'Buy Nothing Day' is this Saturday 26th November. Below is a flier with a timetable of events for Saturday - if you know of any more Buy Nothing Day events in Brum, please add them using the comments function :)
Buy Nothing Day was originally conceived by Adbusters: 
http://adbusters.org
'Saturday November 26th 2005 is Buy Nothing Day (UK), the self-proclaimed festival of frugal living and culture jammers jamboree. It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. Celebrated as a holiday by some, a street party by others - anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!'
http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/
Later the initiative was subverted to Steal Something Day:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2005/11/328338.html
Criticisms of BND and it’s one day moratorium on spending once a year revolve around it’s short term focus and the fact that it only applies to people who have the means to consume and ‘opt out’ for just one day in the minority world.
Longer-term aims around anti-consumerism beyond Buy Nothing Day could include highlighting more political issues around consumerism, debt, legalised loan sharks and the impact it has on our lives. Especially the exploitation of other people's lives in the majority world, the environment and how corporations are negatively impacting on our communities and trying their best to manipulate our lives and desires.
Birmingham Focus:
Some of the events above are specific to Birmingham and the commercial changes it's gone through recently - the Bullring™ and the corporate privatisation of our public space particularly corporate space masquerading as public space.
Most of the actions are intended to be meaningful and inclusive to people and try to avoid being perceived as just a 'spectacle'.
The day starts off on Saturday at 11:00am with a Free-Shop where people can take items that they need and give what they can in an exchange for goods not based on monetary value.
Then people are welcome to meet-up on the ground floor of Borders bookshop in the Bullring at midday to prepare for the following activities:
12:30pm CORPORATE BULLSHIT
14:00 FOOD NOT BOMBS: ENJOY THE TASTE OF CORPORATE WASTE
15:00 GAMES IN THE CORPORATE PLAYGROUND:
DROP SHOPPING - PRODUCT PLACEMENT
FENGSHUI - BE IN HARMONY WITH YOUR SHOPPING ENVIRONMENT
MANEQUIN MIMMICKING
FORTUNE COOKIES - REVEAL YOUR REAL DESIRES
16:30 INTRODUCTION TO RADICAL RAMBLING - RECLAIMING YOUR RIGHTS OF WAY
17:30 WHAT’S IN STORE? HOUSE PARTY!
BRING EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A HOUSE PARTY. DECORATIONS, SOMETHING TO EAT AND DRINK + MUSIC!
http://adbusters.org
'Saturday November 26th 2005 is Buy Nothing Day (UK), the self-proclaimed festival of frugal living and culture jammers jamboree. It's a day where you challenge yourself, your family and friends to switch off from shopping and tune into life. Celebrated as a holiday by some, a street party by others - anyone can take part provided they spend a day without spending!'
http://www.buynothingday.co.uk/
Later the initiative was subverted to Steal Something Day:
http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/birmingham/2005/11/328338.html
Criticisms of BND and it’s one day moratorium on spending once a year revolve around it’s short term focus and the fact that it only applies to people who have the means to consume and ‘opt out’ for just one day in the minority world.
Longer-term aims around anti-consumerism beyond Buy Nothing Day could include highlighting more political issues around consumerism, debt, legalised loan sharks and the impact it has on our lives. Especially the exploitation of other people's lives in the majority world, the environment and how corporations are negatively impacting on our communities and trying their best to manipulate our lives and desires.
Birmingham Focus:
Some of the events above are specific to Birmingham and the commercial changes it's gone through recently - the Bullring™ and the corporate privatisation of our public space particularly corporate space masquerading as public space.
Most of the actions are intended to be meaningful and inclusive to people and try to avoid being perceived as just a 'spectacle'.
The day starts off on Saturday at 11:00am with a Free-Shop where people can take items that they need and give what they can in an exchange for goods not based on monetary value.
Then people are welcome to meet-up on the ground floor of Borders bookshop in the Bullring at midday to prepare for the following activities:
12:30pm CORPORATE BULLSHIT
14:00 FOOD NOT BOMBS: ENJOY THE TASTE OF CORPORATE WASTE
15:00 GAMES IN THE CORPORATE PLAYGROUND:
DROP SHOPPING - PRODUCT PLACEMENT
FENGSHUI - BE IN HARMONY WITH YOUR SHOPPING ENVIRONMENT
MANEQUIN MIMMICKING
FORTUNE COOKIES - REVEAL YOUR REAL DESIRES
16:30 INTRODUCTION TO RADICAL RAMBLING - RECLAIMING YOUR RIGHTS OF WAY
17:30 WHAT’S IN STORE? HOUSE PARTY!
BRING EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A HOUSE PARTY. DECORATIONS, SOMETHING TO EAT AND DRINK + MUSIC!
