GMB press release – 26 March 2009
1500 GMB members from all over Britain plan to be in London on Saturday, 28th March 2009 to take part in a national demonstration called for by the TUC and a number of other organisations (see note 1) to coincide with the G20 summit taking place in London next week. Read more…
March 26th, 2009
Why Tearfund is marching for Jobs, Justice and Climate
Alisha Sanvicens
Tearfund is passionate about the local church bringing about justice and transforming lives – overcoming global poverty. Because the financial crisis is disproportionately impacting the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people, we are responding with urgency.
On 2 April when the G20 leaders meet in London to tackle the crisis, Tearfund wants to ensure that they remember those most affected. That’s why Tearfund has joined the Put People First platform to put the pressure on; when the church takes its part in a broad alliance like this, it catches governments’ attention.
We need world leaders to ensure that economic systems and banking restructuring tackles inequality, poverty and climate chaos – issues that acutely affect the poorest people in society worldwide. Governments must provide enough resources to enable the poorest countries to protect their vulnerable people.
For a sustainable global economy we need reform of the institutions that have proved themselves unable to govern the global economy fairly or effectively – particularly the World Bank and the International Monitory Fund (IMF).
Churches have been historically crucial in bringing about social change. They represent a huge section of society. Often it is local and global churches in the thick of responding to calamity, restoring social cohesion and fighting poverty in the poorest communities.
Poor people need to be at the forefront of decision makers’ minds as they try to salvage a beleaguered and broken economic system and work to reverse the damaging affects on the environment. Tearfund is making sure that the church – both locally and globally – is actively involved in creating a just, fair and sustainable world that can benefit all in society.
March 26th, 2009
In a global economic crisis, women have most to lose.
In the UK women’s jobs are often the first to go, and their care burden will increase if public services are decimated.
But for women in developing countries, the likely impact of the economic meltdown is much more disastrous. And economic inequalities at the local, national & global level can:
· exacerbate violence against women;
· increase discrimination against women in employment; and
· decrease women’s access to resources
As WOMANKIND’s new report, Who Pays the Price? shows, poor women in developing countries are particularly at risk. WOMANKIND Worldwide is calling on the G20 to ensure that responses to the financial crisis involve women in the solutions — and for governments to comply with their international and domestic obligations to end all discrimination against women.
Click here to download Who Pays the Price?
Women marchers on Saturday may also like to know that there will be a women’s contingent marching behind the slogan PUT PEOPLE FIRST – BUT DON’T PUT WOMEN SECOND. Women are assembling in Embankment Gardens at 10.30 am (near the coffee kiosk) ready to join the march leaving around 12pm.
March 26th, 2009
The Guardian published a fascinating ‘happiness index’ on Monday. Reporting research from the New Economics Foundation the index claimed that, based on quality of life and environmental protection, Indonesians, Chinese and Mexicans are amongst the happiest people in the world. People in countries like the UK and US, contrary to expectations, are well down in the happiness list.
I’m sure if you are living on less than a dollar a day in one of these ‘happy’ countries you may challenge such claims. However they add to the growing body of evidence that maximising income doesn’t actually make us happier. In fact, it could lead to greater unhappiness as we work longer hours to earn more money, to buy more stuff that we barely need and rarely use – at the same time pushing the world towards environmental disaster.
So?
Here we are in the middle of a global economic crisis. We are also facing the greatest threat that humanity has ever conjured up for itself – climate change. Throw in the fact that on the table at the G20 are mind-boggling sums of money that the UK and US (at least) want to spend on kick-starting global consumption, and we have before us an unprecedented opportunity to recast the way we live.
What are our choices?
We can spend all this money on more cut-throat economics and more carbon-loaded consumption.
Or…
We can put it into a green new deal, investing in making the transition to a low carbon economy and the sustainable use of the earth’s natural resources (instead of relentlessly draining them). And, if we also fix the flaws in the global economic system which currently maintains poverty across the world, then we can create new, better jobs and, yes, more happiness.
Amidst all the doom and gloom, this sounds like a pretty exciting possibility to me.
- Ashok Sinha Director of the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition
March 26th, 2009
Joint General Secretary of the trade union Unite, Tony Woodley, tells us why he’s asking his members and supporters to turn out in large numbers for the Put People First London march and rally on Saturday 28 March 2009, ahead of the G20 summit on the financial crisis.
March 25th, 2009
28 March 2009 – 6:00pm to 11:00pm – The Chapel pub, Chapel Street NW1 5DP.
The location is an award-winning gastro pub near Edgware road, which is only a ten minute walk from the rally in Hyde Park. The event will now be a one-room intimate gathering featuring ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCES FROM: Susie Ro & Ayla, Corneilius, Sarah Bear, Diana Rosa, Glod. Read more…
March 25th, 2009
Hey there folks!
It’s only a couple of days until Saturday’s march. The more awareness we can get the better and you can help! So, we’ve got three little requests for you to help us make the march count… Read more…
March 25th, 2009
There have been a number of newspaper stories suggesting that the Put People First march will not be peaceful. Simon Jenkins in the Evening Standard today says that “Chaos, if not violence, is certain.”
He has no evidence for this, and we are writing to the Evening Standard both to correct this smear and to invite Londoners to join us on Saturday.
Other journalists have written stories confusing our march with a range of other events and demonstrations taking place next week during the G20 summit – none of which are organised by, or supported by Put People First collectively.
Our worry is that these misleading stories will deter people joining us. But there is no evidence that this will be anything other than a peaceful, law abiding and enjoyable event.
This is what we are now saying to journalists who ask about this:
“The Put People First march for jobs, justice and climate brings together more than 150 groups committed to making the event a peaceful and law-abiding call on the G20 governments to commit to policies that will deliver jobs, end poverty and move to a low-carbon economy.
The event has been organised in full co-operation with the police and the Hyde Park authorities.
We have no evidence that anyone attending intends to disrupt our plans, break the law or commit any acts of violence. Nor have the police informed us that they have any such intelligence.
Put People First is not organising or collectively supporting any other demonstrations or protest events being held in the subsequent week to co-incide with the G20 summit.”
The Guardian today corrected a (much-less damaging) story saying that the TUC was organising a jobs rally in Trafalgar Square the same week as the summit.
March 24th, 2009
Co-operatives UK is encouraging its members to support calls on G20 leaders, when they meet in London on 2 April, to put people first by providing decent jobs and public services for all, an end to global inequalities of wealth and power, and a green economy.
In a week of action in the run up to the G20 Summit, development NGOs, trade unions, faith groups, anti-poverty campaigners and international social movements are uniting to make their voices heard.
Co-operatives are founded on values of equality and solidarity and they believe in social responsibility, caring for others and protecting the environment, says Dame Pauline Green, Chief Executive of Co-operativesUK. The G20 Summit in London is a terrific opportunity to get our message across that more should be done to end global inequality, provide fair employment opportunities for all and help protect the planet.
The experience of the world economy over the last few months has highlighted the inadequacies of the financial and economic system and lessons need to be learned. Co operative businesses, like all businesses, are being affected by the economic downturn and more co-ordinated action needs to be taken by governments.
This is the best opportunity for a generation to learn from the mistakes of the past and to create a more inclusive global system that offers fairness and opportunity for all. This isn’t the time for retrenchment and protectionism, but for reaching out to create a new global system which rewards self-help and recognises the importance of community.
Pauline Green adds: Co-operation as a business model is recognised the world over as a sustainable and people-centred way of doing business that understands the importance of ‘fair globalisation’. It provides a means of helping developing countries maximise their potential and thus helping their people live better lives.
Co-operativesUK is also supporting calls for change from the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), whose members represent over 800 million individuals in co-operatives around the world.
The ICA has issued an Open Letter to the governments of the G20.
The ICA is particularly concerned that the G20 examines every option in seeking to overcome the current financial crisis, says Iain Macdonald, Director General.
We are asking the G20 governments to give serious consideration to the advantages of the co operative model of business. With over 150 years of commercial success in all economic fields, it is our conviction that co-operative enterprise, with its unique set of values and principles, can provide possible solutions particularly in promoting stability in the global economy.
March 24th, 2009
If you’re coming to the Put People First march and rally this Saturday and don’t yet have anywhere lined up to stay, check out cheap accommodation in London with the Youth Hostel Association. Or for adventurous web addicts, try the online network Couch Surfing, www.couchsurfing.com
Or check out our coaches page, as there are still a number of places available on coaches from around the country that would be returning on the same day, so you don’t need to stay over.
March 24th, 2009
