Melon Farmers

The Olympics and Trafficking: Myths and Evidence
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT
Wednesday 25 January 2012 5:45pm

Speakers:

• Julie Ham, GAATW

• Marlise Richter, International Centre for Reproductive Health, Ghent University

• Joanna Busza, LSHTM

In the lead up to the 2012 Olympic Games, concerns have been raised about the possibility of an increase in trafficking for sexual exploitation linked to the event. Similar rumours were circulated prior to other international sporting events, including the World Cup in Germany and South Africa, the Olympics in Athens and Vancouver, and the US Super Bowl. Yet once the fans go home, the media loses interest, and little is heard about the consistent lack of evidence for any rise in sex trafficking.

Recent research demonstrates that anti-trafficking measures put into place in a range of countries have proved irrelevant, or harmful in cases where sex workers become increasingly criminalised and unable to access health and social programmes.

As the 2012 Olympics come to London, this seminar will review the international evidence on trafficking, sex work and sports events, consider public health implications, and ask to what extent police and local authorities here in the UK are basing their policies on evidence.

Admission: Free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis.

The Erotic Olympiad: The art of sexual subversion.
The Gallery Liverpool.
Friday 27th January to 10th February

A love-fest to celebrate all that is exotically erotic in the arts. This unmissable event enters its second year with its best features proudly forward.

From perfectly upstanding sculptures to beautifully well-hung wall art, the exhibition offers the discerning lover of art a lot to digest and appreciate.

In addition, The Association of Erotic Artists are proud to be working in conjunction with The Gallery Liverpool during this event. The Erotic Awards will be sharing their current international exhibition of finalists and there will be a performance by the award-winning Mouse whose outrageous show as Goldilocks is world-famous. She will lead the Sex Workers Show 'n' Tell which will showcase local talent.

For those with an interest in developing their three-dimensional artistic skills, the private view will feature live vaginal casting by sculptor Len Gifford, as well as live music: a transgender live art performance by the renowned Mandy Romero; and the leadership skills of dominatrix Vanessa who will steer the lost, bemused and fascinated between venues.

Blasphemy!
Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square Holborn, London
Saturday 28th January 2012

Presented by CFI UK and The Ethical Society.

This event focuses on the criminalization of religious hatred, defamation, and insult under European human rights, and how this functions as a de facto blasphemy law.

Introduced by Dr Stephen Law of Heythrop College, University of London and Editor of Think (Royal Institute Philosophy) Provost of Centre for Inquiry UK.

• 10.30am Registration
• 11.00 am Kenan Malik - Beyond the sacred
• 12.00 Andrew Copson - Blasphemy laws by the back door
• 1.30 Austin Dacey - The Future of Blasphemy
• 2.30 Jacob Mchangama - How hate speech laws are being used to enforce blasphemy norms (to be confirmed)
• 3.30 Maryam Nazazie - Blasphemy, Offence, and Islamophobia limiting Citizen Rights
• 4.30 End

Tickets are £10

One Law for All is calling for a rally in defence of free expression and the right to criticise religion on 11 February 2012 in central London from 2-4pm.

We are also calling for simultaneous events and acts in defence of free expression on 11 February in countries world-wide.

The call follows an increased number of attacks on free expression in the UK, including a 17 year old being forced to remove a Jesus and Mo cartoon or face expulsion from his Sixth Form College and demands by the UCL Union that the Atheist society remove a Jesus and Mo cartoon from its Facebook page. It also follows threats of violence, police being called, and the cancellation of a meeting at Queen Mary College where One Law for All spokesperson Anne Marie Waters was to deliver a speech on Sharia. Saying Who gave these kuffar the right to speak?, an Islamist website called for the disruption of the meeting. Two days later at the same college, though, the Islamic Society held a meeting on traditional Islam with a speaker who has called for the death of apostates, those who mock Islam, and secularist Muslims.

Whilst none of this is new, recent events reveal an increased confidence of Islamists to censor free expression publicly, particularly given the support received from universities and other bodies in the name of false tolerance, cultural sensitivity and respect.

The right to criticise religion, however, is a fundamental right that is crucial to many, including Muslims.

Clearly, the time has come to take a firm and uncompromising stand for free expression and against all forms of threats and censorship.

11 February is our chance to take that stand.

You need to be there.

Enough is enough.

Xcite Books, the UK's largest erotic publisher, annual awards programme celebrates and recognises companies, reviewers, bloggers and sexperts who value and support the erotic fiction market.

Hazel Cushion, Managing Director at Xcite Books, explained:

The internet and the advent of ebooks has completely changed the erotic fiction market and as yet there's no recognition of this. Customers now have a wealth of review sites, author blogs and internet retailers to choose from so we wanted to highlight and celebrate the dedication of the people behind these.

The following categories are included in the inaugural awards:

• Best Internet Retail Site: This award celebrates those sites that offer a great service, a range of products, and an enjoyable online shopping experience.
• Best Blog or Author Page: This category celebrates those that are using blogs to promote erotic writing.
• Best Reviewer: Good reviewers are trusted by their readership for their honest appraisals. This category is open to both print and internet reviewers.
• Best Sexpert: Some people just really know their stuff when it comes to sex.
• Best Publication: This category is open to both trade and consumer magazines (either in print or online) which support and encourage erotic fiction with reviews, author interviews or industry news.

Timetable:

• 1st January to 10th February 2012: Finalists announced, open for public voting
• 14th February 2012: Winners announced

Tempting Failure
Performance Space, Hackney Wick, London
4th March 2012

It has grown out of its origins to represent more than itself. 11 pieces were curated by the body-artist Thomas John Bacon to engage with an ethos of Tempting Failure as part of a new live art & transgressive performance platform. Each work selected sought to engage with the role that sacrifice may play for the artist who challenges their practice or Being in the production of the living artifact: Be it via physical means or through a sense of exposure. Be it metaphorical or actual. And most importantly, be it through the risk of failure. These were all areas of personal exploration for the curator, linked to his PhD research and forthcoming installation [RE]authoring through Sacrifice.

But this platform, originally set to be staged in Bristol was a victim of censorship, something that Thomas John Bacon has experienced on more than one occasion due to the type of work he produces. This lead the platform to be rehoused at ]performance s p a c e [ in London and has seen it grow to stand for more than its original enquiry but represent a statement that art cannot and should not be held back or hidden for the sake of others protection.