social workers
Foster carers
IFPs Local authority fostering teams
Kinship teams
Youth workers
Bereavement charities
Bereavement councillors
Bereavement service officers
CAMHS specialists
Doctors
PCTs
SHAs
Family liaison officers
PALS officers
Hospice staff
Funeral directors
Social workers
Children’s services departments in Local Authorities