THINK GLOBAL
Act locally with Global Justice Now
May 2018 
Contents 02 Welcome 03 News roundup 04 Pharmaceuticals 06 Trade justice 08 Migrant solidarity 10 Scotland 11 Groups and activism news 12 Current materials
A horizon beyond the current economic system is starting to emerge James O’Nions Activism team In a world of urgent and expansive problems held in place by deeply-ingrained power structures, talking about what a radically transformed world might look like in any detail can seem a little frivolous. As I write, the Windrush scandal has put the government’s policy of a hostile environment for migrants into the spotlight. Now is clearly the time to campaign against the hostile environment itself. But of course, the UK’s border regime has been hostile to migrants since long before the current government’s policy. By also talking about the possibility and desirability of a world beyond borders, we have the chance of turning the tide towards progressive priorities. Like a journey, social change needs both the discrete steps that move us forward and a horizon coming into view. Without the steps, the horizon gets no nearer, but if we ignore the horizon and look only at our feet, the journey becomes very tiring before long.
Inserts Migration
• Hostile environment stickers • Hostile environment postcards • Sample letter to the editor (groups only)
Pharma
• NHS leaflet
General
• GDPR guide (groups only) • National gathering flyers 2 May 2018
Having said that, now seems like a particularly good time to be talking about alternatives, whether that’s energy democracy or trade deals which embed solidarity rather than corporate power. While the current government is at best resistant to what we’re advocating, opposition parties are becoming increasingly open to real, transformational change. We’ve already had an influence on Labour’s new development policy for instance. This year’s national gathering in York focusses further on the world we want to see. We’ll be running workshops drawing on concrete positive examples from social movements. And we’re pleased to have a speaker from Barcelona en Comú, the radical citizens’ platform which has run the Catalan capital for the last few years. We’ll also look at the big picture. How much do we need the state to control corporate power? Is there an alternative to growth? How do we need to change the relationship between the global north and global south? See page 9 and enclosed leaflets for details of our speakers. If you can possibly make the event, it will be a great opportunity to continue the conversation about what kind of world we want, so that we’re better able to get there.
News from Global Justice Now Council elections
The ballots will open in this year’s council election around 12 May. Local groups get a vote, and in fact it counts for five times that of an ordinary member. The ballot will come in a separate mailing to the group contact. Please note, however, that in order to get a group vote you will need to have returned your reaffiliation form for this year. There are a few groups who are groups in practice, but who do not fulfil the formal criteria laid out in our Rules. We don’t make a distinction when providing support, but in this case we have to stick to the organisation’s Rules. Please make sure you discuss and return your group vote by the 11 June deadline.
Internationalist network
Over the last couple of years, we’ve had a number of experiences of speaking at and collaborating with local organisations who are interested in our campaigns, including trade union branches and branches of progressive political parties. But where there is no local group, there has been a shortage of ways to follow this up. In order to make the most of interest from such groups, we’ve decided to launch what we’re calling our ‘internationalist network’. It’s free for organisations to join (although we hope some will affiliate too), and organisations will get some copies of NinetyNine magazine three times a year, plus some brief info about how to take action. We will
Action checklist
also look to build a relationship with these groups in order campaign more effectively. We’ll have a leaflet about the network in time for the next Think Global, but we’re launching the network online to coincide with May Day. Find information online at globaljustice.org.uk/internationalist-network You can also contact Effie for more info: effie.jordan@globaljustice.org.uk
Media highlights
On trade, the chicken stunt in Liam Fox’s constituency made it onto BBC Points West (regional TV news), and BBC Radio Bristol. Our open letter calling on MSPs to withhold consent from the Trade Bill made the front page of the National, and the Express. Nick Dearden had a Guardian comment piece on pus-filled milk and other US trade deal issues! He was also quoted in the Observer and the Big Issue North. On migration, Alex Scrivener debated Douglas Murray on Sky News on whether Britain is too soft on asylum seekers. Aisha Dodwell wrote about free movement for Novara, and Nick had a comment piece on Al Jazeera on the hostile environment policy. Nick also has a Guardian comment article welcoming Labour’s new international development policy, and was quoted in the Guardian in reaction to new DFID secretary Penny Mordaunt’s aid overhaul focusing even more on the private sector.
Pharmaceuticals Organise a stall with our pharma stalls pack Join us at the NHS 70th demonstration on 30 June. Work with allies on a pharma campaign event tying in to the NHS birthday. Trade
Organise a chicken stunt
Migration Organise a stall Write to your local paper Organise a public meeting General Book for The World We Want and advertise it to contacts. Make plans for the Together against Trump demos in July May 2018 3
Pharmaceuticals Summer stalls pack
This summer is a great time to raise public awareness and increase pressure on the government around our pharma campaign. We have produced a stalls pack for you to use at festivals, events and markets. These materials will help you to engage the public on the campaign and raise public awareness. The summer stalls pack consists of the following: • ‘The Price is Not Right’ game: This is a simple game to help you to engage passers-by and introduce the campaign. Participants have to guess the price hikes of a number of drugs here and around the world. • Posters x3: These A3 posters include shocking facts about the current system which prioritises corporate profit over public health needs. • Talking points briefing: This will help groups to connect the content in the game and poster to the issue by providing you with some talking points. • Paper petition to BEIS: Once you have had a chance to talk about the issues, you can offer people the opportunity to sign our petition to the Department of
Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to ask for conditions to be attached to publicly funded medicines so they’re affordable and accessible to all • Leaflets: These focus on how the corporate control of medicines affects the NHS and why fighting for affordable medicines is vital as we celebrate the NHS’ 70th birthday this summer. To order your pack, please email activism@ globaljustice.org.uk. We will be mailing the packs on request but please put your order in well before your stall to ensure you receive it in time. The campaign postcards to your MP can still be used, so if you prefer, you can use these on your stall instead of the petition to BEIS. If you intend to lobby your MP over this, it could be helpful to use the postcards as part of your lobbying strategy.
NHS 70th anniversary
On 5 July the NHS will turn 70, and we are expecting there to be local events leading up to this, organised by local patient groups, save our NHS campaigning groups and
Activists and staff protest outside the offices of Novartis, callilng on it to stop using bullying tactics on countries trying to produce affordable medicine
4 May 2018
health activists. If there’s an event near you, it’s a great opportunity to talk about our campaign or to work with these kinds of groups on a local event which has our pharma campaign as one of its themes. To help you with this, we have produced a campaign leaflet specifically to connect our campaign to wider issues affecting the NHS. Some are enclosed with this Think Global.
NHS at 70 demonstration
On Saturday 30 June, there will be a big demonstration in central London: NHS at 70: Free, for all, forever. Called by Health Campaigns Together, health unions, the BMA and others it aims to both celebrate 70 years of the NHS and demand a properly-funded, publicly-owned service for all in the future. Global Justice Now will be joining the demonstration, both to show our support for the NHS, and to introduce our pharma campaign to what is likely to be a very sympathetic audience. Any activists who want to join in handing out leaflets or carrying a flag, meet outside the Polish Embassy (junction of Portland Place and Weymouth Street) at 12 noon.
Piling the pressure on BEIS
As a result of both our online action and pharma action cards, MPs have been writing to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), which is responsible for most of funding for research and development of medicines in the UK. But BEIS has so far failed to respond, instead passing these letters to the Department of Health. We have therefore decided to ramp up the pressure by asking our supporters to sign a petition to BEIS – we’ve produced a paper version of this which is part of the stalls pack. You can also download this from the groups area of the website. There is also an online version of the petition on the website.
New report on alternatives
So far our campaign has focussed on exposing the corporate control of medicines which prices people out of treatment across the world. Our report in autumn last year revealed that in 2016 the NHS spent more than £1bn on drugs that the public has already paid for a substantial part of research for. We have been calling on the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to make publicly funded medicines affordable and accessible to all. At the heart of this is a systemic problem which prioritises profit over health. Over the summer we will be working on a report focused on credible alternatives to our current pharmaceutical system, which would put the public at its centre rather than corporate profits. It will be the first of its kind and it’s an exciting development in the global fight for affordable medicines.
Update on Novartis and Colombia Many of our supporters have signed the global petition to stand in solidarity with countries such as Colombia that have faced bullying tactics from pharmaceutical companies for trying to make medicines affordable. The petition calls on pharmaceutical company Novartis to stop its bullying tactics toward countries like Colombia. We are currently producing a short video to further promote the petition. Colombia is a recent example of the threats and retaliations countries face when they try to use their legal right to make medicines available at a cheaper price. We are working with a global coalition of organisations to co-ordinate a hand-in of this petition. You can sign the petition here: act.globaljustice.org.uk/stop-big-pharmabully-tactics
May 2018 5
Jess Hurd
Trade justice
Chickens run loose outside Liam Fox’s constituency offices, in protest over the potential UK US trade deal.
Trade Bill update
The Trade Bill remains in the deep freezer of Parliament. This month, a large majority of the House of Lords voted in favour of UK membership in a customs union with the EU which will have given the government further cause for worry. Time is running out though, and we expect the government to attempt to defrost the Trade Bill at any time in the coming month or two.
Keeping up the pressure for trade democracy A couple of months ago we printed thousands of postcards to send to MPs, asking them to support Caroline Lucas’ amendment. Because of demand, we’re now re-printing them for the third time. Please email guy.taylor@globaljustice.org.uk if you would like some (more). If everyone could aim to return the postcards by 15 May, then we should have time to process them and get 6 May 2018
them sent en masse to MPs ahead of the report stage and vote on the amendments. If you hear of speedier moves to get the Trade Bill back on course, then it will be time to hit the panic button and get them in immediately.
Chickens take on the Fox!
In the meantime, we have been very busy fighting Liam Fox’s potentially disastrous trade agenda which could bring chlorine chicken and US health multinationals to the UK. On 20 April, the Bristol group and staff from the office went down to Portishead in Liam Fox’s North Somerset constituency dressed as chickens to let him know what his own constituents think of his plans of doing a grubby trade deal with Trump. This was off the back of an opinion poll we commissioned in the North Somerset constituency that revealed that 85% of Liam Fox’s constituents oppose chlorine chicken
and the opening up of the NHS to US multinationals.
Asia-Europe People’s Forum
Want to organise your own chlorine chicken stunt?
Where: Ghent, Belgium
We now have 10 chicken outfits which groups can borrow – especially if they hear that Liam Fox or any other trade minister might be visiting their locality! Email guy.taylor@globaljustice.org.uk if you would like to do this.
Scotland update
Even though the Trade Bill has stalled at Westminster, the Scottish parliament is continuing its process of scrutiny and two committees at Holyrood have been given responsibility for that: the Finance and Constitution committee and the European and External Relations committee. Liz Murray, head of campaigns at Global Justice Now in Scotland has given evidence to both committees over the last month – emphasising our position that the Scottish parliament should be given a say in all trade deals, since the impacts are so far reaching. Encouragingly this position was echoed by a number of other witnesses, including the NFUS and Scottish Environment Link, as well as academics specialising in international and constitutional law. To amplify our message, we organised an open letter to MSPs on the Finance and Constitution committee and got 23 other organisations in Scotland to sign up, plus almost 1000 individuals. The letter made the front page of The National newspaper, and we also presented it in person to MSPs at the Scottish parliament.
When: 19-21 October The Asia-Europe People’s Forum (AEPF) is a meeting of social movements and civil society from Asia and Europe which is a kind of counterpoint to the Asia-Europe intergovernmental meeting taking place in the same week in Brussels. Themes will include trade justice, food sovereignty, climate justice and corporate accountability. It will be a chance to meet activists from Asia (plus the rest of Europe), but in a slightly more intimate space than a massive public event. Ghent itself is also a fascinating place, with an active programme to develop the ‘commons’ and the local cooperative economy. We’re planning on taking a small delegation, including both staff and activists. If you’re interested in going, email james.onions@globaljustice. org.uk
Google and Amazon’s trade agenda Liam Fox’s trade agenda isn’t just limited to supporting chlorine chicken, of course. We have produced a short report, ‘E-Pocalypse Now’, on the new power big tech firms like Google and Amazon want to secure through trade deals. Liam Fox has said he supports this ‘e-commerce’ agenda which will lock the global south out of the potential benefits of the digital economy and hand companies like Google power to move our personal data wherever they choose. It could mean locking in a system in which impoverished taxi drivers in India and Uganda are paying huge chunks of their income to subsidise Uber executives sitting in California (via tax havens of course!). Email effie.jordan@globaljustice.org.uk to order a copy of the report or go to globaljustice.org.uk/resources. May 2018 7
Migrant solidarity Hostile environment
In response to the Windrush scandal which has been front page news in recent weeks, we stepped up our campaign against the government’s hostile environment policy. The scandal of people who arrived here decades ago being threatened with deportation has exposed how vicious the government’s attitude to migrants is. Even home secretary Amber Rudd admitted that her department lost sight of the individual in their focus on policy and procedures. In this context it is crucial that we fight back against the whole hostile environment, which denies thousands of people their basic needs, such as healthcare, housing and employment, and extends the border regime throughout society. At the same time, we also need to spread an understanding of this as a global issue. As Nick Dearden wrote in a recent article about the Windrush scandal: “[It] perfectly sums up the aspirations of so-called ‘global Britain’: to live off of the resources and labour of others, to oversee illegally earned capital flowing into the City of London from across the developing world and to firmly shut the door on anyone who deems him/herself worthy of living in this great land.” If you want to join the fight against the hostile environment, here are some actions you can take:
Organise a stall We can provide materials for a stall on the hostile environment. Enclosed you will find postcards and stickers, but you can also order posters and further briefings from us.
Write to your local paper We need to send a strong message to decision makers that opposition to the hostile environment exists right across society. You can help do this by writing to your local paper and ensure that the 8 May 2018
no one can ignore the inhumane reality of this government policy. You can find a template letter included in this issue of Think Global and in the shared activists’ drive: globaljustice.org.uk/drive
Organise a public meeting Organise a public meeting to spread awareness of the wider issues around the hostile environment and to show that this is part of a global problem. We can provide a range of speakers and our connections with organisations such as Migrants Organise (MO) and Liberty means that we can draw on other powerful speakers as well. MO have connections with many migrant and refugee organisations which they will share with us. Public meetings can also be used to involve people in local campaigning, such as to promote Doctors of the World’s ‘Safe Surgery’ toolkit, which you can find in our shared drive: globaljustice.org.uk/drive. We can support with the organising of local meetings and further action. If you are interested in doing this contact Ed on ed.lewis@globaljustice.org.uk.
April Fools Day fun
As part of our migration campaign work to challenge the toxic, anti-migrant headlines of the tabloids we produced a spoof Daily Mail front page on 1 April, showing what kind of reporting the Mail could do on migration if it put its mind to it.
Global free movement
Our new materials on global free movement, which were launched last month, have been well received with hundreds of booklets being ordered nationally and worldwide. We are also in the process of writing a more detailed report in to the feasibility of global free movement which will help us further develop our lines of argument on the issue and give us more concrete policy asks. As well as events on the hostile environment, we can speak at events about global free movement/open borders - or combine the two. If you want to organise such an event contact Ed.
The World We Want Our 2018 national gathering
Saturday 16 June, 10.30am - 6.30pm Priory Street Centre, 15 Priory Street, York With speakers including: Jason Hickel, author of The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and Its Solutions Rachael Maskell, MP for York Central and Shadow Rail Minister Nick Dearden, Global Justice Now Speaker from Barcelona en Comú (social and economic justice platform currently governing in Barcelona) As with the last two years our national gathering this year will be made up of our AGM in the morning, followed by a public conference in the afternoon. We’ve tried to time the event to allow as many people as possible to travel from elsewhere in the country. The AGM starts at 11am (registration etc from 10.30) and the venue is very close to the train station.
A spread from our graphic novel-style pamphlet, The Case for Global Free Movement.
You’ll find leaflets enclosed with Think Global. Please register in advance at globaljustice.org.uk/world-we-want especially if you’re coming for the AGM as we need to know how many lunches to provide!
May 2018 9
Scotland Scottish climate change bill
In 2009, Scotland passed a Climate Change Act which set targets of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2050 and an interim target of 42% by 2020. Those targets are looking very achievable now, and so the Scottish government will bring a new climate change bill to the Scottish parliament later in the summer. This gives us an opportunity to push them to do what the science on climate change, and the Paris Agreement of 2015, require: to set a target of zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. This would make Scotland a world leader in tackling climate change. We’re working as part of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition to ensure that happens – and for that we will need to put pressure on MSPs as the bill goes through parliament. There are workshops planned across Scotland during April, May and June. The workshops will help you understand the bill, give you ideas and tips for lobbying and connect you with other people locally.
What does open borders actually mean? When: Tuesday 22 May, 7pm Where: The Pearce Institute, Govan, Glasgow Speakers: Debora Kayembe, human rights lawyer; Aisha Dodwell, Global Justice Now; Ben Wray, editor of CommonSpace. After a really successful event in Edinburgh on open borders last autumn, we’re holding another similar one in Glasgow this May. For more information and to book your ticket, see eventbrite. co.uk/e/what-does-open-bordersactually-mean-tickets-45107142678
Please do go along if you can, and help to spread the word in your local area. Details of all the dates and locations are at stopclimatechaos.org/scotland/events. Or for more information contact Liz at liz.murray@globaljustice.org.uk.
STOP PRESS: Trump is coming Just as we were finalising Think Global, it was announced that Donald Trump would make a oneday visit to the UK on Friday 13 July, on his way back form the NATO summit in Brussels. He will meet the Queen as well as Theresa May, but it won’t be a formal state visit. A unity demonstration, Together Against Trump, will take place in London on the day, although details are not yet finalised. Because he is only visiting on the Friday, it will put more of an onus on local mobilisations, 10 May 2018
rather than trying to get everyone to London, where Trump is likely to be. The Stop Trump Coalition (of which we are a part) is considering what other eye-catching actions we can take, besides simply supporting the unity demo. If you want to build a local coalition to mobilise on the day, or to get people to London to protest, you can use the Stop Trump Coalition brand as an umbrella (email james.onions@globaljustice.org.uk to be sent the logo as an image file).
Groups and activism news Global Justice Gloucestershire invited John Christensen to speak on the problems with the UK’s financial system alongside Fran Boait, director of Positive Money, talking about monetary reform. Global Justice Cambridge is hosting a film screening and discussion around Fire in the Blood, aiming to attract potential local allies for future campaigning for affordable medicines. Donald Trump (aka Mariana Swann) put in appearance at Bean Pole Day in Reading (above), trying to sell his trade deals with chlorinated chicken and American food standards to the British public. This gave Global Justice Reading an opportunity to talk to people about what trade deals after Brexit might contain and why we need to involve our MPs in the discussion, and got a large number of trade democracy action cards signed.
Youth network On 15 April we held We Rise, the second national gathering for our youth network, in Leeds. The event opened with a plenary discussion on systemic alternatives, followed by sessions on the hostile environment, big pharma and activist skills, concluding with live spoken word. It was a lively and energetic event with many people new to the network keen to get involved.
New group on the block Global Justice Bournemouth have been very active. They’ve taken on a local campaign against a proposed oil rig off the Bournemouth coast, and have been doing community outreach to harvest signatures for a petition against the development. They also organised a wellattended screening of The Spider’s Web. Screenings of The Spider’s Web have been proving very popular. Global Justice Shropshire organised a screening of The Spider’s Web attended by over 50 people, including people from across the local campaigning ecology, followed by an excellent discussion with John Christensen. Global Justice Richmond and Kingston also organised a screening with over 70 people and had a discussion with John that last nearly two hours after the film, with some money raised for Tax Justice Network.
Area reps Only four people put themselves forward for area rep positions in the nominations period, and as all were for different areas, there will be no elections. Mary Steiner (East Midlands), Eve Nortley (North West), Alan Mawer (East Anglia and the Chilterns) and Millie Harris (London) will nominate up to three people to council. Anyone interested in being an area rep for one of the regions not yet covered, email james.onions@ globaljustice.org.uk. May 2018 11
Current materials Our main campaigns
Other work
Pharmaceuticals
Climate and energy justice
• *NEW* Summer stalls pack • *NEW* LEAFLET: Stop drigs companies ripping off the NHS • MP BRIEFING: Pill and profits • REPORT: Pills and profits • LEAFLET: Sick of corporate greed • ACTION CARD: Sick? • CAMPAIGN FACTSHEET: Overview of the campaign • POSTER: imagine if the NHS couldn’t afford the medicine to save your life • ACTIVIST LOBBBY GUIDE: Guide for activists
Trade
• *NEW* BRIEFING: E-pocolypse Now (e-commerce) • MP BRIEFING: Trade Bill • ACTION GUIDE: Twenty ways to fight for trade democracy • BRIEFING: Giving away control • DISCUSSION PAPER: Ten alternatives to a corporate trade agenda • BRIEFING: Trading with Trump
Migration
• BRIEFING: Hostile environment • ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET: Free movement • BRIEFING: Migrant crisis or poverty crisis?
Aid
• REPORT: The Conflict, Stability and Security Fund • REPORT: Re-imagining UK aid • BRIEFING: Re-imagining UK aid executive summary • REPORT: Honest Accounts 2017 - How the world profits from Africa’s wealth • REPORT: The privatisation of UK aid • REPORT: Gated development
• LEAFLET: Change the system, not the climate • LEAFLET: Repowering the future: Municipal energy in practice • BRIEFING: Towards a just energy system
Food sovereignty
• BOOKLET: Farmers under fire • BRIEFING: Post-Brexit alternatives to the Common Agricultural Policy • BOOKLET: On Solid Ground (agroecology) • REPORT: From The Roots Up (agroecology) • BRIEFING: Problems with corporate controlled seeds • BRIEFING: From handouts to the super-rich to a hand-up for small-scale farmers
Exploring alternatives booklets
• BOOKLET: Another Economy is Possible economic democracy • BOOKLET: Seeds of Change - food sovereignty • BOOKLET: Rays of Hope - energy justice
General materials
• *NEW* FLYERS AND POSTERS: The World We Want promotion • ACTIVIST READER: Making Another World Possible • BRIEFING: The Dangers of Trump • LEAFLET: Stop Trump coalition • ‘HOW TO’ GUIDES: Guides to various aspects of activism • SIGN-UP SHEET: Double-sided, Global Justice Now branded • STICKERS and BADGES
Scotland specific materials
• BRIEFING: Scottish migration briefing • BRIEFING: Update for trade campaigners • BRIEFING: Principles for a just trade system
You can now find this list online, with links to electronic versions of the materials so you can see what they’re like. Just go to globaljustice.org.uk/current-materials