Take Back Our World report
Hannah and I attended a very lively relaunch of WDM as Global Justice Now and returned I think more committed to the new brand after hearing so many discussions about the injustices of corporate control across the world. The venue Rich Mix was a little cramped for the numbers who attended but this at least meant we never felt isolated! There was a great range of ages and interests, and excellent speakers.
Our day opened with Paul Mason in dialogue, an excellent survey of people’s protest movements against corporate and undemocratic control across the world which he is closely following and analysing and has described in his recent books . These movements have grown as a result of social media. Interestingly he said that the Taksim square demonstrations in Turkey were possibly the most significant because of the number of women who took part, contrasting with Greece.
How do these popular movements ensure their survival and achieve positive lasting change? Possibly by small group discussions finding common ground despite some ideological differences. We engaged in a practical example of this in a later session when we broke into small groups to discuss issues such as energy under the broad heading ‘Another World is possible’
Workshops included .’The people versus corporate power.How we bear TTIPs.’ ‘Take back our city: the housing crisis and global capitalism’. ‘Economics is for everyone?’ Children could create a meadow in an art workshop!
Nick Dearden director of Global Justice Now speaks with great clarity and authority. He was one of the panel at the session ‘How do we take on Global agribusiness ?’ Together with Samia Nkrumah daughter of former President Nkrumah and chair of the Convention People’s Party in Ghana. She has been heavily involved in the campaign against Ghana’s Monsanto law which would deprive small farmers of their traditional practices up in seed banking.
There was an excellent bookstall and we would highly recommend the new Global Justice Now magazine ‘Ninety Nine’ and the magazine ‘Red Pepper’ the latest edition of which has a leading article by Nick Dearden ‘The end of Poverty and other Development myths’. Naomi Klein’s book ‘This ChangesEverything. Is a’ must read ‘ for those campaigning for action on climate change.
Global Justice Now Launch
Global Justice Merseyside Launch
At the Unison Women’s Conference in Southport heldFeb on WDM Merseyside had a fantic opportunity to reach out to the whole UK and relaunch as Global Justice Merseyside ahead of the national relaunch event of Global Justice Now at Rich Mix in London on the 21st February.
Merseyside WDM Community
We are now on Facebook. It may make it easier for you to stay in contact!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Merseyside-WDM/
Use the following links to the film ‘Seeds of Freedom’ as this portrays the values we like to
promote as an group of activists supporting the struggle for global justice for the poorer communities in the world:
//www.seedsoffreedom.info/
The image is from the Seeds of Freedom
http://groups.globaljustice.org.uk/merseyside/files/2014/10/celebrating-seed-sovereignty.jpg
Thanks to Ian Fitzpatrick for his fantastic blog
Celebrating seed sovereignty – bringing sustainable locally grown plants to the poorer communities throughout the world
Merseyside WDM join ‘say noTTIP’ Day of Action Saturday 11th OCT
Merseyside WDM Members hold their Day of Action on:
Saturday 11th October between 1.00pm and 3.00pm. Church St, Liverpool City Centre is the venue.
We have noTTIP cards to sign and The TTIP Times to hand out to the people of Liverpool to raise awareness of how democracy and UK Sovereignty will be transferred to the mercy of foreign corporations, if this US – EU Trade Partnership is completed in it’s present form behind closed doors. The details of the business deal will not be made known to the public for 30 years as the text of what is proposed is officially a secret to the public.
Have a look at how this peoposed bi-lateral agreement changes everything about our future regulations on food, health and safety regulations, our environment, our public services including health services forever.
It will be almost impossible to renationalise our NHS because of the pending threat to any government who changes their policy for the benefit of their citizens when this treaty is agreed. This sensible behaviour is likely incur the wrath of Investor State Dispute Settlement (ISDS ) tribunal rules if the potential future profits of the foreign operators ( e.g. private foreign health care corporations bidding on public precurement contracts for NHS contracts ) is said to have been effected adversely by the elected government policy
1. A threat to our democracy
2. A threat to our public service
3. A threat to our food safety
4. A threat to our environment
5. A threat to our climate
6. A threat to our privacy
7. A threat to our financial control
8. A threat to our human rights
9. Negotiated secretly
10. A blue -print for the rest of the world and future bilateral agreements.
Visit http://www.wdm.org.uk/ for more inforation on Global Justice current issues
