US Universities to Consider Positive Discrimination
The US supreme court is considering whether universities should need to asses race and gender when selecting students. It is part of a pre-existing policy called "Affirmative Action" where race and gender are factors used to admit students to the academic institutions. Al Jazeera's Kimberly Halkett reports.

Devolved Parliaments Soon to Come Under the Spell of Multiculturalism: Devolved Scotland and Wales Slow to Embrace Ethnic Minorities
THE GUARDIAN: Lack of black and Asian faces in both legislatures strengthens case for positive action, campaigners believe

Despite being set up to empower and involve the people of Scotland and Wales, both their devolved legislatures have been slow to include the countries' ethnic minorities. On this count at least, they have been arguably weaker than Westminster.

Despite having at least 170,000 people from an Asian, black or mixed race background among its electorate – 4% of the Scottish population – Holyrood has only ever had one non-white MSP elected, four years ago.

The Welsh assembly too, despite Cardiff's long history of black settlement and having an overall minority ethnic population of roughly 100,000 people across Wales – at least 3% of the population – first had a minority ethnic member elected in 2007.

In both legislatures there is a black democratic deficit, said Ashok Viswanathan, deputy director of the campaign organisation Operation Black Vote (OBV). » | Severin Carrell , Scotland correspondent | Monday, April 04, 2011

Firms Should Make Workplaces ‘Gay Friendly’
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A raft of new schemes will be aimed at promoting equality for homosexuals, such as recruiting more openly gay candidates to become MPs and making workplaces “gay-friendly”.

The Coalition's Equailty Strategy said many lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGB&T) people still faced discrimination and even violence.

“Attitudes are changing,” the strategy said. “But the sad reality remains that too many people are victims of discrimination and hate crime in the UK today.”

Ministers are in talks with campaigners and faith leaders over plans to allow same-sex couples to register their civil partnerships in churches, and other places of worship. >>> Tim Ross, Social Affairs Editor | Thursday, December 02, 2010

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Britain embraces 'positive action' to abolish workplace discrimination: Employers will be able to reject male job applicants in favour of women who are no better qualified under new laws to promote equality at work. >>> Christopher Hope and Tim Ross | Thursday, December 02, 2010

Queen's Speech: Firms Free to Favour Female and Black Job Applicants
MAIL Online: Companies will be free to discriminate in favour of women and black job candidates under proposed ‘equality’ laws.
The move allows employers to give preferential treatment as long as applicants are equally qualified.

It is designed to boost the proportion of female and ethnic staff, as well as thrusting more of them into senior posts.

Ministers insist that businesses will not be compelled to favour the woman or the black candidate, but the law will be changed to ensure they cannot be sued for turning down a white man.

Equalities minister Harriet Harman says ‘positive action’ is vital so that the workforce more accurately represents the proportion of the population as a whole.

Positive discrimination, where a lesser qualified candidate is given the job just because he or she is from a minority, will remain illegal. >>> By Michael Lea | December 4, 2008

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