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John Pilger Website

Loop | 30.07.2001 21:05

award winning journalist John Pilger has set up a new globaisation section to his already great website. Here are his top tips for what ordinary people can do to make a difference.

MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Buy fairly traded goods - This is the easiest action people in Britain can take in their everyday lives. Simply choose fairly traded tea, coffee, bananas and many other products to ensure a fair deal and a secure future for farmers in the developing world.

Use your consumer power - Every purchase you make can send a message to retailers and the companies which supply them. Find out from magazines such as Ethical Consumer which companies should be supported and which are best avoided, and ask retailers to stock products made by responsible firms.

Use your money wisely - You now have ethical alternatives for banking, investment and pensions as well as your weekly shopping. Make sure your money helps rather than harms the world's poor.

Spread the word - The British government plays a key role in international forums, yet few members of the public are aware of our responsibility. Tell your friends, family and neighbours and encourage them to get involved.

Join in campaigns - There are ongoing campaigns to change the rules of globalisation in favour of the poor, and many have already notched up genuine victories. Ask to be put on the mailing list of the campaigning organisations listed in the Related Sites section, and use the contact addresses to get more information on globalisation.

Write to your MP - There is no better time to contact your MP than at the beginning of a new parliament. Let them know your concerns, and ask them to get answers for you on what the government is doing to make the rules underlying globalisation fairer for the world's poor.

Join your efforts with others - The World Development Movement has a network of local community groups around the country working on the issues explored in this site. Contact them at the address given below:



World Development Movement
25 Beehive Place London
SW9 7QR
(020 7737 6215)
www.wdm.org.uk

Loop
- Homepage: http://pilger.carlton.com/globalisation/publicaction/difference

Comments

Hide the following 7 comments

Could do better, see me after class

30.07.2001 22:48

I like Pilger, but perhaps 'join your local direct action group - or start you own' should have been on the list. Buying the 'right' commodities is something, but it won't change the fundamental hierarchical nature of our society.

Perhps he's been hanging around with Globalise Resistanec people too much. Get out more John, there's more interesting stuff going on...

Jo
- Homepage: www.disarm-trade.org


You are wrong

30.07.2001 23:40

You must not buy goods from known corporate terrorists. If you are fined for commiting an offence they will say 'Hit them in the pocket!' We have to hit them in their pockets. Reduce their capital and reduce their power. All they know is money. You can best beat them by witholding it.

If you contrbute to their pockets you contribute to their power. That means that you too are responsible for what they do.

Example: Esso Service stations are collection boxes for torture chambers. Go on - fill 'er up.

Have a nice day.

Bill Lehm
mail e-mail: Wrlehm@aol.com


A couple more ideas.

31.07.2001 09:48

Switch to an electricity company that uses renewable sources, the only one I know of at the moment is Unit-e.
You can phone them on 0845 6011 410 and they'll switch you over.

And you know all that unsollicited corporate propaganda that drops through your letter box everyday, well why not take a nice thick felt pen and write on it 'Junk mail return to sender' and shove it back in the post box? If Royal Mail send it back to you, as they sometimes do, then just shove it back in again.

no-bozo
- Homepage: http://www.unit-e.co.uk


corporate junk mail

31.07.2001 12:00

Save the freepost envelopes from corporate junk mail then send off some radical literature, eg. on global warming, old Schnews etc.

Sheffield Mayday
- Homepage: www.sheffieldmayday.ukf.net


Unit[e] etc

31.07.2001 12:25

Unit[e] are brilliant - they even take the trouble to fight on your behalf to get out from under brain-dead utility corps who don't want to let you go - just be prepared to have your electricity cut off for a day or two... :)

Another good tactic is to change over from BT (and all the other comms bloodsuckers) to the Phone Co-op - another easy move aided by the co-op members (incredible rates - too. They give you an 0845 number for your callers to use from anywhere in the country)

So MUCH can be done via non-radical direct action to bring the glob-corps down, it can seem dizzying. Fair trade is the only way forward - support it to the maximum you're capable of - demand these products wherever you shop.

Keep up the pressure!

'Against profit and competition, we advocate equity and cooperation.
Against exclusion and authority, we advocate participation and self-management.
Against lies and manipulation, we advocate truth and honest exchange.' - Michael Albert in 'New Targets'
 http://www.lbbs.org/ZSustainers/ZDaily/2001-05/04albert.htm

mango
- Homepage: http://www.environment.org.uk/activist/


It's not that easy

31.07.2001 17:50

You are *much* more powerfull as a producer than as a consumer.

The real way to hit the bosses in the pocket it to remove your labour. Think about it. If 200 petrol station workers out of 300 went on strike and stop millions of eagre motorists from paying into Esso's cofers Esso would be on its knees. Or maybee we could get at best 10% of people to boycott Esso at the pumps and have very little effect.


Of cource the former option is much more difficult but workers have invented a way of concentrating themselves together in an organized way, yes there called trade unions. Only the bosses cottoned on that they unions are the working classes single most powerfull weapon so the implanted their puppets as Trade Union Leaders.

For rank and file power in the unions

evilstate
mail e-mail: complete_phreak@talk21.com


staff often have no rights

31.07.2001 19:34

in the case of low income, immigrant workers with no union rep, workers have the least rights.
Big business does bend to consumer power. Take the fast food industry. It was consumer power that made Macdonalds switch from using beef tallow in it's frying oil to vegetable oil. To switch from polestyrene containers to paper in the USA. If people went in and demanded the companies give better conditions to their workers then we might start seeing some changes.

Loop


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