EUW Gazette 2015/16 by Paul Jellis

British Section

European Union of Women

Gazette 2015/16

Contents Chairman’s Annual Review

View from the Editor

Dates for your diary

Lindsay Kirkby

Introducing Verity Vigars

Raising the profile of EUW

The Spring Lunch 2015

Spring Break 2015

The Spring Lunch 2016

Spring Break 2016

The British Red Cross

My Life in the British Army

Their hand in your pocket

Brexit - The story so far

Brexit - International reactions

Message from Spain

A message from Greece

Europe and the immigration dilemma

The refugee crisis in Bavaria

Face dove by Pablo Picasso

The way forward

Vision Aid Overseas - Ethiopia

Olympics and Politics

Europe Alive 2015 - Estonia

Europe Alive - Early Memories

Alison Tennant Memorial Lecture 2015

Walking - an option for an anarchist

Gibraltar 32 And finally - raffle winners

EUW International report

British Section UK website www.euw-uk.co.uk

Chairman Margaret Stockham Turner PhD 3 Waltham Drive, Elstow, Bedford MK42 9FY Tel: 01234 293486 / 07808 939708 E-mail: marg.turner@ntlworld.com

International website www.euw-woman.eu

First vice chairman Jan Weller Avon 52 Heronway Shenfield Essex CM13 2LG 01277 215341 sam.janweller@btinternet.com Second vice chairman Patricia Taylor Burches, 4 The Green Colne Engaine Colchester Essex CO6 2EZ 01787 224876 p.taylor120@btinternet.com

INTERNATIONAL BOARD OFFICERS BRUSSELS, MARCH 9, 2013 President Elisabeth Morin-Chartier, MEP France Vice Presidents Margaret Hales, Great Britain Bärbel Steinkemper, Germany Aphrodite Bletas, Greece Treasurer Sonja Stiegelbauer, Austria BRITISH INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION PRESIDENTS AND VICE PRESIDENTS Europe Alive President: Bobbie Middleton Health & Social Affairs First Vice President: Sally Elliot

VICE-Chairman Commissions Fay Buglass 3 Ilchester Mansions Abingdon Road London W8 6AE Tel/Fax: 02079 376 743 f.buglass@btinternet.com

International Policy First Vice President: Fay Buglass Sustainable Development First Vice President: Erica Bargman

TREASURER Delya Martin 4 Meadowsweet Lower Stondon, Henlow, Bedfordshire SG16 6PF Tel: 01462 815032 delyamartin4@gmail.com

EUW International Board at work 36 Regional and Branch Chairmen 37 Regional and Branch Reports

Commissions Reports 2015/2016 42 The Future of EUW

What is the European Union of Women?

Organising secretary Verity Vigars European Union of Woman PO Box 106, Minehead TA24 9DB Tel: 0844 585 7515 euw@euw-uk.co.uk

European Union of Women British Section

Chairman’s Annual Review What an amazing eighteen months since I sat down to write my last review – a time full of hope and trepidation. We hoped for a good government, preferably Conservative, to be returned at the general election, for financial stability for EUW and for new members. If I had asked a fairy godmother for these three wishes, I believe I would have been quite (but not totally) satisfied.

I do not have a definitive answer but there are Branches who have attracted new members and if you are experiencing difficulties, be they large or small, please don’t be afraid to ask for help and take it when it is offered. I do not believe there is an EUW member anywhere who wouldn’t, if given the opportunity, tell us how we could do a better job - (and many have)!

However we certainly did not wish for the turmoil, acrimony and uncertainty that the Referendum has brought our way. At the beginning of 2016 the EUW Board decided that, to protect EUW we needed to remain neutral in the EU campaign and hopefully you will agree, seeing the fallout in other areas, that for our unity and friendships, this was the right decision.

I think we have had two very successful Spring Lunches, with Ken Clarke as an excellent speaker in 2015 and Nicola Horlick as a most informative and erudite speaker this year . Huge thanks go to Jan Weller and her dedicated team for their hard work in arranging this event. Jan was also the main organiser of the Spring Break and Council in Peterborough last year and again this year in Cheltenham, where we heard from an excellent range of national and local speakers.

I thank EUW for re-electing me as Chairman to lead us through the next two years. We are a team, all of you sitting out there and us sitting here, working hard to make the future of EUW the best it can be. We are all EUW members, paying our subs, going to meetings, helping arrange speakers and raffles or contributing to the work of the Commissions. Each level of the EUW needs its leaders. Management Board members started their EUW lives as ‘ordinary’ members although I am sure there is nothing ordinary about most of our members! I am, naturally, concerned that some small branches are struggling, be it for lack of members, or people willing to take officer roles. I still remember the surprise at being elected an officer in my first Branch and how daunting it was at first. I needed support and guidance, which was provided by a couple of experienced and knowledgeable members. This is exactly what is needed in those areas that are struggling to fill their officer positions today.

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Thank you also to all the Board members for their huge support and hard work. It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Lindsay Kirkby, our Organising Secretary for the last fourteen years. Lindsay will be a very hard act to follow but we have been very fortunate in replacing her with Verity Vigars who is already getting to know us quite well and will, I am sure, take us smoothly through the next phase of our development. The British Section has been struggling to find a new generation of actively involved members, but we are not alone in this. At the International Board last May, we heard with great sadness that the Austrian Section would be leaving EUW along with Greece, because both had lost funding from their political parties. It was unthinkable that we should lose both the founding country and the seat of democracy as EUW members. Thankfully, this did not end in a Greek

Margaret Stockham Turner tragedy as both Greece and Austria have re-formed under a membership model, similar to that of the UK. What’s more, we welcomed the Czech Republic as a new member Section this year and there are three other former soviet countries applying to join EUW in the near future. In 2015 we had a presence at the Conservative Party conference for the first time for many years. We funded a fringe event with the Conservative Europe Group, using some of our sponsorship money. There was standing room only at the event and we managed to attract two new EUW members. Building on this success we will be sharing the stage at a breakfast fringe event this year. Dr Margaret Stockham Turner EUW British Section Chairman

View from the Editor – Gazette 2015/2016 For those of you who do not know me, I have an engineering degree and 35 years’ experience in the Oil and Gas and Pharmaceutical business. Nothing, as you can see, which qualifies me to edit your magazine. Now retired I run my own antique business which keeps me busy and out from under the feet of your Chairman, to whom I have been happily married for 22 years. This “bumper” edition of the Gazette is built on the framework past to me from the previous editor. It has been delayed and extended to include the result of the EU Referendum Vote on the 23rd June. There are several articles which comment on the result and attempt to make sense of a Post Brexit United Kingdom.

Another major related topic is EU immigration and the refugee crisis. There are two really good articles from Greece and Germany with detailed analysis of the issues involved. The Europe Alive visit to Estonia also features a strong article. I would like to thank Fay Buglass, Verity Vigars, Penny Harbour and Lynne Hope for their help in the production and proof reading of this years’ edition.

*** NEWS FLASH*** An electronic digital version of the Gazette will be available for the first time, for you to read on your computer, tablet, etc. You didn’t realise that by joining EUW you would be saving the planet.

Dates for your Diary Please pencil these important events in your diary, PC, smartphone, etc. Some dates yet to be confirmed.

Date Location

Alison Tennant Memorial Lecture

15/11/16

Editor’s Birthday!!

10/01/17

Europe House, London

Spring Lunch 2017 21st OR 28th March Royal Over-Seas League London Spring Break 2017 22nd-24th May OR 29th – 31st May

Yorkshire

European Union of Women British Section

Lindsay Kirkby It is with heartfelt thanks for all her help and friendship that in December 2015, we said goodbye to our Organising Secretary, Mrs Lindsay Kirkby. Lindsay has been working with us for fourteen years, and has worked efficiently and tirelessly, and complemented this with unfailing good humour. Five of our British Section Chairmen have been supported by her work, which is a truly wonderful record of service. We wish Lindsay the very best of luck with her continuing career, and look forward to establishing a similar rapport with Mrs Verity Vigars the incoming Organising Secretary. Christine Armitage-Hinks

Introducing Verity Vigars I am delighted to have been appointed as the new Organising Secretary of the British Section, although I realise I have big boots to fill in taking over from Lindsay! Happily, I bring fifteen yearsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; experience in secretarial and membership services, which stands me in good stead, and I am very much enjoying the role and getting to know the organisation. It was a pleasure to recently

attend the Spring Break in Gloucester and meet a number of members, and I look forward to meeting many more of you at future events. Please feel free to contact me at euw@euwuk.co.uk (unchanged) or via the new address and phone number listed in the contacts section.

Margaret raising the profile of EUW

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The Spring Lunch 2015 It's March! It's Springtime! And it's the EUW Annual Spring Lunch again! “Hello, how are you? It is lovely to see you.” Here we are assembling in the Royal Overseas League amidst quiet chatter and gentle laughter for our annual catch up meeting with friends, holding a glass in one hand and a tombola prize in the other. Spring had definitely arrived and we were expectantly gathered to hear the ever ebullient Rt. Hon. Kenneth Clarke, MP address us before our lunch and we were not disappointed. Mr Clarke’s down to earth attitude towards the European Project, Union and Parliament and all that they mean

Spring Lunch Committee

Bobbie Middleton and Anne Charlton

As members we have a voice, whereas if not we would have no voice and have to obey other, perhaps unfriendly, countries’ decisions and laws and abide by the consequences. Also our country is the link between the American continent and Europe. Mr Clarke praised EUW for its own commitment to the cause that he so passionately believes in, and it was encouraging to know that EUW is appreciated by such a Very Important

Parliamentarian. We felt the warmth of his friendship. It was good to see Mr Clarke and the charming, smiling Mrs Clarke so relaxed and at home in our company and we hope they will come again. The festivities were over and as good as we expect them to be. It was then farewell and home again, until next year. A special thanks to Terry Sandell-Codd for taking the photographs. Audrey Hearn Sadly some weeks later Kenneth’s wife Gillian died. EUW was represented at her funeral by Elaine Robinson, a family friend of Mr & Mrs Clarke.

Penny Harbour and Delya Martin

Chairman, editor and guests

Rt. Hon. Kenneth Clarke MP and Jan Weller

Branching out on a branch outing!

to us today was very evident although he and we are continuing to debate the issues still, even after fifty years of experiencing their effects on our lives. We have both been championing our European cause in different ways, he politically and we in a sociable, friendly and informative manner.

Looking forward to lunch!

A photo opportunity with Kenneth Clarke

Linda Morley and Josephine Barrett

European Union of Women British Section

Spring Break 2015 Peterborough This year’s Spring Break was held in Peterborough at The Park Inn Hotel from the 11th to the 13th May. As people arrived they met up with old friends and quickly made new ones. When EUW gets together there is always plenty of laughter and the noise of excitement.

Relaxing before dinner

A toast to EUW

On the first evening we were welcomed to the city by the Mayor and Mayoress, Mr & Mrs Bennett and the after dinner speaker, Dr Andreas Prothmann, of the German Embassy gave his thoughts on the British EU representation. They were detailed and measured. As always at the Spring Break, the Council meeting was well organised bringing us all up to speed on the work of British Section. Margaret always runs a very good meeting, covering a great many topics in the time available. The lunch guest following the meeting was the Right Reverend John Flack, Hon. Asst. Bishop of Peterborough. This wonderful gentleman was a true raconteur. He had been the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome and Archbishop’s representative to the Holy See (2003-08). His stories were wonderful to listen to, some serious but most had, at least, an edge of humour. I was amused by the story of the treatment dealt out to Anglican clergys’ wives if they walked hand in hand with their husbands, when they were wearing their ecclesiastical robes!! In the afternoon there was an optional tour of Peterborough Cathedral. This wonderful building has a long, interesting history where two British Queens have been buried, Katherine of Aragon and Mary, Queen of Scots, although her remains were moved to Westminster in the 17th century. From the moment we moved from the front West door the vastness of the beautiful nave made an impact. One of the main features of the nave is the beautiful ceiling and towards the centre of the

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The Committee in action

Right Reverend John Flack and Elaine Robinson

Group Photo

building is the magnificent Central Tower. Then back to the hotel for a rest and a change before dinner. The speaker that evening was Wendy Ogle-Welbourn, Corporate Director for People and Communities, Peterborough City Council. The passion she has for her job shone from her. She originally trained as an actress and she certainly has a star quality. Peterborough has many problems with a large migrant community and her commitment to

Visit to Peterborough Cathedral

Delya Martin and Phillipa Williams

Wendy Ogle-Welbourn and Jan Weller

young people is immense. She has a proactive approach to the fostering of young people and to the “grooming” of youngsters. She was a breath of fresh air. Thanks to Jan Weller and her team for organising these speakers and to Terry Sandell-Codd for the photograpths. ….and we look forward to Spring Break 2016 in Gloucester. Sylvia Sillar/Julia Bryce 7

The Spring Lunch 2016 This year our venue was again the Royal Overseas League where we welcomed financial guru and “Superwoman” Nicola Horlick, currently CEO of Money & Co. She strongly advocated the positive benefits of staying in Europe and fielded the questions directed at her extremely well. We can only imagine that she enjoyed her time with us as she had given herself a let out clause of another meeting at 2.15 but did not leave until nearer 3.15.

Lunch Committee back in action

Malcolm Harbour and Tricia Birchley

“Please buy another ticket”

June Toleman, Sally Elliot and Jill Spanswick

A toast to EUW

Ladies who lunch!

N. Essex and Suffolk ladies with Nicola Horlick

Nicola Horlick, our speaker

Essex Central Branch members and guests

Stars of the Tombola

As you would expect, she was an excellent table companion and I should like to thank her once again for her time and expertise. The tombola was successful both years and was, as usual, very financially successful due to the hard work of Penny and Delya. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to purchase acceptable prizes at a reasonable price. I should also like to take this opportunity of thanking Elaine, Christine, Felicity and Jill for their continued contribution towards making this event so enjoyable. The good news is that we were able to hand over a cheque for £1670.04 to British Section. £2000 is always our aim and, with the help of our members, I hope to be able to achieve this in 2017. Those of you who have attended before know that this is a good event and perhaps you could spread the word round to as many as possible, both members and nonmembers. This lunch always sets out to prove that fund raising can be fun and certainly our committee meetings would also attest to that. Special thanks as always to Terry Sandell-Codd for his photographic skills. Jan Weller July, 2016 8

European Union of Women British Section

The 2016 Spring Break in Cheltenham I think it is fair to say that the Q hotel in Cheltenham this year ticked all the boxes. The accommodation, conference facilities, service and food were absolutely first class. The speaker on the first evening was Suzanne Hall-Gibbins who runs her own business Circle2Success and spoke on The Importance of Europe to Business. It was extremely kind of her to step in at short notice as Neil Carmichael, the MP for Stroud and leader of The Conservative Group for Europe, had to cancel out due to a three line whip in Parliament. After the Council Meeting the next

morning we had a cracking buffet lunch (which, regrettably I had to finish out of a doggy bag!) followed by Anne Cranston speaking on the subject of The Pilgrim Project at Gloucester Cathedral. Hindsight being a great thing, perhaps a visit of some sort or another should have been arranged during the afternoon. The speaker after dinner was Donna Renney who spoke on The Importance of Gloucesterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s history in the 21st Century. I should like to take this opportunity of thanking Margaret Renney who arranged all the speakers and Terry Sandell-Codd for the photographs;

many of which are shown below. I can only sum up the Spring Break from the perspective of one of our Branch members who had not been for some years and said how very much she enjoyed meeting members from other areas of the country and how interesting and inclusive she found the Council Meeting. Not to mention the swimming pool! I know Pat has great plans with good speakers for next year, most probably in York, and I can only urge as many members as possible to come and engage in the event. Jan Weller

Pam Rickards, Ann Cranston and Margaret Renney

Donna Renney with Pat Taylor

Group Photo

Jan, Penny and Margaret with Suzanne Hall-Gibbons

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Jan Weller and Margaret Renney; organisers extraordinaire

Diane Brake and guest with Penny Harbour

The British Red Cross in action in the UK British Red Cross does not only work in disaster zones and poor countries overseas. For example, we have formed a long-term partnership with the Co-operative to raise funds to provide vital care and support for thousands of isolated and lonely people, helping them reconnect with their community and bring them life-changing care in their homes and communities. Loneliness can affect everyone from new mums to teenagers, unemployed and recently retired people - both the well and unwell. We also respond to emergencies in this country. In May 2014, the police asked the British Red Cross to support women and children at a rest centre following a major police raid in Greater Manchester. Twelve men were arrested for human trafficking following a major operation by police, the Home Office and other agencies, and Red Cross specialist volunteers and staff were able to give much needed emotional and practical support to the women and children recovered by the police. This included providing first aid cover at the rest centre, psychosocial support and refreshments.

of the attack and some who were injured, bereaved, or witnessed the deaths of others. More recently the British Red Cross has been supporting lorry drivers stuck or ‘stacking’ on the M20 in Kent, following the migrant crisis in Calais and industrial action in France, which included tyres in the tunnel in France being set on fire, forcing the closure of the Eurotunnel. This caused severe traffic jams along the M20 and surrounding areas and with temperatures reaching 35°C, there were serious concerns for the drivers’ welfare. Following calls for support from Kent County Council, the British Red Cross (19 volunteers and three members of staff) provided food, water and other essentials supplied by Tesco to over 200 people. As part of the same migrant crisis British Red Cross volunteers and staff provided help to dozens of

migrants found locked in four lorries in Essex this summer. Border forces at Harwich found 68 migrants, including two pregnant women and several young people, including a 10-year-old child. At 2am, Red Cross emergency response volunteers were called to provide support to the migrants and check whether they needed to go to hospital - but there were no immediate health needs on this occasion. Six volunteers gave emotional support and handed out blankets, hygiene packs, snacks and drinks. It was clear that the migrants had been through a very distressing time to get here. To the British Red Cross, every crisis is personal. From floods to loneliness, it’s not the scale of the crisis that matters, all we see is someone who needs our help - and we give it. Anna Rzemieniecka Community Legacy Manager, British Red Cross

Following the violent attack at a tourist resort in Tunisia this summer, the British Red Cross launched a support line to help those affected. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office commissioned the dedicated telephone line, to offer practical advice and emotional support to anyone affected by the events. Four experienced support volunteers were sent to the scene to help British nationals who had experienced or witnessed extremely distressing events, as well as supporting the resort staff who have been affected by this attack. This included those who were on the beach at the time 10

European Union of Women British Section

My Life in the British Army I am Sergeant Sarah Robinson, a 36 year old mother of two currently working in Hull as the Regimental Armourer for 150 Transport Regiment RLC. I have been employed on Full Time Reserve Service since June 2006. I enlisted into the Army Reserve in December 1996. I had always wanted to join the forces as my father had been an Armourer and I had always had an interest in his work and weapon systems in general. He agreed to support my application and so I joined The Second Battalion Royal Gloucester, Berkshire, Wiltshire Regiment, based in Gloucester, as a Potential Armourer. I was readily accepted into the post. My father’s reputation and the endorsement he gave me were no small matter in this. I started my technical training under his very watchful eye. He gave me no quarter and I was not to let him down or be an embarrassment to him. I am happy to say it all came very easily to me, actions of the mechanisms and the overall mechanical aspect of the career I had chosen felt very natural and I loved it! I also took comfortably to the Military Training. Although it was hard work, I pushed myself to over achieve. Sometimes my physical limitations would present a problem but I found that with more training I could overcome any obstacle; these early experiences have aided me greatly as my career has progressed. I completed my Class Three and Class Two Armourer Trade Courses within six months of each other. Surprisingly for some I achieved very high pass marks. At the time I was in training female Armourers were very rare, especially in the Army Reserve, and this presented a few difficulties with attitudes and expectations towards me from instructors and fellow course members. As a female armourer I couldn’t help but feel that I was

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generally expected to under-achieve on these courses. After my Class Two Course I transferred from The Royal Gloucester, Berkshire, Wiltshire Regiment to 104 Battalion Royal Electrical Mechanical Engineers. This was the opportunity to advance my career and step out from my father’s shadow. Although I was shown no favouritism, I needed to get out and carve a name for myself. My civilian career as a Fitness Instructor was progressing well and I wanted the same from the military side of life. My new Staff Sergeant was initially very dubious of my capabilities but after a short time he was comfortable with my skills and I was soon placed on my Class One trade course.

Sergeant Sarah Robinson

After passing the course with flying colours a new world opened up to me. I was able to deploy on exercise and work without supervision. I have been lucky enough to travel extensively throughout the world and work with some amazing units in a myriad of places including Belize, Canada, Cyprus and Germany. This hasn’t been without its challenges. As my chosen trade is male dominated I have felt obliged to prove my abilities on more than one occasion and show that I am the equal of anyone in my role.

work with. I was fortunate to receive a great report that secured me my current full time position within 150 Transport Regiment where I have gained the respect of my peers, the Chain of Command and the many out-stations that I support. I work alone and without assisting Armourer support. I am currently responsible for the inspection and maintenance of over 1200 Weapon Systems. The Army is ever evolving so I meet and overcome new challenges regularly and I feel that these challenges have helped me to grow as a person, a mother and as a soldier.

I have always risen to challenges and, most rewardingly, managed to impress my peers. The most prominent example of this was when I worked with the Royal Marines prior to Operation HERRICK 14, a tour of Afghanistan. The Royal Marines do not employ women in the armourer role so when I arrived, I was welcomed with a degree of scepticism and promptly informed that if I was not up to the task I would be sent home. A deployment scheduled for only a fortnight subsequently led to me assisting them for several months and I must say they were a pleasure to

I feel that being a member of The British Army in my chosen trade group has helped me both inside and outside the Armed Forces and I now feel that no challenge is too great. With the skills I have gained I know that I can achieve anything I set my mind to in all aspects of life. I have two amazing children who make me proud every day; they are intelligent, independent and are excelling in their lives, and this I know is in no small part down to how they have been brought up having a positive role model and serving soldier as a mother. 11

Their hand in your pocket On-line accounts are often taken over following a phishing scam or by computer spyware or malware. More of which follows later. Bank Account, card and cheque Fraud. Does your bank statement show transactions you didn’t make? You may be a victim of bank account fraud. This can occur as a result of identity theft if your bank cards or other bank account information have been stolen.

Fraud is a problem for all of us. Most of us know someone who has been affected. In this age of electronic devices, and their use in almost every aspect of our daily lives, we all need to be wary, even to the extent of pressing the wrong button on our computer or devices. But, sadly, we also have to watch the mail that drops through our letter boxes and not just throw what seems like junk mail into the bin. Even if we’re careful and foil the fraudster intentions, fraud still has a large impact on our lives. Fraudulent activity costs each and every adult in the UK £765 each year. So let’s look at the definition of Fraud. Fraud is “abuse of position, or false representation, or prejudicing someone’s right for personal gain”. As we all know, much fraud today is for financial gain. Many of the different types are punishable by law and can be committed by individuals, organizations or businesses but here I will outline acts of fraud more common to individuals. Fraudulent activity takes place through any type of media: 12

• • • •

If that happens, fraudsters are able to gain access to your money. They may take money from your account or run up credit in your name and you may not realise it until you read your bank statement or your card is refused or until your bank makes contact with you.

Post mail and email Phone Wire Internet.

We all know, either through personal experience or through the media, fraud has a devastating effect on victims; psychologically, physically, financially and socially. Having been involved with victims of crime for over 45 years, I am very aware of the debilitating effect it has. Fraud affects every level of society and has a negative effect on individuals, organizations, businesses and communities and it costs everyone money, either directly, or indirectly through taxation and increased costs of products and services. Let’s look at different aspects of fraud that affect the individual directly.

Cash Point Fraud It is usually safe to use a cashpoint but sometimes they are targeted by fraudsters.

Account Takeover An account takeover happens when a fraudster poses as you, and gains control of your account and uses it to make unauthorised transactions. They can take over your bank account, your credit card account and your email account.

Things to consider at an ATM Always look carefully at the card insertion point before using it to see if it looks like it has been tampered with. Even the key pads can be replaced so be careful. If you realise the machine has been tampered with after inserting your card, call your

European Union of Women British Section

bank from the machine, but only if it is safe. Your safety is paramount, so walk away before phoning your bank if you feel under scrutiny. Always shield your hand when typing in your pin number and don’t use the machine if someone is standing too close. Action Fraud provide more information on their website http:// www.actionfraud.police.uk/fraud-azcash-point-fraud Identity Scam Some identity thieves may phone you, claiming to be from your bank. They ask for your card numbers and passwords so they can change them for your protection. Other identity thieves may send emails, telling you that you have won money or a prize. None of your service providers will ever contact you to request passwords or account details. If this happens end the call immediately. Sometimes they will suggest you call your bank to verify their identity, saying they will call you back. If this happens, call the bank on a different line as they will pretend to hang up and when you dial the number someone will “answer”. Also verify the number independently. Do not use the number they give you.

often say it is necessary for customers to update or verify their information by clicking on a link. Beware, these emails often use authentic logos. Often if you look carefully though there are misspelt words or poor use of English. No organization will ask you to update your information in this way. Malware Malware is the abbreviation of malicious software. This will not be detected by your anti-virus software because they do not act in the same way as a computer virus. It is software deliberately designed to specifically damage and disrupt the victim’s computer, server or computer network. It will then steal sensitive information, send spam or commit fraud. It will send emails from your computer to addresses stored there and, obviously, use that to commit fraud. Having good quality virus protection, and, here you get what you pay for, that is kept up to date and not downloading any free updates, it will help. There are programs that you can buy that will detect these intrusions. Your firewall will not stop this. Spam Emails This is also known as junk mail or unsolicited bulk emails which are sent to millions of people in order to obtain personal information. Spam is extremely common as you know. The majority will be filtered out by the email service provider and siphoned off into your junk folder. Common Scams In November 2013 the National Crime Agency (NCA) issued a warning to notify the public of ongoing mass scamming by fraudsters sending millions of emails to UK customers

claiming to be from banks and other financial institutions. These emails include an attachment that claims to contain details of a suspicious transaction, invoice, fax or voice mail. DO NOT OPEN ANY ATTACHMENTS….. the attached file is in fact malware. If the attachment is opened, it may lead to files on your computer being infected and encrypted. Fraudsters may then demand payment of approximately £500 to release the files, which doesn’t happen and they then also have your credit card details. Once encrypted there is no way the files can be decrypted and you may have to invest in a new computer. If you encounter this malware, please report it to www.actionfraud.police.uk My sister recently went to the bank for a larger than normal amount of cash and she was asked by the bank staff if anyone had asked her to draw the money out. She was delighted to be asked, but reassured the staff of the reason for her actions. All the main banks have fraud departments which operate 24 hours a day so if you are worried, call them but remember you should also tell the police, not just the bank, if you become a victim. If you have been subject to a fraud do not hesitate to contact your local police or if you have any information about any crime and feel you cannot go to the police then contact CRIMESTOPPERS anonymously on 0800 555 111 at any time of the day or night 365 days a year. Mervyn Bishop Former Victim Support Humber Divisional Manager

Phishing Phishing is when random emails are sent to an individual or business, in an attempt to trick them into disclosing their personal account information. If the fraudster gets this information it will be entered into a bogus website operated by fraudsters. They now have your personal information to use for nefarious purposes. These emails

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Brexit - the story so far The UK has voted to leave the European Union in a historic referendum tumbling to lows not seen since 1985 and investments have been hit because bond yields have fallen, exacerbated by the Bank of England’s decision to cut interest rates to a record low of 0.25%. The annual inflation rate as measured by the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) rose to 0.6% in July, pushed up by rising fuel prices, but the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said there was “no obvious impact” on the figures from the vote to leave the EU.

At 6am on 24 June 2016, it was confirmed that the UK had voted to leave the European Union. We are still a member of the EU and will probably remain so for several years but the vote almost immediately triggered an extraordinary chain of events. Political leadership - battles and debacles Outside Downing Street, David Cameron said the government would respect the result and implement the instructions of the British people. Many hoped he might stay to “steady the ship” but he had already decided to step down in the autumn, as he was not the right “captain to steer the country to its next destination”. So a new leader was needed. Five candidates were nominated and Conservative MPs voted to eliminate all but Home Secretary Theresa May (a EUW member in her younger days) and Andrea Leadsom, for the election by Conservative Party members. However, on 11 July Andrea Leadsom withdrew and Theresa May succeeded David Cameron as leader of the Conservative Party and Prime Minister. Nigel Farage resigned as UKIP leader on July 4th as he had achieved his aim 14

of taking the UK out of the EU. There were originally seven contenders for the leadership but Steven Woolfe, the favourite, was deemed ineligible, as he missed the deadline for submitting his nomination papers (by 17 minutes, due to IT problems!) and Jonathan Arnott withdrew. The result will be known on September 15th. At the same time, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn came under huge pressure with a wave of resignations from the shadow cabinet. He lost a vote of no confidence by Labour MPs unhappy with his leadership and critical of his “lacklustre” campaign to stay in the EU. He refused to step down and Angela Eagle challenged him for the leadership. She then withdrew in order to back Owen Smith as a “unity candidate” to take on Mr Corbyn and at the time of going to press, we await the outcome of this third 2016 leadership election. The markets and the economy The economic effect of Brexit is mixed. Initial market reaction was immediate and dramatic. The FTSE 100 index fell 8% on the day after the Referendum but bounced back, closing 2.8% down and the FTSE 250 index closed down 7%. The value of the pound has also been hit hard,

Warmer weather helped Britain’s retailers sell more in July than last year, defying predictions of a postBrexit slump, with total sales up by around 2% according to the British Retail Consortium. Also the UK’s tourism sector has seen a boost as a weaker pound has made Britain a cheaper destination for overseas tourists. It is too early to draw any conclusions about the impact on employment. Lloyds Bank has cut 3,000 posts and doubled its planned branch closures - but this decision was taken before the Referendum. On the other hand, other companies have announced new jobs since the vote, including pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, which is to invest £275m in the UK, saying the country remains “an attractive location”. European leaders’ initial response EU leaders wanted the UK to stay in the bloc and the Leave vote has been met with dismay across the Channel. The European Council President Donald Tusk, appealed for unity among the EU’s 27 other members, saying the vote is historic but “not a moment for hysterical reactions”. German leader Angela Merkel said the vote was “regrettable” and a “watershed moment” for the EU and Britain should be given a reasonable

European Union of Women British Section

amount of time to negotiate its withdrawal. EU leaders seem particularly worried about the prospect of “contagion”, with the UK’s decision already fuelling demands from populist, anti-EU parties in France and the Netherlands for referendums of their own on EU membership. Pushing the exit button is not so easy What will happen next is difficult to predict, but it will not be quick. Britain’s complex negotiations to exit the EU can only begin when Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon is formally triggered by the UK - but it has never been invoked before so we are in uncharted territory. The Government is likely to proceed at a stately pace as we need to get our own house in order. The process of leaving the EU will involve rescinding the 1972 European Communities Act, that took us into the European Economic Community, as it was then, and which gives primacy to EU law in the UK. It also means sifting through an estimated 80,000 pages of EU agreements, which have been enacted over the past five decades, to decide which will be repealed, amended or retained. Once Article 50 is triggered, Britain has no legal right to extend negotiations beyond two years. Some EU law can be re-written quickly, but not all of it and replacing it is complex, because the more UK laws differ from Brussels’, the more reluctant European countries will be to let UK companies sell products and services freely inside the EU. Also, the public needs to understand how the negotiation will work and how the Government will decide Britain’s position. It is obvious that freedom of movement must go, for example, but might it be phased out gradually? Should the UK offer to treat EU citizens more favourably than others in return for better trading terms? What is the situation of British

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citizens living in other EU countries? Beyond every major issue raised in the campaign, there are thousands of smaller ones… Just to complicate matters, in 2017, France, Germany and the Netherlands go to the polls. During big electoral years, Brussels tends to be constrained as leaders who are campaigning for re-election focus on domestic, not foreign, policy. So if Britain triggers Article 50 at the start of 2017, the UK could waste months making no progress with Brussels. The UK’s future up for grabs? The Brexit vote has also fuelled concerns about the future of the UK. The SNP warned during the campaign that if the UK overall voted to leave the EU but Scots voted to remain, Scotland would be taken out of the EU “against its will”. First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that independence is now back “on the table”. However, the SNP’s failure to win a majority in the Holyrood elections means a second vote will be harder to achieve, with the UK government less disposed than it was in 2012. There are, of course, no guarantees that an independent Scotland would be admitted into the EU. There are also concerns in Northern Ireland about the implications of the Brexit vote for its relationship with the Republic of Ireland. Remain campaigners warned that a Brexit vote could herald the return of “hard” border controls between the North and South. Sinn Fein has called for a vote on the reunification of Ireland but this has been rejected by the UK government – and Theresa May has confirmed that there will be no barriers erected across the Irish borders.

include lead negotiators from both the Council and the Commission, and staff are still being appointed. David Davis has the newly created role of Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union and Michel Barnier, a former EU commissioner and centre-right French foreign and agriculture minister, will lead the negotiations for the EU. The UK Minister and his department will draw on staff from across several government departments with Tory Minister Oliver Letwin as head of the Brexit Unit and chief negotiator with the EU during the exit process. It is also fairly certain that devolved UK administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will want to be represented in the process, but it is not clear what the mechanism for this will be. Conclusion Don’t panic, don’t panic! Actually consider that order countermanded. The truth is nobody really knows at this stage what a post-Brexit UK will like, how long it will take or who our main allies and partners will be. The summer has been a time of political reflection on all sides, so watch this space and in (almost) the words of the famous theme tune … Who do you think you are kidding Mr Juncker, If you think we’re on the run?

Who will lead Brexit negotiations? The Council of Europe moved quickly in the hours after the Brexit vote to set up a special taskforce on the UK and named Belgian diplomat Didier Seeuws to run it. The taskforce will 15

Brexit - Reactions from EUW International Sections Austria In the name of our Austrian Section in EUW, I would like to send encouragement to our friends in the UK. It is a disaster that UK leaves EU - UK is definitely part of Europe and part of the basic ideas of freedom and prosperity of economy. That was also the idea, when in 1953 an Austrian Member of Parliament, Dr Lola Solar, founded our Union. So we would like to tell our British friends from the bottom of our heart, that we are very satisfied and happy that Brexit will not influence any part of UK membership in our EUW. The members of UK are very appreciated in our Union and their work in the 6 commissions is very important and esteemed. Austrian newspapers told us that “The Europe of elites “has failed. However, let us tell you, our British friends that we are very proud of all the British experts working and influencing our EUW’s work. We are proud that you are belonging to us, in our European Union of Women! Sonja Moser-Starrach Austrian Section’s President in the name of all members Czech Republic Brexit took many of us by surprise. It’s not a good development and only the future will show what all of us have to handle. The British decided freely in the Referendum to leave the EU and we have no choice than to accept the decision. We must continue to build the very best relationships with our British friends. Every change is also an opportunity; we must seize this opportunity and make the EU strong again. Jana Spekhorstová President EUŽ 16

Estonia The result of the referendum in Great Britain was bad and sad news for the EU. The EU is a democratic union and every member state has the right to step out. We have to accept it but it is difficult, almost impossible, to understand, especially because the decision seems to be more emotional than based on reality. From the beginning the aim of EU has been to keep peace in Europe and to be stronger acting together. If Brexit is really going to happen, we lose a good friend. We feel the Brexit referendum is a clear but bitter lesson to EU and politicians. Every politician should foresee the influence of their words and decisions. As we say in Estonia: you should not eat soup when it is too hot. Let GB have time to count once more all the plusses and minuses of Brexit and EU and I see that we can make the best of today’s decision. Kaie Josing Estonia Germany We regret the British decision to leave the European Union. I hoped until the last moment that the decision would go the other way. I do hope that UK and EU together can find a solution for the future way of solving common problems. I also hope that the leaders of the remaining EU countries in the future will be listening more carefully to the voices from their people.

Greece It is really a sad day for European Integration. For all of us who believed in this ideal from its first steps, it is a huge step back. However I like to be positive and believe that our UK political friends will treat the referendum outcome with sensitivity and knowledge to serve their citizens’ interests in the best way they can. At the same time let the British referendum be a lesson for the EU leaders that they govern people with feelings not bank accounts and therefore peoples’ sensitivities must also be taken into account when ruling. Before it is too late for all of us and for Europe. Aphrodite Bletas EUW Vice President Malta I would like to express on behalf of all MNPN members in Malta, our dismay and consternation on hearing that Brexit has won. It is really a sad day for all those who believe in solidarity and in the value of working together for a better world, based on democracy, freedom and social justice. The force of disintegration is only a sign of individualism that in reality only leads to isolation and exclusion. We wish our friends in the British Section of EUW every good fortune for the future. Marion Pace Asciak Malta

I send my best wishes to all my friends in the EUW British Section. I think every Britain who loves Europe will remain our partner! Eva Möllring Germany

European Union of Women British Section

A message from Spain Margaret Hales British Section. ‘Seismic Shock Rocks Expats’ ran the front page of a coast-wide English Language newspaper. The Referendum result was extremely unwelcome here in Spain. It has, in one fell swoop, given us migrants from Britain a jolt from a secure future to one of doubt, worry, scary soundbites and uncertainty. Of course there are issues about Britain abandoning the greatest peace project on earth. Yes there are concerns about trade, Erasmus funding and support for science and technology, care of the environment, NHS, exchange rates and investments. But Brexit for Brits Abroad is about our particular future. Let’s look at the situation down the telescope of the British migrant, the ‘expat’. There are over 2.2 million of us, mostly hard working young people with families scattered across the length and breadth of the countries of the European Union. They are part of the fabric of member states of the EU. In France and Greece, in Bulgaria, Cyprus and Poland- and here in Spain. Teachers and bankers, painters and plumbers, chemists and doctors: as good a cross-section of society as you would get anywhere! Their children are bilingually competent but still British. There is no dual nationality allowed in many countries and so we all prefer to remain what we areBritish. But wait a minute! What about those retired rich who live on the Costas and drink pinacoladas ? Actually only 450,000 of us are pensioners, many coming to France and Spain over the last 20 years. They incude an increasing number of those in their 90s who have been living as a British Citizen Abroad. Take 95 year old Harry Shindler MBE, living in southern Italy, who campaigns for Votes for Life and is off to the UN to press his claim. Take the Conservative Party agent, now

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in his 80s, ill and needing hospital treatment. Take the retired policeman now serving on the local Council. Take those to whom SSAFA and RAFA and Age Concern Spain and Help at Home give financial assistance and advice. My neighbour told me ‘I’m one of Maggie Thatcher’s boys. Bought my council house, worked my butt off, then sold up and came here. Now all this Turkey and NHS rubbish has scared everyone and they’ve pulled the rug from under me. I’m not happy’. Whoever we are, we are all part of the movement of people across Europe. We were allowed here as part of the free movement of people and goods. I live in a village community in Spain. There are 6,100 residents and 1,700 of those are Spanish. The rest are from all the countries of the EU including 2,400 Brits. We have international festivals, and cookery competitions. The flags of our countries fly from hotels and facilities. We enjoy each other and can’t understand why those in Britain don’t do the same. Support for the European Union in a recent poll in Spain was 81%. The gradual recovery of the Spanish economy is in no small part due to this multicultural mix of people wanting to make a success of living in Spain. So why the seismic shock? We are here because we are European Citizens. We are the personal end of the Treaty of Rome, Brussels and the Commission. As Prime Minister May negotiates her way through the maze of Brexit, we are the little people who will be traded for Bulgarians and Belgians. We too are immigrants. But we are forgetten in the big picture. Pensioners depend on the EU Treaties for health care, our right to reside, our legality and documentation. Our pensions could be frozen like those in Australia and Canada. The young gain residence and legality, rights not to be scoffed at. Do I exaggerate?

There are now petitions to the British government to protect our pensions and to the Spanish Government to allow dual nationality. We are scared, worried and have an uncertain future. Yes, our world has turned upside down. As one Brit said to a national newspaper in England ‘I’m just not sleeping. I’m getting four hours a night. Because we have no idea what might happen. I don’t want to have go back to the UK with nothing’. Margaret and her husband migrated to Spain 10 years ago. They both speak Spanish. He is the church organist in the village. She campaigns for ‘Votes for Life’, encouraging all Brits who can vote to vote. She runs an international monthly information email newsletter for people on the Costa Blanca.

A Message from Greece During our last International meeting in Paris the discussion was held around immigration problems in Europe nowadays.

Greek origin 61% foreigners mainly from Albania 32%, Ukraine 13%, Romania 8%, Pakistan 7,5%, Georgia 3,5% others.

My country Greece, or Hellas as is its official name, is one of the European Countries that happens to be more affected by the immigration influx.

On the other side Greeks, Hellenes as we like to call ourselves, are a nation with a well-established tradition of emigration mainly refugees from former Ottoman (Turkish) empire. Less than a hundred years ago, back in September 1922, Turks decided to kick out Christian populations, mostly Greeks and fewer Armenians, from Asia Minor also known as Ionia. Ionia has been inhabited by national Greeks since as early as the 8th century BC. In the 1920â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s there was still a population there of about 300,000 Greeks who had been forced to leave overnight, so as not to be massacred, and fled to the Aegean Islands, where most of them established and live until today. Therefore people on those Islands are very receptive to war refugees no matter where they come from. That is why on the International news you can hear stories of old grannies

Actually this is not something new. Greece has been a preferred destination for many nationals from all over the world including former East European countries and Russia for the last twenty five years. They have been living peacefully along with native Greeks. As a result GreeceÂ´s population today is composed of native nationals but also a large number of long run immigrants at a percentage of about 25% of the total population. To give numbers according to the 2011 population count we have about 2,500,000 immigrants in a total population of 10,5000,000 people. Out of those people 329,000 came in the last five years. 39% of them are of

nursing young refugee babies and their mothers, locals getting whole families home etc. Finally we have to consider that Greece happens to be the outer eastern border of the European Union and the Schengen area. Furthermore this specific border is a maritime one as the CountryÂ´s east side consists of the Aegean Sea comprising about 6.000 larger or smaller islands dispersed all around. Out of these islands only 117 are inhabited with a population going from as little as 50 people to no more than 50.000 people in very few cases. More precisely 38 Islands have a population of less than 100 people. 26 have between 100 and 1000 people. 53 have more than 1.000 people. There are 4 Islands which are preferres by boat traffickers: Lesvos 85330 people 1.630klm2 Samos 32974 people 476klm2 Kos 34280 people 290klm2 Leros 7919 people 54klm2 Under these conditions the border cannot be controlled by traditional control methods such as army protection or fence constructions {not to say this is not in our culture; Greek cities have always been open cities with no fences}. Therefore a permanent patrol system by boats is in place. However far and beyond the sentimental side of things there are factual conditions that have to be addressed. Numbers are now rapidly changing. Information received by the guard officials mentions that there are about 3,500,000 Syrian refugees in Turkish camps. From now on I will use the term illegal immigrants and/or refugees as there is no easy way to distinguish between the two categories. People arriving shipwrecked on Greek islands are Arabic speaking, with

European Union of Women British Section

no papers, therefore you need very experienced Arabic speaking personnel to make the difference, if any. In the first trimester of 2015 we have received about 10,445 illegal immigrants through our Aegean Sea border 6,498 of them in March 2015, mostly on Lesvos, Chios and Samos Islands. In 2014 this same number for the first trimester was 2,863 people. In July 2015 alone, 50,000 refugees reached the islands according to the FRONTEX data, which is a far higher number compared even to the whole of 2014. According to the Hellenic Coast Guard in June 2015 they arrested 31,318 illegal immigrants, 25 traffickers, 129 boats. They also rescued 517 ship wrecks. In September 2015 the number of illegal arrivals on the islands increased to 141,919 people. All of those held no documents at all and in 21 cases they did carry illegal substances with them such as 1,169,310 illegal cigarettes and 471,000gr of smoking herb. The daily flux of arrivals increases constantly and exceeds 1,000/day/

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island. On Sept 6 in the Lesvos Island alone there were 17,000 immigrants ie 20% of the local population. Here is a short extract from the diary of the mayor of Agathonissi. Agathonissi is an island of 80 permanent inhabitants, 185 in summer time. He writes: “………. March 12, 85 arrivals, all of them Somalis and Afghans. 2 women 6 children. March 29, 162 arrivals. The traffickers have sophisticated methods. They follow up the influx and send in new people once the previous ones have been moved to Athens. They destroy the boat when they see the coast guard approaching so that they can be considered shipwrecked. People drown, get injured; they have no idea where they are going. They land on the island and they are looking around for Omonia Square which is in Center Athens. Local people exasperate and try to joke “we are Ellis Island” * they say. However today´s morning arrival succeeded to upset them; disregarding the Police instructions newcomers tried to avoid the routine control and finger prints registration to embark on the liner to Samos Island. They attacked the police officers, coastal guards and locals who tried to stop them. Some

anchored on the liner´s door. 831 have been arrested…….” Today there are about 340 refugees on the Island, three times the local population. They cannot leave due to bad weather conditions. As there are no living spaces available on this tiny island they sleep wherever they decide; along the street, under a tree, anywhere.” And now what? Once they are rescued on the Island they are nursed or hospitalized, depending the case, registered according to Schengen requirements, given provisional residence documents then sent for three months to Athens to wait for the Asylum grant. The overall number in Athens (a city of 1,000,000 inhabitants in center city) by now is about 350,000people. Unfortunately these are of a completely different culture from local populations resulting to daily life problems; a majority refuses to go to the set places (which cannot afford such large numbers anyway) and prefer instead establish in the city parks and squares! Even those moved to the camps usually return to the parks within the next day. And though local people suffer from a long and well established financial crisis, immigrants are 19

looked after by neighbors and local communities, fed, dressed, given medical assistance. However parks have no living facilities, especially sanitary and the epidemics are waiting in the corner. Winter is also fast approaching and though mild in Greece (compared to northern Europe) rain, freeze and snow are well on the agenda. Another issue reports to the way of living as Greece’s youngsters are modernized young people dressing and going out accordingly which is often confusing for the newcomers who are mainly groups of young men with a different social approach. Last but not least the increased need for medical assistance and hospitalization of the immigrants in times of financial crisis dramatically burdens the social welfare program which already suffered

substantial losses due to increased unemployment rates and economy slowdown. To make a long story short. Greece and Greek people are well prepared to receive immigrants especially war refugees and coop with that issue. However our European partners must accept that this is not a local issue. It is a European one and each and all EU Countries must take their part of it to the equivalent of their possibilities in size and prosperity. As in all things in life a strong partnerships is established in difficult times. Not in times of euphoria. Now is therefore the time for Europe to show to the whole world that what unifies us is, far and above financial issues, our common background in Civilization, in religion, in ethics.

Aphrodite A. Bletas October 31st, 2015 Lawyer and Mediator President of the Hellenic –Chinese Center for Entrepreneurship Member of the EUW International Board.

Europe and the immigration dilemma– reform or retrenchment? The interminable scenes of people escaping poverty and war, risking their lives to reach European borders, have done huge damage to the EU. We now risk an immigration problem merging with a refugee humanitarian tragedy threatening to become a European credibility crisis. In the UK immigration worries continue to poll high with British residents. Latest immigration figures at 330,000 net are the highest on record. We are victims of our own success as strong economic recovery acts as a magnet to EU residents benefitting from free movement of labour, whilst Brits disobligingly decide things are better at home to the detriment of NET immigration figures. Always difficult for a Government to promise targets for something over which we have no control! 20

Whilst skilled immigration in particular can bring many economic benefits, and we must not forget that up to 6 million Brits enjoy the hospitality of other countries, the perception is largely negative. Studies suggest that a 10% rise in the proportion of semi-skilled/unskilled migrant workers leads to a 5.2% reduction in pay levels. It is also not in the interest of countries like Poland to have lost 15m of its highly educated population to work abroad rather than help the economy at home. Repatriating child benefit payments to children of East European workers who have never set foot in the UK is another irritant which is why benefit reform is so essential let alone sensible.

the free movement of labour, the universality of benefits and the suspension of Schengen when faced with extraordinary external pressures as we see at present.

If the EU is serious about reform and indeed its own sustainability then conditions need to be attached to

Editors note: This article was written before the referendum but applies as much to an independent UK.

Tim Loughton MP Member of Parliament for East Worthing & Shoreham

European Union of Women British Section

The Refugee crisis in Bavaria The numbers of Refugees arriving in Bavaria has risen slowly during the last 8 years. A dramatic rise in the numbers of more than 400% has occurred during the last 12 months. Whilst in the past the majority came from the Balkans we now see most refugees arriving from Syria, from Afghanistan, Iraq, Nigeria and Ethiopia, as well as some other states. When the first massive waves of refugees started to arrive in Bavaria in August and September 2015, Munich was the City that had to cope with this near tidal wave. Due to an incredible effort by the local people and the actions of a very capable minister for employment, social affairs and migration, Mrs. Emilia Müller (former president of CSU women’s association), and a tireless city council, a total collapse of the public systems was prevented. The pictures of up to 20.000 refugees arriving at Munich central station went around the world and there were times when the numbers of journalists and TV Stations reporting the issue caused serious problems for the officials having to look after law and order. At the beginning, simple aid was needed most. Due to the heat, water and sun shelter, food and clothes and basic hygienic provision, especially for

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the many babies and small children was what was needed. Most of the refugees had hardly enough clothes, many even without shoes. In the first two weekends in September more than 400 doctors and additional medical personal were needed to see that all arriving refugees had a first medical check, as required. The task of finding doctors who were properly registered as qualified for these governmental procedures, at the weekend, was very difficult. There were moments when tents could not be bought anymore, as there are no more containers suitable for shelter available anywhere in Europe. Once routines and structures had been established, the situation in Munich improved. By October around 400.000 refugees had arrived in Bavaria since February. In this number it is the group of so called ‘unaccompanied minors’ which cause a lot of worry. We have up to 10.000 youths aged 6 to 18 that need to be cared for under the regulations of youth care. Not only are many of these children traumatised and need special care, but they have to be sheltered and housed away from the other refugees even if they are from the same region and travelled with people who looked after them when they lost their parents and siblings. They have to attend school, so we needed to recall teachers

from retirement and set up classrooms for special language classes etc. As numbers of children in Germany and Bavaria had been diminishing over recent years, the plans were for less schoolchildren, not more and we were not prepared for this situation. More than 50% of all unaccompanied minors arriving in Germany are now the responsibility of Bavaria. Another problem we face is the consequences of the efficiency in the Berlin ministry responsible for distinguishing between asylum seekers and refugees, according to the Geneva Convention and applying for their status. The thoroughness of bureaucracy, appreciated in times when speed is not required has now backfired. When we talk about the asylum petitions which have been dealt with by our governmental institutions and are part of the statistics we read and talk about, these are the petitions from 2014 and early 2015. Systems had been planned and installed for “normal” occurrence of refugee movements but seem to be inoperable when refugees arrive in these numbers. So many people arrive whose language is not understood, who are without any proof of identity and who need support from qualified personnel and translators to help deal

with all their immigration questions. This needs to be available, not only in large cities such as Munich, but also especially in the rural border communities. During the years in which the refugee situation was not so much in focus, the question of migrants that had not received a permit to stay and should have returned home has been neglected. As it is not a pleasant task and attracts negative media attention to “forcefully” return families to their home countries, some of which had waited for a jurisdiction on their asylum request for many years, the malpractices have been numerous all over Germany. The consequences are lack of space in the sheltered houses for the refugees who really need help.

The reality is that we must cope, we all together, not one country alone! It’s no excuse to argue that we all didn’t know this was going to happen. A Crisis is a crisis because we were not prepared. It does not help to waste time in searching for individual responsibility - we do not have this time. For the last centuries, people have been fleeing Europe due to war and famine. Europe is now a place where people seek security and we should remind ourselves of our own history, of what we- painfully- learned from history and what we achieved. I hope we seek strength from this heritage and prove the values we now hold and defend our beliefs and principles in these difficult times.

In the early 1950’s Pablo Picasso drew 29 drawings to illustrate Paul Éluard’s collection of poems Le Visage de la Paix (The Face of Peace). This series of drawings uses varying combinations of a dove and a woman’s face to expound the virtues of peace and the efforts that should be made to maintain it. We chose image No IV for the new EUW notelets. Five cards with envelopes for £4.00 per pack, in person at meetings and from Verity Vigars (post free).

Walburga von Lerchenfeld President of the EUW International Policy Commission

In complying with European law and following the agreed regulations, we are left in dire need of longer-term housing. Bavaria has managed to find housing outside the emergency shelter areas for about 120.000 people in the last months. So, with Bavaria being already densely populated and housing already so expensive, for example in Munich families or students cannot afford the rental prices, we see winter approaching with great anxiety.

Solutions are needed, but this seems to be the only agreement across Europe. When it comes to really addressing the burden-sharing, everybody here in Germany, and specially Bavaria, is under the impression that European solidarity is the most misused word of this time. The question is not if we can cope.

Face Dove by Pablo Picasso

We are also watching the situation at the German- Austrian border with great worry. After Hungary’s questionable move of putting up fences, closing up of borders between other Balkan states we see in the last two weeks a daily flow of up to 8000 22

European Union of Women British Section

per pack, in person at meetings and from Margaret Stockham Turner (post free).

Bavaria has now created special facilities for the migrants that have received the verdict to return to their countries and tries to speed up this process as much as possible, we are aware of the occasional personal tragedies, which will occur. In recent months, 0.9% have received Asylum Seeker status, 36.7% are refugees under the Geneva Convention and 38.4% are migrants that will have to return home. About 24% either leave for home voluntarily without applying for asylum or travel on.

refugees that are taken by Austrian buses as close to the border as possible and then “advised” as to where to cross the border into Germany/Bavaria. The time when the local population took this with a neighbourly sense of humour has gone. People want to help, but strength and resources are stretched to the limit.

The way forward for peaceful globalisation During the summer of 1944 a delegation of British officials embarked on a fateful journey across the Atlantic to Bretton Woods, high in the hills of New Hampshire, USA. The purpose for the expedition was to liaise with counterparts from 44 other nations. The intention was to engineer and implement a new precedent in peaceful international collaboration, based on mutual trust and cooperation, fuelled by the firmly held principle that the broad global interest outweighs narrow self-interest. This was the birth of the United Nations, and as a result, those nations involved have seen greater stability over the last seven decades. Evident is the number of fatal diseases eradicated, child and infant mortality rates have significantly decreased, average life expectancy increased, conflicts have diminished and hundreds of millions of individuals have been lifted above the poverty line. Move forward 72 years since that meeting and the world is now a very different place, driven in part by a technology and communications revolution. Back in 1953, when the EUW was in its infancy and the world tuned into the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, their TV experience centred on one BBC broadcast and one reporter’s voice, the mellow tones of Richard Dimbleby. In contrast, when Princess Charlotte was born last year, her birth was heralded by more than 25,000 tweets a minute! One of the major trends of our time is the shift in global power from west to east, and from north to south—from a few to a handful. The world is also having to adjust to the rising aspirations of citizens who feel increasingly part of, yet not quite adjusted to, our interconnected

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‘global village’. By 2030, the worldwide middle class is predicted to top 5 billion people, who will expect higher and higher living standards and increased ease in international movement as well as greater freedom, dignity, and justice. Why would they or should they settle for any less? The world will inevitably become a more diverse planet with exponentially increasing economic demands and a resultant escalation in the dispersal of power. In such a world, the decision making process will become a mounting challenge for leaders, reducing the ability to resolve issues efficiently and implement necessary changes, inevitably restricting the capability of quickly reaching a consensus on issues of global importance. The risk is that the global community will evolve into one, that whilst more integrated economically, financially, and technologically is, as a result, increasingly fragmented in terms of power, influence, and policymaking. This will inevitably, unless addressed, lead to greater indecision, impasse, and insecurity—and unfortunately, unavoidably (as can be seen repeatedly in world history) to frustration and the temptations of radicalism. How might governments manage these new pressure points? Where or what are the solutions? As the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jnr. once said, “We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” This analogy is as relative and applicable today as it was in 1964. At such a momentous time as this, we need to choose the ethos of 1944 over 1914 and rekindle the Bretton Woods spirit that has served us so well.

James Andrew Stockham Thanks to the inheritance of history, we have specific, working, forms of cooperation at hand. We can use the United Nations, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization as concrete, proven forms of global governance. We also have a number of ‘soft’ instruments, with the G20 and its summits at one end of the spectrum and the multitudinal networks of NGOs at the other. These entities have no formal mandates or legal powers of enforcement, but they do have a value. They can move and adapt rapidly at the same time wedging open the various doors of dialogue necessary in this ever- changing modern world. As Sir Winston Churchill once famously said, “to jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war”. Historical interpretation appears to illustrate that EUW arrived at the correct formula from its very inception…

Vision Aid Overseas: Ethiopia Rosi Bowkett writes about her recent trip to Ethiopia with Vision Aid Overseas. Her first with this group was to Malawi last year. I have been a dispensing optician for twenty years. I do not examine eyes but interpret the prescription from an examination to advise patients on types of lenses and frames. As a member of Vision Aid Overseas I was one of two dispensing opticians and four optometrists who went to Ethiopia last March. The project was for two weeks in a small hospital in Butajira about two hours’ drive south of Addis Ababa. The project was to assess and provide technical support with training for optometrists, dispensers and workshop technicians if necessary, both in the hospital and on outreach (villages in the area). Four of us travelled to a different village every day to test eyesight and provide spectacles if needed for the local people. Two of us would stay in the hospital watching, assessing and training, where needed.

of the pens, pencils, clickers, balloons, whistles and bubbles we had taken out with us.

and above all so rewarding to see the difference that one can make to people’s lives. I would definitely go again.

It was rewarding to see the number of organisations out there to help. Paediatric prosthetic limbs (a lot of polio), water production, and sewerage, to name a few. The Chinese are in the process of providing 300 miles of electricity pylons to supply power to villages. There were times when the shower wasn’t working and I was tired that I questioned why I had volunteered for this. It was exhausting at times. An emotional rollercoaster. But humbling

It was extremely dusty and at times the dust was so thick on the floors we had to wash them before working. Most of the people had pathological complaints and were seen by the local group of nurses. We saw only people who needed spectacles. Some we could give out straight away for a small price. Others with more complicated prescriptions went to the workshop in the hospital and wait for the glasses to be made. The furthest village we went to was 90 kms away! Though many were clothed in rags, especially the children who were also covered in dust, I found them to be a happy, friendly and gentle people. Helpful too, especially when I needed an interpreter, when they would all join in to help. The children were a joy and we had fun playing with them at the end of the day handing out some 24

European Union of Women British Section

The Olympics and politics I am sure we are all proud of the performance of the 2016 Olympic Team GB, on and off the field of play. The Olympics is and should always be about competitive sport but, alas, this has not always been the case. It is eighty years since the Berlin Olympics in 1936. In many ways, the modern Olympics was ushered in then although the backdrop of a relatively fledgling National Socialist Germany was disconcerting and threatening. More recently, the United States led a boycott of the Moscow 1980 Olympics in response to the Soviet Unionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s invasion of Afghanistan, combining sport with international politics. Both examples serve to remind us of the fragility of relationships between and even within states. Today, the Olympic movement is having to cope with other challenges, notably the inappropriate use of drugs and the risks associated with the zika virus. The use of performance enhancing drugs is inexcusable so firm action must be taken to protect the integrity of all competitions. To undermine the achievements of honest people is disgraceful. This is why the behaviour of athletes in Putinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Russia must be checked, exposed and, if necessary, punished.

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The zika virus is a health risk but serves to underline the importance of having strong international cooperation in order to identify and deal with emerging diseases and viruses. As residents of Florida now know, living in the most powerful nation is not an ultimate guarantee against being exposed to such health risks. The lesson from all of these examples is simple. Sensible cooperation between nations is a precondition for all of us to fulfil our lives safely and happily. The political process must be geared to enable the Olympics to thrive because, in the final analysis,

it is a perfect forum for human endeavour to be showcased. We were thrilled to see our Team GB prove that point.

Neil Carmichael MP for Stroud Chair of Conservative Group for Europe

Europe Alive 2015 - Estonia “The Pearl of Mediaeval Europe”

September 2015 gave members a chance to see a part of Europe not previously visited by our members. Tallinn is the capital city of the new state of Estonia established in 1991. For much of the second half of the twentieth century, it had a turbulent history after being invaded by the Nazis in the Second World War, before the United Soviet Socialist Republic annexed it. It has a long and colourful history. The hotel in which we stayed, St Olav’s, is a mediaeval merchant’s house set in the middle of the old city of Tallinn. The old stone of the walls was revealed in places but some of the stairs were a little daunting. The Estonian Section of EUW welcomed us in a beautiful room and with a lovely dinner. The decibels rose as old friends renewed their contacts and new friendships were made. As there were thirty nine members from eight different countries, Bobbie Middleton used the opportunity to discuss the migrant crisis as seen from the viewpoints of different countries. Some people were able to give five figures that pointed to the scale of the problem but the more heartrending stories came from members from Austria, Greece and Spain. They spoke about the plight of the Syrian refugees 26

fleeing civil war and the devastation of their country. The members from Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, the UK and Estonia spoke about the problems encountered by the countries where the refugees were hoping to settle. The Europe Alive Commission adds a considerable dimension to the examination of European problems. Tallinn is a UNESCO World Heritage site. On the first full day of our visit, we set off, after a hearty breakfast, and walked, in the sunshine, to the Parliament Building, passing beautiful and historic buildings, to meet two members of the Estonian Parliament. After being shown into a large room, we were introduced to Mart Nutt, one of the two MPs, a member of the Constitutional Committee of Parliament who shared some fascinating facts about the country. Estonia consists of fifteen counties and has 1,500 surrounding islands. The population is 1,313,271. Finland is to the north, the Baltic Sea and Sweden to the west, Latvia to the south and Russia to the east. The Estonian voting system is one of proportional representation. Europe’s way of coping with the migrant crisis is understood by the

government but it feels that Europe is not able to absorb all those wanting to come, as many are economic migrants who, possibly, may not be in such great need. Mr Nutt suggested that large camps could be set up in countries nearer their own. Although migrants from the Middle East have yet to reach Estonia, there are, however, Russian political refugees unable to return home: Russia will not accept them as they no longer have Russian passports. These people are given grey passports to differentiate them from native Estonians when they can speak fluent Estonian. Makro Mihkelson, our second speaker, is the Chairman of the National defence committee and was elected in 2013. He thought the Middle Eastern crisis would be better dealt with at the root of the problem, in the area where the troubles are located. He also spoke about the UK referendum on leaving or remaining in the EU. He hoped, along with everyone in the room, it seemed, that the UK would remain in the EU as a calming influence at the top level of the EU. Estonia’s main concern is their neighbour, Russia. Mr Mihkelson has met President Putin at various conferences and the meetings left him concerned how things would be resolved: recent events have proved

European Union of Women British Section

him prescient. Estonian trade, mainly in wood and engineering, is keeping a door open for dialogue and an uneasy alliance is accepted. Mr Mihkelson had struck up a friendship with David Cameron when they met. On the way home we heard the announcement that NATO is to place troops from the USA and the UK in Estonia. One could feel the undercurrent that prevails in the country…or was that just me? We were then shown into the Parliament itself by a charming young man. He seated us in the upper part of the House and explained the format of a sitting. Since 1922, the sessions of the Riigikogu have taken place in the Toompea Castle, where a new building in an unusual Expressionist style was erected in the former courtyard of the medieval castle during 1920–1922. The cost of living in Estonia is very high but salaries are low. He believed that may be one of the reasons that migrants have so far not headed to Estonia. Benefits include a very small Child Allowance which covers little more than a packet of nappies. The old age pension is also quite low but there are hopes of an increase next year. Paid parental leave is for eighteen months, which either parent can take.

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On leaving the Parliament, we were taken by an elderly historian around the walled city. He gave a fascinating history of the country he obviously loved. Estonia has been conquered by almost every bordering country from as long ago as the thirteenth century when Teutonic knights rode in. A major Centre of the Hanseatic League has been developed. In Catherine the Great’s Parliament Square at the top of Toompea Hill, the viewing point allows a panoramic view of Tallinn. Laid out in the sunshine we saw historic buildings, many with red roofs, and belfries, appearing above the rich green tree tops and the very blue sea with the coast of Finland across the bay. After a delicious Estonian lunch of goulash or chicken with salad, we visited the local craft shops. In the evening some of us had already booked to go to the opera at the Ballet and Opera Theatre, the Rahvusooper, where we saw Paul Hindesmith’s “Cadillac. In the interval, Riina had kindly arranged delicious, and very welcome, coffee and cake. Arriving back at the hotel we found some members cementing friendships and drinking nightcaps, not put off by the slight drizzle.

The next day found us visiting the ancient city of Viljandi, Southern Estonia. We travelled for two hours through beautiful countryside covered with a fine mist. Our excellent guide answered every question we put to her. On arrival there was a wonderful reception laid on at the Town Hall where Mayor Ando Kiviberg and the charming Head of the Department of Public Relations and Tourism, Krista Kull had coffee and delicious buns filled, not with currants as one might expect but, with delicious hot sausage. The mayor delivered a history of the beautiful town with its cobbled streets and old oak trees. Later we walked around the ruins of an ancient Livonian castle which overlooked the town gazing at the valley with its four kilometre lake. The area is used for water sports and other activities, and the local folk festival. We also visited the Culture Academy which is a vocational training centre for young people. Students here are taught bricklaying and other related building skills. The government decided, after the drop in the birth rate after the baby boom of the 1980s affected the number of people wishing to go to university, that it would decree which subjects will be

needed in future years, whether it be medicine or engineering for example. The university then encourages students to take a degree in those subjects. When there is enough take up, the government covers all fees for those students. Then the university gains a large governmental grant. The situation is reviewed every five years. We had lunch cooked by the student chefs. We had a chance next to visit one of three places: a bed making factory, the most efficient automated parcel delivery service in the world or, as I did, the Karula Cleveron home/school for disabled children. It wasn’t quite as we expected as the children who had been placed there never returned to their families and it has now become a home for young adults. This establishment is a community on its own, not in the wider community, but it was full of smiling happy people, each with their own room, spotlessly clean. A positive experience. Our evening meal was at Olustvere Manor House which was built in the 1850s. Its last owner left it to the community to be used as a college for the populace. Glass blowing, ceramics. agriculture and, most importantly, vodka production are

taught there in order to help young people find work. They served an excellent meal here too. The next day we visited the TV tower which has the highest open balcony in Northern Europe! After learning the history we were able to make a DVD of oneself recording a message to take home. We moved on to the Kumu Art Museum which opened in 2006. The building won the European Museum of the year award and is considered an architectural masterpiece, with its curves marked out in copper and limestone to great effect. All our guides spoke excellent English, as this is the accepted language of EUW, and our guide at the museum, the highest building in Estonia, was no exception. She gave an extensive and interesting talk. Lunch here had been chosen by Riina which was to boost our energy for the afternoon’s tour. The Danish Ladies declared it one of the best chocolates they had ever had. Who am I to disagree? After lunch our destination was a schloss. The founder and previous owner, Alexander von Beckendorf as well as its subsequent owners

including Volkonski, was a close friend of the Russians Tsars. Czar Nicholas II and his family were frequent visitors. After a tour of the building when we were told of its history, we discovered that many grand buildings damaged by war are being snapped up by the nouveau riche who restore them to their former glory. The new owners, one Estonian and a Finnish architect, have done a good job here and it is hoped that it will become a National Trust style centre along with others of its kind. Our last dinner of the visit was served the restaurant “Napoleon”. After speeches of thanks to our charming hostesses and a photographer friend who had been such a help, there was the usual EUW raffle with many prizes. All the goodbyes and see you next year conversations brought an end to these wonderful few days. It was sad to say goodbye to this very welcoming country and its people. I would love to return. Maybe one day…. Estonia gave us a wonderful send off with brilliant sunshine, stunning colours with wonderful memories and new friends. My thanks to Aitah Riina, the Team and to Estonia. Iris Mooney

European Union of Women British Section

Extract from “Europe Alive – Early Memories” Europe Alive was the brain-child of our founder, Alison Tennant. The EUW had been in existence for about 25 years, and she felt there was a need for our grass-root members to meet members from other sections. At that time the only EUW members who had the opportunity of meeting other Section members were our Officers and Commission Leaders. Alison organised the first Europe Alive visit in 1979 in the Sussex area. Our visitors were put up in a lovely private home, taken to many places of interest, and driven around in Rolls Royce cars and the like! It was a great success, and Alison sat back and waited for return invitations from the other countries to pour in. But nothing happened. So, in 1983 Alison organised a

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meeting in West Berlin, assisted there by her old friend, Dr. Hilda Ribbe. Thirty five members from different sections of the EUW attended, including five members from the British Section. At this meeting the rules and regulations for future Europe Alive trips were discussed and formulated.

Editor’s Note: a full version of Doreen’s article will be available in next year’s Gazette alongside a contribution by Jill Brough, Europe Alive Commission Leader.

Future cities I visited during Europe Alive meetings have included Bergen, Sunne, Brighton, Nottingham, Budapest, Tahlin, Dresden and to Warsaw in 1997. The Europe Alive trips have continued, but Warsaw was the last one I went on, and I think it was the best. The attached picture is of our group in front of the Chopin Memorial statue in the Royal Baths Park. Doreen Holdsworth

Alison Tennant Memorial Lecture 2015 This year we were fortunate to have three members of Alison Tennant’s family with us again. Her three nieces, Pamela Sebag-Montefiore, Aurea Tennant and Veronica Lister captivated those present with their very personal recollections of Alison, including her philanthropic, public and political work. They had wonderful memories of her huge energy, passion for her favourite causes including EUW and her rather wonderful but chaotic lifestyle. Alison was well known for her charity work and could be seen cycling around central London with her bicycle completely laden with jumble for her charity sales at her church or going about her business as a Councillor. How life has changed in the last 40 years! Flick Drummond MP for Portsmouth South delivered the Memorial Lecture. Flick talked of her experiences leading to her selection as a candidate and her election in May 2015 and her early days in Parliament. Flick lives in Southsea and is married with four grown up children. She told us that it takes real commitment and tenacity to be elected, especially as a woman – but she does not believe in all-women candidate lists. She was

a city Councillor before she went to America from 1999-2004 where she saw the horror of 9/11 at the World Trade Centre and campaigned for John McCain. She was first selected to stand in Parliamentary elections in 2005, contesting Southampton Itchen and coming second to Labour’s John Denham. In the 2015 general election she was elected MP for Portsmouth South, having come second in the 2010 general election. As a past board member of Healthwatch and a member of the Community Health Council, Flick really cares about the NHS – and having lived in Australia and the United States she really appreciates how incredibly lucky we are to live in a society which provides free healthcare at the point of use. Flick told us that she is passionate about education and believes that a good education is key to everybody’s life chances. “If we get the education system right, children will be equipped for the career that they chose and good teaching is absolutely crucial”. Both Flick’s father and grandfather were soldiers, her father-in-law was in the Royal Navy and she was in the

Flick Drummond MP Intelligence Corps of the Territorial Army, so obviously she is very supportive of our armed forces – and told us she is looking forward to welcoming the new aircraft carriers to the Portsmouth Dockyard in 2017. Flick assured us that crime is going down but acknowledged that it doesn’t always feel that way when you read the papers. Her family were burgled while they slept, and so she knows the consequences of feeling unsafe in your own home. She therefore supports more visible policing, to reduce anti-social behaviour and so people feel safe to go out in the evenings. She also gave a brief overview of the main reasons she believed the UK should vote to stay in the EU.

European Union of Women British Section

Walking – an option for an anarchist Having spent a career in international journalism and PR working in more than 50 different countries, I have developed a natural aversion to airports and air travel. I prefer to walk, and since retiring I have logged thousands of miles under the soles of my well heeled boots. When I am asked why I do it, I often reply: because I am an anarchist. Walking is one of the last human activities that is not in one form or other regulated – there are (as yet) no EU directives on walking. Within reason, we can walk where we want and as far as we want. Walking, indeed, is the ultimate freedom; it takes us back to the speed at which the first men and women journeyed across our planet. You cannot travel any slower. At three miles an hour we have time to look around us and to think; and we become once more part of the natural environment. My first long walk on retirement in 2000 was over 1,500 miles to Santiago de Compostela – a pilgrim route that has become something of a rite of passage for the middle aged. I started in Walsingham in Norfolk, so that I could link two of the great pilgrim shrines of the Middle Ages and so that I could walk there from my front door. I live in Coggeshall, in North Essex. My next walk was closer to home – a 500 mile jaunt around the borders of Essex. This resulted in my first walking book – Frontier Country (Thorogood 2004). Other walks in our isles included my own coast to coast – a direct line from St David’s Head to Harwich – and a superb trek from Liverpool to Leeds along the old canal, and then onto Hull and down the east coast. I have crossed the Alps twice and walked across France a total of six times - once on my way to Santiago, two times following its canals, twice on walks to Rome and back and, more recently in 2014, on a return from Madrid to London. Each of these long-distance walks of well over 1,000 miles has brought its own rewards; and two further walking books emerged from my Roman adventures – A Long Way for a Pizza (Thorogood 2012) and The Wrong Way for a Pizza (Thorogood 2013). I am now also Chairman of the Confraternity of Pilgrims to Rome, an organisation that promotes pilgrimage to Rome on foot or bicycle and assists people making the journey. www. pilgrimstorome.org.uk. This summer I am heading down the Rhine and across Italy from Rome to Brindisi. I know my knees will conk out sooner or later, but when they do I will be able to sit back and savour the gift of all those magical miles – the view of a hidden green valley, the distant spire of a church or of a faraway snow-capped mountain – and my passion will merge with my dreams. Brian Mooney

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Gibraltar – British culture with a Mediterranean climate My younger brother, Chris won the first prize in the 2014 Branch raffle and whilst he was thrilled it also posed a problem … he had just started a new job and would accumulate just sufficient annual holiday to take a family break in the summer. So, joy of joys he presented the prize to me for my birthday. This is how my husband and I ended up jetting off for a two-night break to Gibraltar, with a VIP Rock Tour included, courtesy of the Government of Gibraltar in London.

border business relations. We stayed at the wonderful Rock Hotel, which is an imposing art deco building, clinging to the side of the cliff, overlooking the bay of Algeciras, the distant north African mountains and the Spanish mainland. We ate our first evening meal on the wonderful shady terrace that overlooks the bay, which seemed a million miles from the drizzle we left behind at Luton airport.

The British overseas territory of Gibraltar abuts into the sea at La Linea, and is a strange but alluring fusion of British life from days gone by, with Spanish weather. It has red pillar-boxes, fish-and-chip shops and Bobbies on the beat. The official language on the rock is English but Spanish is spoken widely, as is the local patois, which is a strange mix of Spanish, Genoese, English. The currency is pounds sterling but the shops and hotels also take Euros!

After breakfast the next day James, our fabulous tour guide for a threehour VIP rock tour, met us at the hotel and we were driven Rosia Bay to see the last of the 100 ton Victorian Super Guns. It is from this bay that HMS Victory, under the command of Admiral Lord Nelson, sailed with his fleet one day before the battle of Trafalgar. We drove along the beach roads to Catalan Bay, Camp Bay and Eastern Beach, which gave us a good overview of the geography before travelling up to the Nature Reserve.

With a population of only 30,000 people, politics is intertwined in the daily lives of Gibraltarians. It is a member of the EU, as part of the UK, but due to the Spanish claim on Gibraltar’s sovereignty, is also in the forefront of European politics because of the difficulties regarding the free movement of people and poor cross

Here we went down St. Michael’s Cave, which was long believed to be bottomless and it is said that the famous Rock Apes came to Gibraltar through this under-sea passage! Today the Cave is used for many functions, including concerts as its amphitheatre has impressive acoustics, giving the cave the

nickname of ‘mini cathedral’. There was one lone impromptu singer to entertain us as we marveled at the spectacular illuminated stalactites and stalagmites. We walked back to the mini-bus, watched by the native Barbary Macaques, a species of tailless monkey and the only free-living monkeys in Europe. We then drove through the long Keighley Way Tunnel, hewn through the rock, to the Great Siege Tunnels, carved out by hand during the Great Siege of 1779-83. The Rock is honeycombed with a 32 mile-long network of tunnels, including those excavated by the Royal Engineers in 1940 when Britain was at war with Germany and Italy and the future looked bleak for Gibraltar. It was amazing to follow in the footsteps of Churchill, Sikorski and De Gaulle and walk through the heart of the Rock. Our next destination was Europa Point, where we were shown the last of the Trinity Houses (or lighthouse) outside of the United Kingdom, standing at the southernmost point of Gibraltar, at the gateway between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. Near the lighthouse stands a memorial dedicated to General Wladyslaw Sikorski, the Commander-in-Chief of the Polish Army and Prime Minister of Poland who was killed in exile in 1943.

European Union of Women British Section

AND FINALLY . . . 60th Annivers Raffle Winners: 1st Prize: Chris King - Bedford Short break for Two to Gibraltar including Flights and Hotel accommodation with Breakfast and a VIP Rock Tour 2nd Prize: Pat King - East Yorkshire 2 days stay for Two in Kingston upon Hull (City of Culture 2017) which includes a VIP Museum Tour with accommodation and dinner at the Mercure Hull Royal Hotel. 3rd Prize: Penny Harbour Warwickshire Trip for Two on P & O Ferries from either Dover - Calais or Hull - Zeebrugge/ Rotterdam

To end our visit we made our way to the Moorish Castle and bathhouse from where we admired the stunning scenery and panoramic views. We then drove through the old town before returning to the hotel for an afternoon by the pool. After breakfast the next day, we did a little tax-free shopping in Main Street, lunched just off Casemates Square and explored the luxury residential, retail, and leisure facilities of Ocean Village, Gibraltar’s new commercial heartland. With the military cutbacks in the 1990’s it became clear that Gibraltar had to develop an economy and become self-sufficient, as it could no longer survive as just a military outpost. The economy is now thriving on port related activities, tourism, and financial services. One more afternoon in the sun and we were on our way home after a memorable and relaxing break. Thank you Jan Weller for arranging this wonderful prize with Albert Poggio OBE, the UK Representative of H.M. Government of Gibraltar. Dr Margaret Stockham Turner

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4th Prize: Delya Martin - Bedfordshire One night bed, breakfast and dinner for two at a Mercure/Jupiter Hotel UK 5th Prize: Pauline Young - Suffolk Mouse Man Cheese Board 6th Prize: Pam Rickards - Somerset Kate Adie signed Book ‘Fighting on the Home Front’ 7th Prize: J Morley - Nottingham £50 Theatre Vouchers UK 8th Prize: Bobbie Middleton Corbridge £50 Wine Voucher It has been ten years since I was coerced (albeit gently) into organising the EUW British Section Raffle. For the first couple of years I had the wonderful guiding hand of our lovely Audrey Hearn who kept control of the finances and, indeed, me (or at least tried to). Since Audrey retired I have continued with the Raffle until the end of 2014 when I regretfully handed over the reins. Over the past ten years we have raised around £10,000 for EUW

experienc helps her c their best they feel a followed b which I sp EUW".

Lynne Hope Britishwas Section andexciting I do hope all the 2013 a most year Winners thiscelebrated time felt it our had for EUW during when we been worthwhile entering, not amazing 60 year Anniversary.only becoming recipientsdraw of some During thethe November very interesting prizes but giving ten lucky winners of the EUW valuable support to walked EUW. I should Anniversary Raffle off like to take this opportunity give with some amazing prizes. to It was a huge thank you to sponsors of our wonderful to follow up on those prizes a few of whom include P & winners and indeed share with you O Ferries, David Davis MP, Mercure their comments. Perhaps this will Hotels, Marina Yannakoudakis MEP, also encourage you to participate Andrzej Puchaz President of Travpol, in next year's raffle. Nikki Bogardus of My Color Rx, Albert PoggioWhite OBE the representative Helen wasUK the lucky recipient of H.M. Government of Gibraltar of the most generous VIP visit to and indeed our very own North Warsaw donated by TRAVPOL which Essex and Suffolk and West included a three day stay forMidlands two at Branches of EUW. Thank you to you the luxurious Intercontinental Hotel all. Without you and indeed others, for two nights with buffet breakfast our winners have and a privatewould deluxenot City Tourhad with such a wonderful opportunity. English speaking guide. You will find the results of this amazing prize in Following the 2014entitled, Prize Draw was Helen's own words on itpage wonderful to catch up with some of 10 in this Gazette. the winners. I say some as a couple as you will see kindly gavewas their Our second prize-winner Karen prizes very generously to others. Hearn who enjoyed an overnight stay for two in London at the New Our First Prize winner Chris Cavendish Club, and a was personal King the brother of our Chairman colour analysis with Nikki Bogardus Margaret Stockham-Turner who of My Color Rx. Karen said " It was a kindly gave Margaret the prize thoroughly enjoyable colour analysis as part of her birthday present. Margaret said “ It was a most memorable and relaxing break thanks to Jan Weller who arranged this wonderful prize with Albert Poggio OBE the UK Representative of 33

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Delya Mar recipient o Theatre Vo donated b Branch of E a thrill and vouchers i It was won my husban We went to 'Evita', whi going to L production enjoyed ou another ha our EUW la appropriat and espec so hard in

H.M. Government of Gibraltar”. You can see a more in-depth article from Margaret elsewhere in the Gazette.

“A Mini Cruise sounded lovely, but unfortunately we have been unable to take up the offer”.

a brilliant prize, most exciting and something anyone in EUW would enjoy winning”.

The winner of our second prize was Pat King who, unfortunately due to ill health was unable to use this prize. Therefore Pat, in true EUW fashion, kindly donated it back to the branch with Hilary Thornton becoming the thrilled recipient. Hilary was delighted with the prize as Kingston upon Hull was, ironically, part of her childhood and she told me that “During the War (WWII) the statue of King William III that stood in the Docks was transferred by my Father on one of his flatbed trucks, to safety in the Countryside”. “After the War my Father took both my sister Betty and I to collect the statue from his hiding place. As the straw was removed a glint of gold was revealed which was quite magical, especially when the statue was fully unveiled, glinting in the sunshine. It was quite a symbolic moment in time before returning the King (affectionately known as King Billy) back to his plinth in the City”. “Thank you EUW for a memorable prize”.

The Fourth prize went to Delya Martin who became the winner of the one night bed and breakfast at a Mercure/Jupiter Hotel and said” It is a wonderful opportunity to travel to somewhere we haven’t been before”.

Finally Bobbie Middleton became the thrilled recipient of the 8th prize of a £50 Wine Voucher and told me “It was very much appreciated, a big surprise. It enabled us to get something a little bit special, also allowing us to encourage a small Wine Merchant business run by Claire who recommended something she felt we should enjoy. Thank you EUW”.

Penny Harbour was the recipient of our third prize of a trip for two on P & O Ferries but Penny told me that

Pauline Young was delighted with the Fifth prize and said of her Mouseman Cheeseboard “Just what I would have chosen. I used him at Dinner Parties and have had lovely comments from friends. It was presented to me with great ceremony during our North Essex and Suffolk Branch Christmas Lunch.” The Fifth Prize winner of Kate Adie’s signed book ‘Fighting on the Home Front’ was Pam Rickards who told me “I loved having a book written by a woman who had such a courageous career path, and had shown no avenue was closed to women. It makes me feel the struggle EUW have had to improve women’s representation is being supported by such special people.”

I should like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you for the generosity of all those of you who supported the raffle during the past ten years and wish all the winners have as much enjoyment with their prizes in the future. As I write this I know Val Baxter has been busy sending out the Raffle Books for 2015 and should like to wish her every success for the future. Thank you again EUW for all your support. Lynne Hope Raffle Organiser Raffle Winners 2014

A £50 Theatre voucher was happily received by J Morley who said “It is

Elisabeth MORIN-CHARTIER EUW International President On September 29th, I had an interesting and fascinating meeting with Priti Patel. It was her first official coming here in the European Parliament; it was a great honour to be her first meeting of this special day. We discussed the important employment issues within European Union, and I informed the Minister that my constituency, the region Poitou-Charentes, is a land of welcome for British citizens who gladly took up residence. I’m sincerely pleased, as President of the European Union of Women, to closely work with such driving, hard-working and understanding lady. I hope our cooperation will lead to efficient European policies and new constructive meetings. Warmest regards 34

European Union of Women British Section

EUW International Report from Margaret Hales, International Vice President This report covers the two years 2015 and 2016. At the Council Meeting in Warsaw in April 2015, Elisabeth Morin Chartier (France), Vice Presidents Barbel Steinkemper (Germany), Aphrodite Bletas (Greece) and myself, together with Sonja Steigelbauer (Austria) as Treasurer were re-elected- so giving stability to the Board. EUW continues to pull itself into the current decade. The business plan is agreed and step by step, changes are being made. The finances have been difficult as austerity measures affected EUW sections, political parties and individuals . Yet the commitment of EUW members remains such that the Treasurer Sonja Stiegelbauer has been able to keep sections within EUW- and balance the books! Section Greece has rejoined after several very rocky years of politics in Greece, Spain has elected a new EUW President and Austria has successfully reformed its section. Malta is active again, Sweden is encouraging young members and France has set up a new branch. We welcome the young bright faces of the section of the Czech Republic. British Section is considered by all ‘the jewel in the crown’! We continue to have talks with ‘new’ European countries as potential new sections. Margaret Turner is deputed to try to rekindle the enthusism of Ireland! The constitution is being updated to take into account electronic means of communication and the process for elections has been streamlined. Barbel has a draft of futher proposals to keep us sharp and focussed.

Gazette 2015/16 2014/15

Commission Presidents and Vice Presidents have remained essentially the same, so allowing the Commission Presidents to improve their communication with members. This is sorely needed as despite improved communication through social media, commissions currently do not communicate. The excellent work of commissions in the British Section is noted ; the resignation of Delya Martin was sadly received as Delya has been a stalwart commission member over the yearsas well as latterly the international President of the Education and Employment commission. Thank you Delya. In a prescient moment, the April 2015 Council agreed to the topic for the work of commissions ‘Mass Migration in and out of European borders, a new challenge for Europe’. We will also be working on ‘Unregistered children: a fight for equal access to education, health and personal security’ so that we can contribute to the next UN Commission on the Status of Women, 61st edition, in March 2017 in New York. Despite electronic means of communication, (email, Facebook, Twitter etc) face-to-face meetings are still important. The cities where the Board habitually meets (Paris and Brussels) have been under attack by terrorist murderers as well as strikes and disruption. Seemingly nowhere is free from the threat. But EUW was formed in extremely difficult times and over 60 years later we are made of strong stuff, we reject the fears and will continue to meet. The next Board meeting is in November in Paris. The 2017 Council meeting is

planned for June in Prague and we hope that many members of EUW can come and join in our discussionand see this incredible central European city. The importance of working together in Europe has never been greater. European peace, democracy and freedom were at the core of the foundation of the European Union of Women in 1953 and remain so today. Despite (or perhaps because of ) the worries of separatism and ‘exits’ within the European Union family, EUW in 2016 provides a wonderful opportunity: we women can, through the mechanism of EUW, share information and ideas, formulate solutions and, perhaps the most important, craft friendships that deepen our understanding of each other. Once again, I wish to record my considerable thanks to all in British Section for proposing me as International Vice President of EUW so I can continue to work within the executive and Board of the European Union of Women.

Margaret Hales MBE Vice President EUW margaretgeraldhales@gmail.com +44 7408 862516

EUW International Board at work

European Union of Women British Section

Regional and Branch Chairmen Eastern Region Jan Weller 01277 215341 sam.janweller@btinternet.com

Greater London Area Frances Bouchier 020 5940 3668 francesbouch@gmail.com

Bedfordshire and Milton Keynes Evelyn Joy 07773 914442 evelynjoy@btinternet.com

London Central Fay Buglass 020 7937 6743 f.buglass@btinternet.com

Central Essex Jan Weller 01277 215341 sam.janweller@btinternet.com

London South West Florence Gomez 020 8788 5596 rence2502@aol.com

Hertfordshire Audrey Hearn 01707 873084 audreyhearn@waitrose.com

London South and Surrey East Kathleen Davies 020 8660 2983

Norfolk-Norwich Elaine Robinson 01945 772978 elainson1@gmail.com

North East Region Ann Charlton 0191 213 2109 michael.charlton@charltonco.uk.com

North Essex and Suffolk Sue Jowers 01206 382975 sue.jowers@hotmail.co.uk

Tyne and Wear Silvia Leigh 0191 285 8388

East Midland Region Jill Brough 01509 856752 jill.brough@btinternet.com

South East Region Christine Armitage Hinks 01323 844285 cdarmitagehinks@aol.com

Itchen Test and New Forest Sally Elliot 01202 874847 sally_elliot@talk21.com Western Region Maureen Tomlinson 01985 213136 m.l.tomlinson@talktalk.net West Midland Region Margaret Renney 01684 573249 mwrenney@btinternet.com South Warwickshire Vanessa Lewis 01789 842552 vanessa@lewis-email.com Severn Vale Margaret Renney 01684 573249 mwrenney@btinternet.com Yorkshire and the Humber Region Lynne Hope 01482 632218 lynnehope@lynnehope.karoo.co.uk Yorkshire Branch Lynne Hope

Wessex Region Julia Bryce 02392 731913 1mbryce@hotmail.com Wight and Hampshire South Julia Bryce 02392 731913 1mbryce@hotmail.com

Gazette 2015/16

2015/2016 Regional and Branch Reports Eastern Region The last two years at Eastern Region have been as full and eventful as ever with the Branches individually also having successful meetings. Our 2014 Autumn Lunch in Cambridge was addressed by Sir Tony Brenton who was extremely knowledgeable about Russia and the Ukraine. Our guest speaker at the AGM in May, 2015 was Dominic Brett from The European Parliament in London who, once he had assessed the calibre of audience he was addressing, upped his game and gave an excellent talk. He also reported back that it was a long time since he had laughed so much over lunch! The 2015 Autumn Lunch, again in Cambridge, was visited by Lord Tebbit who, it is well catalogued, was inclined to vote to come out of Europe. Once he had found the hotel, his talk was both stimulating and amusing at the same time. There was a minority of the audience who agreed with him but there was also some, openly expressed, dissension. It was an extremely good lunch and he was an excellent table companion. At this year’s AGM in June we welcomed Mary Dejevsky, a renowned journalist and overseas correspondent, who spoke superbly well on Russia’s involvement and perception of Syria. However, I have yet to be convinced that Putin is a misunderstood man. The officers quarterly meetings in Saffron Walden continue to be well attended, where views from around the region are expressed and guaranteed feedback from the centre can be given to the members. Whilst membership continues to be good it is still always a struggle to gather support for the autumn lunch and the AGM. I do not know what the answer is to persuade members that there is a wider life outside their own Branches, as attracting good speakers is dependent on well attended meetings. I should like to thank everybody who contributes to making the Region thrive and also our much appreciated speakers. It is particularly gratifying to me that whilst the Cambridge Branch has had to close, Val Godby continues to be so involved with the Region. Jan Weller Regional Chairman BEDFORDSHIRE & MILTON KEYNES BRANCH At our 2014 AGM, we had a change of officers. I said I would remain as Chairman for one more year and Evelyn Joy was elected Vice Chairman. This was part of a succession plan, so that Evelyn could become Branch Chairman in May 2015. This was confirmed at the 2015 AGM. We had an enjoyable Summer Supper in June, hosted by 38

Cllr Peter Hollick, a good friend of our local EUW. Our guest speaker was Alistair Burt, MP for NE Beds and former junior Foreign Office Minister, who dealt with twenty seven of the most challenging countries in the world, including Syria, Libya, Tunisia, Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan. Alistair’s talk was fascinating and thoughtful. He clearly has a passion for the Middle East, established during his long years as a prominent figure in Conservative Friends of Israel and during his three and a half years as a minister and deserved his reputation for even-handedness across the sectarian divides of the region. Although Alistair was far too much of a gentleman to confirm that he had taken the fall for the failure of the Prime Minister to carry the vote on intervention in Syria, we were left wondering whether he had effectively “taken one for the team”. Malcolm Harbour CBE, former MEP for West Midlands and Chairman of the EU Internal Market Committee, was our guest speaker at the Autumn Lunch in November, and his talk was also very interesting. A few weeks earlier Malcolm had a bad fall, breaking his hip in several places, but he had recovered sufficiently to attend, and was in good form. He began by saying that as he trained as an engineer he thinks of himself as an applied scientist. Malcolm had chaired the European Parliament’s influential committee on the Internal Market and gave a very compelling talk on the importance the EU is to the success of the UK, giving examples of how we export many more cars than we did throughout the 1970s and 1980s – mostly to Europe, through our free trade agreements. Margaret Stockham Turner kindly hosted a Coffee Morning in February with her wonderful home baked cakes. We made enough profit during the year to donate £500 to British Section. We have welcomed four new ‘younger’ members in the past eighteen months so our challenge is now is to hold meetings at times and places that suit working age women that can be attended by the longstanding members Both of us give sincere thanks to our officers for their hard work and support. Lynne Faulkner Branch Chairman 2014/15 Evelyn Joy Branch Chairman 2015/16 Hertfordshire Branch At the Annual General Meeting, held in April 2015, I took over as chairman from Audrey Hearn, who had been our stalwart chairman for many years, after taking over the role as secretary in 1983! She has now agreed to be our honorary president. We are a small branch with seventeen

European Union of Women British Section

members and several regular supporters. Robert Sturdy was the speaker and related stories about his activities since retiring as an MEP and, in particular, a tour he had made to France visiting landscape, seascape and mile long trenches dug by men during the First World War, a terrible war for the loss of young men’s lives. On the EU he said that he felt that whatever disagreements there may be on legislation between the countries, the pact was keeping any more wars at bay. During last year, we enjoyed a Strawberry Tea Party and ‘big’ birthdays being celebrated with a special lunch and there is a real feeling of friendship between the members. We are so lucky to have such a lovely venue and hostess as Margaret and her team to care for us. Our outside caterer dishes up delicious lunches. Our speakers have included Alistair Burt MP for North Bedfordshire, Peter Lilley MP for Hitchin and Harpenden, a very interesting speaker from the Mission to Seafarers Charity and then Mr Grahame MansellGrace, (the brother of one of our members) who is involved in obtaining European Grants for companies for research. He demonstrated how industries invent, manufacture and develop new products all over the world during every single minute of every single day with such speed that we cannot comprehend. Unfortunately, this year, I had to step down as chairman and Audrey very kindly resumed the role. We have 4 meets a year, held in Hitchin, at lunchtime and have a variety of speakers including M.P.’s, M.E.P.’s and representatives from commerce and charities. Delya Martin Branch Chairman 2014/15 Audrey Hearn Branch Chairman 2015/16 Central Essex Branch We have welcomed some extremely good speakers over the past two years who have been subjected to the third degree by our questioning members. I unreservedly pass on my thanks to them all. Geoffrey van Orden spoke to us on defence pre-referendum and I should take this opportunity of thanking him for keeping the Eastern region so well informed during the campaign. In November 2014 we were visited by Sabine Staffelmayr from The Austrian Embassy who was very federal and was given, I regret to say, a very hard time by our members but I do wonder if she has reflected on the meeting in the interim, particularly in respect of border control. In March 2015, Peter Fisher, the well-respected Human Rights lawyer who wrote an article for the last Gazette, spoke to us leading to probably one of the most moderate of our members to ask about our Human Rights. Another queried the expense of protecting Salman Rushdie and, inevitably, Julian Assange. In September Peter Wilding from British Influence gave such a good talk that we all agreed it could have gone after lunch. On a completely different tack Dominic Lyle, the Director General of the European Association of Communication Agencies, gave a wonderful talk on the influence of advertising and PR on all walks of life.

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In January, 2016 John Bowis OBE tried to convince us of the benefits of membership of the Union with particular regard to health, which is his forte. He is a very companionable and interesting man. Dr. Prothmann from the German Embassy, regretfully, had to cancel March due to a trip to Germany and, also, I suspect the fact that the German Embassy by that time could not afford to become involved in discussion regarding the referendum. Irina Kirillova, known to many of you, very kindly stepped in at short notice and spoke about the popularity of Putin with the Russian people. Maybe he is misunderstood by the West? At our AGM in May Eleanor Laing gave a completely unbiased view of the referendum and its possible outcome. In her position as one of the deputy speakers she could only take this approach but she did set out the pros and cons in a manner which all the members felt had been sadly lacking to date. This is a short resumé and we must not forget our two jolly Christmas meetings with lighter but excellent speakers and our two summer charabanc outings which are always enjoyed by all. I am particularly fortunate with my enthusiastic committee and only hope that our Branch never succumbs to the lack of officers that has become a problem to some otherwise thriving Branches. Jan Weller Branch Chairman Norfolk & Norwich branch The AGM was held 13 May Committee President Aini Larner Chairman Elaine Robinson also secretary etc Treasurer Averil Brown Audrey Baillie Dorothy Waring The chairman told the branch that this would be her last year in office. We had good speakers; Lynne Faulkner; Mike Nairn ( a counsellor); Chloe Smith MP; Irena Kirillona and David Johnson (British Heart Foundation). We meet at hotels so there was some discussion about which ones we would use in 2016-7. One is being refurbished so we need another. The committee discussed this and Aini will arrange the booking. One member has resigned and our numbers are small but members come along. We have had one or two raffles to which members have given very generously. Members show interest in activities but as so many are very elderly it is rare for them to come far. There was disappointment that the Gazette had not been issued and I told them that it should be available in the Autumn. I had been asked to write to lapsed members and we discussed this at committee. It was decided that it would be better for members to contact them, as I do not know them. Elaine Robinson Branch Chairman 39

North Essex and Suffolk Branch In the last year we have listened to Mary Dejevsky, a writer and broadcaster and former foreign correspondent in Moscow, Paris and Washington. She is also a member of the Valdai Group and the Chatham House international foreign affairs think tank. She spoke about the present difficulties in the Ukraine and her understanding of the Russian people’s response to the fighting. At our Christmas meeting Brian Mooney, a former Reuters correspondent and now travel writer and author gave an illustrated talk on his books “ A long way to go for a Pizza” and “The wrong way to go for a Pizza”. Our winter meeting in January was addressed by Stuart Agnew, a lecturer in Criminology at University College Suffolk (UCS), on research by him and Dr Emma Bond, Senior Lecturer in the Department for Children, Young People and Education at UCS into domestic abuse in Suffolk. He provided members with a lucid description of the problem and relationship to criminal law, not only in Suffolk but throughout the UK and his report has been published by Suffolk PCC. http://www.suffolk-pcc.gov. uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/UCS-UnderstandingDomestic-Abuse-in-Suffolk.pdf In March we heard from Professor Whitely, an expert on British political parties and British voting behaviour; very pertinent in view of the forthcoming elections. Our AGM was addressed by Irina Kirillova, MBE, and a Fellow Emerita of Newnham College Cambridge in Russian Studies who provided her insight into three Russian Presidents: Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin and Vladimir Putin, drawing on her experience of all three whilst acting as a diplomatic interpreter for the Ministry of Defence. For our Summer Lunch in August we welcomed Ben Gummer MP for Ipswich and now Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality at Department of Health. He had previously been our guest speaker when he talked, as an historian, about his research into the Black Death which he has now published under the title “The Scourging Angel”. On this occasion he delighted his audience with a wide ranging talk on Europe, Globalization and the Nation State; his vision for the future economic possibilities for Ipswich and finally his hope of influencing a change of attitudes to care in the NHS. As Dr Margaret Stockham-Turner was also a guest at the lunch, we invited her to provide an insight into the work of the British Section and the Commissions to encourage more members to perhaps spread their wings and attend national and international meetings. After my inauguration as Branch Chairman at the AGM in April 2016 our speaker was Neil Carmichael MP who gave a very professional and detailed talk on Europe, and the reasons the UK should remain as a member of the EU. Neil is Chairman of the Conservative Group for Europe, 40

and within days, the word REMAIN was to become very significant in the forthcoming referendum. The Summer lunch, held at the home of our branch secretary Pam White proved to be possibly the crowning glory of our year. The speaker Mark Lewis proved to be a real find. He revealed the background to his experiences as lawyer to the Dowler family, and as a witness for the Leveson Enquiry into ‘phone-hacking. Mark will be a very hard act to follow. Our branch continues to grow (now 59 members) and the committee will be working hard to keep up the good work in terms of recruiting members and speakers. We contributed £1350 to British Section in 2015. We hope to encourage more of our members to attend to National and International events. Patricia Taylor Branch Chairman 2014/15 Sue Jowers Branch Chairman 2015/16

West Midlands Region We are still only two branches; South Warwickshire and the Severn Vale; combined we have 35 members not all of whom are active enough to attend our meetings. South Warwickshire has 23 and Severn Vale 14. Patricia Botfield retired from being Treasurer of the region and Severn Vale owing to ill health and we welcomed Lady Patricia Duckworth who volunteered to take her place. Our AGM was held at the end of June 2015 so we had our first meeting last September; meeting at the Falcon Hotel in Painswick when we had Neil Carmichael MP, Chairman of the Parliamentary Education Committee, to speak to us. The West Midlands was represented at the Spring Break by Linda Morley, Penny Harbour, Mary McGee and myself. Unfortunately, Linda and Mary were unable to attend the council meeting, but Vanessa Lewis, Chairman of South Warwickshire and Dianna Garner attended and stayed for the lunch. Penny Harbour and myself represented the West Midlands throughout the Break. Latterly I have not been able to attend South Warwickshire meetings owing to hip problems and family commitments. In April Penny Harbour kindly invited the members of the Region to a coffee morning at her new home in Henley in Arden. The President of South Warwickshire, Sheila Allen, together with Val Hill, represented South Warwickshire. The Severn Vale donated £500 to British Section in November and gave retirement presents to National Officers. Sadly, at our AGM we did not get enough support from the branches (none at all from South Warwickshire) to engage the eminent speaker, Richard Graham MP for Gloucester City, an Old Etonian and Parliamentary Envoy for Far East Trade. However, we still had the presence of our National

European Union of Women British Section

Chairman, Margaret Stockham-Turner to contribute to the importance of the meeting. The small numbers attending our meetings make it difficult to justify the time and effort of a speaker. As I have been Chairman of the Region for several years it is perhaps time for me to retire from this obligation. A discussion as to the way forward took place at the AGM with MST suggesting that we had a coordinator to replace me as no one had come forward from the Region. Our President, Penny Harbour, has sent a report to the Management Meeting to discuss the possibility of representation at Management Meetings by a Branch Chairman or other Officer. Penny Harbour and I attended the Management Meeting in London on 28th June; as no decision on my replacement has been finalised we have decided to continue as we are until June 2017 when a solution will hopefully have been found. I would like to thank my officers for their contributions throughout the year. Margaret Renney Chairman West Midlands and Severn Vale South Warwickshire I took over as Chairman in May 2014 and I am happy to report that the branch has continued to thrive with a current membership of around thirty - guests are always welcome also. We meet every two months in members’ homes where we have a speaker and buffet lunch. During the course of the past eighteen months our speakers have reflected what has been a busy time politically. At our AGM in May 2014 we welcomed Sibby Buckle a West Midlands candidate in the 2014 European Parliamentary election. Other speakers have been Professor Wyn Grant from Warwick University who spoke about the then impending Scottish referendum, Bryony Kapoor from the IMOS foundation who showed us portraits of EU citizens by UK artists, Nadhim Zahawi MP for the Stratford-upon-Avon area, James Holloway our long-standing local Conservative political agent, Malcolm Harbour CBE our former MEP who is still actively involved in European matters and Anthea McIntyre MEP. Professor Lincoln Allison has spoken to us twice about the implications of the 2015 general election result and the then forthcoming EU referendum respectively. Other subject matters have been renewable energy and the 2015 Europe Alive trip to Estonia. We have continued to hold our informal ‘coffee and conversation’ garden parties in July, an event we instigated in 2013 and which has proved to be very popular. Our speaker at the latest one had spent many years working for the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon starting in the Box Office for what was originally a 6 week stint but staying for several decades! She had some very interesting tales to tell.

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The Committee work hard to make the meetings a success and I am thankful for their support. We are also very grateful to our various hostesses who have graciously welcomed us into their homes and without whom holding meetings would be much more difficult. Sadly, two of our long standing members have passed away and we have lost one or two others due to ill health. On a positive note though we have also attracted a few new members. We participate in British Section events where possible. I am confident that we will continue to be an active branch in the future but are obviously interested to see what effects the decision to leave the EU will have. Vanessa Lewis Branch Chairman

South Hants & Isle of Wight At our first lunch in February 2015 our speaker was Stephen Shrier a local councillor who spoke to us on Israel. At our AGM in April, Lynne Faulkner gave an excellent account of her work with the European Economic and Social Committee. I took over from Sylvia Sillar as Chairman for the second time at our AGM. Several of us attended the Spring Luncheon in London and Sylvia & I went to the Spring Break in Peterborough. The June Lunch at my house was well attended. We had a light hearted quiz instead of a speaker. In September the lunch is again at my home. The speaker will show a film & talk about the Waverley Paddle Steamer. At our final event of the year in November our speaker will be Sir Richard Ottaway, who between 1992 & 1995 was Parliamentary Private Secretary to Michael Heseltine MP. In 1995 he was a Government Whip. Sadly we have lost three members this year but gained two new ones. We average around twenty four people at our lunches and we maintain a committee of seven members. In March 2016, our speaker after lunch was Michael Lane, a former naval officer and councillor who was a candidate for the Police and Crime Commissioner election. He was very impressive, and in May was successful in the election. In April, following our AGM, we had a talk from Frances Pilling from the Red Cross on ‘Refugees’. In June, our lunch was (as usual) at my home. A new member, Sue Tinney spoke to us on her work as an Ambassador for World Vision Senegal. Sadly, in June, our former Chairman Sylvia Sillar died after a few months with a serious illness. Her many friends were at her funeral, in Ryde on the I.o.W. We still all miss her. Julia Bryce Chairman

Yorkshire Branch This past year, 2015, our Membership has continued to grow, which has I feel, been helped, not only by the visits to a variety of well-chosen venues, and a varied array of fascinating and motivational speakers, but by the Members who have supported the branch during what has been a difficult time for many, both politically and personally. It is therefore encouraging that our members help to make us the vibrant and friendly branch we continue to be. We spent an amazing day with a grand Tour of Hull Trinity House which gave us a fascinating insight into both our City’s heritage and indeed the history of Trinity House. Another meeting gave us a most enlightening history lesson and great fun whilst - ‘Acting the Facts’ with Kate Brennan who took us into the ‘Emancipation of Women’s Rights’ when we all had a part to play during the Suffragette movement. This was followed by ‘Hats on for a Musical Interlude’ with a Champagne Afternoon Tea. We all donned our best and enjoyed singing along with Janet Jowett’s Songs of the past. Whilst a Summer Lunch on Board P & O Ferries enabled us to see the most amazing views of both the City and the River with of course a most delicious luncheon. Sadly since our last AGM, Elizabeth Headley-Green who was latterly our Vice President and past Treasurer for many years of the Humberside Branch, lost her long battle and died. Elizabeth was very much EUW and all it stands for. She will be greatly missed. Once again, I am happy to report that this has been yet another good year for the Yorkshire Branch with diverse and well-attended meetings, which have covered everything from Women’s Rights to St Nicholas! We started the year with our AGM and without the support of our wonderful members we would not have continued to be such a strong branch. Not only do they support our visits to a variety of well-chosen venues, with our varied array of fascinating and motivational speakers, but, are such wonderful, lively company who help to put a smile on even the gloomiest of faces. They have all continued to support the branch through what has been and continues to be, a very difficult time for many, both politically and personally. In December we held a ‘Going Dutch’ event at a local Dutch Pancake House, to help celebrate St Nicholas, organised by Jeanette Woodward one of our Committee members who also sang wonderful Dutch songs for us. One very beneficial meeting was when we welcomed Mr Mervyn Bishop MBE Chairman of Crimestoppers who gave us guidance and indeed an insight into cyber crime and telephone scams which sadly had affected some of our members. A lighter hearted meeting was with a guided tour and visit to the Bridge on Board P & O Ferries followed by a most delicious luncheon. We also had the privilege of hosting a Referendum meeting with the Rt. Hon. David Davis MP for the Leave campaign and Timothy Kirkhope for the Stay campaign who gave our members a very useful balance of opinions prior to the most important vote for this country of ours. I should 42

like to take this opportunity to say thank you to them both for taking time out for us during their very busy schedules, it was a most enlightening event. I should also like to take this opportunity to say a special thank you to our ‘Dream Team’ of Officers and Committee members, who between them have kept me very firmly under control (or at least they have tried). Sheila our President has kept her trained EUW eye on us all whilst Margaret has ensured our finances are very much in the black, which has kept us in the manner to which we have become accustomed! Whilst Lena our Vice Chairman and Secretary welcomed us into her beautiful home for various committee meetings. We have even managed to send a donation to British Section. We look forward very much to the coming year as our Yorkshire Branch moves forward with the wonderful support of our team of Officers, Committee members and of course our wonderful Members. Thank you to each and every one of you. I feel sure with such support for the future we cannot fail to go from strength to strength. Lynne Hope Chairman London South West Branch London South & Surrey East Branch London Central Branch Working together as

Greater London Region In London, we still meet centrally at St Ermin’s Hotel, every 2 months, with all 3 branches represented. SW London members have meetings and lunches in Putney regularly. Members attend British Section events and sometimes go on Europe Alive visits. On 2 June, Lady Borwick was the guest speaker at the AGM of Greater London. She had just been elected MP having been a councillor for Kensington & Chelsea. In the autumn, Charles Tannock MEP spoke interestingly about the European Parliament and its work at a lunch in an Earls Court Hotel. On April 15th, 2016, Bill Newton Dunn was the guest speaker at a popular lunch again in Earls Court. Bill had been an MEP since Britain joined the EU and only lost his seat in the last election. He was fascinating about the Referendum. As expected, there was a heated discussion afterwards. Greater London held its AGM and summer lunch in Richmond in June 2016. At the AGM, it was agreed that Fay Buglass would act as interim chairman of London Central and she plans to rejuvenate the branch with new and old members. It was also discussed that SE London would merge with Central London. I would like to thank all the active members of Greater London for their support and, particularly, Florence Gomez for her hard work in chairing SW London. Frances Bouchier Chairman

European Union of Women British Section

Commissions Report 2015 International Commissions Education and Employment Commission President: Delya Martin (UK) delyamartin4@gmail.com Vice President: Margareta Nordenvall (Sweden) mnordenvall@ sloan.mit.edu Second Vice President: Jacqueline Bourgeois (France) bourgeois.jacqueline1@orange.fr Third Vice President: Marianne Rauber Jaegli (Swiss) marianne. rauber@bluewin.ch Britain: Paule Richard paurichard@sfr.fr Denmark: Eva Moeller eva_moel@post12.tele.dk Germany: Anne Meuer-Willuweit willuweit@t-online.de Malta: Sandra Smart alexsma1964@msn.com Marion Pace Asciak marionpacea@yahoo.com Norway: Turid Johanna Kristiansen turid@knut.as Poland: Katarzyna Smulska kasia_smulska@gmx.net Ewa Strumiłło ewa.strumillo@gmail.com Sweden: Marianne Watz mariannewatz@gmail.com Switzerland: Lynn Mazzotti lynn@mazzotti.com Sustainable Development Commission President: Claudia Stuckman- Ivernizi (Germany) claudiastuckman@hotmail.com First Vice President: Erica Bargman (UK) rudgwickorganic@btconnect.com Second Vice President: Anine Skov- Hansen (Denmark) anine@ info.dk Britain: Liz Morrison liz08@sportingtactics.co.uk Malta: Barbara Buttigieg buggie747@hotmail.com Norway: Astrid Humborstad ashumbor@online.no Poland: Maria Dietrich mjdietrich@gmail.com Małgorzata Sztoldman mal.sztoldman@wp.pl Sweden: Lillemor Lindberg lillemor.lindberg@moderat.se Inger Wijk i.wijk@comhem.se Health and Social Affairs Commission President: Monique Martinet (France) air@airhandicap.org Second Vice President: Sally Elliot (UK) sally_elliot@talk21.com President: Maria Lundmark (Sweden) maria@pmlundmark.se Britain: Margaret Turner marg.turner@ntlworld.com Denmark: Nina Berrig nina.berrig@gmail.com Germany: Wiltrud Schumann WiltrudSchumann@gmx.de Anne Herzog AnneHerzog@t-online.de Malta: Evelyn Vella Brincat evelyn@vellabrincat.com Norway: Liv Vennestrøm livmv@online.no Poland: Hanna Winogrodzka-Szaflik hanna@szaflik.pl Wanda Albińska wandaalbinska@poczta.onet.pl Sweden: Margareta Cederfeldt margareta.cederfeldt@ riksdagen.se International Policy Commission President: Walburga von Lerchenfeld (Germany) frvlerchenfeld@ aol.com First Vice President: Fay Buglass (UK) f.buglass@btinternet.com Second Vice President: Christina Deligianni (Greece) deligianni@ gmail.com Denmark: Lizzie Lichtenberg lizzie_lichtenberg@hotmail.com Germany: Gabriele Gebessler gabriele.gebessler@t-online.de Maren Günther maren.guenther@t-online.de Beatrice Marnetté-Kühl marnette-kuehl@web.de Malta: Clarissa Portelli clarissaportelli@gmail.com Sweden: Walburga Habsburg Douglas walburga.habsburg. douglas@riksdagen.se Inger Renë nger.m.rene@gmail.com

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Page 43 Europe Alive President: Bobbie Middleton (UK) Bobbie.m@mac.com First Vice President: Sara Granklint (Sweden) sara.granklint@ savman.nu Second Vice President: Riina Enke (Estonia) riinaenke@hotmail.com Britain: Jill Brough jill.brough@btinternet.com Denmark: Ellen Simony e.simony@mail.tele.dk Malta: Anna Calleja ancalleja@hotmail.com Marthese Fenech marthesefenech@hotmail.com Norway: Aud Signe Retsby audsigneretsby@hotmail.com Astrid Humborstad ashumbor@online.no Poland: Ewa Hunca ewa.maria2010@gmail.com Legal and Human Rights Commission President: Gisela Grabow (Germany) gisa_ann@yahoo.co.uk Vice President: Petra Gardos (Sweden) petra.gardos@moderat.se Second Vice President: Kirsten Kirkegaard (Denmark) kiki@gentofte.dk / kirsten@kierkegaard.me Britain: Jenny Secker sjsecker@btinternet.com Germany: Barbara Gutmann dr.barbaragutmann@t-online.de Malta: Tiziana Grima grima84@gmail.com Norway: Aud Signe Retsby audsigneretsby@hotmail.com Poland: Ludmiła Wesołowska l.wesolowska1@wp.pl Sweden: Sara Granklint sara.granklint@savman.nu Petra Gardos petra.gardos@moderat.se

Standing Committees Constitutional Committee President: Francois Seme Wallon (France) fseme@wallon-experts.com First Vice President: Beatrix Karl (Austria) beatrix.karl@parlament.gv.at / beatrix.karl@uni-graz.at Second Vice President: Mika Ioannidou (Greece) ioanidou.eg@dsa.gr Election Committee President: Lillemor Lindberg (Sweden) lillemor.lindberg@moderat.se Vice President: Brigitte Bayle (France) baylebrigitte@yahoo.fr Second Vice President: Rose-Marie Umbricht (Switzerland) rm.umbricht@bluewin.ch Representatives on other bodies Council of Europe: Brigitte Le Gouis b.legouis@wanadoo.fr United Nations New York: Christiane Tricot chtricot@yahoo.fr UN Geneva: Jacqueline Bourgeois bourgeois.jacqueline1@orange.fr UN Vienna: Waltraud Hauschka waltraud_hauschka@hotmail.com OSCE: Christian Tricot chtricot@yahoo.fr Int.Democratic Union: Elisabeth Morin-Chartier elisabeth.morinchartier@ep.europa.eu emorinchartier.euw@ep.europa.eu European Dem.Union: Elisabeth Morin-Chartier elisabeth.morinchartier@ep.europa.eu EWA STEERING COM President, Vice Presidents, Treasurer +Substitutes: Britt Tryding and Astrid Humborstad

COMMISSIONS REPORTS 2015/2016

REPORT FROM FAY BUGLASS, VICE-CHAIRMAN, COMMISSIONS All the UK Commissions were very pleased that this time we had a topic we felt we could really get our teeth into. Little did we think at the beginning of the two year study that it would become such a burning issue across the whole of Europe. We were asked to consider the question “Mass Migration in and out of European Borders – a New Challenge for Europe?”. Since this was proposed for our work, the subject has rarely been out of the news and the situation has been changing almost daily. This produces additional difficulties for our reports on what is an already complex and multi-layered problem. We are pleased that Margaret Hales, the International Board Vice-President with responsibility for Commissions, has drawn up a list of responsibilities and expectations for International Commission Presidents. We hope that this will enable better communication internationally. Margaret has also produced a useful list of questions for each Commission and this has given us a good structure. Commissions Day 2015 was held at Europe House in September. We were delighted that Tim Loughton MP, now a leading member of the Home Affairs Select Committee, was our speaker then. He gave an informed and thoughtful view on the subject and has also written an article for the Gazette based on his talk. We are looking forward to this year’s Commissions Day – again in September. As always, we should welcome new members to our Commissions – there are now six: Education and Employment, Sustainable Development, Legal and Human Rights, International Policy, Health and Social Affairs and Europe Alive. If you are interested but don’t want to commit yourself until you know more, why not contact your chosen Commission Leader and come to a meeting as an observer? As many of you know, resolutions based on the work of the commissions of all EUW member countries are presented to the United Nations and the European Commission. Although we can’t change things on our own, we can contribute to the international debate in a very real way. It has been suggested that future topics for Commission work should reflect the current concerns 44

of the United Nations to give our submissions greater relevance – an excellent idea. Fay Buglass, British Section Vice-Chairman, Commissions, July, 2016.

Education and Employment Commission Parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Eastern Europe live in great turmoil due to wars (civil or religious or ethnic), poor economies and lack of resources which force people to leave at any cost, looking for a better life or political asylum. As a consequence Western Europe is facing the renewed phenomenon of mass migration. Among the countries migrants want to reach is Great Britain, as it is considered an “Eldorado or a magnet for highly educated EU migrants” 1 Very often migration is considered as a ‘hot potato’ because it is supposed to have adverse effects on various sectors of the economy. Is this a true or false perception? Indeed, mass migration has an impact on many sectors including public services, employment, the NHS and social cohesion, but a negative or positive impact? Let’s first look at the impact on public services. It varies according to the geographical area and depends on the number of migrants. The largest number is in London2 and is continuously growing. Most of the migrants are young and are less likely to use adult social care and health services. But on the other hand, being young they may have children and will rely upon maternity care and education. Here the expense of social care is lower than for the UK born but higher for education, especially if the migrants are unskilled and there is a language barrier. There is also an impact on housing since the stock of social housing has not grown in spite of the rise in population and it may deprive the UK born access to social housing so there is a Negative Impact. The migrants contribute to the provision of public service by paying taxes that fund the services. Some public services rely heavily on migrants. Should they not be there the NHS system could collapse - A Positive Impact. So it cannot be said with certainty what the impacts of migration are on the quality of public services. Migrants bring to the UK a wealth of culture, new ideas, competences but sadly some problems The problems may affect employment, since this depends

European Union of Women British Section

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critically on the skills of the migrants, the skills of the existing workers and the characteristics of the host country’s economy. Less skilled migrants are substitutes for indigenous labour and the competition increases for employment requiring fewer qualifications. Migrants with an intermediate level of education may have an adverse effect on the labour market for UK born workers with the same level of education. Negative Impact. But there are potential benefits especially in filling the gaps in areas chronically short of skills which affect the economy.

UK? Could this create ghettos within our towns or cities? Various reports show globally, that immigration seems not to affect social cohesion. There is no conclusive evidence that diversity within UK communities creates a negative impact on social cohesion. A report from the Adam Smith Institute states, “higher diversity only leads to a slight negative impact on generalised trust within UK communities. There is no evidence that diversity undermines other measures of social cohesion including civic participation, trust in authority and volunteer work in the UK.’ 5

“The UK chronic shortage of work force is hampering productivity and holding back the economic recovery business and leaders believe.’ 3 There are many sectors very short of qualified staff, for example the medical sector, IT, engineering …etc. So Great Britain has to attract competent migrants with a level of advanced education to fill the gaps or the vacancies without calling upon further education : Positive Impact

Paule Richard Education and Employment Commission Leader 1

The Fiscal Effects of Immigration to the UK, by UCL’s centre for research and analysis of migration. November, 2014

The Migration Observatory Oxford. December, 2014

3 4

Guardian Report based on Department of Education. June, 2014 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/ educationnews/11761250/More-than-300-differentlanguages-spoken-in-British-schools-report-says.html

“The Ties that Bind: An analysis of the relationship between social cohesion, diversity, and immigration” Adam Smith Institute. April, 2015

Mass immigration has put an unprecedented strain on Education The problem concerns mostly young migrants, but educating migrant women must not be forgotten in order that they will help to achieve better integration for their families. The first difficulty is most young migrants (and women) do not speak English. The teachers’ union warned that schools are struggling to cope with such a large influx of pupil. This has led to a situation where more than 300 languages are spoken by pupils throughout state schools. In some East London schools three quarters of the pupils do not speak English as their first language4. The teachers are not trained for such a situation. Money is need more schools, teaching staff and assistants. The government has reduced funding for English courses for foreigners, among other budget cuts. Primary schools are hit very badly. So private funding has to be called upon. Not only are schools are concerned but universities as well, as the government is contemplating reducing the number of students from abroad although they pay higher fees than UK-born students. This may be contrary to the need for highly skilled migrants. The language barrier may explain why British school children may be receiving a lower standard of teaching as a result of larger class sizes, an inadequate number of schools, resulting in lower attainment. As a result the British education system is under pressure. Negative Impact. If the newly arrived young migrants are trained properly, according to the needs of the country, or highly qualified or even trained in the UK to go back to their native land, then. Positive Impact.

CBI. December, 2014

Commission Members Paule Richard Email: paurichard@sfr.fr Jane Evans hazelwood54@tiscali.co.uk Greta Taylor gretataylor65@btinternet.com Penny Harbour pennynutlands@sky.com Pauline Walker 01708 458378

Europe Alive

Migrants bring a wealth of cultures

The Europe Alive 2015 was held in Estonia – eight members from the British Section joined members from Austria, Denmark, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Greece for what was (as described by one participant) an outstandingly good event, with the range of venues giving an excellent picture of a vibrant country. The presentation of the Defence Committee Chairman was also singled out as outlining a very positive case, especially in respect of countries bordering Russia, for the United Kingdom to continue to remain a member of the European Union

So the question is, because of the very large number of people with different religions and cultures coming to the UK, is there be a negative effect on social cohesion in the

Iris Mooney, attending her first Europe Alive, has written a detailed account of the Estonian visit, which appears in this edition of the Gazette.

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Page 46 My sincere thanks to Pam Rickards who kindly agreed to act on my behalf and expressed the appreciation of the British Section for the interesting, informative and enjoyable visit to the Estonian hosts. Europe Alive 2016 is being held in Salzburg – invitation from the Austrian Section. Nine members will be attending, five of whom have not been on a Europe Alive previously. Articles and reports will feature in the next Gazette. Jill Brough, Leader, Europe Alive Commission

Health and Social Affairs Commission Mass Migration, in and out of European Borders - a challenge for Europe. Migrants’ access to health and social care in the UK depends on whether they are considered a refugee, asylum seeker or economic migrant – and, currently, whether they are arriving from within the EU of from other countries. To understand economic costs and benefits it is important to understand what health and social support migrants are entitled to. Refugees, asylum seekers, and their dependents are entitled to receive full health care from GPs and hospitals, including emergency services and are exempt from prescription charges. Those awarded humanitarian protection and discretionary leave also have full entitlement. Asylum applicants, who have been unsuccessful and are awaiting deportation, receive only emergency care or treatment that is immediately necessary. Once someone has refugee status, humanitarian protection or discretionary leave they have broadly the same rights and entitlements to services as UK citizens and can apply for welfare benefits and tax credits. However, they may find it difficult to gain entitlement to contributory benefits as these depend upon having paid national insurance contributions. To make a claim for benefits they must provide documents to prove their immigration status. Refugees or people with humanitarian protection may also be eligible for an interest-free integration loan, to help cover the cost of the essential items needed to start a new life, for example a rent deposit or rent, work clothes or household items. This loan has to be paid back. An asylum seeker is not entitled to non-contributory benefits like Income Support and Housing Benefit and cannot claim contributory benefits as they have not paid national insurance. They cannot receive Jobseekers Allowance, as they are not permitted to work. 46

Commissions Report 2015 If someone has no means of support whilst asylum is considered, they may get financial support to buy essentials such as food, clothing and toiletries. Cash support for asylum seekers is less generous than mainstream benefits from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). Where government funded housing is provided, there is no choice about where to live and it will not be in London or the South East. Asylum seekers who have refugee status, or are given ‘Humanitarian Protection’ or ‘Discretionary Leave’ status can claim usual UK benefits if they satisfy the conditions. Those who have their application rejected and are awaiting deportation may get short-term support. A pregnant woman or with someone with children under three receives extra money for food. If pregnant, a refugee may also receive the one-off £300 maternity grant, if they meet certain requirements. This money is to help you with the costs of having and providing for the baby. The net fiscal impact of immigration (the difference between the taxes and other contributions migrants make and the costs of benefits and services they receive). This impact depends on the characteristics of migrants and their impact on the labour market. For example, migrants who are mostly young, skilled and doing professional jobs are likely to make a more positive net fiscal contribution than those with low skills and low work participation rates. The evidence suggests that the fiscal impact of migration in the UK is small (less than +/-1% of GDP) and differs by migrant group (e.g. EEA migrants vs non-EEA migrants, recent migrants vs all migrants). The pressure is therefore more on capacity of facilities and staff, such as hospitals and community health and social care staff, including GPs – not on how much we pay people in benefits. England has an independent regulator, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for health and social care that ensures services are safe, effective and of high quality. The CQC monitors services, and publishes its findings and ratings, so generally when the services are under pressure the quality remains good but waiting times for appointments increase. Therefore, large numbers of migrants in some areas may compromise resources and capacity but not the standard of care. Commission members did have concerns about particular issues such as FGM and forced marriage. Current policy has developed because of misplaced ideas of ‘cultural diversity’, when, in reality these cultural practices are simply matters of abuse and not much is done to tackle it with the kind of vigour that would apply if this number of ethnic British women and girls were receiving backstreet surgery or being abducted. There are different sorts of migrants, not all are entitled

European Union of Women British Section

Commissions Report 2015 to stay in the UK or seek asylum and a person’s legal status affects their entitlement to NHS and state benefits. Migrants make a net fiscal contribution to the UK as a whole, but this varies from region to region. Some poorer coastal or former industrial areas are finding that they are overwhelmed, particularly by asylum seekers because there is available and affordable housing. The NHS and social care systems are well-prepared to deal with diversity and the UK restricts migrants’ eligibility and access more than previously and more so than most European countries, but there is evidence of confusion around eligibility requirements. Generally health and social services are coping well, but where the numbers of migrants are large, waiting times (but not quality) are adversely affected. In most areas the care system is highly dependent on legal migrants to fill gaps in the workforce both at highly skilled levels (dentists, doctors and pharmacists) and low paid workers (care staff, porters etc.). Dr Margaret Stockham Turner Health Commission Leader Commission Members Leader (Interim) Margaret Stockham Turner 01234 293486 / 07808 939708 marg.turner@ntlworld.com Full Members Frances Bouchier 020 8940 3668 francesbouch@gmail.com Stephanie McKenzie-Hill 01825 732901 / +44(0)7889425123 Email: mckenziehill@btopenworld.com Associate Members Fay Buglass 0207 937 6743 f.buglass@btinternet.com Sally Elliot (ex officio) International First Vice President 01202 874847 sally_elliot@talk21.com Susan-Ann Dowle 01798 831671 postmaster@sadowletoes.plus.com

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International Policy Commission 2015 started on a positive note with hope and good intentions on several fronts. A new election in Gt. Britain was held in May 2015 won by the Conservatives under PM David Cameron. Plans to get to grips with Middle Eastern problems, ISIS/Daesh, Ukraine and refugees, local terror attacks abroad and at home were and are of prime importance. Little did one know that well laid economic and political plans in 2015 would be greatly altered in due course. Those in authority would realise quickly that most of them were already obsolete before they could be implemented. Plans to curb immigration into Britain and Europe from Asia and Middle East were being examined. Renegotiations of existent EU agreements appeared on the government’s agenda. David Cameron’s intervention and discussions at summits in Brussels stressed the immigration problem. Economic and financial austerity ramifications plus plans to move further towards a federal Europe as well as resurgence of right wing Euro-sceptics protests, led to a decision to call an early referendum (IN or OUT) for 2016. As terror attacks worldwide are everyday news in Australia, Bali, Indonesia, Paris (Charlie Hebdo, theatre, football stadium) Nice/France, Tunisia (2 attacks) Sharm-el Sheik/ Egypt, Brussels airport, California, Orlando/Florida, Istanbul/Turkey, Munich/Germany, claiming hundreds of innocent victims, it is of uttermost importance to establish a vigilant and functioning security system, monitoring who and where incidents occur and bring perpetrators to face justice. To mention but a few international leaders’ comments about a totally destabilised Middle East, the new incumbent president of Afghanistan, Mohammed Ashraf Ghani, stated some months ago that the only way to calm the explosive situation in Syria needed careful examination and deep research to find workable compromises, meaning international diplomatic dialogue, to deal with various militant factions (Suni, Shiite, Curds, Daesh and others) pursuing their own interests, detrimental to a peaceful and positive outcome of a complicated military confrontation in the Middle East. No end can be envisaged as yet and this has now resulted in major refugee problems swamping Western Europe. The Refugee Problem Further military escalation in the Middle East prepared the ground for hundreds of thousands of people to flee from Syria particularly and other neighbouring territories, to reach Europe by whatever means, by land, sea and

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Page 48 air, asking for asylum throughout the EU. Many refugees lost their lives on these journeys. The countries reached were swamped and could not process such large groups efficiently to grant asylum. In certain instances, points of entry were closed leaving refugees stranded in sub-human conditions. (Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Calais, Greece, Austria).Yet resources to find homes and security were beyond those beyond available resources. UNICEF, UN, MSE, NGOs, private charities still are there to help those, who had to flee to escape bombardments, terror attacks on a daily basis. However much help was made available, it was not enough. Refugees went to Jordan and Lebanon from Syria settling in camps, which are totally overrun, threatening the infrastructure of both those countries. The numbers of migrants, political or economic, constitute 30 to 40 % of the host countries in some cases, adding to their population. This is an untenable situation. The UK government is already supporting those refugees through a government foreign aid policy, hardly sufficient for them to survive on, resulting in hardship for women and children. The male population in these refugee camps in Lebanon and Jordan are excluded from finding jobs to earn money to support their families. The situation is hopeless and will hardly change in the near future. The UK promised to take 20,000 of the most needy women and children, the sick and elderly, to resettle them in the UK. Unaccompanied minors would be united with relatives in the UK or would be taken care of by respective councils. Camps are another solution to deal with refugees. Refugees are waiting to be able to leave camps and are searching for ways to escape these camps throughout Europe. Some of the occupants are taking risks to find a route to freedom perishing on the way, occupying boats to cross to Greece, to Italy from Libya by land, and sea in unseaworthy boats. Human traffickers are cashing in. Desperate refugees pay enormous sums of money to human traffickers. Responsibility, Funding, Support The stream of refugees trying to reach Europe to find a better, safer, economically more advantageous situation is not a new phenomenon. It has existed in the past 2 centuries and will always exist. Yet, the stream of now millions of refugees has its roots in the economically and politically unstable war-torn Middle East. Wars in that part of the globe, since the sixties, have not provided stability. Constant strife weakened existing infrastructures economically and politically. Whilst brutal dictators suppressed change, free democratic elections were unheard of and, if staged, new rules were not honoured (Iraq). The population is suffering. Once the US and the UK got involved in 2003, existing governments were removed. 48

Commissions Report 2015 Putting in place a newly elected democratic government did not prove successful. A new infrastructure was put in place overseen by those who occupied these lands. Middle Eastern countries descended into anarchy. Israel with its constant military retaliation towards Palestine and the Gaza strip is not providing stability. This unrest offers fertile ground for further escalating military interventions on civilians and property to destabilise political structures to gain power in the process. What had been supported by El Qaeda initially and the Taliban in Afghanistan, changed to ISIS, terrorised the whole of the Middle East (Kenya, Iraq, Yemen, Egypt and Europe. It is clear that the responsibility lay with governments in the Middle East, ignoring the repercussions, local tribal feuds and religious faiths. Refugees in Italy, Greece, Hungary, Austria, Germany The early endless trickle of refugees arriving in these countries has now become a flood. Refugees found ways to enter the EU by water and land without valid papers and nowhere to go, trying to settle in more prosperous parts of Europe, preferably Gt. Britain and Germany. The initially accepting guest countries are now swamped with refugees and can no longer cope with hordes of men, women and children. To register them without proper procedures makes it impossible to keep track of who went where. Fences and camps have been erected to organise an orderly registration. Large groups escape the registration process and run away, creating more problems for themselves and the accepting country’s authorities. All this has now resulted in most of Eastern European governments building stronger fences to stop these refugees from crossing borders into the next country. Camps have been placed next to borders. The mix of people arriving in Europe is varied professionally and economically, complicating matters even further, therefore, no one is in a position to find an end solution on how to deal with it. No one wants to accept responsibility as to where to settle these people and to find funding for millions of refugees. Whilst governmental support is given, local communities’ funds are not bottomless. Discussions in Brussels headed by J.C. Juncker have taken place, but solutions have not been found. The EU’s 7 point plan has not met with agreement of all EU member countries and is still only being considered. (2015/2016) It appears the Schengen Agreement might have to be reformed. The UK has not signed it. Rumour has it that a Green Card system to resettle in any European country might be implemented. Theresa May, former Conservative Home Secretary and now PM, touched on the subject, in spring 2015, but nothing has been done about it. Of course, refugees who made it into Germany and Scandinavia, which accepted the largest quota of refugees

European Union of Women British Section

Commissions Report 2015 to date, will have to be looked after by their governments – tens of thousands in one day!! Local governments and communities have to reach deep into their pockets which cannot be re-filled quickly enough by local taxes. Funds are clearly restricted. It must now be the responsibilities of all countries affected by this refugee crisis to relocate refugees and come together to find a workable solution very swiftly, as we are moving into winter months and the refugees need roofs over their heads. Categories of Migrants A very important task is to separate economic migrants from needy persecuted immigrants. Amongst those arriving on Europe’s shores are economic migrants, who want a better life and professional opportunities. They could in the long run boost European coffers by paying taxes to support the ever older growing population in Europe, who will be a burden to younger taxpayers of their respective countries. Eco-migrants will not have the same rights as the 1st category of those fleeing persecution and death in their homeland. The 2nd category of under 18 children and un-accompanied minors have to be looked after until the age of 18 locally. The 3rd category of so called refugees might be a militant terrorist group, backed by ISIS or other to find sympathisers in Europe for their cause! A 4th group of refugees (?) are profiteering traffickers, whose only interest is to make money out of other people’s misery. The differences of these 4 groups are manifold and can only be fairly accurately assessed until each and every refugee/migrant is questioned and registered. An important point to make clear to those wishing to come to ‘The Promised Land – Europe’ is that this is a total mirage. Was it not clear to everybody, who had to relocate and emigrate after WWII that only fitting in, earning money, submitting to local ways would bring prosperity and a safe domicile in a foreign land? A ‘Kindertransport’ statue at Liverpool Street reminds us of that sad time during WWII. Humanitarian aid stations have been established in Europe, by private donations (Munich train station, border charity, food help, clothing) from government agencies (free train tickets, bus transport, temporary shelter) and other charitable organisations. Considering this, there is no getting away from legally organised registration procedures. A Migration Watch Bill was supposed to have gone before Parliament on or around 14.9.2015 with details to resolve the problem. One must remember that the Schengen Agreement to move freely from one country to another

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Page 49 within the EU was not signed by the UK. It is, therefore, a priority for those who signed the agreement to find a way around the refugee problem otherwise people will die unnecessarily. Refugees roaming through Europe will be a target for right wing groups such as PEGIDA in Germany, Front Nationale in France, National Front and UKIP in the United Kingdom. Denmark made it categorically clear that it would not accept further migrants of any kind. The stalemate which now exists concerning the refugees requires very smart and fast thinking on behalf of the ever growing problem. BREXIT On 23rd June 2016 the UK government under PM David Cameron held a Referendum to put it to the country (incl. Gibraltar) whether or not it would be expedient to leave the European Union. 52% of voters agreed to leave, whereas 48% wanted to remain in the EU. For a considerable time before the Referendum discussions, opinions, suggestions were put forward to the EU and its members for change. No major breakthrough appeared to be forthcoming. The PM than decided to call the Referendum on 23rd June, hoping for the Remain campaign to succeed and to restart negotiations in Brussels leading to changes in regard to immigration, benefit payments to foreign workers (Polish nationals in particular) and ever closer union in the financial sector. Leaving the European Union would not be advantageous, politically or economically. Gt. Britain hoped to regain its sovereignty, control over immigration and enjoy a more democratic legislature in future. The Remain campaign underlined points that staying within the EU and its advantages of free trade, movement of labour, unrestricted travel, subsidies to agriculture and to education, science, technology, financial services would more beneficial than leaving the EU. The UK government had joined the EU in 1973. A Referendum was held in 1975 under the leadership of Ted Heath, then PM and had prospered over the years. Approval rating was 67%. In 2015 a legal basis for a Referendum in accordance with a Conservative Party Manifesto commitment was established when Parliament ratified the EU Referendum Act 2015. Brussels discussions for changes to existing EU rules proved to be unsuccessful even though some of the member countries supported the UK proposals. David Cameron, the then PM, decided to hold the Referendum. He had won the May 2015 elections giving him a majority. It was not expected that the Leave campaign could cut across his plans, voting against staying in the EU. The outcome forced him to leave the government and Theresa May, the former Home Secretary, became PM. Negotiations to leave the EU are now to some extent underway and pressure is on the government to trigger 49

Page 50 Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty. Only when Article 50 of the Treaty is finally triggered, will it be official that the UK is leaving the EU with at least another 2 years of more negotiations. Preliminary negotiations are underway between Germany’s Angela Merkel, France’s Francois Hollande and Italy’s Matteo Renzi to try to minimise the repercussions and fall-out for Europe, if Gt. Britain leaves the EU. As at least 2 general elections are on the cards shortly (Germany and France) it might not be a good time to start discussions or invoke Article 50 of the Treaty. Further conversations have to be held with Scotland’s SNP leader, Nicola Sturgeon, to convince her not to insist on staying in the EU as that would definitely trigger a second Referendum in Scotland with surely a negative outcome for the SNP as Scotland’s economic future would be very bleak. A quick solution to the exit of Gt. Britain is hardly on the cards for the foreseeable future. At present the UK is experiencing a downgrading on the financial world market of its credit rating by Standard & Poor. Only when a plan is finally agreed upon to leave the EU, can industry and financial markets plan vigorously for the future. It is worth mentioning that Nigel Farage, UKIP leader’s anti-EU campaign has succeeded and he is now stepping down having given the Leave campaign strong support and influencing large numbers of those voting to leave the EU. Irene Turner Leader, International Policy Commission Commission Members Irene Turner, Leader jpkturner@outlook.com Fay Buglass f.buglass@btinternet.com

Legal and Human Rights Commission We were asked to consider the following questions within the overall topic of the challenge for Europe of immigration: • Do the issues of human rights, special/specific rights and legal structures (perhaps temporary) need to be changed to deal with special situations. How does this happen? • Courts and judges and police need to be trained to be flexible. How does the host country apply necessary procedures which are different or contradictory to our European systems? • What interaction is there with the countries of origin? 50

Commissions Report 2015 • Who looks after land, property and rights of the migrants while they are away? How can they protect their interests while they wait to return home? These are very difficult questions, and we have only had time so far to consider the first two. In the UK the law of the country is enacted in Parliament by its elected members. As is normal with such primary legislation, much of the detail will be provided by Statutory Instruments. Although both primary legislation and Statutory Instruments can subsequently be amended, the latter can often be changed without requiring a formal vote in Parliament. At this time (November, 2015) a new Immigration Bill is going through the UK Parliament and much of it has general support. We do not feel that there is a need for any greater flexibility from the courts or police. Their job is to apply the law impartially without ‘special pleading’ from any group or individual. Similarly we are not happy with the idea of ‘necessary procedures which are different or contradictory to our European systems’. Again the priority should be to apply our democratically agreed laws, including any European legislation by which we are bound, without discrimination. The UK is very fortunate in not having land borders with the rest of Europe (exept in Ireland) and also not being a member of the Schengen agreement. This gives us greater control over non-EU immigration, though many of our processes could be greatly improved. In particular the delays in deciding the legitimacy of asylum seekers and refusal to let them work whilst appeals are pending are a significant denial of human rights. The old adage that ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ is particularly applicable here. It is a major step forward that the Queen’s Speech this year contained a commitment to amend the appeals procedure to: “Extend the principle of “deport first, appeal later” from just criminal cases, to all immigration cases. In 2014 the last government cut the number of appeal rights but other than foreign criminals, migrants retain an in-country right of appeal against the refusal of a human rights claim. We will now extend the “deport first, appeal later” principle to all cases, except where it will cause serious harm.” The UK has taken the decision to restrict the numbers of Syrian refugees coming to this country to 20,000 over five years, whilst continuing to give substantial support to refugee camps in Jordan and Lebanon. Although this seems little compared to Germany’s response, there are good arguments to justify this. Indeed, the Archbishop of Canterbury said in a statement on the 3rd September: “We need a holistic response to this crisis that meets immediate humanitarian need while tackling its underlying drivers. I commend the UK Government for its strong commitment to the world’s poorest people through the delivery of the aid

European Union of Women British Section

Commissions Report 2015 budget. It has shown global leadership by providing £900 million in aid since 2012 to the crisis in Syria. It has also shown moral leadership in using Royal Navy ships to save the lives of hundreds who have tried to make the dangerous crossing across the Mediterranean.” He also said: “There are no easy answers and my prayers are with those who find themselves fleeing persecution, as well as those who are struggling under immense pressure to develop an effective and equitable response. Now, perhaps more than ever in post-war Europe, we need to commit to joint action across Europe, acknowledging our common responsibility and our common humanity.” This is indeed, the challenge for our time. All these questions are hugely complex and we shall continue to consider them in greater depth over the coming year. Josephine Barrett, Leader. Commission Members: Josephine Barrett, Leader 01895 236172 Jbarretthighfield@outlook.com Jennifer Secker 01258 830149 sjsecker@btinternet.com Pat Taylor p.taylor120@btinternet.com

Sustainable Development Commission

Page 51 need to consider the key issues, collate facts and figures and give practical examples about the impact of migration on Sustainable Development. For instance, the previous project area of the Food Agriculture and Consumer Commission was ‘Food Waste – Food Ethics’. This focused on reports that between 30 - 50% of all food produced around the world is never eaten due to issues as varied as inadequate infrastructure and storage facilities through to overly strict sell-by dates, buy-one-get-one free offers and consumers demanding cosmetically perfect food. Outputs from the UK SD commission’s work need to have some traction in the wider UK ‘women’s world ‘in order to promote the work of EUW. This can be achieved in a range of ways, for instance in seeking to represent the perspective of women on relevant consultative committees, engaging with WI and NCWGB national forums , participating in national events and promoting our research work at local level. Liz Morrison, Leader Commission Members Liz Morrison (Leader) liz08@sportingtactics.co.uk Erica Bargman rudgwickorganic@btconnect.com Jackie Branson jackiebranson776@gmail.com Lynne Faulkner lynnefaulkner14@gmail.com

Current Status The Sustainable Development Commission is working on the topic: the sustainability issues involved in the movement of peoples – migration within Europe and immigration into Europe. Such an expansive topic within the complexities of ‘Sustainable Development’ provides no end of material, and a number of routes to follow. It is in fact quite a fascinating topic. We would welcome EUW members who can see the potential of the subject to contact Liz Morrison to discuss joining the team. Erica Bargman is International Vice- President of the Sustainable Development Commission, and the UK SDC is looking forward to working closely with Erica to support and perhaps shape the wider direction of the project across EUW. One of the most important ways to make the work of the SDC effective is to focus our efforts around the main leverage points in the wider system. To be effective, we

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Commissions Report 2015

EUROPEAN UNION OF WOMEN - BRITISH SECTION APPLICATION FORM FOR COMMISSION MEMBERSHIP Please note that all Commission members must be members of and abide by the rules of EUW. Name................................................................................................................................... (state Title, Mrs, Miss)

What experience can you bring to the Commission?

Address ............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. Tel No ........................................................................................................ (daytime)

Give details of any other Voluntary Social Work

......................................................................................................................... (evening)

undertaken, i.e. Schools, Hospitals etc.

Fax No ...............................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Email ...................................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................................................

Qualifications (Degree, examinations, publications)

Give details of any specialised knowledge or ability

.................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................................

Profession or Occupation ...............................................................................

In which Commissions would you be interested?

..................................................................................................................................................

1st choice: .......................................................................................................................

Languages (State: Fluent, Good, Some)

2nd choice: .....................................................................................................................

❏..........................................................................................................................Branch ❏..................................................................................................... Direct member If a member of a branch, to which branch do you belong?

Time available: Could you do some research work in connection with questionnaires received about twice a year? .................................................................................................................................................. Would you be able to attend bi-annual meetings in Europe of the Council of EUW if required? ..................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................. Experience (Have you served on a public or other body, e.g. Local or Area of Regional Authority, Community Health Council or Consultative Council and, if so, state which) (Also state which Committees and Office held) .................................................................................................................................................. .................................................................................................................................................. ..................................................................................................................................................

Date: .................................................................................................................................... Signed: ............................................................................................................................... Please return this form to EUW Organising Secretary P O Box 106 Minehead TA24 9DB Email: euw@euw-uk.co.uk

European Union of Women British Section

The future of EUW Since the Brexit decision, we have frequently been asked whether the EUW British Section will continue. The resounding and unequivocal answer is YES. Our purpose is still as relevant as ever – supporting women to be more involved in social, cultural, political and business life. This is a good time to take stock and assess what we should be concerned about. Below are a handful of issues facing women, not just on International Women’s Day, but all the time. It would be great to have a steer from you as to where we might focus our attention, bringing members more information and supporting social and political change.

increasing at an alarming rate. Despite this MPs rejected a 2016 amendment to the Serious Crime Bill to make abortion on the grounds of gender alone illegal. Because it may have inadvertently limited women’s rights to abortion of a foetus with a female-only life changing condition. However, this does not change the fact that a male child is considered preferable in some cultures and female foetuses are being aborted. Clearly there needs to be a way to tackle the underlying issue. Poor Parliamentary representation Proportion of female MPs (%)

Domestic Violence According to research quoted in radio soap The Archers (a guilty pleasure of your current Chairman), women who suffer at the hands of domestic violence are stuck in this situation for nearly three years on average before getting the help they need and many are in touch with professionals five times in the year before they find refuge. With budget cuts and closure of women’s shelters this situation is unlikely to improve. Female genital mutilation (FGM) FGM is a global problem that is knocking at our back door. The Home Office estimates that 170,000 girls and women living in the UK are survivors of the practice, with 65,000 girls under the age of 13 at risk – the highest figures of any EU country. There is legislation but reporting levels are understandably low and action is rarely ever taken against perpetrators. Trafficking

Source: House of Commons Library

In the UK 71% of MPs are men and although the percentage of women did go up in the 2015 election there is still a long way to go in terms of equality. Please send your views to Verity Vigars, whose contact details are on the inside front cover.

Adults and children are trafficked within their own country or across international borders, including to the UK. It is said that women and girls make up 98% of the victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation and as modern slaves to undertake domestic duties. Trafficking is the fastest growing criminal enterprise in the world. Gender-selective abortion A 2014 survey suggested that sex-selective abortion was

Gazette 2015/16

What is the European Union of Women? This is often the first question we are asked by speakers, or one of the early messages we want to get across to potential new members. Well, firstly the European Union of Women (EUW) is nothing to do with the European Union (EU) although we currently share nearly half our name with theirs! Indeed, we pre-date the EU by several decades, having been established in 1953. We are a European-wide network of women interested in political and social development and cultural exchange. As a non-governmental organisation accredited to the United Nations and the Council of Europe, we campaign for the recognition of human rights and especially women’s rights in Europe and beyond - including against all kind of violence against girls and women and all kinds of discrimination. The Aims of EUW EUW is based on the ethical and moral values which form the basis of humanitarian principles. We stand for the safeguarding of human dignity, freedom and the rights of

the individual and the maintenance of the cultural heritage of Europe, as well as for social and economic progress. Following these principles, EUW above all: • defends the rights of women • works to promote the equality of women in political, economic and cultural life • campaigns against oppression and all kinds of violence against women. The EUW maintains that these aims will only be realised by increasing the influence of women, and our structure gathers the different knowledge and expertise of women from different cultural backgrounds, sharing their experiences and looking for common solutions. We offer support for women – especially those from young democracies – to articulate their needs and demands, to find their place in the political and social structures and to make their way through the institutions so as to help achieve their potential and aims.

EUROPEAN UNION OF WOMEN BRITISH SECTION MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION FORM Name:............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Address:........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... .............................................................................................................................................................................Postcode: ......................................................................................................... Telephone:..........................................................................................................................Mobile:............................................................................................. Email:................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Fax No: ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. Profession/Occupation: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... How did you hear about EUW? .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Areas of interest: .................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... Would you be interested in becoming a member of a Commission? ........................................................................................................................................ When completed, please return this form to: European Union of Women, P O Box 106, Minehead TA24 9DB 54

European Union of Women British Section

org.u . s p m a c b w.fa

Activities

FAB holidays provide a full programme of popular events for families, including a variety of day trips and younger children’s activities.

What is FAB?

Families’ Activity Breaks (FAB) is a non-public funded, tri Service charitable initiative in partnership with YHA (England & Wales) Ltd., providing fun and challenging activity camps around the UK for bereaved Military families. Families’ Activity Breaks If your child is aged up to 19 years old and has suffered the loss of a loved one who was serving in the Armed Forces, then you may be eligible for a FAB camp. The holidays offer an adventure for all the family and a welcome break to meet and socialize with others who have experienced a similar loss. A loved one can mean a parent, a step parent, or a child’s legal guardian, carer or sibling. FAB was originally conceived in early 2008, and run as a highly successful pilot in the summer of 2009 where 24 families attended at two locations, Coverack in Cornwall and Whitby in North Yorkshire. We continue to use both of these locations, however we have increased the number of families who benefit from these camps to approximately 50 per year. FAB is staffed by volunteers from the Armed Forces, Defence civilians and Ex-Service personnel, helping as mentors, lending a helping hand or simply being someone to talk to. They are all trained by a bereavement counselling service who specialise in supporting children and young adults facing bereavement.

All activities are conducted by fully insured, qualified and professional instructors using national standards of protection and safety equipment. A selection of activities available at our locations include:

Archery

Learn the ancient art of archery and compete with Robin Hood. We offer plenty of instruction and practice sessions before you put your skills to the test and attempt to hit the bull’s eye!

Orienteering

Find your way back to base using a map and compass. You will be competing against other teams so you have to make sure you pay attention to all the instructions. The first team back wins a prize!

Team Building

Working together, you must get your team from point A to point B without stepping on the ground, using pieces of wood and a couple of tyres.

Horse Riding

Learn all about taking care of horses, from feeding to grooming, riding and mucking out! Afterwards, you’ll be able to put your new knowledge to the test in a ride around the paddock!

Cycle Rides

Our designated cycle tracks enable you to go fast with off-road mountain biking through woodland, or to take with the family cycling through some glorious countryside.

Jacobs Ladder

Working in pairs, see if you can make it climbing all the way to the top of the ladder. Beware though, the gaps get bigger the higher you get!

Nightline

With all your team wearing helmets and blindfolds, you have to find your way back to camp avoiding the obstacles in your path, including tyres, tunnels and huts.

Tree Climb

In your safety harness, take the hand and foot holds and climb to the very top of a huge pine tree, and make sure to admire the view when you get there!

Canoeing/Kayaking

Take your time admiring the scenery from a different perspective on the water. You’ll get all the safety advice and instruction you need before you get out there.

Climbing & Abseiling There will be lots of instruction before you tackle the climbing wall, if you make it to the top you’ll feel the total exhilaration of abseiling all the way down! Mountain Boarding Snowboarding without the snow. Mountain boards are snowboards with wheels, which means you can have all the fun but without the cold weather to deal with! Windsurfing Smaller sails and large stable boards are used to help you learn this exhilarating sport quickly, easily, and, safely. Royal Yachting Association videos for coaching are also used.

High/Low Ropes

With your safety systems in place, you start on the low ropes to get a feel for it, move yourself from one stage to another as you work your way up to the very top of our climbing frame.

More info at: www.fabcamps.org.uk

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ANNUAL MEETING and ALISON TENNANT LECTURE 2016 Tuesday 15th November 2016 in London Guest Speaker: Angela Knight CBE Angela Knight CBE is the Chair of the Office of Tax Simplification and Board member of Transport for London, Tullett Prebon and Brewer Dolphin. Previously, she has been Chief Executive of Energy UK and the British Bankerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Association and was a Conservative MP for Erewash 19921997, holding the post of Economic Secretary to the Treasury for two years

For details and bookings contact: Verity Vigars 0844 585 7515