Petitions
11/8/2020
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/protect-affordable-housing
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The government just unveiled its “once in a generation” plan for housing – and and it’s a huge blow to nurses, teachers and anyone struggling to pay sky high rent, or unable to find a home they can afford. Under the proposals, property developers who don’t build any affordable housing on some sites, will continue to get away with also not having to chip in to help councils build affordable homes elsewhere. A whole generation of people are being locked out of decent housing, and housing…
you.38degrees.org.uk
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7/8/2020
Click here to sign petition https://www.globaljustice.org.uk/campaigns/trade-justice
24/6/2020
Palestine must live
In 8 days, Israel’s Prime Minister is set to expand Israel into much of Palestine.
Palestine is a state recognized by the United Nations. But Israel’s government is simply taking it over, in violation of all international law.
Virtually everyone opposes this, but the question is whether anyone will do anything about it. Europe and others have the power to make Israel think twice, but they need to hear amassive demand for action from citizens first. Let’s give it to them!
22/6/2020
Don’t cancel student nurses’ contracts
22/6/2020
From Campaign Against Arms Trade
It’s one year since we won a landmark victory at the Court of Appeal challenging the UK’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
As a result of that ruling, we have stopped the export of new weapons for use in the war in Yemen. A multi-billion pound deal to sell more fighter jets to Saudi Arabia remains on hold.
This is significant progress, but there is more to do. The government is fighting every step of the way to continue the arms sales. It is appealing to the Supreme Court for a final decision, with the hearing scheduled for 23-25 November.
Meanwhile the government has still not complied with the Court of Appeal ruling that it should retake its previous decisions to allow weapons sales, and it is continuing to supply the war in Yemen.
It’s not just our lawyers who are demanding answers; in today’s Observer all of the Opposition parties have united to call for urgent action.
Please stand with us as we try to end these sales once and for all.
We must end UK complicity in the war in Yemen. Thousands of people have been killed by five years of bombing, many more by hunger and disease, and now Yemen is facing a dual threat of cholera and COVID-19 with a health system shattered by war.
Shamefully, UK-made fighter jets, bombs and missiles have played a central role in this destruction.
Our case challenges the sale of these weapons. UK rules state that weapons should not be sold where there is a “clear risk” that they might be used in violations of international humanitarian law. Yet the UK government has continued to support the supply of weapons to the Saudi-led coalition, even as it has bombed schools, hospitals and food supplies.
If the government won’t follow its own rules, we need to make it do so.
In last year’s ruling, the Court of Appeal found that that the government had failed to properly assess the risk of weapons exported from the UK being used in violations of international humanitarian law.
The government was ordered to retake all its previous decisions to export arms to Saudi Arabia and its coalition partners, in a lawful way. New arms sales were put on hold until this review is complete. The government agreed to undertake the review as a matter of priority.
Yet, one year on, it has still not completed the review ordered by the Court.
All the time that review has not been completed, weapons sales can continue under pre-existing licences – and BAE Systems can still maintain the warplanes bombing Yemen.
So we must keep the pressure on. The government was ordered to retake its decisions, not just carry on with business as usual.
You can help build pressure by sharing the latest news and our petition to the International Trade Secretary demanding an end to the arms sales now.
Thank you for your support.
Sarah
Campaign Against Arms Trade
22/6/2020
Three weeks ago, we commissioned a YouGov poll to ask the question of whether there should be a public inquiry. As you can see, the newest round of polling shows support shifting even further our way.
| 28-29 May | 10-11 June | |
| There Should | 49% | 53% |
| There Should Not | 35% | 33% |
| Don’t Know | 16% | 14% |
20/6/2020
20/6/2020
Right now, Trump’s trade team is piling pressure onto the UK government to rip up our environmental, hygiene and welfare standards, so we can buy chicken drenched in chlorine and beef pumped full of hormones from the US.
Chicken is washed in chlorine and other chemicals in the hope that it kills off salmonella. The reason they’ve got to wash it in chlorine is that the animals are so diseased as a result of awful US industrial farming practices. Not only is this type of farming terrible for animal welfare, but it doesn’t always work! Chlorine just makes it harder to detect harmful bacteria. [1]
The UK government has to guarantee in law that all food imports will meet the same environmental, safety and animal welfare standards as food that is produced in the UK, so that harmful products like chlorinated chicken are banned in all future trade deals.
Can you quickly sign this petition to the Prime Minister?
Greenpeace UK’s team of investigative journalists has been at the forefront of exposing the government’s attempts to sacrifice the environment in pursuit of a trade deal with Trump’s America. In 2019 we found out that Liz Truss’ trade department was pushing to weaken food standards in an effort to get a deal with Trump. [2] And in 2018 we went undercover to show how an influential UK think-tank offered ministerial access to American agribusiness lobbyists. [3]
If that wasn’t bad enough, last month we revealed how the US meat lobby is trying to get the UK to ditch its chlorinated chicken ban. [4] Last year we exposed the US lobbyists calling on Trump to target UK food and environment rules in any Brexit trade deal. [5]
We can’t let this government serve up lower food and environmental standards to please Trump and big business in the US. Can you sign the petition urging the government to protect UK standards?
The government is coming under increasing pressure from business groups, environmental organisations and farmers to put their words into action. They have made lots of reassuring noises but are refusing to put anything into law.
We need a legally binding guarantee that the health of the UK public and our natural world will never be compromised by any trade deals. If we get enough people like you signing the petition, we can get Boris Johnson to realise that the British public won’t put up with a race to the bottom for food and environmental standards.
Can you help pile on the pressure?
Thanks for everything you do,
Aakash
Greenpeace UK
[1] What is chlorinated chicken? Soil Association
[2] Leaked – Truss’ department will push to weaken food standards for US trade deal, Unearthed
[3] Rightwing UK thinktank ‘offered ministerial access’ to potential US donors, Guardian
[4] Revealed: US meat lobby working to ditch chlorinated chicken ban in UK trade talks, Unearthed
Greenpeace Ltd, Canonbury Villas, London N1 2PN (registered in London no 1314381, VAT registration no 625951426)
20/6/2020
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8/6/2020
Unite against coronavirus
We must never forget that we are one global family, united in this struggle. Now is not the time to build barriers, but for the world to unite in love and compassion.
Out of love for our sisters and brothers overseas, sign our petition asking the Prime Minister to ensure that the most vulnerable people are the priority in the UK’s international efforts as well as at home.
18/5/2020
Don’t freeze pay for frontline workers – give them a pay rise
Pope Francis is among those making this appeal and in the Urbi et Orbi Easter Message he called for “an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world,” saying this is not a time for division.’
António Guterres, UN Secretary General:
“Our world faces a common enemy: COVID-19. The virus does not care about nationality or ethnicity, faction or faith. It attacks all, relentlessly.
Meanwhile, armed conflict rages on around the world.
The most vulnerable — women and children, people with disabilities, the marginalized and the displaced — pay the highest price. They are also at the highest risk of suffering devastating losses from COVID-19.
Let’s not forget that in war-ravaged countries, health systems have collapsed.
Health professionals, already few in number, have often been targeted. Refugees and others displaced by violent conflict are doubly vulnerable. The fury of the virus illustrates the folly of war.
That is why today, I am calling for an immediate global ceasefire in all corners of the world. It is time to put armed conflict on lockdown and focus together on the true fight of our lives.”
(read his full statement here)
To sign the petition please click below
https://secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/global_ceasefire_loc/?cIrdjab
Campaigns
In every country, gender-based violence is a tragic reality. This violence is frequently hidden, and victims are often silent, fearing stigma and further violence.
Thursdays in Black is a campaign of solidarity and advocacy focusing on ways through which individuals can challenge attitudes that cause rape and violence. The simple act of wearing black on Thursdays is a protest against societies that encourage violence in any form, mourns those harmed and killed in sexual violence, raises awareness, and hopes that a different reality is possible.
“Every Thursday, people around the world wear black as a symbol of strength and courage, representing our solidarity with victims and survivors of violence, and calling for a world without rape and violence.” – Thursdays in Black
The campaign is not confined only to countries at war, but recognizes that violence takes many forms, including domestic violence, sexual assault, rape, incest, murder, female infanticide, genital mutilation, sexual harassment, discrimination and sex trafficking.
Christian Aid works with Rev Phumzile Mabizela from South Africa. She encourages many communities and churches to engage with ‘Thursdays in Black’. She recognises that tackling harmful theology is important if the world is to be changed. She speaks very strongly about how genuine faith is distorted when is it used to support any abuse of power between men and women.
‘Most religious teachings have encouraged maintenance of traditional male and female roles…gender equality is critical to development. The empowerment of women transforms societies, as it unlocks the potential of half the world’s population.’