'What is capitalism and what are the alternatives?' Discussion Tuesday, 8th Nov at 14:00 Occupy the London Stock Exchange St Pauls

I have organised the following event.

'What is capitalism and what are the alternatives?' Discussion Tuesday, 8th Nov at 14:00 Occupy the London Stock Exchange St Pauls

Caroline Lucas has been down to speak a couple of times.

Incidentally my argument is for common pool property rights see Karl Marx and Elinor Ostrom.

A good discussion can be found here if this is a new concept http://www.thecornerhouse.org.uk/resource/reclaiming-commons

And I wrote a think piece here for the Sustainable Development Commission http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/publications.php?id=771

Caroline Lucas speaks 'We are the 99% Rally and March at Occupy London Stock Exchange'

We are the 99% Rally and March at Occupy London Stock Exchange


2pm, Saturday 5th November - Steps of St Pauls, London

We stand for progressive alternatives to making the majority pay for a crisis they did not create. The Rally starts at 2pm and will be followed by a peaceful march to Parliament



Speakers include:

Caroline Lucas MP

John Pilger

Seumas Milne (Guardian)

Kate Hudson - Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND)

Josie Long - UK Uncut & award-winning comedian

Aaron Kiely, NUS Black Students' Campaign

Stef Newton, NUS LGBT Campaign & National Campaign Against Fees & Cuts

Weyman Bennett, Unite Against Fascism

Lindsey German, Stop the War Coalition

Respected Elder Delfin Payaguaje, visits SOAS

Respected Elder Delfin Payaguaje, visits SOAS





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Location School Of Oriental and African Studies

Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, WC1H

London, United Kingdom



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Created by: Native Spirit Foundation, Amy Woodrow Arai



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For Native Spirit Foundation



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More info Thanks to the money raised during the festival and the heart-driven donations to the Sponsume campaign, we are privileged to have Delfin Payaguaje visit with us here in London.



Delfin Payaguaje, a respected Elder from the Secoya Nation of the Ecuadorian Amazon forest will be at SOAS this Friday. He is over 80 years old and this is the first time he has ever left Latin America. For him this is an epic journey and represents his ...sincere calling to speak to Western audiences.



He is here in London to share teachings from his culture and discuss issues affecting the community; oil exploration, contamination of lands and dwindling access to land are deeply affecting the Secoya people.



At a time when many are taking to the streets and camping out to make a stand for a fairer system, and as oil and gas become the big topics on the agenda, we have much to learn from indigenous people in terms of surviving and thriving in today’s climate. It is imperative that we OCCUPY our hearts, minds and spirits through sharing, informing, and educating ourselves.



This will be an open event to discuss the life and issues concerning the Secoya. Delfin will be accompanied by the Minister of Education and Culture for the Secoya people, Luke Weiss. Luke is an American who has lived with the Secoya for close to 20 years and who speaks the language and understands the culture, he has the unique and privileged experience of being a bridge between the two worlds.



ABOUT DELFIN and the SECOYA



Delfin Payaguaje is a Secoya shaman in his community and a traditional Elder, the son of Fernando Payaguaje, one of the greatest spiritual masters the Secoya people have ever known.



The Secoya people (also known as Angotero, Encabellao) are an indigenous ethnic group living in the Ecuadorian Amazon or The Oriente region of Ecuador. They speak the Secoya language, part of the Western Tucanoan group. They share territory along the Shushufindi, Aguarico, and Cuyabeno rivers with the Siona people, with whom they are sometimes considered a single population.



The Siona people are organised politically through the Secoya Indigenous Organisation of Ecuador (OISE). They have been involved in a conflict with Occidental Petroleum over oil drilling in concession Block 15 in Ecuador. The Secoya people are fighting to protect their rainforest home against logging and oil exploration, including legal battles against Chevron in the United States Supreme Court.



SOAS

Room: G2



ALL DONATIONS FROM THIS EVENT WILL GO TO DELFIN AND HIS COMMUNITY



For press enquiries please contact: press@nativespiritfoundation.orgSee more

UCATT GENERAL SECRETARY CANDIDATE MOUNTS LEGAL CHALLENGE

UCATT GENERAL SECRETARY CANDIDATE MOUNTS LEGAL CHALLENGE




OVER ELECTION BAN



Michael Dooley, a nominated candidate for the General Secretary election in construction union UCATT, is to mount a legal challenge over a ban imposed on him from standing for election. Three members of the UCATT general council and three members of its executive council, including President John Thompson, formed a selection panel which determined Mr Dooley’s fate.



Michael Dooley was nominated by 30 UCATT branches to contest the election which was forced on UCATT by the Certification Officer, the Trade Unions watchdog, following his successful challenge over the validity of the previous election earlier this year. Dooley came a close second in the election to Alan Ritchie, who won by a margin of only 2000 votes.



The CO upheld the challenge from Michael Dooley after it was found that over 60,000 members, more than half the union’s membership, had not received ballot papers. Now in a surprising move the union has banned Michael from standing in the re-run election.



Michael Dooley has announced that he will seek a High Court injunction this week to prevent the union from proceeding with the election in November without his name on the ballot paper.



Michael Dooley said today “why not allow all the candidates to state their position on the election address and allow the members to decide. Then get behind the democratically elected candidate and work together to establish a strong union in the construction industry. Building workers work in harsh, dangerous conditions, they have no pensions, holiday pay, sick pay and notice pay. They do not have a viable union in the construction sector which employs over 2 million people.”



Michael Dooley is also seeking election to the union’s highest office on an anti-corruption ticket. He has vowed to open up the books of the union and launch an investigation into the union’s finances and membership. He will also stamp out accepting money for contributions from members who do not join the union themselves.



He has pledged that if elected he will only take an average workers wage.



Dooley complained last year about the union’s funds being “mismanaged” and demanded an investigation. After five investigations into allegations of misconduct Dooley, a full time official with an impeccable reputation for integrity, was later sacked.



A decision from his Employment Tribunal claim for unfair dismissal is expected soon.

Scottish Green Party reject ‘green’ claims of charity involved in ethnic cleansing of Palestinians

The Scottish Green Party, yesterday condemned the Jewish National Fund (JNF), a British charity implicated in human rights violations in Israel. At its annual conference in Aberdeen, delegates unanimously supported a motion against the JNF and called for its charitable status to be revoked.

In May of this year, David Cameron resigned as honorary patron of the JNF, the first time in the history of the JNF that a British Prime Minister has not held this position. The Scottish Greens are the first elected party overtly to condemn the JNF.

The JNF claims to be ‘green’ because of its practice of planting trees in Palestine / Israel. Delegates heard that the JNF used tree planting to cover up the remains of Palestinian villages destroyed after Zionist armed militias expelled the inhabitants. Speakers described how this involvement in ethnic cleansing has been going on throughout the organisation’s history of over 100 years, especially following military expansion in 1948 and 1967; and that the JNF continues to be involved in the expulsion of Palestinian Bedouin in the Negev desert, to create and fund Jewish-only parks and settlements. Campaigners argue that these actions amount to the crimes of ‘apartheid’ and ‘ethnic cleansing’, illegal in international law.

The Scottish Greens condemned the JNF for using the ‘green’ label to practice crimes against the Palestinian people. The Greens add their endorsement to an international campaign to stop the JNF, launched by Palestinian civil society and international solidarity activists including Jewish anti-Zionists earlier this year.



Fiona Napier, attending the conference on behalf of the Stop the JNF Campaign, explained, “The JNF practices are being used by the Israeli state to prevent the right of return for refugees of the Nakba (catastrophe) when 700,000 Palestinians were driven from their homes for the establishment of the state of Israel.” Terry Gallogly of the Stop the JNF organising committee commented: “The importance of this vote should not be underestimated by anyone, it is a big step towards destroying the JNF's attempt to greenwash its ethnic cleansing.”

The motion was proposed by Green Party member Dr Eurig Scandrett, who participated in a study tour of the JNF’s activities in Israel and the West Bank last year. Dr Scandrett said:

“Having witnessed the remains of Palestinian villages on JNF land in Israel, and heard an old woman tell her story of being forcibly driven out from one of those villages as a young mother over 60 years ago, I felt I had to do something about this organisation. There are signs in ‘British park’, proudly announcing that it was funded by JNF supporters in Glasgow, who were probably unaware that their donations were going towards ethnic cleansing.”

“I’m delighted that there has been this unanimous vote at conference for the Scottish Green Party to take a stand against the JNF, and our MSPs and Councillors will now take action to challenge the organisation’s activities in Scotland.”

Last month the Israeli cabinet approved plans for a large-scale ‘transfer’ of 30,000 Palestinian Bedouin in the Naqab (Negev) desert from their ancestral lands and a further plan schedules the eviction of 27,000 Bedouin from their lands in the West Bank.

An Early Day Motion, tabled by Jeremy Corbyn and Gerald Kaufman in March is gaining support from MPs who believe that there is “just cause to consider revocation of the JNF's charitable status in the UK”.

ENDS

Does Dean of St Paul's resignation statement show church cares more about profit than prophets?

Original to be found here.

"The past fortnight has been a testing time for the Chapter and for me personally. It has become increasingly clear to me that, as criticism of the cathedral has mounted in the press, media and in public opinion, my position as Dean of St Paul’s was becoming untenable. In order to give the opportunity for a fresh approach to the complex and vital questions facing St Paul’s, I have thought it best to stand down as dean, to allow new leadership to be exercised. I do this with great sadness, but I now believe that I am no longer the right person to lead the Chapter of this great cathedral.

"This has not been an easy decision for me to make, at this stage in my ministry, as I have very much enjoyed being at St Paul’s as dean. I am immensely grateful to the current members of the Chapter, both ordained and lay, as well as previous colleagues, for their help, support and encouragement, but above all, their friendship.

"I would also wish to place on record my thanks to all the staff of the cathedral, both paid and volunteers, who work tirelessly, day by day, to ensure that this amazing place is maintained, and that it is indeed cherished as a place of worship and pilgrimage.

"In recent days, since the arrival of the protesters’ camp outside the cathedral, we have all been put under a great deal of strain and have faced what would appear to be some insurmountable issues. I hope and pray that under new leadership these issues might continue to be addressed and that there might be a swift and peaceful resolution.”

Occupy 'shows that it is still possible to save our species from extinction.'

Hugo Blanco is the historic leader of the Peruvian indigenous.


He led a successful peasant revolution for land rights in 1961 when peasants were being killed by land owners.


Praised by Che,  Hugo then a leader of the Fourth International, was captured and placed on death row and only lived due to an international campaign of solidarity launched by figures like Sartre.


Now in the his late 70s he publishes 'Lucha Indigena', 'Indigenous Struggle' and is the foremost ecosocialist revolutionary on our planet.


The uprising in Peru of the Awajan and Wampis and other Amazon people, of the Aymara and Quechua have shown that indigenous and workers can organise to challenge the destruction of the Earth and to build a democratic alternative to capitalism.


Hugo Blanco argues that the revolution must be global and that the occupy movement shows that people in the North are joining the revolt against the 1% and for a democratic, ecological society for the 99%.


This is a rough translation of this editorial on the occupy movement!

Hugo Blanco: The Global Movement Against Neoliberalism Grows Ever Larger

 

The World-Wide Rebellion Against Neoliberalism Grows Ever Larger

 

The wave of rebellion against neoliberalism was started by Mohamed Bouazizi, the Tunisian Street Vendor who in protest against sustained police harassment and pollooting emptied fuel on to himself and lit a match. The flames of that fire are now spreading around the capitalist world. First they bought about the insurrection of the Tunisian town that demolished the government. Egypt was next and their too the government was overthrown. The movement then extended to other Arab countries where the fight is on-going. NATO intervened in Libya to gain control of the incoming government and similar is expected in Syria.

 

The rebellion jumped to the door of the sun in Madrid with the name 15M (It began on the 15^th of May) extending to Greece and many other cities and European countries and recently to New York taking the name of Occupy Wall Street. This latest development is appropriate as it is the world-wide financial centre and from here spread to many other US cities. Then on the 15^th of October a tsunami of global protest against the capitalist system spread to 951 cities in 82 countries. The brilliant slogan of the North Americans is “We are the 99% against the 1%” (the 1% that governs the world to satisfy it’s own narrow egotistical endeavours).

 

Neoliberalism

 

Neoliberalism reduces leisure, replaces human labour with automation and increases the age of retirement; which on one hand harms the elderly and on the other the young because it diminishes job opportunities. In the rich countries of the so-called ‘first world’ prior to the crisis bought about by the financial companies and banks, the attitude of the governments was to reward them with money from the public purse. Now, before the new economic difficulties, instead of increasing the tax on the millionaires, they load the debt on the majority of the population, reducing the budget for health, education and other public services like support for disabled people, the elderly, and single parents. In order to create money numerous public workers lost their jobs and then their houses, or repayments simply became too high. In either case many of them still have to pay to settle the debt.

 

In the so called ‘developing’ countries, the situation of hunger and misery is getting worse. Peru has been ‘desindustrializado’  which means the wages stagnate but prices for other things rise i.e. the relative wage decreases. In addition the ‘tercerizacion’ or services in which workers are not contracted to the factory in which they work but to another company creates a disconnect so workers are less able to negotiate a pay change.

 

Another burden faced by the poor countrie , besides global warming is the effects of the extractivist economy that provides millions for the great multinational companies. Mother Earth is knocked down with great insensitivity by hydrocarbon extraction, open-cast mining, high-ways and fast roads, the agro-industry, dams etc. All this in the name of ‘development’ and ‘progress’. To this end there are many ‘dealings’ between politicians and multi-nationals. The peasantry and indigenous and non-indigenous natives suffer the despoliation of water and of the soil, sinking in to greater misery. That is the reason they gave their lives in protest in Bagua, Islay, Juliaca. 

In Arab countries, these evils have been added by dictators who ruled with impunity, without allowing any criticism, committing every imaginable outrage. It was against this that broke those countries.
The governance of the world and of countries is less and less by states,  which are becoming increasingly weak. Gradually governance of by corporations is gaining strength.
Wars are driven by the arms industry.
There is more and more privatization, not only in poorer but also in richer countries.
The privatization of education has led to the struggle of the Chilean and Colombian students. The combatants in the war,  are increasingly employed by private companies. The prisons are also in the hands of private companies. In Peru state control of rail, post, road tax belongs to the past.

 
Uprising
It is against all of this that the peoples uprising began with the "Arab spring" and spread to the "first world" with the Spanish indignants and " Occupy Wall Street."
The rebellion present in the rest of the world is the same as we find with the struggles in our country (Peru), especially in defense of water and life.
Although the rebellion is not yet sufficiently organized to demonstrate its effectiveness against the current system, much has been achieved.
One aspect worth mentioning is the revival of collectivist solidarity that characterizes the world's indigenous communities, such as the Aymara and Quechua ayllu (commons system) against individual egoism that is promoted by the capitalist system.
The organization of indignants in Spain and the United States occupy movement shows that in the areas occupied, there are not leaders but good organization, there is responsibility for food, rubbish collection, library, care of health, children care, signing for the deaf,  translation, etc..
Furthermore, as shown in another article in this edition, solidarity grows in Greece: The striking doctors provide free care, electrical system employees reconnect those who have been disconnected for nonpayment.
We read: "The popular neighborhood assemblies rather than designing on paper  "an alternative" are making everyday organized solidarity for those who are on strike, for those who are suffering most from the economic crisis, for neighbors, for the most weak. "
In Madrid the community expelled the police who sought to capture an illegal immigrant, to cries of "No human being is illegal".
Also in Spain home evictions of those who were no longer able to pay their mortgages were prevented by the movement.  In Granada there is a movement called "Stop Evictions Granada."
In a sign that read: "You interest me much." It is seen that selfishness is artificially introduced and that human nature is united.

 

Critique
 
Some people criticize the lack of leadership. We see it as a merit, not as a deficiency, which has reached a profoundly democratic organization in which all rule, in which the concept has passed of the hierarchical class society, that one is born to rule and others to obey .
Another criticism is the lack of a finished program. We understand that as no one knew who develop elite, and that has to be made by consensus, necessarily slow progress, but the main thing is said, the fight is 99% which is crushed by 1% of world population . As said Vandana Shiva, Indian activist, and was repeated by intellectuals who signed a document supporting the movement in Madrid: "The G8 should be replaced by full humanity, G7, by the billions".
The rest of the program is moving slowly but solidly, as shown above.


Conclusion

 
Marx said that as the working class faced directly against the bourgeoisie, was the call to be the vanguard of society's struggle against capitalism. We believe that it was completely right.
He also taught us that to see reality was better than reading a hundred books.
Following this recommendation, we open our eyes and see the world live and fierce attack from capitalism to all mankind, let us repeat what was said above: For the growing global warming leading to the extermination of humanity by the strong attack on nature in many other ways: open pit mining, hydroelectric plants, food processing, oil extraction, construction of roads, atomic energy, holes in the ozone layer, industrial water pollution, etc..
On the other hand: Cut the budget for health, education and other social benefits paid from the money given by the company, to become a private business whose only interest is profit and not addressing the needs of the consumer, higher prices, poisoning the entire population with GMO and chemical produced by the food industry, housing evictions, power outage, etc..
Thus, all humanity is being directly attacked by capital in multiple ways, correspondingly respond in their own ways.
We are taking the first steps in that direction, through our collective struggles in defense of water and life, the "Arab spring" of indignation, "occupy Wall Street," etc..
These movements show that it is still possible to save our species from extinction.