Cambridge SP Adopters' Group next meeting will be at 12 noon, Emmanuel URC Church, in the Fair Shares café on 10 August. Come along for a chat about how the campaign is going or to find out more about SP. If you prefer an evening meeting, let me know and perhaps we can schedule on. The latest news from Cambridge and around is given below.
SP is a package of measures being developed by Adopters around the world to address global problems such as climate change, unfair trade and unsustainability. Adopters call on politicians to sign a pledge to implement SP alongside other governments. Simultaneous implementation removes the fear that taking action will make a country uncompetitive and lose it jobs and investment to other countries. SP is a parallel strategy to other campaigning and enables us to focus on the policies that are necessary to address global problems, not just those that will be tolerated by our leaders and the vested interests that use their power to promote their own agendas.
It is free to become an Adopter at
http://www.simpol.org.uk/
_____
FIRST SP HEAD OF GOVERNMENT!
Starting at the global level, we have achieved the important milestone of the first SP head of government with Nobel peace prize winner José Ramos Horta being appointed Prime Minister of East Timor. As you have probably seen in the news, East Timor faces many problems at present, but hopefully in the future the government will support SP as official policy. See the report in the Summer 2006 issue of It’s Simpol !
_____
SP NEWSLETTER
You can download the newsletter free by going to http://www.simpol.org.uk/campaign_newsletters.php
If you would like to receive printed copies for yourself or to pass on to others, just send an email saying how many copies with your address to
mikebrady@simpol.org.uk
_____
SIMPOL-NZ
In other news from the other side of the world Adopters in New Zealand are due to launch their National Simultaneous Policy Organisation, Simpol-NZ, shortly.
_____
SHILPA IN IT'S SIMPOL !
Closer to home, Cambridge SP Adopters’ Group (CAMSPAG) member Shilpa Shah has an article in the newsletter looking at corporate accountability and how this can be promoted at international level. Her article examines the existing voluntary, and ineffectual, system known as the United Nations Global Compact and discusses how the Simultaneous Policy package could include measures to reform or replace this system.
_____
POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Shilpa and I are both members of the Simpol-UK provisional Policy Committee, which means we help to process suggestions for policies coming in from Adopters. You can see the latest in the newsletter. It is very exciting to see Adopters around the world engaging with the policy development process. SP is all about putting the power to shape global policies into the hands of ‘we, the people’. You can comment on suggestions already submitted and put forward your own. You don’t have to be an expert yourself necessarily – if you have seen good suggestions from others then put them forward, with information on where the idea originally came from.
There will be a round of voting on policy suggestions so far to gauge Adopters’ priorities in a few weeks time. Adopters are also invited to attend a consultation – or send comments – that will take place on 14 October in London. The meeting will consider how the policy development process should keep pace with the growth of the campaign and examine questions such as how should experts be involved in policy development without compromising on keeping the process open, transparent and democratic?
The Policy Committee will be elected prior to the October meeting. If you would like to stand or propose someone else, please see the instructions in the newsletter.
_____
SUMMER CAMPAIGN
As you will see in the newsletter, Simpol-UK has appointed Barnaby Flynn for a summer campaign promoting SP. He is touring festivals and other events in a bio-diesel van with an SP stall. If you know of any events Barnaby could visit, please send an email to barnawasp@hotmail.com
_____
CAMPAIGN DATES
28-30 July WOMAD – If you are going to the World Organisation of Music and Dance Festival in Reading then look out for the SP stall being organised by Simpol-Reading in the One World tent. Barnaby and I will be there.
10 August CAMSPAG meeting (Thursday 12:00 noon) - Emmanuel URC Church, Trumpington Street: Come along for a drink and a chat about local campaigning or to chew over how the SP campaign is progressing. Great Fairtrade food is also available. If you would prefer an evening meeting, send an email to mikebrady@simpol.org.uk and this can be scheduled. Meetings are generally the first Thursday lunchtime of the month, though this is flexible if people have other commitments, so check first.
14 September (Thursday 12 noon): Trade justice gathering in London. The beat goes on. Organised by the Trade Justice Movement. See:
http://www.pressureworks.org/dosomething/events/2006/140906_beat.html ‘Making all trade Fair Trade’ was the theme of a past CAMSPAG policy forum – see the discussion document in the ‘policy zone’ of http://www.simpol.org.uk/ If you think SP should change the way global trade is regulated and would like to attend this event with SP placards and banners send an email to mikebrady@simpol.org.uk
14 October: Morning – consultation with Adopters on the SP policy development process. Afternoon – Simpol-UK Adopters Annual General Meeting. Both in London.
October 17th (Tuesday 8 pm) Cambridge Forum, CB2 Café, Mill Road. “Democracy - has it failed? Fewer and fewer people are voting. Don't we want to shape the policies that affect us? Or is our democratic system at fault? This meeting will be run as an Open Space for Dialogue and Enquiry - an alternative approach to decision making (see http://www.osdemethodology.org.uk/. We hope to have a facilitator from the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice, Nottingham University.”
The Cambridge Forum takes place on the third Tuesday of each month. This one on democracy arises from a joint seminar held by the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) and the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice at the European Social Forum in Athens in May. The meeting looks at democracy more broadly, following on from the lack of voter turnout in the local elections earlier this year and informed by dynamic participatory democracy practised in some parts of the world.
4 November (Saturday 1 – 3 pm): Stop climate chaos gathering in London. This is being organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition. See
http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/news_events_detail.asp?id=62 CAMSPAG held a policy forum on ‘Achieving sustainable energy use’ a little while ago. While SP is focused on the changes that are necessary to address climate change at the global level, you might also like to support this event which is calling for immediate action from the UK Government to cut carbon emissions. Again it will be an opportunity to raise awareness of SP as a parallel strategy, with placards and banners. Email mikebrady@simpol.org.uk if you are interested in joining an SP contingent.
_____
OUR LOCAL MPs
The newsletter includes an article from one of the Members of Parliament who has signed the pledge to implement SP – Andrew George, LibDem for St. Ives.
There are also MPs from Labour, Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties who have signed the pledge. Yet none in the Cambridge area (Anne Campbell who did sign the pledge was not re-elected last year). Please encourage your MP and provisional candidates to sign the pledge. When it comes to the next election we will publicise who has signed, when they signed and what they have done to support the campaign.
As Andrew George and others in the ‘Voice from Parliament’ section of the newsletter have explained there are good reasons for a politician to support SP aside from the chance of picking up votes from SP Adopters. SP provides a way to overcome obstacles to bringing in the policies we need to address global problems. Signing the pledge doesn’t require any change in existing policies – which are geared to the reality of competition between nations – but brings us a step closer to implementation and the transformation to constructive cooperation.
So as a parallel strategy to any other lobbying you may be doing, please remember to keep asking your MP and provisional candidates to sign the pledge. It can be downloaded from the ‘campaign zone’ of http://www.simpol.org.uk/ along with a suggested letter and other useful materials.
_____
HAVE YOU ADOPTED SP?
If you haven’t adopted SP yet you can do so at http://www.simpol.org.uk/
It costs nothing, adds your voice to those calling on our leaders to co-operate for the good of all on the planet and gives you the opportunity to submit your policy ideas and comment and vote on those of others.
Best wishes,
Mike Brady
Coordinator
Cambridge SP Adopters’ Group
http://www.simpol.org.uk/
07986 736179
It is free to become an Adopter at
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ _____
FIRST SP HEAD OF GOVERNMENT!
Starting at the global level, we have achieved the important milestone of the first SP head of government with Nobel peace prize winner José Ramos Horta being appointed Prime Minister of East Timor. As you have probably seen in the news, East Timor faces many problems at present, but hopefully in the future the government will support SP as official policy. See the report in the Summer 2006 issue of It’s Simpol !
_____
SP NEWSLETTER
You can download the newsletter free by going to
http://www.simpol.org.uk/campaign_newsletters.php If you would like to receive printed copies for yourself or to pass on to others, just send an email saying how many copies with your address to
mikebrady@simpol.org.uk _____
SIMPOL-NZ
In other news from the other side of the world Adopters in New Zealand are due to launch their National Simultaneous Policy Organisation, Simpol-NZ, shortly.
_____
SHILPA IN IT'S SIMPOL !
Closer to home, Cambridge SP Adopters’ Group (CAMSPAG) member Shilpa Shah has an article in the newsletter looking at corporate accountability and how this can be promoted at international level. Her article examines the existing voluntary, and ineffectual, system known as the United Nations Global Compact and discusses how the Simultaneous Policy package could include measures to reform or replace this system.
_____
POLICY DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Shilpa and I are both members of the Simpol-UK provisional Policy Committee, which means we help to process suggestions for policies coming in from Adopters. You can see the latest in the newsletter. It is very exciting to see Adopters around the world engaging with the policy development process. SP is all about putting the power to shape global policies into the hands of ‘we, the people’. You can comment on suggestions already submitted and put forward your own. You don’t have to be an expert yourself necessarily – if you have seen good suggestions from others then put them forward, with information on where the idea originally came from.
There will be a round of voting on policy suggestions so far to gauge Adopters’ priorities in a few weeks time. Adopters are also invited to attend a consultation – or send comments – that will take place on 14 October in London. The meeting will consider how the policy development process should keep pace with the growth of the campaign and examine questions such as how should experts be involved in policy development without compromising on keeping the process open, transparent and democratic?
The Policy Committee will be elected prior to the October meeting. If you would like to stand or propose someone else, please see the instructions in the newsletter.
_____
SUMMER CAMPAIGN
As you will see in the newsletter, Simpol-UK has appointed Barnaby Flynn for a summer campaign promoting SP. He is touring festivals and other events in a bio-diesel van with an SP stall. If you know of any events Barnaby could visit, please send an email to
barnawasp@hotmail.com _____
CAMPAIGN DATES
28-30 July WOMAD – If you are going to the World Organisation of Music and Dance Festival in Reading then look out for the SP stall being organised by Simpol-Reading in the One World tent. Barnaby and I will be there.
10 August CAMSPAG meeting (Thursday 12:00 noon) - Emmanuel URC Church, Trumpington Street: Come along for a drink and a chat about local campaigning or to chew over how the SP campaign is progressing. Great Fairtrade food is also available. If you would prefer an evening meeting, send an email to
mikebrady@simpol.org.uk and this can be scheduled. Meetings are generally the first Thursday lunchtime of the month, though this is flexible if people have other commitments, so check first. 14 September (Thursday 12 noon): Trade justice gathering in London. The beat goes on. Organised by the Trade Justice Movement. See:
http://www.pressureworks.org/dosomething/events/2006/140906_beat.html ‘Making all trade Fair Trade’ was the theme of a past CAMSPAG policy forum – see the discussion document in the ‘policy zone’ of http://www.simpol.org.uk/ If you think SP should change the way global trade is regulated and would like to attend this event with SP placards and banners send an email to mikebrady@simpol.org.uk 14 October: Morning – consultation with Adopters on the SP policy development process. Afternoon – Simpol-UK Adopters Annual General Meeting. Both in London.
October 17th (Tuesday 8 pm) Cambridge Forum, CB2 Café, Mill Road. “Democracy - has it failed? Fewer and fewer people are voting. Don't we want to shape the policies that affect us? Or is our democratic system at fault? This meeting will be run as an Open Space for Dialogue and Enquiry - an alternative approach to decision making (see
http://www.osdemethodology.org.uk/. We hope to have a facilitator from the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice, Nottingham University.” The Cambridge Forum takes place on the third Tuesday of each month. This one on democracy arises from a joint seminar held by the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) and the Centre for the Study of Social and Global Justice at the European Social Forum in Athens in May. The meeting looks at democracy more broadly, following on from the lack of voter turnout in the local elections earlier this year and informed by dynamic participatory democracy practised in some parts of the world.
4 November (Saturday 1 – 3 pm): Stop climate chaos gathering in London. This is being organised by the Stop Climate Chaos coalition. See
http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/news_events_detail.asp?id=62 CAMSPAG held a policy forum on ‘Achieving sustainable energy use’ a little while ago. While SP is focused on the changes that are necessary to address climate change at the global level, you might also like to support this event which is calling for immediate action from the UK Government to cut carbon emissions. Again it will be an opportunity to raise awareness of SP as a parallel strategy, with placards and banners. Email mikebrady@simpol.org.uk if you are interested in joining an SP contingent. _____
OUR LOCAL MPs
The newsletter includes an article from one of the Members of Parliament who has signed the pledge to implement SP – Andrew George, LibDem for St. Ives.
There are also MPs from Labour, Conservative and Plaid Cymru parties who have signed the pledge. Yet none in the Cambridge area (Anne Campbell who did sign the pledge was not re-elected last year). Please encourage your MP and provisional candidates to sign the pledge. When it comes to the next election we will publicise who has signed, when they signed and what they have done to support the campaign.
As Andrew George and others in the ‘Voice from Parliament’ section of the newsletter have explained there are good reasons for a politician to support SP aside from the chance of picking up votes from SP Adopters. SP provides a way to overcome obstacles to bringing in the policies we need to address global problems. Signing the pledge doesn’t require any change in existing policies – which are geared to the reality of competition between nations – but brings us a step closer to implementation and the transformation to constructive cooperation.
So as a parallel strategy to any other lobbying you may be doing, please remember to keep asking your MP and provisional candidates to sign the pledge. It can be downloaded from the ‘campaign zone’ of
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ along with a suggested letter and other useful materials. _____
HAVE YOU ADOPTED SP?
If you haven’t adopted SP yet you can do so at
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ It costs nothing, adds your voice to those calling on our leaders to co-operate for the good of all on the planet and gives you the opportunity to submit your policy ideas and comment and vote on those of others.
Best wishes,
Mike Brady
Coordinator
Cambridge SP Adopters’ Group
http://www.simpol.org.uk/ 07986 736179
e-mail:
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