Globalnet21

Avoiding Ecological Disaster

In this Podcast we interview Alison Teal who faced up to two years in jail for allegedly ignoring an injunction brought by Sheffield city council over its controversial programme, which has resulted in about 5,500 mature trees being chopped down. This was dismissed by the judge when it went to Court.

Alison has worked closely with Rupert Read an academic and a campaigner and a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion. Read is a reader in philosophy at the University of East Anglia. The precautionary principle in climate and environmental affairs underlies many of his talks and presentations as he believes without precaution we are on the way to ecological disaster.

Alison has advocated ways we should act to avoid ecological catastrophe. So in this webinar we will discuss how climate change and the decline in bio diversity is endangering our future and what immediate measure we need to take to avert disaster.

Alison’s professional background is in psychology and family therapy and I’ve worked with enough individuals, couples and families to know how damaging low income, inequality, poor health and lack of opportunity can be to a person’s wellbeing and relationships. I’ve previously been involved in campaigns for social justice, women’s equality, the environment, and democracy..

The Journey Of Belonging - Story Of A UK Activist

In this Podcast we interview Lia Dover who was born in Argentina when her country was under a dictatorship and who then came to the UK and then stayed. In this interview we will explore her journey that saw 40 years of activism in the United Kingdom.

What led Lia to be so active in many causes from amnesty International, the United Nations, from work with the homeless to environmental issues. Was it her escape from the dictatorship in Argentina that made her passionate about human rights and environmentalism

Is this battle a universal one that we should all be conscious of whatever country we live in?

Lia was born in South America and came to England, the land of her ancestors, at a time when her country was under a military dictatorship. She only intended to stay for a year, but she is still here, 40 years on. She has a passion for the defence of human rights, and worked as a researcher and campaigns director for Amnesty International for many years, before moving on to do consultancy work for the United Nations and then to become a solicitor. She dedicated her legal work to helping the homeless in London. After retirement she became involved in environmental issues. She is a volunteer at The Ark, a community service based at St John ‘s Church in Palmers Green, and she is currently the Acting Chair of the Fox Lane and District Residents Association.

Bringing Art To The Community

In this Podcast we talk with Chantelle Purcell & Mark Beattie from Hive Artist Studios in Edmonton North London where their mission is to bring art to the community.

Artist Hive Studios (AHS) is a unique studio hub that fosters the development of an artist’s career, providing affordable studio spaces in a creative environment. AHS is a space run by artists for artists.

Artist Hive Studios (AHS) is a unique studio hub that fosters the development of an artist’s career, providing affordable studio spaces in a creative environment. AHS is a space run by artists for artists.

Our social purpose is to provide access to the arts bridging the gap between culture and community. We believe in the importance of creativity and how it can help transform the world in which we live.

Sustainability & Justice For All - The Local Green New Deal

In this Podcast we interview Richard Murphy on what a Green New Deal is and how it can be applied to our localities to achieve both sustainability and climate justice.

Richard is one of the leading authorities in the country and helped to design the elements of a new green deal that combines tackling emissions and achieving climate justice. I doing this he worked with a group of prominent people including Anne Pettifer of the Jubilee Campaign.

Richard believes that whilst it would seem that many of the Green New Deal issues require major upfront funding (and that is indisputable) as much can be done by highlighting how local people might work together to effect change. This is what we will mainly discuss in the interview

Richard Murphy is a chartered accountant and a political economist. He has been described by the Guardian newspaper as an “anti-poverty campaigner and tax expert”. He is Professor of Practice in International Political Economy at City University, London and Director of Tax Research UK. He is a member of the Progressive Economy Forum.  Richard was a co-founder of the Tax Justice Network and Green New Deal, as well as the Fair Tax Mark.  He is the founder-director of the Corporate Accountability Network.

Schools & The Humanist Tradition In Uganda

In this Podcast we talk to Steve Hurd about the development of Humanist schools in Uganda

Uganda has two main religions that is taught in schools but there is also a growing Humanist tradition that respects all religions and none and teaches the ethical values of Humanism.

Uganda Humanist Schools Trust helps schools in Uganda working to offer liberal, humanist education to needy children. Founded by Ugandan Humanists and run as charities, the schools are inclusive and do not discriminate on grounds of religion, social or ethnic background. 

Uganda Humanist Schools Trust was established in November 2008 as a charity to raise funds to support the efforts of Ugandan Humanists, who have founded schools which offer students the alternative of liberal secular-humanist education:

Peter Kisirinya and Moses Kamya met as students at Makerere University, where they became founder members of the Uganda Humanist Association (UHASSO). In 2004 UHASSO, took the bold step of inviting the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) to host a “Humanist Visions for Africa Conference” in Kampala. Discussions at this meeting provided the catalyst for the creation of pioneering schools, which embrace Humanist principles.

In November 2008, they took the further step of forming the Uganda Humanist Schools Association to foster collaboration between the schools. The Association, chaired by Peter Kisirinya, is dedicated to monitoring educational standards, sharing good practice, promoting professional development and pioneering a secular-humanist approach to schooling.

Incineration & London’s Toxic Air Health Crisis.

In this Podcast we talk to Katie English who has done a Master’s Dissertation on the resistance to the Edmonton incinerator and its impact on public health.

The overproduction of waste materials in the UK has created a national waste emergency. The UK government have focused using ‘quick fixes’ mainly incineration, to resolve this.

This research explores the case of the redevelopment of the Edmonton incinerator at Edmonton Ecopark in North London. It focuses on the political activism of local environmental groups protesting the presence of unsustainable waste infrastructure in their community.

The Commonwealth And Parliamentarians In The 21st Century

In this Podcast we will be talking with Stephen Twigg who was the MP for Enfield Southgate after 1997 winning his seat in that famous “Portillo moment.” Stephen was also until he left Parliament after the last General Election the Chair of the International Select Committee. He is now Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association

The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association that links Parliamentarians across the Commonwealth. What is the role of the Commonwealth in the 21st century and what is the benefit of Parliamentarians working together. And can they link with the growing civil society across the Commonwealth?

These are some of the issues we will be discussing

A journey of identity:a story of dual heritage

The importance of open dialogue about mixed ethnicity  

In this webinar Christian MacNamara will tell his stories of growing up in various towns and cities in the UK and the challenges this entailed whilst trying to fit in.

Now a mature successful man in his thirties on the brink of fatherhood and enjoying a flourishing career at the GLA helping the mayor of London launch homelessness projects Christian looks back at those tentative early years with renewed insight and different perspectives.

Trips to Christian’s mother’s birthplace in the Philippines in 2016 and 2018 with his partner Ceri, gave Christian the confidence and impetus to embrace his identity and understanding of a true clash of cultures

Christian has a mixed ethnic heritage with roots in the Philippines as well as the UK. He has always been aware of the difference his dual heritage gave him growing up in largely white communities, and since the events of summer 2020 and the Black Lives Matter movement, has gained an appreciation of the importance of speaking more openly about the mixed race experience.

Fair Trade: Choose The World You Want.

In this Podcast we continue discussions about the impact of our purchasing decisions on the Climate Emergency and the future that we face.

Fairtrade fortnight 2021 begins on 22 February and Adam Gardner, currently Head of Campaigns (interim) at The Fair Trade Foundation will be talking about his work as Communities Campaigns Manager at the Fairtrade Foundation, and how towns and counties across the UK can gain Fair Trade status, our ambition for Enfield. Bill Linton will talk about what is happening in Enfield.

Adam can provide first-hand experience of the importance of Fairtrade for individuals and communities overseas and will remind us that to make trade fair, we have an important role to change society here in Enfield.

Local Groups like Fair Trade Enfield and EnCaf are vital for raising awareness and campaigning about Fairtrade and Climate Emergency and reminding us of the fundamental links between the two and the important decisions we each make in “Choosing the World We Want”

Adam’s first-hand experience includes attending the first International Fairtrade Towns Conference in the Lebanon, meeting with banana farmers and co-operative members in Panama, and also in the Cote d’Ivoire, meeting and learning from cocoa farmers.

The need to continue supporting, promoting and advocating for Fairtrade is clear. The impact of supporting Fairtrade in these communities, on poverty, education, climate and sustainability are part of our shared responsibilities at home and afar.

 2019 Adam Gardner celebrating 25 years of the Fairtrade Mark  recognising all the work groups and individuals do to promote and support Fairtrade across Cumbria and the UK.

Trade Justice Trade Deals & Climate Change

In this Podcast we discuss with Ruth Bergan from Trade Justice whether trade deals are often done in secret and equally often conflict with climate change goals. Trade is neither just or fair.

Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide concentrations are increasing at an ever faster rate. As a result, weather patterns are changing, leading to extreme drought in some areas and rainfall in others, with serious implications for human, animal and plant life.

But binding trade rules govern significant areas of the economy in which countries need the freedom and flexibility to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. For example, investment protection provisions, either in Bilateral Investment Treaties or chapters in trade deals, can be used as both a sword and a shield to protect and advance investments in fossil fuel extraction, shipping and consumption.

Existing trade rules, agreed at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) or bilaterally, place trade promotion and liberalisation ahead of climate goals and threaten to undermine key climate targets. And ISDS (corporate courts) and the lack of democratic scrutiny mean that openness and transparency is absent.

Ruth Bergan leads the Trade Justice Movement’s strategic direction in partnership with 70 member organisations and board, including managing the organisation’s response to Brexit.

She works with partner organisations to develop new and innovative work on economic justice issues. In particular: exposing the injustice in international investment treaties and highlighting links between climate change and trade.