[Ssf] Ideas for 2005...

[Chris Malins]

On the subject of working together with Christian Aid, WDM, P&P etc,
I've just been to a meeting of the Sheffield Make Poverty History
Group (SMPH) which is just getting going for 2005. This is a one year
focussing of the Trade Justice Movement supported by all the obvious
usual suspects, and I think thats its exactly the sort of thing that
the SSF should be behind.

The intention is to capitalise on our EU and G8 presidencies and put
some real pressure on the Blair government (or in the unlikely event
of a change, whoever it is) to take action on the systemic measures
which can help the Developing World out of poverty, so that means
trade justice, debt alleviation and targetted development aid. The
campaign is launching over Christmas with a high mainstream profile,
supported by the Band Aid song and, apparently, the 'Vicar of Dibley'
Christmas special. Not my idea on either count (!) but I think that we
should use the publicity these will generate as much as possible, even
if there may be a couple of issues around the Band Aid song.

There will be a launch event around the University in Feb, and if
anyone in the wider city wants to run a launch or any other type of
event, Cafod, Christian aid, WDM etc should be supportive. There will
be a glogal week of action in april, 10-16th and the focus of the year
will be July 2 for the 'Make Poverty History' mobilisation in
Edinburgh. There will be transport options of one sort or another for
this event, hopefully subsidised at least for unwaged/students by
Cafod. This is of course the beginning of the gleneagles G8 summit
week, so there will be planty of other stuff going on in Scotland all
week, including an alternatiove to the g8 summit. I think that if we
want to mobilise for the G8, or for the G7 finance meeting which may
or may not still happen in Sheffield post-blunkett, it would be
sensible to keep the SMPH group in the loop. There will be another
meeting of the SMPH steering group in January, which I will try to
remember to forward details of. I will endeavour to attend and report
back to the SSF either way.

Chris


On Fri, 17 Dec 2004 12:09:04 +0000, Dan <dan at aktivix.org> wrote:
> So, yup, to follow on from the last e-mail, here's some ideas:
> 
> * A social: music, spoken word, film, art, light and people setting fire
> to sticks dipped in paraffin and spinning them round their heads.  Not
> been enough of this in recent times, for God's sake.
> 
> Issues: Indymedia want to raise money for the server appeal (can we help?)
> Peace in the Park - what's happening there? Are they doing a social
> fundraiser?
> 
> *SSF2005:  Yeah, maybe... but another thought - have a smaller event
> during the G8 Sheffield stuff, but speak to Peace in the Park people
> about possibly doing workshops / having a 'leftfield' tent(s) at peace
> in the park, in place of in indoor event.
> 
> * Organise a specific event on regeneration.  I keep on going on about
> this one and not doing anything about it... but it ties in to so many
> things: G8, food sovereignty, local vs global, local democratic control,
> giving the powers that be a chance to state their case, giving us leftie
> rock-throwers a chance to find out if they're human...
> 
> * Hungry for Justice and the launch of the Green Food Map - there's a
> post-conference plan for a Hungry for Justice website that'll have the
> transcripts from the conference (some of the stuff is FANTASTIC!  I
> should stick the doc on the WIKI...) along with resources on how to
> campaign, why it's such a political issue, how it ties local to global,
> etc... SSF could help mediate all this into a really good event,
> inviting Healthy Sheffield etc.
> 
> * City Fair Trade status - a chance to get SSF, P&P, WDM, Christian Aid
> etc together to talk about this one campaign.
> 
> * Seeds for Change - offering them help to organise here.  Has someone
> else already done this?
> 
> * A 'speak truth to power' workshop event: how to get what you want from
> the powers that be: what their limitations and uses are.
> 
> * Day trips!  Let's go to Manchester, see Merci, go to the new Dissent
> cafe / bookshop / space - which is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!  They also have
> an 'urban art exhibition'  - someone's gone around and got photos of all
> the fantastic graffiti, most of it beautiful and anti-corporate, and put
> it all on the wall.  But you can also tour around the place with a handy
> guide!
> 
> Or to Hebden Bridge, or up to Leeds to meet the Leeds ARC folk, go to
> Maelstrom, whatever...
> 
> Er... that'll do for now.
> 
> Peace!
> 
> Dan
> 
> --
> 07968 997861
> 0114 2412723
> 
> The true meaning of life is to plant trees,
> under whose shade you do not expect to sit.
> 
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