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Put People First

category bristol | miscellaneous | press release author Friday March 13, 2009 20:08author by Sarah C Report this post to the editors

On Tuesday 17th March there will be a Bristol meeting to build for "March for Jobs, Justice and Climate" at the G20 meeting, Saturday 28th March.

With the world economy in turmoil the most powerful leaders will meet in London in just under a month's time to discuss the handling of this crisis. It is time we make our voices heard, we will not suffer in silence and pay for their crisis. We will not watch the willfull destruction of our planet for the relentless pursuit of profit for the few. We will not stand by as two thirds of the world starve to death. We demand real action that Puts People First.

On 28th March thousands will march through London as part of a global campaign to challenge the G20, ahead of their 2nd April summit on the global financial crisis.

Even before the banking collapse, the world suffered poverty, inequality and the threat of climate chaos. The world has followed a financial model that has created an economy fuelled by ever-increasing debt, both financial and environmental.

Our future depends on creating an economy based on fair distribution of wealth, decent jobs for all and a low carbon future.

There can be no going back to business as usual.

The march and campaign is supported by ActionAid, AJCC, ACTSA, Advocacy International, Akina Mama Wa Africa, AMREF UK, Article 12 in Scotland, ASLEF, ATL, Avaaz, BECTU, BOND, BOVA, Bretton Foods Project, CAFOD, Campaign Against Climate Change, CDD, CSP, Change is Coming, Christian Aid, CND, Compass, Concern Worldwide (UK), Co-operative News, Connect, CWU, Dalit Solidarity Network UK, Defend Council Housing, DoSomethingAboutIt, Down2Earth Down2Us, EAP, Engineers Against Poverty, EQUITY, European Movement, Everychild, Fairtrade Foundation, Fatima Women's Network, FBU, Find Your Feet, Friends of the Earth, GardenAfrica, GCAP, GMB, Green New Deal Group, Greenpeace, HelpAge International, International Service, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Justice for Colombia, Lattitude, Merlin, Micah Challenge UK, MRDF, Musicians Union, Muslim Council of Britain, NASUWT, NEF, New Internationalist, NSC, NUJ, NUS, NUT, One World Action, Oxfam, Pants to Poverty, PCS, People and Planet, Performers Without Borders, Plan UK, Progressio, Prospect, Red Pepper, RMT, Salvation Army, Save the Children, SCIAF, Shelter, Skillshare, SoR, Stamp Out Poverty, STOP AIDS Campaign, Stop Climate Chaos, Sudanese Women for Peace, Synergy Centre, Tax Justice Network, Teach a Man to Fish, Tearfund, Thirty-eight degrees, TFSR, Tourism Concern, Trade Justice Movement, TUC, Trading Visions, Traidcraft, Transnational Institute, TSSA, UCATT, UCU, UK Aid Network, UNISON, UNITE, USDAW, VSO, War on Want, Womankind Worldwide, WILPF, World Development Movement, World Vision, WWF.

On Tuesday 17th March there will be a public meeting in Bristol to build for the demonstration.
6-8pm
Transport House, Victoria Street, BS1 6AY
Speakers include:
Joanne Kay Smith, Unison Regional Manager
John Hilary, Executive Director War on Want
Nick Dearden, Director Jubilee Debt Campaign.
Chair is David Ransom of New Internationalist.

People from all over the country will join the march on March 28. Be one of them.

Local tyransport is being arranged by several different unions and groups for details come to the meeting or call or email me
07900 566 877
sarah@sarahcreagh.co.uk

For more details about the campaign see the national website http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk

Related Link: http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk
author by querypublication date Fri Mar 13, 2009 20:32Report this post to the editors

Have all those groups signed up to 'no going back to business as usual'?

What about the unions for example, the ones currently agreeing pay cuts and reduced working weeks in order to keep the wheels of capital ticking over?

'No going back to business as usual' is a mighty fine statement, but I have yet to see any of those organisations arguing for anything else than a fairer capitalism, which of course they have been doing for many a year. And holding the march on a Saturday, 4 whole days before the G20 summit convenes, seems just like business as usual. Why not hold the march on the 2 April whilst the G20 meets, and call on all workers to down tools/pens/pc's for the day.

Then the G20 might fear you are moving beyond sloganeering and business as usual.

At present they are not in the least concerned, take this introduction from http://www.g20.org/ "Since 1999, the G-20 has contributed to strengthen the international financial architecture and to foster sustainable economic growth and development. The G-20 now has a crucial role in driving forward work between advanced and emerging economies to tackle the international financial and economic crisis, restore worldwide financial stability, lead the international economic recovery and secure a sustainable future for all countries." Business as usual indeed.

author by Sarah Cpublication date Mon Mar 16, 2009 19:04author email sarah at sarahcreagh dot co dot ukReport this post to the editors

The organisations have all signed up to a "policy platform" that can be found at http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/about-us/policy-platform/

However, you are right these organisations have a wide range of aims and objectives. Some of them are more radical than others and some of them are more true to those aims and objectives than others.

I agree calling the demo alongside the other actions that will be happening that week and calling on all workers to down tools that day would have a fantastically bigger impact (to say the least). Unfortunately, you and I don't run the TUC, and the TUC are decidedly less militant.

I'm sure the march would not be happening at all were it not for activists on the ground pushing for more militant opposition to the current government policies. And as the campaign incorporates such a broad range of organisations it is a great opportunity to build a mass campaign that can be pushed towards more militant tactics.

Local transport is being arranged from a number of union branches for details contact your branch, see the national website or come to tuesdays meeting.

 
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