Global Justice Sheffield
Thursday 19th June, 6:30pm – 7pm
The groups AGM for 2014. This will take place prior to the public meeting “Do Corporations Rule the World? – what happened to democracy?”, at 7:15pm.
Venue: Quaker Meeting House, 10 St. James Street, Sheffield S1 2EW (nr Sheffield Cathedral)
Thursday 19th June, 7:15pm-9:00pm: Do Corporations Rule the World? – what happened to democracy?
Guest speaker: Nick Dearden, Director of WDM, and former Director of Jubilee Debt Campaign
A feast of the practical alternatives being developed, by people and by governments around the world, to put people before profit. Discussion led by seasoned campaigner Nick Dearden.
This is a free event and open to all.
Venue: Quaker Meeting House, 10St. James Street, Sheffield S1 2EW (nr Sheffield Cathedral)
More information
How does ‘democracy’ actually work these days? It is sometimes said by the pessimists that “No matter who you vote for, you always get the government”. But do we nowadays even get the policies of ‘the government’, or in effect the policies of corporate business?
When was the last time that a ‘Western’ government – even Obama’s – acted in full on an election pledge of some serious action to make life better and fairer for people, but which would mean slightly less no-holds-barred profit-seeking by the major corporations? And when did small businesses last get the fair deal they are always promised as ‘the real wealth creators’?
Who do almost all political parties now rely upon for their campaign funds? And what sorts of career do very many retired senior politicians move into when they leave office – middle-ranking public service jobs, or lucrative directorships? Where do their interests lie?
We are constantly being urged to believe that “There is no alternative” to the profit-only ways of providing for all our needs – from privatised and therefore profit-driven public services at home, to expensive, privately-patented seeds and agricultural inputs as the only possible way to “feed the world”.
But, says our guest speaker Nick Dearden, “A picture is building which is finding alternatives to the market even when we’re told such solutions are unthinkable”.
“‘There is no alternative’ is an incredibly powerful concept. But the models being experimented with in some parts of Latin America go beyond anything we’ve seen in decades. It is THE challenge to corporate power even if it’s somewhat patchy and it’s not a straight line to a better world”.
As director of Jubilee Debt Campaign, Nick built strong relationships with campaigners in the global south, and he helped win a new law to stop Vulture Funds from using UK courts to squeeze huge debt payments out of poor countries.
Thursday 24th April, 7-9pm (Rotherham)
QUESTION TIME: Come and ask candidates for the EU elections how their party will bring ‘Justice for the World’s Poor’?
Venue: Talbot lane Conference Centre, Moorgate St (opposite Town Hall) Rotherham S60 2EY
Please bring 2 copies of your question about International Trade, Aid, Environment, Climate Change, or International Debt, so the chair can call you to read out your question.
The meeting will be chaired by Rev Alistair Sharp.
organised by: Rotherham World Development Movement Group
(For more information, contact Gill 01709 542571)
Saturday 13th September, 10am-6pm, Nottingham
A day of planning, skillsharing and discussion for anyone involved in WDM activism, however long you’ve been involved.
More information and online registration will be available on this page in June. The event is free and there will be a travel subsidy available for those coming from relatively far away. For enquiries in the meantime, please email activism@wdm.org.uk.
WDM’s annual general meeting will take place between 11.45 and 1.45 as part of the conference, and will include a special resolution on changing our name.
Venue: Nottingham Friends Meeting House, NG1 5JD (25 Clarendon Street)
Friday 2nd May to Sunday 5th May 2014
Breaking the Frame: a gathering on the politics of technology
Our system of industrial capitalism is in both economic and environmental crisis. Part of the cause of these crises is the technologies that we use – although they do of course bring benefits, technologies are largely designed and controlled by corporate, military and technocratic elites to serve their interests and exert their power. So, in order to really face up to those crises we need a new politics of technology, a politics that goes beyond the myths that technology is just a neutral tool, or that technological advances necessarily bring progress.
The Breaking the Frame gathering is a step towards creating the new politics of technology. We will be bringing together campaigns on the technology politics of food, energy/climate/ environment, work/economics/austerity, the military, the internet, surveillance health and gender, as well as trade unionists, radical scientists, artists and developers of alternative technologies. The aim is to learn from each other and to build a new network, to strengthen campaigns and make issues about technology more central in radical movements.
Some of the issues we’ll discuss include:
Confirmed speakers include Simon Fairlie (editor of The Land magazine), Jerry Mander (International Forum on Globalisation), Hilary Wainwright (editor, Red Pepper), Theo Simon (Stop Hinkley), Danny Chivers (No Dash for Gas).
There will be demonstrations and workshops on craft-based production, poetry, music, walking etc.
Venue: Unstone Grange, Derbyshire (nr. Dronfield/Eckington)
Visit the Breaking the Frame website for further information regarding this event, including costs and how to book. If you are interested in the gathering please email us at luddites200@yahoo.co.uk. There will shortly be an online booking system for the gathering.
Peace in the Park – Saturday 14th June, 12pm-9pm
WDM Sheffield will be holding a stall at the 2014 Peace in the Park festival. We will be campaigning on stopping the corporate takeover of Africa’s food. If you would like to help out on the stall, contact us at: WDMSheffield@googlemail.com
Venue: Ponderosa, Netherthorpe, Sheffield
About Peace in the Park
The Peace in the Park festival promotes peace and understanding by bringing together communities through artistic, musical and vocal expression. Peace in the Park is organised by a group of artists, musicians, students, events organisers and other everyday Sheffield folk, working together in a not for profit collective.
