Diversity UK Paul Stephenson Lecture

Diversity UK is to celebrate its 4th birthday with the inaugural Paul Stephenson Lecture to be given on Wednesday 23rd November 2016 at the Speaker’s House in London. The Diversity UK Paul Stephenson lecture, in association with the Ethnic Minority Foundation, will highlight recent progress made by the home of British politics - one of the oldest democracies in the world - on issues of equality and inclusion. The lecture is dedicated to Paul Stephenson, a campaigner for civil rights for the British African-Caribbean community in Bristol, England, who will attend the event.

Diversity UK 4th Birthday Achievements

"When we embarked on the journey of creating Diversity UK in 2012, it was with a vision to make a positive difference to Britain’s diverse communities. Since then, we have:

researched the under-representation of BAME communities at senior levels in the public sector.
had the issue of this under-representation discussed at an adjournment debate in the chamber at the House of Commons.
supported the launch of networks devoted to increasing BAME representation in the corporate sector.
backed the launch of the Women’s Equality party and the UoM Women in Science conference.
spoken at International Women’s Day events each year.
participated in roundtables about the gender pay gap; representation of millennials and BAME communities in the media; consultations like the BBC Charter Review process and with the Office of Commissioner for Public Appointments (OCPA) and the Cabinet Office.
helped define diversity and inclusion strategies for organisations.
celebrated the success of Asians in the digital technology sectors with the publication of two editions of the ‘Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech’ in 2015 & 2016.

All of this has been done on a voluntary basis with the goodwill and support of well wishers to whom we are very grateful," said Diversity UK Chairman, Dilip Joshi, "But progress is a journey, very much like the bus journey that activist and campaigner Paul Stephenson OBE wanted Black and Asian divers to be able to mkake more than 50 years ago. It is for this reason that Diversity UK is proud to name its inaugural equality and inclusion discourse 'The Paul Stephenson Lecture'".

About Paul Stephenson OBE

Paul Stephenson OBE, is a community worker, activist and long-time campaigner for civil rights for the British African-Caribbean community in Bristol, England. As a young social worker, in 1963 Stephenson led a boycott of the Bristol Omnibus Company, protesting against its refusal to employ Black or Asian drivers or conductors. After a 60-day boycott supported by thousands of Bristolians, the company revoked its colour bar in August.

In 1964 Stephenson achieved national fame when he refused to leave a public house until he was served, resulting in a trial on a charge of failing to leave a licensed premises. His campaigns were instrumental in paving the way for the first Race Relations Act, in 1965. Stephenson is a Freeman of the City of Bristol and was awarded an OBE in 2009. In July 2014, Mr Stephenson was awarded an honorary degree (Doctor of Law) by the University of Bristol "for his dedication to fighting for equality and civil rights across Bristol and around the world for over 60 years".

About Diversity UK

Diversity UK is a think tank to help formulate ideas to improve equality and inclusion across society in Britain. We are not a lobby group; trade organisation or political campaigning body. We will remain a small charity run by committed, voluntary Trustees looking to make a difference. If you’d like to play a part in supporting us, become a member today. It costs just £25 per year (less than 10p a day).

Diversity UK delivers its objectives by undertaking research, facilitating debates, hosting roundtable meetings, producing white papers and publishing a monthly newsletter focusing on contemporary equality issues. Diversity UK is a company (No: 8158970) & a registered charity (No: 1155189) in England & Wales.

As the Diversity UK Paul Stephenson lecture is an invitation only event for Diversity UK Members please ensure that your membership subscription details are up-to-date so that we can send your invitation in good time. If you are not yet a member, please sign-up here.

About The Ethnic Minority Foundation

The Ethnic Minority Foundation (EMF) is a national registered charity created in 1999. It is an independent organisation that seeks to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice in society, and address the growing inequalities in the world system. EMF’s social justice programme has sought to tackle some of the most difficult issues facing societies today. It has worked to try and protect children from exploitation; safeguard the rights of women and other vulnerable groups; tackle poverty and seek social applications for new technologies. Currently most of its work is focused on social enterprises and providing services and opportunities to local communities.