|
|
 |
| |
|
|
|
SEMPERscotland 0141 207 5809 (tel) |
AGM Gallery | Agenda | Keynote Speaker | Justice Minister’s Message | Chair’s Speech | Executive Committee Election Wednesday,
March 23, 2005 We are delighted to report that we had well over fifty participants including Deputy Chief Constable David Mellor; Assistant Chief Constables John Corrigan and Tom Halpin, as well as representatives from the Association of Scottish Police Superintendents; the Crown Office; the National Black Police Association; the Scottish Police Federation; the Scottish Police College; British Transport Police; the Scottish Executive; UNISON; Law at Work; National Police Leadership Centre; the Council of Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations and other supporters. The Minister for Justice, Cathy Jamieson, was unable to attend due to parliamentary obligations, but sent a message of support and financial commitment. Formal company business was conducted efficiently and saw the Office Bearers being reinstated and the appointment of Chiene & Tait as auditors, unopposed. The highlight of the afternoon must surely be the inspiring, thought-provoking keynote address by Dr. Ali Dizaei, Chief Superintendent of the Metropolitan Police Service. His comments and forward-looking ideas have left us with much to consider and have, without a doubt, placed the ‘positive action versus positive discrimination’ debate firmly on the agenda of the Scottish Police Service. The networking session that followed left us with no doubt that SEMPERscotland is being warmly welcomed and well received across the board and the general view is that we are making a positive contribution in breaking down existing barriers. Now that we are truly on the way to realising some of our objectives, we would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to come forward with your comments, ideas and opinions. We would like you all to actively participate at this crucial stage in our development by taking ownership and joining in activities designed to make us bigger, better and stronger. |
|
||||||||
Annual General Meeting 2005 – Report from the Chair Members, associate members and invited guests once again may I welcome you to SEMPERscotland’s first ever Annual General Meeting. It is indeed a great pleasure and honour to stand here before you to present the Chairman’s report. SEMPERscotland is today at the forefront of building bridges between the minority ethnic police and support staff and the Scottish Police Service. We are all aware that more work needs to be done. Yet I strongly believe that we must start by first acknowledging what has been achieved and then concentrating on how we can build on that. May I say at the outset that the level of support we have received so far has been tremendous. It would be totally remiss of me at this stage not to publicly thank the Scottish Executive, the Association of Chief Police Officers in Scotland, the Scottish Police Federation, the National Black Police Officers’ Association and the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Sector Organisation – to name but a few - for their immense help and support to the organisation. I should also say a special thanks to ACPOS, as their start-up grant, together with the time-off for Committee members, really allowed us to get moving. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to all the members of the Executive Committee for their enthusiasm, hard work and support. Without their help there would be no SEMPERscotland. Once again, thank you. As you know, our whole purpose of being is to actively oppose all forms of racism, and work towards the total elimination of racial discriminatory practices within the Scottish Police Service and the wider community. We
believe this can be achieved by, firstly acting as a support network
for the minority ethnic employees, as well as offering advice to
those bodies that can actually affect change within and outwith
the Service. These contacts have seen us sit in an advisory capacity on a number of committees and sub-groups including, the review of the NEOTS Training Programme, the Recruitment Working Group and the Commission for Racial Equality review of race issues in the Scottish Police Service. We also have several committee members who sit on their internal equality and diversity groups. We have provided confidential information and advice to colleagues about sensitive issues affecting them and successfully mediated in formal and informal disciplinary matters involving minority ethnic employees. SEMPERscotland has also been involved in assisting minority ethnic colleagues in adjusting to the culture of the service. In order to fully achieve our aims and objectives, a comprehensive 3-year Business Plan was submitted to the Scottish Executive for funding. I’m pleased to announce that this has been approved and that the grant will allow us to introduce, develop and enhance our current range of services. In the coming years we intend to provide a 24/7 service to our members, peer mentoring initiatives, regional contacts throughout Scotland, professional legal advise and representation when required, full public relations and media services, annual social events, themed conferences, community workshops and exhibitions. We plan to initiate several interactive workshops and programmes with like-minded partners to promote equality in race within the Service and the minority ethnic communities. SEMPERscotland and the members it represents are, and will continue to be, an integral and growing part of the Scottish Police Service. Since our inception, many issues have arisen both within the Scottish and National Police Service and the challenges that we have faced as a new organisation, have been great and varied. With the election looming, the issue of asylum seekers in Scotland is to the fore. In England and Wales we saw the nationally transmitted programme, The Secret Policeman, and we have the ongoing debate of positive action versus positive discrimination. Our guest speaker, Chief Superintendent, Dr. Ali Dizaei, will be speaking eloquently on that subject in a few minutes. And while some may see the foregoing as only tangentially affecting our members, believe me, they will all have a significant impact. We are determined to enhance the working environment for our members and indeed all personnel within the Service. We will strive to build closer links with the minority ethnic communities in order that the Scottish Police Service is viewed as an employer of first choice as a career path. And, that in time to come it will truly reflect the community which it serves. The
Scottish Police Service is our service and we will actively continue
to promote it for we firmly believe in the principle that our lives
begin to end the day we fail to stand up for things that matter.
At the launch of SEMPERscotland I acknowledged that we were rightly proud of our achievements in respect of race equality in Scotland. We tended to believe that everyone lived by the principle that we were all Jack Tamsins Bairns. Yet the truth is that for some this is not the case. As Martin Luther King once said “I want to live as the white man’s brother – not his brother-in-law. And
so while we have done much, much is yet to be achieved. 1.
Welcome
The AGM will elect members to the Executive Committee in accordance with Section 85 of the organisation’s Articles of Association. The Executive Committee elected will serve until the next Annual General Meeting.
Robin
Iffla Chair Voting You cannot vote at the AGM unless you are a full member. Proxy For
members who cannot attend the meeting but still wish to vote, a
Proxy form is available from the SEMPERscotland office at Centrex
House, 1 Simpson Parkway, Proxy forms must be received by 5:00 p.m., Monday, March 21, 2005
Dr. Ali Dizaei Ali Dizaei joined Thames Valley Police in 1986 after finishing a Law Degree. He was accepted on the Accelerated Promotion Course and served in CID, Traffic and other uniform departments. In 1997 he completed a Masters Degree in Law and Criminal Justice. As a Chief Inspector he developed Problem Orientated Policing in Thames Valley and in 1998 was appointed as the Vice President of the National Black Police Association. In 1999 he was awarded a Doctorate in Law and since then has published a number of articles on race and policing. He has participated on many working groups advising the Home Secretary on matters relating to race and community policing. Ali was promoted to Superintendent in the Metropolitan Police and became the Staff Officer to an Assistant Commissioner. In 2000 he was successful on the Extended Interview for the Strategic Command Course which he completed in 2004. In May 2004 he was promoted to Chief Superintendent and is currently the Borough Commander for Hounslow. Ali is also the Legal Advisor to the National Black Police Association. Message from the Minister of Justice I am sorry that I am unable to accept your invitation to join you today for your first AGM since the launch of SEMPERscotland, which I was proud to attend in October 2003. Scotland in the 21st century is a multi-cultural society and it is important that all of us can be confident that we will be treated fairly and with respect, irrespective of our background. Central to that is a Scottish Police Service that is truly representative of the communities it serves and that those from minority groups are encouraged to seek a career in the police. I hope that SEMPERscotland can make a significant contribution to addressing race relations and race equality issues, and improving the relationship between the police and ethnic minority communities across Scotland. The Executive has agreed to provide funding to support SEMPERscotland year, with the expectation that a similar amount will be provided next year. I hope you have a successful conference and look forward to hearing of the progress SEMPERscotland makes in addressing these important issues. SEMPERscotland AGM dates and travel arrangements Our Annual General Meeting is to be held on Wednesday, March 23, 2005 at Centrex House, 1 Simpson Parkway, Kirkton Campus, Livingston. The Keynote Address, ‘Positive Action versus Positive Discrimination’, will be delivered by Chief Superintendent Dr. Ali Dizaei, of the Metropolitan Police Service. We are sure this will be of great interest to all concerned. This will be followed by an informal networking session where food and drinks will be served. Venue directions are also attached. For members and guests who require transport to and from the meeting, shuttle buses are being provided. These will depart from St. Andrew Square, Edinburgh at 1400 hrs and George Square, Glasgow at 1345 hrs, returning at approximately 2030 hrs. In order that details may be completed, please confirm your attendance, indicating whether you would like to take the shuttle bus, by contacting our office at the earliest possible date via email or on 01506 497892
|
||||||||||
