US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson honoured with degree at De Montfort University

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson honoured with degree at De Montfort University 

Civil rights campaigner the Rev Jesse Jackson received an honorary degree yesterday. 

He was a key speaker at De Montfort University's conference on terrorism and radicalism, organised by the Parliamentary Home Affairs Select Committee, chaired by Leicester East MP Keith Vaz. 

Mr Jackson said other cities could look to Leicester for tips on multicultural and racial harmony.
He said: "This is a multicultural city and it shows that when people work alongside each other, together as a team, things can work. 

"Here is Leicester there are many races and many faces from many places." 

Mr Jackson marched with Martin Luther King Jr in Selma, Alabama, in the 1960s and, in 1979, visited South Africa, where he spoke out against apartheid. 

He also won praise for negotiating the release of American soldiers and civilians held around the world and, in the 1980s, became a leading national spokesman for African Americans and twice stood for the Democrats nomination for president. 

When asked what Leicester could do to further fight terrorism, he said: "We must be radical but radical in a loving and caring and peaceful way, fighting together to change our world. 

"We must think about the way we interpret the word 'radical' and remember that Jesus was a radical – but in this peaceful sense I talk about. 

"We must all fight to coexist in peace." 

Mr Jackson spoke at the conference about the lessons to be learned from the US experience of tackling radicalisation and said that we must address the disparity in wealth between the rich and poor in order to achieve peace. 

Other speakers at the conference included Ian Paisley Jr MP, who discussed his experiences in Northern Ireland, as well as Home Office security minister James Brokenshire and Dr Dipu Moni, the foreign minister of Bangladesh. 

At the conference, Mr Vaz announced he would today ask parliament to honour Mr Jackson by nominating him for a Nobel Peace Prize.

University set to pay tribute to Rev Jesse Jackson

This article is published in today's Leicester Mercury:

University set to pay tribute to Rev Jesse Jackson 

Civil rights campaigner the Rev Jesse Jackson will receive an honorary degree from De Montfort University next week. 

Rev Jackson, who twice ran for president in America in the 1980s, will be the keynote speaker when the university hosts a major conference on preventing terrorism on Tuesday. 

The conference has been organised by Parliament's powerful Home Affairs Select Committee, chaired by city MP Keith Vaz, which is looking at the causes of terrorism and radicalisation in the UK. 

The university's vice-chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard said: "We share Rev Jackson's values throughout our university community. 

"We are very pleased to welcome him to DMU and honour his numerous achievements as an inspirational advocate and campaigner for civil rights in the USA and around the world." 

Mr Vaz, who represents Leicester East, said: "This conference is set to contribute significantly to the conversation on radicalisation and I am looking forward to hearing from Rev Jackson when he delivers his keynote speech next Tuesday. 

"The roots of violent radicalisation remains a subject of great national interest and this prestigious institution, with its reputation for hosting and furthering national debates, is the perfect location." 

The conference's findings will be passed to the Government as it creates its Prevent Strategy, which is designed to stop people becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism. 

Rev Jackson's keynote speech will look into the lessons to be learned from the US experience of tackling radicalisation. 

After the conference, he will receive his honorary degree at a ceremony at the St Mary De Castro Church, adjacent to the university campus, in front of hundreds of invited guests. 

Other speakers at the conference include Ian Paisley Junior MP, who will discuss his experiences in Northern Ireland, as well as Home Office security minister James Brokenshire and Dr Dipu Moni, the Foreign Minister for Bangladesh. 

The threat from the far right as well as religious fanaticism will also be considered.
Heightened security is expected to be in place across the campus due to the number of high-profile political figures at the event. 

Rev Jackson last visited the city in 2008.