These notes compiled by Rev Canon Peter Challen are posted at http://globaltable.org.uk/wp/, and contribute background information for the Global Table, which continues on Wednesdays from 12noon to 2pm at the School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, W1U 3AJ – now hosted by the Open Research Group – meetings are open to all on a drop-in basis. This weekly forum is a persistent focal point for many who cannot often get to London, but are encouraged in bold initiatives by association and collaboration. We all continue to foster the public sense of the search for inclusive justice. We are trying to sense the richness of our networking without overburdening with detail. We collaborate in order that action may flow BOTH in specified targeted initiatives AND in acknowledgment of our shared commitment to ending exploitation – usury!
2017 – THE YEAR OF NEW POLITICS – We can work together to forge bonds that are purer than divisive politics and economics, deeper than our differences, and strong enough to withstand those forces that would tear us all apart. Three fundamental principles for human civilisation: 1. Absence of permanent, institutionalised hierarchy. 2. Sharing the wealth of the commons (land, resources, knowledge, all value from nature or co-created by humans). 3. Prohibition of interest/usury
Notes of 21st December 2016 meeting: OpenResearchGroup-161221
Forthcoming Events: http://globaltable.org.uk/wp/forthcoming-events
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ASSOCIATES AT THEIR POINTS OF WITNESS:
Taxpayers Against Poverty exercised active support. We congratulate Paul Nicholson and his team on their practical witness before parliamentarians on Jan 9th http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk. They campained on * An immediate rent freeze for a year in all sectors private, registered social landlords and councils, while rent regulations are brought in,* land owners to pay an annual ground rent to the government to force the use of unused land and empty property. Builders’ land banks own 600,000 plots of unused land. They cannot put land in an overseas tax free bank. REPORTS:
Universal Basic Income: On 16 January at the THEOS Think Tank Malcolm Torry will discuss the idea of a Citizen’s Basic Income. Additional resources: – Finland is Giving 2,000 Citizens a Guaranteed Income – A Brief History of the Idea That Everyone Should Get Free Cash for Life – The Wrong Kind of UBI
Quoting James Walter: We can solve this problem with the stroke of a pen or even without a pen, create and use alternative currencies. Decentralise money creation drawn on the wealth of the commons and shared equitably to fund public infrastructure and citizens dividend. Worked for Guernsey http://www.michaeljournal.org/guernsey.htm
Why Capitalism Creates Pointless Jobs : It’s as if someone were out there making up pointless jobs just for the sake of keeping us all working David Graeber Read more
The Basic Income and Job Guarantee are Complementary, not Opposing Policies Let’s see what happens when everyone has some cash on hand
Brad Voracek Read more
Compass: Now is the best time to join us to help shape the Progressive Alliance!
Critical Thinking posts daily blogs on a wide range of topics, and runs a regular discussion group on Wednesday evenings: http://www.freecriticalthinking.org.
Douglas Social Credit: The Winter 2016 issue of The Social Artist (incorporating The Social Crediter) in two pdf formats, one for reading on screen, the other for printing out as a booklet – available on www.douglassocialcredit.com
Eric Beinhocker of Evonomics introduces the ‘new economics’ research programme: How the Profound Changes in Economics Make Left Versus Right Debates Irrelevant
ICUK: recognises the necessity of dealing with BOTH the need for many urgent palliatives within a dying system AND a systemic curative re-design by the participative representative democratic application of an integrated political-economy. It concentrates on the Mega-Narrative within which the UK could shape all its independent but mutually accountable communities. An update is in formation: www.icuk.info/wp. Please contact PeterChallen@gmail.com for latest developments. Curative change to the political-economy like “Poetry happens in two stages, like sculpting; first the imagination, then the chisel.”
LETSlink envisages national and regional hubs – http://www.letslinkuk.net/practice/central-hub.htm – in order to enhance participation in different regions of the UK: existing local groups are linked here: http://www.letslinkuk.net/regions/uk-map.htm and work continues with putting individual groups online, recently Sheffield LETS: www.sheffieldlets.org.uk. But with many gaps in provision, there is an urgent need to bring enquirers together to form new groups – watch this space.
National Federation of Progressive Cooperators: http://nfpc.coop – meeting on 3rd December featured an informative address by Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell. Report: nfpc-161203
Occupy’s ‘Economics Working Group’ continues to meet Mondays and Fridays 5-7pm at Friends House Euston, welcomes new visitors who drop by, and contributes papers to our network: http://occupylondon.org.uk/occupy-economics-working-group/
Further Reports are invited from our associates in the quest for inclusive justice to stir our awareness.
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PUBLICATIONS & BLOGS – reviews always welcomed:
Campaign for Free Parliament CFP an 8 minute video of explanation: http://www.southdevonwatch.org.uk/independence-group/independence-in-democracy-martyn-greene-the-campaign-for-a-free-parliament/
Michael Mansfield – Why our 21st century democracy needs the spirit of 1647 – https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/02/21st-century-democracy-spirit-1647-article-50-supreme-court-people-state?CMP=share_btn_tw …
Mother Pelican of Luis T. Gutiérrez – Winter edition Mother Pelican Journal of Solidarity and Sustainability http://www.pelicanweb.org/solisustv13n01page1.html
Richard Murphy of Tax Research UK says: There is a magic money tree, so why did politicians lie about it throughout 2016? 21-12-16
The Simpol Solution – Solving global problems may be easier than we think – by John Bunzl & Nick Duffell . To be published in February 2017: Summary: Humanity is failing to tackle urgent global problems like climate change, tax havens, mass migration and wealth inequality. Meanwhile, voters are rebelling in the form of Brexit, Trump and the rise of the Far-Right. The SIMPOL SOLUTION reasons that there is just one barrier that prevents all governments from taking action: the fear that it would make their national economies uncompetitive. No nation can move first for fear of losing jobs and investment to others. http://www.simpol.org/index.php?id=545
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COLLABORATION: Over time our weekly forum has considered important aphorisms that help the development of dialogue that takes us into new understandings of the co-operative task. Let us remind ourselves of one of these each week: 9. “Understanding ‘servant leadership’ as the nature of education.” Mohammmed Ali packs a supportive punch…“The service you render to others is the rent you pay for your place on earth”.
