[Ssf] MPH meeting

[dave thompson]

hi, 
thanks for the reply Chris, a well balanced and
thought out response is what i was hoping for. like
you I do care about the disgusting poverty, etc in the
developing world and we should campaign as much as
possible on these issues. I am just get concerned that
over the the years, domestic issues have been
forgotten, there is no or little campaigning on
welfare et,even by the TUC, but lots on a war(for
instance) we can do little about. I also know from
experience, that  why many of the individuals you cite
do care about poverty, exclusion, etc and indeed often
work in the filed, their personal attitudes to the uk
poor is very circumspect.(see earlier posts for
examples.)

In a later post i will try to explain why one needs to
show support for injustices here in order to maintain
support elsewhere. Maybe, we shouldn't forget, we have
been experiencing a boom , housing prices,etc,  when
this crashes as it will,some people may feel even more
alienated and turn to simplistic nasty solutions to
their problems.

regards 

dt
hope to see folks at the Caroline Lucas/Green Party
meeting tonight.



--- Chris Malins <chrismalins at gmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Dave,
> 
> I would like to think that if we can bring people
> involved in the MPH 
> campaign together with the Social Forum that you
> actually will find 
> people with a great deal of compassion for the
> people you mention, and 
> indeed quite probably you are involved in their own
> ways in trying to 
> help them. Most of the organisations I have
> mentioned have specific 
> remits which may not lead them to campaign on
> benefits etc, but the 
> individuals involved might make a receptive
> audience. Hopefully, we can 
> get some of these guys to the meeting that Dan wants
> to have on the 17th 
> Feb, to get SSF involved in MPH, and maybe to get
> them involved in 
> things like benefits.
> 
> Of the list of organisations, I would suggest that
> the TUC should be 
> involved in benefit campaigning, and that the Green
> Party campaign on 
> the sort of pledges to improve benefits that you
> want from the 
> government, and that some of the churches probably
> try to provide 
> support for the homeless and elderly.
> 
> But also you are right that the situation of those
> people in Africa 
> dying of starvation, malaria aids or whatever, is a
> different level of 
> problem, and I personally believe that it is right
> that we should make a 
> real effort to make helping them out of the most
> abject poverty a 
> priority this year, not least because of the great
> debt we owe them for 
> having built our own country on their backs, and
> supported the excesses 
> of some of their most violent and corrupt leaders.
> 
> Chris
> 
> deave thompson wrote:
> > hi, a genuine question, will any of this roll call
> of
> > the great and the good be campaigning against the
> > disability benefit cuts which are being proposed
> or
> > fighting for the thousands of pensioners who are
> > likely to die of cold this winter.
> > 
> > 
> > yes, i know they are not anywhere in the same
> > situation as in africa, etc, but they have at
> present
> > few allies, we should be there for them as well.
> > 
> > dave t
> > 
> > 
> > --- Chris Malins <chrismalins at gmail.com> wrote:
> > 
> > 
> >>
> >>I did make the MPH meeting today, and Dan, if it
> >>makes you feel any
> >>better, your apology made it even if you didn't.
> >>
> >>The key point for us as the SSF is that MPH events
> >>should where possible
> >>be driven by individual organisations rather than
> >>the Steering Group,
> >>which will act to coordinate. Therefore, its vital
> >>that we should get in
> >>the driving seat with ideas such as for PiP, but
> >>also for any
> >>contributions we can make to things like the
> Global
> >>week of action.
> >>
> >>Also, if people want to go to Scotland for the
> whole
> >>G8, there is not
> >>currently (that I am aware of) any coordination of
> >>transport, so it
> >>would make sense to start sounding out numbers and
> >>seeing whether we can
> >>get a group together if anyone does want to do
> that.
> >>I do.
> >>
> >>Anyway, I'll give you all a quick update on what
> was
> >>said:
> >>
> >>On recruitment of support:
> >>
> >>The TUC have said they would like to be kept in
> the
> >>loop but not attend
> >>local meetings. The Mother's Guild (something like
> >>that anyway) are not
> >>unsympathetic but have their own activities to
> >>pursue. Friends of the
> >>Earth are on board. Greenpeace are sympathetic,
> but
> >>will consult with
> >>national office before formally endorsing. Wilpf
> >>(Women's international
> >>league for peace and freedom, I think) are on
> board
> >>and represented.
> >>
> >>Events upcoming:
> >>
> >>Tomorrow (Friday) night, Caroline Lucas, Green
> >>Alternatives to
> >>Globalisation, Victoria Hall, 7.30pm. She's great.
> >>
> >>Jan 27th CAAT(Campaign Against the Arms Trade)
> >>meeting with MPH focus,
> >>Friends Meeting House on James Street.
> >>
> >>Feb 2nd Wednesday, speaker from Somaliland at
> >>Christian Aid meeting,
> >>'supper' time at St Matthews apon Carver's Street.
> >>
> >>Feb 15th will be SMPH launch event held at the
> >>university and organised
> >>by People and Planet with support of Christian
> Aid,
> >>Oxfam, WDM and
> >>Cafod. There will be stalls and information
> outside
> >>somewhere around the
> >>  underpass during the day, and speakers on each
> >>campaign strand in the
> >>Arts Tower in a Lecture theatre at 7.30, poss.
> with
> >>a short film. The
> >>campaign in Sheffield will be intorduced by the
> SMPH
> >>chair, and the
> >>university campaign will be introduced by People
> and
> >>Planet.
> >>
> >>Feb 21st Oxfam at REM concert in Arena by
> >>invitation, rasing Make Trade
> >>Fair and MPH issues and flyering.
> >>
> >>March 1-13 Fairtrade Fortnight
> >>
> >>Global week of action (9th-16th April)
> >>
> >>9th - Oxfam, Christian Aid etc organise training
> >>conference in
> >>Manchester for 'multipliers' ie people who go otu
> >>and get more people
> >>involved. All welcome, £5.
> >>
> >>Wilpf will be sending Patricia hewitt postcards
> >>emphasising the effect
> >>on women of poverty.
> >>
> >>13th - Religious(!) lobby of parliament. One for
> the
> >>bible bashers
> >>amongst us.
> >>
> >>15th - Candlelit overnight vigils for the poverty
> >>stricken to be held in
> >>Whitehall, and locally in Leeds at holy Trinity
> >>Church and outside it
> >>weather permitting
> >>
> >>Ideas for further eents actively encouraged, led
> by
> >>member organisations.
> >>
> >>The G8 summit:
> >>
> >>July 2nd, Saturday, protest in Edinburgh in
> support
> >>of MPH. SMPH will
> >>send a coach, 48 people. leave Fridsay, return
> >>Saturday.
> >>children/students £25 or others £30 for travel
> only.
> >>With overnight
> >>accommodation included: £70/£75. If anyone on this
> >>list is interested,
> >>contact me, and i will find the relevant contact
> >>details.
> >>
> 
=== message truncated ===



		
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