Meeting Minutes – 9 June 2014
Present – Mark, Glyn, Vicky, Laura, Jane, Veronica, Tom, David
No minutes for this meeting – we had a good discussion about the ‘Who are we?’ document and completed the consultation.
Then Sarah Reader joined us to discuss her recent trip to the MST Congress in Brazil. And we said our farewells and thanks to her for being great Groups Officer.
Please see the Events section for everything coming up.
Meeting Minutes – 12 May 2014
Present – Mark, Glyn, David, Laura, Vicky, Tom, Veronica (minutes)
1. Campaign updates
Food
Knowledge is power – reading group
WDM have created a reading group to help you get up to speed on the new campaign on corporate power in the world of food production. The reading group is split into five topics, with a selection of longer and shorter articles, youtube videos and short films. Each session also has some suggested discussion questions for you to work through.
The reading group is available for people to do in their own time, or with a group of people locally, and we are also providing online skype sessions for people to join, which we hope will connect up activists across the country. You have the option of joining a monthly group, looking at one of the topics each month, or a weekly group, looking at one of the topics each week. These discussions will be facilitated, but the facilitator will be encouraging you all to talk through your thoughts, ideas and reactions to the readings; they will not be question and answer sessions.
To access all the resources go to http://www.wdm.org.uk/foodreading
Here are the dates for the online groups:
Session topic: | Weekly discussions | Monthly discussions |
Food sovereignty | Wednesday 23 April: 7-8.30pm | Tuesday 22 April: 7-8.30pm |
Agribusiness | Wednesday 30 April: 7-8.30pm | Tuesday 20 May: 7-8.30pm |
Landgrabs | Wednesday 7 May: 7-8.30pm | Tuesday 17 June: 7-8.30pm |
Seeds | Wednesday 14 May: 7-8.30pm | Tuesday 15 July: 7-8.30pm |
Alternatives | Wednesday 21 May: 7-8.30pm | Tuesday 12 August: 7-8.30pm |
We hope that these resources are useful to you, and that you will join us for the online discussion sessions. If you would like to take part please in the discussions: - Email Maya.Williams@wdm.org.uk – Give your skype name - Say if you wish to join the weekly or monthly skype session (we have missed most of the weekly ones tho!)
Please don’t feel that you have to look at all the readings in any one session to join in! To participate in the skype calls, you will need to have a skype account, and a computer with a microphone so that you can hear what is being said and participate in the discussions. There’s no need to have a web cam.
If you choose to take part in a reading group with your local WDM group, or people in your area we would also like to hear how they are going, please do send any comments from your discussions through to Maya.Williams@wdm.org.uk.
We discussed using these for discussions at our future meetings, sharing the reading amongst a few people.
Climate
There’s a new action card and leaflet – this one focusing on Lloyds and Ed Davey.
WDM were at the Barclays AGM again .
2. Euro Hustings
All the details have gone round the list – there are some problems with the rise-up list at the moment – we are experiencing a high level of bounces due to changes in some email providers security settings. Details below (cut and paste this into emails) – please spread the word as far and wide as possible and especially use the Facebook event, so we have an idea of numbers.
VP to put press release out this week. We can be at the venue from 6pm, which has also been communicated to the candidates.
Would be good to have someone looking after each of the candidates and also being responsible for asking them to sign the pledge.
David to talk to Jean Lambert
Laura to talk to Seb Dance
Others – please let me know if you are coming, so I can assign you a job.
Take Back the Power
Global Justice and the European Elections – Monday 19 May, 7pm
Small Hall, Friends Meeting House, 173-177 Euston Rd,
Come and meet your MEP candidates and question them on their commitment to trade justice.
• Jean Lambert, Green Party
• Jonathan Fryer, Liberal Democrats
• Seb Dance, Labour Party
• Glyn Chambers, Conservative Party
• Tbc, UKIP (invited)
Chair: John Hilary, Executive Director, War on Want
On Thursday 22nd May, we will be voting for candidates to represent us in the European Parliament. Europe takes decisions on important global issues, including trade.
A major trade deal – the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) – is currently being negotiated between the USA and the EU. New corporate trade deals like this threaten to increase global inequality, undermine democracy and hand public service provision to multinational companies.
• What effect will this deal have on our lives here in the UK?
• How can we ensure that this deal prioritises human rights, environmental protection and labour standards?
• How can we ensure transparency and accountability in the negotiation of these deals?
Meet your European Parliamentary election candidates and hear what they have to say on these issues and what they will do to address them, if elected on 22 May.
Organised by North and East London World Development Movement
Contact nandelondonwdm@gmail. com to find out more
Web: www.groups.globaljustice.org.uk/ northandeastlondon
Join the Facebook event: https://www.facebook. com/events/655635101157740
3. New consultation
There’s another consultation – yay! This time on ‘who we are’. You can read it here: http://www.wdm.org.uk/think-global/think-global-may-2014 (scroll to bottom and find word doc) before the next meeting and we will spend the first 30 minutes discussing it and completing the feedback to WDM. Please do read it!
4. Upcoming events
9 June – next group meeting: Sarah Reader is coming along. Agreed to invite her for 7.30pm, so first half hour of meeting will be to complete the consultation (as above).
12 June – WDM Open Evening – registration for this is now closed, due to high level of responses.
21 June – Peoples Assembly national demo – more info here: http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/national_demo_21_june
12 July – TTIP day of action – to discuss at next meeting. All to think of ideas for possible actions.
4. AOB
Discussed the possibility of a meeting with the new Groups Officer when he is in post. Could combine it with a London Groups meeting or evening teach-in style event. Ideas on a postcard…
Meeting Minutes – 14 April 2014
Present: Mark, Glyn, David, Jayd, Clare, Veronica (minutes)
Apologies: Tom, Jane
1. Campaign updates
Food
New campaign has been launched with a report and new action cards – Stop the corporate takeover of African food! Hopefully we’ll be able to take this out to summer events this year.
Climate
WDM have given us the outline of a possible ‘Stop bankrolling coal’ walking tour. We decided it was a bit beyond us to organise this at the moment, but perhaps something to think about for the summer, though there are a fair number of walking tours of the City already.
2. Events & Actions
Teach-in: this had been scheduled for 10 May, but group members are needed to help organise it. We agreed that things were too busy for our members to take it on at this stage (with the Euro and local elections coming up), and no-one was actually available for the day.
Food campaign launch event: on April 30 at Conway Hall at 7pm. Janet Maro from Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania will be speaking along with Tim Lang and Heidi Chow.
Facebook event here: https://www.facebook.com/events/426591097478554
Next meeting: agreed to invite Sarah Reader to our next meeting on 12 May to hear about her trip to Brazil and to say farewell and thanks to her – she is leaving WDM in June.
UPDATE: Sarah is not available on 12 May, but will come to our June meeting instead.
Hustings: we had been thinking about the possibility of organizing a hustings on the TTIP in the run up to the Euro-elections on 22 May. Things got rather stuck with finding a venue and if not possible to get the sitting MEPs or top of the list candidates, we might not go ahead.
UPDATE: we have the Small Hall at Friends Meeting House booked for Monday 19 May. So far Jean Lambert and Jonathan Fryer (Lib Dem) have said yes. If we can secure at least 2 more candidates this week, we’ll go ahead.
Summer Festivals: we are booked in for
Permaculture Festival – Sunday 6 July, Cecil Sharp House, Camden
Other possibilities:
Redbridge Green Fair – 25 May. Tbc
Dangerous Times Festival – 31 May & 1 June, Rich Mix, Bethnal Green. Tbc.
Lewisham People’s Day – 12 July, office may organise this or SE group. Tbc.
Lambeth Country Show – 19 & 20 July, office to oganise
Please let Veronica know if you are available to help on a stall at any of these events.
3. New name
We had a long discussion about the naming process and that none of the new names for WDM suggested really hit the nail on the head. No-one had any better suggestions though! So we wait to see what the next stage in the process brings.
Meeting Minutes – 10 March 2014
Present – Mark, Glyn, David, Vicky, Veronica (minutes)
Apologies – Tom, Laura
1. Campaign updates
Climate: HSBC card hand-in happened before Christmas, but can continue to collect cards and arrange mini-hand ins at local branches. Agreed stall on Saturday 15 March at Islington HSBC from 11-1pm.
Energy sovereignty issues continue to be developed. In the meantime, can write to or lobby MPs on private coal finance – parliamentary briefing and draft letter here: http://www.wdm.org.uk/think-global-february-2014
Food: new campaign will launch next month. We shared out some of the new materials. Action cards will be available next month. There’s also a stunt pack – discussed the possibility of a stunt – will join with the launch stunt and take it from there. Teach-in is planned for May, when we will learn more about the campaign and plan some actions jointly with other London groups.
Trade: new campaign on TTIP. Online action and we are being asked to lobby MEP candidates either by email or by organising a hustings. We discussed the possibility of doing this possibly joint with other groups both WDM and other interest groups. To discuss further at next meeting, though time is short with the MEP elections set for 22 May.
Actions:
- Write to MPs about coal finance
- Check out new materials for Stop the corporate takeover of African food campaign: http://www.wdm.org.uk/think-global-march-2014
- VP to explore possibility of holding a hustings meeting with MEP candidates
2. Overseas trips!
Two exciting opportunities:
- Solidarity trip to Colombia to visit the Cerrejon region and see how the world’s biggest coal mine is affecting communities there. For more info contact Kirsty or Sam in the WDM office.
- Attac summer university: this is a European network of groups that campaign on issues similar to WDM. In August they are holding a 5 day conference in Paris. WDM may be able to cover travel and accommodation costs for group members interested in attending. For more info about the event see www.esu2014.org and email James if you’re interested james.onions@wdm.org.uk
3. Upcoming events
Lots happening in the coming few weeks. Get these dates in your diary:
17 March
6.30pm, Unite Building, 128 Theobalds Road
Fancy chlorinated chicken, hormone beef and pork, Genetically Modified (GM) food and endocrine disrupting pesticides on your veg? All this is on the menu with the US/EU free trade agreement
(Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – TTIP), in exchange for deregulated financial services and privatised public services – which you probably didn’t want either.
Hear food and trade experts explain how this secretive so-called ‘trade’ deal threatens our food supply – because knowledge is power.
More info: http://stopttip.net/foodttip-meeting-6-30pm-17th-mar/
18 March and 8 April
ShareAction AGM Training
6 – 8.30pm, ShareAction Office, 16 Crucifix Lane, SE1 3JW
ShareAction is running two trainings for individuals and organisations that want to ask tough and intelligent questions of company directors at their AGMs in 2014.
If you’d like to take the UK’s biggest companies to task on high pay, their environmental record, human rights, Living Wage, or any issue you’re passionate about, then this (free) training is for you. You do not need to own shares to take part.
The training will cover:
Why shareholder activism is so effective.
How to make the most of the opportunity, and not fluff your lines.
AGM practicalities: What do I need to know?
More details and registration: http://bit.ly/1mao4Nh
19 March
Fracked Future Carnival
12.30pm, outside Knightsbridge Tube Station
Protest at Shale Gas Forum which will be attended by government officials, CEOs from IGas, Cuadrilla and more. See www.frack-off.org.uk for more
22 March
The New Frontlines of War: Corporations, Conflict & Community Resistance
11am – 6pm, Rich Mix, E1 6LA
Speakers and workshops plus evening entertainment. See www.waronwant.org/frontlines
29 March
Life Before Debt
10am-6.30pm, SOAS, WC1H 0XG
Conference on debt and resistance to debt around the world. Loads of great speakers. See http://jubileedebt.org.uk/life-before-debt-conference-london-2014 for more info and to register
24 April
Economics for Transition
6.30 – 8.30pm, The Hub, 4th floor, Torrens Street, EC1V 1NQ
In the first of a series of TRAID TALKS, we open up debate on the urgent need for a radical rethink of our economic system to tackle the challenges of global poverty and environmental destruction. Join Jonathan Dawson, Head of Economics at Schumacher College, as he explores what alternative economic models built on ecological sustainability and human flourishing could look like.
http://www.traid.org.uk/events/traid-talks-economics-for-transition/
Register your place by emailing: andrea@traid.org.uk
30 April
Food campaign launch event
7pm, Conway Hall
Speakers from WDM and Janet Maro from Sustainable Agriculture Tanzania will talk about resistance to corporate takeover and sustainable farming in Africa.
10 May
London WDM Groups Teach-in
Save the date – more info to follow.
13 September
WDM AGM
Nottingham
Get the date in your diary now!
4. AOB
New names for WDM – consultation email should be coming round soon, so look out for it. We won’t have much time to feedback, and only as individuals, not as a group, due to timescales.