Improving health through witty design

This iron fish offers relief from Anaemia.

An estimated 10% to 14% of the U.S. population is anaemic, the majority of that population women and children. But in Cambodia, those numbers skyrocket: 44% of Cambodians suffer from anaemia, including two-thirds of the country’s entire population of children. At the same time, about 70% of Cambodians live on less than $1 a day, pushing iron supplements (or red meat) far out of reach.

When Chris Charles, then a University of Guelph PhD student, travelled to Cambodia to tackle the problem, he had a crucial resource at hand: a study showing that simply adding iron to food while cooking could increase iron levels in the blood. But when he pitched the idea - essentially dropping a clunky, distasteful-looking block of iron into a skillet - Cambodian villagers were dubious.

A design flaw - this was an ugly piece of metal - kept Cambodian women from wanting to add it to the meals they were preparing for their families. “Actually almost no one used it,” says Gavin Armstrong, now CEO of the Lucky Iron Fish Project.

He and Charles conducted some boots-on-the-ground research, and eventually they arrived at the right connection: The fish is a Cambodian symbol of luck. “So the Lucky Iron Fish was born," Armstrong tells Co.Design.

http://google.com/producer/s/CBIwrpfyZg

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Saudi Arabia Cabinet passes ban on domestic violence

Saudi Arabia's cabinet has passed a ban on domestic violence and other forms of abuse against women for the first time in the Kingdom's history.

Read more: http://google.com/producer/s/CBIw27mL_AM

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The First Rule of Casserole Club Is...

Have you heard about Casserole Club - a great way to support older people in your area simply by cooking one extra portion of your supper? Find out more at Finchley Youth Theatre on 15th Sept.

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The North Pole Is Now a Lake

You thought it was hot on the Underground this summer? The North Pole is now a lake...

"If you think these images from the North Pole look more like a lake than the snow-covered expanse you'd expect, that because it is is--the North Pole has melted."

http://google.com/producer/s/CBIw_vbcEw

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Save the Bohemia

As some of you will have seen, the Bohemia pub in North Finchley has been closed down after just one year of business. In addition to being a top local watering hole, the Bohemia has hosted many formal and informal JM gatherings, including our session on the Foodbank Network where members and pub goers alike made donations for the local Foodbank, and the Christmas wrapping bonanza when we organised the donation and wrapping of over 30 gifts for giving out at the Christmas meal the pub was putting on for isolated older people.

Apparently, the issue is that the landlord doesn't want to renew the lease to Antic Ltd who run the Bohemia. As part of ongoing negotiations with the landlord, Antic Ltd are asking Bohemia regulars to write letters of support to buoy their cause. So that's where you come in.

Over the last few years we have equipped and encouraged you to take a stand on a wide range of issues, to write to company managers and to visit your MPs to make a noise about the issues that matter to you. Now we're asking you to take all those skills and apply them to overcoming our very own issue.

Its not as desperate as lack of access of clean drinking water, not as horrific as FGM, and not as entrenched as unjust trade laws. However, it is something that will have a negative effect on our local community and our own efforts as a network.

So please, if you feel able, drop a note to fi@anticlondon.com who is compiling letters of support for the pub to use in their negotiations. Tell her why you care about the pub and what happens to it. Tell her how much we value what the staff there have done to create a welcoming space for the community. Tell her that we don't want a Tesco Metro or whatever the landlord is hoping to put there instead. We love the Bohemia and we want to see if continue to be the vibrant and vital community hub that it has become.

I've sent off a note already - will you join me in the doing the same?

Thanks!

PS - We are just laying final plans for the new term and will be in touch soon to share more, so watch this space...

Job opportunity with Barnet Furniture Centre

Barnet Furniture Centre is currently recruiting for a part time Project Assistant. The role is 19hrs a week (Fri/Sat/Mon).

If you or someone you know would be interested in working at this excellent local social enterprise, then email beth@barnetfurniturecentre.org and request the application form.

Closing date is this Friday (23rd August).

Good luck!

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A summer break

Wednesday's cafe session and our community BBQ last night were our final gatherings before the summer break. Thanks to everyone who have come along and taken part in our sessions since January - here's a short reminder of all that we've been up to over the last seven months.

We'll see you again in September for more and better!

Through their eyes - a glimpse into the experience of Britain's asylum seekers

We had a great gathering on Wednesday, led by Ann-Marie, Dave, Zoe and Beth, looking at the issue of asylum and immigration.

The media paints a very specific image of the types of people that come to the UK seeking refuge and the life they live whilst here, but as we learnt through the case study of Alexander and his Belarusian family (ably voiced by Ann-Marie), the reality of life as an asylum seeker can be quite different to that media stereotype.

Anna Gallagher (Beth's daughter) also provided this excellent video which set the scene for much of the conversation during the evening.

Want to know more?
Read the free booklet from the Refugee Council, The Truth About Asylum.

What can I do to help?
Do you have a spare room? Would you or someone you know be willing to host a destitute asylum seeker for a day, a week, or longer with support from an experiences organisation? If so, visit www.spare-room.org or email hostmigrants@yahoo.co.uk.

Do you have spare time or can you give money? Barnet Refugee Service supports destitute asylum seekers in Barnet. They need volunteers to help at drop-ins and women's groups, to provide advice and do help with admin.

Setting standards for the aid industry

An interesting report on the importance and challenge of delivering aid to a high standard (of particular interest in the light of the recent re-affirmation by the Chancellor of Britain's commitment to give 0.7% of GDP away to support developing countries):

"The humanitarian community has gone through a period of soul searching in recent years, following the failure to protect victims of genocide in Rwanda, the chaotic lack of coordination after the 2004 Asian tsunami and the sex-for-food scandals in West Africa. Yet attempts to set universal standards and to certify aid agencies have been inconsistent and controversial....

... This week, practitioners are taking part in the Humanitarian Standards Forum in Geneva to assess the state of humanitarian accountability and to chart a path forward."

Read more: http://shar.es/xNtPz

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Good News for anyone looking for an ethical high street bank

Church-backed bid for RBS arm could herald ethical bank:

"The Church of England is backing a bid for hundreds of branches being offloaded by Royal Bank of Scotland, raising the prospect of a new, ethical bank on the high street."

Read more: http://goo.gl/mag/Tplbs6F

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New York City pitches $20 billion plan to prep for climate change

"With the Big Apple facing significant impacts from climate change in the decades to come — including becoming as hot as Birmingham, Alabama, by 2050 — the plan aims to make sure that New York City’s extensive subway, transit, sewer and water, energy and food distribution systems will still be able to serve the more than 8 million people who live there."

The Big Apple can afford to prepare for climate change.

What about cities in the Developing World?

Read more: http://goo.gl/mag/8fZJo7I

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On yer bike! How bicycles prevent rape and empower girls in rural Cambodia

"In Cambodia, school ends at the primary level for many girls simply because the nearest secondary school is too far to commute to by foot. Furthermore, this long commute is dangerous. Rape and other forms of violence against women have reached epidemic proportions in the Cambodian countryside, and parents are rightfully concerned for their daughters’ safety.

Given a sturdy bicycle, however, many of these seemingly insurmountable barriers to education disappear."

Read more: GOOD Magazine

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First X-Man Standing

Legend. Nuff said.

"In 2007, actor Patrick Stewart became the patron of Refuge, a U.K. charity that provides support for victims of domestic abuse; in 2009, he wrote about witnessing his father, a former sergeant, abuse his mother. Stewart remains devoted to the cause, and in a recent panel at Comicpalooza in Houston, he said his work with Refuge is one of his proudest accomplishments and spoke out against victim-blaming:

“As a child, I heard in my home doctors and ambulance men say, ‘Mrs. Stewart, you must have done something to provoke him. Mrs. Stewart, it takes two to make an argument.’ Wrong. Wrong! My mother did NOTHING to provoke that — and even if she had, violence is NEVER, ever a choice that a man should make. Ever.”

Watch the video: http://youtu.be/TqFaiVNuy1k

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Don't just talk about the problem, get involved

“You want to change a life, to save a life? Then you need to drop the awareness campaigns and make your work part of life itself.”

Read more: http://faceofthematter.com/2013/06/04/the-everything-approach/

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Vertical farm rising from a derelict site in Manchester

"At present the Biosphere offers a fairly limited diet of freshwater fish, mushrooms green leaves, apples, pears and the occasional citrus fruit or plum.

"But according to the project founder, the potential is limitless.The concept is based on the traditional African agricultural traditions where crops are grown above each other - for example, coconuts above bananas, over coffee and ground tubers such as yams.

"Mr Walsh [the architect of the scheme] believes pressure on land and declining energy resources will mean the West will be forced to give up growing vast horizontal fields of single crops in remote farms and transporting them hundreds of miles to urban centres to be consumed. Instead every building and open space in towns and cities will be put into production."

Read more: http://goo.gl/mag/wMxPRtr

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Burkina Faso

Justice Matters founding member, Sara recently spent a few days in Burkina Faso with Josephine, an amazing 13 year old. This is her story:

"Five News’ Peter Lane reports from Burkina Faso as new figures expose the scale of world hunger."

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The surprising power of people in parks

On Saturday 8th June, members from Justice Matters joined with 45,000 others at Hyde Park to demand that the G8 take action on the silent scandal of world hunger.

As film director and Olympics opening ceremony maestro pointed out, this was just the latest in a series of moments where people in parks stood up and demanded action on injustice - from female emancipation to workers rights, nuclear weapons to apartheid, Live Aid to Make Poverty History and Drop the Debt, the Big IF London, the people of Britain have a track record of coming together in parks to make history. This felt like one of those days - indeed, during the afternoon, we were informed that the G8 had agreed to provide a further £2.8bn in aid to ensure proper nutritious food is made available to children in the developing world. Exciting times...

Here are some photos from our preparation...

 

... and of the event itself...

 

Bidder 70 - a lesson in civil disobedience

"In 2008, as George W. Bush tried to gift the energy and mining industries thousands of acres of pristine Utah wilderness via a widely disputed federal auction, college student Tim DeChristopher decided to monkey-wrench the process. Bidding $1.7 million, he won 22,000 acres with no intention to pay or drill. For this astonishing (and successful) act of civil disobedience he was sent to federal prison. Bidder 70 tells the story of this peaceful warrior whose patriotism and willingness to sacrifice have ignited the climate justice movement."

Read more: http://www.bidder70film.com/

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Upcoming gatherings

We had a great time generating new ideas and planning upcoming sessions at our recent crowdsourcing gathering - if you weren't there you missed out, but you still have an opportunity to get involved, so email us if you'd like to get help out with either of the sessions.*

As you can see, there's lots going on over the coming weeks - we look forward to seeing you soon!

Sam and Victoria, Elaine, Sara, Lizzie and Ryan

Dates for your diary

• Wednesday 5 June - Enough Food If... pub chat. Join us at the Bohemia from 8pm to find out more about the If... campaign and discuss plans for attending the rally on Sat.
• Saturday 8 June - Enough Food If... big London event. Join us and others from across the country at Hyde Park from 2pm to stand up for those in greatest need.
• Wednesday 19th June - Is what you eat a matter of justice or just a lifestyle choice? and other food ethics questions (aka, Does God care what you eat?) at Coffee Republic N Finchley from 7:30pm.*
• Wednesday 16 July - Through their eyes: a glimpse into the experience of Britain's asylum seekers at Coffee Republic from 7:30pm. (Note that this date is different to that on the flyer we distributed recently.)*

* These sessions are the results of our crowdsourcing conversations. If they are issues in which you have some expertise or interest, do get in touch - we'd love your help!

Is what you eat a matter of justice or a lifestyle choice?

These days there are many options when buying food: organic, locally grown, soil association certified, rainforest alliance approved. But what does it all actually mean?

In this cafe session (the first of two organised by members of the community itself following our recent crowdsource gathering) we will try to answer this question and discuss whether taking such labels into consideration when filling your grocery basket is important.

In other words, does God care what you eat?

Wednesday 19 June, 7:30-10pm at Coffee Republic, North Finchley.

Enough Food If...

As you know, since the start of the year we have been taking part in the Enough Food If... campaign, which aims to eradicate hunger through firmer aid commitments, greater transparency, tackling tax dodging and stopping neo-colonial land grabs.

On the 8th June, Justice Matters will be joining with thousands of others from across the country for the Big If London gathering. The day will include inspiring speakers, stories, family activities and music. The symbolic centre of the day will be the planting of a breathtaking field of paper flowers, with two million petals representing the two million children that die from hunger every year – lives that could be saved.

Read our blog post on why this symbolic act is important and and then sign up to come along. We'll be discussing logistics at the June 5 pub session (8pm at the Bohemia).

Students Build A 22-Foot-Tall Home For Local Bees

How's this for an impressive bee hotel? Bit more ambitious than our efforts back in January!

Read more: http://goo.gl/mag/9RPtfrw

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UK Government makes all the right noises on trade, tax and transparency

“As we free up the world economy, we must make sure openness delivers the benefits it should for rich economies and developing countries alike. That means consistent and fair rules for the global economy. When countries open up to cross-border trade, and global supply chains, they need to know that they will see the benefits in jobs, fair tax revenues and economic growth.

So we need global rules that prevent tax evasion and aggressive avoidance, and enable governments to collect the taxes they are owed. We also need to make sure that mineral wealth in developing countries becomes a blessing, not a curse. It is to the shame of the whole world that a lack of transparency allowed the illicit diamond trade to fuel appalling conflicts in Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Today, we have a duty to make sure that resource wealth does not fuel conflict, corruption and crime. So at the G-8 next month in Northern Ireland I will push for fairer taxes and greater transparency alongside more open trade.”

Read in full: The UK's G8 agenda - Increasing trade, fairer taxes and greater transparency

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What difference can a paper flower make?

On the 8th June, Justice Matters will be joining with many others from across the country for the Big If London gathering. The day will include inspiring speakers, stories, family activities and music. The symbolic centre of the day will be the planting of a breathtaking field of paper flowers, with two million petals representing the two million children that die from hunger every year – lives that could be saved.

The obvious questions is: Aside from being a visually impressive stunt, exactly what good will two million paper flowers actually achieve?

Its easy to get disheartened when campaigning for change. We look at the scale of the problems facing our world and tell us ourselves that we don't have enough power to make a difference; that only the rich and influential like Bono, Bill Gates or the Prime Minister can make a real impact. Standing there in Hyde Park with our paper flowers could seem a bit of a pointless gesture, but maybe there's more to it than meets the eye.

At St Barnabas last week,  David Brown talked about Gideon, an unlikely Old Testament leader who God used to rescue Israel from overwhelming enemy odds. Having already radically thinned out the Israelite army (from 32,000 men down to 300), God had Gideon equip the remaining force with highly unlikely weapons - trumpets and torches concealed within clay jars. In other words, Gideon's army was vastly outnumbered and had no hands free to draw their swords against the enemy forces. This sounds a lot like the situation we find ourselves in when facing the seemingly intractable evils of the world - a small voice for justice amid the howling gale, armed not with sword and spear, but paper flowers and wry placards.

Despite expectations, Gideon's army saw a great victory:

"Gideon and the hundred men with him reached the edge of the camp at the beginning of the middle watch, just after they had changed the guard. They blew their trumpets and broke the jars that were in their hands. The three companies blew the trumpets and smashed the jars. Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled.

When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the Lord caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords." (Judges 7 v19-22a)

As the final verse highlights, the victory was not Gideon's but God's (indeed, God had told Gideon to reduce his army to ensure that this point was abundantly clear). So too, when we take our stand against the silent scandal of hunger, we should remember that our paper flowers are like those trumpets and torches - laughably fragile, ridiculously inconsequential and yet of heaven-rending, world-changing power in God's hands.

So join us and thousands of others to make a big noise and demand G8 leaders take action to tackle the silent scandal of hunger. We may not only have limited power by ourselves, but with God anything is possible...