- Written by: Kamran Mofid
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2011 census figures on religion, ethnicity, living arrangements and economic activity, England and Wales
Here are the key points:
(Reprinted from the Guardian 11.12.12)
Population
• Population of England and Wales was 56.1m in 2011.
• Population up 7% since 2001. Population grew in all regions.
• 23.4 million households; 2.4 residents per household.
Religion
• Christians down 13 percentage points to 59%.
• Respondents with no religion up 10 points to 25%.
• Muslim population up from 3% to 5%.
Ethnicity
• White ethnic group down five points to 86%.
• Whites in London 59.8%.
• 80% in England and Wales are white British, down seven points.
• In London white British figure is 45%, down from 58% in 2001.
• Other ethnic groups in England and Wales: Asian (Pakistani, Indian, Bangladeshi, other) 6.8% (2001: 4.4%), black 3.4% (2001: 2.2%), Chinese 0.7% (2001: 0.4%), Arab 0.4% (2001: not listed), other 0.6% (2001: 0.4%).
• 2.2% in England and Wales are mixed race (up from 1.27% in 2001).
• 12% of households had partners or household members of different ethnic groups, three points up from 2001.
Nationality
• One in three Londoners born in foreign country.
• Figure is one in 20 for north-east.
• 13% in England and Wales born outside UK.
• Just over half of these arrived in last 10 years.
• India, Poland and Pakistan are top three countries foreign-born people in England and Wales come from.
• 7.4% of people in England and Wales hold non-UK passport.
Language
• In 91% of households, everyone speaks English. In 4% no one speaks English as main language.
Age
• 16% are 65 or over (an increase of 0.9 million).
• 0.8% are 90 or over (up from 0.7%).
• 6% are under five (increase of 406,000 since 2001, although same proportion).
Home ownership
• Number of households with a mortgage falls from 39% to 33%.
• Home ownership (including owning home outright) falls from 69% to 65%.
• Those owning home outright rises from 29% to 31%.
• Private renters rise from 9% to 15%.
• Renting from council drops from 13% to 9%.
• In inner London more people rent than have mortgages (29.2% v 19.4%).
Marriage
• 46.6% are married, down from 50.9% in 2001.
• 0.2% (105,000) in a civil partnership.
Health
• 81% in good or very good health. (Category changed since 2001.)
• 18% have a limiting long-term illness (same figure as 2001).
• 10% say they provide unpaid care for someone with an illness or disability (same figure as 2001).
Education
• 27% have degree-level qualifications; 23% have no qualifications.
Transport
• Number of cars and vans has increased from 11 per 10 households to 12 per 10 households.
• London only region where number of cars and vans is lower than number of households.
Read more:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/dec/11/census-2011-religion-race-education/print
- Written by: Kamran Mofid
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Greek opposition leader calls for European debt conference
Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras says only viable solution to debt crisis is 'a haircut for Greece and entire southern periphery'
“Only weeks after the EU and IMF announced a third plan in as many years to rescue Greece from insolvency, the country's most popular party – its radical left opposition – has called for a European debt conference to "finally" settle a crisis it claims is no nearer to being solved.
In an exclusive interview, Alexis Tsipras, who heads the stridently anti-austerity Syriza, insisted that with the debt drama spreading it was vital that foreign lenders take a leaf out of the history books by dealing with the eurozone's crisis-hit southern periphery in much the same way that Germany had been treated after the second world war.- Written by: Kamran Mofid
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A Christmas and New Year Message from Kamran and Anne Mofid*
This is the time of the year when we need to stand back and remind ourselves of what are the most valuable gifts that life has offered us.
“He that seeks the good of the many seeks in consequence his own good.” -St. Thomas Aquinas
"God loves a cheerful giver." -St. Paul
"A loyal friend is beyond price – a loyal friend is the elixir of life." -The Bible
Let us see where we stand. The clouds of destruction are gathering all over the world. The world today is facing a multitude of crises in politics, economics, finance, banking, energy, food, environment and education, amongst others, simultaneously, resulting in much uncertainty, fear and anxiety. Moreover, the rapid and unsustainable rise in consumerism and materialism has seriously destroyed the fabric of society, and has catastrophically weakened the ethical, moral and spiritual dimensions of our communities. In short, the world is facing a crisis of values.
There is acute suffering in the world, starvation, untreated disease, and much war. Also there are so many wandering in darkness while hungering for hope. In such a world let us go about giving love, compassion, kindness and generosity to all. Let us serve the poor and broken ones, serve our brothers and sisters, and serve birds and beasts and all creation in whom dwells the breath of life. A life so lived, is serving the essence of the common good. Moreover, let us not waste energy in obtuse and arcane questions and controversies; countless theories about who is right and who is wrong. Instead, let us light a few candles at the altar of a suffering humanity. We must come to that altar properly prepared, in a spirit of right understanding that all mankind is one. We are all each others’ keepers.
These many crises are a wakeup call to action, to see things as they are. Impending catastrophe for our species and our planet is gathering strength unless we act in time. We should search with an open mind for the wisdom we need to transform our economic system to a sustainable path, grounded in ecological reality, with respect for justice and dignity for all, and our appreciation for nature and our kinship for all living things.
We should not allow ourselves to be led away from this Path. It is crucial at this juncture in human history, perhaps as never before, for us to transcend the body to have flight into the higher regions to “know-thyself” and to see that we are all a drop in the Great Ocean of Consciousness. Radiate love to all creation. Let us breathe this out through every pore of our body: 'love and peace be unto all, the world over'. This power of peace and goodwill has the power to overcome the forces of destruction that have coalesced around us.
Each action has a reaction. As we sow goodness and kindness, so we shall reap love, wisdom, peace, and harmony. Let our physical sojourn be sweetly ethical, loving, co-operative and tolerant. Be watchful. We are not perfect. There may be failures on our part and misunderstandings amongst us. The former, should be met with by the motto of forgiveness and reconciliation and the latter by reconciling them to mutual loving contacts, mutual respect and the consideration for the common good.
This is what our Globalisation for the Common Good is all about– a heart-based social participation movement that acknowledges and encourages the goodness that surrounds us each and every day. It is our collective opportunity to collaborate locally, nationally and globally to inspire and highlight the kindness, caring, dignity and honesty that is the natural and greater part of our daily experience. Simply stated, “Every one has a heart; it is time to let it shine.” Ultimately it is our heart that guides us and our compassion that motivates us to help one another.
The courage and dedication of countless people striving to live for the common good; in peace, genuine kindness and in harmony with one another and with the Mother Earth is extraordinary. Despite the many ongoing challenges, we at GCGI, strive to set aside our differences and work diligently in our daily encounters with each other in order to truly serve and help one another.
Christmas happened 2000 years ago, when the Baby was born; but in a very real sense it is happening all over again. The newborn "babies" are all men and women who are becoming global citizens, committed to human solidarity, economic and ecological sustainability and consideration for the common good. Let us pray for them and work with them, that we all may grow in wisdom and stature for the good of humanity and all the creation.
And let us in 2013 we all come together and share a common belief in the potential of each one of us to become self-directed, empowered, and active in defining this time in the world as opportunity for positive change and healing and for the true formation of a culture of peace by giving thanks, spreading joy, sharing love, seeing miracles, discovering goodness, embracing kindness, practicing patience, teaching moderation, encouraging laughter, celebrating diversity, showing compassion, turning from hatred, practicing forgiveness, peacefully resolving conflicts, communicating non-violently, choosing happiness and enjoying life.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year
Kamran Mofid, Founder, Globalisation for the Common Good Initiative (GCGI)
Anne Mofid, Founding Executive Secretary, (GCGI)