This week has been an incredibly busy week, I’ve visited Breightmet’s new Health Centre and Halliwell U Can Centre (pictured) amongst other places. My post bag from constituents has been constantly full and my team and myself have had 2 nights out canvassing.

Next week is going to be even busier! On sunday I leave for a week long trip to Bosnia with Baroness Sayeeda Warsi and a group of MP’s and candidates. William Hague is also to join us for a couple of days.

Many people will remember the massacre in Srebrenica in 1995 when 8,000 Bosnian Bosniak (Muslim) men and boys were executed in the UN proclaimed safe haven after it fell to Serbian militias. A further 25,000 women, children and elderly people were deported.  Since then Srebrenica has made some progress, some refugees have returned and it is no longer a ghost town, but more remains to be done.  Some  surrounding  villages have been completely erased and others have been badly damaged, some beyond repair. The survivors, particularly from the villages, are living in provisional accommodation in nearby towns.

War damage has had long-term consequences. Where there was once unity, there is division. The development of the education system is deeply connected with the overall situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Schools and colleges play an extremely important role in shaping the attitudes of younger generations. Without open-minded and tolerant children, the long-term chances for a democratic and stable Bosnia-Herzegovina are very low.

The Conservative Social Action Project

It is important to remind everyone of the plight of the people of Srebrenica and to support the new generation of Bosnian Muslim (Bosniak) and Bosnian Serb children who together can help heal the scars left by the years of fighting and ethnic cleansing.

A group of Conservative MPs and candidates led by Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, Shadow Minister for Social Action and Community Cohesion, will be traveling to Srebrenica to undertake a social action project to encourage community cohesion through the involvement of children, young people and families.  Project Maja will create a playground area for Srebrenica’s kindergarten, refurbish and provide new computers for the high school’s IT room and build a new home for a Bosniak refugee family who are desperate to return to their roots.   The kindergarten and high school are attended by both Bosniak and Serb children and are seen as a starting point for bringing the communities together. 

Project Maja will run from Monday July 27^th until Friday 31^st July 2009 in Srebrenica. Volunteers will live and work alongside local people. The Fund for Refugees, which was founded in 1992 by Lady Nott and has Baroness Thatcher as its patron, will support the project with advice and on-the-ground volunteer involvement. The charity works to rebuild homes and educational infrastructure for Bosnian refugees, particularly the survivors of Srebrenica. Since 1997 the Fund has built 80 houses, 2 schools and a medical centre in villages destroyed during the conflict. See http://ffris.org/index.php.

During the weeks preceding the project the social action team will be collecting furniture, book and toy donations for the kindergarten and raising money to fund the building and refurbishment.

Project Maja will run from Monday July 27^th until Friday 31^st July 2009 in Srebrenica. Volunteers will live and work alongside local people. The Fund for Refugees, which was founded in 1992 by Lady Nott and has Baroness Thatcher as its patron, will support the project with advice and on-the-ground volunteer involvement. The charity works to rebuild homes and educational infrastructure for Bosnian refugees, particularly the survivors of Srebrenica. Since 1997 the Fund has built 80 houses, 2 schools and a medical centre in villages destroyed during the conflict. See http://ffris.org/index.php.

I’ve been at Westminster for the last couple of days for a series of meetings. Whilst I was there I took advantage of going to see Chris Grayling MP Shadow Home Office Minister give a key note speach at The Centre for Policies Studies.

Chris is concerned that a lot of our young people end up with a criminal record which then in turn prohibits them from work – I totally agree! He described circumstances that really only needed what he called a 21st centuary clip round the ear. Below is Chris’s speach in part;

Chris Grayling promises a “21st-century clip around the ear” for the “Nokia generation”

In a speech yesterday that also included all of the social responsibility themes that have characterised David Cameron’s leadership of the Conservative Party, Chris Grayling promised to give the police the power to deliver a “21st-century clip around the ear” for the minority of young people who cause “systematic unrest”.

“Today I want to float another option which would go right to the heart of what matters to a Nokia generation of young people.  I’d like to see police given the power to confiscate temporarily a young troublemaker’s mobile phone.  Removing their SIM card, with all their mobile numbers and text messages on it.  For a fortnight or a month.  Not permanently.  But long enough to make a point.

And to give a strong reminder that there are immediate consequences for – for example – verbally abusing a local shopkeeper – and that the police aren’t afraid to take action if necessary.

The same principle could well be applied to some of the other things that are important to them.  Like their bikes.  Taking them away for a month would also be an irritation – but could also offer an additional benefit.  In areas where there is a genuine gang culture, such a step could also give police an additional tool to disrupt gang activity and make it practically more difficult for teenage gangs from different areas to confront each other.

The name of the game has to be simplicity and speed.  Not a response that takes months of complex bureaucracy – like getting an ASBO.  Not a response that puts a teenage troublemaker before the courts for a minor offence.  But a consequence that impacts on their lives and makes them think again.  If we’re to deter potential troublemakers, the consequences they face have to be relevant to the lives they lead, and to be immediate.  Otherwise why would they stop doing what they were doing.”

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Deborah with Vernon

Deborah and Vernon Kay at Bolton University

I’ve just got back from Bolton University’s Awards Ceremony in The Victoria Hall. I was invited as a VIP guest and was most certainly looked after by their wonderful staff. I was seated on the front row next to Vernon Kays lovely parents and his beautiful little girl Phoebe who’s only 4 years old and sat their for 2 hours.

Vernon was awarded an honoury doctorate and was incredibly proud in fact so much so he was tearful on giving his thanks.

There was also a packed hall of very proud friends and family who were there to see their sons/daughters/friends receive their honour. This was our town at it’s best!

I was then treated to a very nice lunch back at the University in The Chancellor’s Building. My thanks go to the Vice Chancellor George and all his staff for making such a lovely day run so smoothly for all concerned. Here I am pictured with Vernon at lunch.