Local group activities
Anti-poverty campaigners from Shropshire took part in the World Development Movement’s AGM and Groups’ and Activists’ Conference at the Friends Meeting House in Nottingham on Saturday (13 September 2014).
A special resolution was voted through at the AGM. Shh…WDM is changing its name!
Stop the corporate takeover of Africa’s food!
Members of the Shropshire group of the World Development Movement campaigned against the corporate takeover of Africa’s food at WildFEST in Shrewsbury on 12 July 2014.
The Shropshire group of the World Development Movement holds informal meetings once a month bar August. The meetings usually happen on the second Thursday of the month, 7.30-9pm. This year, though, the July and December gatherings are on the first Thursday.
Venue: The Alb, Shrewsbury – 200m from train station on Smithfield Road.
The meetings are a chance to get together and plan our campaigning activities. These include letter writing, lobbying and organising occasional events.
If you would like to find out more about our activities or drop into one of our meetings, you can contact us at: westmidlands@wdm.org.uk or call Tony on 07590 507 522.
Thursday 9 January – review 2013 and plan 2014 – Tony’s house, Shrewsbury
Thursday 13 February – virtual meeting with WDM Director Nick Dearden – Tony’s house
Thursday 13 March – Think Global actions – The Alb, Shrewsbury
Thursday 10 April – campaign stall planning – The Alb
Saturday 12 April – campaign stall – outside Unitarian Church, Shrewsbury
Thursday 8 May – Think Global actions – The Alb
Thursday 12 June – “Stop Bankrolling Coal” Walking Tour of Shrewsbury
Thursday 3 July – Green Fair campaign stall planning – The Alb
Saturday 12 July – campaign stall at Green Fair/WildFEST – Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Shrewsbury
Thursday 11 September – Think Global actions – The Alb
Saturday 13 September, 10am-6pm – WDM AGM & Groups’ Conference – Friends Meeting House, Nottingham
DATE CHANGE: Tuesday 7 October (not Thursday 9) – WDM Director talk planning – The Alb
Tuesday 4 November, 7.30pm – talk by WDM Director Nick Dearden – Upper Vaughan’s Room, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery
DATE CHANGE: Tuesday 11 November (not Thursday 13) – campaign stall planning – The Alb
Saturday 22 November – campaign stall – outside Unitarian Church
Thursday 4 December – social night out, probably a curry house!
The Shropshire group of the World Development Movement collected signatures at the Shrewsbury Green Fair on Saturday 6 July (2013) for a petition calling for banks and pension funds to report not only the carbon footprints of their City of London offices, but also the carbon footprints of the fossil fuel projects in which they are investing.
Members of the Shropshire group treated visitors to the Green Fair at the Shropshire Wildlife Trust to an unconventional lucky dip, complete with oil slick and coal dust sweets, highlighting the relationship between controversial coal, oil and gas projects around the world and the UK financial sector.
The lucky dip revealed fossil fuel extraction projects around the world which are displacing local communities and polluting their environments without bringing them the benefit of affordable energy. These are projects which are contributing to an increase in global carbon emissions and ultimately climate change, too.
The lucky dip also revealed which financial institutions are investing in these projects, and the group collected signatures from Green Fair visitors for a petition to Business Secretary Vince Cable, urging him to make it obligatory for banks and pension funds to report not only the carbon emissions resulting from their office light bulbs, but also the emissions of the dirty energy projects in which they are investing savers’ and borrowers’ money.
If savers and borrowers have this information, they will be able to choose whether they place their business with banks heavily involved in fossil fuels or with banks backing development of green energy. As it stands, billions of pounds are being poured into coal, oil and gas projects, dwarfing investment into renewable or alternative energies, all at the expense of our planet, communities around the world today and future generations.
Campaigners from the Shropshire group of the World Development Movement set up a ‘Bankers Anonymous’ stall at The Unitarian Church, High Street, Shrewsbury, on Saturday 9 March 2013 to highlight the banks’ addiction to gambling on food prices.
Financial speculation by banks and hedge funds is driving up food prices, sending the cost of basic foods spiraling beyond the reach of millions of the world’s poorest people. In March Barclays announced a withdrawal from speculating on food, following public outcry over its effect on hunger.
The World Development Movement is calling for tough controls on speculation. The Shrewsbury campaigners asked passers-by to take part in a ‘five step programme’ to help bankers kick their addiction. The steps included signing a postcard to local MPs, asking them to urge George Osborne to act to control speculation.
European finance ministers, including George Osborne, are due to vote in the coming months on draft regulation to curb food speculation. But the UK government has so far failed to back tough controls.
Anthony Twist from the Shropshire group of the World Development Movement said: “Banks need our help to quit gambling on food. Only strong regulation will stop speculation playing havoc with prices. Food is a basic human need and banks must not be allowed to gamble on it to make a fast buck.”
For further information, please contact Anthony Twist at: wdmshropshire@googlemail.com
Pictured: Mick Gilmore, Dave Caton and Anthony Twist from Shropshire WDM and a member of the public.
Read all about it in the Shropshire Star! Food prices protest takes to the streets of Shrewsbury
Group meeting
The Shropshire group of the World Development Movement holds informal meetings once a month bar August, generally at the Shrewsbury Coffeehouse.
The meetings are a chance to get together and plan our campaigning activities, which include letter writing, lobbying and organising occasional events.
If you would like to find out more about our activities or drop into one of our meetings, you can contact us at: wdmshropshire@googlemail.com or call Tony on 07590 507 522.
