Taking Simpol’s, “We Are Clever Together” message along to the Put People First demonstration last Friday and then to “Small is…” festival for the weekend.
On Friday, Brighton Simpol campaigner Aisha and I joined the “Put People First” Coalition on a “No More Business as Usual” walking tour of companies and institutions that have contributed to the economic crisis. Put People First are a coalition of many well known Non Governmental Organisation (NGOs) who campaign for social and environmental justice. Some trade unions are also members.
You can see us carrying the Simpol banner and earth glitter ball (used at the Global Co-operation Street Party). http://www.flickr.com/photos/26672475@N08/sets/72157622159904559/
We followed a bicycle with an amplifier playing songs about money. Speakers from various campaigns spoke and were extremely erudite, bringing to light the varied and astoundingly cunning ways in which people feel impelled to organise themselves in the pursuit of profit despite the serious consequences for society and environment.
In the afternoon we went on to the Put People First conference at the London School of Economics. We learned that the Put People First coalition is set to disband at the end of the year as the majority of its members voted for it not to be continuous.
Put People First have used the slogan “Another World Is Possible”. We at Simpol would like to offer the means to make another world possible, were everyone’s basic needs are met and where we can pursue the task of enriching each others lives, by working together in a co-operative manner.
At the conference Aisha and I promoted the idea that the coalition adopts the Simpol method of using our votes to drive (rather than just demand) politicians to act co-operatively and internationally to implement the coalition’s strongest demands. We mentioned how impressed we were with the way the various organisations had empowered themselves by becoming a holistic coalition, as we understood that “things can only be fully healed holistically.” We expounded the virtues and benefits of co-operative systems as a means to offer real choice based on our values; also how increasingly wide co-operative systems offer greater a scope for choice and how a global grassroots co-operative system would therefore be best for offering the greatest scope of choice. We did this, we hope, without banging on about Simpol but rather by introducing parts of its functions.
As modest as I can be (allot, I can tell you) in my sincere belief in the Simpol cause, I hope that we can encourage the Put People First Coalition to either get behind Simpol as a means to take their holistic coalition forward, or even, if it was democratically decided among Simpol supporters, disband Simpol in all but name and change our name to Put People First. We could keep the founding declaration and carry on campaigning, doing street stalls, Global Co-operation Street Parties and also continue marching TOGETHER as one under a new, perhaps, more catchy name. Until such time we must carry on building Simpol up to be attractive to people and their organisations.
I was very encouraged to find that many people at the conference were strongly in favour of co-operative systems. Others discussed looking for new democratic ways to move forward and for new ways to be able to keep the coalition in tact.
The next meeting to see how Put People First Continues will be on November the 7th. Please book yourself in to attend. http://www.putpeoplefirst.org.uk/autumn/counterconference/
Aisha and I then went on to the “Small Is……” held on the beautiful “Practical Action” grounds in the countryside near Coventry. We set the stall up, signed up about 20 new Simpol Adopters. We attended lots of work shops related to Fritz Schumacher’s philosophy (which influenced John Bunzl to realise Simpol), learned lots of practical skills which are deployed internationally, made heaps of great contacts, held a workshop alongside “Practical Action” on Sunday morning having played harmonica with a blues band and danced our heads off to the most splendid DJ Jane on Saturday night.
We learned a hell of a lot over the weekend and we both feel very enthused for having got out campaigning again, gaining fresh support.
Thank very much to both Put People First and the Small Is…..Festival for two wonderful events, both attended by many very informative people who also seemed really open to new ideas.
Please note that Simpol does not accept money from for profit organisations so as to be free from undue influence. Whilst still in its early stages the campaign will remain hard to find funding for. Until the campaign begins to snowball, this situation will probably remain the same, but, I believe it will start to get rolling within the next few months. Why do I think this? Because we are all going to make sure it does!
Sooooo… we don’t have much at all in the way of hard cash at present. Aisha and I paid for the trip (running on Bio-diesel from recycled veggie oil, which gets you less Mile per gallon and costs more) and we don’t work that may hours so that we can campaign for Simpol, so please feel free to make a generous donation to Simpol-UK or why not become a member (at the reduced rate if you are low or unwaged). By doing so you will help make the space for solutions to happen that will benefit us all, and the next generation. This is the new, clever self-interest!
Barnaby
07799603042
