Over three plenary sessions we invited academics, activists, campaigners, unions and policy makers to debate alternative policies to promote jobs, justice and a safe climate.

Smaller breakout sessions gave participants the opportunity to take part in more focused debates on the linkages between the economy, environment and international development and in addition, discuss how we can mobilise and turn our ideas into action.

You can listen to the conference audios here:

Plenary Session 1

Topic: The failure of a paradigm but has anything really changed?

Chair: Peter Chowla (Bretton Woods Project)

Speakers: Poul Nyrup Rasmussen (PES), Diane Elson (University of Essex), Lidy Nacpil (Jubilee South), Louise Plaatjes (UNI Africa)

Plenary Session 2

Topic: What are the alternatives that work for people and planet

Chair: Bhumika Muchhala (Third World Network)

Speakers: John Hilary (War on Want), Beatriz Souviron (Bolivian Ambassador to the UK), Andrew Simms (new economics foundation), Vimbai Mushongera (Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions)

Breakout session 2: How do we mobilise?

Discussion leader: Noel Hatch (Compass Youth)

Speakers: Jon Cruddas MP, Jessica Kennedy (Citizens:UK), Willie Sullivan (Vote for a Change)

Closing Plenary

Topic: Taking alternatives forward

Chair: Owen Tudor (TUC)

Speakers: Billy Hayes (general secretary CWU), Deborah Doane (WDM), Asad Rehman (Friends of the Earth)

Jobs, Justice, Climate – Alternatives to the G20 – Book NOW!

In March, we marched in our tens of thousands to demand the G20 Put People First. Far from putting people first we’ve seen nothing but a tinkering around the margins followed by the return to business as usual.

On Nov 7, as the G20 returns to the UK, the agenda on the table nurses an already failed economic model back to life, whilst looking to sew up an international climate deal of unprecedented urgency.

They bailed out the banks to the tune of billions, and now the only choice offered is between what cuts are made to pay for it.

Government intervention to create a Green New Deal is slipping off the agenda, and yet strong alliances are forming – environmentalists and trade unionists have been standing side by side at Vestas to save the UK’s largest wind turbine factory.

• In the run up to Copenhagen, how do we get a global agreement on climate that truly puts climate justice at its heart?
• How do we respond to the jobs crisis and growing poverty around the world
• How do we ensure the global green new deal the world needs?
• How we do we show that cuts are not the only option, and demonstrate what Putting People First really look like?

This counter-conference will bring together academics, activists, campaigners, unions, policy makers and YOU to share ideas on what the alternatives are to cuts, cuts and more cuts, and how we must organise across our issues, of jobs, justice and climate, to make the alternative the reality.

Speakers include:

• Sarah-Jayne Clifton, Friends of the Earth
• Jon Cruddas MP
• Deborah Doane, World Development Movement
• Diane Elson, University of Essex
• Jesse Griffiths, Bretton Woods Project
• Noel Hatch, Compass Youth
• Billy Hayes, CWU
• John Hilary, War on Want
• Catherine Howarth, FairPensions
• Tony Juniper, Princes Rainforests Projects
• Neal Lawson, Compass
• Larry Lohman, The Corner House
• Caroline Lucas MEP
• Poul Nyrup Rasmussen MEP
• Andrew Simms, New Economics Foundation
• Glen Tarman, BOND
• Hilary Wainwright, Red Pepper
• Mel Whitter, UNITE

Book your FREE place now for an inspirational day of discussion and organising and help spread the word:

• Register for the counter conference
• Download the conference agenda (pdf)
• Download the conference flyer
• Join us on Facebook

The conference is supported by: ActionAid, Action for a Global Climate Community, BOND, BrettonWoods Project, Change is Coming, Compass, Ekklesia, Fairtrade Foundation, Friends of the Earth, Global Call to Action Against Poverty, GMB, Helpage International, Jubilee Scotland, Jubilee Debt Campaign, National Union of Teachers, New Economics Foundation, New Internationalist, People and Planet, Progressio, Stop AIDS Campaign, Stop Climate Chaos, Stamp out Poverty, TUC, UNISON, WILPF, World Development, Movement, War on Want, WWF

Friday 4 September 2009, 10am-6pm, Central London

This autumn the G20 is back. On Friday 4 September, the G20 Finance Ministers are meeting in London to discuss the financial crisis, for the first time since April’s G20 summit. So far they’ve flunked the challenge of putting people first in response to the financial crisis, preferring instead to patch up the old system that has led to poverty, inequality and the threat of climate chaos.

Join us in central London this Friday to tell the G20: No More Business As Usual. We’ll be demanding action on jobs, justice and climate, learning more about some of the key institutions behind the crisis, and discussing what’s next for Put People First campaigning.

To register to attend, email events@jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk or phone 020 7324 4722.

The initial details for the London event are out now, and you can get your bookings in online here.

At the end of March, ahead of the London G20 Summit, the Put People First alliance – made up of over 160 unions, development agencies, faith and environmental groups – brought 35,000 people onto the streets of London, where they marched for action on jobs and climate change, and justice for the world’s poor.

After the Summit, Put People First welcomed positive moves made in London, such as a commitment to better regulation of the global financial system and a promise to crack down on tax havens, but said that much more still needed to be done.

Now, as attention turns to the G8 finance ministers’ meeting, and the G8 leaders’ summit in July, pressure is building on world governments to do more to offer help to the millions of workers now unemployed who are desperate to get back to work, to take action for the growing tens of millions worldwide the crisis is pushing into extreme poverty, and to begin the transition to a green world economy that could help prevent further catastrophic climate change.

In the Put People First analysis of the London G20 Summit – Beyond the London Summit: Assessing the UK Government’s Response to the Financial Crisis and Charting a Way Forward, the organisations would like to see action in a number of areas including:
• a new multilateral tax information exchange agreement that would help developing countries;
• all aid promises made to date fulfilled and an end to harmful conditions attached to aid from institutions like the IMF and the World Bank;
• reform of the financial system (especially in the UK) so that all financial firms, markets and products are not just registered, but properly regulated; and,
• the creation of a green recovery by investing more in green jobs and green industries, rather than in projects that damage the environment.

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “Some economic commentators are beginning to say that the world is already emerging from the global economic slowdown. But try telling that to people losing their jobs or livelihoods, not just in the UK but around the planet.

“Progress was made in London but much more needs to be done. Some of those talking up green shoots are precisely those who want to go back to business as usual rather than confront the greed that brought about the crash, and avoid the change in economic direction we need to create green jobs, sustain decent public services and reduce the inequality that fed the boom.”

Head of Policy at ActionAid Claire Melamed said: “In April the spotlight was on the UK to respond to an unprecedented global financial crisis. As the G8 approaches, we must ensure this momentum is not lost and governments keep the promises made in London.

“Now is the time for finance ministers to use this rare window of opportunity to build an international response that is based on people, not special interest groups. Crucial to this is realising that an unfairly regulated economy has wrecked many people’s lives at home and across the developing world.”

Director of Stop Climate Chaos Coalition Ashok Sinha said: “The G8 has so far failed to grasp the opportunity to tackle the international economic crisis by investing in a low carbon economy. China is putting the G8 to shame by devoting a third of its fiscal stimulus package to green initiatives, which will reduce its emissions and boost employment.

“But G8 finance ministers still have the opportunity to both pave the way to a fair global climate deal at Copenhagen, and give hope to millions, by putting more money on the table for an ambitious greening of the world economy.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:
- The Put People First alliance, which includes unions, development, faith and environment groups, came together earlier this year to press for a progressive London G20 Summit.
- The following organisations are amongst those endorsing the Put People First London G20 Analysis paper: ActionAid, BOND, Bretton Woods Project, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Compass, Connect, Concern Worldwide (UK), Everychild, National Union of Teachers, PCS, Tax Justice Network, Trade Justice Movement, TUC, UNISON, UNITE, World Development Movement, World Vision, WWF.
- The policy statement is available at http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/ppf-beyond.pdf and sets out 27 key recommendations for the UK government in addressing the financial crisis. As priorities the organisations have identified:
• preparing a proposal for a multilateral tax information exchange agreement that will benefit developing countries;
• reforming regulation in the UK so that all financial firms, markets and products are not just registered, but properly regulated; and ensure that discussions on launching a fully-inclusive multilateral regulatory authority commence at the earliest possible opportunity;
• creating a green recovery by investing more in green jobs and green industries and ending investment to harmful projects that would lock in high-carbon and other unsustainable infrastructure;
• demanding an end to the IMF’s practice of forcing damaging pro-cyclical economic policy conditions that will worsen recessions and constrain investment in public services in countries that go to it for loans;
• increasing funding for nationally-developed comprehensive social protection schemes in developing countries ensuring that they reach the poorest and most vulnerable, including by revising the World Bank’s IDA allocation system and developing innovative sources of finance, such as a currency transaction tax;
• making sustainability criteria central to investment practice at both national and international level: regulatory requirements should include the reporting of risks incurred by financing carbon-intensive or ecologically damaging business activities; pension funds and other investors should be incentivised to include environmental, gender and social impacts and governance risks in their business practices.

Contacts:
Media enquiries:
TUC – Liz Chinchen T: 020 7467 1248 M: 07778 158175 E: media@tuc.org.uk
ActionAid – Asha Tharoor M: 07912 387396 E: asha.tharoor@actionaid.org
Stop Climate Chaos Coalition – Sarah Jenkinson T: 020 7729 8732 M: m: 0776 668 2624 E: sarah@stopclimatechaos.org

ActionAid

Christian Aid

Friends of the Earth

Greenpeace

Jubilee Debt Campaign

Oxfam

Tearfund

Trade Justice Movement

TUC

Save the Children

War on Want

World Development Movement

• You count how many people were there
  An arial view of the whole march
• Interviews with marchers
  Fourman films meets people on the march to ask why they attended
• Kumi Naidoo speech
  GCAP co-chair Kumi Naidoo opens the rally
• Mark Thomas speech
  Activist Comedian Mark Thomas ridicules neo-liberal capitalism
• Mary Lou Malig speech
  Trade campaigner Mary Lou Malig explains how the unjust trade policies of rich countries hurt the poor.
• Brendan Barber speech
  The TUC General Secretary looks at solutions to the financial crisis that work for workers
• Susan George speech
  Ground breaking author Susan George says ‘they’re our banks’
• Sharan Burrow speech
  ITUC President Sharan Burrow brings greetings from the rest of the world
• Tony Juniper speech
  Pioneering environmentalist Tony Juniper says a greener world is possible

Glen Tarman of BOND, chair of Put People First, said:

“The G20 appears to have made progress on some critical issues but there are also missed opportunities, especially on building a green economy, and causes for real concern in other areas. G20 leaders have not yet gone far enough on the fundamental changes the world needs.

“Our campaign for jobs, justice and climate has clearly made some impact, but three big tests remain:

• Will the G20, the UN and the Copenhagen climate conference do far more to break from the failed policies that brought about the global crisis?
• Will governments agree a comprehensive package of policies that will deliver a new financial architecture and ensure the world emerges from the global recession as a fairer and green place?
• Where there are positive words today, will they be turned into action tomorrow?

“Put People First – and campaigners all around the world – will continue to make the case for change throughout this critical year. Wherever world leaders go to discuss these issues they will hear the voices of ordinary people demanding change.”

Put People First is an unprecedented alliance of 160 unions, development, faith and climate change groups. More than 35,000 people marched through central London on Saturday under the Put People First banner to demand jobs, justice and climate.

Notes to editors:

For more information or interviews please call Anjali Kwatra on 07941 371357.

Gordon Brown and his fellow G20 leaders must agree an overhaul of the global economy to promote jobs, justice and climate when they meet today in London, according to Put People First (www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk), an unprecedented alliance of more than 160 unions, development, environment and faith groups.

Blind faith in markets must be replaced with an economic system that works in the interests of people and planet and provides sturdy foundations for future prosperity.

That means a strong package of reform including:

• Making financial institutions and multinationals transparent and publicly accountable
• Action on tax havens to stop business and rich people avoiding their social responsibilities at the expense of the poor
• An end to efforts to push developing countries to liberalise and deregulate their economies
• Massive investment in a ‘green new deal’ based on decent work and fair pay
• Increasing overseas aid and strengthening health, education and other public services at home and abroad
• Real progress towards a climate deal that will limit temperature increases to well below 2o°c
• Fundamentally reforming global institutions such as the World Bank and IMF to give poor countries a say in the decisions that affect their lives

More than 35,000 people protested in London on Saturday in support of ‘jobs, justice and climate’ – a visible demonstration that people from across the political spectrum support real change.

Barbara Stocking, Oxfam Chief Executive, said: “The time for talking by G20 leaders is over. Warm words must now be replaced by action to tackle poverty.

“The world cannot afford attempts to return to ‘business as usual’. Nor should differences between rich countries be used as an excuse for inaction. Millions of already poor men, women and children are becoming much more vulnerable, with many pushed to the edges of destitution.”

Ashok Sinha, Director of Stop Climate Chaos, said: “The heat is on to get a fair international climate change deal at Copenhagen in December that keeps global warming under 2C. The G20 is a major stepping-stone towards that goal.

“Instead of boosting more unsustainable consumption the hundreds of billions of dollars on the G20 table for a fiscal stimulus must be used to invest away from using fossil fuels in favour of low carbon economies, as well as supporting low carbon development in poor countries.

“With bold action G20 leaders can seize the opportunity to tackle both climate change and the economic downturn together at the same time.”

TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber said: “There will be radical voices at the summit, with at least some leaders signed up for a big fiscal stimulus, a green new deal, tough global regulation and action on inequality. The question is whether those voices will carry the day. If they don’t, our campaign goes on to the G8, the UN and other G20 meetings.

“This is a decisive year for the whole planet. A heavy responsibility lies on every nation to ensure that we don’t just counter the recession but set in place the structures and policies that will ensure the world is never again threatened by financial meltdown and emerges as a greener and fairer place.”