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The weather was perfect for our annual walk this year. The route set off from Easington and took us up onto the sea cliffs and then down into the wooded valley. On the way we passed the old alum workings and the partially excavated site of the Grinkle ironstone mine and we skirted the huge humming buildings of the potash mine. It was a potted tour of our industrial history.

The views were perfect after the days rain and our area looked quite stunning. No wonder the Cleveland Way is such a popular route.

Although the walk was only 2.5 miles it took us 2.5 hours which is disgracefully slow. Our excuse? Well there was a lost dog, a dead vole and several dead birds which had to be identified and inspected.

We also stopped to hear explanations of the workings of the various mines.

[Read more…] about Global Justice Walk – 20 July 2017

Members of Global Justice Cleveland had a stall at the Saltburn Farmers Market in June. Our campaign this time focused on the need for a UN Declaration of Rights for small farmers around the world. In many countries small farmers are losing their access to land and water and are therefore unable to continue farming. This is worrying as it is estimated that 70% of the world’s
population are fed by peasant farmers.

In most cases these farmers are being displaced by their own governments who choose to prioritise the growing of cash crops over the feeding of their own people. We had action cards that could be signed and sent to the Foreign Secretary who, at this time, is still Boris Johnson. He is responsible for the UK decision at the UN. In the last round of negotiations our representative spoke against the declaration.

Unfortunately it was a very wet day which always affects how many people attend the market and how prepared they are to take time to talk to us. A group of us were there for two hours and in that time we gave out 140 action cards and had a conversation with everyone who took a card. 37 of those cards were signed on the day and have been sent to GJN National. The other hundred cards were taken home.

In addition to handing out cards we had a game involving picking a card, each card had a short case study describing how a particular country’s farmers had been adversely affected by the increasing expansion of cash crops. We also had one card representing a share holder in a multi-national company. People were rewarded with either a small or large biscuit as appropriate. The card game is particularly popular with children.

We were pleased with the number of people we were able to speak to about this campaign.

Planned dates for meetings in 2017:

• 30 March – Cleveland GJN minutes March 17
• 4 May – Cleveland GJN minutes May 17
• 15 June
• 20 July – group walk
• 21 September
• 26 October
• 30 November