Barka UK at Homeless Link Annual Conference
Barka UK staff Marta Jankowska and Janusz Kowalski participated in the Homeless Link Annual Conference held in the University of Reading. The meeting was attended by dozens of organizations from across the UK. Conference started with a streetwise opera performance. Ann Skinner, chairperson of the Board of Homeless Link, welcomed participants and introduced speakers among whom there was Jenny Edwards, the CEOn of Homeless Link, Grant Shapps, Minister of Housing and Councillor John Shipley, Leader of the Council Newcastle. The speakers elaborated on ways to end rough sleeping and provide dignified alternatives for those living on the streets.
In the afternoon there was a contest organized for the best social enterprise. Four social enterprises participated in the competition.
Barka staff took part in workshops ” Learning to be Place of Change: skills for staff managers and trustees” and “What makes a good social enterprise”. In the meantime participants could share their experience of working in the homelessness sector.
MJ
June 25th, West London Strategic Action Plan to End Rough Sleeping by 2012. Conference in Wembley.
Conference started with welcoming and introduction by Ieuan ap Rees from West Lodon Housing Partnership.
Michael Scorer(CLG) was talking about Government policy and what has changed with change of Government.
Richard Blakeway(CLG) talked about London Housing Strategy and the work of the London Delivery Board, including the Health & Social Care sub group.
Martin Cheeseman from Brent & West London Housing Partnership analised the situation of rough sleeping in West London. He summarised Chain data, PrOPMT analysis, differences between boroughs in terms of services provided, health audit in Brent, sub-regional work – West London Reconnect & draft action plan.
Jeremy Swain of Thames Reach talked about the role of local partnerships and civic society sector to end rough sleeping. Jeremy Swain thanked Barka UK for their fruitful work with supporting the integration processes of Eastern European migrants to UK.
Barka UK staff: Andrzej Dawidowski, Marcin Maruszak and Radoslaw Skrzypczak participated in a workshop regarding enforcement. The discussion was to what extent enforcement was needed and how it could be delivered. Barka contributed with good examples of engaging with rough sleepers through trust and relationship building.
Barka UK at the Forum on “Poverty and social exclusion” in Brussels
Barka UK was invited for the Forum on “Poverty and social exclusion” organised by the Committee of the Regions on 8 June 2010 in Brussels. Among the participants there were representatives of local and regional authorities, organisations and EU institutions who arrived to exchange good practice and discuss how to combat poverty and social exclusion at local level. The debates focused on making local social services more accessible to all, preparing people for integration into the labour market and inclusive citizenship in urban and rural areas.
See the programme.
Barka UK at the World Economic Forum on Africa
The seventh Young Global Leaders Annual Summit took place in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from 2 to 7 May. This event has been the largest gathering of YGLs where they had an opportunity to interact with local and international organizations working in the YGL “Global Redesign” areas of activity: health, environment and sustainability, education and youth, entrepreneurship, values and governance. The YGL Annual Summit was an occasion to connect local experiences with global issues and to understand the underlying development environment. The Impact Journeys gave YGLs an unforgettable experience which provided them with new ideas and a better understanding of the issues that the African continent currently faces. The key objective of the Summit was to provide a systemic view of Tanzania’s challenges and opportunities in a way that would give the YGLs the chance to find multiple entry points to make an impact and enable local agencies to benefit from an outside analysis of their system.
Barka UK invited to take part in the “See Change Programme”
April 28 – 29, 2010
“See Change” is a specialised programme, with a training and support package that focuses on influencing public policy through campaigning. The aim of the programme is to transform participants’, and the organisations they represent, ability to act as agents for change, and make visible, lasting improvements to systems, policies or practices that affect homeless people.
Read more:
See Change Agenda Day One 28-04-10
See Change Agenda Day Two 29-04-10
Seminar “Human Rights in the civilization of solidarity”
During 27 – 28 of January 2010, representatives of Barka UK took part in a seminar “Human Rights in the civilization of solidarity” organized by the President of European Parliament professor Jerzy Buzek. The seminar took place in Oświęcim and Cracow for the occasion of the 65th anniversary of liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp. The meeting was attended by MEPs and intellectuals from across Europe including Professor Andre Gluksmann of Paris, Stefan Wikanowicz, Professor Jerzy Kłoczowski to name a few.
The most important result of the seminar was the establishment of “Citizens for European Solidarity” Forum initiated and announced by the President of European Parliament – professor Jerzy Buzek.
Please see attached ( Conferences ) the Statement by the President of the European Parliament, Prof. Jerzy Buzek, in Oświęcim on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz–Birkenau camp.
Barka UK was invited by the President of European Parliament to become a member of the Forum.
http://www.barka.org.pl/deklaracja_oswiecim_27.01.doc
http://www.barkauk.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Déclaration-de-M.-Jerzy-Buzek-802833FR.doc
Seminar in Rome
December 8-11, 2009
Representatives of Barka UK: Bernadette Cassidy and Ewa Sadowska partcipate in seminar on Human Rights in Rome. Important part of the program will be an audience with Pope Benedict XVI.
The Symposium of the Oswiecim Academy in Rome: „Human Right in the civilisation of solidarity”.
During 8 -11 of December there was a symposium organised under the patronage of Pope Benedict XVI. On the eve of the 61 anniversary of passing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Oswiecim Human Rights Award of John Paul II was presented for the second time. The recipient of the Award was Professor Andre Glucksmann, one of the greatest contemporary philosophers and a well-known promoter of the matter of human being. The symposium was organized by the Oswiecim Academy and the Civic Space Foundation of Pro Publico Bono. Representatives of Barka UK took part in the symposium.
Edinburhg Conference
November 28-29, 2009
On November 28-29, representatives of Barka UK: Lech Bor and Ewa Sadowska participated in the conference entitled: “Experiences of developing Polish communities in the UK” at the invitation of United Polish Falkirk (UPF). The conference was held in Falkirk in Edinburgh.
The meeting was attended by more than 50 people from twenty-Polish organizations from across the UK. Consul General in Edinburgh was also present , Dr. Thomas Trafas, Scottish Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill and the Mayor of Falkirk.
In his speech, Minister Kenny MacAskill said the history of Polish-Scottish friendship started in the seventeenth century, when large numbers of Scots emigrated to Poland.
Ewa Sadowska, and Lech Bor had 40-minute presentation of programs for inclusion in “ Barka” in Poland and “Barka” in Great Britain.
On Monday, November 30 Lech and Ewa participated in a meeting with representatives of the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh and local organizations that work with citizens of the A10 countries in Edinburgh and Glasgow, were also invited by the Consul General in Scotland on the follow-up meeting at the Polish Embassy. Issues were related to problems of the citizens of Central and Eastern Europe countries in Scotland (40% of homeless people on the streets of Edinburgh are the Poles) and the start of programs for the integration of migrants in Scotland (similar to public – private partnerships developed by the Barka UK in London).
Minister of Justice Kenny MacAskill has expressed willingness to cooperate with the Barka’s program to support a network of A10 migrants in Scotland.
Representatives list:
| Organizations | Place | Name & Surname | e-mail address_ |
| United Polish Falkirk | Falkirk | Robert Starzynski | glospoloniiwfalkirk@yahoo.co.uk |
| Polish Association Northern Ireland PANI | Belfast | Maciej Bator | maciek@polskibelfast.pl |
| Poland Street | London | Joanna Bąk | j.bak@polandstreet.org.uk |
| Merseyside Polonia | Liverpool | Gosia McKane | info@merseysidepolonia.com |
| Polish Union in Great Britain | London | Małgorzata Sztuka | gosia.sztuka@btinternet.com |
| International Community Organisation of Sunderland | Sunderland | Daniel Krzyszczak | krzyszczak@yahoo.co.uk |
| Perth Polish Support Group | Perth | Renata Fraser | RenataFraser@pkc.gov.uk |
| Polteam Perth | Perth | Krzysztof Weyer | krzysztof_weyer@o2.co.uk |
| Polish association in Stirling | Stirling | Tadeusz Sinica | tadeuszsinica@googlemail.com |
| Barka UK | London | Ewa Sadowska | ewa.sadowska@gmail.com |
| S.O.S Polonia Trust | Southampton | Barbara Storey | barbara@lingland.net |
| SPK Leicester | Leicester | Jacek Grygier | grygier@hotmail.co.uk |
| Polonia Nottingham | Nottingham | Mariusz Laskiewicz | mario694@o2.pl |
| Inverness Polish Association | Inverness | Zofia Fraser | zosia.fraser@googlemail.com |
|
Glasgow University Polish Society |
Glasgow | Paweł Lojko | president@gupolsoc.org |
http://www.emito.net/praca/artykuly/lamiemy_stereotypy_638186.html
November 26-27, 2009
Guests from Rotterdam
Delegation from Rotterdam City Council visited Barka UK – Migrants Support Program in London on November 26-27, 2009.
Rotterdam study visit itinerary, please see attached:
Study Visit of the representatives of the Rotterdam City Council to the public – private partnerships for support to vulnerable Eastern European Migrants in London, UK.
26 – 27 November 2009
Day 1 (Thursday the 26th of November 2009)
11.30 – meeting with the City&Tower Hamlets Councils partnership and the introduction to the Dellow Centre and the Barka reconnection project.
Delegates will learn about integration and reconnection programmes supporting vulnerable Eastern European migrants. The delegates will be given a tour around the Dellow Day Centre and will have a chance to meet with clients.
The meeting will be attended by local boroughs’ council representatives of the Corporation of the City of London and Tower Hamlets, Dellow Centre and Barka UK’s staff.
Location: 82 Wentworth Street, London E1 7SA.
13.00 – working lunch
14.00 – meeting with the Homeless Link.
The participants will learn about UK’s migration policy and economic migrants’ rights. Homeless Link is the national membership organization for frontline homelessness agencies in England whose mission is to be a catalyst that will help to bring an end to homelessness.
Location: Homeless Link Headquarters, 10- 13 Rushworth Street, London SE1 ORB
17.00 - Visit to the House of Lords (to be confirmed).
Meeting with Lord Roberts of Llandudno, Spokesman for Liberal Democrats, a committed advocate for economic migrants’ rights.
Day 2 Friday the 27th of November
6.00am - morning patrol on the streets of the City of London.
Delegates assisting Barka outreach team will have a chance to see the life of the London homeless people.
Meeting place: Liverpool Street Station (to be confirmed)
09.30 – meeting with the UK Government representatives (Mrs Michelle Binfield, Specialist Advisor to the Minister on homelessness/rough sleeping, Department of Communities and Local Government).
Location: CLG Headquarters, Eland House, London Bressenden Place, SW1E.
11.30 – meeting with Hammersmith and Fulham Council (the first local council in Europe involved in the partnership with Eastern European agency – Barka – to support economic migrants in difficult social and economic situations in London) – venue to be confirmed.
Delegates will learn about the cooperation of the Council with NGOs working with economic migrants.
13.00 – Guests depart the hotel and the airport.
