The next Podcast interview will be with PC “Bernie” Clifton, who is a diversity officer with Greater Manchester Police. Here’s a quick video teaser whilst you wait…
Today (17th March) I have completed production on the next Podcast (episode 57). However, this won’t be released for a week because it is my contribution to the Ada Lovelace campaign (see the recent episode on this for details).
I’m very excited about the forthcoming episode as it features one of the true pioneers of the computer and technology revolution, Professor Lynn Conway. Lynn’s most famous work, which came to fruition 30 years ago this autumn, created the basis for engineers to be able to design and prototype electronic chip designs fast enough and cheap enough to make the technology feasible for inclusion in practically every electronic device we use today.
I am going to sit on that exciting interview until the allotted day, March 24th, but in the meantime here is a short video about how remote interviews like Lynn Conway’s are made. There are also some more details about the production process in general on the Just Plain Sense Blog.
The Queen’s Speech in late autumn marks the beginning of each new Parliamentary term. It’s a time when the Government reveals its’ legislative plans for the coming year. This year’s event is on December 3rd. However, these days, the speech seldom contains any big surprises, as so much about the agenda is extensively trailed beforehand.
One item expected in this new term will be the new Single Equality Bill — the most radical attempt to overhaul Britain’s equality law framework in forty years. To mark that watershed this episode looks back on that forty year history, discusses some of the issues about equality legislation, how the Government has developed the new Bill, and what it is expected to contain.
You can purchase this item as an audio CD if you prefer
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option if your computer prevents you from enjoying our free content this way)
A report published last week by the Department of Work and Pensions has poured cold water on one of the most popular arguments for promoting equality at work.
“The Business Case for Equal Opportunities: An Econometric Investigation” was researched and prepared for the DWP by a team at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research. It says they could find no direct cause and effect link between businesses having Equal Opportunities Policies and having higher productivity and profits. But it says the reverse is definitely not the case too — and that businesses that have one seem to have the other, even if the connection isn’t clear. I look at the researchers’ conclusions in more detail.
I’m not sure whether I can claim the original credit for the idea — people didn’t seem to have thought it before I made the suggestion at a consultation last year, and they quickly wrote it down. However it happened though, the Equality and Human Rights Commission have now launched their own You Tube Channel.
In this week’s news sample, claims that the Government may be planning to opt out of parts of a UN Convention on the rights of disabled people and news of an extra £15 million committment to encourage the development of women’s careers in certain sectors.
As an experiment I am going to explore the feasibility of bringing an occasional batch of news reports into the mix of editorial and interview content. I’m making no promises about regularity. A great deal will depend on the material that comes my way. Please feel free to comment on whether it’s a valuable addition or not though.
Just Plain Sense provides a mix of talks and interviews about Equality and Diversity in Britain today. There is a particular emphasis on the 'developing' areas such as LGBT but overall I set out to capture a truly diverse range of voices to talk first hand about what it means to work towards and live in a tolerant, diverse society -- and what we still need to do to get there.
Christine Burns
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