LSE Students have voted for Trade Justice, as Peter Mandelson’s
visit to the School looks set to be marred by protests.
visit to the School looks set to be marred by protests.
M E D I A R E L E A S E
Date: Thursday 3rd February 2005, For Immediate Release
Contact: LSE Students’ Union Environment & Ethics Officer – Joel Kenrick: 07901692296
LSE SU People and Planet Trade Justice Coordinator – Hanne Thornam
h.c.thornam@lse.ac.uk
Photo Call: Friday 4th Feb 16:30, outside the Old Building, London School of Economics,
Houghton Street, Aldwch, London. CREWS WELCOME
London School of Economic Students’ Union
vote to Make Poverty History
LSE Students have voted for Trade Justice, as Peter Mandelson’s
visit to the School looks set to be marred by protests.
Just hours after Nelson Mandela addressed Trafalgar Square to endorse the Make Poverty History campaign, students at the London School of Economics have joined over 200 organisations in supporting the campaign.
A vote of around 200 students at the weekly Union General Meeting saw a large majority in favour of a motion in support of Make Poverty History and resolving to inform students of the campaign. The motion follows similar motions at universities across the country, including Kings College and the National Union of Students.
Meanwhile tomorrow LSE students will be raising the pressure on the EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson as he visits the School. He will be greeted by trade justice protesters and students with a giant Mandelson puppet when he speaks on ‘Trade, Development and the EU’ on Friday 4th February on the same day as G7 Finance Ministers meet in London.
Students have organised an alternative talk at 4pm in the New Theatre on ‘What Mandelson won’t tell you – the truth about EU Trade Policy’ with leading critics including Mark Curtis, Director of the World Development Movement and John Hilary, Director of Campaigns and Policy at War on Want. Then students will join campaigners from People and Planet, Friends of the Earth, War on Want and WDM in a colourful theatrical protest outside the LSE Old Building at 4.30 pm. Dressed as businessman ‘pulling the strings’ of a giant puppet of Mandelson they will show what they believe to be the real driving force behind EU Trade Policy.
Hanne Thornam, LSE People and Planet trade justice co-ordinator, who proposed of the motion said:
“With Gordon Brown saying they support the campaign in principle what is needed is people around the country to ensure they act on their words, and I hope that by showing our support we can add to this pressure.”
Joel Kenrick, LSE Students Union Environment & Ethics Officer said:
“The support of LSE Students’ Union for the Make Poverty History campaign shows the growing momentum for the campaign. The EU has been adopting an offensive trade agenda at the WTO, promoting EU corporate interests at the expense of developing countries. The G7 and EU must start to act on real trade justice, abolishing the CAP and EPAs, if we are to really end world poverty.”
ENDS
- The text of the motion is:
Union Notes:
1) That in 2005 Britain will host the G8, hold the EU Presidency, the Commission for Africa will report and the UN General Assembly Special Summit on the Millennium Development Goals will take place.
2) In 2001 the G8 governments pledged to halve world poverty by 2015.
3) The launch of the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign (www.makepovertyhistory.org) in order to see this pledge acted upon, calling for ‘Trade Justice, Drop the Debt, More and Better Aid’.
4) That the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign is supported by over 100 charities, trade unions and faith groups including, Comic Relief, Help the Aged, Oxfam, TUC, NUS, Christian Aid, Save the Children, the Church of England, Muslim Aid, the Stop Aids Campaign and UNICEF UK as well as a number of prominent public figures.
5) That on Thursday 3rd February Nelson Mandela is speaking at Travalger Square to endorse the campaign.
Union Believes:
1) That LSE’s international make-up means that many students here are from countries which could benefit from the success of such a campaign.
2) That LSESU should support the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign.
Union Resolves:
1) To inform students of the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign website where students can download campaign materials, send an e-mail to the Prime Minister and get involved with the campaign in other ways.
2) To mandate the General Secretary to contact the campaign expressing our support.
3) To mandate the Comms Officer to press release this motion.
4) To mandate the General Secretary to look into the possibilities of selling white armbands supporting the campaign on campus.
Date: Thursday 3rd February 2005, For Immediate Release
Contact: LSE Students’ Union Environment & Ethics Officer – Joel Kenrick: 07901692296
LSE SU People and Planet Trade Justice Coordinator – Hanne Thornam
h.c.thornam@lse.ac.uk Photo Call: Friday 4th Feb 16:30, outside the Old Building, London School of Economics,
Houghton Street, Aldwch, London. CREWS WELCOME
London School of Economic Students’ Union
vote to Make Poverty History
LSE Students have voted for Trade Justice, as Peter Mandelson’s
visit to the School looks set to be marred by protests.
Just hours after Nelson Mandela addressed Trafalgar Square to endorse the Make Poverty History campaign, students at the London School of Economics have joined over 200 organisations in supporting the campaign.
A vote of around 200 students at the weekly Union General Meeting saw a large majority in favour of a motion in support of Make Poverty History and resolving to inform students of the campaign. The motion follows similar motions at universities across the country, including Kings College and the National Union of Students.
Meanwhile tomorrow LSE students will be raising the pressure on the EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson as he visits the School. He will be greeted by trade justice protesters and students with a giant Mandelson puppet when he speaks on ‘Trade, Development and the EU’ on Friday 4th February on the same day as G7 Finance Ministers meet in London.
Students have organised an alternative talk at 4pm in the New Theatre on ‘What Mandelson won’t tell you – the truth about EU Trade Policy’ with leading critics including Mark Curtis, Director of the World Development Movement and John Hilary, Director of Campaigns and Policy at War on Want. Then students will join campaigners from People and Planet, Friends of the Earth, War on Want and WDM in a colourful theatrical protest outside the LSE Old Building at 4.30 pm. Dressed as businessman ‘pulling the strings’ of a giant puppet of Mandelson they will show what they believe to be the real driving force behind EU Trade Policy.
Hanne Thornam, LSE People and Planet trade justice co-ordinator, who proposed of the motion said:
“With Gordon Brown saying they support the campaign in principle what is needed is people around the country to ensure they act on their words, and I hope that by showing our support we can add to this pressure.”
Joel Kenrick, LSE Students Union Environment & Ethics Officer said:
“The support of LSE Students’ Union for the Make Poverty History campaign shows the growing momentum for the campaign. The EU has been adopting an offensive trade agenda at the WTO, promoting EU corporate interests at the expense of developing countries. The G7 and EU must start to act on real trade justice, abolishing the CAP and EPAs, if we are to really end world poverty.”
ENDS
- The text of the motion is:
Union Notes:
1) That in 2005 Britain will host the G8, hold the EU Presidency, the Commission for Africa will report and the UN General Assembly Special Summit on the Millennium Development Goals will take place.
2) In 2001 the G8 governments pledged to halve world poverty by 2015.
3) The launch of the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign (www.makepovertyhistory.org) in order to see this pledge acted upon, calling for ‘Trade Justice, Drop the Debt, More and Better Aid’.
4) That the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign is supported by over 100 charities, trade unions and faith groups including, Comic Relief, Help the Aged, Oxfam, TUC, NUS, Christian Aid, Save the Children, the Church of England, Muslim Aid, the Stop Aids Campaign and UNICEF UK as well as a number of prominent public figures.
5) That on Thursday 3rd February Nelson Mandela is speaking at Travalger Square to endorse the campaign.
Union Believes:
1) That LSE’s international make-up means that many students here are from countries which could benefit from the success of such a campaign.
2) That LSESU should support the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign.
Union Resolves:
1) To inform students of the ‘Make Poverty History’ campaign website where students can download campaign materials, send an e-mail to the Prime Minister and get involved with the campaign in other ways.
2) To mandate the General Secretary to contact the campaign expressing our support.
3) To mandate the Comms Officer to press release this motion.
4) To mandate the General Secretary to look into the possibilities of selling white armbands supporting the campaign on campus.
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Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
Nice one guys!
03.02.2005 21:23
PS Be sure to spread the word that in addition to Make Poverty History, there's also G8 Alternatives and The Dissent! Network amongst other groups mobilising in large numbers to challenge the neo-liberal "Free Trade" agenda being imposed on the "developing world" (and the world in general).
Ozymandias
...
03.02.2005 23:25
Goodbut
scam
05.02.2005 15:27
It's like removing Saddam Hussein, it was the anglo American gangsters who put him there in the first place. Same with the debt.
Didn't Nelson Mandela work for MI6 ?
Eric McCay
e-mail:
sealed@ntlworld.com
How does cutting food production help stop famine you facists
10.07.2005 23:38
Stop falling for right wing extremist drivel the sort of dogmatists who allowed 4 million Inidans to starve to death in the Brittish empire because the free market said the poor should not get food, and the free market dogmatism said the free market will allways provide well it wonn't why on earth would any country in the world provide food for starving Africians other than subsidies.
Look at the potaoto famine and the indian famines, caused by the free market when they couldn't afford our food prices. how does the CAP cause famine how does making too much food cause famine.
The last time we had a free market in Britain in the days of the empire, 1940s India was exporting food while 4 million Indians starved. That is the cruelty of the free market. Why does selling food to a drought stricken country cause famine. Surely we need more food security not less especially with climate change issues.
Why is EU extremism has increased to such levels that anything the EU does is allowed to be insulted wihout criticsm back.
Why are we becoming so ignorant that we forget ths mistakes of the past the free makret in CAP will not help Africans or Europeans.
Oi forgot everything Britian does it right must remember to keep tkaing the Tony Blair is allways correct pill that all you lot take.
Where do you htink Bob Geldof's food aid comes from a "feckin factory" It comes from overproduction in thre west now where are they going to "feckin" get it when the EU starts importing the stuff itself.
R Smith