Maldives 'trashing' an island - Asia - Al Jazeera English

Maldives 'trashing' an island - Asia - Al Jazeera English

CLIMATE CAMP SOUTH COAST: OCCUPATION CONTINUING!

http://brightonclimateaction.org.uk/occupation-continuing/

Following a number of meetings of the local community at the camp it has
been decided to continue the occupation of the site, at least until it
becomes clear what the situation is regarding the owner's (East Sussex
County Council) plans for the site. All the indications are that they
wish to demolish the existing school buildings and sell the beautiful
grounds to developers to be concreted over. This is far from popular
with local residents and a local group call STAND (St Anne's Diggers)
has been formed to protect the space and use it as a community garden.

People are strongly encouraged to come down, get involved and perhaps
stay for a while in order to defend the site and help this new community
space flourish. Do get in touch if you can help in any way. E-mail
southcoastcamp@riseup.net or call the site phone 07743 218521.

Ecuador 'good living' lecture from planning minister at LSE, 18th May

Development of Good Living: The Social Transformation Agenda in Ecuador
LSE public lecture
Date: Wednesday 18 May 2011
Time: 6.30-8pm
Venue: Old Theatre, Old Building
Speaker: René Ramírez
Chair: Dr Francisco Panizza
This lecture provides an idea of the approach of the Ecuadorian Government to comply with its strategies of "Good Living", a concept developed in recent years that sees growth and economic development as a whole in which includes new indicators and ways to measure it. This concept of "Good Living" is one of the axes of the thought of the "Citizens Revolution".
René Ramírez is the National Secretary of Planning and Development of Ecuador and author of several books related to an alternative view to economic and human development and the methods in order to measure it.
Suggested hashtag for this event for Twitter users: #lseramirez
This event is free and open to all with no ticket required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. F

Breaking news Bright Green Scotland Editor arrested

Gary Dunion reports:

Alasdair Thompson, of this parish, has been arrested by Lothian & Borders Police for displaying an anti-cuts banner during a peaceful Uncut occupation of a BHS store in Edinburgh’s Rose Street.
Ali was the only demonstrator arrested. Police confirmed to Uncut activists that even before the action had begun, they had been ordered to make an arrest to “set an example”. A woman was physically restrained, but not arrested, for photographing the police.
Edinburgh Uncut were staging an instore comedy gig in protest at the activities of BHS’s owner, Philip Green’s tax-dodging empire Arcadia.
Green has registered Arcadia under the legal ownership of his wife, Tina who as a Monaco resident pays no UK income tax. Through this scam, the Greens were able in 2005 to pocket the biggest paycheck in British history, £1.2 billion, without paying a penny in tax. This one payout cost UK public services around £285 million.

Green leader promises cuts.

The economic climate is difficult and Central government is insisting we all take a hair cut to pay for the banking crisis.

Essentially bankers bonuses are being funded by cuts in old people's centres and vital services.

So I am pleased that the new Green Party Mayor of Oxford, Elise Benjamin, is cutting all the Mayor's stuff, councillors should take cuts and work in a greener way.

In many councils the councillor expenses, ceremonials and chain waving are being conserved, while vital services are cut.

Also of course nice to see greens being green and going by bike not car.

She said: “My first twinning visit will be to Bonn at the start of June and I will be travelling by train. As a Green, I prefer not to fly and I think it’s much better for the environment to travel by train.

“I am trying to find out if I can keep the Lord Mayor’s bike at my house after it was donated by Cyclox a few years ago. I will cycle to engagements as much as I can to avoid using the Lord Mayor’s car, the Toyota Prius, and I can wear a replica chain when I am cycling, to keep the real one safe.

“Using the bike will also help to keep costs down at a time when councils are trying to save money.”

MORE HERE

The Green Party does need to be a central part of the campaign against cuts, imaginative money saving is not the main issue, opposing cuts full stop is the priority.

We need an economy for the billions not the billionaires!

Video of Caroline Lucas at Gaza demonstration today

Caroline does such good work supporting Palestine!

Rally against Debt rallies not very many people

The eat the poor and shut down the schools brigade rallied all of 300 people today....a little less than the 100s of thousands who marched against cuts on March 26th.

But hey 3 or 4 billionaires have more power and wealth than the rest of us in the UK.

Small numbers may have been part of the message that Britain is run for billionaires by the millionaires in the Clegg and Cameron Cabinet