For current events, see FORTHCOMING EVENTS:
Recalling some events with aspects of common concern:-
Wednesday 27th September 2023, 7pm–8.30pm RNCM (Royal Northern College of Music), Manchester, M13 9RD: Join Naomi Klein, award-winning author of The Shock Doctrine and No Logo, for a special event, live in Manchester and via the livestream – details+booking.
Tuesday 26th September 7pm–8.30pm: Jonathan Freedland in conversation with Gordon Brown: Cadogan Hall, London, SW1X 9DQ – details+booking
Sunday 24th September 2023, 3pm: Free and Equal: What Would A Fair Society Look Like? Daniel Chandler: one of a series of Ethical Matters talks at Conway Hall: for details+booking see: Conway Hall Newsletter.
Friday 22nd – Sunday 24th September 2023: Festival of Permaculture 2023: A weekend of practical workshops, talks, activities and music to inspire change and find solutions using permaculture ethics, principles and design tools at Lambourne End Centre, Manor Rd, Lambourne End, Essex RM4 1NB: Stallspace, Day and Weekend Tickets available – details+booking.
Thursday, 21st September 2023: IPPR North: Parallel lives: Regionally rebalancing wealth, power and opportunity: 12:30-2.30pm: with Lisa Nandy MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities; Councillor Abi Brown, Stoke-on-Trent City Council; and Zoë Billingham, Director, IPPR North: at The Piece Hall, Blackledge, Halifax HX1 1RE
Monday 18th September 2023, 8pm–9.30pm BST, Conway Hall, London, WC1R 4RL: Katharine Viner, Editor-in-chief, The Guardian in conversation with Margaret Hodge and Harriet Harman: Live in London and online – details+booking.
Saturday 16th September 2023: Debt Justice: Annual National Gathering of activists from 10.30am to 5pm at The Station, Silver Street, Bristol – see details on latest Newsletter – free (donations welcome) book your place HERE.
Saturday 16th September 2023: Globalnet21, in partnership with Debate London – Introduction to Debating – hosted by Michael Pautsch: from 12noon to 4.30pm at the Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1AA – details and booking HERE
Thursday 14th September 2023 – 6.30-8pm in second Environment Week at LSE – speakers Heather Boushey, Ed Miliband, Dr Arkebe Oqubay, chair Dr Anna Valero: An industrial Strategy for the Green Economy
Wednesday 13th September 2023: 6pm BST: Session 4 of the Holos-Earth ‘Pilgrimage to Wholenss’ – Becoming re-Indigenous: Click here to register and access a pre-recorded interview with Daniel Christian Wahl: https://holos-earth.org/
Tuesday 12 September 2023 – 7.30-8.30pm: Introducing JustMoney Champions – booking free
Tuesday 12th September 2023 – 6.30-8pm: in second Environment Week at LSE – speakers Prof Oriana Bandiera, Dr Nemera Gebeyehu, Asia Sales, chair Dr Jonathan Leap: From Adversity and Resilience: Climate Justice in Developing Countries
Tuesday 12th September 2023 – 6.30-8pm: in second Environment Week at LSE – speakers Prof Oriana Bandiera, Dr Nemera Gebeyehu, Asia Sales, chair Dr Jonathan Leap: From Adversity and Resilience: Climate Justice in Developing Countries
Tuesday 12th September 2023 – 6.30-8pm: in second Environment Week at LSE – speakers Prof Oriana Bandiera, Dr Nemera Gebeyehu, Asia Sales, chair Dr Jonathan Leap: From Adversity and Resilience: Climate Justice in Developing Countries
Tuesday 12th September 2023 at 6pm: Compass’s next online episode of #ItsBloodyComplicated (held on 2nd & 4th Tuesdays). Guests include progressive politicians, thinkers, writers and activists, and are hosted by the Compass team – click here for Member Call Registration.
Monday 11th September 2023: 9.30am – 5pm: One Day Conference: What is the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on humanity? For details click HERE.
Monday 11th September 2023 – 6.30-8pm: in second Environment Week at LSE: Prof Michael Greenstone, Prof Namrata Kala, Prof Ji Zou, chair Dr Clare Balboni: The War on Air Pollution.
Tuesday 12th September 2023 – 6.30-8pm: in second Environment Week at LSE – speakers Prof Oriana Bandiera, Dr Nemera Gebeyehu, Asia Sales, chair Dr Jonathan Leap: From Adversity and Resilience: Climate Justice in Developing Countries
Monday 4th September, 6-7.30pm: LSE Events: Parenthood and the Double X Economy – speakers Linda Scott, Professor Henrik J Kleven, Alison McGovern, Old Theatre, Old Building, LSE
Monday 4th September 2023: Global Table recommences: at Wetherspoons in Victoria Station, London, from 3-7pm, chaired by Dr John Courtneidge: all welcome – see details HERE.
Thu 24th to Sun 27th August 2023: 50th Anniversary GREENBELT FESTIVAL – Boughton House, Geddington Rd, Kettering, Northants NN14 1BJ: Details + weekend/day/local tickets
Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th August 2023: BIEN (Basic Income Earth’s Network)’s 22nd Congress is taking place in South Korea: in-person and online booking details HERE.
Wednesday 23rd August 2023: Virtual Cogers: this online meeting – see www.cogers.org – is held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:45 for a 7pm start. For joining details email: contact@cogers.org
Wednesday 23rd to Friday 25th August 2023: BIEN (Basic Income Earth’s Network)’s 22nd Congress is taking place in South Korea: in-person and online booking details HERE.
Thu 24th to Sun 27th August 2023: 50th Anniversary GREENBELT FESTIVAL – Boughton House, Geddington Rd, Kettering, Northants NN14 1BJ: Details + weekend/day/local tickets
Thursday 17th August 2023: 7pm (UK time): to mark the 50th anniversary of the book Small is Beautiful, 2023 is an opportunity to advance solutions to today’s social, economic, and environmental challenges that build on Schumacher’s original vision: the Schumacher Center is convening a monthly series featuring New Economic thinkers, builders and activists from a range of fields. August’s theme is “Instituting U.B.I.: Meeting Needs Unconditionally.” Participants included Peter Barnes, Author of “Who Owns the Sky”, Herb Stephens of Democracy Earth Foundation, and a third panelist – ? The Conversation was hosted by Agatha Bacelar, who sits on the Schumacher Center Board of Directors. August Newsletter contains booking link See also VIDEO on YouTube.
Wednesday 16th August 2023: The Ware Society of Cogers hold their debate, on the third Wednesday of the month from 8pm, at The Brewery Tap, Cellar Bar, 83 High Street, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG12 9AD: www.cogers.org.
Monday 14th August 2023: The Cities of London & Westminster Society of Cogers, on the second Monday of the month, 6:45pm for a 7pm start to 9.15pm, at the Ye Olde Cock Tavern, 22 Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1AA. All are most welcome to attend and to speak: www.cogers.org
Saturday 5th August 2023: Mass Rally from 5.30pm, to show solidarity with the Amazon strikers, at BNX4 Warehouse, Lyons Park, Sayer Drive Coventry CV5 9DQ – details HERE.
Thursday, 3 August 2023: Keep Talking: Anthony Webber: How to re-platform and take back control of the media: 7pm for 7.30–10pm: The Tea House Theatre, 139 Vauxhall Walk, London, SE11 5HL. Tel: 020 7207 4585: Entry: £5/£3. For details contact: Ian Fantom <ian@keeptalking.info>.
Thursday 3rd August 2023: Positive Money Demo at Bank of England from 8.30am: Full details and sign-up HERE.
Wednesday 2nd August 2023: Globalnet21 Debate Night: Should Brits Work Less? (4 Day Work Week) – 7pm to 9.30pm at the Tea House Theatre, 139 Vauxhall Walk, London SE11 5HL – hosted by Michael Pautsch: Details/booking HERE.
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Wed 18th to Sat 21st August 2021 – Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) – next annual congress will take place virtually, organised from Glasgow. To see the call for papers click here.
Thu 17th – Sat 19th June 2021: NABIG – The North American Basic Income Guarantee – Congress will be online this year with the theme ‘Basic Income: Knowledge, Activism, Policy’. Proposals for papers, roundtables, organising meetings, artistic and other events will be accepted until Monday 19th April 2021. You can find more details on this link.
Tue 15th to Wed 16th June 2021 – Presencing Institute Global Forum: Healing Collective Trauma
Saturday 5th June 2021: 9.30am – 3.30pm – one day zoom workshop on Transforming Work.
From Mon 3rd May to 18th July 2021(half term 31 May – 6th June) “Economics with Justice” – Introductory Course at the School of Economic Science: 10 weekly 75-min webinars (choice of ten regular session times) – Cost: £10 (discounted from £60) – Register: www.economicswithjustice.com
Tuesday 27th April 2021: 7.30-9pm: Resurgence & Network of Wellbeing (£8/£4): Hope in Action – Living Better with Less
Tuesday 27th April 2021: 6-7pm: Compass: In Conversation with Mandu Reid
Saturday 24th April 2021: 4pm 5.30pm: London Futurists: The Future Starts Now
Thursday 22nd from 7pm to Sunday 25th April 2021: The COP26 Coalition hosts: From the Ground Up: Taking Action, our second Global Gathering for Climate Justice
Thursday 22nd April 2021: 6pm-7.30pm: Holos-Earth Project: with Sue Cooper of Self-Care World
Saturday 17th April 2021: 4pm-5.30pm: London Futurists: Thinking About the End of the World
Thursday 15th April 2021: 7pm-8pm: Globalnet21: Does Money Grow On Trees? – The New Economics
Tuesday 13th April 2021: 7pm-8pm: Globalnet21: Doughnuts, Economics & Sustainability
Tuesday 13th April 2021: 6pm-7pm: Compass: In Conversation with Vince Cable
Monday 12th April 2021: 7pm-8pm: Basic Income Conversation with Michael Tubbs – YouTube
Monday 12th April 2021: 7pm-8pm: Our Permaculture Hour
Sunday 11th April 2021: WISE Up Action – A Solidarity Network for Manning and Assange – 11:30am-12noon outside Ecuadorian Embassy, 1-1:30pm outside Westminster magistrates Court and 3-4pm outside Belmarsh prison: Protests to mark two years of imprisonment of Julian Assange
Saturday 10th April 2021: 4pm-5.30pm: London Futurists: We Have Always Been Cyborgs.
Friday 9th April 2021: 7pm-8.30pm – Seasteading Social: Monthly Meeting – “Governance”
Thursday 8th April 2021: 11am: Globalnet21: Avoiding Ecological Disaster
Tuesday 6th April 2021: 6pm: The Action Network: Make Votes Matter: How to Speak with confidence about PR; www.actionnetwork.org
Thursday 1st April 2021: 6pm: CUSP (Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity): “Shift to a Wellbeing Economy” put the health of people and planet first – Petition Launch – chaired by Caroline Lucas: see video: www.cusp.ac.uk/themes/aetw/wellbeingeconomypetition/
Thursday 1st April 2021: Presencing Institute – Cultivating the Soil: two sessions: 2pm and 5pm: – full details and many other fascinating reports on: www.presencing.org
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Monday 29th June 2020:– 18.45 to 20.00: Cafe Diplo via Zoom: The Politics of Oil, Covid-19 & Climate Change: Opportunity or Threat? Money, Markets & Monarchies: Further details on the Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique website where you can see the future programme of events.
* Sunday 28th June 2020, 6-8pm: Meetup, 4th Sunday of the month, at Speaker’s Corner, hosted by Janos Abel, From “Something New Must Emerge” – due to lockdown, confirmation of next meeting will follow.
** Friday 6th June 2020: 7pm – Occupy Economics Working Group: previously 5-7pm in the corridor next to Cafe at Friends House,173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ on Mondays & Fridays – for an experimental period, now meeting on Fridays. If you would like to join us, call John on 07950 996418 or Mary on 07966 216891 (in advance) • Occupy London Economics Working Group • www.co-operativesocialism.org
Friday 6th June 2020: 2pm: Online public meeting hosted by Global Justice Now: Why the US-UK trade deal will make us more vulnerable to crisis: With the US-UK trade negotiations starting again in the midst of the coronavirus crisis the issue of how international trade deals affect our economies, our environment and our government’s ability to respond to crises like Covid-19 is back on the agenda. For full details and booking, go to Global Justice Now events page:
Thursday 4th June 2020: Economics for Activists: formerly at the Italian Advice Centre, 124 Canonbury Road, London, N1 2UT, now ONLINE: The Islington Economics Discussion Group is reborn as Economics for Activists and meets on the first Thursday of the month. The new name is to reflect the urgency of the struggle facing us. We all know that next five years are going to be critical for life in Britain and even for the planet. It is essential that the neo-liberal ideology is defeated and replaced with a people’s narrative of justice, fairness and democracy, and to achieve this an understanding of the economic issues is crucial, for example, many people now find it impossible to even consider getting on the housing ladder. The next meeting topic is Covid 19, The Aftermath featuring Özlem Onaran, Professor of Economics at the University of Greenwich, who will speak on the demand and supply side effects of public investment in social and physical infrastructure to rebuild the economy in the aftermath of the Covid19 crisis, focusing on the interaction of gender, income and wealth inequalities, employment, productivity and output. For further information, to be added to the mailing list and get the zoom link for the meeting, please contact: Robert Doyle <ironbridgebob@gmail.com> • 07956 469 450.
Tuesday 2nd June 2020: 6-7pm: Compass all-member call. This week we’ll be in conversation with Labour MP for Tottenham, shadow frontbencher, author, and activist David Lammy MP. From Windrush to Grenfell, and beyond, David is a notoriously dedicated and tireless campaigner for social justice. Now, as Shadow Secretary of State for Justice, David is continuing to hold the government to account over the deep inequalities which run right through our society. David was also one of the 110 MPs and Peers who joined together in April to demand a Recovery Basic Income in response to the Coronavirus crisis. As if that wasn’t enough, he has recently written a brilliant book, Tribes: How Our Need to Belong Can Make or Break the Society. It’s a fascinating meditation and call-to-arms, thinking deeply about the benefits and dangers of identity and belonging, and what that means for society. We’re so excited to talk to David about all of this, and so much more. You can join and register for the call: https://action.compassonline.org.uk/june2
Thursday 9th April 2020: 6.30pm WEBINAR: Coronavirus, capitalism and global inequality series. A fortnightly series of online public meetings hosted by Global Justice Now: The coronavirus pandemic has not only shown us how unprepared our healthcare and food systems are in emergency situations but also how, in moments of real crisis, we can marshal extraordinary resources to solve problems facing society. It’s also shown us that while the wealthy get bailouts, the costs of fighting a crisis may fall on the most vulnerable and least responsible. When this crisis subsides, we will still face the continued crises of inequality, corporate greed and climate change which present an existential threat to global society. Now more than ever fighting these injustices must be a priority. Only very large-scale intervention in the markets, unprecedented debt cancellation, financial reform and massive bolstering of the public sector globally can both deal with these issues and restore employment in a post crisis financial downturn.
Join us for a series of debates and webinars about these issues and more. On Thursday 9 April we’ll be starting with…Business as usual isn’t good enough. Why neoliberalism won’t help the global south out of this crisis.
With Myriam Vander Stichele, The Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations / SOMO (live from the Netherlands), Tim Jones, head of policy, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Daniel Willis, policy campaigner, Global Justice Now. Full details (as above) and joining link: Global Justice Events.
Thursday 2nd April 2020: Economics for Activists: formerly at the Italian Advice Centre, 124 Canonbury Road, London, N1 2UT, now ONLINE: The Islington Economics Discussion Group is reborn as Economics for Activists and meets on the first Thursday of the month. The new name is to reflect the urgency of the struggle facing us. We all know that next five years are going to be critical for life in Britain and even for the planet. It is essential that the neo-liberal ideology is defeated and replaced with a people’s narrative of justice, fairness and democracy, and to achieve this an understanding of the economic issues is crucial, for example, many people now find it impossible to even consider getting on the housing ladder. At our first online meeting we will be discussing some of the economic implications of the current Covid crisis. If you have time, please watch this interview with Yanis Varoufakis, in which he argues that the EU is making a category error by treating the economic crisis as a problem of liquidity when in fact it’s a problem of widespread bankruptcy: https://youtu.be/jelIraqya6o. You can join the meeting by clicking this link: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/
Thursday 26th March 2020: London Futurists: online webinar from 7pm: UBI: wise response or naive distraction, to Covid-19 and future disruptions? Is the concept of UBI – Universal Basic Income – a wise response, or a naive distraction, to the challenges posed by Covid-19 and likely future social disruptions? Are regular payments to every citizen in the country an appropriate solution to the fragility that the coronavirus pandemic is exposing in our economy and social safety net? When we consider potential additional crises that may boil over in the years ahead, does the case for UBI strengthen or weaken? And what are the alternatives to UBI? To address these questions, this online Zoom discussion will include a number of initial short talks. They will be followed by a group discussion in which all online attendees can participate. The event ran for two hours: the record should appear HERE.
Tuesday 17th March 2020: From Nudges to Catalysts: A New Approach to Policy for a New Decade: Online Meeting: by Promoting Economic Pluralism (PEP): Elinor Ostrom at her 2009 Nobel lecture said: “Designing institutions to force (or nudge) entirely self-interested individuals to achieve better outcomes has been the major goal posited by policy analysts for governments to accomplish for much of the past half century. Extensive empirical research leads me to argue that instead, a core goal of public policy should be to facilitate the development of institutions that bring out the best in humans.” As neo-liberalism dies, the one common denominator of emerging economic thinking is that Governments should be more activist. Governments are called on to be ‘Entrepreneurial’ by Mariana Mazzucato, to deliver Green New Deals by the environmental movement, build more social housing etc etc. And now we have a self-described ‘Brexity Hezza’ as both PM and effectively Chancellor it would seem – ‘Hezza’ being Michael Heseltine’ nickname famous back in the day for policy activism in Thatcher’s government. So how should Governments act if they took Ostrom’s finding seriously? What is the problem with ‘nudging’, forcing or even incentivising anyway? What would institutions look like that ‘bring out the best in humans’? And what, or rather who are catalysts?
Henry Leveson-Gower will seek to answer these questions and propose a new ‘catalytic’ approach to Government action which he believes has the potential to facilitate the type of system changes we so urgently need in this decade and beyond. This approach draws on institutional economics, practical innovations in cooperative design and his experience as a policy maker. Orit Gal, a complexity economist interested in decision making in complex systems, will open the discussion followed by general discussion.
Henry Leveson-Gower has over 25 years experience of applying a pluralist approach to economics to inform environmental policy in the UK and internationally. He is CEO and founder of PEP, editor of The Mint Magazineand a part-time senior policy adviser at Defra. This presentation draws particularly on his work as a research fellow at the Centre for Evaluating Complexity Across The Nexus at the University of Surrey in 2017. He is also a fellow of The RSA, has a degree in philosophy and is a qualified chartered accountant.
Dr Orit Gal is currently a Senior Lecturer for Strategy and Complexity at Regent’s University London, and Founder at Urbaniser app, Orit is a political economist with a deep curiosity for the inner workings of complex social systems. An expert generalist, she has worked in tech start-ups; corporate market research; peace-building NGOs; and innovative policy and military think-tanks. Having the opportunity to closely observe decision makers operating in messy, dynamic, and highly complex environments, she has focused her work on exploring the intersection between complexity science and effective operational design.
Wednesday 11th March 2020: 7pm to 9pm: Tower Hamlets Positive Money Group will host Ray Ripon Ray, founder of the Universal Credit Action Network, will be this evening’s guest speaker on managed migration to Universal Credit. Analysis by the Child Poverty Action Group of the impact of changes to tax credits and Universal Credit finds that families will lose on average £960 a year. Southwark and Croydon arrears were larger for those on Universal Credit than Housing Benefit: by week 20, UC tenants were on average £156 in arrears. Households moving onto receiving Universal Credit will have a minimum 6 week delay before receiving any income after claiming, meaning that many people are likely to fall into rent arrears, fuel and food poverty. We believe that significant reform of the system is needed so that Universal Credit pays enough money for people to live on and is designed in a way which works for everyone. All are welcome, come along to find out more and get involved! The meeting is held at The Minerva Community Centre, Bethnal Green E2 9EH (entrance via Treadwell Street):
Monday 17th February 2020: Cafe Diplo: “The Science of Motivation and its role in changing our lives” with Professor Robert West: Venue: 6.45-8.30pm: at the Gallery, 70/77 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ. Admission free, suggested donation £3 (£2 concession) at the door: organised by Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique – Full details: www.mondediplofriends.org.uk
Wednesday 12th February at 7pm: Tower Hamlets Positive Money Group will be screening “The Dirty War on the NHS”, a new important film by acclaimed journalist and film maker John Pilger, at The Minerva Community Centre, Bethnal Green E2 9EH (entrance via Treadwell Street): free filming (donations will be passed to film-makers): John Pilger’s new documentary, The Dirty War on the NHS, “goes to the heart of the struggle for democracy today”, he says. Britain’s National Health Service, the NHS, was the world’s first universal public health service. Designed to give millions of people “freedom from fear”, the NHS today is under threat of being sold off and converted to a free market model inspired by America’s disastrous health insurance system, which results in the death every year of an estimated 45,000 people. Now President Trump says the NHS is “on the table” in any future trade deal with America. Filmed in Britain and the United States, this timely, compelling documentary touches us all and reveals what may be the last battle to preserve the most fundamental human right. To view the trailer please visit https://www.dartmouthfilms.com/dirty-war-nhs. Poster: HERE.
Monday 3rd February 2020: Cafe Diplo: “Voices of Resistance in the Gig Economy” with Dr Jamie Woodcock: Venue: 6.45-8.30pm: at the Gallery, 70/77 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EJ. Admission free, suggested donation £3 (£2 concession) at the door: organised by Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique – Full details: www.mondediplofriends.org.uk
Wednesday 29th January 2020: Positive Money Hammersmith: Film: The Dirty War on the NHS by John Pilger at the Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, W6 0DT. Doors open at 6.45pm, film starts at 7pm, group feedback at 9pm, finish at 9.30pm. Cost: £8 (£5 concessions, £10 if you’re feeling generous!), all proceeds go to the independent film distributor and to the venue. John Pilger’s new documentary, The Dirty War on the NHS, “goes to the heart of the struggle for democracy today”, he says. Britain’s National Health Service, the NHS, was the world’s first universal public health service. Designed to give millions of people “freedom from fear”, the NHS today is under threat of being sold off and converted to a free market model inspired by America’s disastrous health insurance system, which results in the death every year of an estimated 45,000 people. Now President Trump says the NHS is “on the table” in any future trade deal with America. Filmed in Britain and the United States, this timely, compelling documentary touches us all and reveals what may be the last battle to preserve the most fundamental human right. To view the trailer please click HERE. We will be screening the film followed by a short group feedback round. Positive Money Hammersmith is a friendly group with many regulars. We always look forward to welcoming first timers and we hope to see you there! BOOKING LINK
Thursday 23rd January 2020: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham: Meeting will be at our usual venue of the Prince Public House, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, SE10 8RT. It will start at 1930hrs, and will see the launch of Ivo Mosley’s newly released book, “Bank Robbery”. Ivo has been a member of our group since its creation. Chapters from the book have been serialised by Positive money over the last couple of years, but we can now have access to the complete book. And a very interesting read it has turned out to be. The title is “Bank Robbery, the way we create money, and how it damages the world”. It is a most important and useful addition to books on money reform. Ivo has produce a comprehensive and meticulously researched summary of the legislation supporting our present system of money, and an analysis of how it damages our society. His suggestions for reform are realistic, and he acknowledges the difficulties reformers are likely to meet. Unlike Jackson and Dyson’s “Modernising Money”, Ivo does not suggest a reform programme. His book is more a resource to guide in the development of a reform programme. It is an important addition to the subject Money Reform.
Thursday 16th January 2020: 6.16pm to 9pm: Join My Fair London, The Equality Trust and Toynbee Hall in discussion with Professor Richard Wilkinson to discuss his latest book The Inner Level, co-written with Professor Kate Pickett. The Inner Level explains how economic inequality impacts on each of us as individuals; how we think, feel and behave. Richard will discuss the psychological effects of material inequalities, in particular, the epidemic of mental health problems, such as anxiety and depression. Venue: Toynbee Hall – 28 Commercial Street – London E1 6LS – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/richard-wilkinson-the-inner-level-and-status-anxiety-tickets-85229286089
Thursday 16th January: What Happens Next in Politics: from 9.30am to 2pm at Somerville College in Oxford to hear from • George Monbiot, journalist • Kate Raworth, author of Doughnut Economics • Shaista Aziz, councillor and activist • Guy Standing, author of The Precariat • Danny Dorling, author of Peak Inequality • Jennifer Nadel, Co-Director of Compassion in Politics. After last week’s election result, many of us are wondering what can we do to ensure that climate justice, social progress, and compassion are at the forefront of British politics in the coming years? To help answer that question, we’re excited to have pulled together an amazing line-up of brilliant speakers. You can book your tickets here – and, as it is the festive season – if you’d like to gift one to a friend we can arrange to have it delivered to them. Email info@compassioninpolitics.com to tell us the details of who you have bought one for.
Wednesday 15th January 2020: A message of love (Luke 4:18): Why should we support Julian Assange? 6.00-8.00 pm – in the Church Hall at St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, London W1J 9LL (access from Church Place). FREE TALK AND DISCUSSION with Q & A • DEEPA GOVINDARAGAN DRIVER Lecturer in Governance, Regulation and Risk, Reading University • JOANNE MORRISON Christian activist • LISA LONGSTAFF Women Against Rape • MAXINE WALKER Committee to Defend Julian Assange: Click for full details HERE.
Friday 10th January 2020: Public Banking Institute: Coalition Conference Call: We invite you to join us and folks from around the country to discuss public banking the second Friday of the month – 12noon (US Eastern Time) = 5pm (UK time). This hour-long interactive conversation will give you a chance to ask questions of any sort about public banking, as well as find out about what’s going on in the movement, what problems are appearing and what developments are taking place. Instructions for joining this video and audio conference will be included in your registration confirmation. If you have questions, please contact the Administrator. We hope to see you then! Register HERE.
Wednesday 11th December 2019: How Fairer Banking Can Help Avert Climate Crisis – Don Beal will be giving a presentation on how fairer banking can help avert climate crisis. He’ll be showing how a change in bank taxes can affect money creation and how that money can then flow in society. This change can increase worthwhile investment while discouraging lending for consumption and speculation. This will increase the money available for environmental and climate-related projects. We’d love to see you there, please come and tell your friends. Better yet please bring them with you. This will be the last meeting of the year, so we hope you can make it for a Christmas social afterwards! Andy Philpott. venue: Minerva Community Centre, 10 Minerva St, Bethnal Green, London E2 9EH: www.positivemoney.org
Wednesday 11th December 2019: Positive Money Hammersmith: Chinese Crypto-Currency vs Facebook’s Libra – spot the difference –
“The People’s Bank of China announced earlier this year that it was working on a digital currency backed by the yuan, reportedly inspired Facebook’s announcement. Analysts and crypto industry leaders are highlighting geopolitical implications of China launching a digital currency first — especially if Libra hits a brick wall with U.S. regulators.” Source: ‘As Facebook’s Libra faces headwinds, China is racing to launch its own global cryptocurrency’.
Link: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/
Tuesday 10th December 2019: Promoting Economic Pluralism: Holding Corporations to Account: towards an Economic Democracy in the UK? We take it for granted that we get to vote in elections, but that is of course a relatively recent innovation. Universal suffrage only occurred in 1928. However most of us don’t get a say in how corporations organise our economy. They produce accounts for their shareholders but largely ignore their other stakeholders such as employees, customers, suppliers and wider society, despite recent attempts to enhance corporate reporting. And only the shareholders get a vote, which few use. In the meantime, although governments do regulate corporations, their aim is largely to stop illegality rather than to create an economy that serves us all. But the fact is that the everyday operations of our largest companies affect us all in our everyday lives, as well as our future prospects. In a very real sense the future of our planet is in their hands, whilst in the shorter term if they go bankrupt, as Thomas Cook recently did, they can have huge immediate impacts on their employees, customers and suppliers. So should and could corporations be more accountable to their stakeholders beyond investors? And how might that work in practice? These are the questions that Richard Murphy and Rita Samiolo will set out to answer followed by open discussion and then a wine reception. Venue: The School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ – Tickets: £8.68 – £16.76 – Further details/Booking.
Thursday, November 21st 2019 7.30-9:30pm: Positive Money Greenwich: Climate Breakdown, Economic Transformation and the Reform of Money. We are delighted to announce that this evening’s lecture and discussion will be led by Professor Ian Gough, author of ‘Heat, Greed and Human Need: Climate Change, Capitalism and Sustainable Wellbeing’ (2017). He describes his talk as follows: “We have no more than a decade to de-carbonise much of our economy, which will require an unprecedented transition – and a just transition – in economic management. Labour-Green proposals for a Green New Deal are one topical example of an eco-social approach to de-carbonise whilst improving wellbeing. But what are the implications of this for the financial system? I hope to learn as well as lecture in this meeting.” A fascinating and timely topic for our evening’s engagement and debate. We look forward to welcoming you. Tim and Mike, Positive Money, Greenwich & Lewisham Group: Details/Booking.
Thursday 17th October at 7:30pm: Positive Money Greenwich presents: A Convenient Untruth: As Henry Ford is said to have remarked, it’s as well that people don’t understand our banking and monetary system, “for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning”. From Gramsci to Chomsky, we know that language controls thought, and that those thoughts can produce misconceptions that fundamentally mislead our grasp of what is actually happening. When banks claim to have made a “transfer” of their funds to your account, or to hold your “deposit” in theirs, they play into a “common sense” understanding of their role as simply acting as an intermediary between borrowers and savers. But these are “convenient untruths” as far as the bankers are concerned. Maybe they fear that revolution. Maybe our role is to offer a counter-language, closer to the true situation. There is a lot to think and talk about here. Why not join in the discussion? But watch your language! Venue: As usual, we’ll be meeting in the upper room of the Prince of Greenwich pub, 78 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE11 8RT. We look forward to seeing you all there. Please feel free to bring along a friend that might be interested too, everyone is welcome. Best wishes, Mike and Tim – SEND RSVP
Wednesday 9th October 2019 7pm: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: A damning indictment of mortgage fraud. The Great British Mortgage Swindle will be screened on at our next meeting. We’ll be showing this in association with Positive Money Hackney: Venue: 7pm at Minerva Community Centre, 10 Minerva Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9EH:
Wednesday 9th October 2019: 7-9.30pm: Promoting Economic Pluralism: Is there a future for heterodox economics? Over the last 50 years, the community of heterodox economists has expanded, and its publications have proliferated. Heterodoxy was given a big boost after mainstream economics was discredited by the Great Crash of 2008. But its power in departments of economics has waned. Addressing this paradox, Geoff Hodgson argues that heterodox economists are defined more by left ideology than by a shared understanding of the nature of orthodox economics and of what should replace it. Heterodox economists cannot agree on what heterodoxy means. He applies work on the social nature of science and its institutions to help explain the failure of heterodox economics to gain ground. By stressing the need for a raison d’être and a defined zone of engagement, it concludes by assessing several strategic options for its future. One thing is clear: unless heterodox economics adapts it is unlikely to prosper. Carolina Alves, a Research Fellow in Heterodox Economics at the University of Cambridge, and activist will provide a response followed by open discussion. A networking wine reception will follow the discussion. £15/£7.50 (early booking discounts). Venue: SES, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London, W1U 3AJ – Details/Booking.
Wednesday 2nd October 2019 – 6:30pm-8:00pm: LSE International Inequalities Institute presents: Plunder of the Commons: A Manifesto for Sharing Public Wealth: with Speaker: Professor Guy Standing (Professorial Research Associate, SOAS Univ London) and Discussants: Rt Hon David Lammy MP (Labour Party MP for Tottenham) and Rt Hon Caroline Lucas MP (Green Party MP for Brighton) Venue: LSE Campus, Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, 54 Lincoln’s Inn Fields. For details see FLYER: LSE-InequalitiesInstitute-191002.
Thursday 19th September 2019: 7.30pm Positive Money Greenwich: hosts Don Beal, who is currently trying to interest politicians in a simple taxation change for banks. This might be a good opportunity to review the detail of Positive Money’s overall approach to Monetary Reform. Most people will agree that there are many things wrong with our current money system, but there is little agreement on priorities for change, and even less on how they are to be achieved. “Modernising Money”, our founding document, proposed a single comprehensive change, but with hindsight this is probably too big a single step, even a comprehensive monetary meltdown. And with the rise of Shadow Banking, it is not clear how it could be achieved. Don Beal will suggest a simple taxation change that might be more achievable and would reduce at least one of the area’s of concern. This change would affect money creation and the destination of the created money in a way that benefits society in general, by encouraging its productive use and discouraging its use for asset bubbles and consumer debt. It has the attraction of avoiding the disruption of radical change, yet could produce major societal benefits over time. Don is the co-founder of the Tower Hamlets PoMo group, and will set out his proposal in a paper that I will circulate shortly. It will offer the financial facts that have prompted the idea and why an apparently simple change would be so beneficial for everyone. As always, the meeting will want to hear your comments, criticisms, suggestions for improvement and for alternative proposals. So come along and take a break from Brexit news! The meeting will be at our usual venue of the Prince Public House, 72 Royal Hill, London SE10 8RT. Mike and Tim
Thursday 12th September 2019: 4pm to 5.30pm The Progressive Economy Forum (PEF) and Stamp Out Poverty jointly host: ‘Making the UK A Citadel of Long-Term Finance: A Comprehensive Financial Transactions Tax Proposal’. The discussion will take place on Thursday 12th September 2019 from 16:00 to 17:30, and will consider a new paper published by Intelligence Capital. It will be held in the Clore Lecture Theatre, Birkbeck University of London, Torrington Square, Bloomsbury, WC1 E7JL. Professor Avinash Persaud (Chairman of Intelligence Capital) will speak for 20 minutes on the paper. There will then be 5-10 minute comments from Professor Stephany Griffith-Jones (PEF Council), Rt Hon John McDonnell MP (Shadow Chancellor), and David Hillman (Director, Stamp Out Poverty). The event will be chaired by Patrick Allen of PEF. There will be an opportunity for Q&A. If you have any questions about the event contact Adam Peggs on apeggs@progressiveeconomyforum.com. See Report: https://progressiveeconomyforum.com/events/making-the-uk-a-citadel-of-long-term-finance/
Wednesday 11th September 2019: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: Enough is Enough: Central banks no longer have any effective means to save our economy when the next crash happens. This will cause even more devastation than the 2008 crash which we are still recovering from. Boom and bust cycles are the symptoms of a diseased and irrational growth addiction. Are we finally ready and able to transition to a mature economy where growth is replaced by sustainable choices? We’ll be showing some videos and having a discussion about how to get to a safer economy and provide better stewardship of our natural resources: Venue: 7pm at Minerva Community Centre, 10 Minerva Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9EH: September 11th 2019 Enough is Enough – www.Positivemoney.org – PMhamlets@gmail.com
Tuesday 10th September 2019: 7-9.30pm: Promoting Economic Pluralism: The perils of Corporate Social Responsibility: Conflict and resistance in the extractive industries: There are more than 800 ongoing conflicts involving the extractive industries (mining, gas and oil) and communities impacted by extractive activity. Most of these conflicts are in the developing countries of Africa, Asia and Latin America. Extractives industries promote their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and multi-stakeholder initiatives (MSIs) as ways to minimize conflicts. However, despite flaunting their impressive CSR credentials multinational corporations find themselves in conflict with the communities in which they operate because of the negative social and environmental impacts of mining and extraction. Bobby Banerjee provides a critical analysis of these conflicts and offers a community based framework that can enable a more progressive approach to the governance of natural resource extraction. Sophia Pickles will provide a campaigning perspective. The presentations will be followed by a discussion and then a networking reception with wine and snacks. £15/£7.50. Venue: SES, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London, W1U 3AJ – Details/Booking.
Sunday 25th August 2019: 1pm to 7pm: Positive Money Tower Hamlets ran a stall at a local street party festival taking place on Sunday 25th August and is found some volunteers to help – a very nice day. Contact: Andy Philpott <ajphilpott@aol.com>. The event was organised by Common House. https://www.commonhouse.org.uk/common-groundopen-planning-meetingscall-for-proposals.
** Friday 19th July 2019: 5-7pm: Occupy Economics Working Group: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ: usually in corridor next to Cafe: the future of this as an open group is now in question, so if you are planning to attend, please call or text Mary on 07966 216891 • Occupy London • Economics Working Group • www.co-operativesocialism.org
Thursday, July 18, 2019: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham: Open Forum Evening – 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM, The Prince of Greenwich, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, SE10 8RT. So far, the usual format of our monthly meetings has been that we choose a speaker and subject and hope that it attracts an interested audience. This month we are going to try a different format: an Open Forum! There are more than enough interesting new topics floating around that we could and probably should discuss. here are some we’ve thought up: – Has the City got a future post-Brexit ? – Can the Bank of England be above politics ? – Will Libra re-define money ? So, Mike and Tim invite you to bring, present and explore your own pet subject. If needed, we will kick things off, but our past experience is that discussion is still going strong when it is time to go home! So, come and be prepared to air and defend your chosen position on any (money-related) subject against all comers. We look forward to another evening of lively discussion. Mike and Tim. RSVP via Meetup.
Monday 15th July 2019: Nature of Prosperity Dialogue: Reviving Democracy. CUSP’s fifth Nature of Prosperity dialogue tackles the political economy of prosperity, searching among the ruins of an old consensus for the seeds of a new one. Hosted by Rowan Williams, the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, and chaired by CUSP Director Tim Jackson, speakers will include Caroline Lucas (MP, Green Party), Jesse Norman (MP, Conservatives), Simon Caney (University of Warwick), Will Davies (Goldsmiths College, London), Isabelle Ferreras (Université Catholique de Louvain), Miriam Ronzoni (University of Manchester) and Jonathan Rowson (Director, Perspectiva): Venue: The Royal Institution, Mayfair, London 11am-5.30pm: Details/Booking.
Wednesday 10th July 2019: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: “Is another financial crash due and are we prepared for it?” What that might mean for us now that personal debt is at an all time high and set to last a lifetime for many of us? We’ll be showing videos by economist Mark Blyth who predicted the rise of Donald Trump to become president and the lessons of history and failings of short term politics! We look forward to seeing you there for what will be a lively debate about what we want from politics now the economic landscape has changed. Tea, coffee and cake as usual, please bring your questions and any answers! Warm regards, Andy Philpott Positive Money Tower Hamlets: 7pm to 9pm: Minerva Community Centre, 10 Minerva Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9EH.
Wednesday 3rd July 2019: Inflation, Economics Dung Beetle – Positive Money Hammersmith, 7pm-9pm: Grove Neighbourhood Centre, Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road
Hammersmith, London, W6 0DT. The life cycle of the dung beetle may not be the subject of polite conversation but without them and their ilk we would be wading mountains of poo. Similarly inflation is deeply unloved and to many a villain, eating at the value of their saving but without it we would be wading through mountains of cash. That may sound like a positive but we can see the consequences of low inflation today in our own economy, a bloated property and asset market that only really benefits the asset rich. To understand why inflation is one of the good guys rather than a villain we need to redefine inflation, from the well-worn statement of ‘ the relationship between the supply of goods and services and the money supply’ to ‘the balance between money and the real wealth that it represents’ The difference may appear minor but the latter take account of all wealth rather than that that newly created. This requires an explanation of what real wealth and a part of the talk will focus on defining what real wealth is and how to measure it. With this tool and the Positive Money understanding of money creation we can truly analyse inflation. The essence of the argument is that real wealth wears out or decays etc. whereas once new money is created it lasts forever. Following on from my talk on Interest created money there are some other interesting concepts such as junk money – in the same context of junk food, and mortgage lending being the principle cause of core inflation. The talk will be given by Artie Lees, an engineer in the utilities sector. As usual we welcome everyone, first timers and regulars alike. The talk will be followed by a discussion and your participation is encouraged! RSVP via Meetup.
Thursday 20th June 2019: 7.30pm: Positive Money Greenwich: The presenter will be Michael Learoyd, and the title of his talk is “More than just money”. We will be at our usual venue of the Prince Public house, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich SE10 8RT.
Monday 17th June 2019, 3.30pm-5pm, The Payment Systems Regulator: Ensuring access to cash, preventing payment scams and promoting competition with Chris Hemsley, Co-Managing Director of the PSR, Louise Buckley, Co-Managing Director of the PSR, Natalie Ceeney, Chair, Access to Cash Review, Chaired by Lord Sharkey, Committee Room 14, House of Commons. Full details HERE: To register please email dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Wednesday 12th June 2019: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: “Frugal Economy – Why learning to live on less can make us richer.” Regenerative and distributive design and local grassroots innovation can help us to solve common problems. When we have a mature economy, sustainable ways are needed to replace immature growth models. Localise or die! Youtube videos: 1) Kate Raworth on sustainable universally beneficial economies: 15 minutes. Play in full. 2) India : Universe of frugal innovation from the Honey Bee Network. 12 minutes. Play from 0-6 minutes. 3) Prof Emeritus and former Senior Economist at the World Bank Herman Daly – Modernising Money. Why growth is uneconomic with fractional reserve banking, and how it inflates to become unsustainable. Full reserve banking as suggested by Positive Money can replace this and Herman Daly recognises all it needs is the political will to facilitate it. 5 minutes Play in full. 4) A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity (2016) – Free Full Documentary: 1 hour 19 minutes. Show opening 0-2 minutes of intro. 40.28 to 42.48 reducing energy needs. 2 minutes. 5 minutes in total. 5) A simpler Way 3 minute trailer. Localise or die. More info available here on the film and ethos and publications. 6) Playing with FIRE. 3 minute trailer. So with edits or selective playing of these videos, the total suggested film showing time for these six clips and talks is around 37 minutes. Plenty of time to talk around the issues raised and to show some other Positive Money basic videos as well. Any thoughts, suggestions or amendments, please let me know. Kind Regards, Andy: https://positivemoney.org/localgroup/london-tower-hamlets/
Monday 20th May 2019: Positive Money Hackney: Has financial services regulation made the world a safer place for investors? Clive Menzies (Chartered FCSI, coordinator of the MacroRisk Connect Programme) gives his point of view on financial risks induced by interconnected markets. The old self-regulatory structure of the UK Stock Exchange was swept away on 26 October 1986. ‘Too big to fail’ global banks emerged through the acquisition of most of the independent players. They dominate the web of power, which extends into every aspect of financial services to ensure their interests are protected and served. In the world of centralised money power, we have created inevitable consequences: manipulated markets, totally ignored by statutory regulation, and systemic or macro risk. We will have a 20 minute discussion, and as usual we will go for a social drink in the pub afterwards. Come along and bring your friends! Hosted by Zac from 7pm at Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PB: Details/Booking
Thursday 16th May 2019: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham: 7.30-9.30pm: Universal Basic Income ~ what might it mean for the UK ? There is increasing debate around the world about the provision of an unconditional and automatic basic income to all citizens of a country no matter what other means they may have. Prominent advocates range from Elon Musk to Yanis Varoufakis and a variety of initiatives are being examined in Europe and North and South America. Mary Fee has agreed to present the picture should a UBI be applied in the UK and the various implications for society and our financial system. We hope you will join us to discuss this controversial topic: venue Prince of Greenwich pub: 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8RT – map.
Thursday 16th May 2019: New City Agenda: 9.00am-10.15am: EVENT: Sir John Kingman’s Independent Review of the Financial Reporting Council: Sir John Kingman, Chair of the IRFRC and Chair, Legal and General: Chaired by Lord Sharkey: Committee Room 14, House of Commons. To register please contact: dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Thursday 9th May 2019: The UK in the Global Economy: 3.30-7pm at The Congress Centre, 28 Great Russell Street, WC1B 3LS by Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)
Wednesday 8th May: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: Mike Flood on Critical Information: This evenings talk will be “What threat does ‘fake news’ and disinformation pose?” with our guest speaker Dr Mike Flood (of https://www.criticalinformation.org.uk/about). After covering the false beliefs most people have about money and finance, Mike will talk about how the Web and Social Media have become increasingly corrupted by fake information, hate speech and conspiracy theories, and how the cynical misreporting of events and black propaganda has been weaponised so effectively by extremists and hostile foreign powers to encourage dissent and division in society. This includes confusion about money. And, as Mike will explain, there’s likely worse to come with ‘smart cities’ and ‘deep-fake’ videos. But it’s not all bad news — we do now understand the problem much better, and more and more organisations are getting involved in the battle for truth. Two years ago, Mike set up “Fighting Fake” to help raise public awareness of the threat posed by ‘fake news’ and disinformation. Mike has worked in the education and NGO sectors for most of his professional life. Don will introduce our speaker by talking about the false beliefs most people have about money and finance. Henry Ford said (paraphrased) “It’s just as well people don’t understand the truth about how money is created and distributed, otherwise there would be revolution before morning.” How well can you distinguish between fact, fiction, and myth, about today’s money system? Come along and find out. Venue: Minerva Community Centre, Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, London, E2 9EH. Please come along and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too: https://positivemoney.org/localgroup/london-tower-hamlets/
EVENT CANCELLED due to illness of presenter – may be rescheduled: Tuesday 7th Mary 2019: Promoting Economic Pluralism: Are some countries destined to remain underdeveloped? – A talk by Ha-Joon Chang: Since the mid-1990s, development economics has witnessed an explosion in the discourse explaining the poor economic performance in developing countries – especially those in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) – by non-policy factors, such as geography, climate, natural resources, history, institutions, and culture. Ha-Joon Chang will argue that these arguments are neither theoretically persuasive nor empirically convincing and thus can only be interpreted as an attempt by mainstream economists to ‘explain away’ the apparent paradox that ‘good’ policies based on ‘good’ theories have failed. The decline of this discourse with the recent revival of economic growth in Sub-Saharan Africa also confirms the ideological nature of this literature. His presentation will be followed by a discussion and then a networking reception with wine and snacks. Ha-Joon Chang teaches economics at Cambridge University. He is the author of 23 Things They Don’t Tell You About Capitalism, and Economics: the User’s Guide. 7pm-9.30pm at SES: Details/Booking.
Wednesday 1st May 2019 – 7-9pm – Positive Money Hammersmith: Interest Rates Reconsidered. At the heart of modern economic theory is the concept of interest rates being used to control the economy by striking a balance between growth and inflation. It is a concept that is so well entrenched that few would challenge its validity but when the policy is matched against outcome its track record is disappointing to say the least. Low interest rate policy has failed to stimulate the post-crash economies of Japan and Europe and the marginal success in the UK and USA has more to do with Quantitative easing. This is not its only failure when high interest rates were used to squeeze out inflation in 1980’s Britain it remained stubbornly high. As a theory it is not fit for purpose and we should be looking for alternatives. This talk will present an alternative where inflation, growth and interest rates are linked but not as commonly assumed. Not by interest rates balancing growth and inflation but rather as a means of controlling the money supply that in turn has a knock on effect on them. This alternative comes about by small tweaks to current economic theory but it then can be used to explain why cheap money policies have not worked in Europe or Japan and the failure of that monetarist experiment in Britain along with underlying inflation, stagnation, hyperinflation, bubbles and the success of forward guidance. This explanation of money creation may differ slightly from that proposed by Positive Money but the outcomes are much the same. Banks with an almost unlimited ability to create money, asset bubbles and financial inequality. Artie Lees is an engineer in the utilities sector. The talk will be followed by a discussion where everyone is invited to express their views. We’re a friendly group attended by a good mix of regulars and first timers. Venue: Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, W6 0DT. There is an optional £4 donation towards the venue cost.
* Monday 29th April 2019: 5-7pm: Occupy Economics Working Group: LAST OF SERIES, now meeting only on Fridays at Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ: usually in corridor next to Cafe: If you can’t find us, call John: 07950 996418 • Occupy London • Economics Working Group • www.co-operativesocialism.org
Saturday 13th April 2019: Second New Lucas Plan roadshow event, ‘A New Lucas Plan: an Idea Whose Time has Come?’ Today the world is facing multiple political, economic and environmental crises, but our political system seems to have no answer beyond business as usual. The idea of a ‘New Lucas Plan’ as one possible way forward came from a conference on the 40th anniversary of the Lucas Plan. The Lucas Plan of the 1970s was a celebrated attempt by workers at the arms related company, Lucas Aerospace, to develop a plan for conversion of the company to the production of socially useful products. Facing the threat of unemployment caused by new technology and recession, the workers collected 150 ideas from the shop floor for alternative, socially useful products that could be produced using their skills and technology. The idea for a ‘New Lucas Plan’ is to develop plans for a new and democratically controlled economy, based on the Lucas Aerospace workers’ idea of socially useful production. One aim of the event will be to catalyse the creation of new links between different movements, with the possible aim of developing a New Lucas Plan for the Manchester area. Programme: The programme will include a screening a screening of a 30-minute version of THE PLAN, the new documentary on the Lucas Plan, and a talk by a member of the Lucas Aerospace shop stewards combine. There will be workshops on the theme of arms conversion/defence diversification, just transition/ climate jobs, the threat of automation, and People’s Plans for local economies, with speakers from the sponsors and other campaigning organisations. Sponsored by New Lucas Plan, Greater Manchester Association of TUCs, Manchester CND, the Co-operative College, Steady State Manchester and … watch this space. The event will be free, with donations to cover room hire costs. For more details and to book, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/
Wednesday 10th April 2019: 7-9pm: Positive Money in Tower Hamlets: How Student Debt Is Avoidable, And Why We Should Get Rid Of It Now. The UK is the most expensive country in the world to receive a degree, costing £9,012 a year on average. The government write off of unpaid loans after 30 years went from 30% to 45% in 2014. The burden of this 50% increase in costs of loans costing an estimated £2.2 billion per year will fall entirely on taxpayers. The UK government has announced it plans to sell £4 billion of student loans through securitisation. Student loan debt has doubled since 2011, and we may be seeing the beginning of a shift towards the USA model of using private finance for loans. However, simply cancelling the student debts instead could have major benefits for the economy. It could boost real GDP, create new jobs, and make the economy more stable. We’ll be showing a few videos and having a Q&A to show how a fairer education system works for all of us. Venue: Minerva Community Centre, Bethnal Green, Tower Hamlets, London, E2 9EH. Please come along and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Andy and the Positive Money team: Send RSVP.
Wednesday 10th April 10th: from 12-2pm: Workshop on Mutual Education: let us tackle afresh the significance of the Guidelines generated in the collaborative build-up to the evolving of ICUK. We’ll meet in the Octavia Room of St John’s Waterloo. From the first workshops two themes/distinctions emerged: firstly, the relationship of Consent and Consensus, and secondly, the creative tension to be sustained between vital emergency Palliatives and a sustained systemic Curative. These themes are keys to how ICUK contributes to a self-organising global society, through its UK application. Your views are vital to our collaborative effort, whether you can join us face-to face or not. In our third workshop on Mutual Education, let us tackle afresh the significance of the Guidelines generated in the collaborative build-up to the evolving of the Independent Constitutionalists: ICUK Guidelines for Collaboration: Further details.
Sat/Sun 30th-31st March 2019: Still Rethinking: The Need for Pluralism in Economics weekend conference by Greenwich Political Economy Research Centre (GPERC),Institute of Political…
Wed 20th March 2019: Humanistic Psychology Cafe: Greed, Hate & Mega Delusion: Challenging disconnection in the modern age: with Caroline Brazier: We meet in the West Room, Colet House, home of the Study Society, 151 Talgarth Road, Hammersmith, London W14 9DA, Barons Court tube, 6.30pm for 7.15pm-9.15pm. Teas & coffees available from 6.30pm: you can bring simple food to share. Cost: £20 (members/concs £15). For further details and booking links download the flier or visit www.AHPb.org
Tuesday 19th March 2019: Positive Money Greenwich: Money and Time: We all know what money is don’t we ? Er……… not really, no. The textbooks describe money as a means of exchange / unit of account / store of value. But Positive Money tells us that in reality almost all money is held as debt and Ivo Mosley says it is negotiable debt that underlies all our troubles with money. Chris Todhunter will take apart the common descriptions of money and look at them through the prism of timed obligations. If money is debt which can be passed on (negotiable) then presumably there must be a time of reckoning: it will have to be repaid sometime. But what is being repaid to whom? Intriguing questions! Hope you can join us as we discuss the answers. We are meeting at our usual venue, the Prince of Greenwich pub (in the upper room). All welcome! Mike and Tim. See also: https://positivemoney.org/2019/03/introducing-the-money-question/
Wednesday 13th March 2019: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: “Why bank lending is a root cause of poverty and what we can do to end it”. We will be showing some challenging videos and talking about how the banking system always targets those least able to afford it. How resources flow from the poorest in our society to the top 10% who need it the least. If your rent and mortgage costs are becoming unaffordable, come and find out why and how to change it. Refreshments and snacks will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there. Hosted by Andy Philpott: see PMTH-190313-Bank-Lending-and-Poverty.
Sat 9th March 2019: Cooperative Party Spring Conference: “Common Decency” – A secure home. Food on the table. A fair wage to cover the essentials. Access to education. These are some of the building blocks of life that ought to be everyone’s’ right. Achieving them for all ought to be common sense: common decency. But after a decade of austerity, common decency seems further away than ever. For a growing number of people, the reality is insecure housing, hunger, and a daily struggle to make ends meet. This year’s Co‑operative Party Spring Conference will focus on how we can rebuild common decency and ensure decent living for all. We will bring together campaigners, elected representatives, academics and party members to analyse the challenges and share the latest policy thinking. We will hear from those at the forefront of change in their communities too. They will share inspiring stories of co‑operative action at the local level, with practical tips and examples to make a difference in our own communities across the country. Details/Booking.
* Wednesday 6th March 2019: 12noon to 2pm: monthly workshop on Mutual Education for Inclusive Justice: The Nature of COLLABORATION and CO-ACTIVITY, at St John’s Waterloo: http://www.icuk.info/wp/blog/2019/03/03/workshop-wed-6th-march-2019/
Monday March 4, 2019: Positive Money Hackney: Lobbying and Parliament – Processes and Problems, hosted by Zack from Positive Money: Ashburn Holder – who is involved in local politics at Ilford – will present his point of view on problems induced by lobbying and parliamentary processes. After the presentation, we will discuss this with a warm cup of tea. This event is for everyone interested in how the money and banking system works and how it could be changed to work for the common good. Please come along and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Venue: Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PB. Details/Join. – NB the topic was actually different.
Wednesday February 27th 2019 7pm: Positive Money Hammersmith: Transition To A Multipolar World Order: The Elephant In The Room: 2019 promises to be a very eventful year: Brexit, Trump, the rise of populism in Europe, the come back of Russia and China as major players on the world stage, along with trade wars, proxy wars, assorted sanctions and attempted coups: how does it all link together? We will start with an elephant-shaped chart by economists Branco Milanovic and Christoph Lakner, showing the winners and losers of globalisation. On the basis of this very useful chart Costanza, our co-organiser, will explain how the economic outcomes of globalisation are now shaping the turbulent politics and geopolitics that we can see in the news every day. She will then outline the strategic options available to the various players, and finally make some educated guesses. After this, we will open the discussion and speculations on what we might expect in the near future. This is an activity that our followers will no doubt enjoy and if you are a newcomer please feel free to come along, we are a friendly group and welcome all opinions! Venue: Grove Neighbourhood Centre 7, Bradmore Park Road London W6 0DT hThere is an optional £4 donation to cover the venue cost. Click here to say you’re going: https://www.meetup.com/Positive-Money/events/258874740/
Saturday 16th February 2019:Day Conference on Transforming Finance: The day’s discussions are brought to you by the Institute of Political Economy, Governance, Finance and Accountability (PEGFA) and the People’s Private Equity(PPE). Since the financial crisis in 2008, ordinary people have needed to understand finance and its effect on our everyday lives. From the housing market and the NHS, to foreign wars and stagnant wages, finance touches on almost every aspect of the economy. The economic disruption was substantially caused by a deregulated finance sector that had been deliberately designed to facilitate greed and personal enrichment. Despite the sheer scale of the crisis becoming clear, many people have found it difficult to imagine an alternative to the current finance system. We want this conference to pioneer new financial ideas, institutions and instruments, designed to work for people, not profit. Specifically, the conference will look at how new financial institutions can transform workplaces by promoting worker ownership in the businesses, pubs, clubs, art and economic institutions we use everyday. Join us as we discuss the scale of the problems we currently face, and develop practical solutions. The conference is open and inclusive, with something for everyone. A wide range of panels will appeal to people with different levels of knowledge and expertise. The conference will take place in Queen Anne Court, University of Greenwich, Park Row, London, SE10 9LS. All are welcome, from financial novices through to academics and finance professionals. Further details on Conference website. Book via Eventbrite.
Wednesday 13th February 2019: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: Our next meeting will be about how money is really created and why it traps us in a boom and bust cycle of debt. We’ll be looking at the work of Professor Richard Werner and asking what the Bank of England can do to make healthy sustainable communities for the benefit of everyone, not just the few. There will be some videos followed by a Q & A and conversation: Venue: Minerva Community Centre, 10 Minerva Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9EH. Contact: Andy Philpott • www.positivemoney.org • see Poster.
Sat 9th February 2019: National Federation of Progressive Co-operators: Members Meeting: Where has all the money gone? An overview of economists’ worrying comments on financial strategies since 2008. What should we be doing in future? Our speaker: Vince Butler, is an industrial/ occupational Health & Safety Expert, but with strong interest in the subject of this presentation, which he has promised will be thought provoking. Following Vince’s assessment, what financial strategies should members be progressing to succeed in increasing co-operatives’ development? The talk will be followed by Qs/As and debate. A light lunch will be available. Venue: The Magdalen Centre (the Church Hall of St. Mary’s Church), Eversholt Street, Euston, London NW1 1BN. 11am – 3.30pm: All co-operators are welcome. For catering purposes, please let NFPC’s Secretary, Marilynne Burgess know whether or not you plan to attend: 07940 583326. We hope that after attending one or two NFPC meetings, you will decide to join. Individual membership costs £10 per annum. Details will be available at the meeting or email Membership Secretary, Dereen at: dereen-ted@phonecoop.coop.
Monday 4th February 2019 – 7pm: Positive Money Hackney: What is the role of debt in social relations? Why are some debts sacred and others ignored? Why are rich bankers bailed out while homeowners are thrown out? To explore these questions, Robert will present the work of David Graeber, anthropologist at the London School of Economics, and Felix Martin (New Economic Thinking). Venue: Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High Street, Hackney N16 7PB – map-link. After the presentation, we will discuss this with a warm cup of tea. Please come along and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Message from Zack, Alexis and the Positive Money team at Positive Money Hackney <positivemoneyhackney@gmail.com>
Wednesday 30th January 2019: Positive Money Hammersmith: Making Money Work: The aim of this talk and discussion is to explore the different ways a currency can be set up, with a view to the different outcomes that can be achieved. The analysis is divided into 2 parts: “hardware” and “software”. The Hardware analysis looks at the scope of the currency – who controls it, who uses it, and how it interacts with other existing currencies. The Software analysis looks at the dynamics within the currency – what forms of behaviour does it encourage, who does it benefit. The evening will start with a talk on this topic by Tanveer, one of our co-ordinators. Following that there will be an open discussion where everyone is invited to share their opinions and insights on these topics. We usually have a lot of regulars and some first-timers too. It’s a friendly group, so you’re more than welcome to come along and join in the debate! Venue: 7pm – 9pm at Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, W6 0DT • Map • RSVP.
Sunday 27th January 2019, Jetpacks, Robots and the Radical Politics of Technology: one-day workshop – 11:00-16:30 at The Common House. Unit 5E, 5 Punderson’s Gardens, London E2 9QG. Technology appears as either promise or threat – the rise of the robots means either a fully automated luxury future without work, or basically the Terminator film franchise. Where the left was dominated by a pessimistic vision of technology in the not too distant past, the current moment is one full of visions of life after work as technology does all the toil and, to top it off, solves climate change without us having to change anything else. In both visions, technology is this thing out there, separate from us; either a machine to enslave us or one to liberate us. But is this all there is to a radical politics of technology? How else can we understand the world and the complex of machines, algorithms and technologies we live with and through? It is vital that we free our imaginations from the grip of capitalist realism (the idea that capitalism is the only option for organising society), and picture possible future worlds and the role that technology will play in them. But we must also keep our imagined worlds grounded in social and economic realities Not forgetting, for example, that we are living on a planet with limited natural resources, or that we have to consider how to make our imagined futures real. At this one-day workshop of facilitated discussions we will explore some areas within the radical politics of technology: ways of understanding technology in the context of the labour process; how technology relates to ecological concerns; how it has been shaped by the social and economic relationships of capitalism and other hierarchical societies; and how we can shape it in future. We will continue a discussion begun at an earlier event, Techno-Fantasies and Eco-Realities [https://www.weareplanc.org/
Monday 21st January 2019: Cafe Diplo: “The Threat of Surveillance in an Age of Technology” with Silkie Carlo, Director of Big Brother Watch: In recent years, the British state has spied on law-abiding environmental activists, democratically elected politicians, victims of torture and police brutality, and hundreds of journalists. With the development of new and emerging technologies, this often lawless use of sophisticated surveillance is becoming increasingly alarming. In 2016 a law called the Investigatory Powers Act was passed in the UK, enabling the British state indiscriminately to hack, intercept, record, and monitor the communications and internet use of the entire population, making it the most intrusive system of any democracy in history. The prospect of a free trade agreement in mass surveillance between the UK and the US has exacerbated the situation, with the US President committed to monitoring all mosques, investigating Black Lives Matter activists, and deporting two to three million people. Silkie Carlo will discuss this critical issue with us. She is the Director of Big Brother Watch, a non-party, non-profit organisation dedicated to protecting privacy and civil liberties in the UK. She is a passionate campaigner for the protection of human rights and freedom, and after working for Edward Snowden’s official defence fund, became the Senior Advocacy Officer at Liberty, where she led a programme on Technology and Human Rights, and launched a legal challenge to the Investigatory Powers Act. She co-wrote the handbook “Information Security for Journalists” which was commissioned by the Centre for Investigative Journalism. See also article on Apple´s monopoly on free speech. Cafe Diplo talks are from 6.45pm to around 8.30pm giving plenty of time for questions and discussion. Entrance Fee: £3 (£2 concs) on the door. White wine and soft drinks are on sale together with free snacks. If you arrive 15 minutes beforehand, you can settle in with a glass of wine or fruit juice. Our venues The Gallery, Alan Baxter & Associates LLP, 75 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL Farringdon tube – head up the hill into Cowcross Street. On the right hand side you pass the “Three Compasses” Pub and about 50 metres further on you will see some iron gates with a small Cafe Diplo sign. Inside the gate you will find the reception area. Link to directions to the venue. Further details are on the Friends of Le Monde Diplomatique website where you can see the future programme of events.
Thursday 17th Jan – 14th Feb 2019: Politics School at LSE: Globalisation and its Enemies. Driven to understand. Are you fascinated by current affairs? Would you like to learn more in a systematic way about what is really driving the events we see in the news? Politics School provides a structured course explaining the history and ideas behind the battle between globalisation and its many enemies – left and right wing populism and authoritarianism. The material for the course is based on the UK Politics A level exam syllabus and includes a wide range of insights from recent books and debates. The course will run at LSE in Holborn over five Thursday evenings, with drinks afterwards to discuss and debate.” First of five sessions (£120) hosted by James Steel – 7-8.30pm at LSE Clement House, room 3.06, Strand, WC2R: Session 1, Overview of globalisation and its enemies: left and right wing populism and authoritarianism. – Details/Booking.
Tuesday 15th January 2019: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham on “The Curse of Finance” from 7.30pm at Prince of Greenwich pub, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich London, SE10 8RT:
What is the Financial Curse, and do we have one in the UK? We will look at the development of this concept, and review recent research from Sheffield University that seeks to assess and compare the possible effect of the size of the financial sector on the economies of the UK and the USA. We will then review the literature for and against this line of research. If proven, the Financial Curse could cast grave doubt on the wisdom of the present path of the UK Financial sector. It is thus a subject that could have huge implications for the future shape of our economy: www.positivemoney.org
* Monday 7th January 2019: – 5pm for 6-7.30pm: Occupy Economics Working Group: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ: we meet in the corridor next to the Cafe: Please check with John – 07950 996418 – beforehand if the meeting is happening as we may be visiting another group – see Occupy London • Economics Working Group • Notes from 16th Feb 2018.
Wednesday 12th December 2018: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: We will be marking the end of our first year by looking at the Real Economy vs The Bubble Economy. For our Christmas meeting we’ll show three videos from three wise men women exploring these issues. See what Ann Pettifor, Kate Raworth & our own Fran Boait have to say. Come along for conversation, mince pies and drinks! The Real Economy VS The Bubble Economy. What will it take for our economy to move away from being a speculative “bubble economy”, and begin supporting the genuinely productive sectors with investment? As we reach the end of 2018, Positive Money Tower Hamlets will be looking at three wise women and their views on how we might achieve this. We will be covering three videos: • Ann Pettifor on how the lack of transparency in Financial Capitalism is stopping us from moving on from the crash. • Kate Raworth on Reality Based Economics and 21st century regenerative business versus 20th century finance. • Fran Boait on the Real Economy vs the Financial Economy. 7-9pm, Minerva Community Centre, 10 Minerva Street, Bethnal Green, London E29EH. Come along for our last meeting of this year and add your voice. We will be sharing mince pies and drinks afterwards! Andy, PMTH – SEND RSVP
Tuesday 11 December 2018; 6.30pm: CUSP presents a Lecture by Marc Lavoie: The subprime financial crisis—10 years after: Was Hyman Minsky a post-Keynesian economist? As the subprime financial crisis erupted in 2008, Wall Street analysts started talking of the Minsky Moment. For a while, Hyman Minsky’s out-of-print 1986 book, Stabilizing an Unstable Economy, sold for hundreds of dollars on the internet. This lecture will outline the main features of Minsky’s financial instability hypothesis; a hypothesis entirely ignored by mainstream economists until then, that became enormously popular in the aftermath of the failure of Lehman’s Brothers. Marc’s lecture will challenge the theoretical framework on some of its weaknesses; and will discuss the controversial issue of whether or not Minsky was, or considered himself to be, part of the a post-Keynesian school of thought. Marc Lavoie holds a Senior Research Chair from the University Sorbonne Paris Cité and teaches at the University of Paris 13. He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Ottawa, where he taught for 38 years. He received a doctorate Honoris Causa from the University of Paris 13 in 2015. He is a Research Fellow at the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the Hans Böckler Foundation in Düsseldorf and a Research Associate at the Broadbent Institute in Toronto. Lavoie has published 10 books and over 200 refereed articles or book chapters, mostly in macroeconomics. He is best known for his book with Wynne Godley, Monetary Economics (2007), which is considered a must-read for users of the stock-flow consistent approach. His latest book, Post-Keynesian Economics: New Foundations, received the 2017 Myrdal Prize from the European Association of Evolutionary Political Economy. He is a co-editor of two academic journals and is on the editorial board of 10 other journals.
Tuesday 4th December 2018 – Economic Growth: Our modern day religion? – 7-8:30pm.
For around half a century ecological economists such as Herman Daly have been seeking to win over the economics profession to the recognition that the economy is a subsystem of the environment – and thus that economic growth is subject to inescapable limits. But despite both increasingly alarming environmental signals and increasing signs of secular stagnation in advanced economies, the goal of ongoing growth remains a fixture of our politics. In this talk, Richard Douglas draws on his research at the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity to suggest that one reason for our social attachment to growth is the way it functions as a modern form of theodicy. He will argue that the prospects for steady state or degrowth economics hang on the development of a replacement for growth as a religiously fulfilling view of our collective future. Richard is carrying out research at the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity(CUSP) on the ‘Meaning of Growth’. Beginning with the question why society remains so attached to the idea of indefinite growth in the face of environmental limits, his research attempts to trace the roots of this idea back to the theological heritage of the modern age. Richard is associate editor of the journal Renewal, and has written for a variety of journals and magazines, as well as a book, Future Ethics(2010). Prior to beginning his PhD (at Goldsmiths, University of London), he has worked as a committee specialist at the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, a senior analyst at the National Audit Office, been a national lay rep for the PCS Union, and contributed to the Prince of Wales’ Accounting for Sustainability project. Venue: The School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London, England W1U 3AJ
Wednesday 28th November 2018 – 7pm: Positive Money Hammersmith: The Positive Money HQ Update will be hosted by Simon Youel, media & policy officer at Positive Money. Simon is working on media engagement and policy research as part of the influencing programme. He will be giving an update from Positive Money HQ, talking about how we’ve been capitalising on the 10th anniversary of the financial crisis, as well as current policy focuses. After the talk we will have an open discussion, so there will be plenty of opportunity to contribute and get to know others in the Positive Money network. We look forward to seeing you there! Upstairs Hall of the Grove Neighbourhood Centre. Press bell 3 for the Upstairs Hall. Directions from Ravenscourt Park tube station: Turn left out of the tube station and walk down the alleyway to get to Dalling Road. Turn left and walk under the railway lines and past a school on your left. Turn right onto Glenthorne Road and take the third left onto Bradmore Park Road. Walk through a narrow section of road to a crossroads and continue straight over on Bradmore Park Road. You will see the Grove Neighbourhood Centre on your left.
Tue-Wed 13-14th November 2018: Good Planet Conference: PEOPLE AND PLANET, INVESTING IN GLOBAL SUSTAINABLE AND IMPACT ENTERPRISES: Formerly know as ESG For Investment – The Good Capital conference is dedicated to partnering global Sustainable Enterprises, Environmental Innovators and Social Entrepreneurs with providers of Responsible and Impact Capital to accelerate positive change for People and Planet. Keynote Presentations, Panel Discussions and hundreds of 1-2-1 meetings make The Good Capital Conference an unrivalled platform for Sustainability Stakeholders to meet and do business in one place, at one time: https://goodcapitalconference.com/
Sat 10th – Sun 11th November: Land Justice Network Weekend: Sat 10th: Education and Policy Day. Join us for a day of learning and scheming on land policy at the New Economics Foundation. Full info released soon – to find out more, please email landjusticeuk@gmail.com, using subject line “Education and Policy Day – Saturday 10th November”. Sun 11th: LJN National Meeting: 12-5pm at Friends of the Earth Offices, London. Click here for full event information and RSVP:
https://www.landjustice.uk/2018/09/26/ljn-national-gathering-sunday-11th-november-london/
Friday, 2nd November 2018: 6:45-8:30pm – Coalition for Economic Justice Open Meeting with Professor Ted Gwartney: Valuing All Land in the UK is Feasible. Professor Ted Gwartney is highly experienced Appraiser and Consultant in Municipal Finance. He will speak about the feasibility and methods for valuing land in the light of his experience in British Columbia and the USA. He will give examples and describe the beneficial results after Land Value Tax has been implemented for all the people living on the land, including the poorest. Venue: 11 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ – by courtesy of The School of Economic Science – (few minutes walk from Bond Street Tube Station in Oxford Street). Book with Peter Bowman <drbowman@btinternet.com>.
Thursday 1st November 2018 6-9pm: Seminar on “The moral case for adequate incomes and truly affordable housing”: The United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights will visit the UK from 6 to 16 November 2018. The submission to him from the Rev Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty is on their website: “Taxpayers Against Poverty tells United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty & human rights that UK unemployed adults are extremely poor – especially mothers and the disabled.” • Taxpayers Against Poverty, • Progressive Policy Unit • Land Research Trust have come together to promote the seminar on “The moral case for adequate incomes and truly affordable housing” at 6-9pm on the 1st November 2018, Portcullis House, Chaired by Debbie Abrahams MP. REGISTER
Thursday 25th – Sunday 28th October 2018: The American Monetary Institute announces the 14th Annual AMI Monetary Reform Conference, to be held at the University Conference Center, 525 S. State St. Chicago, IL, USA – ! Click here to see the speakers for 2018 ! – This conference brings together some of the world’s most serious advocates of real and achievable monetary reforms. The banking disaster, created and facilitated by false economic and monetary ideas, used by some very bad people, actually poses a real danger to the survival of the species. We must transform the ongoing disaster into an opportunity to achieve real and lasting monetary reforms for mankind. These are the reforms indicated as necessary by decades of study and centuries of experience ….. Programme: Thu – Register from 9am. 1-6pm Presentations; refreshment break. 7pm Conference Reception, with punch, delicious warm treats, cheeses, etc. Fri 9-6pm Presentations; break for lunch; refreshment breaks. Sat 9-6pm Presentations; break for lunch; refreshment breaks. 7pm Dinner Party, with keynote presentation. Sun 9-12pm Presentations & discussion. The advance registration fee has been kept to $250 until July 27th, but will then begin its rise to the full $350 level. If you can’t come, consider making a donation to help us offer those student and teacher scholarships! For full details and registration go to: http://www.monetary.org/2018-ami-monetary-reform-conference
Wednesday 24th October 2018: Positive Money Hammersmith: THE NEOLIBERAL ECONOMIC PARADIGM (HAMMERSMITH): Ten years after the financial collapse of 2008 we are still mired in economic stagnation, austerity and now, on top of it all, a serious political crisis over Brexit. No wonder that most people are seriously confused! We believe that the best way to make some sense of the current situation is by taking a close look at the neoliberal economic paradigm, the type of economic governance introduced in the 80’s by the Thatcher and Reagan governments and never abandoned since then. Most people are familiar with the term ‘neoliberal’ but don’t quite grasp its full meaning in economic terms. We will try to remedy this. Costanza Picchioni, our organizer, will give a comprehensive overview of the subject by first tracing how neoliberal economics came to dominate the scene (following the collapse of the Bretton Woods currency union in 1971 and the ensuing crisis of the previous economic paradigm), then describing how it works (by delocalising industry and increasing the role of finance) and why it is unsustainable (reducing the role of production inevitably leads to unsustainable debts) and finally by making the case that the financial collapse of 2008 really marked the end of its useful life and the start of a very uncertain phase of transition (just as the ‘closing of the gold window’ in 1971 marked the beginning of the end of the Bretton Woods economic architecture). With the help of a drawing we will show how all the familiar features of the neoliberal landscape (financial deregulation, deindustrialization, rising debts, asset bubbles, austerity etc.) slot together into a coherent and powerful wealth extraction mechanism. This way you will be able to see where we are in a hypothetical map and perhaps figure out for yourself where we are headed to, and what a reasonable solution might look like. The possible outcomes will be the subject of the ensuing discussion. As usual, everybody is very welcome to come along as we have a friendly group of regulars and most likely some first timers too. Venue: 7-9pmThe Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7, Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, London, United Kingdom W6 0DT
Wednesday, 24th October 2018, 7:30 for 8:00 to 10:00 pm: Totnes Consciousness Café at The Royal Seven Stars Hotel, The Plains, Totnes. Dr. Claudius Van Wyk on “Reality in a ‘post-truth’ world of virtual reality – OR – Google as God: Friend or Foe?” The globally interconnected information economy is evolving exponentially with its capacities of artificial intelligence, robotics, nanotechnology and bio-synthetics. The increasing power of digital technology makes the public mind vulnerable to capture. Human thinking coevolved from the pre-conventional modes reliant on traditional knowledge systems, to the conventional mode of the scientific era, increasingly reliant on empirical ‘evidence-based’ method. However, its materialistic and mechanistic focus has three shortcomings: • It inhibits comprehension and adaptation to the natural complexity and emergence of living systems. • It fails to understand human subjectivity. • It increasingly lags in comprehension of the complexity and subjective dynamism of emerging virtual reality. Our thinking thus might evolve to a post-conventional mode of thinking. Further informed by the discipline of complexity and emergence, with its focus on whole dynamical systems, we could gain further insight into the strategies employed to manipulate human perception. Governments and global mega-corporations both compete and are inevitably complicit in the power-game of dominating the public mind. Post-conventional thinking could empower society with counter resources and strategies. A more holistic focus on what is real in diverse and sustainable living ecologies, will help retrieve genuine relationality. It could represent a further emergence in psychosocial evolution – in essence, offering a transformed spirituality. Claudius applies complexity-science enabled insights to leadership focused on organisational wellbeing and sustainability. With post-graduate degrees in applied business ethics and organisational behaviour he was awarded a doctorate by the Indian Board of Alternative Medicine for research into a transformed holistic epistemology to wellness. He managed the ‘Gondwana Alive’ initiative in the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development and participated in a research project for UNEP with the LSE Complexity Research Group. With published articles he has presented papers on applied complexity theory in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. Claudius lectured on complexity approaches to MA economics students at Schumacher College where he developed a short-course, ‘Holism and Leadership – Transforming Organisational Praxis’ and has addressed conferences on economics and governance at various universities. Format: Roughly 30 minutes introduction followed by round table and open discussions and breaks for refreshments. Entry: £5 at door. Booking: Contact Wendy at wendystt997@googlemail.com
Wednesday 17th October 2018 13:45: BFI Southbank, NFT3: The Plan That Came From the Bottom Up: Dave King writes: “We’re hoping to use this as an opportunity to get new people involved in the group, so we will be there with a stall. We hope to see some of you there. Details as follows: A plan to avoid job losses at a factory in 1976 becomes the starting point for an incisive account of our current and future economic situation. Dir-Scr Steve Sprung, Prod Luis Correia, Sylvia Stevens, Portugal-UK, 2018, 212min plus interval, Prod Co LX Films: ‘It’s an insult to our skills and intelligence that we can produce a Concorde and not enough powerful heaters for all those old-age pensioners who are dying in the cold.’ A worker at Lucas Aerospace eloquently sums up the core problem of contemporary Western society – one that caters to the interests of a wealthy few. He’s one of the designers of the ambitious strategy proposed by the workforce to shift their company’s assets to manufacture socially-useful products, which was ultimately undermined by both the government and corporate interests. Director Steve Sprung brilliantly draws their story into the present, delivering it with great intelligence, clarity and civic commitment. The Plan that came from the bottom up is a gripping essay, reflecting on the dark consequences of capitalism on society and proposing an encouraging alternative for a troubling present. Ana David: Details/Booking.
Tuesday 16th October 2018: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham: A look at Jonathan Macmillan’s book, “The End of Banking”. The book provides a compact yet lucid explanation of how banks create money out of credit and then use balance sheets and digital technology to escape government regulation so that they have become, effectively, out of control (i.e., shadow banking). By dissecting banking to reveal its inner workings, the book shows how it is a legacy from our industrial past. It then describes a novel and unique proposal to rein in banking back in, allowing us to digital technology instead to transform banking , with a tantalising prospect of living without banking at all as we know it now. Although the book is somewhat critical of Positive Money’s Sovereign Money’s Banking proposals, their distillation of the fundamental essence of banking should provide a basis for an excellent discussion about the best way forward to contain the current dangers of today’s uncontrollable banking system. Richard Grace, one of our group members, worked in the City for 30 years, and has recently undertaken a Masters course in Political Economy at Kingston University under Steve Keen. We hope you will be able to join us for what looks like another interesting evenings discussion. Hosted by Mike & Tim at Prince of Greenwich Pub, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, SE10 8RT from 7.30pm.
Tuesday 16th October 2018: New City Agenda: Should Banks Have A Duty of Care To Their Customers? • Christopher Woolard (Director of Strategy and Competition, FCA) • Sue Lewis (Chair, Financial Services Consumer Panel) • Mary Kyle (Governance and Standards Adviser, City of London Corporation) • Venue: 9.00am-10.30am, Committee Room 10, House of Commons: Click here for: FULL DETAILS. To register please contact: dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Wednesday 10th October 2018 7-9 pm: Positive Money Tower Hamlets: John Courtneidge, a campaigner for Interest Free Money, will be speaking on: “The Money, Banking and Finance aspects of The Fair World Project”, which educates and advocates for a just global economy where people are treated fairly with dignity, the environment is respected and nourished, and commerce fosters sustainable livelihoods and communities in a global society based on co-operation and solidarity. All are welcome. We look forward to seeing you from 7pm to 9pm at the Minerva Community Centre, 10 Minerva Street, Bethnal Green, E2 9EH (entrance via Treadway Street). www.positivemoney.org • contact PMhamlets@gmail.com
Tuesday 9th October 2018: Innovation, Sustainability and Trust: Creating a human society which is sustainable must rate as the biggest innovation challenge humanity has ever faced. We often think of this challenge as one of technological innovation, but actually much of the need is for social innovation. Most of the needed technology (e.g. wind turbines, solar panels, heat pumps etc) already exists. We just haven’t implemented it at the required scale and rate. So how do we set policy both to deliver this required scale and rate of innovation? Moving from being a carbon-based society in a relatively short period must involve huge change with winners and losers. And we don’t always get it right. Think the great hope of diesel cars. Can we trust the innovators and governments to get it right? And what is right? Consider the controversy of GMOs and gene editing. Our speakers are Michael Grubb, Professor of Energy and Climate Change at UCL who has extensive research and policy experience in energy system innovation and Hilary Sutcliffe, Director of Society Insidewho works on responsible innovation helping navigate social controversies such as GMOs. Following discussion, there will be a wine reception. To find out about becoming a member of PEP including free or discounted tickets to monthly events plus a free subscription to The Mint Magazine, go here. Venue: 7-8.30pm at The School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ Details/Booking
Monday 1st October 2018: Cafe Diplo: 18.45pm: £3/£2: The Future of Social Housing in an Age of Global Capital with Anna Minton. The provision of social housing in the UK has declined dramatically in the last twenty years. This is part of a global phenomenon in which neoliberal urban policies fuelled by quantitative easing have led to social cleansing of cities, a crisis in the provision of affordable housing and a rise in homelessness. Anna Minton author of ‘Ground Control‘ and ‘Big Capital’ is Reader in Architecture, in the School of Architecture and Visual Arts at University of East London. She will talk about the crisis of social housing in the context of the impact of globally mobile capital on urban populations worldwide and the policies that are necessary to provide affordable urban housing. Venue: The Gallery, Alan Baxter & Associates LLP, 75 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL. See Guardian articles • Link to full event details.
Friday 28th Sept 2018 – In-Clued: 13:30 – 17:30pm: Mint Magazine’s half day conference to launch our Interdisciplinary Network for Collaboration on Understanding Economic Dynamics (in-clued !). There is increasing recognition from research funders, assessors and users, including policy-makers, of the importance of interdisciplinary, and indeed trans-disciplinary, research to addressing key challenges facing society, involving anthropologists and psychologists as well as economists. However the traditional disciplinary organisation of academic institutions does not necessarily facilitate such interdisciplinary dialogue and recent research by the Bank of England suggests that the economics discipline in particular has significant potential for increased interdisciplinary dialogue. Experience suggests that building trusting relationships, especially in early career development, is crucial. Informal interactions are seen as crucial to building such relationships. With a London based network, the geographical proximity of so many researchers and analysts presents huge potential for such interactions. This event will launch this network with plenary discussions on inter-disciplinarity and its potential with leading thinkers including Lisa Mooney, Angus Armstrong and Arthur Turrell. Topics will include sustainable financial systems, financial risk and resilience and industrial strategy. Finally we will discuss the future of the network. See full set of speakers and dialogue leaders here. Venue: The School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ. Following the event, there will be further discussion and networking in a private room at the Coach Makers Arms across the road from the event. Full details/booking.
Monday 24th September: 19:00 – 21:00 Positive Money Hackney: *Margin Call screening* To commemorate the 10 years anniversary (already!) of the Lehman collapse, we will watch the movie Margin Call. During the subprime crisis, an analyst uncovers information that could ruin them all, the key players (Kevin Spacey, Paul Bettany) at an investment firm take extreme measures to control the damage. The evening will include time for group discussion and debate, and as usual, we will go for a social drink in the pub afterwards. Come along and bring your friends! Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High Street, N16 7PB. map. If you are new to Positive Money it may be helpful for you to watch some of the short videos on the Positive Money Banking 101 Video Course <>: http://positivemoney.org/localgroup/london-hackney
Monday 24th September: Alternatives at St James present “The Essence of Non-Duality with Rupert Spira.” This evening, Rupert will explore the perennial non-dual understanding that lies at the heart of all the great religious and spiritual traditions. This includes Advaita Vedanta, Mahayana and Dzogchen Buddhism, Kashmir Shaivism, Mystical Christianity, Sufism, and Zen as well as the western philosophical tradition of Parmenides, Plotinus and many others, and which is also the direct, ever-present reality of our own intimate experience. This is a contemporary, experiential approach involving guided meditation and dialogue, and requires no affiliation to any particular religious or spiritual tradition. All that is required is an interest in the essential nature of experience and in the longing for love, peace and happiness around which most of our lives revolve. Venue: St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, London, W1J 9LL 7pm – 8.30pm: Tickets: £15 / £10 concs (over 60’s, job seekers allowance, disability, full time students): Details/Booking.
Saturday 22nd September 2018: Henry George Foundation presents an Open Event on OWNERSHIP? Henry George had much to say in examining the question of Ownership, always relating it to considerations of what is just, and he recognised the importance of biblical teachings in all of this. We shall seek to explore the subject in the same light. Please see full details in the flyer attached – ticket: https://ownershipevent.eventbrite.co.uk – and, if you can attend, you will be very welcome. Contact The Henry George Foundation of Great Britain, PO Box 6408, London, W1A 3GY – www.henrygeorgefoundation.org • office@henrygeorgefoundation.org
Monday 17th September 2018 – Cafe Diplo presents The Secret World of International Accountancy the Scandal of the ‘Big Four’ with Richard Brooks: The four major global accountancy firms – Deloitte, Price Waterhouse Coopers, Ernst & Young, and KPMG have developed into vast multinationals, showing multi-billion profits and paying huge salaries to their high-ranking staff. Their part in the 2008 financial crash effectively forgotten, they are now regarded as ‘too big to fail’, and ruthlessly exploit the financial system, encouraging tax avoidance, propping up anti-democratic movements, pushing sometimes damaging deregulation, and even infiltrating the machinery of state. By 2016, they employed 890,000 people across 150 countries, more than the five most valuable companies in the world combined. In their oldest markets, the UK and US, they are growing at over twice the rate of the countries’ economies, auditing 97% of the largest US companies, and all the UK’s top 100 corporations. Richard Brooks is an author, journalist and former tax inspector. He has twice won the Paul Foot award for campaigning journalism, and has worked closely with the BBC Panorama Team on several programmes. His new book Bean Counters: The Triumph of the Accountants and how they broke Capitalism examines the evolution and current practice of a profession that is no longer marked by financial probity, but has become an exploitative and damaging industry that reinvents global regulations for its own benefit. See article on Carillion scandal & Guardian Long Read 29 May 2018: The talk begins at 6.45pm and ends around 8.30pm giving plenty of time for questions and discussion. Entrance Fee: £3 (£2 for concessions). Tickets on the door. Wine and soft drinks will be on sale and we suggest you arrive 15 minutes beforehand so that you can settle in with a glass of wine or fruit juice. The Cafe is at our usual venue at The Gallery, Alan Baxter & Associates LLP, 75 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL. The nearest tube/overground station is Farringdon and from there you head up the hill into Cowcross Street. On the right hand side you pass the “Three Compasses” Pub and about 50 metres further on you will see some iron gates with a small Cafe Diplo sign. Inside the gate you will find the reception area. https://www.mondediplofriends.org.uk/
Saturday 15th September 2018 – Jubilee Debt Campaign: 10 YEARS AFTER LEHMANS, THE VIEW FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH: 2-6pm: School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, Marylebone, London, W1U 3AJ. A decade after the ‘Great Crash’, we’ll examine its impacts on the global South and the new risks posed by globalised finance. The 2008 crisis and its aftermath brought home to people in rich countries the austerity policies that countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America had faced for many decades. For people in the global South, the bursting of the sub-prime mortgage bubble, the bank bail-outs, and the deep recession that followed in much of the West brought a whole other set of problems, including a dramatic growth in predatory, speculative finance ‘hunting for yield’ outside of the West’s historically low interest rate environment. We take stock of the crisis’ impacts 10 years on, examine the risks and implications of a new crash, and crucially, look at what can we learn from the global South about economic alternatives. How do we protect and grow the commons? What can we learn from economic justice struggles around the world? How can we develop a more sustainable, resilient and inclusive global economy? Speakers include: Sarah-Jayne Clifton, JDC, Yash Tandon, MDX University, Eric Gutierrez, Christian Aid, Yohann Koshy, New Internationalist… and many more. See the full line up and book here.
On Saturday 15th September – POSITIVE MONEY LOBBY: hundreds of people, including journalists and MPs, will be gathering outside the Bank of England to mark the 10 year anniversary since the start of the financial crisis. The more actions going on simultaneously around the UK, the more people, media and politicians we’ll reach with our message: The banks got bailed out, we got sold out. 10 years on, the government’s failed to fix the broken banking system. So now we’re calling for change – watch this space: http://positivemoney.org/
* Thursday 13th September 2018: New Study Group: 6pm at Royal Festival Hall on the South Bank. Hosted by Kyle Farren, co-organiser of the London Communalism Meetup, and Janos Abel, organiser of Something New Must Emerge • Informal meetings, to which all are welcome to discuss Communalism, popular assemblies, and direct democracy in London • Discovering a politics of citizenship based on shared public concern • We are experimenting with a method of quiet reading, summarising, sharing, efficiently getting some knowledge from six different books between us. The rendezvous will be inside the main building in front of the cafe facing the Thames. If you have any issues, contact kyle_farren-at-outlook.com.
Thursday 13th September 2018: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham Monthly Meeting will take place at 1930hrs at our usual venue of the Prince of Greenwich Pub, Upper room, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, SE10 8RT, hosted by Michael O’Keefe. Ivo Mosley, one of our members, will lead a discussion on the legal position of the Commercial Banks issuing deposits which are taken as money. The title of his talk is “The biggest rip-off ever: Money as Negotiable debt”. A few months before he died, England’s leading banking lawyer confided to Ivo: “Banking law is the greatest system of kleptocracy ever invented and foisted upon the human race.” In his talk, Ivo will explore how negotiable debt not only threatens civilization today, but has also (in different forms) helped to destroy other civilizations in the past. The talk promises to throw light on what is a taboo subject which must be of great interest to all seeking money reform.
* Wednesday 12th Sept 2018: Global Table, hosted by the Open Research Group, 12noon-2pm at the School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, W1U 3AJ: This is a regular weekly meeting – enquire for room number on arrival at reception. Our agenda draws on “Matters in the Air”: http://www.globaltable.org.uk/wp – where notes of the previous meeting are posted – together with other issues that members may bring to the meeting. This meeting is open to all on a drop-in basis, but if you would like to let us know you are coming and/or would like to suggest items for discussion, write to admin@globaltable.org.uk
Sunday 26th August 2018, 6-8pm: “Towards Self-sufficiency – Exploring the Countryside Living Allowance” – Hosted by Janos Abel, From “Something New Must Emerge”… Speakers’ Corner is the traditional home for free exchange of ideas in London. For the next few meetups the so called housing problem is our focus. “so called” because the problem is about the scarcity and cost of building land not of the bricks-and-mortar structure. A proposal for a “Countryside Living Allowance” will be looked at this meetup. The CLA could be a policy to reduce urban living congestion and demand for housing: Details/Booking.
Tuesday 4th September 2018 – 7-8.30pm: Finance and Sustainability: Is there a way forward? *** Early bird tickets available until 21 August – 33% discount *** 10 Years after the failure of Lehmans, the finance sector is now often seen as a potential ally in promoting sustainability. Green bonds and impact investment are growing trends with the promise of financing renewable energy, catchment management and more. But can the finance sector model of pile it up and sell it cheap work with the complexity and uncertainty which is often central to sustainability? Even if it can, the finance system demands economic growth to feed returns to investors and lenders which doesn’t sound particularly sustainable. Furthermore it is hardly a sector that is known for its trustworthiness. Can these circles be squared? Can we develop a financial system that truly promotes sustainability? Nick Silver, Financial Entrepreneur and Author of Finance, Society and Sustainability and Marloes Nicholls, Programme Manager of The Finance Innovation Lab, will give their views followed by discussion: Venue: School of Economic Science: Details/Booking:
Summer of Peace Summit: Tue/Wed August 7-9th 2018: FINDING COMMON GROUND: Are you disheartened by the increasing division showing up around the world? Are you concerned for our future — and for the future of generations to come? Finding Common Ground for Personal & Collective Transformation Source of Synergy Foundation: Free online event: – Details/Register – contact: info@sourceofsynergyfoundation.org.
Thursday 26th and Friday 27th July 2018: OPEN 2018: Platform Cooperatives: Open Co-op are running their next Platform Co-operatives Conference at Conway Hall on The platform cooperative economy is evolving as a viable alternative to the centralised, profit-hungry, extractive business model which dominates the web today. By shifting the focus toward fundamentally fairer forms of ownership and governance, and rewarding their communities instead of venture capitalists, platform cooperatives provide a template for a new type of organisation – forming the building blocks for a more equitable economy. The co-operative model is far from new but, as more and more of the businesses we rely on move online, the co- operative sector must evolve to stay relevant and challenge the norms of this new digital world. By placing members at the heart of organisational ownership and governance and the development of thriving communities before proft, platform cooperatives form an essential component of the transition to a transparent, democratic and decentralised economy which works for everyone. A society in which anyone can become a co-owner of the organisations on which they, their family and their community depend. A world where everyone can have say in the decisions that affect them. For further details see: https://open.coop
Friday 20th – Saturday 21st July 2018: Commons Assembly: Commons Rising – http://commonsrising.uk – and Public Works – https://www.publicworksgroup.net – are holding a UK-wide event at the School for Civic Action at the Tate Modern (London) on – PROPOSED PROGRAMME: • Friday 20th July 2018 • 10am -12pm: Closed session for commons practitioners to meet each other and get to know each other with fve minute presentations from invited participants • 12pm -1pm: Lunch: opportunity to mingle. Food will be provided in the space • 1pm -3:30pm: Outreach to Tate audiences to familiarize them with Commons ideas, run 15mins workshops across 11 themes • 3:30pm-3:45pm Break and people socializing • 3:45pm-6pm (Tate Bar is open for informal discussions): Common Visioning. Visioning of UK Commons: three short presentations, everyone reviews the notes taken during outreach workshops, the exhibition and the morning presentations. Cafe style discussions and plenary. See Report: LETSlink-Commons-180720
Saturday 30th June 2018 – 10am-5pm: AHPb Annual Conference 2018l “Love, Madness and Transformation: Humanistic Stories” at Resource for London, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA: AHPb-180630
Tuesday 26th June 2018 6:30pm to 8:00pm: Can Society Once Again Make Finance Servant, Not Master of the Economy? Hosted by the London School of Economics and Political Science, HONG KONG THEATRE, CLEMENT HOUSE. Speaker: Ann Pettifor, Chair: Dr Natacha Postel-Vinay. In February 2018, Jeremy Corbyn accused bankers of taking the economy hostage, and said in a speech that Britain’s financial sector will be “the servant of industry not the masters of all” if the Labour Party wins the next election. How realistic is that promise? In this lecture Ann Pettifor will argue that given the dependency of the finance sector on the largesse of the state and its taxpayers, a Labour government could transform the relationship between finance and industry. Ann Pettifor (@AnnPettifor) is the author of The Production of Money, director of PRIME economics, and a member of Labour’s Economic Advisory Committee. She was one of a few to predict the Great Financial Crisis in her 2006 book The Coming First World Debt Crisis. Natacha Postel-Vinay is Assistant Professor, Economic History Department, LSE. Twitter Hashtag for this event: #LSEmoney: This event is free and open to all with no ticket or pre-registration required. Entry is on a first come, first served basis. For any queries see LSE Events FAQ or contact us at events@lse.ac.uk or by calling 0207 955 6043. http://www.lse.ac.uk/Events/2018/06/20180626t1830vHKT/can-society
Saturday 23rd June 2018: HSCB presents: FINAL COUNTDOWN £3 – The People’s Vote campaign continues to gather momentum across the country, and the response from the public has been hugely supportive so far. You too can play your part in this crucial campaign. Take action today by pledging to join the March for a People’s Vote. And bring your family and friends. For full details see: www.peoples-vote.uk/march. See also : facebook page.
Friday 22nd June 2018: 7pm: HSCB presents: CO-OPERATIVES IN THE CO-OP £3 (includes one drink): The cooperative movement began in Britain and France in the 19th century in response to the industrial revolution, and the increasing mechanism of the economy threatening the livelihoods of many workers. Robert Owen (1771-1858) is considered the father of the movement. Owen had earned his fortune in the cotton trade, but believed in empowering his workers with education for themselves and their children. His idea was to help create “villages of co-operation” where workers would drag themselves out of poverty by growing their own food, making their own clothes and ultimately becoming self governing. We ask how worker Co-ops can equip us to move forwards in an economy which is producing inequality and poverty as well as environmental destruction. How can contemporary local co-ops help us to bond together at grass-roots and build a new world among the chaos of our contemporary one? Joining us we have: Paula Goes, Fair Coin – an ethical cypto-currency who have recently established a London ‘node’ – and whose aim is to create “an innovative global economic system from the bottom up in favour of an alternative and post-capitalist model, paving the way for a collective change towards a life based on value in common.” Torange Khonsair, Public Works – a not-for-profit critical design practice set up in 2004 that occupies the terrain in-between architecture, art, performance and activism. Torange is about to lead a new MA course on The Commons. Mark Hooper, is the founder of Indycube, a community benefit society and co-operative that runs co-working spaces in parts of Wales suffering from the decline of manufacturing. Indycube have taken over the lease on the Co-op, where Hoe Street Central Bank are located – making them a critical partner of the Rebel Bank! We are hoping to be joined by other local co-ops including Outlandish (a worker cooperative building technology for a fairer, better world), Organic Lea “a workers cooperative growing food on London’s edge in the Lea Valley”, Calverts – a co-operatively owned book printers based in Hackney: “We aspire to put cooperative principles into practice by holding to the values of self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity.” Buy tickets (£3) here.
Thursday June 21st 2018: My Fair London summer meeting and AGM: 6:30-8:30pm, The Education Centre, UCLH – Trust Headquarters, 250 Euston Road, London, NW1 2PG: Our summer meeting is where we review what we’ve done over the last year and agree on our priorities for the future. The Grenfell Tower fire, the housing crisis and rising homelessness, violent crime, rising teenage mental health problems, our obesity epidemic: all have links to inequality and the obscene wealth so visible in some parts of London. It feels like problems of inequality are the defining issues of our time, but we need to see action. In the last year we have published short pamphlets about inequality and the economy, and inequality and housing, and we’re working on education, health and young people. We’ve hosted evening meetings and debates with Will Hutton, Larry Elliot, Professor Diane Reay, and Emme Dent Coad, MP for Kensington. We responded to the Mayor’s consultations on ‘good work’, on city planning, on housing, and on health inequalities. And we’ve given talks and gone on demonstrations. At this meeting we’ll also celebrate publication of The Inner Level, by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. How do we capitalise on publication of their new book, to drive up awareness of the damage caused by inequality, and focus attention on what needs to be done to build a fairer London? We need to decide where should we focus our energies. We need help with our web site, with social media and design, but also with talking to people and making the case: inequality is a massive problem, and we can change it. Come along to the meeting and get involved. Reserve your place now so we know how many people are coming. The meeting will be open, welcoming and discursive, with lots of opportunity for people to share ideas. And there’ll be some refreshments at the end. Come along and help us make London a fairer city. Alex Bax, Chair, My Fair London: Eventbrite Booking Link.
Thursday 14th June 2018: 7pm HSCB: presents: FUTURE OF MONEY: Join the Bank job team and Positive Money’s Hackney group to discuss the future of money. Buy tickets (£3) here.
Wednesday 13th June 2018: 7.30-8.30pm: CHECK-UP our NHS @70. Mark Thomas interviews Professor Lord Darzi: at Friends House, 173 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ: With the NHS in apparent perpetual crisis, Mark Thomas finds out what’s going wrong, how it can go right and what the future might hold for all of us. In a series of interviews in advance of the show, Mark speaks to leading experts and looks at what lies ahead for our health service. In this interview Mark speaks to pioneering surgeon and director of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College, Professor Lord Darzi OM KBE PC FRS on his vision for a 21st century NHS, and whether we can hope to achieve it: https://markthomasinfo.co.uk/events/check-up-our-nhs-70-interview-with-professor-lord-darzi/
Tuesday 12th June 2018, 9.00am-10.15am: Committee Room 14, House of Commons Unelected Power: The Quest for Legitimacy in Central Banking & the Regulatory State: Sir Paul Tucker, Chair Systemic Risk Counci. Compared with a couple of generations ago, huge areas of government policy are delegated to technocrats insulated from day-to-day politics. Independent regulators cover everything from competition policy to public broadcasting. Since the financial crisis, central bankers have emerged as the third great pillar of unelected power alongside the judiciary and the military. These technocrats pull the regulatory and financial levers of our well-being, yet unlike democratically elected leaders, their power does not come directly from the people and they cannot be voted out when, inevitably, policy goes wrong from time to time. If we are not careful, this could slowly chip away at public confidence in our democratic system of government. Paul Tucker will lay out principles needed to address that risk, keeping Technocracy in its place. Paul Tucker will draw on his many years in domestic and international policymaking, using examples from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union, and describing the UK as having become almost casual about who holds power. Blending economics, political theory, political science and public law, he will explore what the values of democracy, the rule of law and constitutionalism demand for delegated but politically insulated power to be legitimate. Tucker explains how the regulatory state need not be a fourth branch of government free to steer by its own lights, and how central bankers and others should emulate the best of judicial self-restraint. Like it or not, unelected power has become a hallmark of modern government. Sir Paul Tucker will discuss how to harness it to the people’s purposes: Details: https://newcityagenda.co.uk/paultucker/ To register please email dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Monday 11th June from 6pm: HSCB presents ANALOGUE TECHNOLOGY IN THE DIGITAL AGE: We share the bank with Riley of Ticketlab and to celebrate London Tech Week here in Waltham Forest, Ticketlab have brought together a group of makers and creators who are using older technology to achieve moderns aims. Tickets are free and available to book here.
Armstrong Audio was originally founded in 1932 and became a leading British manufacturer of audio equipment until the late 1970s. They subsequently retooled and are now one of London’s few remaining audio repair shops. The recent renaissance in analogue sound has seen demand for their service grow and has attracted a new generation of audiophiles. See them in action and find out what they have planned for the future.
Bank Job have been printing their own money on Hoe Street in an effort to raise money for local causes and wipe out £1,000,000 of predatory debt. Using traditional printing methods, each of the bank notes is a numbered work of art. The scheme is also being filmed for a documentary and is looking at ways to incorporate cryptocurrency. See a live print demo and talk to the artists.
Byron’s Yard do custom vinyl records, dub plates and mastering. Byron will show how he uses his Scully lathe (one of only around 20 in the country) to imprint records for both national and international clients. Byron will also be playing us some records that he’s cut so we can hear the final product.
Ethan The Explorer is going to be the first computer game by a father and son team who have just successfully raised the money for the project via Kickstarter. Ethan is 8 years old and designs the graphics, sound effects and game dynamics; his faher Cris does the coding in Unity. They’ll have a playable demo, some original drawings from Ethan and you can be the first to hear the soundtrack that’s been created for them by Skylark Music. This event has been kindly supported by Waltham Forest Council and the council’s Director of Digital & ICT, Paul Neville, will be there to open proceedings. Presentations will be followed by an opportunity to network.
Friday 8th June 2018: 7pm “DEMAIN” Film Screening at HSCB: Join us to travel a world of solutions at a screening of the film ‘Demain.’ Thanks to Transition Town Network. Buy tickets here. Showing solutions, telling a feel-good story… this may be the best way to solve the ecological, economical and social crises that our countries are going through. After a special briefing for the journal Nature announced the possible extinction of a part of mankind before the end of the 21st century, Cyril Dion and Mélanie Laurent, together with a team of four people, carried out an investigation in ten different countries to figure out what may lead to this disaster and above all how to avoid it. During their journey, they met the pioneers who are re-inventing agriculture, energy, economy, democracy and education. Joining those concrete and positive actions which are already working, they began to figure out what could be tomorrow’s world…https://www.demain-lefilm.com/en/film
Mon 5th-Sat 23rd June 2018: HSCB (Hoe Street Central Bank) is open in the premises of the former Co-op Bank on Hoe Street in the London suburb of Walthamstow. Between 12th-25th March 2018 it hosted 2 intensive weeks of money printing and events. It opens again as we countdown to our final deadline of 23rd June 2018 to reach our £50,000 target. During this period there will be more events and money making. The bank is a key part of the feature documentary film ‘Bank Job’ bringing together a local community to examine how money and debt are made in our current economic system and look for alternatives that may work more in the public’s favour: for further details see: https://bankjob.pictures/bank/ • Event Details
Saturday 2nd June 2018: London Futurists present: UBIA 2018: 09:30: Doors open • 10:00: Chair’s welcome: The questions that deserve the most attention: David Wood • 10:15: Opening keynote: Basic Income – Making it happen: Prof Guy Standing • 11:00: Implications of Information Technology: Prof Joanna Bryson • 11:30: Alternatives to UBI – Exploring the Possibilities: Rohit Talwar, Helena Calle and Steve Wells • 12:15: Q&A involving all morning speakers • 12:30: Break for lunch (lunch not provided) • 14:00: Basic Income as a policy and a perspective: Barb Jacobson • 14:30: Implications of Artificial Intelligence on UBIA: Tony Czarnecki • 15:00: Approaching the Economic Singularity: Calum Chace • 15:30: What have we learned? And what should we do next? David Wood • 16:00-16:30: Closing panel involving all speakers • 16:30: Event closes. Optional continuation of discussion in nearby pub. We’ll be addressing a number of questions about Universal Basic Income and/or Alternatives (UBIA): • What do we know, in June 2018, about UBIA, that wasn’t known, or was less clear, just a few years ago? • What are the main risks and issues with the concept of UBIA? • How might the ideas of UBIA evolve in the years ahead? • If not a UBI, what alternatives might be considered, to meet the underlying requirements which have led many people to propose a UBI? • What can we learn from the previous and ongoing experiments in Basic Income? • What are the feasible systems (new or increased taxes, or other means) to pay for a UBIA? • What steps can be taken to make UBIA politically feasible? • What is a credible roadmap for going beyond a “basic” income towards enabling attainment of a “universal prosperity” by everyone? For more details of the speakers and their presentations, see here. Note that tickets for this event are available for the reduced price of £10 until the end of April. From May onward, they’ll cost £15 each. To register to attend, you need to click through to the meetup page for this event.
Friday, 1st June 2018 – the Coalition for Economic Justice (CEJ) will meet from 6:40 to 8:10 p.m. at 11 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ – by courtesy of The School of Economic Science (few minutes walk from Bond Street Tube Station in Oxford Street). Mr. Joe Burke will talk about The All Party Parliamentary Group on Land Value Capture and the Old Oak and ParkRoyal Development Corporation. Joe Burke is the head of the Secretariat of the APPG on Land Value Capture on behalf of the Coalition for Economic Justice. Admission free. the Coalition for Economic Justice <http://w.C4EJ.com> was established in November 2008 when 12 rather different organisations (see below) agreed tocombine their efforts in striving to convince influential UK persons (journalists, academics, politicians, civil servants, and others) of the virtues of land-value taxation; meaning public collection of values created by nature and by the community. These values are due to various advantages human beings can have of locations when they produce what they need for their living and comfort and when they set up their homes or business. What initiated the establishment of CEJ was the economic crises that in 2008 began pestering most civilised societies. Since its inauguration the CEJ has made important achievements; established contacts to politicians and civil servants; and raised (together with others) awareness among journalists and academics of the need for LVT. When appropriate, CEJ calls a Steering Group meeting of representatives from the participating organisations who discuss and agree strategies, plan activities, and define and accept tasks. Sub committees are working between Steering Group meetings. In order to keep members of the participating organisations updated about CEJ progresses, achievements and new ideas the CEJ calls occasionally for a *General CEJ Meeting*, such as the above mentioned. Today the *C*oalition for *E*conomic *J*ustice consists of: • The Henry George Foundation of Great Britain (HGFofGB) • School of Economic Science (SES) • Systemic Fiscal Reform Group (SFRG) • Labour Land Campaign (LLC) • Christian Council for Monetary Justice (CCMJ) • Liberal Democrat Action on LVT and Economic Reform (ALTER) • Land is Free (LIF) • Land Value Taxation Campaign (LVTC) • International Union for Land Value Taxation (theIU) • Taxpayers against Poverty (TAP) • [Observer Status] Professional Land Reform Group (PLRG) • [Observer Status] Young People’s Party • [Observer Status] The Green Party
Thursday 17th May 2018 7.30-10pm: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham Local Group. Money: Can We Do Better? Can we devise a new economic system based upon need, not money ? John Courtneidge thinks we can, and will outline his plan for a co-operative socialism-based economy to all interested parties. Dreamers and realists are very welcome to discuss his ideas over a pint. Hosted by Michael O’Keefe, at The Prince of Greenwich pub (upper room), 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8RT. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Details/booking.
See draft notes: PM-Greenwich-180517
Thursday 19th April 2018: 7:30-10pm: Positive Money Greenwich presents: Wolf, Turner and King on the Global Financial Crisis — Martin Wolf, Mervyn King and Adair Turner have all published significant and important books* about the view from their ring-side seats, respectively at the FT, Bank of England, and the Financial Services Authority, during the financial crisis of 2008 and its aftermath. The three share a common critique of the banking system and its reliance on private debt, yet each has a distinctive slant on these events and their causes and, most importantly, their proposed remedies. In this, all three indicate a sympathetic understanding of Positive Money’s own reform proposals, yet fall short of whole-heated endorsement. In this talk, Mike O’Keefe will examine the commonalities and contrasts between the three authors and our own diagnosis and prescription. *The three books, of course, are Martin Wolf’s The shifts and the shocks, 2014, Mervyn King’s The end of alchemy, 2016 and Adair Turner’s Between debt and the devil, 2016. But there is no reason why you should have read the books in order to participate in a lively and informed discussion of their conclusions. The meeting is hosted by: Michael O’Keefe. You can find us in the upper room of The Prince of Greenwich pub, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8RT – Map. . Sign up on the Positive Money website. Register on Meetup. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! www.positivemoney.org – see draft notes: PM-Greenwich-180419.
Wednesday, 11th April 2018: 7-9pm: Positive Money Hammersmith presents: “Reflections on the Nature of Money – putting the magic back into the money tree!” Making the case for nations to be at the heart of money creation, and the need to keep it simple… The speaker will be Andrew Purves, tutor at School of Economic Science. The format will be an interactive presentation followed by a group discussion. We’re a friendly group and everyone is welcome to join in! Optional donation towards venue cost: £3:00. Host: Mike Callis: Location: Grove Neighbourhood Centre (Upstairs Hall), 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0DT – see Map. If you are new to Positive Money it may be helpful for you to watch some of the short videos on the Positive Money Banking 101 Video Course
Monday 9th April 2018, 7-9pm: Positive Money Hackney: The next meeting discussion will tackle inequality with Rob Norman from the New Internationalist as guest speaker. Why should we hold out any hope for greater equality when the very richest people in the world are taking more and more? Pessimistic reactions are commonplace. But there is often great pessimism just at the point when a great injustice becomes apparent – when it becomes widely accepted that it is an injustice and people start to correct it. Rob Norman will build the case for why present day levels of inequality are so unfair, adding rigour to what, for most people, is instinctive. In doing so, he aims to critique the free market system and its proponents account of wealth creation. Rob will bring some free copies of the magazine for you to take away. The evening will include time for group discussion and debate, and as usual, we will go for a social drink in the pub afterwards. Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 7PB. If you are new to Positive Money it may be helpful for you to watch some of the short videos on the Positive Money Banking 101 Video Course
Monday 9th April 2018: – 5-7pm – Towards a Communalist Approach • Hosted by Kyle Farren, the organiser and co-organiser of the London Communalism Meetup • Informal meetings, to which all are welcome free of charge, to discuss Communalism, popular assemblies, and direct democracy in London • Discovering a politics of citizenship based on shared public concern • For the first half of each meeting, internal education, reading a work aloud and discussing it, like The Next Revolution or Utopia for Realists. For the second half, discussion of projects, like how to introduce a basic income to the UK or save the NHS. • Forum Cafe, 146 Gloucester Road SW7 4SZ ·Contact via Meetup Page. See also: https://cocreativelearning.org/index.php/CoCreative_Learning
Tuesday 20th March 2018: Positive Money presents “The Future of Cash:” 6-8pm, including drinks reception, Doors open at 5.30pm. One Great George Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3AA: The Positive Money team are hosting a launch event and reception for our new paper on the future of cash. Positive Money’s Head of Policy David Clarke will introduce the report, with responses from a panel featuring Catherine West MP and Carl Packman, Research and Good Practice Manager at Toynbee Hall. The discussion will be chaired by Elizabeth Anderson, Business Editor of the i newspaper. It will close around 7.15pm, with a drinks reception afterwards. The report advocates that: – the Bank of England should introduce a digital version of cash, “Britcoin”, because people should not have to rely on commercial banks to make electronic payments – the Payment Systems Regulator should protect people’s access to physical cash, which is increasingly under threat. The ability to make payments is fundamental to any individuals’ participation in the economy. Cash is still relied upon by 2.7 million people, including many people on low incomes, elderly people and people with ill health. But with new changes to the LINK cash machine network and more and more bank branch closures, our ability to access cash is increasingly at risk. Unless policymakers act soon, millions of people could struggle to manage their money and pay for the things they need. Our new paper argues that fair and low-cost access to payments should be recognised as a universal need, like water or electricity. It calls for the Payment Systems Regulator to be given a specific job of protecting cash access, and that instead of allowing cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, the government should work with the Bank of England to introduce “Britcoin” – a digital version of pound sterling. Please click HERE to register to come to this free event.
Saturday 17th March 2018 – Wounded Leaders: Why British Politics Is So Flawed Speaker: Nick Duffell. In the 19th century, the British industrialised boarding schools for the mass production of officers and administrators for their growing Empire by engineering privileged abandonment and normalised neglect – a context in which abuse readily flourishes. The resulting entitlement attitude still operates today and can be seen in our Brexit stuckness. Psychologically, it is a compensation for terrible, unrecoverable loss that has been taken for granted in the UK, rather like gun use is in the US. Psychotherapist, psychohistorian and author Nick Duffell will speak about his 30 year research into this problem. Venue: from 7.30 for 8pm at the Epicentre, West Street, Leytonstone, London, UK, E11 4LJ – https://newsfromnowhereweb.wordpress.com
Saturday 17th March: 2018 John Ray Initiative annual conference in Birmingham in association with ForMission College. Transport now and in the future. What are the issues? is the title of this year’s conference. We have an excellent line-up of speakers. The keynotes are David Banister (Professor Emeritus of Transport Studies at Oxford University), Michael Talbot (Head of Industrial Strategy, Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles) and John Weaver (Chair of JRI). And we have five wonderful varied seminars to choose from. Booking is open HERE
Thursday 15th March 2018: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham: The Prince Pub, 72 Royal Hill, SE10 8RT, from 7.30pm. The Presenter at this meeting will be Professor John Wood, from Goldsmiths College. He is Emeritus Professor of Design, and his talk is titled “Monkey business; re-designing money for 21st Century Primates”. In this talk John will argue that we may be unable to make society fairer and safer without challenging some fundamental assumptions behind money and how it works. He will outline a relational currency system that is inspired by living systems. I think that this is going to be a “thinking outside the box” exercise that will take most us well beyond our usual understanding of what money is, and what its current problems are. However, this may be no bad thing. Modern technology and communication is changing fast at present, providing us with possibilities for changing money that we have never had before. This should make for a fascinating evening. Come and prepare to be challenged (and bring a friend!). Best, Tim & Mike
Thursday 15th March 2018: Building and Dwelling, 1-2pm: in the Great Room Auditorium, RSA House. What is the relationship between how cities are built and how people live in them? In his latest work, influential urbanist Richard Sennett distils a lifetime’s thinking and practical experience to demonstrate the profound effect that the design of cities has upon the everyday experience of those who dwell in them. In describing how cities such as Paris, Barcelona and New York assumed their modern forms, Sennett explores the intimate relationship between the good built environment and the good life. Showing how the ‘closed city’ – segregated, regimented, and controlled – has spread from the global North to the exploding urban agglomerations of the global South, he argues, as an alternative, for the ‘open city,’ where citizens learn to manage complexity, and planners experiment with urban forms that make it easier for residents to live side by side. At a time when more humans live in urban spaces than ever before, Sennett draws upon decades of deep learning and engagement with city life to form a bold and original vision for the future of cities: Details/Booking.
Sunday 11th March 2018: 11:00 AM to 12:30pm: Back to the Future for a Real Democracy: Join us at this Sunday meeting at Conway Hall where Brett Hennig will talk about a different way of “doing” democracy through sortation or random selection. We are running this meeting in conjunction with the Conway Hall Ethical Society because it fits well into our Future Democracy theme and the other events we are holding. Democracy, like all powerful terms, is a slippery word to get a grip on. What is the essence of democracy? What are the ideals? Brett Hennig will take us on a voyage revealing democracy’s intriguing and complicated history to explore these questions and discover how we got to where we are. This trip will lead us all the way back to ancient Athens, where they used rotation and random selection (also called sortition) to allocate almost all of their political positions. He’ll then take a massive jump back to the future to see how the rediscovery of sortition in modern democratic experiments shows us, incredibly, the way to fix the broken system we have inherited and to institute a real democracy. And, something you wont believe, this would spell the end of politicians. Who wouldn’t vote for that! Recent TEDx speaker Brett Hennig is a director and co-founder of the Sortition Foundation, whose aim is to promote the ideas developed in his recent book The End of Politicians: Time for a Real Democracy and to institute the use of stratified, random selection of individuals to form our government. Before co-founding the Sortition Foundation, Brett wore a variety of hats: as a taxi driver, a software engineer, a social justice activist, a mathematics tutor, and the primary carer of four boys; he finished his PhD in astrophysics just before his first son arrived. He has spent the last several years investigating and researching network forms of democracy and is flying in from Budapest to present what will form the basis of this electrifying event, which is also sponsored by GlobalNet21 and London Futurists: Venue: Brockway Room, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. Please note this meeting is free to Conway Hall and GlobalNet21 fully paid members but for others there is a charge of £3 (and £2 concessionary fee.) Details/Booking.
Saturday 10th March 2018: Uniting for Peace AGM and Spring Conference 2018 http://www.unitingforpeace.com. CAN WE UNITE FOR PEACE? Building Citizen Power for Change. AGM 10:30-11:45, Conference 12:00-17:00. Venue: Wesley’s Chapel, 49 City Road, London EC1Y 1AU, Nearest Tube Station: Old Street. Speakers: Chair – Rita Payne, President Emeritus, Commonwealth Journalists Association • Keith Best, Chair, World Federalist Movement • Jeremy Gilley, Founder, Peace One Day • Lindsey German, Convenor, Stop the War • Vijay Mehta, Author and Chair, Uniting for Peace • Caroline Millman/Sally Milne, PeaceJam UK • Clive Wilson, Author and Chair, UNA Harrogate • Anthony Russell/Luke Addison, The Chandos Foundation / PeaceJam • Hur Hassnain, Evaluation and Monitoring Officer, Y Care International.
Lunchtime Workshop: “The Nonviolent Russian Revolution”, Organised by: Milan Rai, Editor, Peace News, Time: 12:55 – 13:40 (working lunch): The Russian Revolution of 1917 would not have succeeded without fearless nonviolent action by hundreds of thousands of civilians and soldiers. Even the ‘storming’ of the Winter Palace on 25 October was largely nonviolent. Yes, there was plenty of revolutionary armed action in Russia in the course of 1917, but there were also many extraordinary, inspiring, surprising moments that can and should be celebrated by nonviolent revolutionaries. A talk based on the recent Peace News pamphlet by the editor of Peace News.
Peace Songs and Performance : “Peace Begins with Me” – Organised by: Laura Topper and Jason Salmon: Time: 16:00 – 16:30.
Message from Vijay: There are many peace organisations doing exemplary work on single issues like abolition of war, ending arms trade, nuclear disarmament, poverty reduction, countering terrorism and extremism, violations of human rights and mitigation of climate change. However, their impact is not fully realised as goal of achieving peace is the same, we do not most of the time work together. As we live in an interdependent world, with more and more global threats and challenges, we need to work together in a concerted and united way to tackle the interlinked global issues through peace activism. Instead of focusing on thematic forums such as militarism, water, migration or nuclear disarmament, how about if all these numerous organisations worked together to search a common ground in unity to build citizen power, a force to reckon with and work together for building a momentum for change. The purpose of working together is to transform violent conflict, advance human development, promote just and harmonious societies and protect the planet in a shorter span of time. Expert speakers from Uniting for Peace and various peace, human rights and environmental organisations will examine these critical issues and explore how an atmosphere of working together can be built to tackle the root causes of wars, violence, terrorism, mitigating climate change crisis for building a peaceful world. Can we come up with a plan of common action towards this goal?
Event Registration: Vijay Mehta: <mailto:vijay@vmpeace.org> vijay@vmpeace.org, Telephone: 0207 791 1717 • Free Public Event | Donations Welcome
• Please send cheques payable to Uniting for Peace to 14 Cavell Street, London E1 2HP
Thursday 8th March at 6pm: the London premiere screening of John Feldman’s new film on the life and work of Lyn Margulis, ‘SYMBIOTIC EARTH’, at the Linnean Society. Lynn was a Fellow of the Society and the screening not only celebrates International Women’s Day but also what would have been Lynn’s 80th birthday on March 5th. Details and booking arrangements for both events can be found through the following links: https://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/events/symbiotic-earth-how-lynn-margulis-rocked-the-boat-and-started-a-scientific-revolutionhttps://www.linnean.org/meetings-and-events/events/gaia-walk-with-peter-horton . Symbiosis was recognised in the Abrahanic scriptures “God breathed into the clay of the earth and it became a living being.” Gen 2:7
Wednesday 7th March 2018 7-9pm: New Confessions of an Economic Hitman: For this meetup we will be reviewing “The New Confessions of an Economic Hitman (EHM)” by John Perkins. The book is a recent update on Perkins’ classic and accessible book which mixes historical narrative, economic insight and a touch of James Bond! The central theme of the book is the World Bank loans to developing countries which time and again fail to deliver the miraculous economic boom which was promised. More likely, an economic crisis sweeps in as surely as day follows night, leaving the familiar selection of unappealing options – structural adjustment (e.g. privatisation, deregulation), US military bases and a generally unceremonious stripping of whatever sovereignty the poor unfortunates once thought they had. Is this all just bad luck? Or part of some greater design? To make sense of this fascinating subject we dig into a few relevant histories, Mohammed Mossadegh of Iran, Omar Torrijos of Panama and Jaime Roldos of Ecuador. We will hear from an economic hitwoman closer to home. And we bring the story up to date by considering if EHM activity continues to this day. The meeting is hosted by Mike Callis. The format will be an interactive presentation followed by discussion and breakout sessions. We’re a friendly group and everyone is welcome to join in! We request an optional £3 donation towards the cost of our venue. Anything you can give is appreciated! Grove Neighbourhood Centre (Upstairs Hall – press bell 3), 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0DT (Nearest tube stops are Ravenscourt Park and Hammersmith). There is a lift and 2 flights of stairs to take you up to the first floor. The venue provides disabled access. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Best wishes, The Positive Money team • Directions and Booking are on the Positive Money website • Alternatively, register on Meetup.
Monday 5th March at 7pm: FOOD BANK AS IT IS, by Tara Osman – a factual drama telling real stories from a real food bank – “Because there is no them. Only us” – at the Chelsea Theatre, 7 World’s End Place, Kings Road, London SW10 0DR: www.chelseatheatre.org.uk • Details/Booking
Thursday 22nd February 2018: Globalnet21: Democracy in Crisis: Join Molly Scott Cato MEP who believes that our Democracy is at such a critical point that 2018 must be a turning point if we are not to decline into a new dark age. Molly says, “The last year made me fear for our democracy itself — 2018 must be a turning point. Dark antidemocratic forces, we thought we’d banished to history, seemed to reappear in 2017. It’s up to all of us to stop their rise.” She believes that we live in times of great change and democratic politicians are struggling to find solutions to the problems this generates. The fascist response is to point to these weaknesses and create fake news to undermine democratic politicians. How do we avoid our democracies across the Western world and in the UK collapsing as they did in many countries in the 1930’s leading to turmoil and conflict? What needs to be done both by politicians and civil society? Speakers include, Molly Scott Cato, Green MEP for the South West of England and Gibraltar, elected in May 2014. She is an academic, environmental and community activist, and green economist. Until her election as an MEP, she was Professor of Strategy and Sustainability at the University of Roehampton.[b] Scott Cato speaks for the Green Party on finance issues, and is known for her work in the field of co-operative studies. She has published on green economics, localism and anti-capitalism, and has contributed to works on the risks of nuclear power, the use of which she strongly opposes. Caitriona Fleming from the Parliamentary Outreach Scheme. They organise a range of lectures, training sessions, workshops and other events about how Parliament works and how you can get involved. Caitriona will tell us how the representative system can work and how we can make that happen. Alexandra Runswick is Director of Unlock Democracy, a grassroots organisaton which campaigns for a vibrant inclusive democracy that puts power in the hands of the people. Alex started her career working on feminist and environmental campaigns and increasing public participation in health care, before moving to democratic reform. She has over ten years experience of parliamentary campaigning on democratic and constitutional reform issues including the case for a written constitution, lobbying transparency, party funding, freedom of information, House of Lords reform, electoral reform, women’s representation in politics and participatory democracy. Alex also co-authored Unlock Democracy’s report Democratic Brexit: Avoiding Constitutional Crisis in Brexit Britain which explores how Parliament and the public should be involved in the Brexit process.Event organised and hosted by Francis Sealey: Venue: The Grimond Room, Portcullis House · London SW1A 2LW: Information/Booking: https://www.meetup.com/GlobalNet21/events/246607325/
Mon 19th Feb 2018 – Positive Money Hackney presents: “Inside Job” movie night. We would like to invite you to the Positive Money Hackney special evening to watch the “Inside job” <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1645089/> movie with Matt Damon. ‘Inside Job’ provides a comprehensive analysis of the global financial crisis of 2008, which at a cost over $20 trillion, caused millions of people to lose their jobs and homes, and nearly resulted in a global financial collapse. Through exhaustive research in the US, UK, Iceland, France, Singapore, and China, interviewing key financial insiders, politicians, journalists, and academics, the film traces the rise of a rogue industry which has corrupted politics, regulation, and academia. We will have a 20min discussion after the movie, and as usual, we will go for a social drink in the pub afterwards. Come along and bring your friends! Where Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High Street, London, N16
7PB. If you are new to Positive Money it may be helpful for you to watch some of the short videos on the Positive Money *Banking 101 Video Course <>*
Thursday 15th February 2018 7:30-9pm: Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham, hosted by Mike O’Keefe, present a free screening of Michael Oswald’s documentary film on Britain’s role in creating the global network of tax havens: The Spider’s Web : Britain’s Second Empire. At the demise of empire, City of London financial interests created a web of off-shore secrecy jurisdictions that harnessed wealth from across the globe and hid it behind obscure financial structures in far flung places. Today, up to half of global off-shore wealth may be hidden in British offshore jurisdictions and this ‘Second Empire’ constitutes the largest global player in the world of international finance. How did this come about, and what impact does it have in today’s world ? This is what The Spider’s Web sets out to investigate. Please join us for what promises to be an enjoyable and thought-provoking exploration of a subject at the heart of current discussion of global capitalism, at The Upper Room, The Prince of Greenwich Pub, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8RT. This meet-up, chaired by Tim, is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too: Details/Booking.
Wednesday 7th February 2018, Positive Money presents “China Challenges the Petrodollar”. This will be the second of a series of meet ups dedicated to the changes in world economic governance likely to occur as a result of the geopolitical shifts set in motion by the rise of China. This time we will look at China’s bid to replace (or reform?) our current international monetary system based on the petrodollar. On September 6th 2017, China announced the launch of a gold-backed, yuan-denominated oil futures contract. The move potentially creates a way for oil exporters to circumvent the dollar by trading in yuan, and China is making the prospect attractive by granting the convertibility of the yuan into gold in the Shanghai and Hong Kong exchanges. An article in the Nikkei Asian Review explains the significance of this move: ‘The contract could become the most important Asia-backed crude oil benchmark, given that China is the world’s biggest oil importer.’ Now China needs to get as many oil exporting countries as possible on board, if its bid to displace the dollar is to succeed. Being able to convert oil into gold should be a powerful incentive, yet we know that trying to abandon the petrodollar can turn out to be the kiss of death…. We will outline a brief history of the petrodollar agreement and how it has been kept in place over the years, and then we’ll move on to look at how China is trying to win over as many oil exporting countries as possible. What will be the likely outcome? You are welcome to join the discussion: 7-9pm: Upstairs Hall, Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0DT: Background: • https://asia.nikkei.com/Markets/Commodities/China-sees-new-world-order-with-oil-benchmark-backed-by-gold • Details/Booking.
Monday 29th January 2018: 7-9pm: Positive Money Hackney will host Duncan McCann from City University presenting his proposals for a number of UK Social Wealth Funds. These are like sovereign wealth funds <> but with a couple of important differences. They are own collectively by the people rather than the government, pursue a social purpose and are under democratic control. We will examine the potential of introducing one or more social wealth funds in the UK. Such funds would aim to capture some of the financial gains from the private ownership of capital and use the proceeds for wider community benefit, such as investment in social infrastructure, while also contributing to the long term reduction in inequality. As well as funding social investment and anti-inequality programmes, could such a scheme also help finance a regular Citizen’s Dividend scheme? The talk will be followed by time for group discussion and debate, and as usual, we will go for a social drink in the pub afterwards. Come along and bring your friends! At Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High Street N16 7PB. If you are new to Positive Money it may be helpful to watch some of the short videos on the Positive Money Banking 101 Video Course <>.
Wednesday 24th January 2018 7-9pm: Positive Money Hammersmith, host Mike Callis, present: Moving Beyond Neoliberalism: New year, new life, new economic paradigm! Time to ditch the Neoliberal economic model and embrace the idea of paradigm change. It’s not us, who advocate such a bold move, but Laurie Laybourn-Langton and Michael Jacobs from the Friends Provident Foundation. The paper they recently published, ‘Moving Beyond Neoliberalism’, is going to be the subject of our next meet up. In it, the authors make the case that Neoliberalism has reached the end of the road and it’s time for all the progressive-minded people (academics, NGO’s, think tanks, and campaigning groups – including Positive Money) to get their acts together and instead of pursuing piecemeal reforms tackle the task of completely overturning the neoliberal economic paradigm. This will require co-ordination and strategic thinking, qualities rather lacking in the progressive landscape. After clarifying the concept of paradigm change with a brief history of how economic paradigms (Liberal, Keynesian and Neoliberal) succeded one another, we will delve into discussing whether or not the progressive forces stand any chance of catching this once in a lifetime opportunity to make use of the providential winds of change blowing from the Far East….or whether they will leave the initiative to the Right. Whatever your point of view, you are welcome to join the debate – Costanza Picchioni, co-organiser of PM Hammersmith, will lead the discussion as usual, in the Upstairs Hall, Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0DT: Details/Booking.
Dec 17th-21st 2017: Ninth International Conference on Peace and Nonviolent Action (9th ICPNA) “Science, Spirituality and Universal Peace” at Anuvibha Jaipur Kendra, Jaipur – for further details and invitation, contact Dr. S.L. Gandhi, International President, Anuvrat Global Organization (Anuvibha), B01-02, Anuvibha Jaipur Kendra (Rajasthan) India: PH: +91-141-4049714 | 4050991 | 2525829 <slgandhi@hotmail.com> • http://www.anuvibha.in
Monday, 4th December 2017: 7-9pm – Reception for launch of All Party Parliamentary Group on Land Value Capture at Houses of Parliament, Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, 1 Parliament St, Westminster, London SW1A 2JR (Please allow circa 30 minutes to clear security at Portcullis House) UN Study Warns: Growing Economic Concentration Leads to “Rentier Capitalism”
Saturday 25th November 2017: Towards Human Flourishing. A participatory workshop. Speakers: Diarmuid O’Murchu on Human Flourishing, a new evolutionary threshold. Professor Lisa Isherwood on Earth Flourishing. Diarmuid is author of books such as Incarnation, A new evolutionary threshold, and Religious Life in the 21st Century. Lisa is Director of the Institute for Theological Partnerships, and author of books such as Introducing Body Theology, and editor of Through Us, With Us, In Us: Relational Theologies in the 21st Century, and is the first of a series, exploring the themes of the Pathways to Human Flourishing. This event is in partnership with the Institute of Theological Partnerships at the University of Winchester, who are hosting the workshop, and the charity Spirit of Peace, which has developed the Pathways. Link to the invitation card, booking and donation details: livingspirit.org.uk/wp-content
Saturday, 25th November 2017 – 10:30am-16:30pm: Uniting for Peace Annual Conference on “World Religions for Peace” on at Wesley’s Chapel, 49 City Road, London EC1Y 1AU. We hope you can join us and please be kind enough to circulate the “World Religions for Peace” event details to your friends/contacts. Many thanks. Chair: Rita Payne, President Emeritus Commonwealth Journalists Association. Speakers: Dr. Marcus Braybrooke, President, World Congress of Faiths • Imam Monawar Hussain, Founder, The Oxford Foundation • Roy Sutherwood, Director, Jamyang Buddhist Centre • Natubhai Shah, CEO/Chair, Jain Network • Mark Owen, Director, Winchester Centre of Religion, Reconciliation and Peace • Jacqui Daukes, Partnership Manager, Initiatives of Change • Anna Lubelska, Founder and Coordinator, The Peaceful Schools Movement • Vijay Mehta, Author, Peace Beyond Borders, Chair, Uniting for Peace: Venue, Wesley’s Chapel, 49 City Road, nr Old Street tube, London EC1Y 1AU. Link to flyer: 25-november-world-religions-for-peace. For registrations and any other info please contact: Vijay Mehta – vijay@vmpeace.org, 020 7791 1717 • Brian Cooper: 0131 446 9545 • www.unitingforpeace.com
Wednesday 22nd November 2017, 19:00 – 21:00 Positive Money Hammersmith: Local Currencies: A Solution to Prolonged Austerity? Nine years after the financial crash, Europe is still in deep crisis. The mix of austerity and QE that our system of governance has been dishing out has not solved any of the underlying problems. In our country, with debt unsustainably high, the spectre of another financial collapse is always looming, whereas in countries that have applied austerity more severely, lack of money is bringing social services and the real economy to a near collapse. This prolonged failure of governance is prompting people to seek DIY solutions: some people are setting up currencies without a state (i.e. Bitcoin) and others attempted to set up states without a currency (the Catalonians and the Scots before them). In the meantime local currencies, a possible solution that has been around for a long time, have not seen any major developments and are still playing a very marginal role. In this meetup we will try to understand why local currencies are not taking off and, in the process, we will also unlock the basic logic underlying money. We will use local currencies as the basic building block and then we’ll work our way up to unveil the conditions needed to make currencies, both local and national, successful. The evening will begin with a short video on the Brixton pound, and from there we’ll start to analyse what works and what doesn’t. With the help of an easy text – chapter 15 of “Sacred Economics” by C. Eisenstein – and another short video illustrating the dynamics of the Eurozone, we will be able to put the pieces of the jigsaw into place and understand why DIY money (and by extension DIY states), while in theory relatively easy to arrange, is in practice extremely elusive. Eventually, after comparing past and present experiences of various types, we will see that for a currency to be successful there must be three elements at work: state (or community), economy and technology, inextricably connected and reinforcing each other in a virtuous cycle, catch-22 style. The solution is elusive because money is simple and complex at the same time. No doubt many people will tend to disagree, and they are all welcome to join the discussion. Costanza Picchioni, our co-organiser, will lead the debate. As usual, all are welcome! Hosted by Mike Callis at Grove Neighbourhood Centre (Upstairs Hall), 7 Bradmore Park Road Hammersmith, London, W6 0DT. Nearest tube stops are Ravenscourt Park and Hammersmith. Press bell 3 for the Upstairs Hall. From Ravenscourt Park tube station, turn left out of the tube station and walk down the alleyway to get to Dalling Road. Turn left and walk under the railway lines and
past a school on your left. Turn right onto Glenthorne Road and take the third left onto Bradmore Park Road. Walk through a narrow section of road to a crossroads and continue straight over on Bradmore Park Road. You will see the Grove Neighbourhood Centre on your left. Press bell 3 for the Upstairs Hall. There is a lift and 2 flights of stairs to take you up to the first floor.
The venue provides disabled access. Sign up on the Positive Money website, RSVP on Meetup. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Best wishes from The Positive Money team: www.positivemoney.org
Tuesday 21st November 2017 from 7-8:30pm: From Maximising Shareholder Value to Creating Sustainable Prosperity: by Promoting Economic Pluralism (PEP): After Milton Friedman famously proposed that the sole purpose of business enterprises should be to maximise shareholder value in an article in the New York Times in September 1970, this theory became a truism and a driving force for the following decades. Now it is coming under increasing question with even the Financial Times recently publishing an article by Stefan Stern suggesting that ‘too narrow a focus on shareholder value can lead to disaster’. Professor William Lazonick , Professor of Economics at University of Massachusetts Lowell, and President of the Academic-Industry Research Network, will set out his view that this theory, rather than being a theory of value creation, is actually an ideology of predatory value extraction with deeply political origins and a key driver of inequality. But what should replace it? Professor Lazonick proposes an alternative, The Theory of Innovative Enterprise. Joe Zammit-Lucia, an entrepreneur, investor, and commentator, co-Founder and Trustee of Radix – the think tank for the radical centre where he has authored papers on corporate governance, multiple aspects of Brexit and monetary policy, will provide a response followed by open discussion. Venue: School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, London, England W1U 3AJ – Details/Booking
Thursday 16th November 2017: 19:30 – 20:30: Positive Money Greenwich: The Growth Dilemma: The current monetary system facilitates and encourages economic growth, prioritising current consumption over the long-term sustainability of our activities and despite the limits of nature. The growth objective is at odds with a finite planet’s resources. At this informal supporters meeting, Tim Delap will preview the forthcoming paper from Positive Money ‘Escaping growth dependency ~ why reforming money will reduce the need to pursue economic growth at any cost to the environment’. He will argue that, whilst money is but one factor in a culture of growth dependency, a re-designed, sovereign money system is the only means of reconciling the dilemma we face in this regard. Please note the new time (7.30pm) and day (Thursdays) of these meetings. Hope to see you there! Mike and Tim. Hosted by Michael O’Keefe, at The Prince of Greenwich Pub (upper room), 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8RT: This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Sign up on the Positive Money website. RSVP on Meetup . The Positive Money team: www.positivemoney.org
Tuesday, 14th November 2017 6-8pm: Young Achievers Engaging with Parliamentarians – Parliament Week Event to be held in Committee Room 10, House of Commons, Palace of Westminster SW1A 0AA – Details/Booking.
Mon 13th Nov 2017: Positive Money Hackney meeting on Low-carbon economics with Frank Van Lerven, Economist at the New Economics Foundation <http://neweconomics.org/>, will be proposing that central banks should play a more prominent role in supporting the transition to a low-carbon economy. He will identify some policy interventions that could help central banks address the growing challenges of climate change. He will explain a green macro-prudential policy approach, green credit allocation interventions, and so-called ‘Green QE’. Frank will discuss the interventionist role currently played by central banks following the 2008 financial crisis, and how their role in supporting a low carbon transition has been largely neglected. He says that the focus of financial regulators on encouraging greater disclosure of financial institutions’ exposure to climate change relate shocks is welcome, but insufficient. He will consider specific policy suggestions and interventions that could be pursued to help such a transition. The talk will be followed by time for group discussion and debate: http://neweconomics.org/2017/09/central-banks-climate-change/?_sft_people=frank-van-lerven. If you are new to Positive Money it may be helpful for you to watch some of the short videos on the Positive Money website: Banking 101 Video Course: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/m/50027c59/44de5fa5/594e3214/1635b89a/2619561298/VEsF/. As usual, we will go for a social drink in the pub afterwards. Come along and bring your friends: Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High Street, London N16 7PB.
Sunday 12 November 2017: 1.45–4pm: Searching a Communal Heart: Earth Literacy, Ecology and Spirituality. Speaker: Prof Ursula King St James’s Church, 197 Piccadilly, W1J 9LL .The contemporary understanding of spirituality is closely related to a new consciousness of the Earth and what Thomas Berry calls ‘Earth literacy’. The Universe story, Earth story and human story are intimately interconnected. The whole planet and all life are understood as a vast eco-system linked to philosophical and spiritual dimensions. We will explore how this challenges us to love and act differently in a global world that can reveal to us a common mind and heart, and a new sense of divine presence that pervades the whole universe. Ursula King is Professor Emerita of Theology and Religious Studies at the University of Bristol. She has published widely on gender issues in world religions, interfaith dialogue, spirituality, and on the resonance today of the work of Teilhard de Chardin. Event Chair: Revd. Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James’s Church. To book please email Petra Griffiths, Living Spirituality Connections Coordinator: petragriffiths@livingspirit.org.uk. Donations to event expenses will be welcome on the day. Light refreshments will be served at 3.30pm: http://www.livingspirit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/ursula_king.pdf
Sat/Sun 11th/12th November 2017: People and Planet South East Gathering at Surrey University, Guildford! This exciting weekend of workshops on student activism will help you pick up the skills and knowledge required to build successful campaigns on your campuses, and allow you to meet other activists from across the South East region. Food and accommodation are provided and if you need help with travel costs, get in touch and we may be able to help. Details/Booking.
Sat/Sun: 11th and 12th November 2017: People & Planet Scotland Regional Gathering in the beautiful city of Edinburgh. This weekend of training and networking will take place on the at the Autonomous Centre of Edinburgh. We’re going to be looking at campaign strategy, media skills, migrant solidarity and knowing your legal rights, as well as coming together to plan an action about climate refugees on the Sunday afternoon. We’ll also be strengthening our Scottish network and working out how we can best support each other’s campaigns. Food and accommodation, as well as potential help with travel costs, are provided for free, and there will be a social on Saturday night and post-action entertainment for those who can stick around on Sunday evening. Everyone who is a student at university or college in Scotland is welcome, even if you’re not part of a People & Planet group. So, if you want to learn some new campaigning skills and meet fantastic student activists from all over Scotland, keep an eye out for more information and booking. Join the Facebook event. Held in collaboration with Young Friends of the Earth Scotland. Details/Booking.
Fri/Sat/Sun: 3-5th November 2017: Take part in People’s and Planet’s South West and Wales Regional Gathering in Cardiff. The weekend promises to be a unique experience with exciting workshops, talks seminars, networking, and – not to mention – fun activities, all taking place at Cathays Community Centre in Cardiff: Details/Booking.
Sat/Sun/Mon 28-30th October 2017. People & Planet: The All-Ireland Student Activist Network is planning an incredible Halloween weekend of training, connecting, empowerment and fun, in Queen’s University Belfast: https://peopleandplanet.org/events#node-229
Friday 27th October: 6:40pm Coalition for Economic Justice: OPEN MEETING: Fred Harrison: Building an authentically humane society – policy and language: Land Value Taxation / Annual Ground Rent / Location Benefit Charge at School of Economic Science, 11-13 Mandeville Place, Marylebone, London W1U 3AJ, UK “Britain is faced with an historic opportunity. The break-up of the formal relationship with the European Union obliges both the public and the politicians to consider what the future of the United Kingdom could and should look like. That a new constitutional settlement is needed is driven home by the repetitive nature of the crises that confront all four nations of the UK. The inability of Parliament to once-and-for-all erase these crises emphasises that there is something fundamentally wrong with one or more pillars that prop up the social structure. The major obstacle to change is buried deep in the collective consciousness. A prejudice steers us away from the ultimate source of the most socially significant crises that afflict Britain today. That source is the taxation system. That structure will not be altered until we realign rights with responsibilities, especially as these relate to the administration of the public purse.”
Thu/Fri: October 19/20th 2017: Festival of Economic Thinking: 9am-6pm: Edinburgh Corn Exchange, 11 Newmarket Road, Edinburgh, UK, EH14 1RJ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/festival-new-economic-thinking/
Wednesday, 18th October 2017 9-11am, LAND SEMINAR to be held at Houses of Parliament, Portcullis House, 1 Parliament St, Westminster, London, SW1A 2JR. Taxpayers Against Poverty is co-hosting this event with the APPG on Health in All Policies and the APPG on Poverty. It will be Chaired by Debbie Abrahams MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Chair of APPG on Health in all Policies. The speakers will include Fred Harrison of the Land Research Trust. The people thrive on Land Value Tax in Australia, Denmark, Harrisburg Pensylvania and other US cities and Hong Kong. The seminar will focus on how it works. Register via Eventbrite.
Saturday 14th October 2017: People & Planet Economic Justice Programme : RE-CONNECT: Free event in Leeds: 10.30am-5.45pm @ Oxford Place, Leeds, LS1 3AU. Co-hosted with Leeds Tidal looking at how austerity, racism, rubbish jobs and welfare cuts have moulded Leeds – and what we can do collectively to bring about rights, solidarity and unity during these challenging times-is now less than a month away? Why do we need to re:connect? Divisions have emerged, and been massively exploited, during years of austerity whilst people have been forced to compete for resources. The government and media continue to find ways to blame marginalised people for problems in our society and we are less likely to work together, even though we have ‘more in common’ than many of us think. Our “seperateness” makes it more likely that the government can perpetrate injustice against all of us. We want to ‘Re: Connect’ so that we can take on injustice at it’s roots. Come to connect with others to better understand key issues of 2017 including the impact of the cuts, racism in Leeds, rubbish jobs and the gig economy, and refugee rights. Come to not just learn but feel empowered to work together in the future, strategise for how we can address injustices together and learn practical skills that will help be heard and achieve change. Register for your free place and lunch here.
Wednesday 11th October 2017: New City Agenda are delighted to invite you to “Leading for Mutual Value” – a speech by Joe Garner, Chief Executive, Nationwide, the world’s largest building society and a top-three player in mortgages, savings and new current accounts in the UK. In his first speech in Parliament in a Nationwide capacity, Joe will set out his philosophy of leading for mutual value. Joe will explore how financial services needs a new model of leadership if it is ever to regain the trust of society after the traumas of the last decade. Joe believes that business with a social purpose can and should play a role in improving society by tackling some of the big issues of the day, such as the housing crisis. The fundamental belief that we can do more together than we can apart, is something that has lessons for all types of businesses. Joe examines how that plays out for an enterprise with a 150-year heritage in a world of technological disruption, zero-hour contracts and nearly a quarter of Britons over 75 within 15 years. Joe Garner joined Nationwide as CEO in April 2016, inspired by the Society’s principle of mutuality and service ethos. Consumer-focussed organisations have been at the heart of Joe’s working life. He spent his early career with consumer products companies, Procter & Gamble and Dixons Carphone. He was then invited to lead larger organisations, first as Head of HSBC’s UK retail and commercial businesses from 2010 to 2012. Then, in 2014 he became CEO at Openreach, the UK’s digital infrastructure provider. Joe was also Chair of the Financial Services Authority Practitioner Panel from 2011 to 2013, and a non executive director of the Financial Ombudsman Service from 2007 to 2010. Since joining Nationwide, Joe’s mission has been to inspire colleagues to remain true to the Society’s social purpose; using the power of the collective to improve people’s lives. Joe is passionate about Nationwide’s core purpose of ‘building society, nationwide’. Joe is Chairman of the British Triathlon Trust. He lives in South London with his wife and son. This is the third event in a programme of research supported by Pension Insurance Corporation into the purpose of finance. This programme was inspired by Andy Haldane’s speech to the New City Agenda annual dinner examining how we can restore public trust by improving financial education and establishing and communicating the purpose of financial services. Do join us for what we expect to be an insightful event. Best Wishes, Dominic Dominic Lindley, Director of Policy: www.newcityagenda.co.uk. , This event is from 9.00am to 10.15am, at The Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, House of Commons, London. Please could you confirm your attendance by contacting: dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Sunday 8th October 2017: Alternative View Conference: Tickets Available from 1st August 2017. £35 in Advance (£45 on the Door): http://www.alternativeview.co.uk/?utm_source=Copy+of+The+End+of+Privacy&utm_campaign=Eyes+to+See&utm_medium=email
Saturday 7th October 2017: One-day HUMANISTIC PSYCHOLOGY Conference, to be held at Resources for London, 356 Holloway Road, London N7 6PA, 9am-5pm, Cost: £60 includes lunch, refreshments and live music -with Jennifer Maidman and Annie Whitehead (ex Penguin Cafe Orchestra). This one-day conference brings together some of the most inspiring and challenging thinkers in the field of Psychology in general, and in Humanistic Psychology in particular. Five speakers will give us their own particular slant on the event’s umbrella title: “Expanding a Humanistic Vision for a 21st Century Psychology”. Themes covered will include Humanistic Psychology and activism, future self as living entity, expanding the humanistic paradigm for the 21st-century context, Humanistic Psychology ‘outside the box’, and visioning our humanistic future – a rich mixture of the “self” and “society” dialectic that are at the core of Humanistic Psychology as a genuinely progressive psychology for the current era. See flyer: AHPb-171007
Saturday 7th October 2017 – Debt & Economics: Education for Action! by Jubilee Debt Campaign: Should debts always be paid? What does colonialism have to do with debt and inequality in 2017? How is NHS debt linked to global south debt through Public Private Partnerships? Register for our FREE workshop in Birmingham to answer all of these questions- and more! by clicking here. And if you’re a student….Young people in the People & Planet network are organising 5 Regional Events: each a weekend of skills learning, ideas sharing and action planning with students from all across your regions. Taking place in the South West & Wales; London and the South East; North England; Ireland; Scotland Save the dates now and find out more in the next couple of weeks by clicking here.
Saturday 30th September 2017 10am – 4pm: Join our Autumn Series at the Co-operative College in Manchester! Join co-op advisor Kate Whittle of Cooperantics for a one-day workshop to find out about Multi-Stakeholder Co-operatives and if they would could work for your organisation or business. The Workshop — A good understanding of what a multi-stakeholder co-operative is, the advantages offered by this model and some of the complexity — Awareness of some examples of multi-stakeholder co-ops, their successes and complexities — Practical experience of thinking about the design of a multi-stakeholder co-operative. Join financial activist Brett Scott, and author of The Heretic’s Guide to Global Finance, for a one-day workshop exploring the history of money and how we can change its future.
Tuesday 26th September 2017: Pan-European screening of Free Lunch Society at 7:30pm, during <span” class=””aBn”” data-term=””goog_1652264576″><span”>Basic Income Earth Network Conference in Lisbon.
Monday 18th September 2017: 6.30-8.00pm + drinks reception: Positive Money’s event marking the 10th anniversary of the financial crisis: “Out of the Darkness” with Martin Wolf: Can a reformed financial system help solve the world’s big problems? With responses from Ed Balls and Fran Boait, Please click here to register to come to the event.
Sunday 17th September 2017: Celebration of the Charter of the Forest 800th anniversery: Forging a Charter of the Commons. We aim to highlight the ongoing plunder of the commons and to demand two things: a new Domesday Book to extend common rights, and a Charter of the Commons. We will be meeting at Fordham Gallery Barge in Windsor at 10:15am for a 10:45 start for the morning session on the need for a New Domesday book with Marion Shoard, author of This Land is Our Land, Guy Shrubsole & Anna Powell-Smith, the land campaigners behind the website http://map.whoownsengland.org, and Christian Eriksson who did research for Private Eye’s offshore ownership investigations. At 1pm the boat will leave for Runnymede & Ankerwycke. A lunch of soup (medieval recipe) will be served. Please bring bread & drink to share.This will be followed by the display of a timeline showing a social history of the Charter of the Forest. We will have a discussion on the links between the loss of the commons, dispossession from the land and the rise of welfare and poor laws. This will be followed by a workshop–From Right to Subsistence to Basic Income–with Dr Guy Standing, co-president, Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN) and Barb Jacobson co-ordinator of Basic Income UK. Around 3:15pm we will arrive at Runnymede & Ankerwycke for futher workshops on Runnymede meadows, by The Jurers artwork, followed by a pilgrimage to the 2,500-year-old Ankerwyke Yew tree, and a play: In Memory of Leaves, on the barge, in the evening. All events are free, donations welcome. Fordham Gallery barge will be moored on the south bank of the Thames just east of Windsor Bridge, on Thameside, near the junction with Thames Street and Farmyard Street. Nearest postcode is SL4 1QW, map reference is 51.4858811, -0.6078312. The barge is located a few minutes walk from Windsor & Eton Riverside Station – direct trains from Waterloo and Clapham Junction. We will end at Runnymede, near the National Trust tea rooms. The events at Runnymede are open access to al, but for the barge trip numbers are restricted, so please book HERE.
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Sat 16th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash (Panel Event with Jonathan Michie, Yasmin Khan, and Johanna Waters): 5.30-6.30pm: The Hub, Kellogg College, 60/62 Banbury Road, Oxford, UK, OX2 6PN: https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/10-years-crash/
Thu 14th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: The Production of Money, How to Break the Power of the Banks – withAnn Pettifor – 10am-11am – Durham Street Auditorium, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/the-production-of-money-how-to-break-the-power-of-the-banks/
Thu 14th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: Launch of Dialogue on Pluralist Economic Accreditation System – with Gabriela Ramos and Ann Pettifor – 11am-12noon – Durham Street Auditorium, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/launch-dialogue-pluralist-economic-accreditation-system/
Thu 14th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: Breaking the Northern Rock Story and Behind – with Robert Peston – 1-2pm – Great Room, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/breaking-the-norther-rock-story-and-beyond/
Thu 14th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: Beliefs, Values and Worldviews at Work – with Paula Vennells, Eve Poole, Christoph Warrack, Chris Baker, Maria Power, and Asif Sadiq, 2-4pm -Prince Phillip, RSA House, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/beliefs-values-and-worldviews-at-work/
Thu 14th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: Towards Inclusive Growth, with Gabriela Ramos, Wayne Swan, Charlotte Alldritt: 6-7pm – Great Room, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/towards-inclusive-growth/
Thu 14th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: Neo-Liberalism the Break-up Tour: Performance with Andrew Simms and Sarah Wood: 7-8pm – Durham Street Auditorium, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/neo-liberalism-break-tour/
Thu 14th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: Whither the New Economics Movement – Eric Beinhocker with Gabriella Ramos, Chief of Staff OECD and Henry Leveson-Gower, Chief Executive of Promoting Economic Pluralism.: 8-9pm – Durham Street Auditorium, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/whither-new-economics-movement/
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Wednesday 13th September 2017: 6-7.30pm: Time for change: a new vision of hope for the economy – discussion of the interim report of the IPPR Commission on Economic Justice. The economy belongs to us all, but is not working for everyone. Half of all households have seen no meaningful improvement in their incomes for more than a decade. The UK economy suffers from significant structural weaknesses – low and declining investment, low productivity, a large balance of trade deficit and major fiscal and carbon gaps. These problems suggest that the foundations of our economy need to be rethought. Join us to discuss the Interim Report of the IPPR Commission on Economic Justice, which will set out a new economic vision for how we can generate sustainable growth and broadly-shared prosperity across the UK. Speakers will include Michael Jacobs, director of the IPPR Commission on Economic Justice, Professor Mariana Mazzucato, who holds the Chair in the Economics of Innovation and Public Value and is Director of the Institute for Innovation & Public Purpose (UCL), and Lord Skidelsky, crossbench peer and Emeritus Professor of Political Economy at Warwick University. IPPR, 14 Buckingham Street, London WC2N 6DF: Book HERE.
Wed 13th Sept 2017: It Must Never Happen Again: 9-5pm: one-day conference, organised by the Transparency Task Force: Morningstar, 1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 – 71 City Road, London, UK, EC1Y 1HQ – https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/must-never-happen/
Tuesday, 12th Sept 2017 (tbc): Promoting Economic Pluralism: Meet up for great conversation and networking: at the White Horse and Bower Pub, 86 Horseferry Road, London SW1P 2EE
Monday 11th Sept 2017: Ten Years After the Crash: Lecture by Alastair Darling: – 6-7pm: Great Room, RSA House, 8 John Adam Street, London, UK, WC2N 6EZ https://10yearsafterthecrash.com/events/10-years-after-the-crash/
Saturday 9th Sept 2017 from 2pm: Cake & Conversation: Free Critical Thinking hosts a discussion of the Three Main Causes (usury, theft, and hierarchy) of and global and domestic problems – over the division and sharing of carrot cake – people can bring anything else they want to share (drinks, snacks). London School of Mosaic 73-96 Ludham Basement (a residential block behind Waxham on Mansfield Road) Mansfield Road London NW5 4SF: for full details and poster see: http://freecriticalthinking.org/events/2327-cake-and-conversation
* Friday 15th September 2017: 5-7pm: Occupy Economics Working Group: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ: Occupying the corridor next to the Cafe: If you can’t find us, call Janos: 07904 695285: http://occupylondon.org.uk.
————————– TEN YEARS AFTER THE CRASH Festival ends ———————–
Thursday, 7th September 2017 – 7.30-9.30pm – Christian Noble hosts Oxford’s Positive Money Group in the Upstairs Room, St Mathew’s Church, Marlborough Road, Grandpont, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX1 4LW – Google Maps – Update on our meeting with Anneliese Dodds MP! (Oxford Local Group). We hope you can join us in the for an update on the Group’s recent meeting with Anneliese Dodds MP. The Shadow Treasury Secretary was receptive to our ideas and is willing to ask a question on the Group’s behalf in the Commons. We will also be discussing Ann Pettifor’s criticisms of the Positive Money analysis, and how we can work together with other local campaigns to highlight the role of private money creation: Details/Booking.
Thursday 7th September 2017 – 7.30-9.30pm – Positive Money Brighton meets at The Lord Nelson, straight down the hill from Brighton Station, on the right. A fair monetary system is of central importance to creating a sustainable world. We aim to be part of the conversation that begins to build it. Please come along and add your voice. No expertise necessary, just an interest in the world around us. his meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! RSVP • Details
Wednesday 6th September 2017:. Interrogating Digital Capitalism #2: Digital Technology as Heavy Industrial Technology: Slavery, Conflict and Environmental Destruction. Digital technology is often seen as ‘immaterial’ and ‘smart’, defining a new industrial and social paradigm. Yet digital gadgets are produced within an ‘old-fashioned’ highly exploitative regime – conditions in Chinese electronics factories, such as Foxconn, were brought to international attention by a wave of worker suicides in 2010. The industry creates massive environmental destruction, make a major contribution to climate change and helps generate violence and conflict in Africa. Speakers: Jack Linchuan Qiu author of Goodbye iSlave, will describe the campaign for workers’ rights at Foxconn and other Chinese electronics factories. Nina Isabella Moeller will discuss the environmental impact of digital technologies. Free/donation. 7.15pm, Feminist Library meeting room, 5 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7XW. Venue is accessible, we would advise wheelchair users to contact us in advance if possible. For more information/booking contact info@breakingtheframe.org.uk. There will also be an opportunity for trade unionists, and others interested in discussing a possible solidarity campaign with Chinese electronics workers, to meet Jack Linchuan Qiu at 4pm on September 6, at the Feminist Library. Please contact dave@breakingtheframe.org.uk if you’re interested.
Saturday 29 July 2017: 10-5pm: Health Creation & Food Commons, From Land to Fork – a complex web of relationships: Free Event, open to all, at the Claremont Project Islington, 24 White Lion Street – London N1 9PD, Speakers include: Jamie Harvie: Institute for a Sustainable Future, The Food Commons, Commons Health Network – Jamie employs a systems approach to build relationships and facilitate improved human, community and ecological resilience, and will share from his lived experience, what works and what doesn’t – he also coordinated the national phase out of mercury medical devices in the US • Helen Cooke: Nutrition Lead for the Portland Centre for Integrative Medicine “Kitchen on Prescription” project • OrganicLea: A workers’ cooperative growing food on London’s edge in the Lea Valley – access to land, growing organic food and linking with Mental Health Services • Alex Laird: Living Medicine: People and Plants for Health • Anna Betz: NHS Brainfood: Using lifestyle and nutrition to address cognitive decline & dementia • Lambeth GP Food Co-op: presenter tba • Dan Hopewell: Bromley by Bow Centre: BBBC works with over 2,000 people each month, supports people to overcome chronic illness and unhealthy lifestyles and enables people to learn new skills and to find work. See Flyer. Further details/booking: HERE.
Thursday 20th July 2017: TAP/APPG on poverty Health Equality Seminar: 6-8pm at Portcullis House, Westminster, London SW1A 2JR • map • Chair: Baroness Molly Meacher, Crossbench, Speakers: • David Finch – Resolution Foundation • Dr Angela Donkin – Institute of Health Equity • Professor Richard Wilkinson – Equality Trust • Professor Kate Pickett – Equality Trust • Maddy Power – University of York • Carl Walker – University of Brighton • Rev Paul Nicolson – Taxpayers Against Poverty: Details/Booking – Please arrive at Portcullis House by 17.45 in order to pass through the airport-style security checks. You may be asked for ID. Information about visiting Parliament can be found here: http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/access/
Wednesday 19th July, 8:15pm – 10:15pm: We are pleased to invite you to an upcoming event with Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham! — Anne Besley on Campaigning for Monetary Reform — Seasoned innovator and local and national campaigner Anne Besley will recount various aspects of her involvement with money reform over the years. Her wide-ranging experience includes running the Canterbury LETSystem from 1994 to 2003 and setting up the local credit union and running it from 2003 to 2012. She also created and ran the Money Reform Party from 2005 to 2014. Anne remains a committed and well-versed advocate of money reform and someone who can recount first hand what worked and what did not when trying to change the monetary system such that it works for the benefit of society as a whole. This is an opportunity to discuss future courses of action, both for the local group and the Positive Money movement as a whole, and looks to be a very interesting
evening. All are very welcome, and we hope to see you there! Mike and Tim. Time: Host: Michael O’Keefe. Location: The Prince of Greenwich pub (upper room), 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8RT. Map. Sign up on our website. RSVP on Meetup. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome!
Tuesday 18th July 2017: 9am-10.30am: “Is a Crisis Looming For Central Banks?” – a speech by Lord Adair Turner, with responses from a panel including: Fran Boait, Executive Director, Positive Money, and Anthony Hilton, City Editor, Evening Standard, chaired by Lord Sharkey, Director, New City Agenda: Is a crisis looming for central banks and how should central bankers and politicians respond? Nearly ten years on from the crash, we’re stuck in an unprecedented period for monetary policy. Despite hints at tighter policy, interest rates remain at record lows and central banks are still buying up billions of pounds in assets. Under normal circumstances, monetary policymakers would have the option of cutting rates to respond to future shocks. With the Brexit negotiations, hung parliament, geopolitical instability and fears about the mountain of household debt, central bankers face an uncertain future. But with rates close to zero, there’s growing concern that they are ill-equipped to face what lies ahead. Meanwhile, politicians are speaking out about monetary policy’s side-effects. In an unprecedented intervention last year, the Prime Minister warned that the Bank of England’s policies have widened wealth inequality, and benefited home-owners at the expense of those not yet on the property ladder. Similar criticisms have been leveled by lawmakers in the USA, Eurozone and Japan. Is the political settlement underpinning monetary policy falling apart? Adair Turner is Chairman of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, where he was a Senior Fellow from 2013-15. Formerly chairman of the Financial Services Authority, Lord Turner played a leading role in redesigning global financial regulation following the 2008 crash. His book Between Debt and the Devil – Money, Credit and Fixing Global Finance sets the record straight about what really caused the crisis and makes the case for equipping central banks with new monetary policy tools. Fran Boait is Director of Positive Money, a research and campaigning organisation championing reform of the money and banking system. Fran studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge. She went on to complete a PhD in climate change mitigating technology during which she became interested in money and banking after the 2008 financial crisis. Fran has worked at various international organisations including the United Nations, Greenpeace and BP. Anthony Hilton is a highly-respected business author, broadcaster and journalist. He is currently the Senior Commentator of the Evening Standard and Independent. He was previously Managing Director of the Standard and City Editor of The Times. He has worked for the Observer, the Daily Mail and the Sunday Express and has also served in New York where, for three years, he was Business Correspondent for the Sunday Times. Venue: The Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, House of Commons, London. To register please email: dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Mon-Wed July 10th-12th, 2017: ASSOCIATION FOR HETERODOX ECONOMICS: 19th Annual Conference on the theme of Sustainable Economy and Economics – University of Huddersfield, near Leeds: http://hetecon.net
Saturday 1 July 2017. The Campaign for Press and Broadcasting Freedom (CPBF) are hosting a public debate on Creating a movement for a Better Media in the UK, after the formal business of our AGM. To get the discussion going we’ll be joined by three great speakers working at the forefront of this burgeoning movement: Hazel Healy from New Internationalist will be sharing the story of how they raised over £700,000 of investment from over 3000 people in over 42 countries in biggest media community share offer in history. Richard Wilson from Stop Funding Hate, launched less than a year ago in August 2016, they’ve now had over 25 million views of their facebook videos and have raised over £100,000 in donations. Thomas Barlow from Real Media will share the lessons learned from their UK tour last year, the launch of The Media Fund – a co-op set-up to support independent media – and the success of first Independent Media Conference. Each speaker will end their presentations sharing a few thoughts about how they feel we can best build the large scale movement for a Better Media the UK so desperately and urgently needs. Please come along and contribute to the discussion – now more than ever we need the more diverse, democratic and accountable media CPBF has been campaigning for since 1979. Please RSVP on Eventbrite HERE.
Friday 30th June 2017 at 7.00 pm: Musicians for Peace & Disarmament: Summer Concert for Peace in memory of Ruth Underwood, with Wissam Boustany on FLUTE & Aleksander Szram on PIANO, interval speaker: Bruce Kent, to be held at Hinde Street Methodist Church 19 Thayer Street London W1U 2QJ. Tickets £15 (£10 concs): www.wegottickets.com/event/399513
Thursday, June 29, 2017: 6:30-8:30pm: Conway Hall Joint Debate & Discussion – The End of Politics? Brockway Room, Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square, London WC1R 4RL. This meeting will discuss how we might do politics better so as to engage some of the big issues of our time and make a difference. This meeting will be held jointly with The Conway Hall Ethical Society and members of both networks will be welcome to join us there. These last two years will have seen a series of referendums and elections in a number of countries – and some wonder whether this will have settled anything. Are we at a stage in our history where we have to question the very basis of our democracy and consider how it can be brought into the 21st century? Speakers: Alex Krasodomski-Jones is a researcher at Demos, the leading cross-party Think-Tank, working in its Centre for the Analysis of Social Media (CASM) • Christopher Bickerton, University Lecturer in politics at POLIS and an Official Fellow at Queens’ College, Cambridge • Professor Evan Parker who will Chair this meeting, believes that we have to find a way to “do politics better.” He is active in the Ethical Society and also coordinates the GN21 Voices project set up to focus on key themes and create an action programme and to see how we can initiate a big conversation on a more positive form of politics. • Francis Sealey will introduce the event on behalf of GlobalNet21. Disenchantment with politics is widespread and the danger is that if we do not reshape democracy for our present age then authoritarian solutions will happen by default. • Many still seem to be engaged in the battles of the last industrial century with its left/right politics when we are now moving fast into a post industrial era • We are still heavily dependent on periodic elections as the basis for our democracy and there is an increasing realization that this is not enough. Citizens want involvement in a more direct and deliberative way. • The Internet and social media have changed the nature of information and provide greater opportunities for direct citizen involvement in policy formation. Do we now need to rethink democracy from the bottom up that reflects the changes of our century? This is the purpose of this meeting – to discuss how we can develop democracy anew. Click here to say you’re going: https://www.meetup.com/GlobalNet21/events/238112178/
Thursday 22nd June 2017: 7:30pm Positive Money Waterloo: Discussion: Hierarchy and the work ethic: Godly Play Room (aka Crypt Meeting Room), St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, London: Tackling inequality is a key motivation behind Positive Money’s work on the monetary system. There is a widespread sense that loose monetary policies and Quantitative Easing have inflated asset prices and the wealth of a small class of individuals, while most people have faced low and stagnant pay for their hard work over the last decade… Learn More/Book
Sunday 11th June 2017: Positive Money Hackney, together with some other local PM groups, have got together with Antuniversity Festival 2017 <https://goo.gl/4XKk5R> to host a panel discussion in Central London on Universal Basic Income (UBI) – the concept of paying everyone in society a universal benefit, regardless of income and circumstances, ensuring a minimum standard of income for everyone. The panellists will include:- Duncan McCann <https://goo.gl/ffZL0p>, of the New Economics Foundation https://goo.gl/hAHVth> – Barb Jacobson of Basic Income UK <https://goo.gl/iMJnRO – Fran Boat <https://goo.gl/EytDsJ>, executive director and lead researcher of Positive Money <https://goo.gl/w5Fvmd. This is an exciting opportunity to hear and talk to some of the best thinkers in the field. The venue is the iconic Conway Hall in Central London. We expect to be oversubscribed, and entry is by pre-registration only HERE: https://goo.gl/PrBilY>.
Friday, 2nd June 2017: 6:40 to 8 pm arranged by the Coalition for Economic Justice, by courtesy of The School of Economic Science – few minutes walk from Bond Street Tube Station, Rev Paul Nicolson of Taxpayers Against Poverty: http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk/ will lead a discussion on: Lobbying after the election whoever wins: what policies do we fight for, with and for the poorest UK citizens, and how? Venue: 11, Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ – All welcome.
Wednesday 31st May 2017: 7.30pm The Economics of Brexit with Steve Keen, Frances Coppola and Angus Armstrong. Listen, ask questions and have your say.Details 19:30 pm on 31st May at Canham, 40 Sheen Lane, SW14 8LW by Mortlake Station (25 minutes from Waterloo). The speakers: Steve Keen is one of the elite economists who ‘saw the Crash coming’, a Brexit supporter and a fierce critic of mainstream thinking. Frances Coppola is an economic commentator in print and frequently on the BBC. Angus Armstrong is director of macro-economics at one of the top research institutions, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research founded in 1938: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-mint-presents-fresh-thinking-on-the-economics-of-brexit-tickets-34774862550
Tuesday May 23rd 2017: 6-8:30pm: Just before a UK general election that is likely to once again demonstrate how broken and distant our governance systems are, what better moment to be inspired by new political possibilities rooted in different understandings of power, democracy, justice and our role as humans on a living planet? Join Gaia for a timely event exploring how we can re-claim and re-build a politics that puts people and planet first. Guiding us in this exploration will be inspirational activists Annabelle and Peter Macfadyen, author of Flatpack Democracy, the acclaimed DIY guide to creating independent politics. See Guardian video: Venue: The Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London EC1R 3GA. Tickets £12 (concs £10) include refreshments and a copy of Flatpack Democracy: Details/booking.
Wednesday 17th May 2017 – Rail in Crisis – for freight & passenger transport, could the rail network do better as a reserved road system? Come along and hear a Transport Economist and a Civil Engineer set out the case at a public meeting in Central London! Keynote Presentation by Dr Richard Wellings, Deputy Research Director, IEA. and Paul Withrington, Director, Transport-Watch. Q&A and networking. Join the debate! 6.30pm until 9pm – Conference Room of St James’s Church Piccadilly (entrance to meeting in Church Place W1J 9LL).
Mon 15th May 2017: Positive Money Hackney: Citizen’s Income, Basic Wage or Universal Basic Income (UBI) is the concept of making an unconditional payment to everyone in society, and ensuring a minimum standard of income for everybody. For our May meeting, we have Duncan McCann, of the New Economics Foundation and AJ Tear of PM Hackney talking to us about talking to us Universal Basic Income, Citizens Dividend, Helicopter Money and how Positive Money proposals align with each of these concepts. Please join us from 7 until 9 pm (followed by a drink in the pub) at: Café Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PB.
Wednesday 10th May 2017 – Why Are UK House Prices So High? 9-10.15am, Committee Room 14, House of Commons, London Housing and the Financial Sector in the Short and Long Term: presentation by Professor David Miles, Imperial College –http://newcityagenda.co.uk/davidmiles/: see details. How is government policy affecting outcomes? David Miles will explore these issues and consider how the property landscape in the UK might play out over the longer term. What has caused these trends in house prices and mortgage debt and can they continue? How is Government policy affecting outcomes? What is the fundamental purpose which we want the mortgage market to deliver over the longer term? David Miles is Professor of Financial Economics at Imperial College Business School. Between May 2009 and September 2015 he was a member of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) at the Bank of England. His current research focuses on policy issues connected with financial stability, the housing market and the setting of monetary policy. He is involved with the co-ordination between monetary policy and financial stability. His March 2013 paper (“Optimal Bank capital”, Economic Journal) explored the appropriate way to set bank capital requirements. In 2004 he authored an independent review of the UK mortgage market for HM Treasury. This looked at whether there were any market failures holding back the development of long-term fixed rate mortgages. Prior to his time on the MPC he was Chief UK Economist at Morgan Stanley. He has also acted as a special advisor to the Treasury Select Committee. This is the second event in a programme of research supported by Pension Insurance Corporation into the purpose of finance. This programme was inspired by Andy Haldane’s speech to the New City Agenda annual dinner examining how we can restore public trust by improving financial education and establishing and communicating the purpose of financial services. • New City Agenda Advisory Board members – The Most Reverend and Right Honourable Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, Andrew McNally, Xavier Rolet, Helena Morrissey, Baroness Wheatcroft, Lord Eatwell, Philip Augar, Father Christopher Jamison, and Baroness Hayter. • http://www.newcityagenda.co.uk • https://twitter.com/NewCityAgenda • Please would you confirm your attendance by contacting: dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Monday 8th May 2017 (7:30-9:30pm): Positive Money Waterloo Discussion Group welcomes Clive Menzies, from the research/ educational project Critical Thinking, which aims to promote a wider understanding of the way we are governed, and develop alternative economic and political structures to serve society better. While Critical Thinking’s analysis overlaps in some respects with Positive Money’s, it argues that we must look beyond money creation, to the nature of money, debt and interest, and gain a better understanding of the political and economic system (the group purports that its research, conducted over the last five years, reveals evidence of a ‘Structural Elite’ controlling the levers of power). Critical Thinking also opposes handing over control of the money supply to the Bank of England, on the basis that it is one constituent of a privately owned, global banking cartel, which is colluding with others for a one world government. Critical Thinking instead proposes that we “collaborate as humanity to co-create a non-hierarchical political economy, by-passing the current corrupt hierarchies and ideologies which have separated us from nature and each other.” Attendance is FREE, and we remain in our usual room, Godly Play Room (aka Crypt Meeting Room), St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY. The Godly Play Room is located downstairs in the Crypt area of the Church. To gain access, do not enter via the Church’s main doors, instead look for the door on the left-hand side. If it is closed, please press the buzzer for the Godly Play Room.
Monday 8th May 2017: 6.30-8pm, Old Theatre, Old Building: “Basic Income: And How We Can Make It Happen” with Professor Guy Standing: Shouldn’t everyone receive a stake in society’s wealth? Could we create a fairer world by granting a guaranteed income to all? What would this mean for our health, wealth and happiness? A basic income is a regular cash transfer from the state, received by all individual citizens. It is an acknowledgement that everyone plays a part in generating the wealth currently enjoyed only by a few. Political parties across the world are now adopting it as official policy and the idea generates headlines every day.
Guy Standing has been at the forefront of thought about Basic Income for the past thirty years, and in in his latest book https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/304706/basic-income/ he covers in authoritative detail its effects on the economy, poverty, work and labour; dissects and disproves the standard arguments against basic income; explains what we can learn from pilot studies across the world and illustrates exactly why a basic income has now become such an urgent necessity. Guy Standing co-founded the Basic Income Earth Network and now serves as its honorary co-President. He has held professorships at the University of Bath and at SOAS, was programme director at the International Labour Organisation and has advised the UN, World Bank and governments around the world on labour and social policy. He is the author of the bestselling The Precariat: The New Dangerous Class (2011) and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
Full details of event series: http://www.lse.ac.uk/International-Inequalities/Event-listings
Saturday 29th April 2017: John Ray Initiative: CRES Day “Saving Planet Earth – a serious role for the Church?” at Ripon College Cuddesdon near Oxford. The guest speaker is Andy Atkins, Chief Executive of A Rocha UK, and former Chief Executive of Friends of the Earth, who will look at whether it is worth mobilising the church on the environment and how to do it. Followed by Rev. Margot Hodson, who will introduce us to environmental ethics. Details/ booking: http://jri.us1.list-manage1.com/track/click?u=c301c8517a624363e82b49d5e&id=e72a45c781&e=6803f17c8a)
Saturday 29th April 2017: The Occupy Economics Working Group is going to walk with the Root Out Usury banner from St Pauls to The Houses of Parliament, starting at noon on Saturday 29th April 2017. This date commemorates the funeral procession held on 29th April 1649 following the execution by firing squad at St Pauls of the striking Leveller and New Model Army soldier Robert Lockyer, on the orders of Oliver Cromwell it seems, following the Bishopsgate Mutiny over the lack of back pay and the forced enlistment of the New Model Army soldiers in the proposed invasion of Ireland. We hope that someone will also photograph and video/ live stream this event. Fellow walkers welcome – we will walk at Funeral pace. For equality and equity: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Lockyer
Saturday 22nd April 2017: The Great Moot of Nottingham at The Albert Hall Conference Centre, North Circus Street, Nottingham NG1 5AA – a fantastic venue! Brought together and facilitated by the British Constitution Group and the Democracy Defined Campaign, this is your day and your venue to work together to restore The Rule Of Law to the British nation: 9am – Reception opens (drinks & breakfast rolls available to purchase all day at The Bar in the Osborne Suite). Event timing: 10am to 6pm. Tickets £10 – but more please if you can afford it. Download PDF for full programme details: Great-Nottingham-Moot-1bg. Booking: 950 tickets were available – please book early to avoid disappointment as we cannot guarantee that many tickets will be available on the door: Click here: https://www.britishconstitutiongroup.com/nottingham-conference-april-2017. If you require more information then please ring either Justin Walker or Ed Alder on 01752 478054.
Wednesday 12th April 2017: Positive Money Greenwich: hosted by Michael O’Keefe presents “Fractional Reserve Banking: A force for good or evil? This talk, by local member Chris Anthony, will focus upon his critique of proposals for 100% full reserve banking, such as the Chicago Plan, and his ideas for an alternative that allows for a constrained version of fractional reserve banking, where sectoral priorities can be set in the national interest. He will argue that it is possible to implemant a private, debt-based banking system which, nonetheless, steers credit into productive uses and avoids boom and bust in asset values.” 8:00pm at The Prince of Greenwich pub, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8RT. Google Map. Sign up for this event on: act.positivemoney.org. RSVP on Meetup: meetup.com/Positive-Money. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome!
Saturday, 25th March, 2017. “Global Terrorism: The Peace Movement Response”, chaired by Rita Payne, President Emeritus Commonwealth Journalists Association. Speakers: Ambassador Claus Grube, Danish Ambassador to the UK, Humphrey Hawksley, BBC Foreign Affairs Correspondent, Peter Price, Chair of Conciliation Resources, former Bishop of Bath, Fiona Macaulay, Director, PeaceJam UK, Senior Lecturer, University of Bradford, Makram Khoury-Machool, Founding Director, European Centre for the Study of Extremism, Cambridge, Vijay Mehta, Author and Chair, Uniting for Peace. “Terrorism today is a major global menace. The terrorist attacks and threats are becoming a regular event, occurring almost every week somewhere around the world with dire consequences of death, destruction and fear. The conference and expert speakers from Uniting for Peace and PeaceJam will examine the dangerous consequences of ongoing terrorism, how to tackle its root causes proposing solutions and way forward to this complex phenomenon.” Venue: Wesley’s Chapel, 49 City Road, London EC1Y 1AU – Old Street tube. Timing: Uniting for Peace AGM: 10:30 – 11:45. Spring Conference: 12:00 – 17:00 (Complimentary Lunch: 13:00 – 14:00). This is a free public meeting, donations welcome. For registrations and any other info please contact: Vijay Mehta – Uniting for Peace – vijay@vmpeace.org – 020 7791 1717 – and/or Brian Cooper: 0131 446 9545 – www.unitingforpeace.com and/or Caroline Millman – PeaceJam – unitedkingdom@peacejam.org – 07760 160 906- http://www.peacejam.org.uk – See Flyer: PeaceConference_25_march_2017
Saturday 25th March 2017: Momentum’s Inaugural Conference, Building to Win, in Birmingham: Details/Booking: http://www.peoplesmomentum.com/conference_2017
Monday 20th March 2017 7-9pm (followed by a drink in the pub). Positive Money Hackney at Café Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PB presents “BITCOIN AND CRYPTO-CURRENCIES” with Duncan McCann <https://goo.gl/ffZL0p>, of the New Economics Foundation <https://goo.gl/hAHVth>. Duncan will give us an overview of research <https://goo.gl/pw97L0> he has conducted with a team at the New Economics Foundation into *seigniorage*, the profit created by issuing currency. Duncan will touch on topics introduced at last month’s meeting on digital cash, however this is a standalone sesion and you do not need to have attended last month. Please Like / Join PM Hackney on Facebook <https://goo.gl/XATGE7>.
Saturday 18th March 2017 (9.30am to 4.30pm): John Ray Initiative annual conference 2017 “Nature in the balance: can we put a value on the environment, and should we?” in collaboration with ForMission College. The venue is Bournville College, Birmingham. Keynote speakers: * Dr. Darren Evans “Ecosystem Services: managing nature for human benefit.” * Prof. Richard Bauckham “Why do other creatures matter?” * Rev. Dave Bookless “Biblical Wisdom for Nature Conservation”. We also have a wonderful line-up of seminars. Cost £48 includes full lunch and refreshments is £48. Early booking is advisable. Details and online booking: (http://jri.us1.list-manage.com/track/click u=c301c8517a624363e82b49d5e&id=18a2f7c79b&e=6803f17c8a) – see PDF flyer.
Wednesday, 15th March 2017: 8pm – Greenwich Positive Money Group: at The Prince of Greenwich (upper room), 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8RT. “Why central banks are out of ideas, and what we need to do about it.” For this meeting we are delighted to welcome David Clarke, Advocacy and Policy Adviser at Positive Money. His task is to influence the key actors here in the UK; at Westminster, the Treasury and the Bank of England, and elsewhere in Europe, to take the issues of monetary reform to the top of the agenda. As his title ~ ‘Why central banks are out of ideas and what we need to do about it’ ~ indicates, there is much to be done and David will lead a discussion of ways and means of advancing our campaign. All are welcome to what sounds like a very interesting and informative evening. Come along and bring a friend: http://positivemoney.org/localgroup/london-geeenwich-lewisham/
Wednesday, 15th March 2017: 7pm – Hammersmith Positive Money Group: Upstairs Hall @ Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0DT. If it’s your first time then you’re very welcome to come along as we have a friendly group of regulars and most likely some first timers too. At this meeting we will take the time to reflect on highlights and missed opportunities for the Hammersmith group, as well as to plan for the future. It will be an interactive session and your input is welcome! We will be joined by Rachel Oliver, Lead Organiser for Positive Money, so this is a great chance for us to work with Rachel on a strategy for PM Hammersmith, as well as a chance to learn about the wider Positive Money network.
Monday 13th March 2017 – 10:15am to 12:30pm: Education to support a Peace-Building Commonwealth, Houses of Parliament, Committee Room 10, Palace of Westminster, hosted by The Rt Hon Lord (Tom) McNally of Blackpool, CEC Parliamentary Patron. At a time of increasing instability and uncertainty in the world, the Commonwealth with its rich diversity of nations offers strength and hope for all its members. This year’s Commonwealth theme, ‘A peace-building Commonwealth’ reaffirms the Commonwealth Charter principle that international peaceand security, sustainable economic growth and development and the rule of law are essential to the progress and prosperity of all’. Download the seminar programme HERE, and to register your attendance, visit Council for Education in the Commonwealth: http://www.cecomm.org.uk/
Friday 10th March 2017 – NCIA: Where Now and What Next for Independent Voices? Your invitation to a Witness Seminar: 1-5pm London Welsh Centre, 157–163 Grays Inn Rd, London, WC1X 8UE: http://www.centreforwelfarereform.org/news/ncia-witness0-march-2017/00318.html – see also legacy website: http://independentaction.net
Wednesday 8th March 2017, 9.00am-10.15am, Committee Room 14, House of Commons: “What Caused the 2008 Crisis & Will There Be Another One?” – Professor Steve Keen. The Financial Crash that convulsed the world in 2008 had cataclysmic effects on the global economy, and took conventional economists completely by surprise. Professor Keen will outline why the 2008 crisis was not a “Black Swan”, but was caused by credit, a factor that orthodox economics ignores. He predicts that between 9 and 16 countries, in total equivalent in size to the USA will have similar crises in the next 1-3 years. Meanwhile, the UK and USA have joined Japan as the “Walking Dead of (Private) Debt” where further crises are unlikely but stagnation will be the rule. Professor Keen will explain why the right lessons have not been learned from the financial crisis. Unorthodox Central Bank policies have mildly stimulated the economy by making one of the original symptoms of the crisis–over-valued asset markets–worse, while ignoring the real cause, excessive private debt. He will show how ever rising levels of private debt make further crises and stagnation inevitable unless politicians plot a new course and tackle the real dynamics causing financial instability. Professor Steve Keen has been described as an economist who swims against the tide of conventional wisdom. He is the Head of the School of Economics, History and Politics at Kingston University. Prior to this he was Professor of Economics & Finance at the University of Western Sydney, Australia. Before becoming an academic in 1987, he was school teacher, education officer for an overseas aid organisation, conference organiser, editor, computer programmer, journalist and an adviser to the Australian government. He was one of the handful of economists to realise that a serious economic crisis was imminent, and to publicly warn of it, from as early as December 2005. His book Debunking Economics explains the many logical and empirical flaws in mainstream economics without using mathematics. His new book – “Can we avoid another financial crisis” will be published in April 2017. This event is organised by The New City Agenda – a website has many interesting posts – http://newcityagenda.co.uk/keen/ – to register please email dominic.lindley@newcityagenda.co.uk
Wednesday 22nd February: (7:30-9:30pm): Positive Money Waterloo Discussion Group – attendance is FREE. The election of Donald Trump to the Presidency could herald a new era of tensions between the USA and China. Since the Chinese stock market crashed in 2015 (and again at the start of 2016), many questions have been asked about the Chinese economy. Is it an unstoppable giant with 7% growth every year or a colossus with feet of clay, plagued with excessive debt? Should we draw a parallel between today’s Chinese ghost towns and the Spanish ghost towns of 10 years ago? Our speaker, Alexis Baudour, will start the proceedings with a presentation which will hinge around these questions, and then an open floor debate will follow. Venue: Crypt Main Space, St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY.
Wednesday 22nd February 2017: D.I.Y. Economics Workshop: 18:00–20.00 at the Benjamin Franklin Room, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ Followed by a networking drinks reception Register here. Introducing the RSA/Economy DIY Economics toolkit
Monday, 20th February 2017: 7:00pm: Hackney Positive Living Group: DIGITAL CASH: Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High St, London, N16 7PB: We will explore the idea of Central Bank issued digital cash. We will use the research article by Ben Dyson and Graham Hodgson, available on the Positive Money website @ https://goo.gl/YAy6A7 “With the impending ‘death of cash’ and the rise of digital currencies (such as Bitcoin), there are strong arguments for central banks to start issuing “digital cash” – an electronic version of notes and coins (also known as a central bank digital currency). But this raises a number of questions: • How would central banks get new digital cash into the economy? • How would the public use it? • What would the advantages be? • Would there be the impact on financial stability?” We recommend you read the article beforehand. However, we will have presentations based on the paper – so do come along even if you have not had time to read it. The meeting will include time for a lively discussion. Followed by a drink in the pub, as usual.We will also show some short videos around related topics. Please RSVP on Facebook @ https://goo.gl/9ZaYcr
Wednesday, 15th February 2017 8:00pm: Greenwich Positive Money Group” at The Prince of Greenwich (upper room), 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8RT. Come along and bring a friend: http://positivemoney.org/localgroup/london-geeenwich-lewisham/
Sunday 5th February 2017, 11am-1pm – New Frontiers in UK Politics? Presented by Conway Hall Ethical Society. Discussion with Jonathan Bartley (Co-Leader, Green Party), Peter Taheri (Secretary/ Chair Nominee, Hampstead and Kilburn Labour Party) and Timothy Barnes (Conservative candidate for Bloomsbury Ward 2018). Tickets: £3, £2 concessions – Details and Booking.
Saturday 28th January, 10:00-4:00pm (iCal): ‘In Our Interests: Building An Economy for All’, a special Co-operative Party conference in January. Tickets cost just £10. at Coin Street Community Builders, 108 Stamford St, South Bank, London SE1 9NH (map): Registration – £10 (registration. Message from Tom Watson MP: “Technological trends such as automation and artificial intelligence are set to profoundly change how we live and work over coming years. They bring huge opportunities –they also risk further entrenching insecurity and inequality, which is why we must act. I will be discussing these, and other issues, with speakers including: • Frances O’Grady, General Secretary TUC • Damon Gibbons, Centre for Responsible Credit • Constance Laisné, Co-founder, AltGe • Neil McInroy, Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) • Stephen Kinnock MP, Labour MP for Aberavon • Kirsty Major, Commissioning Editor, Independent Voices • Deb Oxley, Chief Executive Employee Ownership Association • Reema Patel, RSA, Citizens Economic Council • Anna Turley MP, Member of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Select Committee • Jane Wills, Professor of Human Geography, Queen Mary, University of London. I am proud to have been asked to speak at the first event in the Co-operative Party’s Centenary celebrations and I hope to see you there. Yours in co-operation, • Tom Watson MP – Click here to get your ticket.
Tue 24th January 2017: follow-up meeting to Quakers meeting on Banking held on 1st October 2016 – http://www.londonquakers.org.uk/events/break-banks-we-need-banking-revolution – details follow. Meanwhile see: https://qandb.org/what-we-do/projects/quaker-bank-project.
Wednesday, 18th January 2017 8:00pm: Greenwich Positive Living Group” at The Prince of Greenwich (upper room), 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London, SE10 8RT. To celebrate over two years of meetings of the Greenwich and Lewisham Positive money local group we are holding this second special session to provide newcomers (and some old hands) with an introduction (or refresher) to the basic messages of Positive Money’s controversial proposals for radical reform of our money system. This is an open meeting with particular emphasis on giving an accessible outline of the alternative scheme of money creation that we propose in replacement of the current, deeply flawed, system. No prior knowledge is assumed, only an open mind. All are very welcome to this first session of 2017. Come along and bring a friend: http://positivemoney.org/localgroup/london-geeenwich-lewisham/
Monday, 16th January 2017: 7:00pm: Hackney Positive Living Group: CENTRAL BANKS: WHAT DO THEY DO AND ARE WHY THEY ARE IMPORTANT: Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High St, London, N16 7PB. This will be the first of two meetings looking at the functions of the central bank. We will tackle questions such as: Where is the £70 billion of QE created by the Bank of England following Brexit going? How does the Bank of England help in keeping our bank deposits secure? Why do some countries borrow at negative interest rates? What are the digital cash proposals? – an innovation supported by Positive Money: . We will feature a presentation about the purpose of the Bank of England and the history of the US Federal Reserve, followed by a discussion (and drinks in the pub of course): http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonhackneylocalgroup/wrv8
Monday 9th January (7:30-9:30pm): Positive Money Waterloo is a discussion on The collision of FinTech and traditional Banking, Commercial banks, the main culprits behind the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, remain ‘too big to fail’. Despite overwhelming public support to loosen their grip over the economy, progress towards this goal remains limited. Frustration with the lack of change has spawned new movements such as Positive Money, who campaign for radical policy change – for the power of money creation to be stripped from commercial banks, and handed to the Central Bank. However, political action is not the only route through which change will occur. Financial Technology (“FinTech”) will run its own course, and play a crucial role in shaping the future of Financial Services and the wider economy. In this meetup, we will run through some of the FinTech innovations which currently show the most promise for transforming traditional banking, and ask if they might also lead us to a better and fairer system. Venue: Godly Play Room (aka Crypt Meeting Room), St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8TY. Free of charge: details/booking.
Monday 9th January 2017 – 11am in the Old Palace Yard, Westminster SW1P 3JY we will be campaigning for; 1. An immediate rent freeze for a year in all sectors private, registered social landlords and councils, while rent regulations are brought in, 2. All 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. Please come and bring a bell if you have one to raise the alarm for the housing crisis. Happy New Year, Rev Paul Nicolson: http://taxpayersagainstpoverty.org.uk
Sat 7th January 2017: National Federation of Progressive Cooperators: – preparing agenda items for the Coop conference – details follow: http://nfpc.coop
Friday 16th December 2016: Brighton based music promoter Rock Salts, in association with Momentum, are hosting a night of music and politics at the Brighton Dome. Crossing genres and generations, the headliners will be drawn from international talent such as the psychedelic rock band Temples, Mercury prize nominee Kathryn Williams and the legendary Paul Weller playing alongside long time collaborator Paul Wyatt: See report: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/oct/10/paul-weller-concert-for-corbyn-brighton-people-powered-gigs-momentum. Book HERE.
Wednesday, 14 December 2016: 7-9pm: Positive Money Hammersmith: Xmas Social hosted by Tanveer Saifee <tanveer.saifee@gmail.com>. For everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! The Thatched House pub: 115 Dalling Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0ET: directions – http://thatchedhouse.com/: details/booking: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonhammersmithlocalgroup/wrv4
Saturday December 3rd 2016: 9am-5pm: Global Vision 2000 http://www.globalvision2000.com/index.php – will be holding a special one day conference in London, on ESCHATOLOGY IN THE 21ST CENTURY: Interfaith and Comparative Perspectives: at The Al-Khoei Foundation, Chevening Road, NW6 6TN – eschatology-conference
Wednesday 30th Nov 2016, 6-8pm What they do with your money: how the financial system fails us and how to fix it: New Economics Foundation 10 Salamanca Place, London SE1 7HB: Details/Booking.
Wednesday 30th November 2016 1-5pm: People Powered Money: Building a new community currency for Glasgow – venue Glasgow City Chambers – details /booking.
Saturday 26th November 2016: 9am-5pm: LUCAS PLAN 40th Anniversary Conference at: BVSC (Birmingham Voluntary Service Council), 138 Digbeth, Birmingham, B5 6DR: click for further information on Event Programme and Venue – BOOK NOW.
Friday, 25th November 2016 at 6:40 to 8 p.m. Coalition for Economic Justice Venue: 11, Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ – John Christensen of Tax Justice Network on Tax Competition: Who Wins, Who Loses? Admission free. All welcome.
Sunday 20th November 2016. Assemblies for Democracy – a summary of progress so far is in preparation. 1.30pm, Arlington House, Camden, NW1 7HE. Meanwhile see latest report from London meeting: https://assembliesfordemocracy.org/2016/07/26/report-on-constituting-democracy/.
 Thu: 24th November 2016: Green Infrastructure and Air Quality: 17:30 – 20:30, University College London, Chadwick Building G07, London WC1E 6BT: Green Infrastructure (open green space, parks, gardens, street trees, green roofs, green walls, rain gardens and ponds) have many potential benefits such as reducing water pollution, local flood risk, improving human health and wellbeing as well as enhancing local biodiversity. There is also some evidence that green infrastructure can reduce the impact air pollution. However, there are substantial gaps in the research about these benefits and any associated costs and risks. At this event we will explore the role of Green Infrastructure in London with a specific focus on what we know of the impacts on air pollution. We want to engage with community groups, academics, planners, policy makers and practitioners about what is known in relation to green infrastructure and how we can work together to improve our knowledge Aims of the event are to: Share knowledge – delivering environmental education in an engaging way for Londoners, Explore the effects of green infrastructure on air pollution, Discuss what are the advantages and disadvantages of the use of green infrastructure to mitigate air pollution. The event will include some short, thought-provoking, presentations from keynote speakers on air quality and green infrastructure. After the presentations there will be a debate about the subject. Please confirm your attendance here.More information please contact Ana Bernardo at a.bernardo@lsx.org.uk or 0207 234 9404. |
Sunday 20th November 2016: Festival of Ideas for Change: All Day Event hosted by Ivo Mosley, at The Mural Hall, Prendergast Hilly Fields College, Adelaide Avenue, London SE4 1LE: Most people agree the world is in need of change: inequality gone mad, democracy a sham, quantitative easing pours money in the pockets of the rich, and debt, debt, debt for the rest… arms industries feeding terror and war, our so-called ‘politicians’ representing their interests abroad… the list could go on! The purpose of the fesival is to introduce ideas that could make a big difference to the direction the world is going in, both globally and locally. ‘Think global, act local.’ Speakers will present ideas ranging from *’What would a truly democratic constitution look like?’* to *’How can we reform our money system so it no longer favours the rich?’*. Other subjects tackled are inequality, arms, human rights, education… For details see: http://www.brockleyfestivalofideas.com/. Free tickets for this event are available here: https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/date/272988. Sign up and/or volunteer with Positive Money: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/externalevent/wr4s.
Thursday 17th November (7:30 9:30pm): Positive Money Waterloo and London Economics Debating Society (LEDS) present: Power, democracy, and the production of money Christian Michel, the organiser of the London Economics Debating Society, will introduce a discussion on this controversial issue of who should be in charge of money creation (if anyone). Money is at the centre of economic activity. It conditions the choices, the welfare and ultimately the lives of human beings in modern societies. Christian agrees with Positive Money’s assertion that the current system of money production (or rather, the production of credit by commercial banks), represents a threat to economic and social welfare. But what could the alternative system look like? Can a monetary committee of a dozen or so individuals be trusted? Could we imagine a system of democratic control over money production? In a globalised world, is not the defence of a national currency an anachronism? Should we return to a gold standard? Should we not let entrepreneurs offer different currencies, from bit coin to commodity-backed monies, and let people choose? The format for the evening will be a brief talk by our guest speaker, followed by an open group discussion. Please note Christian’s views in some places run contrary to those of Positive Money, but diversity of opinion is always welcomed, and this should make for a particularly good debate! There will be an opportunity to continue the discussion in the pub afterwards. Details/booking: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonwaterloolocalgroup/wr4j
Tuesday 15th November 2016 – Frances Scott, activist film-maker, who worked with Occupy London has died and her funeral is to be held at Golders Green Crematorium from 11.15am.
Tuesday 15th November 2016 – 10.30am: John McDonnell MP, Labour’s Shadow Chancellor, major speech ahead of the Autumn Statement – at Covent Garden Dragon Hall Trust, 17 Stukeley Street, London WC2B 5LT. Please click here for directions – promoted by Iain McNicol on behalf of The Labour Party, both at Southside, 105 Victoria Street, London, SW1E 6QT: www.labour.org.uk to join or renew call 0345 092 2299. Contact: The Business Relations Team: business@labour.org.uk
Monday 14th November 2016, 7-9pm – Positive Money Hackney Local Group Monthly Meeting: Financial Deregulation since 1971. The issues we will cover include: Historical context: The Thatcher-Reagan years – what was deregulated and why. The development of “sub-prime” lending and securitisation, leading up to the 2008 crash. Speculation markets on commodities, currencies and food. The relevance for Positive Money arguments. There will be short presentations and videos followed by discussion. Old and new group members are welcome! Bring a friend or a colleague!. We are meeting in Cafe Z Bar, 58 Stoke Newington High St., London E8 4PP, instead of our usual venue. Details/Booking
Monday 7th November 2016: Labour Action for Peace, Annual Peace Lecture: ‘Peace and the Trade Unions’ – given by John McDonnell, MP, Shadow Chancellor. Room CR21, House of Commons (entry via the Cromwell Green Entrance) from 5pm to 6pm. Please allow plenty of time for the House of Commons security procedures and queues! Limited seats please book as soon as possible. To book please contact: labouractionforpeace@gmail.com.
Sun 6th November 2016: Charter of the Forest: 1pm: Walking tour featuring important points in the development of the Charter of the Forest. Meet by the roundabout outside Lambeth Palace at 1pm, ends at St Paul’s Cathedral at about 3:15pm. FREE: https://thenewputneydebates.com/2016-events/
Sat 5th November 2016: Boat party, Charter of the Forest Celebration: For details, click here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/boat-party-charter-of-the-forest-celebration-tickets-28145723617
Thursday 3rd November 2016 Positive Money team and supporters will be gathering outside the Bank of England: 8-10am: Outside Bank of England & Royal Exchange, 1 Cornhill, London EC3V 3ND: As part of a national day of action on 3rd November, the We’ll try and catch members of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee on their way into their monthly meeting, and use our eye-catching posters and banners to get the message across that their QE programme still isn’t working and is increasing inequality: Details/Booking.
Tuesday 1st November 2016 from 7pm: Keep Talking presents: ‘Man-made Climate Change’ is it a con? with Piers Corbyn, an astro-physicist specialising in climate science, with a first class honours degree in Physics, an MSc in Astrophysics, and a string of letters after his name. He has been studying the weather since he was five, and is known for his long-range weather forecasting service, Weather Action (http://www.weatheraction.com/
Tuesday 25th October 2016: Balfour Declaration: 100-year Suffering: 7-9.30pm in Committee Room 2a, House of Lords, London SW1A 0AA: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/launch-of-the-balfour-apology-campaign-time-to-say-sorry-tickets-28690052720
Monday, 24 October 2016: Positive Money: Hackney Local Group. 7-9pm: Gorki House, 70 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PA: This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Details/Booking
Tue October 11th at 6.30pm in the House of Commons: You are invited to a House of Commons Meeting hosted by Ruth Cadbury MP on the right to withhold our taxes when our Government chooses to go to War. The meeting takes place on . You can find out more and register here … and if you go…. please report impressions pertinent to our cause.
Tuesday 11th October 2016: Mark Stears, chief executive of NEF writes: at this event we will launch our agenda to achieve this change, bringing together people of all backgrounds and experiences to find solutions to the problems we share. It will be a day of discussion and debate, campaigning and community-building, with a fantastic line-up of speakers and participants. There has never been a greater need for a new economy and the New Economics Foundation is more determined than ever to do all it can to help build it. But where, among all the great challenges we face today, do we start? As politicians squabble during party conference season, the democratic faith of the citizens they are supposed to represent has been ripped away – the end result of decades of mounting unfairness and inequality. We won’t fix this overnight. But together we can start to create the fairer, inclusive, more sustainable economy we all want – not at some vague point in the future, but here and now. Click here for details and booking.
Thursday 6th October 2016: Uniting for Peace Annual Erskine Childers Lecture 2016 “Building a Culture of Peace in a World of Conflicts” – 6.30-8.30PM at Hilton London Euston, 17-18 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HT: view FLYER
Saturday 1st October 2016: Break up the banks? 10:30-16:00 London Quakers are organising a day at Friends House to consider some of the contentious, difficult, knotty and puzzling issues of how money does and doesn’t work for people. This day is open to everyone. Speakers include David Shirreff, Economic journalist and author of “Break up the banks!”, Fran Boait, Executive Director of Positive Money, Peter Borgers from Triodos Bank, Monica Middleton from Oikocredit and Cait Crosse from Quaker Peace and Social Witness. There will be presentations, group activities and question and answer sessions. There is no charge for this event but an optional collection will be made towards expenses. Registration is requested through the ‘Register your place’ button on this page. For further details go to http://www.londonquakers.org.uk/events/break-banks-we-need-banking-revolution or write to LQEvents2016@gmail.com
Friday 30 September 2016: 3-5pm – LSE Resist Festival film screening of: “Studying the Rich”, followed by discussion with Amy Feneck, Sophie Hope: This event brings together cross-disciplinary approaches to understanding the continuing rise of inequality in society, using our complex understanding of and relationship with ‘the rich’ as a starting point. It features the screening of a film collaboratively produced by two artists and a group of GCSE sociology students, followed by a public discussion: Room 4.03, LSE PhD Academy, 4th floor, Lionel Robbins Building: details: http://www.lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/events/2016/09/20160930t1500vLRB403.aspx
Thu-Sun 29th September – 2nd October 2016: Twelfth AMI Monetary Reform Conference. Message from Stephen Zarlenga of the American Monetary Institute <ami@taconic.net>: The 2016 Monetary Reform Conference at the University Center in Chicago is now open for early registration. This is our 12th Annual Conference. We bring together monetary reformers to discuss actual monetary reform such as Kucinich’s NEED Act, introduced into the 112th Congress. Register by December 15, 2015 for $195. instead of $395!: http://www.monetary.org • https://www.facebook.com/events/1773680136210995/
Thursday 29th September 2016: 6.30-8.30pm: 5-6.30pm, Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE. LSE Resist Festival roundtable discussion: Speakers: Fran Boait, Becky Booth, Duncan McCann, Ciarah Mundy, Sarah Henderson, Chair: Professor Nigel Dodd: The Future of Money: This event will feature experts and practitioners who are actively engaged with the development of new forms of money and new approaches to its production and use in society. These forms range from crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin to time-based and local currencies. We will be discussing digital money, the cashless society, links between money and community, the relationship between money and debt, and the prospects for fundamental reform of the role of private and central banks in the production of money: free, open to the public, first come first served: http://www.lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/events/2016/09/20160929t1830vSZT.aspx
Wednesday 28 September 2016, 5-6.30pm, Sheikh Zayed Theatre, New Academic Building, LSE, Speakers: Fred Harrison, Andrew Simms, Vivienne Westwood, Chair: Professor Nigel Dodd: The Rotten Financial System is the Enemy. We are the Opposition. Part 2: free, open to the public, first come first served: http://www.lse.ac.uk/publicEvents/events/2016/09/20160928t1700vSZT.aspx
Monday 26th September – 18:45pm: Cafe Diplo: “Global Powerhouse: The International Financial Markets and the City of London” with Tony Norfield. The City, as London’s financial centre is known, is the world’s biggest international banking and foreign exchange market, shaping the development of global capital. It is also a crucial part of the mechanism of power in the world economy. All big international companies – not just the banks – utilise this system, and the operations of the City of London are critical both for British capitalism and for world finance. Tony Norfield is a Marxist economist who completed his PhD at SOAS after 20 years of experience in City of London financial dealing rooms, and ten years as an executive director and global head of Foreign Exchange strategy in a major European bank. He will examine the nature of our modern financial system, the role of the US dollar in global trading, the network of British-linked tax havens, the flows of finance around the world and the system of power built upon financial securities. His book The City: London and the Global Power of Finance was published by Verso in April 2016.
https://rdln.wordpress.com/2016/02/29/interview-with-tony-norfield-on-finance-and-the-imperialist-world-system-today/ • https://www.versobooks.com/books/2103-the-city. The talk begins at 6.45pm and end around 8.30pm giving plenty of time for questions and discussion. Entrance Fee (on the door): £3 (£2 conchs). Wine and soft drinks will be on sale and we suggest you arrive 15 minutes beforehand so that you can settle in with a glass of wine or fruit juice. Venue: The Gallery, Alan Baxter & Associates LLP, 75 Cowcross Street, London, EC1M 6EL. From Farringdon tube/overground, you head up the hill into Cowcross Street. On the right hand side pass the “Three Compasses” Pub: 50 metres further on some iron gates havea small Cafe Diplo sign. Inside the gate you will find the reception area. Link to the directions: http://www.mondediplofriends.org.uk/venue
Saturday 24th September 2016: 11.30am-3.30pm, CCMJ AGM, at Magdalene Centre, St Mary’s Church, Eversholt Street, London, NW1 1BN – nearest tube Euston – with “bring and share” lunch – see link to invitation here: http://ccmj.org/wp/archives/3716. Please send any agenda items, papers for consideration, nominations for the committee, and apologies to group@ccmj.org.
S/S: 17-18 September 2016: Commons Rent for The Common Good Implementation: A Conference organised by The Henry George Foundation of Great Britain and The International Union For Land Value Taxation and Free Trade as a contribution to the United Nations Habitat III New Urban Agenda, at SES: 11 Mandeville Place , London, W1U 3AJ: details/booking: http://ccmj.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/London-IU-Conference.pdf
Thursday 15 September 2016: Transforming Finance Conference: Finance & Feminism: The Goldsmith Pub & Dining Room – 96 Southwark Bridge Road – SE1 0EF London – United Kingdom – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/september-social-finance-feminism-tickets-27430990832
Thursday 15th September (7:30-9:30pm): Positive Money, Waterloo: “Values, Wealth and Money”. Many of us find it hard to fully comprehend what money is. Movements like Positive Money have helped to dispel some of the illusions which surround it, including the idea that it is just a commodity ~ notes and coins. There is also growing awareness that Banks do not simply take money in and lend it out again; they are directly involved in the creation of money. But the misunderstanding of wealth also causes endless confusion in economics, and that relates back to the understanding of value – what do we truly value? Chris Todhunter will attempt to throw some light on the three interconnected concepts of Values, Wealth & Money in a brief presentation followed by discussion. Attendance is FREE, full address details: Godly Play Room (aka Crypt Meeting Room), St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, London SE1 8TY. The Godly Play Room is located downstairs in the Crypt area of the Church. To gain access, do not enter via the Church’s main doors, instead look for the door on the left-hand side. If it is closed, please press the buzzer for the Godly Play Room. There is no requirement to do any background reading before attending, but Chris has listed some books which inspired his talk: 1) Between debt and the Devil (Adair Turner). 2) Other People’s Money (Alan Kay). 3) The Science of Political Economy (Henry George). 4) The Wealth of Nations (Adam Smith). Look forward to seeing you there. Host: Sasha Karim. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Details/Booking
Wednesday 14th Sep 2016: The Reformation of Banking: The Prince of Greenwich: Ivo Mosley is now working on the final chapter of his book ‘Bank Robbery’ and will outline his target proposals for reform. He is hoping for some difficult questions to test how far these can be pushed. Positive Money Greenwich & Lewisham Local Group: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londongeeenwichlewishamlocalgroup/wrw8.
Wednesday 14th Sept 7pm-9.30pm: Islam and the West: a personal perspective* Professor Sir Michael Atiyah. Conway Hall, Red Lion Square: https://conwayhall.org.uk/event/islam-west-personal-perspective/
Wednesday 14th Sept 7pm-9.30pm: Free Critical Thinking: Friends House, 173-177 Euston Road NW1 2BJ – ground floor in the corridor outside the cafe. Agenda. 1. Round up of news and events (30 mins), 2. Eddie on the art thing A-Z by artist (20 mins). 3. Interest and Indulgences – Janos and Pete (60 mins): http://www.
Wednesday 14th Sept 10am-5.30pm: The Economics of Happiness—creating a more equitable world – 24 Greencoat Place – SW1P 1RD London – United Kingdom – https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-economics-of-happinesscreating-a-more-equitable-world-tickets-25192882590
Tuesday 13th September 7-9pm – Arab Humanists presents: History of Doubt in the Muslim World https://conwayhall.org.uk/event/history-doubt-muslim-world/
Tuesday 13th September 7-8pm – GN21 Focus Webinar – Social Change Piecemeal Or Critically Total: http://www.meetup.com/GlobalNet21/events/233282309/
Monday 12th September @ 7:30 pm-9:00 pm – Conway Hall in association with the British Humanist Association presents: “London Thinks – In Conversation: Richard Holloway & Andrew Copson” 25 Red Lion Square WC1R 4RL https://conwayhall.org.uk/event/london-thinks-conversation-richard-holloway-andrew-copson
Saturday 10 Sep 2016 14:00: “The End of Banking?” with Jonathan McMillan:Birkbeck College, London: Will fintech overthrow the forces that crashed our financial system? Fintech is the segment of the technology startup scene that stands poised to disrupt the operation of money transfers, loans, mobile payments, asset management, and fundraising. http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/externalevent/wrw3
Wednesday, 24 August 2016 7-9pm: We are having a social evening of the Positive Money Newham group at the Thatched House pub in Hammersmith. If it’s your first time then you’re very welcome to come along as we have a friendly group of regulars and most likely some first timers too. The evening is informal and intended to introduce people with interests related to money, banking, finance and economics, and in particular how these can be harnessed to serve the interests of all of society. We look forward to seeing you there! If you are planning to attend, please send a short email to Tanveer (tanveer.saifee@gmail.com) so we have an idea of numbers. Host: Tanveer Saifee. Location: The Thatched House pub, 115 Dalling Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0ET, Nearest tube stops are Ravenscourt Park and Hammersmith. Directions from Ravenscourt Park tube station: Turn left out of the tube station and walk down the alleyway to get to Dalling Road. Turn left and walk under the railway lines and past a school on your left. Keep walking on Dalling Road past a few shops, the road bends to the left and the pub is on your right hand side. Our table will have Positive Money flyers and books on it. Please check the garden (at the back past the bar) if the weather is good. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Details/Booking.
Tuesday, 23 August 2016 – 7-9pm: Please join the members of Positive Money’s local group in Newham for a discussion of the impacts Brexit will have on monetary reform in Great Britain. We will also have presentation by James Baker entitled “The Greek Crisis in a Single Chart”. You don’t necessarily need to know anything about monetary reform or about Positive Money. Everyone is welcome to attend! Host: John Benson. Location: Sawmill Cafe, 51 West Ham Lane, Stratford, London E15 4PH, 7 minutes walk from Stratford Underground station. Just walk through the Stratford Centre (ie. the old Stratford Shopping Centre not Westfield) and continue across the road and down West Ham Lane. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! Details/Booking.
Wednesday 17th August: Fran from Positive Money writes: Positive Money launches its new campaign “Create money for people, not financial markets”. This follows the announcement last week that the Bank of England will flood financial markets with £70bn of newly-created money. It’s a policy known as quantitative easing (QE). They’re doing this despite more and more people acknowledging that QE increases inequality. This has been confirmed by the Bank of England’s own research and even admitted by Theresa May. But we know there’s an alternative. We’re calling on the new government to use the money created by the Bank of England on things which help ordinary people and businesses, instead of flooding financial markets. We’re going to launch the campaign next Wednesday in central London. We’ll invite broadcasters to come and film it and we would really like you to be there. We need as many of you as possible to call on the government to abandon this failed policy. We want to show them that we know there are better alternatives. If you’re available at 5pm next Wednesday and would like to come, please fill in this form to be updated with the details and location: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/s/bank-of-england-campaign-launch
Rise London – 69-89 Mile End Road, London, E1 4TT – View Map – BarCampBankLondon is an informal event for FinTech practitioners in and around London [that includes Kraków and New York. The first events were an offshot of BarCampBankParis and held in 2008. BCBL gives practitioners a chance to discuss and socialise with other knowledgeable professionals. Escape the permissioned vs. permission-less blockchain debate for a day and come to a place that understands your pain when the CSV file isn’t escaped properly and it’s not clear what the comma in the FCA handbook really means. Ticket price is to reduce no-shows. Whatever is left after expenses will be donated. There’s a wiki for suggestions open anyone with a Github account. https://github.com/barcampbank/barcampbanklondon8/wiki – BCBL will be run in the classic BarCamp format. We don’t have speakers. The topics are whatever you want to talk about. In the past we’ve taken up discussions about: the prospects for an Iranian oil exchange, what went wrong for digital bearer bonds, Zeus mobile malware, Hayek’s Denationalisation of Money, M-PESA, flat-tailed financial returns and Russian money kiosks: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/barcampbanklondon8-reboot-tickets-745281156
Wednesday 27th July: 12-2pm: London Open Global Table: http://globaltable.org.uk/wp/
Tuesday 26th July 2016: Hackney Positive Living Group: We meet on the 1st or 2nd Monday of each month, 7pm, downstairs at Gorki House, 70 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PAl. Our monthly meetings explore ideas around a specific theme. The aims of the group are to1. Thoroughly understand Positive Money’s proposed reforms. 2. Help each other to develop the ability to persuasively explain the money system and possible reforms to friends and family, 3. provide feedback to the Positive Money team on the book and educational materials, 4. Explore further action (public awareness raising, advocacy, political) once we have covered more of the book
Friday, 22 July 2016 7-9pm, Walthamstow Positive Money Group, hosted by Cathy Macnaughton: This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Are you waiting for the next financial crisis, or worrying about house price bubbles? Come along and hear Positive Money’s analysis of why we have these worries and what we could do about it – in particular, to argue for a Money Commission to look at proposals and strategies for managing the money system. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome!: Quaker Meeting House (Walthamstow, London) 1A Jewel Road, Walthamstow, London E17 4QU, 5 minutes walk from Walthamstow Central tube or overground, buses 97, 34, 275.
Wed 20th July 2016, 7-9pm, upstairs at the Cock Tavern, 23 Phoenix Road, London NW1 1HB, open event with brief presentations on the Commons, Usury, Arts and Culture in the context of a Citizens Dividend followed by discussion, in the round, of the three presentations. Also called “Universal Basic Income”, the House of Commons discussion referred to an amount of £70 per week per adult – this is hardly the means to life. A Citizens Dividend from the wealth of the planet could provide the means to shelter, clothe and feed everyone, debt free without increasing income, sales or employment taxes; indeed they could even be reduced: details.
Wednesday 20th July: 12-2pm: London Open Global Table: http://globaltable.org.uk/wp/
Thu 7th – Sat 9th July 2016: ASSOCIATION FOR HETERODOX ECONOMICS: 18th Annual Conference: University of Glasgow: Theme – Alternatives to Austerity: http://hetecon.net
Wednesday 6th July: 12-2pm: Global Table, SES, 11-13 Mandeville Place, W1U 3AJ
Wednesday 29th June 2016 at 18:00-9:15 – Can Citizens be Economists? with Seema Malhotra MP (Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury), Julie Timbrell (Occupy Democracy), Simon Burall (Director, Involve), Paul Johnson (Director, Institute for Fiscal Studies), and Matthew Taylor (Chief Executive, RSA): – Great Room Auditorium, RSA House: Book here.
Wednesday 29th June: 12-2pm: Global Table, SES, 11-13 Mandeville Place, W1U 3AJ
Fri 24th June – Fri 1st July 2016: EXCHANGE & FINANCE FOR A NEW ECONOMY PRINCIPLES & PRACTICE with Thomas Greco – €345-735: http://www.kalikalos.org/exchange-finance
Wednesday 22nd June 12-2pm: Global Table, SES, 11-13 Mandeville Place, W1U 3AJ
Tuesday 21 June 2016: St Paul’s Institute: 6.30pm – 8.00pm (doors open at 6pm) – Inequality and the Green Economy – Organised in partnership between St Paul’s Institute and Tearfund. Will a move towards a greener economy help mitigate issues of social and economic inequality? More »
Monday 20th June 2016 – Positive Money Hackney: talk on Alternative Currencies: on at Gorki House Cafe, 70 Stoke Newington High St, London N16 7PA for details see Positive Money Hackney
Wednesday, 15th June 2016: 18:30 – 21:00: Uniting for Peace invites you to “Rebuilding Europe’s Future: UK IN or OUT?” at London Hilton Euston, 17-18 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HT. Chair: Rita Payne, President Emeritus Commonwealth Journalists Association. Speakers: - Richard Howitt, Labour MEP- Jean Lambert, Green MEP [tbc] – Ken Clarke, Former Chancellor [tbc] – Mark Stephens CBE, Human Rights Lawyer – Sir Nicholas Soames, Conservative MP [tbc] – Louise Rowntree, Lobbyist and Media – Vijay Mehta, Author and Chair Uniting for Peace – James Brazier, Researcher and Writer – Brian Cooper, Co-ordinator and Interfaith Secretary, Uniting for Peace. This event will give speakers from both sides of the debate an opportunity to make their case for whether the UK is better off staying in or leaving the EU. At present Europe is in crisis with rising inequality, refugees, and increasing terrorism on European soil. Uniting for Peace’s latest campaign “Europe for Peace” – highlights the dangers to peace and stability that a disintegrating EU would present. We invite speakers to give their arguments on what is best for the UK and Europe in this climate of fear and uncertainty. Hope you can join us at the conference and we look forward welcoming you. FREE public meeting. For registrations and any other info please go to: www.unitingforpeace.com, or call 020 7791 1717 / 07776 231 018 / 0131 446 9545 (Brian Cooper). Please arrive 15 minutes early for securing a good seat.
Wednesday 15th June 2016: 12-2pm: Global Table, SES, 11-13 Mandeville Place, W1U 3AJ
Thursday 9th June: (7:30-9:30pm): Positive Money Waterloo Discussion Group, a joint event with the London Economics Debating Society (LEDS) at Godly Play Room (aka Crypt Meeting Room – side entrance), St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8TY: free: full details and booking: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonwaterloolocalgroup/w7d
Wednesday 8th June 10-12noon Global Table; 12-2pm: ICUK meeting: http://www.constitutionalists.uk/events.htm.
Thursday 2 June 2016 at 6.30 pm: Corbynomics versus Ideological Austerity: a public meeting with Andrew Fisher of the Left Economics Advisory Panel (LEAP), advisor to John McDonnell, at St Mellitus Church, Tollington Park Road, N4 3AG. Andrew will give a short introduction on Labour’s emerging economic programme, followed by a Q&A session. This will be followed by a short planning discussion with an election of Momentum Islington’s interim committee and then trip to a nearby bar: https://www.facebook.com/events/1671577163105651/
Wednesday 1st June 2016: 12-2pm: Global Table, SES, 11-13 Mandeville Place, W1U 3AJ
Sat 4th June 2016: People’s PPE: Free Conference – Hackminster: Access to the A-Z of Everyday Politics – book via Eventbrite
Tuesday 31 May 2016: Transition Highbury at Nanna’s N1 cafe (map). Doors open 7pm, film starts at 7.30pm. Free, but donations always appreciated. The Divide has been wow-ing audiences all over the UK – and we are showing it for free, as usual! It follows seven individuals striving for a better life in the US and UK – where the top 0.1% owns as much wealth as the bottom 90%. By interweaving their stories and news footage, it creates a powerful picture of how economic division creates social division. The film is inspired by the critically acclaimed, best-selling book ‘The Spirit Level” by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. Being Transition, we are interested to know how social division maps onto climate adaptation – and we will try to line up some panelists for a discussion. This is our last film before the summer break, and we look forward to seeing you there. Sign up on our Facebook page here.
Friday May 27 6.30 for 7 pm: CO-OPERATIVES: presented by John Courtneidge, writer and Labour parliamentary candidate for Bromley and Chislehurst at Birkbeck Open Discussion Society, London University, Room 633 (6th Floor) main Library building, 25 Torrington Square, WC1 7JL, Everyone welcome. Contact open.discussion@inorbit.com.
Tuesday, 24 May 2016 19:00 – 21:00 GMT+01:00 – From Bretton Woods to the “Bankruptocracy” – Understanding the Roots of the Financial Crisis and Today’s Economic Uncertainty: Positive Money Newham Branch event hosted by John Benson: The Sawmill Cafe, 51 West Ham Lane, Stratford, London E15 4PH: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonnewham/wh7
http://www.meetup.com/GlobalNet21/events/229122956/
Monday, 23 May 2016 – Central Hall Westminster, London – 2.30 – 6.30 pm. The Nature of Prosperity – Inaugural debate. We are delighted to invite you to the inaugural event in a major new dialogue on the Nature of Prosperity. The event also marks the launch of the ESRC-funded Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) – http://www.cusp.ac.uk and features Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, in conversation with long-time peace and environmental activist Satish Kumar. Other speakers include: Jane Elliott (Chief Executive of the ESRC), Connie Hedegaard (former EU Commissioner for Climate Change, tbc), Tim Jackson (Director of CUSP) and Caroline Lucas (MP and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Limits to Growth). The event is the first in a series of public debates (hosted by CUSP) engaging young and old alike across business, policy and civil society in one of the most vital questions of our time: what does prosperity mean in a world of environmental and social limits? The event is free to attend but please register your attendance on our Eventbrite page.
Sat 21st May 2016 – Momentum announces that John McDonnell is convening a ‘State of the Economy’ conference at Imperial College, London and we would love you to join us. This event will follow on from the ‘New Economics Lecture Series’, which is currently touring the country, with the purpose of opening up the debate about the future of our economy to people outside of Westminster. In addition to hearing from experts about the current state of the UK economy, this will be an opportunity for everyone to contribute and pitch in their own ideas. There are a range of excellent speakers confirmed already including Ha-Joon Chang, Richard Murphy, Anastasia Nesvetailova, Jonathon Portes, Adrienne Roberts, Anneliese Dodds MEP and many more. Workshop sessions have been planned throughout the day and I am very much looking forward to hearing the ideas that you bring to the conference. We will be discussing a range of topics including tax, sustainable economics, debt, technology and alternative models of ownership. Groups who have already confirmed to take part in the workshop sessions include the Women’s Budget Group and the Jubilee Debt Campaign. Labour’s entire Shadow Treasury team will be attending and chairing sessions throughout the day. The ideas that will be discussed will help to inform our ongoing policy making process. Tickets are £10 to cover the cost of the venue and refreshments on the day. We really hope you are able to join us for what should be a fascinating and exciting day of debate, contributions and ideas. Please register here: labevents.org/
Friday 20th May 10:00am to Sun 22 May, 2016 07:00am Stroud, UK: The Colours of Money Seminar: Includes a Public Talk – 2008 and Beyond: Bridging the Divides. Derived from Rudolf Steiner’s contribution to economic and monetary history, The Colours of Money© seminar looks at the history and purpose of money and how it can be the main instrument for bringing about real and lasting change in our economic circumstances. Grounded in Associative Economics – an approach that covers many schools of thought, the seminar ranges from the problems of small businesses, to larger questions of global finance and the power of corporations. Offering a radical yet concrete and in-depth approach to money in our times, it is presented using coloured chalk imagery on black paper, a technique intended to overcome the reputation of economics as a dismal science! Full details: http://www.associative-economics.com/uploads/media/EC_COM_May_2016-4.pdf – Booking: http://www.associative-economics.com/fileadmin/user_upload/com_Stroud_2016_booking_form.pdf
Monday 16th May 2016 18:00-19:00pm – Fixing Finance – Positive Money event hosted by Tony Greenham, The RSA – The Great Room, 8 John Adam St, London WC2N 6EZ: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/externalevent/w5b
Saturday May 14th 2016– CCMJ Appraisal
Friday 13th May 2016 – TBC – 6.30 for 7pm: Birkbeck Open Discussion Group: – Dr John Courtneidge: Peace & Prosperity for All = a Plan for Co-operative Socialism – a Fair World Project, and sustainable too! – For details of the presentation see: Birkbeck-160506
Thursday 12th May 2016 (7:30-9:30pm) “Banksters” Game + Discussion (Positive Money Waterloo Local Group) – Godly Play Room (aka Crypt Meeting Room), St John’s Church, 73 Waterloo Road, London, SE1 8TY: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonwaterloolocalgroup/whm
Wednesday, 11th May 2016 19:30 – 22:00pm – Money Destruction – Liquidity Preference and Recession (Positive Money – Geeenwich & Lewisham Local Group). hosted by Michael O Keefe at The Prince of Greenwich, 72 Royal Hill, Greenwich, London SE10 8RT: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londongeeenwichlewishamlocalgroup/w5z
Wednesday 11th May 2016 – 12-2pm: ICUK meeting reverses its timing with the London Open Global Table, which meets at 10am-12noon: http://www.constitutionalists.uk/events.htm.
Wednesday 11th May 2016: 08:45 – 17:45pm Transforming Finance 2016: Follow The Money will examine how the finance system needs to change to address some of the most pressing problems facing our society and economy, including making housing affordable for all and providing secure, fulfilling jobs through sustainable investment in the UK economy. Venue: UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL. Tickets: Find out more here: http://transformingfinance.org.uk
Tuesday, 10 May 2016: Assemblies for Democracy presents – Designing Democracy for the 21st century – 18:00 to 21:00 – Committee Room 5, House Of Commons, St Margarets St, SW1A 0AA: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/designing-democracy-for-the-21st-century-tickets-24528509432
Monday 9th May 2016 19:00 – 21:00: Film Showing: Four Horsemen: This is the May meeting of the Positive Money Hackney Local Group.This highly rated film features 23 international thinkers discussing how the world works. There will be an introduction before the film and a Q&A and debate afterwards. http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonhackneylocalgroup/whx
Saturday 7th May: Demo for Democracy from 12noon – Old Palace Yard, Houses of Parliament. — https://www.facebook.com/events/1732795900291616. On the anniversary of the most disproportionate election in British history we will unite to call for all voters to be fairly represented in our Parliament and for the establishment of genuine democracy in the UK.
Wednesday 4th May 2016 – CCMJ Appraisal – pre-meeting: http://www.ccmj.org • http://www.ccmj.org/wp – 4pm at Friends House, Euston: contact info@ccmj.org
Sunday 1st May 2016: Basic Income Day:basic income advocates from all over the world will celebrate Basic Income Day on Labour Day, in recognition of the need for it to become Machine Labour Day or the End of Labour Day, through automation and universal basic income –
http://me.dm/r-D6XEm-xLkC?source=email-anon_749015d66248–publication.newsletter – for further details see: http://basicincomeday.org
http://www.meetup.com/GlobalNet21/events/229511722/?rv=ea1&_af=event&_af_eid=229511722&https=off
Saturday 23rd April 2016, 10am – 4.30 Compass’ Good Europe invite you to participate in a significant Good Europe event which is being organised in partnership with Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) London and in collaboration with Free Word. Activists from across Europe and cultural figures will kick us off with their visions for what a good Europe would look like followed by purposeful small group discussion, at the Free Word Centre, 60 Farringdon Road, London, EC1R 3GA (fully accessible) Tickets limited.
Saturday 16th April 2016: March for Health, Homes, Jobs and Education: April 16 2016 March for Homes, Health, Jobs, Education | End Austerity Now – Assemble: 1pm, Gower Street / Euston Road, London NW1
Wednesday April 13th 12noon to 2pm: How is Europe to Deal With Violent Religious Extremism? – House of Commons, Committee Room 9 – meeting organised by Universal Peace Federation: www.uk.upf.org
Wednesday 13th April: 12-2pm: ICUK meeting replaces open Global Table agenda: http://www.constitutionalists.uk/events.htm.
Tuesday 12th April 2016 – 6.30-8pm: Money and the Kingdom of God – Eve Poole and Angus Ritchie at St Faith’s Chapel, Crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral – for full details and booking form go to: https://www.stpauls.co.uk/learning-faith/adult-learning/money-and-the-kingdom-of-god
Wednesday 6th April 2016: Next in the series of TIGE Talks (Trust and Integrity in the Global Economy) is on the evening of Michael Schluter and Marjon Busstra from the Relational Thinking network will speak on The Third Force Awakens. Their emphasis is on human relations at the workplace amongst other things. He and Marjon are compelling speakers. As usual the evening starts at 6.30pm and there will be plenty of time for Q&A after their talks. Please take the chance to meet them. RSVP, if you have not already done so, to: reception@london.iofc.org
Tuesday 29th March 2016 7pm: DRUK monthly film night – we’ll be showing the US student debt documentary “Ivory Tower” at the Hive, 260-264 Kingsland Road, E8 4DG.
Saturday 26th March 2016: Easter Saturday event 12noon on the steps of St Paul’s: An open event with invitations to all CCMJ, Occupy Faith and Occupy Economics participants, to reflect on the following question: ‘WHAT DOES JESUS SAY ABOUT CAPITALISM?’- led by John Courtneidge.
Monday 21st March | 6.45pm – 8pm: We The People UK with Graham Allen MP Committee Room 10, Parliament, SW1A OAA. Book your place at www.unlockdemocracy.org/events
Saturday 19th March, 2016, ‘Living Systems Leadership’ – one-day workshop from 9.30am to 5pm in the transition town of Totnes, Devon. This is also the home of the Dartington Hall Trust and Schumacher College. The day will also introduce an on-going learning opportunity that will enable those who wish to do so to develop these skills at an advanced level. Attendance is by donation – recommended between £20 and £50. For booking and further information email: Dr Claudius van Wyk, Transformation Strategies Ltd: claudiusvanwyk@gmail.com or call 07873 979767: www.transformationstrategies.org.
Thursday 17 March – 6.30 to 8.30pm – Finance Innovation Lab: in lieu of a regular Lab Social this monthwill be celebrating the official launch of the Finance Innovation Lab Fellowship programme at City Hall. If you would like to attend, please email hello@financeinnovationlab.org
Fri/Sat/Sun: 11th-13th March 2016: Who are the Rosicrucians today? “When a person no longer finds satisfaction in the whirls of the worldly life and when exoteric religion, science, and art no longer have any fascination for them, do not give them any consolation anymore amidst the harassments of their earthly ties. When they reach the point where they are as consumed by an almost desperate longing, an intense nostalgia for true life, that they truly begin to seek with all the power that is within them, then it is certain that they will get in touch with the force field of a mystery school.” What is a Spiritual School? What is a Mystery School? What does it mean to be a Rosicrucian nowadays? The Internation School of the Golden Rosycross is a living reality manifesting in this nature through its pupils and members. If you are interesting in exploring its aim and its practical and spiritual activity, join us for this special three-day event in London, to be held at
Club Quarters Hotel, 61 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3JW. The event is scheduled as follows: Friday 11th March: 7pm: Public lecture and discussion – WHO ARE THE ROSICRUCIANS TODAY? Saturday 12th March: 11am: 1st Conference Service • 3.30 -5pm: Public lecture and discussion: MAN, COSMOS, MICROCOSM • 6-7:30pm: Public lecture and discussion: THE PATH OF SELF INITIATION • 8pm: 2nd Conference Service. Sunday 13th March: 12:30pm: 3rd Conference Service. 2:30-4pm: Public lecture and discussion: THE MYSTERY SCHOOL OF THE GOLDEN ROSYCROSS. See: www.goldenrosycross.org.uk • www.facebook.com/LectoriumRosicrucianumUK • www.meetup.com/goldenrosycrosslondon
Sunday 13th March 2016: NATIONAL DEMO: Kill the Housing Bill: Secure Homes for All. Meet 12noon, Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3TL Supported by Defend Council Housing, Kirklees Federation of Tenants, Camden Assembly of Tenants, Tower Hamlets Tenants Federation, National Bargee Travellers Association, Radical Housing Network, GMB Union, Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union, NUT London Teachers Housing Campaign, Unison Camden LG, Cambridge City and other branches, Unite Housing Workers, the Green Party, John McDonnell MP, London Gypsy Traveller Unit, Islington Hands Off Our Public Services, Islington Private Tenants, Hackney and Waltham Forest Trades Councils, Leeds Hands Off Our Homes: http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch/ – http://www.defendcouncilhousing.org.uk/dch/resources/KtHB13Marchposter.pdf
Sunday 13th March 2016: the hugely popular #JC4PM tour hits Croydon on with a phenomenal line up of musicians, poets, comedians and speakers, all coming out in support of Jeremy Corbyn. It may be cold outside, but it will feel like last summer at Croydon’s Fairfield Halls, Park Ln, Croydon, CR9 1DG from 7.30 pm. Watch a short clip from the first event here to see what’s in store. Hosted by ‘Grumpy Old Man’ Arthur Smith, the line up includes: • Charlotte Church (Classical and Popular Brit Award winner) • John McDonnell (Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer) • Jeremy Hardy (former ‘Perrier Award’ winner, ‘QI’, ‘News Quiz’) • Len McCluskey (General Secretary of Unite the Union) • Francesca Martinez (‘Live at the Apollo’, ‘Extras’) • Mark Serwotka (General Secretary of PCS union) • Atilla the Stockbroker (Punk Poet, ‘Peel Sessions’) • Kerry Godliman (‘Miranda’, ‘Extras’, ‘Derek’) • Michael Rosen (former Children’s Poet Laureate, ‘Mind Games’) • Dane Baptiste (‘Live at the Apollo’, ‘Celebrity Squares’) • Sam Fairbairn (Secretary of The People’s Assembly). Tickets for the night cost £5-£20 and can be bought online at https://www.fairfield.co.uk/en-GB/shows/jc4pm%20tour/info • For details of Momentum see: http://www.peoplesmomentum.com/
Monday 14 March at 7pm. Debt Resistance UK. We’ve structured the meeting so there’s a little introduction to what we’re up to, which means that it’s a great opportunity to come along even if you haven’t previously been involved in DRUK. We meet at the meeting room of the Grayston Centre (where Jubilee Debt Campaign is based). The address is 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT. The nearest tube is Old Street.
Saturday 12th March 2016: a performance publishing extravaganza presented by the Henningham Family Press: The Maximum Wage, at St Paul’s West Hackney Church Hall, Stoke Newington Road, London N16 7UY. Doors open 11am, drop in anytime until 4pm. FREE ENTRY – for full details see:
http://maximumwage.uk.
Wednesday 9th March: 12-2pm: ICUK meeting replaces open Global Table agenda.
Saturday, 5th March 2016, 11am – 6pm: Annual Compass Gathering: The Foundry, 17 Oval Way, London, SE11 5RR: After a year’s hiatus in 2015, we’re back with our annual Compass gathering. This year we’re going to explore big political questions: how do we make systemic change happen in this political and global context? How could we be organising to have more impact? As always, our events are open to everyone. Join us for a day of conversations and debate, of meeting old friends and making new ones, and of figuring out together what to do next. It will be an inspiring day with great speakers and great participants and we look forward to seeing you there: Further information and booking, go here: http://www.compassonline.org.uk/events/annual-gathering-2016/
Sat 5th March 2016: Uniting for Peace: 10am-4.30pm AGM and lecture: Middle East Conflicts, Impact on Europe and Prospects for World Peace: Chair: Rita Payne, President Commonwealth Journalists Association. Speakers: Humphrey Hawksley, BBC Foreign Affairs Correspondent – Prof. Phillip Marfleet, Author and Expert on Middle East Studies – Dr. Halla Diyab, Author and TV Presenter – Jean Lambert, Green MEP (Invited) – John Andrews, The Economists Foreign Correspondent (invited) – Vijay Mehta, Author and Chair Uniting for Peace, at Wesley’s Chapel, 49 City Road, London EC1Y 1AU. Register with donation to vijay@vmpeace.org – full details: http://www.unitingforpeace.com/leaflets%20and%20flyers/2016/5th%20March%202016%20front.pdf
Monday February 29th 2016 – 7:00pm Globalnet21: Webinar (link from home) – Universal Basic Income – What Is It and Could It Work? http://www.meetup.com/GlobalNet21/events/228029048/
Saturday 27th February 2016, London STOP TRIDENT March and Rally Join the Faith Block: Interfaith Service at 11.00am, Hinde Street Methodist Church Full detail here
http://paxchristi.org.uk/event/stop-trident-national-rally/?instance_id=492
Tuesday 23rd February 7-10pm: DRUK Film Night: “Catastroika” at the Hive Dalston, 260-264 Kingsland Rd, E8 4DG – https://www.facebook.com/DebtResistanceUK – http://debtresistance.uk – see also http://evictionresistance.org.uk
Tuesday 23 February 2016 – Doors open 3.30pm for a 4.00pm start. Round Chapel, Lower Clapton Road, E5 0LY. A small group of activists from London’s East End, inspired by Jeremy Corbyn, have launched a fantastic initiative to bring political education and awareness back down to a community level – the People’s PPE (People’s Philosophy, Politics and Economics). Come along to their next free event to hear from guest speakers Yanis Varoufakis, Ann Pettifor and Mufti Abdur Rahman Mangera. *BOOK TICKETS:*
Wednesday 17 February 2016 – 7pm to 9pm: Positive Money London – Hammersmith Local Group Discussion: “What regulators Haven’t Yet Learned From the Crisis”, led by David Shirreff, financial journalist since the early 1980s at Euromoney, The Economist and others and hosted by Tanveer Saifee, at Upstairs Hall @ Grove Neighbourhood Centre, 7 Bradmore Park Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0DT. If you are planning to attend, please send a short email to Tanveer ( tanveer.saifee@gmail.com ) so we have an idea of numbers: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonhammersmithlocalgroup/wrtr
Wednesday 17 February 2016 – 1.00pm – 2.00pm – Why We Should Own the Banks – RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ – https://www.thersa.org/events/2016/02/why-we-should-own-the-banks/
Thursday 18th February (7:30-9:30pm). How are Developing Countries affected by the Global Monetary System? (London – Waterloo Local Group). Positive Money Waterloo Discussion Group. Attendance is FREE and our venue is unchanged. Full address details: Godly Play Room (aka Crypt Meeting Room) St John’s Church 73 Waterloo Road London SE1 8TY: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonwaterloolocalgroup/wxh
Tuesday 16th February 2016: 7pm: Positive Money Local Group Meetup – Newham, London. We will be discussing Chapter 8 of Modernising Money and discussing what local actions we can undertake. Everyone is welcome! You don’t need to have read Modernising Money nor do you need to know anything about monetary reform or the monetary system. Hosted by John Benson, at Sawmill Cafe, 51 West Ham Lane, Stratford, London E15 4PH: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonnewham/wx3
Monday 15th February 2016: 19:00 – 21:00 – The Big Short explained: Housing bubbles and the subprime crisis (London – Hackney Local Group). If you liked the movie “The Big Short” but didn’t understand everything: here’s your chance! We continue our three-part course in understanding the money system, the consequences of the current system, and Positive Money proposals to fix the problems. The second session will focus on the consequences of excessive lending in particular the housing bubble and the subprime crisis. No prior economics knowledge is needed. Hosted by John Campbell, at Gorki House, 70 Stoke Newington High St, London, Greater London N16 7PA: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonhackneylocalgroup/wrtg
Fri 12th February 2016 – 6.30 for 7-9pm – Birkbeck Open Discussion Group features Free Critical Thinking – a DIY Template – Collaborating to co-create a fair and just future – Room 306 Clore Management Building, Birkbeck College, Torrington Square, London WC1 7HX.
Thursday 11th February 2016 – People Shaped Localism – 6pm – 7pm, RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ – https://www.thersa.org/events/2016/02/people-shaped-localism-making-it-real
Saturday, 20 February, 2016 – 10:00 to 16:00: A day conference organised by London Quakers for all BYM: Minute 25 of BYM 2015:- “….There is a continuing housing crisis in this country and inequality in housing is a highly visible and damaging symptom of injustice in our society. The problem is not an insoluble one and our voices can be heard.” Morning – general session in The Light. BYM’s concern about housing and inequality – Paul Parker. The housing scene in Britain – an overview. Concerns about Right to Buy –– Lord Robert Kerslake: Read more
Wednesday 10th February: 7:30pm: The Prince of Greenwich: Helicopter money, basic income, and other direct cash transfer schemes, with Lui Smyth: (London – Geeenwich & Lewisham Local Group): Under Positive Money’s Sovereign Money system a Money Creation Committee would decide on periodic increases (and decreases) to the UK’s money supply to maintain aggregate demand in line with an inflation target: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londongeeenwichlewishamlocalgroup/wrtt
Wednesday 10th February 2016: 12-2pm: ICUK meeting replaces open Global Table agenda.
Thursday 4th February 2016 – The Sustainable Development Goals: From Vision to Reality – 1pm-2pm – RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ (it is possible to listen live to this event) – https://www.thersa.org/events/2016/02/the-sustainable-development-goals-from-vision-to-reality/
Saturday 21 November 2015: The Psychology of Inspired Collective Climate Change Action(and what gets in its way) A conference – London –http://www.confer.uk.com/climate.html
Friday 13th November 2015: Pilgrimage2Paris from St Martins in the Fields for the Climate Change Conference: https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2015/08/join-us-on-the-road-to-paris.aspx
Thursday 12th November 2015, 6:30pm: 2015 annual John Stott London Lecture: Intertwined Roots: Nourishing Radical Discipleship in Today’s Global Church and World: All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. £5 including refreshments: Booking Information
Monday 9th November 2015 – 6:30-9:00pm – Uniting for Peace Annual Conference: Britain IN/OUT of EU. What is Best for Peace ? Speakers: – Lord Maclennan of Rogart, Former Lib Dem Leader – Brendan Donnelly, Director, Federal Trust, Former MEP – Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London region – Lord Roger Liddle, Author of “The Europe Dilemma’ – Vijay Mehta, Chair, UfP, Author, “Exporting Europe’s Peace” – John Redwood, Conservative MP for Wokingham – Steven Woolfe, UKIP MEP North West England region – Rev. Philip Foster, is an author and UKIP supporter since 1998. Chair – Rita Payne, President, Commonwealth Journalist Association Venue: Room 4a, House of Lords. London SW1A Contact: Vijay Mehta <vijay@vmpeace.org> Tel: 0207 791 1717 or Brian Cooper Tel: 0131 446 9545: http://www.unitingforpeace.com
Saturday 7th November 2015, 11am to 5pm, at St Michael’s Centre, Stoke Gifford, Bristol. Joy in Enough’ (JiE) is an invitation to all people, to join in building a just economy within the ecological limits of the Earth. Initiated by Green Christian (formerly Christian Ecology Link) two years ago and already backed by a host of other faith and environmental organisations from A Rocha to Speak – this year’s ‘Joy in Enough’ 2015 conference, entitled ‘The Economics of Hope’ will feature two top-class speakers. To book visit http://www.greenchristian.org.uk/joy
Saturday 7th November 2015– 10am-4pm – NEXT CONVENTION ON CONFEDERATION – at St. Andrews Church Hall Short St SE1 [ south off the Cut] Register with peterchallen@gmail.com
Tuesday November 3rd 2015– with Mason, Pettifor, Oldfield [Theos] & Phillip Blond: ST PAULS INSTITUTE: http://www.stpaulsinstitute.org.uk/Events/PostCapitalism-Envisaging-A-Shared-Future.
Friday 30th October 2015at SES 6.30 for CEJ coalition members: “ALTERNATIVE TO BARNETT REPORT Fred Harrison
Sunday 25th October 201510-5 at SES £20 incl lunch – “NATURAL LAW IN ECONOMICS”
Saturday 24th October 2015: REAL GLOBAL DEMOCRACY – Demonstration at 1:00pm Parliament Square: https://www.facebook.com/events/1080107852000171/
Saturday 10th October 2015– 10am-6pm – FESTIVAL OF WELLBEING – from economic growth to growth in wellbing http://www.resurgence.org/take-part/resurgence-events/wellbeing-festival-2015.html. Booking: info@networkofwellbeing.org Reports would be welcome from anyone attending.
Saturday 10 October 2015 6.30pm: Rise Up Against TTIP rally at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square
London WC1R 4R in Conway Hall, with speakers John McDonnell MP, Natalie Bennett and Juliet Stevenson: www.globaljustice.org.uk/events/rally-rise-against-ttip
Wednesday 23rd September 2015: “THE UNITED NATIONS AT 70 – What Prospects for Peace?” Keynote speaker: Clare Short – Former UK Secretary of State for International Development. The lecture will focus on the UN’s successes, failures and future prospects for peace. Most importantly it will explore how UN can pursue its Charter goals of ending the scourge of war, promote sustainable development, protect Human Rights, mitigate climate change, build peace and justice for all. After the lecture there will be opportunity for the audience to have interactive Q&A session. “Now, we have to go forward in the giant undertaking of building democratic United Nations to make the real world safe, just and sustainable for all its children” – Erskine B. Childers Venue: Hilton London Euston, 17 – 18 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HT – https://www.facebook.com/events/1035725853112623
Saturday 19th September 2015: Henry George Foundation Open Day that will take place at 11 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ – HGF Chairmans invitation
Fri/Sat/Sun 11-13th September 2015– PEACE FESTIVAL at Rickmansworth. See Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/TheSpeakNetwork.
Book via Eventbrite – http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/speak-peace-festival-tickets-14698291987
• Tue 8th – Wed 9th Sept 2015: Permaculture Conference, The Light (Friends House), 173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ – (venue details – http://www.thelightateuston.org.uk), including a Fringe Event on Tue 8th Sept 2015 from 6pm:Gala at Alara (110-112 Camley St, N1C 4PF), near Kings Cross
• Thu 10th – Wed 16th Sept 2015: Permaculture Convergence, Gilwell Park, Essex. For details of all these events see: https://www.ipcuk.events
Sat July 11th 1.30 – 4.30 CONFEDERATION Rally at Hinde Street Methodist Church opposite the SES. We are welcoming ideas on how to Build a Movement [TRUSTEES ALL] to get more people to understand and to work for Confederation as a way of developing the debates about Devolution, Subsidiarity etc. We are increasingly aware that systemic change is likely to come only from the ground up. Thus the discussions about a Movement as contrasted to a Party – a 1min. intro: https://youtu.be/LEFnie76oFY
Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 12:00 PM · 69938 rsvps – Outside the Bank of England (Queens Victoria St)in London, United Kingdom – End Austerity Now – National Demonstration Saturday 20th June – Assemble 12pm, Bank of England (Queen Victoria St) City of London. Nearest tube: Bank. March to Parliament Square. Organised by The People’s Assembly. Transport to London| Letter of Support| http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/calendar
June 16-23, 2015 – Global Week of Action for #TaxJustice, : http://www.taxjustice.net/2015/05/29/global-week-of-action-for-taxjustice-june-16-23-2015/– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Sunday June 14@ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – LiberTeas: 1215-2015: on the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, celebrate, debate and reflect your freedoms and rights: www.liberteas.co.uk @LiberTeas2015
June 8 2015: @ 9:30 am – 5:00 pm – A Cry for Peace
*The Islamic Unity Forum* Invites you to a one-day conference on Monday 8th June 2015 under the title *A Cry for Peace* Several speakers will address the conference to highlight the concerns of people of religion about the increasingly tragic developments in the world, especially the rise of extremism, terrorism, prejudice and Islamophobia. *Time: *9.30 – 17.00 *Place:* Abrar House, 45 Crawford Place, London W1H 4LP * Organisers, Dr Saeed Shehabi* (020 7724 3033) mrsam13@hotmail.com and Julian Bond* (07813 018450) julianbond926@btinternet.com
Start 10.00: Session 1 Dialogue on How can we help each other? Speakers in conversation, religious leaders (Dr Mohammad Shomali, Director, Islamic Centre of England and Revd Michaela Youngson, Co-Chair, London Methodist District) followed by Q&A Break to 11.45: Session 2 Dialogue on Religion, violence and peace. Speakers in conversation (possibly Dr Hany el-Banna and Marigold Bentley) followed by Q&A. Lunch (1 hour) to 14.15: Session 3 ‘extremism, ignorance and prejudice’. Speakers in conversation, (Toufik Kacimi and Fr Nadim Nassar) followed by Q&A
Break to: 16.00 Review, conclusion, what’s next? Close at 17.00
Sat June 6th 2015 at St Andrews, Short St, Waterloo, London SE1 8LJ10am-4pm– CCMJ annual appraisal
Thu 21st May 2015 – Fred Harrison & Ray Sheath speak in Scotland at conference on Confederation
Tue 19th May 2015 postponed – Book launch of ‘As Evil Does’. watch for new date!
Wed 11th March 2015from 10:00 to 17:00: Chaplaincy in the UK, a Theos conference, London, UK: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chaplaincy-in-the-uk-a-theos-conference-tickets-12893808729
Thursday 28 January 2015 – 6pm-8.30pm – Film: Hip Hop Revolución: The film will be followed by the Q&A with the director Pablo Navarrete, Dr Francisco Dominguez (senior lecturer at Middlesex University, where he is head of the Centre for Brazilian and Latin American Studies, and secretary of the Venezuela Solidarity Campaign) and Stephanie Kennedy (journalist/former teleSUR English correspondent). Chaired by Shelly Asquith, Vice President Welfare, National Union of Students (NUS). Bolivar Hall, 54-56 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DL. Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/
Thursday 28th January 2015: How We Became a World of Consumers – 1pm – 2pm – RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ (it is possible to listen live to this event): https://www.thersa.org/events/2016/01/how-we-became-a-world-of-consumers/
Tuesday 26th January 7-10pm: Film Night: Si Se Puede (Yes It’s Possible), featuring the activist work of PAH (Platform of Mortgage Victims) led by Franz von Benda-Beckman, in Spain, following the collapse of the Housing Market: at The Hive Dalston, 260-264 Kingsland Rd, E8 4DG – https://www.facebook.com/events/1728283104074514 – https://www.facebook.com/DebtResistanceUK – http://debtresistance.uk – see also: http://evictionresistance.org.uk
Wednesday 13th January 2016: Constitutionalists UK, Open Strategy Forum meeting, included in Global Table meeting at SES, 12noon: http://www.constitutionalists.htm/events.htm
– 2015 –
Christmas/ New Year Break: No Global Table Meetings 23rd & 30th Dec 2015
Saturday, 19th December 2015, 2015 at 06:00 PM: Rich Mix Arts Venue in London, United Kingdom – SCROOGENOMICS hosted by Philosophy Football and the Peoples Assembly, supported by the RMT and FBU, a seasonal night out against austerity, at Rich Mix in East London. Tickets are now on sale, warning going fast, at a very reasonable £9.95. Headlined by the sublime comedy of Bridget Christie. Bridget’s stand-up set will be preceded by an in-conversation with Guardian columnist Zoe Williams. Plus sparkling spoken word from poet Salena Godden. And closing the show Thee Faction playing anthems to dance and march to followed by Ska legends,The Meow Meows. If that lot doesn’t get you laughing and dancing all we can say is, bah humbug! The night won’t be short of ideas either. Opened by the renowned writer on inequality Danny Dorling, an international discussion on austerity and its discontents with Marina Prentoulis of Syriza joined by Sirio Canos Donnay of Podemos and Shelly Asquith NUS Vice-President Education & Welfare. Plus new work has been commissioned specially for the night inspired by the message of The Christmas Carol by poet Matt Abbott and musician Nia. Filling the dancefloor with his usual upbeat indie set the Melstars Music sound system. Book your tickets now… and we’ll see you there! BOOKING form https://www.philosophyfootball.com/scroogeonomics.html or call to book 01273 472 721
Friday 18 December, Momentum Arts will be having an Xmas Fundraiser at the Prince of Wales (POW) in Brixton (467- 469 Brixton Rd, London, SW9 8HH). Starting at 7 pm and continuing on until late, we will be hosting an evening of live speakers, live music and DJ sets, to kick start the festive period. For further details see: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/151a5018895a1b4b
Thursday 17th December 2015 at 13:00 – THE CASE FOR A UNIVERSAL BASIC INCOME – Durham Street Auditorium, at RSA House: corner of 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ: https://www.thersa.org/events/2015/12/the-case-for-a-universal-basic-income/
Monday, 14 December, 2015 – 19:00 to 20:30: An event to explore approaches to activism that are both effective and grounded in Quaker values. Our speaker Eileen Flanagan, of Earth Quaker Action Team in the US, will share how the Quaker testimonies of peace, equality, and simplicity led her to a concern about climate change. Hear her story of how and why she responded by taking on the power of one of the largest banks in the US, successfully pushing them to stop financing mountaintop removal coal mining. Email ellier@quaker.org.uk to book a place.
Saturday 12 December 2015 – Stop Bombing Syria, National demonstration. Assemble 12noon,
BBC Broadcasting House, Portland Place, W1A 1AA. Supported by CND and the Muslim Association of Britain: http://stopwar.org.uk/index.php/events/stop-the-war-events-national/don-t-bomb-syria-protest-action-page
Thursday 10th December 2015: “Do$h” – drama introducing advice service on Bills, budgeting, banking and more: at Neighourly Care Southall, 32 Featherstone Rd, Southall UB2 5AQ, for more information call 020 8571 1929 – http://www.catalystgateway.org.uk
Thursday 10 December 2015 17:30-19:30 – RETHINKING PUBLIC ASSETS: land and capital – New Economics Foundation, 10 Salamanca Place, London SE1 7HB. A report would be valued: http://www.neweconomics.org/events/entry/rethinking-public-assets-land-and-capital
Wednesday 9th December 2015: Constitutionalists UK, Open Strategy Forum meeting, also at SES, 10am-12noon: http://www.constitutionalists.htm/events.htm
Friday, 4 December 2015: Positive Money – Walthamstow Local Group Meeting – 7-9pm. Host: Cathy Macnaughton, Member’s flat, Walthamstow London E17 9QS – see Google Maps. Directions:contact Cathy on cathy.macnaughton@yahoo.co.uk. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome! http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonwalthamstowlocalgroup/jjf
Thu 3 Dec 2015: Oxford: Rethinking public assets: innovations in money. (Seminar with Fran Boait, Director of Positive Money organised by the University of Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations, New Economics Foundation and Positive Money): (http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/rethinking-public-assets-innovations-in-money-registration-19117147904)
Wednesday 2 December 2015 at 7.30 pm: St James Church: 197 Piccadilly, London W1 9LL: MUSICIANS for PEACE and DISARMAMENT present a CONCERT FOR PEACE Conductor: Howard Williams, Soloist: Joy Lisney cello, WAGNER Siegfried Idyll, HAYDN Cello Concerto No. 2 in D major, SCHUBERT Symphony No. 3 in D major. PROCEEDS WILL BE DONATED TO THE PEACE MOVEMENT. All seats are unreserved. Tickets £15 / £10 (concessions) on the door from 7.00 pm: online at www.wegottickets.com/event/338591 (no booking fee) or complete the booking form below Further details on www.mana.org.uk
Mon 30th Nov 2015: Gloucester & Cheltenham, Positive Money: Monthly development meeting
(http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/gloucestercheltenhamlocalgroup/jwt)
Mon 30th Nov 2015: Newcastle: Positive Money Local Monthly Meetup: (http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/northeastlocalgroup/jjb)
Mon 30th Nov 2015: Sheffield: Local public banking – talk and discussion
(http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/sheffieldlocalgroup/jj3)
Sunday 29 November 2015: Join Momentum on the People’s March for Climate, Justice and Jobs, part of the world’s biggest climate demonstration. We will assemble at Meeting Point J, Park Lane, London, W1 at 12 noon. 38 Degrees members meet outside Pret A Manger, 556 Oxford Street, outside Marble Arch tube in London. For more information, please see the Facebook event page.
Saturday 28 November 2015. Climate marches are happening in Edinburgh and Belfast and a mass cycle ride in Cardiff: Please get in touch if you would like to mobilise Momentum supporters to join these actions. Momentum’s bloc at the People’s March is organised by Momentum Environment, which has been launched to make sure our movement is at the heart of action to improve our environment and people’s lives. Like Momentum Environment on Facebook to get involved, and join the Momentum bloc on the People’s March for Climate, Justice and Jobs.
Thursday, 26 November 2015: Positive Money Waterloo Local Group Meeting: Time for a new approach to Quantitative Easing. Between 2009-12 the Bank of England attempted to stimulate the UK economy by purchasing £375bn of government bonds using newly created electronic money – a process otherwise known as Quantitative Easing (QE). But with growth, employment and inflation remaining so low, and indebtedness remaining so high, is it possible that a different type of QE would have produced a better outcome? Frank van Lerven, a full-time researcher at Positive Money, will explain (in an accessible way!) some of the basic technicalities behind the different forms of QE. Aside from ‘traditional QE’, he will also be running through alternatives including ‘People’s QE’, ‘Strategic QE’ and ‘Green QE’. A group discussion will then follow. Attendance will be FREE as we are moving to a new venue which allows this. Fingers crossed, this really will be the last venue change for sometime! The meeting will take place at St John’s Church (near Waterloo station) in the Godly Play Room, which is located downstairs in the Crypt area. To access this, you do not enter via the Church’s main doors, instead look for the door on the left-hand side. You may need to press the buzzer for the Godly Play Room to gain entry. Background reading: Positive Money has long promoted the case for ‘Sovereign Money’, an idea which is similar to ‘People’s QE’ (recently popularised by Jeremy Corbyn) which involves deploying newly created money directly into the real economy, and not just into government bonds. For more information on the reasons, and how this might work in practice read here. Look forward to seeing you there! For a taster of why Sovereign Money/ People’s QE ought not appeal only to Jeremy Corbyn supporters, but could attract people across the entire political spectrum, please see Frank’s recent blog post: http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonwaterloolocalgroup/jj8
Wednesday, 25 November 2015 1900-2100 Positive Money Social Meetup – Hammersmith: We will be meeting at the pub near our regular venue for a social evening to give people a chance to chat informally and get to know one another. A great opportunity to listen to new viewpoints, make connections and get your opinions heard on money, banking and the universe! Host: Tanveer Saifee: The Thatched House pub (Hammersmith, London), 115 Dalling Road, Hammersmith, London W6 0ET: see map. Directions: Please check both front and back rooms of the pub, we will have Positive Money flyers on the table. This meetup is for everyone interested in how money system works and how it could be changed to be constructive and socially beneficial. Come and feel free to invite your friends who might be interested too. Everyone is welcome!
http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonhammersmithlocalgroup/jjm.
Wednesday, 25th November 2015: The Co-operative Alternative to War – organised by Labour Action for Peace – Public meeting – 7-9pm (Free, no booking required). Room M Portcullis House, Embankment, Opposite Big Ben. Room booked by Kelvin Hopkins MP – for full details see: The Co-operative Alternative to War LAP November 2015
Tuesday, 24th November 2015: Positive Money Local Group Meetup – Newham: Please come along to the Sawmill Cafe in Stratford, find out about Positive Money and meet some fellow monetary reformers. Everyone is welcome! You don’t need to have read Modernising Money nor do you need to know anything about monetary reform or the monetary system. We will be discussing the first half of Chapter 6 of Modernising Money and discussing what local actions we can undertake. http://act.positivemoney.org/page/event/detail/londonnewham/jj9
Saturday 21st November 2015: The Psychology of Inspired Collective Climate Change Action (and what gets in its way) A conference – London –http://www.confer.uk.com/climate.html
Friday 13th November 2015: Pilgrimage2Paris from St Martins in the Fields for the Climate Change Conference: https://www.churchofengland.org/media-centre/news/2015/08/join-us-on-the-road-to-paris.aspx
Thursday 12th November 2015, 6:30pm: 2015 annual John Stott London Lecture: Intertwined Roots: Nourishing Radical Discipleship in Today’s Global Church and World: All Souls Church, Langham Place, London. £5 including refreshments: Booking Information
Wednesday, 11 November 2015 – 7.30-2130: (Positive Money – Geeenwich & Lewisham Local Group): Michael O Keefe: The Prince of Greenwich pub, 72 Royal Hill, SE10 8RTsee map. ‘The origins of bank robbery’ – Talk by Ivo Mosley:- http://positivemoney.org/author/ivo-mosley
Tuesday 10th November: 6.30 for 7pm: Transition Highbury, Film based on Naomi Klein’s latest book: This Changes Everything: Nanna’s Café & Pantry, 274b St Paul’s Road N1 2LJ – http://us4.campaign-archive2.com/?u=f18e2080c3ce8e348c22459d9&id=387e6df5fd
Monday 9th November 2015 – 6:30-9:00pm – Uniting for Peace Annual Conference: Britain IN/OUT of EU. What is Best for Peace ? Speakers: – Lord Maclennan of Rogart, Former Lib Dem Leader – Brendan Donnelly, Director, Federal Trust, Former MEP – Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London region – Lord Roger Liddle, Author of “The Europe Dilemma’ – Vijay Mehta, Chair, UfP, Author, “Exporting Europe’s Peace” – John Redwood, Conservative MP for Wokingham – Steven Woolfe, UKIP MEP North West England region – Rev. Philip Foster, is an author and UKIP supporter since 1998. Chair – Rita Payne, President, Commonwealth Journalist Association Venue: Room 4a, House of Lords. London SW1A Contact: Vijay Mehta <vijay@vmpeace.org> Tel: 0207 791 1717 or Brian Cooper Tel: 0131 446 9545 – http://www.unitingforpeace.com
Saturday 7th November 2015 – 10am-4pm – NEXT CONVENTION ON CONFEDERATION – at St. Andrews Church Hall, Short St, SE1 8LJ [south off The Cut] – link to map – Register with peterchallen@gmail.com
Saturday 7th November 2015, 11am to 5pm, at St Michael’s Centre, Stoke Gifford, Bristol. Joy in Enough’ (JiE) is an invitation to all people, to join in building a just economy within the ecological limits of the Earth. Initiated by Green Christian (formerly Christian Ecology Link) two years ago and already backed by a host of other faith and environmental organisations from A Rocha to Speak – this year’s ‘Joy in Enough’ 2015 conference, entitled ‘The Economics of Hope’ will feature two top-class speakers. To book visit http://www.greenchristian.org.uk/joy
Thursday, 5th November 2015, 6.15pm: IIBI Monthly Lecture: RIBA-FREE (INTEREST-FREE) BANKING: AN AMERICAN EXPERIENCE. SPEAKER: DR ABDUL RAHMAN YAHIA, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF LARIBA-BANK OF WHITTIER IN THE USA. CHAIR: MR MOHAMMED IQBAL ASARIA, CBE, VISITING FACULTY IN ISLAMIC FINANCE AT CASS BUSINESS SCHOOL, ASTON BUSINESS SCHOOL & BANGOR BUSINESS SCHOOL. Venue: MISHCON DE REYA LLP, Africa House, 70 Kingsway, London WC2B 6AH: Link to booking form: http://www.islamic-banking.com/drupal/index.php?q=civicrm/event/register&id=89&reset=1
Thu 5th Nov 2015 – The UK and EU Dimensions of “Forced Adoptions” – a campaign meeting organised by Sabine McNeil on the occasion of ten MEPs visiting London on a Fact Finding Mission – 2.30-5pm: Information Sharing; 6.30-8.30pm: Panel Discussion with Ian Josephs, Ruby Harrod-Claesson, Sabine McNeil, Belinda McKenzie, Deborah Mahmoudieh, Maggie Tuttle: Link to Petition. Details of Event PDF downloads – A4 format – A5 format – at Theatro Technis, 26 Crowndale Rd, London NW1 1TT: Link to Facebook: Register at: www.meetup.com/childrensrightsfirst
Tuesday November 3rd 2015 – with Paul Mason, Economics Editor for Channel 4 News (keynote), whose book “Postcapitalism, a Guide to our Future” has just been published (ISBN: 978-1-846-14738-8), Ann Pettifor, Director of Policy Research in Macroeconomics (PRIME), Phillip Blond, Director of ResPublica, Chaired by Elizabeth Oldfield, Director of Theos: ST PAULS INSTITUTE: http://www.stpaulsinstitute.org.uk/Events/PostCapitalism-Envisaging-A-Shared-Future.
Friday 30th October 2015 at SES 6.30 for CEJ coalition members: “ALTERNATIVE TO BARNETT REPORT Fred Harrison
Sunday 25th October 2015 10-5 at SES £20 incl lunch – “NATURAL LAW IN ECONOMICS”
Saturday 24th October 2015: REAL GLOBAL DEMOCRACY – Demonstration at 1:00pm Parliament Square: https://www.facebook.com/events/1080107852000171/
Saturday 10th October 2015 – 10am-6pm – FESTIVAL OF WELLBEING – from economic growth to growth in wellbing http://www.resurgence.org/take-part/resurgence-events/wellbeing-festival-2015.html. Booking: info@networkofwellbeing.org Reports would be welcome from anyone attending.
Saturday 10 October 6.30pm: Rise Up Against TTIP rally at Conway Hall, Red Lion Square
London WC1R 4R in Conway Hall, with speakers John McDonnell MP, Natalie Bennett and Juliet Stevenson: www.globaljustice.org.uk/events/rally-rise-against-ttip
Wednesday 23rd September 2015: “THE UNITED NATIONS AT 70 – What Prospects for Peace?” Keynote speaker: Clare Short – Former UK Secretary of State for International Development. The lecture will focus on the UN’s successes, failures and future prospects for peace. Most importantly it will explore how UN can pursue its Charter goals of ending the scourge of war, promote sustainable development, protect Human Rights, mitigate climate change, build peace and justice for all. After the lecture there will be opportunity for the audience to have interactive Q&A session. “Now, we have to go forward in the giant undertaking of building democratic United Nations to make the real world safe, just and sustainable for all its children” – Erskine B. Childers Venue: Hilton London Euston, 17 – 18 Upper Woburn Place, London WC1H 0HT – https://www.facebook.com/events/1035725853112623
Saturday 19th September 2015: Henry George Foundation Open Day that will take place at 11 Mandeville Place, London W1U 3AJ – HGF Chairmans invitation
Fri/Sat/Sun 11-13th September 2015 – PEACE FESTIVAL at Rickmansworth.
See Facebook link: https://www.facebook.com/TheSpeakNetwork.
Book via Eventbrite – http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/speak-peace-festival-tickets-14698291987
– – – – – – – – – –
• Tue 8th – Wed 9th Sept: Permaculture Conference, The Light (Friends House), 173-177 Euston Rd, London NW1 2BJ – (venue details – http://www.thelightateuston.org.uk), including a Fringe Event on Tue 8th Sept from 6pm: Gala at Alara (110-112 Camley St, N1C 4PF), near Kings Cross
• Thu 10th – Wed 16th Sept: Permaculture Convergence, Gilwell Park, Essex. For details of all these events see: https://www.ipcuk.events
– – – – – – – – – –
Sat July 11th 1.30 – 4.30 CONFEDERATION Rally at Hinde Street Methodist Church opposite the SES. We are welcoming ideas on how to Build a Movement [TRUSTEES ALL] to get more people to understand and to work for Confederation as a way of developing the debates about Devolution, Subsidiarity etc. We are increasingly aware that systemic change is likely to come only from the ground up. Thus the discussions about a Movement as contrasted to a Party – a 1min. intro: https://youtu.be/LEFnie76oFY
– – – – – – – – – –
Saturday, June 20, 2015 at 12:00 PM · 69938 rsvps – Outside the Bank of England (Queens Victoria St) in London, United Kingdom – End Austerity Now – National Demonstration Saturday 20th June – Assemble 12pm, Bank of England (Queen Victoria St) City of London. Nearest tube: Bank. March to Parliament Square. Organised by The People’s Assembly. Transport to London | Letter of Support | http://www.thepeoplesassembly.org.uk/calendar
– – – – – – – – – – –
Global Week of Action for #TaxJustice, June 16-23, 2015: http://www.taxjustice.net/2015/05/29/global-week-of-action-for-taxjustice-june-16-23-2015/– – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Sunday June 14 @ 2:00 pm – 5:00 pm – LiberTeas: 1215-2015: on the 800th anniversary of Magna Carta, celebrate, debate and reflect your freedoms and rights: www.liberteas.co.uk @LiberTeas2015
– – – – – – – – – – –
June 8 @ 9:30 am – 5:00 pm – A Cry for Peace
*The Islamic Unity Forum* Invites you to a one-day conference on Monday 8th June 2015 under the title *A Cry for Peace* Several speakers will address the conference to highlight the concerns of people of religion about the increasingly tragic developments in the world, especially the rise of extremism, terrorism, prejudice and Islamophobia. *Time: *9.30 – 17.00 *Place:* Abrar House, 45 Crawford Place, London W1H 4LP * Organisers, Dr Saeed Shehabi* (020 7724 3033) mrsam13@hotmail.com and Julian Bond* (07813 018450) julianbond926@btinternet.com
Start 10.00: Session 1 Dialogue on How can we help each other?
Speakers in conversation, religious leaders (Dr Mohammad Shomali, Director, Islamic Centre of England and Revd Michaela Youngson, Co-Chair, London Methodist District) followed by Q&A
Break to 11.45: Session 2 Dialogue on Religion, violence and peace
Speakers in conversation (possibly Dr Hany el-Banna and Marigold Bentley) followed by Q&A
Lunch (1 hour) to 14.15: Session 3 ‘extremism, ignorance and prejudice’
Speakers in conversation, (Toufik Kacimi and Fr Nadim Nassar) followed by Q&A
Break to: 16.00 Review, conclusion, what’s next? Close at 17.00
Sat June 6th at St Andrews, Short St, Waterloo, London SE1 8LJ10am-4pm – CCMJ annual appraisal
Thu 21st May – Fred Harrison & Ray Sheath speak in Scotland at conference on Confederation
Tue 19th May postponed – Book launch of ‘As Evil Does’. watch for new date!
Wed 11th March 2015 from 10:00 to 17:00: Chaplaincy in the UK, a Theos conference, London, UK: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/chaplaincy-in-the-uk-a-theos-conference-tickets-12893808729
– 2014-
Autumn? NATIONAL INITIATIVE around convergence on three key factors, supported by the Ten Theses http://www.sharetherents.org/theses
Fri 17th Oct 2014 – Mass Democracy Action – A Call to Action – Democracy at Stake– http://occupylondon.org.uk/a-call-to-action-democracy-at-stake/
Sun 21st Sept 2014 – WORLD BEYOND WAR – An international pledge to work for peace http://worldbeyondwar.org Here are graphics you should feel free to use: http://worldbeyondwar.org/graphics.
Sat 13th Sept 2014 – Festival of Life, Conway Hall, London: based on alternative lifestyle and radical practical activism – http://www.festivaloflife.net
Wed 25th June 2014 – Making Money Work for People and Planet – Glastonbury, 25th-29th June; Positive Money stall at Glastonbury Festival
Wed June 25th 2014 @ 7:00 pm Committee Room 9, House of Commons, Westminster, London SW1A 0AA – Making Money Work for People and Planet –
Sat 21st June 2014 – The ‘People’s Assembly’ Vows to Destroy ‘Austerity Government’ – http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2014/05/01-4
Wed 18th June 2014 – Bristol: Make Billionaires History: An evening of Sane Economics – London
Fri 6th June 2014: Positive Money Meetup – Waltham stow
Wednesday 7th May 2014 – 6.30pm at St Paul’s Cathedral Institute. This high-profile event is an exciting opportunity to hear from one of the United Nation’s leading figures pushing for global co-operation on climate change. Climate Change: Building the Will for Action with Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. We hope our associates will ensure the emphasis of the BOTH/AND of palliatives and monetary curatives.
May 2- 5 2014 – Breaking the Frame www.breakingtheframe.org.uk . – Luddites 200, Scientists for Global Responsibility and Corporate Watch August 100 yrs after the Bradbury Pound – http://www.ukcolumn.org/bring-back-the-bradbury at Unstone Grange, near Sheffield in Derbyshire.
April 24th 2014 – Economics for Transition Speaker Jonathan Dawson -Co-Head of Economics at the Schumacher College & former President of the Global Ecovillage Network -Thursday 24th April, 6:30pm – 8:30pm The Hub, 4th Floor, 5 Torrens Street, London, EC1V 1NQ ‘Never has there been a more important time for a new approach to economics’ In the first of a series of TRAID TALKS, we open up debate on the urgent need for a radical rethink of our economic system to tackle the challenges of global poverty and environmental destruction. Join Jonathan Dawson as he explores what alternative economic models built on ecological sustainability and human flourishing could look like. Attendance is FREE. Suggested donation of £5. Book your place by contacting Andrea Speranza at andrea@traid.org.uk/ 020 8733 2591
April 22 – Earth Day Celebration
– 2013 –
June 1st 2013 – Holy Land: The Affirmation
– 10am-2.30pm – at St James Piccadily
May 4th 2013 – Great Awakenings: The Application
– 10am-2pm – at Christ Church North Southwark
April 6th 2013 – God & the Good Life: The Audit
– 10am-4pm – at The Guild Church of St Mary Aldermary
