Librarians are being told they shouldn't arrange meetings in 'racist' buildings as part of Welsh Labour's commitment to 'eradicate' systemic racism by 2030 By Milo Pope Published: 01:38 BST, 20 August 2024 | Updated: 01:44 BST, 20 August 2024 e-mail View comments Librarians are being advised to avoid holding meetings in 'racist' buildings, as part of Welsh Labour's commitment to 'eradicate' systemic racism. Libraries across Wales have been given the task of promoting 'anti-racism' as part of a £130,000 project. Local librarians are being taught 'critical whiteness studies' as well as how to deal with problems such as the 'dominant paradigm of whiteness', the Telegraph report.
It comes after Labour's Welsh government was accused of 'hypocrisy' in March after ministers had been driven hundreds of thousands of miles by chauffeurs despite laws restricting drivers. Dozens of buildings in Wales, from pubs to community centres, have been added to a list of sites linked to slavery, as per a 2021 government-backed dossier. The Gladstone Library Hotel in Hawarden was spotlighted as a controversial place due to its link to slavery Libraries across Wales have been given the task of promoting 'anti-racism' as part of a £130,000 project.
Pictured: Gladstone's Library In a document created by the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (Cilip) in Wales, a warning said to be 'mindful of the venue and if you have a choice, do not choose a venue that represents a racist legacy'. Read More Fury as £120m Welsh Labour plan to expand Senedd from 60 to 96 members is set to be voted through TODAY..
. and Scots also want more MSPs It also said: ' If you have to use a venue that has a racist past, acknowledge this as early as possible to demonstrate your commitment to systemic issues. 'You can even acknowledge historical context in the event invitation.
' The Gladstone Library in Hawarden and The Goronwy Owen primary school in Anglesey were both flagged as examples due to their names linking to slavery. Alongside this guidance, training materials are also encouraged to be checked for 'harmful' content and 'vegetarian and vegan options only can be used to support any decarbonisation or net zero goals of your organisation'. In May, the Labour government in Wales bought ‘luxury’ office chairs costing almost £900 each - despite the majority of desks being mostly unused due to working from home.
The Goronwy Owen primary school in Anglesey was flagged as Owen owned slaves Since March 2019, officials have spent £33,959 on 46 Famiglia high back large chairs with an orbital worksurface, figures released under Freedom of Information laws revealed today - 14 of them purchased after the first national Covid lockdown in 2020. Since the pandemic, the Cardiff government has encouraged working from home. Last year it was revealed that Welsh Government offices in Cardiff had 2,967 desks - but only 14 per cent were used by civil servants on average.
At its Bedwas office complex, the 206 desks were occupied just eight per cent of the time. Wales Share or comment on this article: Librarians are being told they shouldn't arrange meetings in 'racist' buildings as part of Welsh Labour's commitment to 'eradicate' systemic racism by 2030 e-mail Add comment.
