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You are here: Home / Archives for Chapter: UK

ASAP Writes Open Letter on Migration

2015-09-17 By ASAP Global

For Immediate Release

Academics Stand Against Poverty

London 17 September 2015: Open Letter on Migration

[Available in Arabic, Chinese, Czech, French, German, Greek, Italian, Macedonian, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Spanish, and Turkish]

To add your name to the open letter, click here.

We are a global community of scholars from a range of disciplinary and geographic perspectives. We are concerned about the refugee crisis that is presently unfolding in the wider Mediterranean region and distressed by the inadequacy of official responses thus far.

To read our letter on openDemocracy, click here.
To read our letter on openDemocracy, click here.

We face two urgent moral tasks: (1) to ensure the safety and well-being of those who have been forced to move; and (2) to address the systemic problems that are forcing people to migrate in the first place, so that migration will always be a choice and not a necessity. The first is most immediate, but ultimately the second is most important.

The global community’s long-term aim should be to address the patterns of violence, poverty, and uneven development that force people to leave their homes. Context matters. We must recognize that these patterns are features of an international system – of geopolitical maneuvering, resource extraction, trade and finance – largely designed by a small number of rich countries that derive great material advantage from it. It is crucial to protect the victims of this system and to work for its reform. This includes working to end resource wars, stemming illicit flows of capital out of developing countries, making trade regimes fairer, respecting national sovereignty, and responding to climate change.

The present crisis offers a monumental opportunity to turn tragedy into a positive global legacy. It was out of the chaos and mass displacement of the early 20th century that, as a global community, we created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Refugee Convention with its Protocol, and a variety of structures to ensure peace, security and justice for all. Yet today, with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees estimating that the number of displaced people worldwide is at an all-time high, those structures are being tested.

Now is the moment to re-assert our global commitment to peace, security and justice. This is a collective and ongoing endeavour that goes beyond the narrow territorial concerns reflected in the focus on border control. As an international community, we must find new ways to work together.

At the same time, we must uphold more immediate responsibilities. The responses of citizens and communities globally to the current mass movement have far outstripped in human compassion the responses of most governments. We call upon all governments, including European and Gulf States, but also those further afield, to offer sanctuary to those who need it. This includes swift access to humanitarian protection (including support to those crossing the Mediterranean); opportunities for work and livelihood; and the registration of children born to displaced families. We urge national and international bodies to prioritise additional funding for refugees (that does not deplete existing aid or climate change commitments); and to ensure that efforts to ‘fight trafficking’ do not become an attempt to prevent migration.

Closing borders to stop people moving is not a solution. Research shows clearly that blocking individuals at points along their journey pushes them to find new migration strategies, which only makes their situation more precarious.

We need a political commitment from regional and international entities to work together. For example, we urge European states to redouble efforts to build a genuinely humanitarian European-wide response, and to provide resources and mandate to EU institutions to coordinate a truly effective response: to both protect those migrating today and to stop the likelihood of such movement in the future. A global response that addresses the systemic drivers of mass displacement (including conflict, uneven development, generalised violence and persecution of minorities) has the potential to create a positive global legacy in response to the biggest migration challenge of the twenty-first century.

Signed,

Thomas Pogge, Director of the Global Justice Program and Leitner Professor of Philosophy, Yale University, USA

Tendayi Bloom, Global Justice Program Fellow, Yale University, USA

Cat Tully, Strategy & Security Insitute, Exeter University, United Kingdom

Katie Tonkiss, Lecturer in Sociology and Policy, Aston University, United Kingdom

Feargal Cochrane, Director of the Conflict Analysis Research Centre, University of Kent, United Kingdom

Jeremie Nare, Chargé de Programmes, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Mitu Sengupta, Associate Professor of Politics, Ryerson University, Canada

David Álvarez, Sociology Department Faculty, Universidade of Vigo, Spain

Txetxu Ausín, Researcher, Institute of Philosophy, CSIC, Spain

Mladjo Ivanovic and Dr. Anna Malavisi, Department of Philosophy, Michigan State University, USA

Gabriel Amitsis, Associate Professor of Social Security Law, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Greece

Robert Lepenies, ASAP Global Colleagues Program Manager and Post-Doctoral Fellow, European University Institute, Italy

Henrieke Max, ASAP Global Colleagues Management Team Member, Germany

Ruth Blackshaw, ASAP Global Colleagues Management Team Member, USA

Luis Cabrera, Associate Professor at the School of Government and International Relations, Griffith University, Australia

Ashok Acharya, Professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, India

Paula Casal, Professor at Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain

David Rodríguez-Arias, Ramón y Cajal Researcher, University of Granada, Spain

Carissa Véliz, DPhil Candidate, University of Oxford, UK

Jason Hickel, Postdoctoral fellow in Anthropology at the London School of Economics, United Kingdom

Keith Horton, Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Wollongong, Australia

Helen Yanacopulos, Senior Lecturer in International Politics and Development, The Open University, United Kingdom

Mitu Sengupta, Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at Ryerson University in Toronto and Global Coordinator at the Centre for Development and Human Rights in Delhi, India

Zorka Millin, Senior Legal Advisor for Global Witness, USA

Matthew Lindauer, Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National University, Australia

Thana Campos, Research Associate, Von Hugel Institute, St Edmund’s College, University of Cambridge, UK

Ellen Szarleta, Director of the Center for Urban and Regional Excellence and Associate Professor in the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Northwest, USA

Henning Hahn, Academics Stand Against Poverty, Germany

Diane Velica, Academics Stand Against Poverty, Romania

Nicole Selame, Academics Stand Against Poverty, Chile

Gottfried Schweiger, Academics Stand Against Poverty, Austria

Oluwaseun Olanrewaju, Doctoral Candidate, Geneva School of Diplomacy and International Relations, Switzerland.

Nita Mishra, Doctoral Candidate, University College Cork, Ireland

Maria João Cabrita, Researcher at the Political Theory Group, Universidade do Minho (Portugal)

Rachel Payne, ASAP Global Coordinator, USA

Chelsea Papa, ASAP Program Manager, USA

The letter has also been signed by the ASAP Global Board and chapters/associate chapters in Austria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Germany, Greece, India, Ireland, Oceania, Portugal, Romania, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and West Africa, as well as members of the ASAP Global Colleagues Program.

You can add your name to the above open letter here.

Media Contact: Chelsea Papa, chelsea@academicsstand.org

If you would like to translate this letter into your own language, or you have shared this letter on another online platform, please e-mail us at chelsea@academicsstand.org and we will add the links to this page.

Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) is an international association focused on helping researchers and teachers enhance their impact on poverty. ASAP’s overarching aims are to contribute to the eradication of severe poverty worldwide and to help ensure that poverty policy and development efforts are guided by rigorous empirical and normative scholarship. ASAP recognises that poverty is a process, not a static given. It seeks to address the root drivers of impoverishment in both the global and domestic spheres and to highlight how some of the factors can worsen poverty in both affluent and less-affluent countries. ASAP’s theory of social change focuses on both institutions and norms. Inspired by how engaged academics helped transform views on civil rights, the US war in Vietnam, apartheid and lately gender inequality and violence, ASAP holds that we can help achieve a decisive shift of views on poverty and poor people worldwide.

Sign up to join ASAP’s network and follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest.

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: Chapter: UK, Theme: Institutional Reform

ASAP Chapters: 15 and Growing Worldwide

2015-03-18 By ASAP Global

ASAP now has fifteen Chapters launched or in development in Austria, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Mexico, Oceania, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, and West Africa. With more than 1,200 ASAP members working and studying in universities, research centers, and NGOs worldwide, the ASAP Chapter Network is growing rapidly. Chapters are exploring new ways of collaborating to contribute to the eradication of severe poverty. We’d like to share some of the Chapter accomplishments and help you get connected.

ASAP RomaniaSinaia Presentation 1 is exploring a possible research initiative on the welfare of elderly people in Romania, along with projects on poverty measurement aimed at influencing the Romanian development agency and on increasing coverage of poverty-related issues in the Romanian media.

ASAP Oceania published a response to the 2014-2015 Australian federal budget and its impact on the poor and marginalized; their report focuses particularly on foreign aid, indigenous communities, and welfare programs.

ASAP Germany is playing a key leadership role in the Global Colleagues project and recently held an event for the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. They are also developing a research project on responsible investment and a group on economics and philosophy.

ASAP Austria is co-organizing a conference focused on absolute poverty with ASAP Germany, has recently completed a book on poverty in Austria, and has developed a mentoring program pairing up disadvantaged young people and college students.

asap usaASAP USA is interested in initiating projects on integrating the study of poverty into college curriculums and will hold a launch conference at Michigan State University in 2015. In New Haven, ASAP Global Headquarters, ASAP co-sponsored two public events on the Sustainable Development Goals and global justice in development, which featured scholars like Jeffrey Sachs, James Hansen, and Amartya Sen.

ASAP Brazil is researching the impact of Millennium Development Goal 2 – Achieve Universal Primary Education – in Brazil, and is negotiating with the Brazilian Ministry of Public Affairs for formal inclusion in its activities.

ASAP Canadaasap canada recently held a very successful event titled “Rethinking Sustainability Beyond 2015: An Agenda for Citizen Action”, which was attended by over 150 people and featured a presentation by Stephen Lewis.

ASAP Italy is planning to promote the debate over intellectual property rights and access to medicines among the main academic and institutional players in Italy.

ASAP Cambodia is planning a launch event in December and is interested in taking the Global Colleagues initiative forward.

ASAP Spainasap spain is planning a contest for the design of a universal flag of humanity and is developing a set of standards for ethical purchasing at
universities.

ASAP West Africa is planning a launch conference, to take place in Lagos in 2015, and is looking to conduct projects to improve quality of education across primary, secondary and tertiary levels.

ASAP IndiaAshok in B Nagar (1) is ASAP’s biggest Chapter, with roughly 125 members. They are currently working on the Know your Rights India and Global Colleagues projects, and have applied for a grant to initiate a project connecting university students with young people living in slums.

ASAP UK is developing a poverty audit, while concurrently conducting research projects comparing poverty in New Delhi and East London, and analyzing the role of the City of London in facilitating illicit financial flows.

Recently, the entire Chapter network was mobilized for the stop tax abuse petition. Chapter members were instrumental in the petition’s success.

Recognizing the importance of collaboration in addressing global poverty, we hope that the Chapter Network will continue to work closely and grow, uniting academics worldwide. New guidelines for chapters will be published on the website in the first quarter of 2015. Given the successes achieved thus far, we are excited about what the future holds for the Chapter Network.

The Chapters have recently redone their web pages – please see the ASAP website for further information and updates. If you would like to get involved with the Chapters, or any of the exciting projects outlined above, please reach out to the contact person listed below.

ASAP Austria: Gottfried Schweiger – gottfried.schweiger@sbg.ac.at

ASAP Brazil: Thana Campos – thana_campos@yahoo.com.br

ASAP Cambodia: Pahlaj Moolio – pahlaj@puc.edu.kh

ASAP Canada: Mitu Sengupta – sengupta@ryerson.ca

ASAP Germany: Robert Lepenies – robert.lepenies@eui.eu

ASAP Greece: Gabriel Amistis – amitsis@otenet.gr

ASAP India: Bijayalaxmi Nanda – bijayalaxmi@yahoo.com

ASAP Italy: Mario Ascolese – mario.ascolese@gmail.com

ASAP Mexico: David Aleman Mena – david.mena@ibero.mx

ASAP Oceania: Keith Horton – khorton@uow.edu.au

ASAP Romania: Diana Velica – diana.velica@gmail.com

ASAP Spain: David Rodríguez-Arias – rodavailg@gmail.com

ASAP United Kingdom: Steph Eldridge – academicsstanduk@gmail.com

ASAP United States: Mladjo Ivanovic – mivanovi@msu.edu

ASAP West Africa: Oluwaseun Olanrewaju – oluwaseunolanrewaju@asapwestafrica.org

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: Chapter: Austria, Chapter: Brazil, Chapter: Cambodia, Chapter: Canada, Chapter: Germany, Chapter: India, Chapter: Italy, Chapter: Oceania, Chapter: Romania, Chapter: Spain, Chapter: UK, Chapter: USA

ASAP Supports Campaign for UK Tax Dodging Bill

2015-02-15 By ASAP Global

Money stock image

The Tax Dodging Bill, an ActionAid campaign that calls for the next UK government to confront tax abuse, continues to gain support from academics and economists. Thus far, approximately 27,000 people have supported the bill by signing an online petition.

ASAP President Thomas Pogge has signed onto the campaign and encourages members to do the same.

Tax abuse remains a central focus for ASAP because it is so harmful for developing countries. For instance, tax abuse results in significant loss of public revenues that could otherwise be used to combat extreme poverty. Developing countries are much more affected by this issue than wealthier countries because they are more dependent on corporate taxes. Considering that governments play a role in perpetuating tax abuse, the Tax Dodging Bill is pushing the UK government to address the issue by introducing new legislation and reforming existing laws that contribute to the problem.

More signatures and support for the campaign will put pressure on the UK to tackle this urgent issue, which in turn can influence other governments to take a similar stand.

Filed Under: Announcements Tagged With: Chapter: UK, Theme: Institutional Reform

ASAP UK Seeking Volunteer Research & Coordination Assistant

2014-12-18 By ASAP Global

vote hereInspired by ASAP Oceania’s successful Political Party Manifesto poverty audit of the Australian election in August 2013, ASAP UK is conducting a similar process for the UK General election in May 2015. The purpose is twofold:

1. To provide rigorous assessment and critique of the manifesto of each political party from the perspective of their policies’ impact on global and national poverty. The findings will be reported in an edited online volume produced by ASAP UK, with chapters written by leading academics in the ASAP UK network.

2. To generate a public debate around the importance of addressing poverty in the lead-up to the elections, including raising awareness of the poverty implications of different parties’ policies. The Audit outcomes will be featured in the Guardian’s Poverty Matters Blog and highlighted in the work of several partner organizations.

We are looking for a Master’s or Ph.D. student to volunteer as Research and Coordination Assistant for the project. The role will require you to:

  • Research status of manifestos – pull together past manifestos, liaise with current political party manifesto authors, identify relevant speeches
  • Organise events in January and April – bringing the academic authors together with policy partners, including developing initial briefing material
  • Liaise with academic authors and policy partners
  • Manage project timeline and overview

You will be working with Cat Tully, the ASAP UK co-chair, who will provide regular direction and support as needed. The role will require about 10 hours volunteering a week in January, probably less in February and March, and then again around 10 hours per week in April. Benefits of volunteering include networking opportunities, being named as a contributor to the edited volume, and letter of recommendation, based on performance, as well as unique insight into academic-policy interface. If you are interested, please send CV and brief description of why you’re interested to Cat by the 24th Dec on cat@fromoverhere.co.uk. All applicants will be considered, but those based in the UK will be preferred.

Filed Under: Openings Tagged With: Chapter: UK, Theme: Institutional Reform

Join the ASAP Team: Applications Wanted for Staff and Volunteer Roles

2014-09-03 By ASAP Global

Having written an ambitious three-year strategic plan, ASAP is now seeking to expand its global team. There are exciting opportunities to work with ASAP as a paid staff person, a board member or officer, and for students to work as chapter interns. A broad array of skills and experience are sought for these roles, and applications are welcome from academics and practitioners alike. Please read on for role descriptions and application details and share this message widely. We look forward to hearing from you.

Staff Position: Program Manager

The Program Manager will support the Global Coordinator in overall coordination of ASAP Global, volunteer and member activity management, and financial development.

Key responsibilities may include, but are not limited to:

  • Developing content for the ASAP website
  • Website improvements and routine maintenance
  • Maintaining ASAP Facebook page and Twitter feed
  • Drafting ASAP promotional materials
  • Supporting the ASAP chapter network
  • Researching funding opportunities
  • Event planning
  • Contributing to ASAP projects as needed
  • Responding to e-mails from ASAP members
  • Minor financial administration

Desired skills, experience, and qualities:

  • Ideally, candidates will be within commuting distance of New Haven, CT
  • A bachelor’s degree and strong academic record
  • Past success in administrative, project management, and/or leadership roles (e.g. worked as campaign manager, research assistant, or operations lead)
  • Strong commitment to social justice
  • Strong communication skills
  • Strong time management skills
  • Enthusiasm for the ASAP mission
  • Knowledge of WordPress a plus

Application information:

To apply, please send a résumé or CV and an application statement of 400 words or fewer explaining your interest in the role and salient experience to Rachel Payne at rachel@academicsstand.org with the subject line Program Manager.

  • Position type: staff, part-time
  • Application deadline: Wednesday, October 1, 2014
  • Start date: to be negotiated
  • Initial commitment: one year
  • Compensation: competitive, based on experience
  • Location: New Haven, CT, USA
  • Reports to: Luis Cabrera, Vice President

Board Position: Treasurer

The Treasurer will have primary responsibility for overseeing the management and reporting of an ASAP’s finances. Specific duties will include bank account maintenance, payment of ASAP staff, financial transaction oversight, developing an annual budget, overseeing the development and observation of ASAP’s financial policies, and completing required financial reporting forms. Candidates with experience working with the financial aspects of US-based nonprofits and familiar with the exemption requirements of 501(c)(3) tax status will be strongly preferred. Both academics and practitioners are encouraged to apply.

The Treasurer will sit on the ASAP Board of Directors, participating in monthly board meetings, and sharing fiduciary responsibility for ASAP.

Application information:

To apply, please send a résumé or CV and an application statement of 400 words or fewer explaining your interest in the role and your salient experience to Rachel Payne at rachel@academcisstand.org with the subject line Treasurer.

  • Position type: volunteer
  • Application deadline: Wednesday, October 1, 2014
  • Start date: October, 2014
  • Initial commitment: one year

Officer Position: Media Relations Officer

The Media Relations Officer will be responsible for all planned publicity campaigns and public relations activities. The officer will work with the Communications Director and Web Director to identify publicity strategies, will handle inquiries from the media (press) and will provide other officers and board members with information relevant to promoting ASAP. An individual with a background in media studies, journalism, and/or behavioral studies with some experience in media relations would best fit this position. Both academics and practitioners are encouraged to apply.

The Media Relations Officer will work closely with the Board but will not have Board duties.

Application information:

To apply, please send a résumé or CV and an application statement of 400 words or fewer explaining your interest in the role and your salient experience to Rachel Payne at rachel@academcisstand.org with the subject line Media Relations Officer.

  • Position type: volunteer
  • Application deadline: Wednesday, October 1, 2014
  • Start date: October, 2014
  • Initial commitment: one year

UK Chapter Intern Positions: Fundraising, Web, Membership, and Strategy

ASAP UK has recently written a new strategic plan and is seeking four committed interns to help its achieve its goals. These interns will work in the areas of fundraising, website and social media, membership and engagement, and strategy and administration, respectively. Any individual is welcome to apply, but preference will be given to those based in the UK. Please note that these internships are unpaid.

Details on each of these volunteer roles is provided at this link.

Application information:

To apply, please send a short statement of interest and a description of your qualifications to UK Chapter Coordinator Steph Eldridge at academicsstandUK@gmail.com with the subject line Intern.

  • Position type: volunteer
  • Application deadline: Wednesday, October 1, 2014
  • Start date: October 2014
  • Initial commitment: three months

Filed Under: Openings Tagged With: Chapter: UK

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Welcome to ASAP

Established in 2010, Academics Stand Against Poverty (ASAP) is an international community of academics confronting the rules and practices that perpetuate global poverty. Our evidence-based approach provides:

• alternatives to conventional analysis by media and governmental organizations,
• proposals for reforming national and supranational rules and policies,
• public education encouraging citizens to understand and engage with critical issues.

Academics Stand Against Poverty is registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization in the United States (EIN #32-0324998)

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Our board includes leading academics from a variety of fields, all with a passionate interest in poverty alleviation.
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We seek the elimination of global poverty, as guided by rigorous evidence-based and normative scholarship.
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