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

Shared from the Justice Matters Facebook Page

Live Below the Line

As I wrote last week, from this Monday, a number of us will be participating in Live Below the Line - a campaign intended to raise and awareness and funds for the 1.4 billion people around the world who live below the extreme poverty line. For five days we will be joining many others across the UK and beyond in spending no more than £1 a day on food and drink. As you can imagine, this is quite a feat, especially with food prices going up and up and a great way to talk to friends and colleagues about food poverty and social justice.

Doing our shop for Live Below the Line 2011

There are different ways to undertake the challenge: you can walk into a supermarket with a fiver and buy everything for your week with just that one note, or you can work out how much you're going to use of different items and calculate the cost of individual portions to reach your £5 limit. Both methods have their merits, so feel free to do either. If you choose, you can get people to sponsor you to undertake the challenge, and/or you could give the extra money you would usually have spent on your food shop to a charity like Tearfund, The Salvation Army International Development or Christian Aid who support international development.

To help with your LTBL menu planning, you might like to have a look at A Girl Called Jack website (thanks, Dawn) which has lots of budget meal suggestions. Victoria and I are going to  give her carrot, cumin and kidney bean burgers a go - let us know if you try any of the others!

Are you taking part? Let us know if you are - maybe share a photo of your shopping list or till receipt, or any budget menu ideas that others could try, and remember to tell your friends why you're lunch looks a bit different this week - you never know, they might be inspired to find out more about social justice and even come along to Justice Matters with you!

As well as all that, we will having our usual first Wednesday in the month gathering this Weds (1 May), when we will be chatting more about the practicalities of getting involved with seeking social justice. We will be at the Bohemia from 8pm - you can decide whether to take an evening off LBTL and buy a drink or just stick tap water...

GB joins the G0.7

"We also deliver in this coming year on this nation’s long-standing commitment to the world’s poorest to spend 0.7 per cent of our national income on international development.

We should all take pride, as I do, in this historic achievement for our country."

Read the full text of the Chancellor's 2013 budget speech: http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/

Shared from the Justice Matters Facebook Page

Move Your Money

Last year we looked at the idea of ethical consumerism and choosing to spend our money with greater care. 

Where you keep or invest your money is also an important ethical decision. Move Your Money is a resource to help people make informed, ethical banking decisions. We're planning to have Joel from MYM come along to Justice Matters some time this year, but if you can't wait, you can hear him speak at this event hosted by the London Green Party on 4th Feb. 

If you go along, let us know what you learn! 

Bank on something better

Just found this great website which empowers customers to move their money based on info about the ethics of major banks - check it out!

"Move Your Money UK is a national campaign to spread the message that we can help to build a better banking system. We aim to provide people with the information and confidence they need to make decisions on the types of financial institutions they want to support."

http://www.moveyourmoney.org.uk/

Shared from the Justice Matters Facebook Page