Global Justice Now Reading

Reading Cycle Festival 14 September

We see it as important to raise our voice at this festival largely devoted to activities concerned with cycling. As heavy rain was forecast for early afternoon, Jackie had put together a micro stall consisting of one well-stocked table showing prominently the Global Justice Reading logo, but no gazebo this time. We managed, with our band of helpers, to engage many passers by on mining in Colombia. Families particularly enjoyed our quiz/game supplied by Global Justice Now, with small prizes and sweets for taking part, whether or not all their answers were correct. Despite the focus being primarily on cycling, the three hours before the heavy rain arrived was most productive, and we managed to get packed up very quickly to avoid being soaked! Another successful day!

Earley Green Fair 2 August

We are fortunate this year to have Andrew Micklebrough to organise the stall in Earley as the Coordinator was not available. Again a very successful event at this niche festival with many visitors and leaflets to give out.

Waterfest Saturday 28 June

Waterfest is an all day popular event in Forbury Gardens, Reading, through Reading Abbey and along Chestnut Walk by the River Kennet. This year we had a stall by the roundabout as there were no allocated sites, but it was along a frequented path and we had many participants who stopped to chat, listen to our message and sign our petition. It is a busy and tiring event (!) even with our welcome helpers but it is always successful.

Global Justice continues to be active in Reading.

The programme of meetings for the year is: 

 

• January 29 ‘Water, a Right or Commodity?’
• March 26 ‘Stand up to Corporate Courts’ A UK trade deal is letting companies undermine climate action and human rights. It is using corporate courts to enable multinational mining firms to sue Colombia for $13 million.
• May 28 ‘Climate Change, Women’s Health and Aid’ Talk and Q&A with Simon Batchelor OBE
• July 9 ‘The Future of Food’ Films, talks and discussion
• September 24 Film screening of ’Two Worlds: People without medicines. Profits without limits.’ Followed by discussion.
• November 26 ‘Trump and the New World Disorder.’ Speaker Nick Dearden

 

Activities 2025

We are continuing to campaign for our UK government to remove corporate courts from all its trade deals. Last year we succeeded in getting it to withdraw from the Energy Charter Treaty because that included the clause on corporate courts. We have stalls at

 

• Beanpole Day April 26 
• East Reading Festival  22 June
• Waterfest Saturday 28 June
• Earley Green Fair 2 August
• Reading Cycle Festival 14 September

Stand with Colombia

Continuing the global fight against corporate courts

 7.30pm Wednesday 26 March

RISC, 35 – 39 London Street, RG1 5HL

Multinational mining firms are suing Colombia to the tune of $13 billions. They are using ‘corporate courts’, which are written into trade deals such as the UK-Colombia investment treaty. These secretive tribunals protect the profits of overseas corporations at the expense of human rights and climate action.

But now Colombia is taking a stand against corporate courts, and it has asked for our help to scrap the UK-Colombia deal.

Entry is free but donations accepted. Fair trade refreshments

 

Water, a right or commodity?

Wednesday 29th January 2025, 7.30 pm

RISC 35-39 London St RG1 4PS ̇

info: Jackie Oversby ☎ 07745310794 globaljusticereading@gmail.com  www.globaljustice.org.uk/reading

Water is an essential resource. We all need it to stay alive. Yet a number of major cities are warning that they could run out of water unless their water use radically changes. How can we ensure that everyone has enough? Should we allow multinational companies to bottle it for profit?

25 people some of them new to GJR attended. Jackie had created a team questionnaire on the sources and uses of water to start the meeting, a very successful way to attune those present to the issues. The film (22 minutes) presented the issue of major cities running short of drinking water while bottling companies (water and coca cola) and agriculture were favoured having bought rights over the local population. The resulting discussion was engaging, demonstrating concern but unfortunately only a few solutions.

If you were unable to attend our last meeting about water, you may like to watch the film, ‘Explained / World’s Water Crisis’. It poses the question, how do we price our most valuable resource, while also ensuring access to it as a human right? You can find it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C65iqOSCZOY