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<P class=western style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-fareast-language: EN-GB"><FONT color=#6000bf>Do you all know about this?</FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; COLOR: red; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">PRESS NOTICE</SPAN></B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 16pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR></SPAN><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 15pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt">LAUNCH OF NEW POLITICAL MOVEMENT IN SHEFFIELD</SPAN></B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B>Monday 31st January</B><BR> <BR><B>“Politicians think there are no votes in the environment, no votes in democracy and no votes in a new constitution. <I>ACT</I> aims to change that.”</B><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><BR style="mso-special-character: line-break"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=western style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman">On Monday 31st January, at 7pm in the Friends Meeting House, 10 St James Street, Sheffield, a new non-party political movement - <B><I>ACT – Active Citizens Transform</I></B><I> –</I> will be launched. <B><I>ACT</I></B><SPAN style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold">’s</SPAN> aim is to kick-start a democratic revolution in Britain – <B>The Reasonable Revolution</B>. <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><I><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">ACT</SPAN></I></B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">’s 400 founding members want to see a fundamental transformation in the way Britain is governed, and in the priorities on which the running of society is based. The British way of life and our economy are simply not sustainable. Fundamental economic and social inequalities, and degrading environments, divide our world – splitting countries, communities and citizens apart, and ruining the places in which we live. As government ignores the problems, and gathers ever more powers for itself at the expense of our elected representatives in parliament, so people feel increasingly isolated and marginalised. There is widespread public concern about these failures of government, cynicism about politicians and distrust of party politics. <BR><BR>We need
politics to work and be seen to work, and deliver justice in the present and for future generations. This is what sustainability and democracy mean for us. <B><I>ACT</I> </B>believes that only citizens and communities can drive these changes. This is what we call The Reasonable Revolution.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>In short, <B><I>ACT</I> </B>is about building up political clout from the grassroots. We have the backing of Charter88, and are initially building support in 18 public launch meetings and campaigns.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN> <B><I>ACT</I></B>’s agenda is to:<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B>1.</B> <B>secure new planning and development powers for communities and local authorities, </B>including over public services, housing, energy, transport, waste and High St. development schemes<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">2. win new powers for Parliament to hold the Prime Minister and Cabinet to account </SPAN></B><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">for delivering manifesto commitments and Department policy<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-INDENT: 0.5in"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B>3. build up public and cross-party political support for a range of new laws, tax codes and public spending priorities </B>to tackle problems like climate change emissions, polluting and resource wasting industries and the plight of poor families and neighbourhoods who suffer the worst effects of environmental degradation and pollution<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B>4. secure new political rights for individual citizens and communities, including: </B>to participate meaningfully in setting national as well as local public policy priorities; to choose their own local electoral voting system; to be able to hold government and companies to account for causing avoidable harm to public health and the environment; and, to determine local economic and market trading conditions to favour local businesses. <B><I>ACT</I></B> is also campaigning for a written constitution that will empower individual citizens and Parliament. <BR><BR><B>5.</B> <B>motivate and mobilize a nation-wide network of voters, tax-payers and constituents</B>, and unite a wide range of national organizations and community groups, into an effective political movement driving this democracy and sustainability agenda. We will publicly support those
politicians who back this agenda, and expose those who do not.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B><I>ACT</I>’</B>s four launch campaigns are: 1) The Representation of the People (Local Electoral Systems) Bill; 2) Statutory Carbon Reduction Targets, and Supportive Tax Codes; 3) a Bill of Sustainability Rights, supported by a written constitution; 4) The Sustainable Communities Bill. (See Launch Pack for details).<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>Charles Secrett, Co-Director, stated: “Britain’s economy and way of life are not sustainable. We consume too much, pollute too much, and government tolerates too many environmental, social and economic injustices. Politicians think there are no votes in the environment, no votes in democracy and no votes in a new constitution. <B><I>ACT</I> </B>aims to change that.”<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>Ron Bailey, Co-Founder and Co-Director of C88, stated: “<B><I>ACT</I></B> is flagging up two of the fundamental flaws in our democracy: the increasing inability of parliament to hold the executive to account ,and the complete lack of any facility by which electors cans hold their own MPs to account. By trying to build a non-party citizens movement around those two issues, and by linking the issue of democracy to sustainability, <B><I>ACT</I></B> is filling an important political vacuum. It must succeed!”<BR><BR><B>For further information, please contact:<o:p></o:p></B></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>Charles Secrett, Co-Director <B><I>ACT</I></B>: (w) 020-7833-9898; (m) 079770-16119<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>Ron Bailey, Co-Director <B><I>ACT</I></B>: (w) 020-7833-9898; (m) 07951-761229<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>Stephen Shaw, <B><I>ACT</I></B> Network Coordinator: (w) 020-7833-9898; mobile 07788-646933 <BR><BR><B><I>ACT </I></B>website: <U><A href="http://www.actnetwork.org.uk/">www.actnetwork.org.uk</A><o:p></o:p></U></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">E-mail contact: <U><A href="mailto:info@actnetwork.org.uk">info@actnetwork.org.uk</A></U><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 12pt"><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><BR><B>NOTES TO EDITORS:</B><BR><BR>1) <B><I>ACT</I> </B>has been founded and set up by Charles Secrett , Ron Bailey, and Martyn Williams.<BR><BR>Charles Secrett, Co-Founder<I> <B>ACT</B></I>: Director, Friends of the Earth 1993-2003. Started peaceful direct action campaigns with communities to protect threatened nature reserves in Britain (1981); began the first Rainforest campaign (1985), including widespread consumer boycotts and constituent political lobbying; and, at FOE, prioritized the development of citizen action, consumer/shareholder pressure and constituent campaigns, including on environmental justice issues, GM foods, fuel-poverty, habitat protection, and traffic reduction (1993-1999).<BR><BR>Ron Bailey, Co-Founder <B><I>ACT</I></B>: From his initiation of the squatters’ movement in 1968 to the present day, Ron Bailey has always been a
keen advocate of citizen mobilisation. He set up the Parliamentary Units at FOE and ACE, and has been responsible for over 20 successful campaigns to change legislation on environment and democracy issues.<BR><BR>2) <B><I>ACT</I>’</B>s Board members are: John Jackson (Chair of Countryside Alliance and Board of openDemocracy); Judy Ling Wong (Director, Black Environment Network); Stuart Weir (former Editor New Statesman, and founder of Charter88); Helen Furtado (London First); Richard Sandbrook, (former Director of International Institute for Environment and Development); Martyn Williams (co-founder <I>ACT</I>, and Parliamentary Coordinator for Friends of the Earth) and Andrew Warren, (Director, of the Association for the Conservation of Energy).<BR><BR>3) <B><I>ACT</I></B> has agreed campaign partnerships with Charter88 and the New Politics Network, and is jointly running campaigns with them for a written constitution, the Bill of Sustainability Rights and for
Local Electoral choice.<BR><BR>4) <B><I>ACT</I></B> Launch Meetings: 10 January, <I>London</I>; 12 January, <I>Cardiff</I>; 13 January, <I>Norwich</I>; 17 January, <I>Birmingham</I>; 18 January, <I>Tunbridge Wells</I>; 19 January,<I> Leeds</I>; 20 January, <I>Truro</I>; 21 January, <I>Bristol</I>; 24 January, <I>Plymouth</I>; 25 January, <I>Oxford</I>; 26 January, <I>Brighton</I>; 27 January, <I>Southampton</I>; 31 January, <I>Sheffield</I>; 1 February, <I>Newcastle</I>; 2 February, <I>Manchester</I>; 3 February, <I>Cambridge</I>. Launch meetings in Edinburgh and Belfast will take place later this Spring.<BR></SPAN><SPAN lang=EN-GB style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><FONT size=3> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P></DIV><BR><BR><DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#8000ff>PLEASE NOTE CHANGE OF ADDRESS <BR></FONT>Sheffield Community Recycling Action Programme - SCRAP promotes recycling schemes to benefit local communities in Sheffield. <BR><FONT color=#0000ff>40 Earsham Street,Pitsmoor, Sheffield, S4 7LS</FONT>. <BR>tel: 0114 2755055 / 0114 2755599, fax: 0114 2755055. <BR>Company limited by guarantee no. 2236177, charity no.1002780</DIV>
<DIV>Registered office 127 Spital Hill, Pitsmoor, Sheffield S4 7LD.</DIV></DIV><p>
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