[OccupySheffield] WDM E-News Jan./Feb. 2013

[WDM sheffield]

 WDM IN SHEFFIELD E-NEWS – JAN. / FEB. 2013
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*
*Hi everyone, Happy New Year! *
*
And we, too, have made a New Year's resolution.  After several hectic but
productive recent years of campaigning on multiple issues at a time, during
which various pressures of life have been increasingly competing for our
energies, we have agreed to set ourselves saner targets.  So… w**e are
going to do fewer things better, in a more focused way, with even greater
enthusiasm!   *
*
*
*And with this in mind, this e-news will cover two months, with an enews
update if necessary.*
*
*
*If you would to be a bit more involved or reinvolved this year, whether
this is helping out on a stall once, sharing a few ideas or a bit more,
then let us know. *


*WDM*
*
*
*As most of you know, WDM (World Development Movement) is a campaigning
organisation for justice for the world's poor and people before profit, and
you can find out more about us on the website below. Hope to see you
somewhere soon.*
*
*
*Website:  www.wdm.org.uk/sheffield*
*Phone:  07800 666553 *
*
*

*WDM EVENTS*
*Wed. 20th Feb., film, *"Growing Change: a *journey inside Venezuela’s food
revolution",* 7–9pm, Quaker Meeting House, James' Street, Sheffield (just
along from the Anglican Cathedral, Church Street): For
 all those people who couldn't get to the showing in November, or only
found out afterwards from others how good it was, we now have a date for a
second showing.
A one-hour film followed by discussion, including the opportunity to ask
your own questions.
   Free.  All welcome.

The film takes us through a new food system as it's being constructed
almost from scratch.  We meet farmers who are gaining access to land for
the first time and working in co-operatives to break the country's reliance
on imports.   It's all part of a country-wide process towards 'food
sovereignty', driven both by communities and by the government, to improve
social justice and sustainability.

Highly commended by those who saw it the first time.   Food sovereignty is
an ongoing WDM campaign, alongside our campaign to stop bankers betting on
and distorting global food prices, and we are very interested in the ways
it may connect with the thriving local food-growing scene.

For more info on the film see
http://www.simoncunich.com.au/

*Mon. 25th Feb. to Sun. 10th Mar., Fairtrade Fortnight:  *we are looking
into the possibility of organising a one-day neighbourhood event in the
Pitsmoor area.  In particular, we are hoping to make links with at least
some of its many religious, ethnic and other communities, and with local
food growers and sellers.   We would also be interested to know about good
possible places to put on a Fairtrade display, or indoor market, or other
community event.

If you have any connections with any of these, and/or suggestions about the
best ways to put word out in the Pitsmoor area  –  local newsletters, group
meetings or events, etc.  –  we would be delighted to hear from you.   *Please
get in touch with Ruth on:  07800-666 553.*
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*
*
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*MEETINGS*

*Thurs. 7th Feb., **Campaigning meeting**, *7–9pm at Central United
Reformed Church.

*Mon. 11th Feb., **Pub Meeting* <http://wp.me/PPV0V-2Z>*, *8-10pm at the
Red Deer, Pitt Street (off Mappin Street, off West Street).   Our monthly
get-together to talk about campaign issues, share ideas and make plans
and welcome newcomers, along with a pint or a coffee.   Feel free to just
drop in for half an hour or an hour  –  whatever suits you.

*Thurs. 7th Mar., **Campaigning meeting**, *7–9pm at Central United
Reformed Church.

*Mon. 11th Mar., **Pub Meeting* <http://wp.me/PPV0V-2Z>*, *8-10pm at the
Red Deer, Pitt Street (off Mappin Street, off West Street).

*
*
*EVENTS ORGANISED BY OTHER GROUPS*

*Mon. 28th Jan., *Quaker Meeting House: * *
*
*
6.30–7.45pm, *Occupy Sheffield's monthly meeting.**  *For details, see:  *
https://occupysheffield.org*

7.45–9.00pm, *Positive Money **Sheffield**'s monthly meeting.   *For
details, see:   *http://positivemoneysheffield.pbworks.com/ *

*Wed. 6th Feb., **Sheffield Equality Group:* 7pm at Sheffield Quaker
Meeting House.  This month an informal presentation and discussion about
Universalism: will the removal of universal benefits damage how people
perceive social support, and make further cuts to social support more
likely?  Also on the agenda: Living Wage and the Fairness Commission.

The group is an autonomous group affiliated to the national Equality Trust
and meets on the first Wednesday of every month. All welcome.   Contact
details:  web: http://sheffieldequality.wordpress.com/ ,  tel: 07956
384142,  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=160354332203

*Sat. 2nd Mar., Open Forum on Debt:  *10am–3pm, Quaker Meeting House,
Sheffield, an *Occupy Sheffield* event, as part of a series (2–4 a year) on
Inequality in Sheffield - A Tale of Two Cities.  There will be three
themes, each with its own discussion group:  Inequality in Sheffield (over
arching theme), personal debt, and alternatives to banking / Positive
Money.

Further details in the flyer due out soon, and on the group's website:  *
https://occupysheffield.org*   For enquiries, email:
info at occupysheffield.org.uk

*
*

*ACTIONS    *

**

Food Speculation: targeting George Osborne:   if you haven't already done
so, please go to:
*http://www.wdm.org.uk/action/food-speculation-petition*, watch and pass on
the video, and sign the petition, to keep up the pressure on the UK
government (see "Campaign and events feedback" below).

*Aid – **Help us stop big business cashing in on aid:  *please go to: *
http://www.wdm.org.uk/action/mp-aid-inquiry* and send the customised
template letter  –  slightly different according to which MP it goes to  –
 to your own MP and help us stop big business cashing in on aid.
*Over the past decade, the UK government has increasingly put the interests
of big business at the heart of its aid policy.* The result is that the
power structures that keep people in poverty are now even stronger.  While
aid is vital (and the government must not go back on its commitments to fund
it) to be really effective it must be used to bring about social justice and
 equity for the poorest people.

Aid is not, and should never be, a business opportunity.  *An independent
parliamentary inquiry into this worrying trend is urgently needed* - should
the Kelvin coal power plant in South Africa really be benefiting from UK
aid funding, for example?   Please write to your MP now, if you haven't
already done so.

CAMPAIGN & EVENTS FEEDBACK
Food speculation campaign:  The aim is to get the European Union to agree
effective regulation to stop financial investors from continuing to gamble
on world food commodity prices and thereby helping to cause the wild spikes
and crashes we have seen in recent years  –  and which are so damaging to
lives and economies in food importing (the spikes) and exporting (the
crashes) developing countries.   Sheffield WDM have been playing our part
by lobbying Linda McAvan MEP and by writing to all the Yorkshire and Humber
MEPs.
The "position limits" we have been calling for are narrow limits on the
amount of financial speculation any given investment bank, etc., can engage
in, so that the bulk of food-price related trading is the normal,
comparatively steady buying and selling of actual food supplies rather than
just the 'paper' contracts.  "MiFID" is the relevant set of EU directives.
National WDM writes:   "The European parliament [has now] voted to include
mandatory position limits in MiFID which is an achievement as there was a
real fight to even get these included. There are some loopholes in the text
but the number of UK MEPs who supported the amendments to close these down
was really impressive and this was due to the lobbying efforts of WDM
groups.
"Just last month we heard that Barclays were considering withdrawing from
food speculation which is a significant step forward for the campaign and
shows the impact we are having".
>From Oliver and Ruth
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