Ken Livingstone conference to back multiculturalism
Progressive London Conference
Saturday 24 January 2009, 10am - 5pm (Registration from 9am)
Congress House, Great Russell Street
London WC1
Tickets: £10, £6 unwaged, £20 for organisations
www.progressivelondon.org.uk

On Saturday 24 January, Ken Livingstone, former Mayor of London, will be hosting the broadest conference seen in years to set a progressive agenda for the capital and promote good community relations against racism and discrimination in all of its forms. The conference will bring together representatives of London's Black and Asian, Muslim and Sikh, young and old and other communities to discuss how to defend and improve the quality of life of all Londoners as we face the worst economic crisis in living memory.

Ken Livingstone said: "This conference will be a great opportunity to learn from the election of Barack Obama in the United States and discuss how to promote good community relations, better living standards and a thriving cultural life in our city.

"London's Black, Asian and other minority ethnic and religious communities have played a vital role in building our cities but they have not received their fair share of the benefits. How to change this will be one of the focuses of the event."

The conference will include more than 20 sessions with plenty of time for discussion and debate.

Sessions include:

The Age of Change; Emergency discussion and Gaza and justice in the Middle East; What we should learn from the election of Barack Obama; Forward March of Cameron Halted?; Blogging London - the new media and London politics; London Homes - Cracking the Crisis; Lessons of the London Elections; Green Cities; 7 million Londoners,1 London; Respect in the City; Transport for a progressive London; Culture in the City

Speakers include:

Ken Livingstone; Harriet Harman MP; Jon Cruddas MP; Bonnie Greer; Tessa Jowell MP; Professor Eric Hobsbawm; Polly Toynbee; Steve Hart, Regional Secretary of Unite; Linda Perks, Regional Secretary of UNISON; Billy Hayes, General Secretary of Communication Workers Union; David Lammy MP; Martin Gould, President of SERTUC; Christian Wolmar; Seumas Milne; John Harris; Baroness Helena Kennedy; Dawn Butler MP; Val Shawcross; Jenny Jones, Green Party; Darren Johnson, Green Party; Len Duvall – Labour Leader on the Assembly; Mike Tuffrey; Karen Buck MP; Susan Kramer MP; Cllr Stephen Cowan – Hammersmith and Fulham Labour Group Leader; Cllr Paul Dimoldenberg; Nicky Gavron; Professor Doreen Massey; Kevin Maguire, Associate Editor of the Daily Mirror; George Galloway MP; Kate Hudson, Chair of CND; Claude Moraes MEP; Jeremy Corbyn MP; Jean Lambert MEP; Graham Turner – economist and author; Neal Lawson, Chair of Compass; Anas Altikriti; Martin Hoscik – editor, MayorWatch website; Adam Bienkov, ToryTroll blog; Tom Barry, Boriswatch.co.uk; Navin Shah; Chris McLaughlin – Editor, Tribune; Professor Ivor Gaber; Christine Blower, Interim General Secretary NUT; Mick Shaw, President FBU; Bell Ribeiro-Addy, NUS Black Students' Officer; Adam Sampson – Director of Shelter; John Haylett - Editor of the Morning Star; Bruce Kent; Dr Abdul Bari, MCB; Tony Juniper; Bob Worcester, Founder of MORI; Dabinderjit Singh OBE; Lester Holloway – Editor, New Nation; Finn Mackay; Jess McCabe – Editor of the F Word; Seth Reznik - Blue State Digital.