BCAN (Bristol Christian Action Network) Helping Christians Respond To Social Needs Global Issues Forum News

Fairtrade Fourtnight 2007

Three documents and a PowerPoint presentation to help you take part:

• Fairtrade Fourtnight 2007: a Powerpoint presentation (181 Kb)
• Introduction (Word, 38 Kb)
• Information about supermarkets (Word, 40 Kb)
• Advice for volunteers (Word, 24 Kb)

Two Evenings With Joyce

You are invited to spend two evenings with Joyce Eribu from YWAM Uganda: on Sunday 18 March at Thornbury Baptist Church, starting at 6:30 pm; or on Monday 19 March at Woodlands Christian Centre, starting at 7:30 pm.

You can download an A5 poster (in Acrobat format) for each evening:

• 18 March at Thornbury (44 Kb)
• 19 March at Woodlands Christian Centre (44 Kb)

Drum the Message Home on 14 September

Christian Aid invite you to come to London on 14 September 2006 and join thousands of campaigners drumming trade justice home as we deliver our message directly to the Treasury. Gather in Geraldine Mary Harmsworth Park, near Lambeth North tube, from 12 noon.

To let Christian Aid know you are coming, either contact your local representative, or register online at www.pressureworks.org/dosomething.

A Grace Approach to Muslims

The Mustard Tree Community church in Longwell Green is hosting an evening with Steve Bell of Friendship First, looking at the issue of a grace approach to Muslims and giving a basic understanding of other faiths in the light of recent events both abroad and in the UK. The meeting will be on Wednesday 14th June and starts at 8pm.

Debt Cancellation

(30 March 2006)

Update from Jubilee Debt Campaign: WORLD BANK DEBT CANCELLATION AGREED

The World Bank yesterday finally agreed the cancellation of up to $37 billion of poor country debts, as part of the deal first announced by the G8 in 2005. Thank you to all supporters who put pressure on G8 governments and the World Bank over the last year - and kept pushing over the details until the last minute. Your pressure paid off!

Debt campaigners have long been calling for 100% cancellation of World Bank debts - a principle which this deal now puts into practice (at least for some countries, on debts up to a certain date). Most recently, Jubilee Debt Campaign supporters and others worldwide had been emailing the World Bank protesting that their proposals for delivering the G8 deal would have left poor countries facing a delay of up to 15 months between qualifying for this debt cancellation and actually getting it! Many thousands of you emailed - the World Bank has now reversed this decision. Thank you for keeping the pressure on right up until the last minute!.

Of course this deal does not provide everything you have long called for - full cancellation of all unpayable and unjust debts, an end to harmful and unfair conditions, and a fair, open process for resolving debt crises. But it is a very important step - and your campaigning was crucial. Zambia, for instance, has just released its new budget: both health and education spending are going up as a result of debt cancellation, which is making possible plans for 4,500 new teachers, a school building programme, new healthcare staff and an expanded HIV/AIDS programme.

Thank you for all your efforts - and please keep campaigning.

Read the full details at: www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/worldbank.

Global Issues Forum Handouts

(30 January 2006)

The following items were given out or promised at the Global Issues Forum in January 2006:

• MPH 2005: A Powerpoint presentation about Make Poverty History 2005 - what we achieved, and what we are still campaigning for.
• MPH 2005: a Powerpoint presentation about Fairtrade Fortnight - Have You Got the Habit?
• Fools guide to setting up a fairtrade stand in a supermarket - all you need to know
• A document with more detailed information about what wa acheived in 2005 regarding Make Poverty History

MakePovertyHistory Conference Invitation

(18 January 2006)

You are warmly invited to join people from Evangelical, Pentecostal and Charismatic (EPC) churches, as well as other Christian Aid supporters for all, or part, of the Act Justly 2 MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY conference on Saturday 25 March 2006, at Wesley College, Bristol.

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Two Meetings About Climate Change

Two public meetings under the auspices of Churches Together in Clifton, Cotham and Redland and in conjunction with One World Week.

Venue: Redland Park United Reformed Church, Whiteladies Rd.

If you need to reply, please send to myraejones@btinternet.com.

Wednesday 26 October 7:30 pm. Climate Change

What is it? -- John Bailey, Climatologist at University of Bristol.

A Christian Response -- Prof. Colin Russell, Emeritus Professor, the Open University.

Wednesday 9 November 7:30 pm. Climate Change

What can we do about it? -- Lorraine Hudson, Create Centre, Bristol City Council.

A Speaker from Friends of the Earth.

29 June - 2 July at Cairns Road

(23 June 2005)

Events and contact details for events on and leading up to July 2nd Cairns Road Baptist: G8 and Live8 Street Party

• Wednesday 29 June & Friday 1 July. Themed Cafe with displays & clay modelling of 'Exodus Into Freedom'.
• Friday 1 July, 7:30 pm. Fair Trade Fashion Show & Wine Tasting. Entry by ticket - telephone 0117 942 5669 - £5.00/ticket.
• Saturday 2 July, 3:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Street Party! Free spit roast, live music, bouncy castle & slide, Fair Trade stalls, displays, live link to Live 8 Concert, activities for all ages, Cafe etc.
• Saturday 2 July, 6:30 pm. Community Gospel Choir Concert led by Geraldine Latty.

Proceeds from all events towards Christian Aid & Tear Fund, to help makepovertyhistory!

Edinburgh update - travel

(23 May 2005)

Its been a frustrating few months on the travel front. There have been huge difficulties negotiating with train operators, and theres still a large amount of uncertainty over exactly what will run. Coaches details are easier to come by though.

Trains

We had hoped there would be an MPH train from the South West, but this is looking increasingly unlikely. We definitely wont be organising one ourselves. There may be a train from Birmingham (Oxfam have best info on this), and there may be a train from Dorset which stops at Reading (see www.dorsetmph.org.uk for how to books tickets) but Network Rail won't confirm these trains until 3 weeks before they're due to run.

If you want to find info on public trains which are already confirmed, visit www.thetrainline.com

Coaches

Coaches organised nationally by MPH: Depart Bristol (Anchor Road), Fri 1st July, 07.30am, estimated arrival time, 5pm. Depart Edinburgh, Sun 3rd July, 10.00am. Cost: 55.

You can book seats on these coaches in the Edinburgh travel section of the main MPH site: http://mph.travelscotworld.co.uk/home/homepage.jsp

Other coaches:

Other groups in the area will probably be booking additional coaches with differing departure/return dates. If you are organising one of these, you can publicise this on the Edinburgh pages of the national MPH site: http://www.makepovertyhistory.org/edinburgh/index.shtml

You have to register on the site first. If you email me the details too, Ill make sure it goes on the www.bristolmph.org.uk site.

If youre wondering why theres so little transport listed under South West at the moment, its because theres a bug on the national MPH site - info Ive submitted has ended up under West Midlands! MPH are working on fixing it.

The Bristol giant human white band - Sat 11 June, 1:30 pm

(23 May 2005)

On 11 June the G8 finance ministers meet in London. Meanwhile in Bristol a giant white band will form at a prominent Bristol location. We cant officially say where it will be yet, but it wont be a million miles away from the Council House. The plan is for the white band to form at 2 pm after a cheerful parade down Park St.

This is just one of many events taking place in the run up to Edinburgh. 6 years ago in Bristol we had a Jubilee 2000 human chain right round the Watershed harbour area. Lets make it even bigger this time! Please put the date in your diary and let your friends know about it.

A poster advertising both Edinburgh and Bristol is available to download now from www.bristolmph.org.uk/resources.htm

Weve asked the Bristol Samba Band to take part, but they havent confirmed yet. So if you have musical contacts who would also like to take part, please contact Hilary Farey with the details (hfarey@blueyonder.co.uk, tel 940 9725)

Survey Shows World Poverty is Top Issue for UK Christians

(18 April 2005)

A survey of Christian political opinion in the United Kingdom found that 60 percent of Christian Britons view world poverty as a prime election issue while only 16 percent say terrorism would affect their choice in the upcoming General Election

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Nelson Mandela

Next Thursday 3rd February, Nelson Mandela will be coming to London at the invitation of the Make Poverty History coalition to endorse the campaign. He will address a rally in Trafalgar Square, central London. The event will start at 11.30am and is expected to finish by 1pm, however people are encouraged to arrive earlier because of the large number of people expected. More information will be posted on our website (www.christianaid.org/campaign) in the coming days.

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Fairtrade Christmas Café

There will be a Fairtrade Christmas Café at the Wicklea Centre, Wick Road, Brislington, on Saturday 4 December from 10.30am - 3.00pm.

Please display this flyer (PDF format, 566Kb).

For further information, please ring Gill Luxford on 985 8378 or email gillandandrew@hotmail.com. See flyer attached.

Make Poverty History

Roger Allen has received this message from Tom Baker, the Christian Aid Campaign Events Assistant.

Dear All,

Church denominations and church agencies have come together to organise a faith launch of 'Make Poverty History' at Bloomsbury Baptist Church on Saturday 29th January. Politicians, celebrities, church leaders and representatives of the NGO community have all been invited to speak at the event, and take part in a number of Q+A sessions during the day. As well as speeches and panel debates their will be a marketplace where delegates will be able to pick up resources and hear more about the different organisations. It should be an interesting and inspiring day.

Christian Aid has a number of places for campaigners and supporters to attend the event which starts at 10am and runs until around 4pm. Area co-ordinator are asked to invite around 20 key supporters/campaigners to attend the day, although if you aren't able to fill the spaces please don't worry. It would be helpful for us to have an idea of names/numbers by Friday 3rd December, I will then send out final information about the day in early January. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions/queries.

If you are interested, please contact Roger Allen (rallen@christian-aid.org).

There is a Press Release with more details of the campaign, issued in December 2004.

26 September 2004: Trade Justice Lobby

We do like to - lobby - beside the seaside.

Come and deliver your Vote for Trade Justice in Brighton on the opening day of the Labour Party conference - Sunday 26 September. Our coaches will take you to join thousands of people in an action packed day of special events and a colourful rally to get the trade justice message across to the Government loud and clear.

Unjust trade rules, backed by rich country governments, keep millions of people in poverty around the world and harm our environment. The UK government says warm words about making world trade fair, but its policies still harm both people and planet. How can we persuade them to turn rhetoric into action?

Together we can make a difference. Our new campaign action, Vote for Trade Justice, will demonstrate the level of public concern on these issues.

The day's events will start at 1pm, and will include:

• a rally on Madeira Drive, Brighton, with international speakers and celebrities, including Kwame from Casualty (filmed in Bristol)
• a Trade Justice Carnival - bring your pots and pans, whistles and drums for a Latin American style protest
• Ballot on the Beach (the mass moment when we want everyone there!) - an opportunity to cast your Vote for Trade Justice alongside thousands of others.

From 4.30 pm: events around town organised by leading campaign organisations. Most activities are likely to be over by 6pm.

You can book your place on a coach through your Constituency Contact:

Northavon	Angie Allen: 01454 416 446 or Diane Barnard
Kingswood	Mary Evans: 0117 957 0334 nigelmary@goodevansabove.freeserve.co.uk
Bristol East	Sophie Shirt: 0117 959 4687 sshirt@christian-aid.org
Bristol North West	Max Khanna: 0117 959 2737 mkhanna@christian-aid.org
Bristol West	David Gabriel: 0117 962 0345 davidandjenny@dgabriel.freeserve.co.uk
Bristol South	Richard Heading c/o Nigel Quarrell: 01452 412 888 nquarrell@christian-aid.org
Wansdyke	Penny Garrett: 0117 986 2254 pjmgarrett@onetel.com

We estimate the price of a seat will be £10-15. We will endeavour to keep people together in constituency groups so that you can meet up with your MP or Labour Party representative while you are in Brighton.

For more information see

• www.christianaid.org.uk/campaign
• www.tradejusticemovement.org.uk

Trade Justice Movement News

This PDF file tells you about Trade Justice news and events coming up in 2004 and 2005.

• Trade Justice News 30 March 2004: PDF