Uncategorized

Food for Change 20th July 7.30 pm at RISC

July 9, 2022 by reading

Food for Change

Wednesday 20th July at RISC at 7.30 pm

Food is in the news. Experts are sounding dire warnings about food insecurity and rising prices as war in Ukraine, climate change and inflation take their toll. There is enough food to feed everyone but millions still suffer from hunger and malnutrition.

What would be the best way of creating a sustainable, democratic and resilient food system? Talk, film and discussion.
Joint RISC and Global Justice Reading event

contact Jackie globaljusticereading@gmail.com

Renewable Energy – Costing the Earth?

February 18, 2022 by reading

Asad Rehman, the executive director or War on Want, gave a fascinating talk, ‘ Green Energy – Costing the Earth’, at our meeting on 16 March 2022. War on Want have recently published a report, ‘A Material Transition’ about the materials that go into the production of the things we are using for our green transition – like windmills, solar panels and electric cars. Asad said that we don’t want to introduce another disaster in order to sort out the one we are trying to fix. In other words, if we grab land in poor countries in order to carry out exploitative mining etc. just so we can continue with our unsustainable lifestyles, we won’t be better off than we are now. We need to think about things in the round. For example we need to get rid of planned obsolescence, ensure products can be recycled, look at the circular economy and how we could reorganise society so we live within planetary boundaries. Asad is optimistic that we can create a better world.

You can find the full report on the War on Want website: https://www.waronwant.org/resources/a-material-transition.

We will have stalls at the following events:

23rd April: Beanpole Day 2022

Sat 21 May: UK Day of Action on Corporate Courts

Sat 4 June: Waterfest

Sat 18 June: Winnersh Fete

Sun 26 June: East Reading Festival

Future meetings:

At RISC, 35-39 London Street, RG1 4PS

Wed May 25 – Tim Brierly with an update on the Pharmaceutical Campaign

Wed July 20

Wed Sept 28

Wed Nov 23

For more information contact

jackieoversby@gmail.com

07745310794

Positive Money: 7.30 pm Thursday 20th January on Zoom

January 4, 2022 by reading

7.30pm Thursday 20th January
on zoom

We had a speaker (Danisha Kazi) from Positive Money, an organisation that tries to reimagine money, banks and our economy for the wellbeing of people, communities and our planet. They campaign for a money and banking system that enables a fair, sustainable and democratic economy. The meeting generated much enlightening discussion.

After COP26: The Way Forward; Nick Dearden 8th December 2021 at RISC

December 28, 2021 by reading

Nick Dearden, Director of Global Justice Now, shared with us his insightful perspective on COP26. He said, “In Paris, six years ago, too much of the environmental movement was still focussed on lifestyle changes. Today, the movement is clear: we can’t deal with climate change unless we rewrite the rules of the global economy, putting front and centre the needs and demands of those in the global south who are suffering most from climate change, even though they bear least responsibility for it. In Glasgow, like it or not, politicians are having to respond in kind.

Of course, that doesn’t mean the actions announced here are what we want or need. —-

But even the fact that politicians are having to pay lip service to climate justice means bigger change is now possible. —- The changes we’re calling for are transformational. It’s big. And it won’t happen overnight, as urgent as the situation might be. They require us to build power through our global movement. But I can see the change, and I’m so proud of the role we’re playing in bringing that about.”

Climate day of action: 6th November

November 2, 2021 by reading

Is climate on the menu at trade talks? 7pm, Thursday 23 September 2021

July 22, 2021 by reading

Is climate on the menu at trade talks?

September 2021

September has been a busy month for the Reading group. We have concentrated on the trade campaign, ‘Don’t let corporate courts block climate action’. Jean Blaylock gave us an interesting talk, ‘Is Climate on the Menu at Trade talks?’ We had three stalls at various local events as well as a short action near the station on Global Justice Now’s Day of Action!

We have also been lobbying our two Reading MPs as we approach COP26. The group ‘Hope for the Future’ has been helping us to tailor our messages for each of our MPs. Alok Sharma is President of COP 26 so we have chosen subjects that have an international impact such as aviation, expanding local airports and the Cambo Oil Field; Matt Rodda is Shadow Minister of Pensions so we have been talking to him about pensions investments, insulation in pensioners houses and the National Investment Bank.