Globalnet21

From Cafe In The Park To Social Action Engagement

In this Podcast we talk to Sarah Cotton from the Palmers Greenery that is a cafe in a local park but plans to be much more.

At a time of climate crisis when action is needed to confront an emergency for our planet small actions are as important as any as they create awareness, help to change culture and lead to further action. So we talk to Sarah about her plans to turn her cafe into a centre of learning and action and how she wants to do this in partnership with others.

Health Poverty - A Global Problem

In this Podcast we talk to Martin Drewry who is the CEO of Health Poverty Action.

Health Poverty Action is a progressive international NGO established in 1984. They take a strongly justice-oriented and approach - developing strong community roots, creating comprehensive and integrated public health systems, and addressing the social and political determinants of health.

They work in solidarity with people around the world who are pursuing change, often working in their own communities. Together they demand health justice, and challenge the power imbalances that currently deny people their rights. They believe health is not just the absence of disease, but a combination of physical, mental and social well-being.

They draw strength from the knowledge that we are not alone, but part of a global movement for health justice – the People’s Health Movement (PHM). The PHM is today’s embodiment of the primary health care movement that achieved groundbreaking success at the UN Alma-Ata Conference in 1978. Such was the power of this moment, that 40 years later the radical vision it set out continues to rally health workers and policymakers worldwide.

We will discuss in this podcast the imbalances there are in the world today, the nature and scale of the problem and what can be done to address it

A Councillor Wrongly Accused But Exonerated After Two Stressful Years

In this Podcastwe talk to Cllr Ayfer Orhan who has spent two years of abuse and harassment after wrongly being accused of anti semitism. The Labour Party nationally exonerated her but took two years to do so and the High Court ruled that such delay amounted to being unlawful.

In March 2019, Cllr Orhan posted a tweet that questioned a drilling contract in the Golan Heights, which had apparently been awarded to a private energy company. The Golan Heights, an area internationally recognised as belonging to Syria, is currently occupied by the State of Israel.

Following the publication of the tweet in 2019, the Leader of Enfield Council Cllr Caliskan issued a public statement, carried by various media outlets, labelling the tweet “anti-Semitic”. That allegation has now been rejected by the Labour Party. Cllr Caliskan also claimed that Cllr Orhan had been “suspended” from the Labour Group.

Despite an intervention from the national Labour Party, which clarified that Cllr Orhan was merely under investigation and could continue as a Labour representative, Cllr Orhan says that the council leader’s remarks triggered an “avalanche of abuse” against her, which formed part of a “culture of bullying and harassment”.

Over the past two years, Cllr Orhan has been subject to strict confidentiality requirements but now is able to speak freely about the incident and the abuse aimed at her and the stress caused.

This is a shameful episode in Labour Party history both at a national and local level and it is important that it should never happen again

Bush Hill Park By-election - Interview of John Dolan

We have already done an online hustings of the main candidates for the Bush Hill Park by-election (minus the Labour Candidate who declined.)

Here we will do a short interview of one of the other candidates John Dolan of the Trade Union & Socialist Party (TUSC)

You will be able to view it here on Enfield Voices and make comments

Online Hustings For Bush Hill Park By Election

This is a Podcast hustings for the main candidates standing in the by-election on July 1st in the Bush Hill Park Ward.

We felt it important to hold the Hustings not just for those in the Bush Hill Park Ward but because whoever is elected will be making decisions for the whole Borough it was also important that all In Enfield could hear their views. It is a shame that Labour turned this opportunity down as democratic engagement is so important.

Three of the Candidates, the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Greens all accepted but Labour declined.

We discussed some of the big issues that will confront all candidates when the whole Council is being elected in 2022 - so this is a curtain raiser of what is to come

Jackie Weaver & Holding Abusive Local Councillors To Account

Join us in this Podcast we interview Jackie Weaver about her campaign to bring back civility to local government

Jackie Weaver famous for chairing the Parish meeting at Handforth Parish Council has agreed to do a webinar with us where we will look at her campaign to have Councillors removed from their position if they breach the Council Code of Conduct.

Jackie faced abuse when she chaired a meeting of Handforth Parish Council and then shot to national fame through the manner in which she dealt with it. It has made her start a campaign for civility in local government.

Here in Enfield we have seen the Leader in breach of the Council Code of Conduct on two occasions and Council meetings have descended into chaos with filibustering and heckling to prevent some Councillors making their voice heard. The Enfield Council chamber has become a bedlam rather than a deliberative chamber.

Other local authorities have also behaved in a way that is partisan, hectoring and that shows little respect to rational debate.

 

How can we change this and how across the UK can we get Councils to behave in a civil way is what we will explore with Jackie.

Helping Disadvantaged People In Local Communities

In this Podcast we talk to Sue Halawa of the Skills & Training Network (STN) about her work.

The Skills & Training Network is a no profit organisation that offers education training, advocacy, mentoring, careers advice and guidance, outreach, job brokerage, and projects to support young people and adults and to help them to make the most of their skills/ abilities and expand their aspirations in life.

They work with disadvantaged young people and especially with the migrant community. They also offer welfare advocacy and advice.

STN was set up to serve the community and we take the responsibility to help disadvantaged people in the local communities. They provide individual and community support.

Life After Party Politics

In this Podcast we talk to Vicki Pite who until recently was a Councillor in the London Borough of Enfield. However she resigned from the Council because she felt unable to serve the people in her Ward when faced with a rigid and autocratic local authority.

When you have given your life to politics what happens when the door is shut and you are a Councillor no longer and when you still have a passion for politics and improving the life and well being of those around you.

Is there a life after formal Party politics or are you shut out in the cold. This is what we hope to discuss with Vicki. Is it a case of being shut out or an example of being liberated. Party politics can be a nasty business with bickering and inflated egos and the constant battle for power of ten takes over from the pursuit of principle.

Can being free of this create a new life where you are liberated to express your views and not be whipped into submission by the controlling Party elites. Can being free allow you to create alliances with civil society more freely and effectively? In other words does freedom from Party politics give you more influence as you work with civil society to make a difference.

These and other issues we will be discussing with Vicki and try to discover is life without the Party a better life.

Can Carbon Capture Help Avert The Crisis Of Climate Change?

In this Podcast that we will be offering in partnership with the Enfield Over 50’s Forum. There will be a presentation by and an interview of Tim Dixon

Tim works with IEAGHG that studies and evaluates technologies that can reduce greenhouse gas emissions derived from the use of fossil fuels.

One of these technologies is carbon capture and we will be discussing this with him. Is carbon capture now essential if we are to meet the Paris targets of keeping temperature rises below 1.5% by the end of the century.

And can it be developed fast enough when some scientists are arguing that the 1.5% increase in temperature will happen in the next five to ten years with a trajectory of 4% by the end of the century?

And are the new and developing technologies around carbon capture sufficiently developed yet to ensure they work successfully.

And finally is carbon capture and excuse for not reducing emissions or something that will complement that reduction.

Party Politics & The Role Of The Councillor

n this Podcast with Charith Gunawardena we will discuss the role of the Councillor and how important it is for Councillors to be free to develop innovative ideas and to engage openly with their communities.

We will talk to him about this and his views on housing, the need to have adequate consultation with communities and the importance of holding Council decision makers to account especially through scrutiny.