THINK GLOBAL
Act locally with Global Justice Now
April 2015 
Contents Action checklist
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Letter from the activism team
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Council and area reps updates
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Campaign update: food sovereignty
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Campaign update: climate and energy
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Campaign update: trade justice
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AGM and activist conference
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Group news
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Events
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Current materials
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Action checklist Food sovereignty
Participate in a seed swap and/or a seed sovereignty stunt. Use the activism briefing to prepare action for the spring: stall, stunt, seed swap or all of the above!
Trade justice
Organise a stall or hustings on TTIP around the time of the day of action on 18 April.
Climate and energy justice Organise a stall or talk to promote energy justice.
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Letter from the activism team Dear friend, In this Think Global we report on a range of interesting developments with our work, including upcoming opportunities for action and political engagement. A huge positive is that our network is growing, with two new groups in Brixton and Bristol becoming increasingly well established, interest elsewhere in establishing new groups, and we have also been central to the growing network of TTIP campaigning, particularly through our outreach in Scotland and among students. The next major opportunity for action on TTIP will be the international day of action on 18 April, but we also include here the briefing on local authority lobbying, to support a new vein of work. As the last Think Global before the most uncertain general election for some time, we include materials to help you bring a global justice angle to the debate, including a briefing on how the election relates to our political concerns and a postcard with a series of questions you could ask prospective parliamentary candidates, either on the doorstep or in the public arena such as hustings. We also include a briefing on immigration – a quintessentially global issue that has such significance for the politics of the UK. This is not the basis for a new campaign but rather an attempt to broaden out our scope and lay the basis for discussion, both among group members as well as with the general public. Lastly, in this issue we also provide some more information on the upcoming AGM in Glasgow and the public conference we will be running on conjunction with it. We present the outlines of what we hope will be a very exciting day, which is an important opportunity to relaunch our organisation in Scotland, and to make connections with the upsurge of progressive activism that’s been taking place there. Happy campaigning! Ed Lewis Local groups officer
Inserts General election
• General election briefing • Postcard • Immigration briefing
Trade
• Local authorities briefing • New TTIP leaflets
Climate/energy
• Briefing on energy privatisation in Nigeria 3
New council and area reps As mentioned in the last Think Global, this year we received exactly nine valid nominations for the nine directly elected places on council, which means those nominees are deemed elected.
The following people were deemed elected as area reps: • Steve Huxton (Wales) • Diana Ellis (Scotland) • Laura Boughey (London) • Suzanne Freegard (West Midlands) • Mary Steiner (East Midlands) • Alan Mawer (Chilterns and East Anglia)
From the close of this year’s AGM on 13 June, the council will therefore be: Natasha Adams, Kathryn Excell, Paul de Hoest, Martin Powell, Asad Rehman, Steve Rolfe, Susanne Schuster, Andrew Taylor and Louise Taylor.
The activism team will be trying to identify people who could be co-opted to the four regions without reps in the coming months.
They will be joined on council by three people proposed by the Area Reps’ Forum.
See page 9 for further details of this year’s annual general meeting.
Some keen mountaineers from Global Justice Glasgow take our TTIP banner to new heights.
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Food sovereignty Fighting for agroecology
Our protest demonstrated our solidarity with the small farmers in Africa who are fighting against the threats to their seeds through the New Alliance as well as other initiatives. For the protest, we have made a couple of food sovereignty banners. If you would like to borrow them please contact dan.iles.@ globaljustice.org.uk
As you may have seen last month we launched our new agroecology report and leaflet to kick start our work on fighting for the alternatives to corporate agriculture. The report sets out in detail how agroecology works as well as our policy proposals for the UK government to implement. We are currently developing our strategy on this, in preparation for a launch of new lobbying work after the general election to the new cohort of MPs. In the meantime, please have a look at the report, you can also order more copies of the leaflet by calling the office.
You can also organise your own seed stunt or event this spring which will be a good opportunity to connect with local food sovereignty groups. Please see the stunt guide that we produced last month which can be found online in the resources area of the groups pages.
Threats to seed sovereignty
At the end of March, we organised a protest outside a London meeting hosted by US AID and the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation with big seed companies and western donors. One of our allies in South Africa alerted us to the meeting, which was convened to discuss the implementation of a strategy to make it easier for big seed companies to take control of seeds in Africa.
Making global connections
We will be working with other campaigners in Europe and the other G8 countries and across Africa to launch a global statement against the New Alliance to coincide with the both the G8 Summit and the New Alliance Leadership Council meeting in June. This statement will be used both for media and lobbying to demonstrate the extent of opposition to the New Alliance.
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Climate and energy justice Energy privatisation
Over the past month, we have run a series of online actions introducing our new energy privatisation campaign, and highlighting how UK aid money is being used to support energy privatisation schemes in places like Nigeria.
At the time of writing, we were hoping to get some media coverage about this, following the announcement that the coalition government’s pledge to enshrine the commitment to deliver 0.7% of the UK’s national income as overseas aid had finally made it onto the statute books, and in the run-up to the spring budget announcement. Our message is that while aid can be a big force for good, it will only be if it is spent in ways that genuinely tackle poverty and inequality, not supporting big business.
As part of this, we have been producing a case study of how the UK using £100m of aid money for a project supporting energy privatisation in Nigeria. This has already seen major price rises, blackouts and job losses. The briefing is available to download from the website, and printed copies are included in this mailing (you can order extras from the office).
We were also getting ready to deliver thousands of signatures on our petition and the Monopoly action cards to development secretary Justine Greening to show the scale of opposition to aid money being used in this way. However, you are welcome to continue using the Monopoly postcards during and after the election period: whoever the next development secretary is, we will be making sure they get the same message. If you’d like any extra copies of the action cards or any other materials for the campaign, contact Sam at Sam.Lund-Harket@globaljustice.org. uk or on 020 7820 4900
We also coordinated a letter from Nigerian and UK-based groups that oppose the privatisation scheme, and want to see UK aid money being used to support more democratic and sustainable ways of meeting the energy needs of the Nigerian people.
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General election
In this mailing you are receiving a general election briefing and postcard with questions to ask any prospective parliamentary candidates that you meet on the doorstep, or at hustings – including on energy and climate justice issues. In addition, Fuel Poverty Action, who we have been working with to make the links between the failures of energy privatisation in the UK and overseas, and to articulate a positive vision of energy justice, are producing their own hustings cards which have more detailed questions on what politicians would do to tackle energy justice issues in the UK. If you’d like these as well, you can find them on the Fuel Poverty Action website (fuelpovertyaction.org.uk) or email them at info@fuelpovertyaction.org.uk.
Time to act climate march
Thanks to everyone who came to the ‘Time to act’ climate change march in London on Saturday 7 March – it was great to see many of you brandishing our new logo on flags and banners in our energy justice: no TTIP bloc. The March drew around 20,000 people and you can see some of the videos and updates from the day here www.timetoact2015. org/#!what-happened/c1n5l
coincide with the UN climate negotiations in Paris at the end of this year.
As we write, Sam is preparing to set off to the World Social Forum to take part in international meetings and workshops on energy justice. We look forward to hearing back from this trip – keep an eye on the Global Justice Now blog for the latest updates.
Coalition Climate 21 is a network of around 100 French organisations; environmental and development NGOs, trade unions, social movements and local groups which serve as the mobilisation coordination platform in the run up to the climate conference. It aims to coordinate with international networks to plan for mobilisations around climate change in the run up to and during the conference, in Paris and across the world.
He’ll be joining others from the organisation who will network and plan with grassroots movements and organisations from around the world on issues of trade justice and food sovereignty. One main focus for Sam will be joining the French platform Coalition Climate 21 meeting to plan for mobilisations to
Global Justice Now will be taking a delegation over to the mobilisation in Paris, probably for the second week of negotiations which is the first full week of December. More information to follow, but let the activism team know if you’re interested in going.
World Social Forum
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Trade justice Glasgow, Manchester and Brighton, and groups across the country will be active. There is now a plan for London too, with a gathering on Tottenham Court Road for activists, organised by Students Against TTIP, which is supported by Global Justice Now and a number of other organisations. The plan is to have a public assembly on TTIP followed by mass outreach to the public. Please email sakina.sheikh@globaljustice. org.uk if you are interested in participating.
The TTIP campaign is still firing on all cylinders.
Local Authorities
Enclosed is the briefing on local authorities, an outline of the issues, ideas for campaigning and a model motion to try to get councillors to pass in council meetings. Across the EU, local authorities are taking a stand against TTIP and the direct threat it poses to their power to legislate in their localities. We need as many councils in the UK to take a similar stand to that of Flintshire, Southampton, Oxford and Brighton (amongst a number of others). Please let us know if your borough, country or city council has passed a motion already against TTIP and keep us updated on any progress your group or #NoTTIP campaign makes in securing your council as publicly against TTIP.
As the day falls so close to the general election, we would encourage groups to set up high street stalls, or to find out where their local MP will be campaigning that day and to make a splash about TTIP!
Students Against TTIP (SATTIP)
Email guy.taylor@globaljustice.org.uk for advice or to let us know what’s going on.
SATTIP is establishing itself as a real force in the campaign, and bringing young fresh minds to the battle! On Wednesday 18 March SATTIP held two very successful meetings in Leeds (Leeds Beckett University at lunchtime and Leeds Uni in the evening). Over 100 people attended the meetings and scores of email addresses collected. We would like to hold similar meetings in every university. Please let guy.taylor@ globaljustice.org.uk know if you can help set up a meeting in your local college. We’re not
European Citizens Initiative
At the time of writing, the EU-wide number of signatures collected against TTIP is 1,609,567, with a target of 2 million by early October. Reaching this goal will strengthen the opposition to TTIP across the continent. We have produced a new flyer promoting the ECI, enclosed with Think Global this month. Please use this as widely as possible. In the UK we have reached 223,000 signatures but there’s no reason we shouldn’t hit 300,000 over the summer.
NoTTIP Times 3
A third edition of the NoTTIP Times is in production but will not be ready to order for the day of action. Please use the cards included in this mailing and expect the NoTTIP Times to be available for street campaigning from May onwards.
International Day of Action Against FTAs
After the success of the previous days of action we have held in July and October last year, there will be a third on Saturday 18 April. Already actions are planned in 8
AGM and activist conference
Saturday 13 June The Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP Global Justice Now annual general meeting
Shifting Ground: the fightback against corporate power in Scotland and the world
11am-approx12.30pm
1.30pm-6.30pm
Our annual general meeting is open to all national members to attend and vote. In addition, each local group may send someone to vote on the groups’ behalf (each local group has five votes).
The conference attached to this year’s AGM will act as a mini-relaunch conference for Global Justice Now Scotland, and hopefully draw a wider crowd than just our members. However, it is very much open to members from across the UK and the sessions will reflect that.
Registration is from 10.30am, and tea and coffee will be provided. We will also provide lunch for those attending both the AGM and afternoon conference, with a small donation sought to cover costs. If you intend to come to the AGM, please let us know using the form at globaljustice.org.uk/agm-2015 or by phone on 020 7820 4900 so that we can plan for the right amount of food.
Ken Henshaw, a campaigner from Social Action in Nigeria, will be our international speaker, and will talk about the social costs of electricity privatisation in Nigeria. The conference will also include: • A TTIP organising assembly, building on the work already being done to build an anti-TTIP coalition in Scotland. • A session on food sovereignty. • A session exploring the opening for progressive politics in Scotland after the referendum, and what we can learn for the rest of the UK.
The draft agenda for the AGM is now available on the webpage for the AGM: globaljustice.org.uk/agm-2015 This year the AGM will consider a three-year organisational strategy being proposed by the council. The strategy will be available at on the AGM webpage by 1 May. The annual accounts will be available on the same page by 22 May, and printed copies will also be available at the AGM along with the annual review.
There will be more information in due course at globaljustice.org.uk/shifting-ground
Practicalities and subsidies
Anyone intending to come to Glasgow for these events should book trains and accommodation as early as possible. A list of ideas for accommodation is included with this Think Global.
If your group would like to appoint a proxy to vote on it’s behalf at the AGM (ie if no group member is able to attend), you can do so on the AGM webpage too.
A travel subsidy is also available for group members who need it. The amount available per member is £50, although the activism team can consider slightly more on a caseby-case basis. In all cases contact activism@globaljustice.org.uk 9
Groups news Global Justice Sheffield organised a training event on lobbying local authorities about TTIP. They coordinated with other activist groups in their area, including the Open Rights Group and 38 Degrees, and had our trade campaigner Guy Taylor come to speak.
Members of several groups, including our groups in London as well as Global Justice Manchester, Global Justice South Lakes and south Essex Global Justice, joined in the 20,000 strong Time to Act climate march in our energy justice/TTIP bloc. The new Global Justice Bristol group has now officially launched, with 50 people attending the launch event and 17 attending the first organising meeting since. They are planning action for the 18 April TTIP day of action.
Global Justice Glasgow organised their own day of action against TTIP on 28 March.
We are in the process of establishing a new group in Hereford.
Events Scotland Against TTIP: launch event Where: The Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP When: Saturday 11th April, 11am - 1pm Come to the launch of the Scotland Against TTIP coalition, find out more about how TTIP might impact on Scotland and what you can do to stop it. Come and hear speakers on TTIP’s impact on the environment, workers’ rights, food and farming, public services and Scotland’s democracy itself. Meet local TTIP campaigners, find out how you can get involved in the movement to stop TTIP and be inspired! Visit stalls and get more information. This event is organised jointly by Global Justice Now, Unison, Unite, UCU, USI, Hope Not Hate Glasgow, Nourish Scotland, Radical Independence Campaign, Friends of the Earth Scotland and War on Want.
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Current materials Exploring alternatives booklets
• Another Economy is Possible - economic democracy • Seeds of Change - food sovereignty • Rays of Hope - energy justice
Food campaign materials • • • • • • • •
BOOKLET: Stop the corporate takeover of African food BRIEFING: Questions and Answers ACTION CARD: Stop corporations from slicing up Africa BRIEFING: MP talking points POSTER: Colonial infographic poster BRIEFING: Problems with corporate controlled seeds *New* BOOKLET: On Solid Ground *New* REPORT: From The Roots Up
Food sovereignty
• BRIEFING: Collective solutions to changing food prices. • BRIEFING: Food sovereignty • BRIEFING: Food sovereignty tricky questions
Energy justice • • • • • • • • •
BRIEFING: Energy privatisation in Nigeria BRIEFING: Towards a justice energy system (campaign overview) LEAFLET: Energy justice ‘campaign in a nutshell’ (individual and group versions) SIGN-ON STATEMENT: Energy Bill of Rights (Fuel Poverty Action) ACTION CARD: Energy justice in Nigeria BRIEFING: 10 reasons why energy privatisation fails FILM GUIDE: List of films relating to the campaign CARBON CAPITAL: Materials still available
Trade
• BRIEFING: The Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) • BRIEFING: Profiting from people and the planet: How new trade deals threaten democracy, development, public services and the environment • NEWSPAPER: The #NoTTIP Times, second edition • FLYER: Stop the corporate power grab: A6 card promoting the European Citizens Initiative • Local authorities briefing • New TTIP leaflets
General materials
• DVD: Making Another World Possible: Talking alternatives at the World Social Forum (made by WDM) • LEAFLET: Join a local group leaflet (can be overprinted with groups’ contact details)
General election materials
• BRIEFING: General election • Postcard • BRIEFING: Immigration