THINK GLOBAL Act locally with Global Justice Now
February 2024
Contents 02 Welcome 03 News from Global Justice Now 04 Climate justice 07 Pharma 08 Trade justice 10 News from groups and the youth network 12 Internationalism conference
Inserts
Fossil Fuel Treaty
• BRIEFING: The Fossil Fuel Treaty: A global plan for a fossil-free future • LEAFLET: Let’s clear the way for a fossil free future • GUIDE: How to convince your local council to endorse the Fossil Fuel Treaty
Groups only
• PETITION: Fossil Fuel Treaty
On Gaza, South Africa speaks for a global majority Nick Dearden Director I am sure, like me, you have found the last few months deeply upsetting. How else can we feel when watching daily massacres, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, the targeting of health systems, mass imprisonment? But what makes the situation in Gaza even more unbearable is to see our own senior politicians giving political cover to these atrocities, as well as selling the weapons which allow this horror to continue. Indeed, our leaders prefer to risk regional escalation, by launching bombs at one of the poorest countries in the world, Yemen, than to demand an end to the slaughter. But we mustn’t lose hope. South Africa spoke for the majority of the world when it brought a landmark case to the International Court of Justice, requesting a ruling on Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza. South Africa’s testimony was damning, and deeply upsetting, but the very fact they brought the case to the World Court was an incredible moment of solidarity. The case is nowhere near concluded, but the interim judgement has thrown down a clear challenge to governments like our own: Britain must now prove that its actions, in particular its arms sales to Israel, do not violate international law. And that’s where we can play a part. So many of you have been campaigning for a ceasefire and for long-term justice for Palestine. Just in the last few weeks I have marched through London with climate activists on the national demonstration, joined a weekly protest held by our group in Glossop and spoken to members of our youth network campaigning to force Glasgow University to divest from arms.
Editing: James O’Nions, Daisy Pearson
Of course, we can’t do everything. We don’t normally work on Palestine because we know that working on an issue like this takes a huge amount of time, commitment and knowledge. But we can contribute something to the rapidly growing movement for justice. That’s why we’ll be lending our voice to the increasingly loud calls for an arms embargo on Israel. I hope that will be useful for your own campaigning, but let us know if we can do anything else to support you work.
Cover photo: Global Justice Macclesfield and other local campaign groups protest for climate justice during COP28.
South Africa has shown us what solidarity looks like. Let’s draw strength from their actions, and play our own role in bringing these crimes to an end.
Think Global is Global Justice Now’s activist newsletter, published three times a year, with monthly email supplements (Think Global Extra)
2 February 2024
News from Global Justice Now In the media
It’s been another busy period for our organisation and media-wise. On climate, our biggest media moment was COP28, and working with NEON we managed to secure some great coverage for Dottie Guerrero and Izzie McIntosh. Dottie had broadcast media appearances on BBC International, Channel 5, Al-Jazeera, LBC and Times Radio across the conference. Meanwhile, Izzie was quoted in the Independent, the Guardian, POLITICO, Huffpost and iNews. Liz wrote an opinion piece for the National, arguing that the Scottish government must back calls for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. On trade, we collaborated with over 30 organisations across the UK and Canada to send a joint open letter to Rishi Sunak and Justin Trudeau. We called for ISDS provisions to be excluded from the UK-Canada trade deal. The letter was picked up by POLITICO’s Morning Trade Newsletter. We collaborated with a range of European organisations to leak a document to the Guardian revealing that the EU, Germany and Denmark are being sued by an oil firm over their windfall tax policy – Cleodie Rickard was quoted. We also secured coverage of our actions as part of the Make Amazon Pay Coalition, with Cleodie quoted and our explainer Twitter thread picked up by PA Media and syndicated to ITV, the Independent and the National. On pharma, Nick penned a hopeful piece for the Big Issue on positive progress in anti-Big Pharma campaigning across the globe, as well as another for the Byline Times. Our joint
Action checklist
letter to the UK government, calling on it to drop IP demands in UK-India trade talks, was covered exclusively by Bloomberg, who also wrote about our ongoing legal battle with the government on trade transparency. Another exclusive came by way of iNews, who covered another joint open letter we coordinated which warned the NHS faces huge hikes to the drug bill if proposals by pharma lobbyists were adopted. We’ve already had some pharma coverage in the new year, too - with Nick being interviewed by Jacobin on Pharmanomics - and he also penned an op-ed for Declassified UK arguing that saving the NHS means tackling Big Pharma head on.
Council reportback
Nicola Ansell, chair, reports: Our current council met for the penultimate time in January and in addition to our usual reports on the past quarter’s work, we had presentations on more strategic themes. First Sandra Wild, who is shortly to leave us after seven highly effective years as head of fundraising, reflected on her time in the role and identified a series of important questions to address as we move forward. Second, Dottie Guerrero, head of policy, reminded us of the many international partnerships that we’re involved in and their significance for our work. Both talks will feed into the agenda for our next meeting, where we will plan our handover to the next council. If you are interested in being part of that council, please do get in touch as group members are particularly encouraged to come forward. continued on page 9 ▶
Trade and climate Keep speaking to your MPs about exiting the Energy Charter Treaty.
Climate justice Make a plan to persuade your councils, mayors, MSPs and MSs to endorse a Fossil Fuel Treaty.
Pharma Organise a film screening of our new mini series: Two Worlds. Groups Return your reaffiliation forms as soon as possible!
Run a stall to raise awareness about the Fossil Fuel Treaty February 2024 3
Climate justice
Protestors at the Climate Justice Coalition’s rally in London on Saturday 9 December, during COP28.
This month we’re ramping up our demand for a Fossil Fuel Treaty: a global demand which is picking up pace around the world. 325 people joined us at our online rally on 22 January, where we heard from allies in India, Ethiopia and Ecuador (as well as Westminster!) about why they are fighting for a Fossil Fuel Treaty. Now it’s time to start making ourselves heard locally. Our UK strategy for the Fossil Fuel Treaty is to convince a growing chorus of political actors, from government bodies to trade unions, to endorse the treaty from the ground up. Along with the support of many individual parliamentarians, civil society organisations, academics, scientists, youth activists and more, we hope to create a rising tide of demands for a real end to fossil fuels and a clean energy transition. Councils will be an important early stage. In the UK, many local councils passed motions in 2019 declaring a climate emergency. Some councils have also used what powers they have to create real progress on climate action, from 4 February 2024
retro-fitting council homes to encouraging the growth of renewable energy. Supporting the Fossil Fuel Treaty can complement these practical efforts with a specific demand of national government. Getting councils across the country to declare their support will build general momentum for later stages of the campaign, and put pressure on MPs further down the line. This campaign’s initial aim is to achieve as many endorsements for the Fossil Fuel Treaty as possible, from all across the political and social spectrum. As well as councils, our groups and activists in Scotland and Wales will also be lobbying their members of the devolved parliaments: endorsements by the devolved governments would put pressure on the UK government to do the same. As we get closer to the upcoming election, we can start lobbying MPs looking for our votes to show them that we want our representatives to show climate leadership, and commit to working with other countries to exit fossil fuels fast, fairly, and forever.
New materials
We’ve produced lots of new materials to help with the launch of this campaign. There’s an A5 leaflet featuring our main petition to UK party leaders, asking them to support the Fossil Fuel Treaty. There’s a six-page campaign briefing for a longer explanation of what the treaty is and why we need it. There’s a council lobbying pack, including a guide on how to lobby your council, as well as a draft motion and draft press release (both online only). Samples of all the printed materials are included as inserts, but to order more contact activism@globaljustice.org.uk.
What you can do
Pressuring your local decision makers: we need endorsements from local level politics like councils and mayors, as these can raise awareness of the treaty locally and make MPs take an idea seriously. Groups and activists in Scotland and Wales should be thinking about how to put pressure on their governments, via their MSPs and MSs. This is important regardless of what party your representatives belong to. Although there are some decisionmakers who we expect to gain more power in 2024, any cross-party support for the treaty adds strength to the campaign. As we approach the election, lobbying MPs will become more important, although feel free to approach yours sooner, if you think they’d get on board easily, or you have a good relationship with them. In December, Edinburgh Green Councillor Ben Parker delivered a zoom teach-in to our Scottish groups about how to go about approaching your local council to get a motion passed. The Green group in Edinburgh city council were the first in Scotland to succeed in getting their council to endorse the Treaty, so are a good example to follow. A 30-min edit of that teach-in is available to watch on our website at globaljustice.org.uk/FFT-councils. Raising awareness in your local communities: the Fossil Fuel Treaty is a bold, workable proposal that could make a major impact on the interlinked crises of climate change and inequality that we’re facing, making the world a better place in the process. We need to
upend the government’s narrative about their insane fossil fuel expansion achieving any of these goals, and make sure as many people as possible know about this ultimately much more sensible path. If you want to run a stall or go leafleting locally this will add strength to our demands. You can use the enclosed leaflet and briefings to do this, and contact activism@ globaljustice.org.uk with any questions. Other ways to create political pressure: meeting with and writing to your local decisionmakers isn’t the only way to create change. We’ll also be focusing on unions, who can hold significant sway with political parties and have the power to achieve policy shifts. If you’re a member of a union, you can campaign in your local branch for national level endorsement of the treaty. We’ll be releasing a guide to help you do this soon! We’ve already held organising meetings for people in Scotland and Wales, but our organising meeting for England and Northern continued overleaf ▶
Key resources NEW: The Fossil Fuel Treaty Six-page briefing (January 2024) NEW: Let’s clear the way… Two-sided A5 FFT leaflet (January 2024) NEW: Fossil Fuel Treaty petition sheet (January 2024) NEW: How to convince your council to endorse the FFT Four-page guide (January 2024) + Scottish-specific FFT materials Making polluters pay climate reparations Two-page briefing (February 2023) Make polluters pay for climate chaos A5 four-page leaflet. See globaljustice.org.uk/resources and order from activism@globaljustice.org.uk February 2024 5
Ireland is still coming up on 8 February! You can find the event page on our website at globaljustice.org.uk/events.
Devolved governments
Since the strategy for eventually getting the UK government to endorse the treaty depends upon a rising tide of political actors at all levels coming out in support of a treaty first, getting the Scottish and Welsh governments on board would generate huge pressure on the UK government to do the same, and spur on the global campaign.
Scotland
The campaign in Scotland is well underway and gathering steam. Labour MSP Mercedes Villalba has tabled a motion at the Scottish parliament in support of a Fossil Fuel Treaty, and it’s already got 17 MSP signatures. Meanwhile, we’ve been experimenting with a new game for stalls to promote the Fossil Fuel Treaty. The How to Dismantle the Fossil Fuel Industry Game (pictured) is giant jenga, combined with multiple choice questions about the fossil fuel industry and the need for a fossil fuel treaty. It proved very popular at the COP28 rally in Edinburgh in December.
Progress so far Our activists and groups in Scotland have already been campaigning for a treaty for several months now. Global Justice Ayrshire and activists in the Scottish Borders have been writing to local councillors encouraging them to table motions, while Global Justice Dundee have met with a local MSP.
What next (in Scotland) Moving into the spring, the aim is to push local councils to put down a motion in support of the treaty. In addition to the actions listed above, Scottish groups can: • Write to your MSPs and ask them to sign Mercedes Villalba’s parliament motion, and also put it out on your mailing lists. This will help us find supportive parliamentarians to, 6 February 2024
in turn, put pressure on the First Minister. You can use the online action: • Talk to your councillors, to find someone willing to champion a council motion. • Contact Jane if you would like to borrow the giant jenga for your own events or stalls: jane.herbstritt@globaljustice.org.uk.
Resources To find Scotland-specific campaign resources, including guides and materials on how to lobby your MSP, council or university, go to the resources section of the website and search ‘Scotland’.
Wales
We believe that the Welsh government, having already committed itself in several ways to take climate action, could be convinced to endorse the treaty, which would then put pressure on the UK government to do the same. As a result, we’re launching a specific strand of the campaign in Wales, starting with councillors and members of the Senedd. Just like in the rest of the country, any smaller political bodies to come out in support of the treaty will help build momentum upwards, but an endorsement from the Welsh government could be a significant tipping point for the rest of the campaign. If you want to get involved in Wales, and didn’t manage to make it to our organising meeting, email activism@globaljustice.org.uk to get involved.
Pharmaceuticals his own Covid-19 vaccine dose for a parent during the pandemic, Kenyan doctor Bill recalls the much-used slogan ‘we’re all in this together’ – and aptly asks the viewer – but are we? While the stories of pharmaceutical profiteering are truly scandalous, there is also a lot of hope in each of them. Everyone we interviewed had a clear idea of what a better system would look like – and all of them are involved in campaigns to fight for it. We also interviewed three scientists in Brazil and South Africa who have already begun breaking the big pharma’s monopoly stranglehold over medicines. As part of the mRNA technology transfer project, they are building a new model for making medicines, sharing their learning and patents freely across borders – and putting people before profit.
Promo poster for Two Worlds. Design: Alfonso Cruz
This spring, we will be releasing Two Worlds, our series of short films about the scandals of profiteering pharma companies and the people fighting back to make medicines accessible to all. To make the series, we worked remotely with six incredible local directors as well as a team of award-winning filmmakers here in the UK. It’s been a marathon effort, so we’re delighted to finally be able to share them with you! The films include very personal stories from activists, patients, health workers and scientists across three continents. George, a health worker from Liberia lambasts big pharma companies that ignored the deadly Ebola virus for decades because they saw no opportunity for profit. Sibongile, a South African activist describes how pharma profiteering stopped her from accessing HIV treatment for year, until an international campaign helped bring prices down. And, sharing his experience of forgoing
If you’d like to organise a screening of the films, please get in touch with Guy who will be happy to help: guy.taylor@globaljustice.org.uk. We can provide leaflets and posters to help you advertise (see the eye-catching design above), discussion questions for the night, and one of our campaigners would be very happy to come and join you too!
Key resources Lives not profits Fold-out leaflet (June 2023). Big pharma isn’t working Four-page briefing (June 2023). Ten reasons why we need a new pharma system Two-page A4 factsheet (2022). Who wants to be a pharma billionaire? Game for use on stalls (2022). Lives before profits Petition sheet (2023). Contact us to order these or view them at globaljustice.org.uk/resources February 2024 7
Trade justice
Campaigners from Global Justice Now, War on Want and Friends of the Earth hand in the ECT petition to Downing St.
We’re winning the ISDS fight! In a recent lecture, an ISDS arbitrator claimed that “we – the defenders of [ISDS]” have been “politically defeated... we have lost the battle of public opinion” and the “battle of legitimacy”. He spoke of the “high level of coordination” between the diverse NGOs that oppose ISDS, saying they’d been forced to engage with “an amorphous and fast evolving constellation of inter-connected organisations”, whose “number... determination and… enormous capacity to organise” means governments can no longer ignore their message. Such high praise! Straight from the horse’s mouth: activism works, and our message cuts through!
Dying days of the ECT
Thanks to your support and determination across 2023 and slowly chipping away at the Energy Charter Treaty’s reputation and 8 February 2024
viability, this secret weapon of fossil fuel companies went from thriving in the shadows to floundering in the spotlight. The UK government was forced to announce a review of its membership and committed to consider exiting the deal if ‘modernisation’ proposals weren’t agreed by November. Sure enough at November’s Energy Charter Conference, the treaty’s annual members’ meeting, the proposals were again taken off the table – just as they had been the year before. By this time, we’d delivered over 120,000 signatures to Downing Street calling on Rishi Sunak to scrap this obsolete and dangerous deal – thanks to many of you gathering so many names for this petition. But since then it’s been radio silence from the government on what action they will take and when – even as they acknowledge in
correspondence that there is “no clear route to modernisation” and a “continued impasse” as EU countries wrangle over whether to all leave together or not. While the UK government’s line has always been that we need modernisation to align the ECT with modern energy priorities, notes from November’s meeting revealed what we’ve argued all along: the reform process is mere greenwashing. In fact, there were plans to expand the treaty’s membership to major oil-producing countries – meetings with OPEC began last summer. This shows its true face, shattering the myth of a modernised treaty fit for protecting the green investments of the future.
What you can do
We’re gearing up supportive MPs to demand an update from ministers on their long-overdue review outcome, and we will be reaching out to you all shortly about how to support us in showing them the writing’s on the wall. If you’d like to press ahead with speaking to your MP about the issue, we’ve updated our parliamentary briefing with the latest developments on the UK missing its deadline. This can be found in the resources section of the website.
Key resources Four fossil fuel firms... Petition leaflet (June 2023). The Energy Charter Treaty Two-page briefing (updated January 2024). What’s wrong with the Pacific trade deal? Four-page briefing (March 2023). Corporate courts versus the climate Photo booklet (February 2022). Climate injustice How corporate courts block climate action. Four-page briefing (March 2021). Contact us to order these or view them at globaljustice.org.uk/resources
Save the date: National gathering Saturday 1 June, Manchester With the launch of the Fossil Fuel Treaty campaign, this year’s national gathering will explore different aspects of what a globally just transition looks like. How do we ensure the extraction critical raw materials needed for our new energy systems don’t reproduce exploitative dynamics? How does degrowth fit in and what would it mean for how we live? What’s our role in the movement to defeat fossil fuel corporations? We’ve already confirmed Ulrich Brand, professor at the University of Vienna and co-author of the fascinating book The Imperial Mode of Living (Verso, 2021). Others to be announced soon.
▶ continued from page 3
Council elections
Every three years, the Global Justice Now council is elected. This is the organisation’s governing body, and is made up of 12 members who oversee how we are run. It’s vital to the effective running of Global Justice Now, and the rules require that at least three members of council are also a member of a local group. These are voluntary positions, although travel and any accommodation expenses associated with attending council meetings (four a year) are covered. Full information can be found at globaljustice.org.uk/elections-2024 Nominations open formally on 2 March, and close on 2 April. In the meantime if you’re interested and would like a chat about it, email james.onions@globaljustice.org.uk.
Reminder
Local groups: return your reaffiliation forms as soon as possible! February 2024 9
Local groups news Global Justice Bradford hosted Naz Shah, MP for Bradford West, at their AGM in January. The group keeps in constant touch with her and she is generally supportive. The weekly vigil at the West Yorkshire Pension Fund offices to get them to divest from fossil fuels continues, as it has every week since December 2021! Rotherham for Global Justice joined the COP28 protest in Sheffield. Global Justice Portsmouth hosted Nick Dearden for the launch of his Pharmanomics book in November, helped plan a rally and march during the COP28 talks and are now part of a local Climate Justice Coalition for south east Hampshire. Global Justice Leicester held a stall at a Warm Homes event in November, giving out leaflets and lobbying MPs on Loss and Damage. They joined with FOE, XR and JSO for a COP28 demo in December and ran a stall at the Christians Aware conference in January. Global Justice Macclesfield were in the spotlight at a climate protest at the BBC in Manchester during COP28, and some members also handed out the spoof Amazon newspaper on Black Friday. A member also organised a meeting with the local (Tory) MP where many people raised concerns about the government’s attitude to climate change. Global Justice Reading joined with the local XR group for a Make Amazon Pay protest on Black Friday weekend and hosted a successful book launch event for Pharmanomics. In late January they hosted a meeting with Cleodie Rickard on her recent fact finding trip to Colombia. Global Justice Bexhill and Hastings organised a book launch event for Nick at Bexhill College with over 100 people and the mayor of Bexhill (who bought a copy of the book!). Later on the same day, they held a second event with a local bookshop in Hastings. 10 February 2024
Global Justice Cambridge held a protest at Amazon’s Cambridge Research Centre before joining a Buy Nothing Day procession and handing out the spoof Amazon paper (pictured) – while singing a song specially written by group member Aidan! They also continued to campaign against the ECT, holding a meeting with Cleodie which has motivated them to persist more energetically. In December they held their annual fundraising carol singing and raised £150 for Global Justice Now. Global Justice Dundee have been focused on the ECT, and to good effect. After systematic lobbying they have three MPs making representations to the minister of state for energy security and net zero. Global Justice Nottingham organised a book launch with Five Leaves bookshop, with more than 30 attendees. The local COP28 protest was a success with great speakers and the group wrapped up the year handing out Amazon papers at the Christmas market. Global Justice South East London hosted the first of the book launches, back in early October. They also held a watch party for the Fossil Fuel Treaty campaign launch rally on 22 January. High Peak Green New Deal hosted a wellattended Pharmanomics book talk in Glossop in January, in collaboration with Dark Peak Books.
Freshers season came to a close with a really successful series of events. Many of these were previewed in the October issue of Think Global, but they ranged from a Decolonising the Global Economy speaker event in Edinburgh to an Upcycle and Chill event with upcycling artist IfeOluwa Abhulimen at Essex University. Youth network members have been working on a podcast called The Secret World of Investor Courts: Corporate Power, Colonialism, and Climate Justice. They’re now finalising the recordings and working with a producer to edit them into four episodes. Over the last few months many youth network members and groups have been engaged with organising for Palestinian solidarity, including mobilising for local and national protests, while Reading Global Justice Youth is organising a justice for Palestine fundraiser. In November Global Justice Stirling also hosted a fundraiser for Refugees Welcome which raised £855, and Global Justice Youth Edinburgh organised a creative event featuring collage, found poetry and political chat. In Bristol, youth activists have been discouraging UK insurance companies from supporting the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, a massive crude oil pipeline which will cut right through the heart of Africa – displacing communities, endangering wildlife and tipping the world closer to climate catastrophe. They also participated in Stop-EACOP actions during protests against the Oily Money conference, alongside other youth activists in London. From top to bottom: Global Justice South East London’s watch party for the Fossil Fuel Treaty campaign launch; Edinburgh activists at a Stop EACOP demo; students taking part in Upcycle and Chill at Essex University; Global Justice Stirling’s fundraiser party.
As we gear up for the national youth conference, We Rise, Scottish activists are busy with poster campaigns and online promotion. February 2024 11
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THINK GLOBAL
ACT GLOBAL
Internationalism for new times SATURDAY 23 MARCH Birkbeck, University of London Free markets were once sold as the route to global prosperity but now that spell is broken. Yet the contours of the new system in formation are uncertain and the role of progressives complicated. The future we face is full of dangers as well as opportunities. Environmental disasters are unfolding in front of our eyes. In too many places it is the far right - threatening a new age of calamity and war - that is seizing the initiative. In the resistance to these dangers a vibrant internationalism is forming for these new times. 2024 may mark a major turning point for this tumultuous new era. Two billion people go to the polls. The choice in most of these contests is stark. Global democracy is in genuine peril. How do we make sense of - and respond to - the dramatic changes that are unfolding? What does internationalism in these new times look like? How do we need to change? And what practical steps should we take? THINK GLOBAL, ACT GLOBAL will bring together activists and thinkers from around the world to work together on finding answers to these questions. It is a process, not just an event. It is about building a movement of hope for new times. With sessions on: Palestine solidarity • Bidenomics • Climate internationalism • Trump redux and the far right • Pan-European migrant rights organising • Brexit and the economy • Progressive foreign policy • and more
Book your place: anothereurope.org/act-global
12 February 2024
SPEAKERS INCLUDE: With sessions on: •Palestine Clare Short (former• solidarity Bidenomics • Climate Development Secretary) internationalism Trump •John McDonnell •MP redux and the far right •Zack Polanski (Green • Pan-European migrant Party deputy leader rights organising • Brexit •Raga Makawi (Sudanese and the economy • democracy activist) •Progressive Madhuresh foreign Kumar policy • and more (Indian climate activist/researcher) •James Meadway (economist, Microdose podcast) •Shaista Aziz (Stop Trump Coalition) •Yulia Yurchenko (Ukraine Solidarity Campaign) •Nick Dearden (Global Justice Now) •Hamza Hamouchene (Transnational Institute) Plus more to be confirmed