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...

Taste and see

We're always keen to welcome new members. To this end, we have specifically identified three upcoming sessions as Taster Sessions. Hopefully all our gatherings are accessible and inviting, but these sessions will particularly tailored to first timers. So, come along for a flavour of what its like to be part of our community, to learn to do right and seek justice:

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 it really better to buy local? and other food ethics questions at Coffee Republic 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 at St Bs.)

We look forward to seeing you at one of these gatherings!

Enough Food IF...

On Saturday 8 June David Cameron hosts a hunger summit. This is our big moment, our chance to make our voices heard and to push the G8 to take action on hunger. Together we will make sure David Cameron goes to Northern Ireland with our demands ringing in his ears. We want the G8 leaders to take action on aid, land,tax and transparency - the four big IFs needed to help end hunger.

Join us and make your voice heard at the Big IF in London's Hyde Park on Saturday 8 June.

http://bigiflondon-enoughfoodneutral.eventbrite.co.uk/

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How to stop using Google

Unhappy about Google's tax arrangements? You can disentangle yourself... (Given that my whole life runs on Google - including this blog - this would be really hard, but a provocative challenge and practical tips for putting your mail where your mouth is.)

"If you want to take a stand over tax, Google will only notice if it doesn't get your attention. Here are usable alternatives to its services."

Read more: http://goo.gl/mag/r9xLPBP

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Local volunteering opportunity

Help out at an event for older people – Monday 13th May Barnet Older Persons Forum (BOPA) is holding an important event on Monday 13th May for people aged 50+ in the local community. They would like two or three volunteers to help out on the day by serving Starbucks tea and coffee to around 100 people, directing people as they arrive to meeting rooms, toilets, refreshments and generally helping any older person requiring assistance

BOPA would particularly welcome younger volunteers on this occasion. A full briefing will be provided to all volunteers on the day.

 If you may be interested please contact Sue Packman on 020 8447 0379 or email suepackman@madasafish.com

Shared from the Justice Matters Facebook Page (via Barnet Volunteer Centre)

On cheap clothing, development and tax dodging

"Developing countries like Bangladesh lose an estimated $160bn in tax dodging by multi-nationals annually. That's a bigger sum than all the money spent by governments around the world on aid. And George Osborne's change to the rules on how foreign subsidiaries of multinationals are taxed in last year's Budget will make it more attractive for large firms to avoid their economic responsibilities in poor countries."

Read more: http://goo.gl/mag/uD7tFZy

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What will stop the next factory collapse?

We often talk about ethical consumerism and thinking about where our belongings come from at JM. As Nathalie reminded us as a recent gathering, the clothes may be inexpensive to you, but someone has paid for them.

News of the tragic collapse of the garment factory in Bangladesh has made this a much more public issue and a good moment to generate all important change in the system. I've just signed this petition in support of safer working conditions - you might be interested in doing the same. Do think about writing a personal message rather than just spamming them with the standard text.

Guilt-free clothing

We've all seen the horrific images of hundreds of innocent women burned or crushed to death in factories while making our clothes. In the next few days we can get companies to stop it happening again.

Big fashion brands source from hundreds of factories in Bangladesh. Two brands, including Calvin Klein, have signed a very strong building and fire safety code. Others, led by Wal-Mart, have been trying to wriggle out of signing by creating a weak alternative that was pure PR. But the latest disaster has triggered crisis meetings and massive pressure to sign the strong version that can save lives.

Negotiations end in days. H&M and GAP are most likely to flip first to support a strong agreement, and the best way to press them is to go after their CEOs. If one million of us appeal directly to them in a petition, Facebook pages, tweets, and ads, their friends and families will all hear about it. They'll know that their own and their companies' reputations are on the line. People are being forced to make *our* clothing in outrageously dangerous places - sign on to make them safe.

Last week's tragic collapse fits a pattern. In the last few years, fires and other disasters have claimed a thousand lives and left many others too injured to work. Bangladesh's government turns a blind eye to dismal conditions, allowing suppliers to cut costs to make clothes at a pace and price that global fashion giants expect. The big brands say they check up, but workers say the companies can't be trusted to do their own audits.

The companies are making up their minds right now. Let's call on the CEOs of H&M and GAP to lead the industry by signing the safety plan. Sign your name then share this email widely - once we reach 1 million we'll take out ads that they can't miss.

Read more
Collapse renews calls for safety agreement (Wall Street Journal)
15 May deadline set for Bangladesh safety plan (Industriall)
Western companies feel pressure as toll rises in Bangladesh (NBC News)
Avoiding the fire next time (The Economist)
Bangladeshi garment factory death toll rises as owner arrested on border (The Guardian)
Bangladesh factory safety under scrutiny after collapse (CBC)
Hazardous workplaces: Making the Bangladesh Garment Industry Safe (Report, Clean Clothes campaign)

Can you be an environmentalist and be pro-nuclear?

This looks like an interesting new documentary on nuclear power and alternative energy:

"The atomic bomb and meltdowns like Fukushima have made nuclear power synonymous with global disaster. But what if we’ve got nuclear power wrong?

An audience favorite at the Sundance Film Festival, PANDORA’S PROMISE asks whether the one technology we fear most could save our planet from a climate catastrophe, while providing the energy needed to lift billions of people in the developing world out of poverty.

In his controversial new film, Robert Stone tells the intensely personal stories of environmentalists and energy experts who have undergone a radical conversion from being fiercely anti to strongly pro-nuclear energy, risking their careers and reputations in the process."

http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/pandoraspromise/

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Should the aid budget be spent on projections of power or poverty reduction...?

Guardian: Defence chiefs want a share of overseas aid budget to cover humanitarian work undertaken by the military

"The Ministry of Defence has stepped up its campaign to draw upon millions of pounds from Britain's aid budget by suggesting the Department for International Development (DfID) pays for flights on military aircraft, some navy patrols and body armour.

There was even a move to ask DfID to contribute to the cost of the Royal Navy's new aircraft carriers on the grounds they will be used for peacekeeping operations and for disaster relief – but that suggestion has now been dropped."


Read more: Ministry of Defence campaigns for overseas aid to pay for military patrols

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