Global Call – March 2007
The new collective mobilisation on global poverty launches next week on Monday 26th March...
The World Can't Wait
Your Voice Against Poverty
Ahead of the G8 and EU Summits in Germany in June, we are coming together, calling on supporters to raise Your Voice against Poverty, with the message to political leaders that The World Can't Wait: they must act decisively and with urgency on poverty.
Join us! We will be calling on supporters to visit the new website that will go live later this week, to take an online action targeting the leaders of the UK and Germany, and to come to London for an exciting rally on 2nd June.
On 2nd June, we will gather on the banks of the Thames near Parliament – as simultaneous rallies take place in Germany and Canada – to tell the Prime Minister and the German Chancellor Angela Merkel that the world can't wait for:
- debt cancellation and increased aid,
- trade justice,
- healthcare, education, water and sanitation for all,
- firm plans to prevent catastrophic climate change.
Please fill out this form to sign up to the campaign.
Come along to the Economic Justice Forum on 30th March to be inspired and find out more.
Day of Action on HIV and AIDS
On 20th March, the Stop AIDS Campaign is running a Day of Action on HIV and AIDS to ensure G8 leaders keep the promise of Universal Access to HIV Prevention, Treatment and Care by 2010. Your support and participation would be hugely valued. The day will include a speaker event attended by Hilary Benn, a lobby of parliament, a hand-in of the petitions and action cards collected so far in the campaign, and a photo stunt and rally to finish the day.
The event is timed to be just a week before the G8 Development Ministers meet in Germany, and offers a key opportunity to garner strong international action to deliver access to life-saving HIV treatment and services for all.
Read about the full details of the day to get involved.
The Stop AIDS Campaign has also published a policy briefing outlining What the G8 Must Do to Keep the Promise of Universal Access by 2010.
Stop Europe’s Unfair Trade Deals
The Trade Justice Movement is staging a record-breaking action event in central London on Thursday 19th April 2007 calling on Europe to stop pushing unfair trade deals on poor African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.
The Trade Justice Action takes place on a global day of action across ACP countries and Europe against the EU’s proposals that would put jobs and economies at risk in ACP countries, undermine healthcare provision and education for poor people, as well as damage their environment.
The day will begins with a 11am meet for a rally outside the German embassy in Belgrave Square as Germany currently holds the EU Presidency. Supporters will be divided into teams to go on to deliver the trade justice message to every EU embassy in London, as well as the UK’s Department of Trade and Industry and the European Commission office. Go to the Trade Justice Movement website for more details on the event and to register in advance.
Join us in central London on Thursday 19th April and demonstrate your solidarity with ACP countries against Europe’s unfair trade deals.
- Can you help on the day? We need experienced staff to help in assisting supporters in finding out which embassy they will be visiting, leading supporter teams to deliver our demands to the embassies, as well as other logistical roles. Please email with your contact details to Nicki and we will register you as staff support. You will then be contacted with details.
- Promote the event to your supporters either online or in print. Order our flyers. Email Catherine or call 020 7404 0530.
Update on Debt
A private off-shore company has been trying to scavenge a huge profit off Zambia, one of the world’s poorest countries, in a case that has highlighted the threat of "vulture funds". The company, Donegal International, is suing Zambia in the British courts for $55 million in payment of a debt it bought for just $3 million. The judge has rejected the full claim, but Donegal looks likely to get up to $20 million from a country where the average income is barely $1 a day.
Campaigners are calling on Hilary Benn to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is over the conditions attached to aid, loans and debt relief by the World Bank. Benn is being told to use talks over how much money rich countries will contribute to the World Bank over the next three years, to force the World Bank to drop economic policy conditions. Last year, the UK government withheld an extra £50 million of funding in protest at these conditions, which it has recognised since March 2005 don’t work.
Take action now.
Jubilee Debt Campaign’s Debt and Power conference on Saturday 28th April will bring together the UK debt coalition for a day of debate, workshops, stalls, information and networking in London. Speakers will include former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, World Bank debt chief Vikram Nehru, plus debt campaigners from Kenya and Zambia. See the Jubilee Debt Campaign website for full details and to book a place.
Trades Union Congress Update
The TUC is holding an International Development Conference on 26th March at Congress House from 10am-4pm. In an attempt to explore how to strengthen and complement each others work, the conference will showcase a range of best practice examples of union/NGO work – including development campaigning, awareness raising and working with trade unions in developing countries – and will examine what the ingredients for success are.
Register by 21st March with Aisha Latif . More details can be found on the TUC website.
As part of the TUC’s support for the ongoing global campaign to secure the implementation of core labour standards, a short guide has been produced. This guide explains what the standards are (the right to join a union and negotiate, freedom from forced and child labour and non-discrimination in the work place), the fact that they are basic and universal human rights and also dispels some of the myths around why they are being advocated by trade union movements in the South and North.
The guide will be available in electronic format on the TUC website in April, but to receive a hard copy please contact Tanya Warlock. The TUC has produced a development education fact file and poster on Slavery in the Twenty First Century. The materials link slavery of old to the causes and consequences of slavery and forced labour today. The causes include issues surrounding aid, trade and debt.
The fact file is available on the TUC website for general use and the posters (mainly for the use of trade unionists in the workplace) can be requested from Aisha Latif.
Economic Justice Forum
The next Economic Justice Forum is taking place at BOND on Friday 30th March.
Come along to find out why The World Can't Wait. Raise Your Voice Against Poverty. Come to be enthused and inspired about the Trade Justice Action on 19th April and the exciting rally in London on 2nd June.
More details here or register to attend by emailing Romina
Vegro.
Global Call to Action against Poverty
On 8th March, International Women's Day, the Global Call to Action against Poverty launched a day of mobilisation, with the key message: "Gender Equality to End Poverty".
This was the first of several days of action for GCAP in 2007. What comes next?
- 2nd June focusing on the G8;
- 7th July focusing on the mid-point of the MDGs;
- 17th October, World Poverty Day, a massive day of global mobilisation.
A global GCAP meeting will be held in Montevideo, Uruguay on 3rd-5th May, 2007, with delegates attending from all the national GCAP coalitions. Contact Alison Marshall at BOND for more details about this meeting.
G8 Alternative Summit in Germany
A G8 Alternative Summit will take place in Rostock on 5th-7th June. The deadline for registration of workshops will be the 13th of April 2007.
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