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UK Social Struggles Newswire Archive

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WEF takes place at Dead Sea this weekend

19-05-2005 15:25

Poster advertising the WEF in Jordan.
THis is a 500 word piece with one photo about the scarcely publicised WEF meeting which is taking place in Jordan this weeekend.

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Freedom according to the Stock Market (Gunter Grass)

19-05-2005 13:50

"Our freely elected delegates are not free in their decisions.. Profit maximization is passed off as a basic value instead of the social obligation of property.. The freely elected members of parliament submit to the internal and global pressure of large capital. Democracy perishes.."

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Demonstrate against the Uzbek massacres - London, 12 noon, Saturday 21st May 20

19-05-2005 11:42

This demonstration has been called by a group of UK-based Uzbek dissidents, and is supported by Craig Murray, Britain's former Ambassador to Uzbekistan.
Please disseminate this message as widely as possible

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Malcolm X - gay black hero?

19-05-2005 11:14

On Malcolm X's 80 birthday, Peter Tatchell reveals the hidden gay past of the American black nationalist leader

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Indigenous People occupy their lands in Brazil

19-05-2005 11:14

Photos of Action
Hereby more photographs from the action of the indigenous peoples that
continues today with 500 Tupinikim and Guarani participating.
Aracruz will go to court, according to their comments in the media
yesterday.
More news later on.

Article on the forests of silence follows.

Forests of Silence—Terra de Resistancia

On Wednesday the 16th of February 2005 the Kyoto Protocol came into effect. As well as attempting to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the international agreement also aims to offset carbon pollution through sequestration methods known as clean development mechanisms.

One of the CDM’s included in the Kyoto Protocol are so called planted forests. All over the world, millions of hectares of living trees are being planted or planted. As well as providing rich industrialised countries with valuable resources such as paper pulp, these ‘planted forests' also theoretically absorb carbon from the atmosphere and are a major market mechanism for combating climate change.

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Demonstrate against the Uzbek massacres - Uzbek Embassy, London, 12 noon, Saturd

19-05-2005 08:33

*Support Uzbekistan's democratic opposition.

*Demand justice for the hundreds murdered by Karimov in Andizhan this week.

*Call for an end to Western support for this brutal regime.

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21st May Identity Cards Meeting

18-05-2005 21:01

Merseyside TUC invite interested trade unionists, & anyone else concerned about the proposed introduction of compulsory identity cards and a national identity register, to an open meeting to discuss the issue - from 11.a.m. on Saturday 21st May 2005 in the Casa 29 Hope Street, Liverpool.

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Stop the YMCA slave labour scheme now!

18-05-2005 20:20

Liverpool YMCA is going to be the first voluntary sector agency to collude with the Home Office in the immigration slavery scheme introduced by section 10 of the 2004 legislation.

No One Is Illegal has sent the following letter. We would ask other individuals and organisations to do the same in their name. Also there is a consultation meeting with the YMCA and the Home Office about this on 24th May - 12.40 - 2.40 at Millenium House in Liverpool.

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Galloway Rocks The House -- or more appropriately, the Senate

18-05-2005 19:58

MP Galloway at Senate Subcommittee Inquisition
The Senate Permanent Subcommittee On Investigations, that is, insisting on making an ass of itself in front of the whole planet by attempting to discredit dissident British MP George Galloway with documents in "evidence" long-proven to be faked.

Full article | 3 comments

Christian Aid Week

18-05-2005 18:38

In the UK, this week is Christian Aid Week (www.caweek.org). The annual event, which started in 1957, is the oldest door-to-door collection campaign in the UK.

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City of Culture becomes City of Slavery with the help of the YMCA

18-05-2005 15:52

The Home Office have now ratcheted up the ante by re-introducing slavery through the form of 'voluntary service for people who have failed the Asylum System and needing subsistence and accommodation' with the assistance of the National YMCA Organisation.

Liverpool YMCA is going to be the first voluntary sector agency to collude with the Home Office in the immigration slavery scheme introduced by section 10 of the 2004 legislation.

While Liverpool is parading on its City Of Culture, 2008 Status (more like Culture of Capital, Here & Now), it would be worthwhile stating historical fact - Liverpool was home to the Slave Trade - and now in 2005, Liverpool could and may well become home to the New City Of Slavery.

The YMCA and the Home Office have called for a 'Closed Door' Meeting to be held at Liverpool City Councils Millenium House on Tuesday 24 May 2005 from 12:40 - 14:40hrs.

The aim of this meeting from what I can gather, is to 'embrace community dialogue' - through restricting the meeting to just a few (highly-paid & self-anointed) NGOs (whose own sources of revenue are probably paid for by the Home Office...)

The question is, can real community dialogue be achieved like this?

The meeting was posted on the SmartGroups Liverpool asylum seeker and refugee support group:

 http://www.smartgroups.com/message/viewdiscussion.cfm?gid=1256290&messageid=2609

----Section 4 Support - 'Voluntary Service'

>> There is a consultation meeting with the YMCA and
>> the Home Office about this on 24th May - 12.40 - 2.40
>> at Millenium House in Liverpool.

As you can see this is the only outside knowledge of this meeting.

I contacted the Liverpool YMCA today which people believe to be the site of the Pilot Scheme, and the Office Administrator has denied any knowledge of the meeting, but said that, "if it's not Liverpool then it might be Chester which will do it."

If the meeting is being held within Council premises, can Trade Unionists based within Millenium House please make and take action with regards to this?

UNISON, and other Unions the call-out for you is here.

Individuals with a conscience, please make your views heard on this subject.

The following links are related to this meeting:

YMCA slave labour scheme

Section 4 Support - 'Voluntary Service'

There is a consultation meeting with the YMCA and the Home Office
about this on 24th May - 12.40 - 2.40 at Millenium House in Liverpool.

 http://www.smartgroups.com/message/readmessage.cfm?gid=1256290&messageid=2602

IND has announced that YMCA England will be running a pilot exercise for Section 10 of the Asylum & Immigration (Treatment of Claimants, etc) Act in Liverpool.

Word document:

 http://www.asylumpolicy.info/mayiapnews.doc

YMCA England Statement following meeting with Church Action on Poverty, Boaz Trust and Churches Commission on Racial Justice

Word document:

 http://www.asylumpolicy.info/ymcastatement.doc

It is important that no-one allows this 'Pilot' to get off the ground.

While the YMCA may or could agree to the scheme, it can only be made unworkable if YMCA Staff take a stand on this issue - strike action, refuse on moral grounds, refuse on Health & Safety issues (will the refugees be given proper H&S training?)

Or perhaps I could 'release' the person out, if I saw a refugee doing what I called anything like 'labour'?

Or maybe, the homeless people within the YMCAs will start "getting refugees to do their 'dirty-work'", or cause deep divisions within already dis-enfranchised communities?

If this doesn't happen here, it could happen near YOU.

Maybe meet up at The Egg, Tuesday 24/05, 11:30am?

Anyone into it?

Banners, drums, trumpets, anything to make a party & noise.

Can the 'Outside Media' meaning The Echo/BBC do something on it?

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IMMORAL MEANS TESTING

18-05-2005 15:21

From 8th January, 2004. I have been in dispute with the Department for Work and
Pensions due to overpayment of the dreaded 'means-tested benefits'. This situation still
hasn't reached a satisfactory conclusion. Firstly, I would like to assure you that we are
not a couple "who could work but who presently languish on benefits doing nothing".
Neither do we work undercover and claim benefits illegally. In my opinion, the main
cause for this dispute is that from May 2000,

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Rough Music is online

18-05-2005 02:50

Rough Music 4
'Rough Music' - the free monthly(ish) rebel rousing, shit stirring news sheet for and about Brighton brings out a fourth issue, and goes online with a website.

Full article | 1 comment

SPEAKERS IN LONDON TO CALL FOR END TO ABUSE OF UK DEVELOPMENT AID

18-05-2005 00:00

Advance: 18 – 20th May 2005

SPEAKERS IN LONDON TO CALL FOR END TO ABUSE OF UK DEVELOPMENT AID*

Campaigners from Ghana, Nigeria, Georgia and Guatemala arrive in London this week to call on the UK Government to stop funding oil, gas and mining projects through development aid. The visit comes ahead of the crucial G8 meeting in July, when leaders will discuss issues of poverty and climate change.

Full article | 3 comments

Gay Saudis tortured, flogged and executed

17-05-2005 16:24

International Day Against Homophobia protest against Saudi torture & executions.
Defend gay Muslims persecuted by fundamentalism
17 May is “International Day Against Homophobia”
Saudi Arabia is one of the world's most homophobic countries. Gay people are routinely arrested, jailed, tortured, flogged and sometimes executed

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UK Activists Join Global Protest Against Suez

17-05-2005 13:44

On Friday May 13th, activists from Bolivia Solidarity Campaign, War on Want, and WDM joined protestors around the world, to campaign against Suez, the multinational water company focusing their attention on Lord Simon of Highbury.

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EU counter summit in Luxembourg: status of the preperations

16-05-2005 20:35

Only one month left until the (anti-) european counter summit in Luxembourg.
Whilst in the European public everybody is paying attention to the EU constitution and fear or hope its rejection, networks of the radical left and anarchists in Luxembourg have initiated protests against a Europe of capitalism.

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Dissent! Gathering Draft Agenda: Nottingham 20th-22nd May

16-05-2005 19:37

Please forward this information, and remember to register!

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Once again, the civil inspectors entered the NATO base of Bétera (Spain)

16-05-2005 16:45

Similarly to what happened the last two years, a group of inspectors crossed the wire fences of the future headquarter of the NATO Response Force in Valencia (Spain) in order to claim for its closure and return to the population, inspite of a strong deployment of police forces.

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JUDGE ORDERS POLICE TO STAND TRIAL FOR GENOA G8 PRISON ABUSE

16-05-2005 16:11

A Genoa judge has ordered police, prison guards and medical workers to stand trial on charges of abusing anti-globalization protestors being held during the Genoa G8 summit in 2001