If a successful campaign needs a story, then since 2009 the global climate movement has been in deep trouble.

We certainly started off with a great story. I love to tell it to people all the time. Gather round kids, I say to fresh-faced activists and strangers in pubs, listen up – here’s how we changed the world. In the early noughties the UK and Scottish Governments were somewhat interested in climate change, but they were pretty convinced that we didn’t need new legislation to tackle it. “Leave it to me”, said Tony Blair, “the climate is safe as long as we’re in charge”. We didn’t agree, and after a monumental protest, lobby, and direct action campaign the Climate Change Change Act and Climate Change (Scotland) Act were passed with cross-party support in both legislatures. Onwards and upwards. Gordon Brown then created a cabinet level position for Climate Change, a move which remains somewhat unique internationally. With our climate bills in hand, the then minister for Energy & Climate Change Ed Milliband, went to the UN Climate Change Summit at Copenhagen. We’d set the course for the UK, and now we were going to lead the world! (more…)

Technocracy; n. derived from the Greek words kratia (meaning ‘rule of’) and techno (meaning ‘bad European dance music’)

Europeans have always had an inexplicable affinity with techno. In the 1980s and 90s they had the UFO Club, the Love Parade, Paul van Dyk. Nowadays they’ve got Mario Monti and Lucas Papademos - their love of minimalist electronic beats matched only by their love of minimalist fiscal policy.

The first wave of European techno was a product of its time – advances in electronic instrumentation in the 1980s made musical experimentation possible, and this new direction (I presume) sounded modern and fresh. However I think there’s now broad agreement, amongst all but the heaviest of drug users, that it was rubbish.

The neo-con economic policies of austerity and liberalization were the product of a similar time, coming to prominence in the 1980s as a response to the economic crises of the 1970s. As with European dance music of that era, history has shown that these policies were, for the most part, a very bad idea. (see Argentina).

Yet these are the very same ‘economic solutions’ being offered up by the new-wave European techno-crats. If Einstein’s definition of insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results, then the only conclusion to be drawn is that Mario Monti et al are insane. Or that they are the heaviest of heavy drug users.

As Paul Krugman said, possibly more coherently:

…the trouble with the alleged technocrats we’re supposed to rely on isn’t just that they’re uninspiring — it is that they have been wrong about everything, again and again…in Europe, the “technocrats” have consistently ignored their own economic models …calling for fiscal austerity and higher interest rates when their own analyses say that unemployment will be high and inflation subdued.

What I think Krugman is trying to say is that European leaders are in a ‘trance’ like state, refusing to accept that their policies just aren’t working. (Krugman would probably also add, with some justification, that attempting to crowbar trance music into the ‘techno’ analogy is probably stretching it a bit too far.)

Possibly more worrying than the economic repercussions of this new wave techno is the repercussions for democracy. Whatever your views on Papandreou and Berlusconi, they were at least democratically elected. In Papandreou’s case, his ultimate downfall was triggered by having the temerity to suggest that, in the birth place of democracy of all places, the people should have the final say over a decision which would dramatically affect their lives.

To borrow from Krugman again, “we need the right ideas, not the right sort of people”. At the same time as Monti and Papademos were being installed as Prime Ministers of their respective countries, Mario Draghi became the new President of the European Central Bank. All three have previously worked within the European machinery as well as leading financial institutions, namely Goldman Sachs. Given their backgrounds, it’s perhaps not surprising that there’s no new ideas or changes in policy direction coming from these “technocrats”. It’s pretty hard to view their ascent to power as anything other than a financial coup d’état.

If only Europe could heed the words of noted social commentator Marshall Mathers III – “Let go, it’s over. Nobody listens to techno”.

“The Life of a Student Activist”

The first year of university went very slowly for me. Despite making some great friends and settling in to my course, I was never sure whether I should really be there. Second year, however, was a turning point where my social and political views came together and I started to feel a need to make a difference in the world.

Autumn 2010

Over the summer, after spending time as part of my local Fairtrade group and discussing political issues with friends, I realised that to be happy I needed to make the most of my university experience. I needed to get involved in a charity or organisation with people who shared my interests. After seeing a People & Planet society stall at the Freshers Fayre, and realising how dedicated the network was to defending human rights, ending world poverty and protecting the planet, I got involved immediately. At the first meeting I felt really enthusiastic about ethical and environmental issues and was so delighted to realise that I was surrounded by others who shared my passion. I also became more involved in the Green Party and met activists who had campaigned for more to be done around climate change, and felt keen to make an impact myself. At the start of the term I went to a talk from a speaker for the Global Poverty Project and it really inspired me to try and help others. The words I heard and the images I saw that evening triggered something in me and life started to change.

My first encounter with my activism having an effect on people directly was at a Barclays Graduate training scheme talk. Along with some friends I interrogated the Barclays ambassadors on their ethical and environmental policies – or lack of – which resulted in a lot of resentment from the workers, and some very interesting discussions with other students.

As news spread of Nick Clegg’s betrayal of his policies, the student movement began and I was eager to join the campaigning against the rise in tuition fees. The student demo in London inspired me to stand up for what I believed. The anger at the MPs who had gone back on their word was prominent that day and there was a worry that Thatcher Tory days were returning. Despite the small amount of violence that day, there was a sense of unity amongst the campaigners and I felt like a student from the 70s – determined to start a movement and give a voice to the unheard. My family were reluctant about my involvement in such controversial issues, and in some respects my Dad has continued to disapprove of my outspoken, direct action ever since, but my Mum was proud that I was standing up for what I believed in. My lecturer was also very supportive and allowed me to miss a lecture to take part, meaning I felt even more empowered to stand up for future students. The beginning of the student movement was quite special. Many students felt passionate about the cause, there was hope that we could win this and prevent tuition fees rising. As the months drew on, the public’s spirit seemed to dwell and societies’ reaction to who I had become as a person was changing.

Winter 2010

The initial passion of protest had worn off for the majority of those at the original tuition fees demo as snow appeared on the doorstep of Cardiff students, but there were still some dedicated souls ready to keep me fighting for a cause I believed in. As part of “Action Against the Cuts Cardiff” I took part in the occupation of a lecture theatre and organised demonstrations throughout the city centre which gained lots of Welsh coverage and achieved great things. However, the London protest on the day of the national vote, was different. The violence I saw that day from police and students frightened me, but I was defiant that we were campaigning for a serious and important cause and that my activism would not stop. My involvement in such edgy issues and contact with the police after being traditionally a well behaved, suburban A grade student came as a shock to some friends back home as my fiery nature shone through.

UKUncut action in Cardiff

The student protests built momentum for the rest of society to stand up against the cuts and movements like UK Uncut began. Occupying stores like Vodafone and Topshop was becoming a more prominent part of my day to day life as the tax avoiders were targeted. I knew that when I came back after Christmas, I could not go back to my old self and that I had developed a passion for activism, for devoting myself to worthwhile causes.

Spring 2011

The beginning of the Arab Revolution last spring gave hope to so many individuals across the world. I can remember my Dad saying “When did protest ever achieve anything?” just before Egypt‘s old president Mubarak stood down. It was a turning point in how my father saw my actions and to students and academics across the globe. Being involved in the larger community in Cardiff by now, I felt keen to stand up against the cuts affecting all individuals, and protested against pension cuts and the NHS. In times of need, it was comforting to see society come together and shout for each other’s livelihoods.

Striving for equality is also a continuing theme in my Sociology degree and has meant that my feminist belief has grown significantly since first year. After reading about “Slutwalk”, I took part in a Cardiff demonstration which was empowering but at the same time controversial for the wrong reasons. It made me feel that as a fiery young woman, life was still very different to how it is for a man. Women are treated differently even in issues of activism where we are campaigning for equality. At the student protests, the police were definitely more lenient to frightened young women than to the frightened men. This has only fuelled my desire to fight for equality even more.

In 2011 my participation with the Green Party increased significantly as I volunteered to undertake a media internship. As I learnt more about how we need to change our reliance on fossil fuels and take more drastic action to prevent runaway climate change, my every day life was altered a little. Already being vegetarian, I strived to do more simple things to look after my planet, such as recycling and cycling instead of driving. However, the way I perceive TV shows, individuals and the actions of companies changed significantly as I realised how little others think about their impact on society and our future planet. Being so concerned changes the way I see others, which made me question whether people have changed the way they see me? But my political involvement has become an active part of my lifestyle and I hope it continues that way for the rest of my life.

Year Three

This year I hope to become part of the Student Council and fight for our university to become more ethical and environmentally friendly. I will be campaigning against the Tar Sands in Alberta, attending a demo in London to ban public sector clothes being made in sweatshops and perhaps occupying an oil or gas head-quarters to try and stop the UK’s dependency on unsustainable fuels. I will also be supporting Oxfam and the Global Poverty Project on issues such as Fairtrade and food shortages. This of course will be done alongside campaigning against the cuts to our society.

Being an activist means leading a busy lifestyle and campaigning becomes a priority, but not behind trying to have fun with friends, family and my boyfriend. I have learnt not to preach my views but just to let people know that I will live my life focused on trying to make a small difference to the lives of some individuals somewhere in the world. Life seems very merry when you know you are being the best you can be while living life to the full as a university student in one of the best cities for fun and education in the UK.

Why I’m supporting November 30^th strikers

I don’t have a pension. I don’t work in a sector where I’m likely to get one any time soon. And I wholeheartedly support everybody planning to take strike action on November 30^th.

People in the public sector are being attacked on so many fronts. Over the last year, thousands of workers, mostly women, have lots their jobs or had their hours dramatically cut. The young have been hit hard – cut out of college education by the scrapping of EMA, outpriced from university education and now unemployed in the millions.

Those who are in jobs have seen the greatest insult – government pension plans will force everyone in the public sector to work longer, pay more and receive less. Can it possibly be right that a PE teacher will still be out teaching rugby at the age of 66? In net terms, public sector workers will lose the equivalent of a day’s wages every month. Nothing about this is fair.

Tory politicians have said that taxpayers don’t want our money spent on public sector pensions. Well, I do. In fact, I only want my taxes spent on fair pensions, job creation, free education and decent healthcare. Instead, the government is haemorrhaging cash on illegal wars and dirty deals.

For these reasons, I fully support anybody who chooses to go on strike in November.

Below is a letter signed by 40 key sabbatical officers from across the country protesting against People & Planet activist Edd Bauer’s arrest and suspension from his role as VP for Education at Birmingham Guild of Students.

Edd Bauer has been unilaterally suspended from his post by staff members at his students’ union.

For more information, see this article on Counterfire.

Edd Bauer, vice-president for education at The University of Birmingham Guild of Students, was arrested on 16th September after unfurling a banner that protested against university fees and education cuts, at the start of the Liberal Democrat party conference.

Edd Bauer was held in Aston Police station over the weekend and from Monday the 19th of September until Monday the 26th of September in Winson Green Prison. The arrest and detention for a minor act of civil disobedience was widely criticized as repressive crimalisation of peaceful protest, especially as Edd Bauer pleaded “not guilty”.

Bauer received solidarity from many quarters including local Liberal Democrat MP John Hemming who spoke in support of his bail application in court. John Hemming said: “Whilst I do not believe he should have put the banner there in the first place, the protest was peaceful and placid and I think it is dis-proportionate to keep him in prison any longer.”

The Birmingham University and College Union passed a motion in support of Edward Bauer. The National Union of Students intervened to help push for his release from jail. A letter signed by a number of high profile figures was published in the Guardian on Sunday 25th September, opposing the criminalisation of his peaceful protest.

Despite the wide ranging public support, the ongoing trial and his pledge of not guilty, the University of Birmingham Guild of Students - without any consultation with the Guild’s democratic bodies- has suspended Edward Bauer from his role as Vice President Education “indefinitely” and with “immediate effect”.

We call on the Guild of Students’ mangers to respect democracy in the students’ union and allow Edd Bauer to continue in work until the matter has been investigated and discussed at either a union general meeting or a student union council with all the information at hand. We do not consider any disciplinary valid unless it is done democratically by students at either a UGM or Student Union Council.

Signed:

Manoj Kerai, Welfare and Diversity Officer Goldsmiths Students’ Union

Vice President Education and Welfare York St John Students’ Union

Stanley Ellerby-English Activities and Development Officer, LSE Students’ Union

Ben Jackson, Education Officer, Leeds University Union

Alex Peters-Day, General Secretary, LSE Students’ Union

James Haywood, President, Goldsmiths Students’ Union

Bob Sutton, Liverpool Guild of Students

Maev McDaid, Liverpool Guild of Students

Ruth Brewer, Liverpool Guild of Students

Zahid Raja, NUS Wales NEC

Andrew Tindall, Aberystwyth Students Against Cuts

Clare Solomon, Counterfire

Mike Williamson, Edinburgh University Students’ Association

Vicki Baars, NUS LGBT Officer (Women’s Place)

Kanja I Sesay, NUS Black Students Officer

Matt Bond, NUS Disabled Students NEC

Sean Rillo Razcka, Vice President, University of London Union

Kelley Temple, NUS Scotland Women’s Officer

Mark Bergfeld, National Union of Students NEC

Arianna Tassinari, Co-President Welfare and Education, SOAS SU

Jade Baker, NUS Women’s Committee

Emma Kerry, NUS LGBT Committee

Alusine Alpha, Union Secretary Treasurer, University of Bradford Student Union

Izzy John, Welfare Officer, Warwick SU

Leo Boe, President, Warwick SU

Chris Luck, Democracy Officer, Warwick SU

Matthew Rogers, Societies Officer, Warwick SU

Sean Ruston, Education Officer, Warwick SU

Hannah Dee, Defend the Right to Protest

Joshi Sachdeo, Vice-Chair Birkbeck SU Executive Committee

Kai Weston, NUS LGBT Committee

James McAsh. NCAFC, Edinburgh

Michael Chessum, NUS NEC and NCAFC

Daniel Lemberger Cooper, President Royal Holloway Students’ Union

Fionnuala McGoldrick, NUS LGBT Committee

Sarah Kerton, Postgraduate and Mature Students’ Officer, UMSU

Sam O’Connor, University of Manchester Students’ Union

Joe Kelly NUS LGBT Committee

Liam McNulty, Cambridge Defend Education

Morgan Wild, Cambridge University Students Union (CUSU) Education Officer

Ruth Graham, CUSU Women’s Officer

Taz Rasul, CUSU Access and Funding Officer

Hannah Paterson, Welfare Officer, UMSU

Oeiisha Williams, Education Officer, Birmingham City University Students’ Union

Sign the petition calling for a democratic vote.
E-mail Birmingham Guild of Students to tell them your thoughts: president@guild.bham.ac.uk

The Egyptian Twitter Revolution?

Much has been written about social media’s role in the Arab spring. Few but the most hardline technodeterminists genuinely believe the existence of Twitter, Facebook and the like are solely responsible for the mass uprisings.

However,  a view persists that these tools played a fundamental role. Several news sources, the BBC and Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) among them, proclaimed social media’s impact in Tunisia’s so-called Jasmine revolution.

Let’s look at a couple of facts:

- Twitter activity abou the Jasmine uprising peaked on 15th January 2011 - the day after Ben Ali was deposed and a full three weeks after the protests began. The peak broadly correlates with Western Media’s interest in the Tunisian uprising. Stats here.

- The Sidibouzid hashtag that CPJ flags up as being critical in the revolution was only created on 27th December 2010, ten days after Mohammed Bouazizi set fire to himself and the day the protests reached the capital, Tunis.

Both these facts suggest there was no Twitter revolution in Tunisia. It was utilised primarily as a broadcast medium for westerners to follow events.

But what about Facebook?

This is rather more difficult to assess as Facebook does not make its data public. Tangential evidence suggests Facebook did play a significant part.

In 2008 there was another uprising in Tunisia in the mining town of Gafsa. Causes were similar - lack of employment and frustration at the corrupt regime. With an election pending Ben Ali took no chances, shutting down Facebook and sending in his forces. And the strategy worked. Ben Ali crushed the uprising and went on to win the election.

So what was the key difference?

In 2008 there were 28,000 Facebook users in Tunisia; in 2010 the were 2 million. By shutting down Facebook in 2010 Ben Ali risked politicising a fifth of his population, many of whom may have been apolitical to that point. However, by allowing users to post emotive videos, share links and formulate strategy online he allowed what he sought to avoid; apolitical citizens being politicised.

The sheer volume of Facebook users put Ben Ali in an impossible position. And this may indeed be social media’s strength - its latent potentiality. The vast majority of content being passed around on social media is in no way political but the dense interconnectivity of social media facilitates means messages can and do spread quickly if the offline environment creates the appetite for protest.

David Cameron’s call to ban social media during riots fell into the same trap. Such a move would irritate people who previously had no reason to protest, likely swelling the numbers involved in any uprising. In this sense, social media’s stength may well be in its numbers.

For Open Democracy

Watch the video

It is commonly accepted that a basic tenet of democratic society is the ability of its citizens hold those in power to account. Many people’s first engagement with doing so will be the simple act of collecting petitions in the street.

Yet this basic form of democratic engagement is gradually being made illegal. As shopping streets are increasingly owned by private companies, landowners are using the laws of trespass to ban any activity on their property that does not make them a profit.

For example, from 2006 - 2008, People & Planet ran a campaign asking Topshop to guarantee that no forced child labour is used in the production of their garments, following a spate of reports showing that clothes made from cotton picked by child labour in Uzbekistan was being sold in the UK.

Reasonably enough, small groups of students gathered outside Topshops to politely gather petitions from customers. When shops were situated on the high street, this passed without incident. When shops were part of shopping centre complexes, students were forced out, sometimes physically, by private security.

Therefore, the recently released video (above) of a group of campaigners being ejected from Birmingham Bullring shopping centre after just 38 seconds of attempting to collect petitions was unsurprising, but no less shocking. So too the stories circulating the internet of the library assistants outside their workplace being moved on by Westfield heavies, the Jubilee Debt Campaign activists requested to move a street stall 40 centimetres forward and countless others.

However now there is something that can be done about it. The government has announced a Freedom (Great Repeal) Bill in their legislative programme, which, amongst other things, promises to restore the right to campaign.

People & Planet is supporting a petition, hosted by 38degrees.org.uk for the inclusion in the Freedom Bill of a legal right to protest in areas which are freely open to the public but which are privately owned, such as the walkways of shopping centres.

Please do sign the petition and join the campaign for the right to campaign

OUR BASIC HUMAN RIGHT IS FREEDOM, freedom of expression and choice without discrimination. We punish and invade impoverish and Middle Eastern countries who do not obey these rights, yet in a growing number of European world powers have forgotten such rights.  French Muslim women are now forbidden to wear the Burqa with anti-Burqa campaigns reaching Belgium, Italy and Spain. Even here there is talk of such right being abolished for some Muslim women. You would be wrong to think such view in recent days was from the BNP leader Nick Griffen. In fact it came from our coalition government by Conservative MP Phillip Hollobone who expressed support for similar measures in this country.

After all, we have been through has a society, war have after war trying to win equality for those oppressed have we just merely given up to the pressure of standing up to what is right or wrong. Some would state that this due to globalisation that has caused an east and west divide. This has lead to us becoming “Islamophobic” like in societies before when we were all anti-black and anti-Jewish? This is something I highly doubt.  Or maybe it could be considered that due to globalisation there is a crisis of national identity. What does seem likely considering in Britain if you are patriotic you’re stereotyped to be skinhead and a member of the BNP party?

Others clearly state that it is just a human mechanism to target a small minority in society when things go wrong like Hitler did with the Jews. As in France there are only 2,000 women who actually wear the Burqa.  One can suggest that this is highly plausible because Islam is an easy card play like the Jewish faith was in the 1930s.  This can be further emphasised by the black mugging in Britain during the 1970’s and 1980’s because of a recession there was inner city unrest and strikes, the mugging problem was amplified by the government even though it was only small scale. This distracted the British public of wider social issues as many called for tougher immigration security. This may sound familiar and credible as many argue that this is exactly what is happening in France currently.   They have already seen inner city unrest and large scale riots and with the French government preparing further harsh pension cuts, it can be seen as winning political strategy to bring about anti-Burqa laws. Also it is curious to note that the Burqa ban in Belgium is the only thing the Belgium government can decided on since it has been unable to form a government or even deal with the financial crisis.

In France like many other European countries Muslim women are the poorest in society with many deluding themselves to believe this is the result of the Burqa, However, many women who wear the Burqa wear it by choice and feel liberated. In Egypt there is an increasing number of female intellectuals’ who are choosing to wear the Burqa.  Personally, I have not tried it but should the French government be helping these women instead of taking away their freedom of choice away.

There is always going to be mixed feeling towards the Burqa but as a diverse society should we be more excepting or should there be a limit on choice and freedom.

In today’s society we have merely become a generation that believes that females should stay young forever with consent bombardment by both broadcasting and print media for anti-ageing creams, lotions and tips. Some-one whom hasn’t conformed to such obsession is Julie Andrews.

Julie Andrews is well known for her lead roles as Maria in the Sound of Music and Mary Poppins. Julie Andrews has certainly climbed every mountain; an on screen legend and a key inspiration for me and many others whom have been fans for decades. Like many other stars of the era she has merely become a larger and life representation of an array of different contemporary clinches. For some she is a symbol of old fashioned goody-goody showbiz, for others she represents a lost generation of virtue and kindness, then again for quite a few she is a much-loved gay icon. For me she is a glamorous, glorious and graceful lady whom made me love musicals.

She has now become a representation of something altogether less glamorous and glorious with the media tarnish her long anticipated comeback; an evening with Julie Andrews. The Sunday Telegraph called it a “theatrically tragic spectacle”. The Guardian found it “creaky” and “cheesy”, dismissing the second half as “dismayingly indulgent”. Meanwhile, London’s Evening Standard conceded the veteran diva’s “hunger to perform was certainly admirable, but the musical rations were nowhere near satisfying”. The Daily Mirror quipped “How do you solve a problem like getting your money back after a Julie Andrews concert?”

In all fairness, what else could they expect? Julie Andrews never concealed her on going voice problems that was damaged by an operation 13 years to remove a polyp from her vocal cords and was carefully entitled as an ‘An Evening with Julie Andrews’ and that’s what they got.

One can suggest that this is merely the society we live in today a world of fantasy. Ageing women in the media spot light are expected to stay young forever with perfect hair shiny, smooth skins and trim figures such as Terri Hatcher. Whereas male mature stars like Bob Dylan, Bruce Forsyth and Meatloaf are allowed to forget words, wheeze, moan and mime through performances but women stars like Julie Andrews are expected to remain clear-voiced as they were 50 years ago.

The years of the real old glamorous showbiz were we would applaud real; ageing women and talented actress with the likes of Julie Andrews, Audrey Hepburn, and Kate Winslet have been destroyed. We are now a spectacular society that likes to see fake naked girls win Oscars.

Our friends in the US from United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) have begun a new campaign demanding the infamous worker right abuser Nike ‘Just Pay It’. Nike currently owe 1,800 workers $2.2 million in severance payments and without jobs these workers are in need of food and money. Associated Press also report that owners of the factory pocketed payments to the Honduras’s national health care system, costing workers their health insurance.

However the student fightback in the US has already had a small but significant success with the Worker Rights Consortium affiliated University of Wisconsin ending contracts with Nike in solidarity with workers. This makes the university the first in history to stand up to Nike and make a clear demand that human rights are respected, an action which USAS hope will echo throughout the sector and encourage other universities to cut.

This small victory highlights the importance of the Worker Rights Consortium and the power a affiliated university can have in protecting human rights within its supply chain. Find out more about the Worker Rights Consortium and how you can get your university to affiliate.

The Worker Rights Consortium have also recently created a UK specific Q&A document to help answer any questions