A World Development Movement conference was held on Saturday 18th June 2005. It was titled: 'Whose Rules Rule? African Answers'

Speakers included Gyekye Tanoh (Senior Programme Officer of Third World Network Africa), Oludare Ogunlana (Secretary General of the All Africa Students' Union) and Mohau Pheko (Co-ordinator of Gender and Trade in Africa). The event was chaired by Jayne Forbes, chair of the World Development movement (WDM).

Other panelists and contributors included Peter Hardstaff, Esther Stanford, Cameron Duodu and there was music and poetry from Antonio De Zissou, Anvlino Bambi and Steve Yigma. The meeting took place in the Great Hall in the Main Building of Aston University between 1.45pm and 5.25pm. It was preceded by the WDM Annual General Meeting at 11am.

Seminar groups and workshops were also held on More and better aid, Drop the debt, Trade Justice, Historical and contemporary slavery and the representation of Africa in Western media.

The Socialist Worker Birmingham branch were also at the event promoting Marxism 2005 which is to take place, after the G8, between 7 and 11 July. A number of topics and subjects, including third world debt and trade, will be discussed during numerous workshops and meeting.