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I think this is a legitimate - indeed, and essential - use of the List even though I dislike petitions and chain letters! However, the cause is one that is close to the MEH list's reason for existence... Please cascade to your own networks and encourage them - and of course, sign yourselves - after all the crud that has been done by 'mass democracy' to rein back equality & diversity legislation, we need to use the same tools of voice? and please note that a: it is illegal in all countries of the EU - but that others have much more stringent laws and actions including making it illegal to facilitate even by taking a child abroad ... and b: that the Minority Communities themselves have MANY action groups against this practice - which is seldom reported, and often the practice is represented as being 'part of "their" culture' in a naturalistic way: which is a fallacy. Mark R D Johnson Director, MSRC/CEEHD De Montfort University Hawthorn Building 00.20, The Gateway Leicester LE1 9BH Please don't phone - use e-mail! ________________________________ I hope you won't mind my emailing you, just once, to ask if you would kindly consider adding your name as a UK citizen to our Direct Government e-petition? I'm afraid that FGM, the topic of this petition, is very unpleasant; but I know you will be as keen as others to bring FGM to a halt in Britain as soon as we possibly can. [If you should want to read some more about the background to the petition, you could look at this: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/hilary-burrage/female-genital-mutilation-britain_b_1573845.html or maybe this: http://hilaryburrage.com/tag/female-genital-mutilation-fgm/. There is also a twitter account you can follow: @NoFGM1] But the main thing of course is to ask you to consider whether you could please add your name in support the petition itself. The weblink and details of the text are here... http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35313 STOP Female Genital Mutilation (FGM / 'cutting') in Britain Responsible department: Office of the Leader of the House of Commons Some 24,000 children in Britain are at risk annually of female genital mutilation (FGM or 'cutting') - 50+ girls and babies every day, or 2+ every hour. But no-one in the UK has yet (June 2012) been fully sanctioned for performing, procuring or permitting FGM. The legal position on child protection is not remotely being upheld. The embarrassment of those responsible for safe-guarding children, and / or community unwillingness to intervene 'for cultural reasons', can never excuse inaction on serious criminal child cruelty. The role of national FGM Co-ordinator was 'disbanded' by Government in April 2011, and a new cross-disciplinary approach introduced with just £50,000 funding. (!!!!! hardly a bonus for a very junior banker!!) £50,000 is direly inadequate to address the risk of harm across Britain to thousands of girls. This sum must be significantly increased, and the FGM Co-ordinator role must be reinstated immediately to ensure effective national delivery of safe-keeping. FGM in the UK must be stopped, now. Twitter: @NoFGM1 http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35313 I'm sorry that we need to consider such matters at all, but your help in bringing this awful practice to a speedy end in Britain would be very much appreciated. ..... And if you could also forward the e-petition link on to other people, via Facebook, email or any other medium, that would be tremendously helpful. Please do let me know if you have any queries, but otherwise I will leave it at that. Thank you so much, Hilary Hilary Burrage www.hilaryburrage.com <http://www.hilaryburrage.com/> www.dreamingrealist.co.uk <http://www.dreamingrealist.co.uk/> www.millionsmallconversations.co.uk <http://www.millionsmallconversations.co.uk/> www.samuelcoleridgetaylorfoundation.org <http://www.samuelcoleridgetaylorfoundation.org/> http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hilaryburrage <http://uk.linkedin.com/in/hilaryburrage>