THINK GLOBAL
Act locally with Global Justice Now
May 2019 
Contents
Stopping climate breakdown means changing the system
02 Welcome 03 News from Global Justice Now 04 Trade justice 07 National Gathering
08 Aid watch 09 Pharmaceuticals 10 Groups and activism news 11 Climate update 12 Current materials
Inserts Trade
• ISDS File: Chevron vs Ecuador • ISDS File: Biwater vs Tanzania
Aid
• Two-page summary of the report - In Whose Interest? • Sample of action postcard Pupils Before Profit • Motion for NEU branches
Events
• National gathering leaflet 2 May 2019
Liz Murray Activism team Climate change is finally making front page news. While so many of us who have been campaigning for climate justice over the years (and decades in some cases!) would have dearly liked it to have happened sooner, it’s really heartening and hugely energising to see such a rapidly growing movement, with young and old alike demanding action. Whether or not you have been directly involved in the recent Extinction Rebellion or Youth Strike for Climate protests, by being part of Global Justice Now’s network of activists and local groups you are part of the same broad movement for change. Because the only way to right the global injustice of climate breakdown is to change the system that has caused it – a system where corporate profit continues to be put above people and the planet that sustains us. And as more and more people talk about capitalism itself as the thing we must change (see for instance George Monbiot in his recent Guardian column ‘Dare to declare capitalism dead – before it takes us all down with it’) it reminds us how relevant and important our campaigns and analysis are. From our work on trade deals and corporate courts, whose very existence could threaten action on climate change; to our challenging of the power of global finance, which underpins the fossil fuel economy; to our lobbying in Scotland for a new law that will set us on a path to zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040, our campaigns take aim at the system in so many different ways. And with our international perspective, we can highlight the fact that for millions of people around the world climate change is a crisis which has already arrived. Those in the global south, who were impoverished by colonialism and have then had decades of a global economy being rigged against them, are feeling its effects most acutely. There’s still so much work to do - and there’s room for all of us in this growing movement for change. Working together has never been more important.
News from Global Justice Now Media highlights
The last few months have been dominated by Brexit, but we’ve still managed to get some decent media coverage, particularly on trade. We’ve been quoted several times by the Guardian and Independent on post-Brexit trade deals, and have written numerous comment articles on it. The New Internationalist ran a special issue on trade which drew heavily on our work. The Scotland office’s stats on Department for International Trade lobby meetings with big business versus Scottish ministers and civil society made a splash, as did their climate demos and tug of war outside the Scottish parliament. We’ve had a few bits of coverage on aid, from the Today Programme to The Tablet to Left Foot Forward. And on pharma from a Morning Star front page to the letters page of the Telegraph to an article for the Fabian Review. We’ve been quoted in Newsweek on Trump’s state visit, photos of a migration demo were in The I newspaper, while photos of our hostile environment demonstration outside the Home Office last year also keep popping up in a variety of outlets, from the Law Gazette to Buzzfeed.
Action checklist
Changes to the activism team From the beginning of May, James O’Nions is taking a year’s sabbatical from his role as head of activism. Rather than directly replace him for that period, we’re moving some responsibilities around.
Liz Murray is becoming the head of activism and Scottish campaigns, managing both the Scotland and activism teams (full time). Sam Lund-Harket is stepping up to become events and activism manager (3 days/week). Rosanna Wiseman, who has been our temporary youth network co-ordinator is taking on Sam’s role as activism officer (3 days/week). Ruth Wilkinson is becoming Scottish events and communications officer (3 days/week), to cover some of Liz’s capacity for work in Scotland. Guy Taylor and Effie Jordan in the London activism team and Jane Herbstritt in the Scotland team will continue as before
Pharmaceuticals Contact your MP about the People’s Prescription if you haven’t already done so
Aid Order the Pupils Before Profit action cards and consider some public campaigning.
Trade Order a Top Trumps campaign pack and organise a stall
Events Book your places for our national gathering and encourage others to come too.
Arrange a speaker event on ISDS in your area
May 2019 3
Whose voice is being heard on trade? Trade justice Represents 1 meeting with the UK Department for International Trade Represents 25 meetings with the UK Department for International Trade
Since the Department for International Trade was formed in 2016, they’ve met with big business reps 1,828 times...
... and with Scottish ministers only 4 times.
An infographic produced by the Scotland office showing the meetings the Department for International Trade have had with big business and Scottish ministers (see page 6)
Our 2019 national gathering
Our national gathering will have a strong trade focus this year, with international guest speakers Pia Eberhardt, trade specialist at Corporate Europe Observatory and Gyekye Tanoh, head of the political economy unit at Third World Network Africa in Ghana. They are both really fantastic speakers, so don’t miss the opportunity to hear them in person. When: Saturday 8 June Where: Birmingham & Midland Institute, 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BS More information on page 7, and leaflets enclosed. 4 May 2019
Stop corporate courts Summer campaigning With Brexit uncertainty continuing to dominate the political agenda, our campaign against ISDS is one area of relative stability – whatever happens, the UK will continue to strike its own investment agreements, and corporate courts are the current standard model. Challenging this, alongside allies around the world, is an important step in trying to roll back overweening corporate power globally. That’s why we’re asking groups to focus on getting names on the ISDS petition (using our campaign postcard) at the various events
Tanzania, actually refers back to a previous campaign we ran targeting the UK’s role in privatising water in the global south. After the Tanzanian government terminated a contract with UK water firm Biwater following a failed privatisation deal, Biwater launched an ISDS case that we challenged over ten years ago. The second case study is Chevron vs Ecuador, which you might remember from the February Think Global. This particularly alarming example saw an ISDS tribunal overrule Ecuador’s domestic legal system, which had previously found Chevron guilty and liable for compensation over a devastating oil spill in the Amazon rainforest. Contact us if you want to order any more of these ISDS Files, or of the ones we sent out in February’s Think Global.
Hooks for your activities One of the Top Trump cards currently in development.
and stalls you’ll be doing over late spring and summer. In addition to the briefings and campaigns materials, we’re producing a new game to help you attract people to your stall - Corporate Courts Top Trumps. Corporate Courts Top Trumps adapts the popular childrens’ card game Top Trumps to create a quick and engaging way to introduce people to the injustice of ISDS! Packs are available to order, and will include a set of cards, game instructions for the uninitiated and an A3 poster inviting people to ‘play here’. Order your ISDS Top Trumps from a member of the activism team – activism@globaljustice.org.uk or 020 7820 4900. We’re aiming to send them out in the week of 13 May.
New case study briefings Two new sets of our ‘ISDS Files’ case study briefings are also enclosed for your information and for use on any stalls you have coming up. The first of these, Biwater vs
Global anti-Chevron day – an annual international event to call attention to the oil firm’s devastating impunity – takes place on Tuesday 21 May. Although it’s a week day, it could be an opportunity for a stunt or stall promoting our ISDS Files briefing and collecting signatures. ‘Stop Chevron’s toxic injustice!’ could make a great slogan for an eye-catching banner. Meanwhile, in the run up to the European elections on 23 May, our allies in the European Stop ISDS coalition are currently running a month of action against corporate courts. In the UK coalition we decided not to emphasise this month of action in quite the same way because Brexit makes the context rather different. However, if it could work for your group to do a publicity stunt, public stall or anything else in this period, you can add details of what you’re doing to the European Stop ISDS website here: stopisds.org/register-event There is also a useful ‘five ways to get active against ISDS’ guide on the blog part of the site at stopisds.org/blog May 2019 5
Talks on ISDS James Angel, our new policy and campaigns manager working on trade, is keen to get out and about meeting some of our local groups and activists. So why not ask him to come and speak at a meeting? Email him on james.angel@globaljustice.org.uk to arrange something. Alternatively, our ISDS speaker pack is still available. This includes a standard talk, Powerpoint presentation, sample publicity and a copy of Winning the Debate Against Pro-ISDS Voices, published by some of our European allies. The latter is a great resource for boosting your background knowledge about ISDS. Since James O’Nions has now started his sabbatical, you can email anyone in the activism team to get hold of one of these packs. The idea is to equip more of our activists to be able to do talks for other local organisations and so engage more people in the campaign, so you could start with a talk by James Angel and then go on to spread the word further with the speaker pack.
Trade democracy
After our victory in the House of Lords, which saw our amendment on the Trade Bill passed, we are now waiting for the amended Trade Bill to return to the House of Commons, and still don’t have a date. We’ve been continuing our lobbying work, meeting with Ministers and MPs across parties. Meanwhile, we still need to keep up the pressure on MPs to vote for the Lords amendments on trade democracy. Please consider meeting with your MP if you have not done so already and share the e-action and promotional video we emailed out about this if you haven’t already.
Who are DIT really listening to? Last month, Global Justice Now Scotland published research on the level of corporate lobbying directed at the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT). Finding that trade 6 May 2019
Global Justice Now staff and allies show solidarity with those fighting Chevron in Ecuador
ministers are prioritising meetings with big business, having attended 1,828 meetings with large companies and corporations between July 2016 and June 2018, compared to just four meetings with Scottish ministers in the same time frame. The research also found that UK trade ministers only met with one Scottish civil society organisation during that time and with only six individual Scottish small or medium sized enterprises. Trade deals struck by the DIT won’t represent the needs of the people, because they aren’t talking to the people – they’re far more interested in what corporations want. That’s why it’s so important that MPs get a say on all post-Brexit trade deals. Read the research here: bit.ly/2L6Nq2C
Saturday 8 June, 1pm-6pm Birmingham and Midland Institute. 9 Margaret Street, Birmingham B3 3BS With speakers including:
Gyekye Tanoh
Third World Network Africa (Ghana)
Pia Eberhardt
Corporate Europe Observatory (Belgium) From chlorinated chicken to Trump’s trade wars, trade has been all over the news in the last year. Yet this is hardly the first time trade has been controversial. Trade and investment deals have always been a way for the powerful to accumulate their wealth and power. And for decades global social movements have been fighting them – with some major wins along the way. Far from being about mutually beneficial exchange between people, modern trade deals threaten our public services with privatisation, facilitate environmental destruction and undermine democratic decision-making. On 8 June, join international campaigners to discuss the fight against corporate power in the context of climate change, Brexit and growing global inequality.
Sessions will include:
• Trade, corporate power and global inequality • Corporate courts: Understanding and beating ISDS • How the West steals Africa’s wealth • Climate justice and the global economy • How UK aid funds education privatisation • Trading with Trump: A Brexit nightmare
Our AGM The Real Trade War is a public event, but it will be preceded in the morning by our Annual General Meeting (registration 10.30am, AGM starts 11am), to which all Global Justice Now members are warmly invited. Together the two events comprise Global Justice Now’s 2019 national gathering. If you’d like to come, please do register via globaljustice.org.uk/events/real-trade-war This will also register you for the AGM, but you can find AGM business, including a motion, at globaljustice.org.uk/agm-2019
May 2019 7
Aid watch Pupils before profit
Campaigning on this locally
Each year, the UK’s Department for International Development (DfID) is spending millions promoting education privatisation in the global south. Far from expanding access to education for the 262 million children currently out of education worldwide, DfID’s privatisation agenda is deepening inequality and creating schools run in the interests of profit first, pupils second.
We’re working with the National Education Union (NEU) to call on DfID to focus on building sustainable, public education systems for all children. We’ve been working with NEU for some time on DfID’s role in education privatisation, so launching a more activist-based element to the campaign is the Pupils before next step.
These are the key findings of a new report launched in April, co-authored by Global Justice Now and the National Education Union. The report, ‘In Whose Interest? The UK’s role in privatising education around the world’, highlights how DfID is supporting privatisation around the world through grants to education businesses, support for pro-privatisation research, and consultancy contracts with UK-based businesses. The latter includes the Girls’ Education Challenge which alone will see Price Waterhouse Cooper paid £32.7 million.
Enclosed you’ll find a two-page summary of the report, which can be used in public campaigning. The full report can be found on the resources page of our website – globaljustice.org.uk/ resources.
8 May 2019
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That’s why our new campaign is demanding that DfID stop pursuing market-based solutions, and instead promote and support free, quality, public education. This would be a long overdue change for DfID, given their commitment to a discredited pro-market ideology that leaves UK aid spending as a mechanism for promoting the interests of big business.
In Whose Interest? also illustrates how privatisation is problematic in terms of equality, quality, and accountability in education, and how it is undermining public education systems. Fees, providers who don’t provide for children with additional needs, and unqualified teachers all contribute to a poorer learning experience for children relying on so-called ‘low-fee private schools’. Other systems, meanwhile, such as the Education Outcomes Fund, could enable profit-making (through interest paid to investors) in education financing.
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The new Pupils Before Profit action card.
We’re also enclosing a printout of the campaign postcards we’ll be producing shortly. If you want to do some public campaigning around this issue, you can order some from activism@globaljustice.org. uk or by calling 020 7820 4900. You can also find a four minute video about the campaign on our YouTube channel: globaljustice.org.uk/youtube
Working with teachers There is likely to be a good audience for this campaign among teachers and others who work or have worked in schools in the UK or elsewhere. It’s also a good opportunity to sign up NEU branches as local allies of Global Justice Now, so we’ve enclosed a model motion to that effect. If you’re a teacher or know of others who fit the bill, do get in touch with Guy: guy.taylor@ globaljustice.org.uk or 020 7820 4900.
Access to medicine The People’s Prescription
We have been pushing our proposals for alternatives to big pharma with MPs. Our report, The People’s Prescription, provides the details around our proposals and we have been asking people to write to their MPs to urge their party leadership to take up our policy proposals. We now have an email action set up based on this, but if you have more time, writing in your own words will make it more powerful. If you have already written or spoken to your MP about The People’s Prescription and used the A2 prescription poster, please let us know by emailing radhika.patel@globaljustice.org. uk. Compiling a list of MPs and their position on this campaign helps us know where to target next. We are also planning a parliamentary workshop on Monday 13 May based on the report, which will be open to all MPs. Together with the Missing Medicines coalition and a host of speakers from expharmaceutical industry professionals to patient activists, we’re setting out a vision for a pharmaceutical industry that’s fit for purpose. If you can invite your MP to attend this workshop, email radhika.patel@globaljustice. org.uk and we will send you relevant information, which you can send to your MP closer to the date.
Fair Pricing Forum reportback
In April, campaigner Heidi Chow attended the Fair Pricing Forum, hosted by the World Health Organisation. It was convened to bring together industry, civil society and governments to explore how drugs can be priced fairly.
There was a lot of support for transparency, delinkage and compulsory licensing during the forum sessions and these proposals also featured in the civil society statement that we signed up to and was delivered to the final plenary. Delinkage is when drug development is partially separated from profit-making, for instance through offering a prize for a new drug which is then in the public realm, rather than allowing a company to use their patent to price the drug however they like. Compulsory licencing is when governments use their legal right to secure affordable, generic versions of patented drugs if they cannot get access to the patented product. It’s important that we as civil society stay in these spaces to keep pressing governments to take up this agenda. The World Health Organisation has announced an online consultation and new working groups to continue the discussion.
Upcoming events A conversation with Gary Younge on migration, borders and the global economy
A special Global Justice Now event with award-winning journalist Gary Younge. Book soon as places are going fast. London, Monday 20 May
Gyekye Tanoh in Scotland
After speaking at our national gathering in Birmingham, Ghanaian economist and trade justice campaigner Gyekye Tanoh will also come to Scotland Location tba, Wednesday 12 June More on both events at
globaljustice.org.uk/events May 2019 9
Groups and activism news for Refugees in Glasgow University, which was really positive, with lots of debate and enthusiasm to take action. Global Justice Ayrshire have been running a monthly street stall in the Bridgegate area of Irvine, focusing on climate change and trade justice issues. Global Justice Worthing held a successful screening of Human Flow which attracted 60 people. There was lots of interest in our campaign materials and some potential new group members. Global Justice South East London held a screening of The Spider’s Web, a film about the City of London’s complicity in tax havens. They managed to get Michael Oswald and Simeon Roberts, the director and executive producer, there for a 20min Q&A at the end.
Above: Global Justice Shropshire ran a high street stall in March
Global Justice Macclesfield group put on a screening of Human Flow which was very well received and resulted in some new links with people locally. The group also ran a street stall to encourage people to sign the ISDS cards at the end of March. Global Justice Reading ran a street stall focused on the ISDS campaign (see photo on the front cover). They produced wearable information signs which proved useful as it was very windy. Global Justice Glasgow ran a joint event with Oxfam in East Renfrewshire in February, using Human Flow to raise awareness about migration issues. In particular, they highlighted the Family Reunion Bill and encouraged people to lobby Paul Masterton, the local MP. And in March they ran another event using Human Flow with Student Action 10 May 2019
The screening attracted 30 people and they came out feeling very angry, but fired up. Group members have subsequently written to their MPs about tax justice issues, and the following regular group meeting had 15 people at it, the best attendance anyone could remember! Global Justice Bexhill and Hastings lobbied Huw Merriman MP about various trade issues during Fairtrade Fortnight (see photo below) and he tweeted about it afterwards!
Climate justice update Our activist-organised climate justice network had a bounce coming out of our 250-strong Growth, Degrowth and Climate Justice conference in February. Members of the network are organising a variety of activities and some of them have put forward a motion to our AGM concerning the organisation’s position on economic growth and climate change. Youth activist and climate justice network member Cameron Joshi appeared on BBC2’s Victoria Derbyshire programme after he was arrested as part of the Extinction Rebellion protests. He also organised a climate justice workshop as part of the protests. In Scotland, staff member Ruth spoke at Extinction Rebellion Scotland. Our Scottish local activists have also been actively lobbying members of the Scottish parliament on the Scottish government’s recently introduced climate change bill. Global Justice Now is part of a broad coalition effort to get the bill amended to include targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2040, and by 80% by 2030. More lobbying will certainly be required, and we’ll be in touch with our Scottish activists soon with more information on that.
Youth network
London youth activists organised Freedom of Movement, a fundraiser event for SOAS Detainee Support. It was a day event imagining a world without borders, where freedom of movement is a universal right. There were workshops, panel discussions, poetry, theatre, live music and DJs from migrant-led activist groups, creative collectives and bands. Over 100 people attended during the day. Global Justice Now’s youth activists from across the country attended Extinction Rebellion’s (XR) weeks of action in London and brought a politics of radical solidarity with the global south to the protests (see also the climate update above)
Global Justice Now Scotland joins coalition efforts towards a strong Scottish climate bill.
Youth Network activists in London and Brighton also attended and spoke at the Youth Strike 4 Climate actions in their respective cities. The Global Justice Now’s national youth gathering We Rise 2019 was a resounding success. Over 120 young people gathered at Stour Space in Hackney, London, to hear inspiring talks from the likes of Owen Jones, Faiza Shaheen and Shaista Aziz. Workshops ranged from migrant solidarity and creative action to colonialism and climate justice. Brighton Global Justice Now youth network held a well-attended workshop on freedom of movement. The workshop was run by Ed and Rosanna from the London office. May 2019 11
Current materials Our main campaigns
Other work
Trade
Climate and energy justice
• • • • • • • •
ACTION CARD: Stop corporate courts LEAFLET: Stop corporate courts BRIEFING: The case against corporate courts BRIEFING: Corporate court Qs and As BRIEFING: ‘ISDS Files’ case studies x6 BRIEFING: E-pocalypse Now (e-commerce) BRIEFING: Giving away control DISCUSSION PAPER: Ten alternatives to a corporate trade agenda • BRIEFING: Trading with Trump
Pharmaceuticals and corporate power
• REPORT: The people’s prescription • BRIEFING: Taking public control of medicines • ACTIVIST PACK: Alternatives to the current pharmaceutical system • REPORT: Pills and profits • BRIEFING: Ending corporate impunity • MP BRIEFING: Pill and profits • LEAFLET: Sick of corporate greed • ACTION CARD: Sick? • POSTERS: Shocking facts (x4, laminated)
Migration • • • • • •
POSTCARD: End the hostile environment STICKERS: End the hostile environment BADGES: Migrants welcome (Paddington) BRIEFING: Hostile environment ILLUSTRATED BOOKLET: Free movement BRIEFING: Migrant crisis or poverty crisis?
• LEAFLET: Change the system, not the climate • LEAFLET: Repowering the future: Municipal energy in practice • BRIEFING: Towards a just energy system • BOOKLET: Rays of hope - energy justice
Food sovereignty
• 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
General materials
• ACTIVIST READER: Making another world possible • BRIEFING: The Dangers of Trump • ‘HOW TO’ GUIDES: Guides to various aspects of activism • SIGN-UP SHEET: Double-sided, Global Justice Now branded • STICKERS and BADGES: People before profit/ Global Justice Now logo
Scotland-specific materials
• BRIEFING: What’s a risk here in Scotland from post-Brexit trade deals • BRIEFING: Scottish migration briefing • BRIEFING: Principles for a just trade system
Aid
• **NEW ACTION CARD: Pupils before profit • 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 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