March 26th: Buggy Bloc Against The Cuts!

When: 26 March · 11:30 - 15:30

Where: London

Meeting point: Victoria Embankment Gardens

Nearest tube station: Embankment (District and Circle lines)

Meandering from Embankment to Hyde Park

_______________________________

Babies and buggy boarders, spread the word... kids against cuts being seen
and
heard!

Joining the myriads to oppose the squandering of our future.

For details of the day visit marchforthealternative.org.uk

No Creche: Sample Letter to Feminist Event Organisers

CRAP! Collective is active in encouraging all events, gatherings and meetings to be as parent/carer friendly and child-friendly as possible.

This is so that parents/carers with young children are not unfairly discriminated against and prevented from attending or participating in such events.

We are particularly concerned about the lack of understanding about the needs of parents/carers/children within feminist circles.

Below is one example of a letter that was sent to the organising group of a recent feminist gathering, who had stated there was definately not going to be a creche provided in reply to our first query about the event.

Feel free to use/adapt this sample letter to send to other feminist events with no child provisions you are attending:

To [Feminist Organising Group],

Thats a shame that there is no creche provision for this event. In the
event of no creche provision, the next best move is to have a space/corner
which is a dedicated kids area with colouring in/toys and books and
seating for parents/carers.

If parents/carers have to take their chidlren with them to meetings, then
there should be toys/colouring-in etc provided to occupy them and allow
parents/carers to concentrate and contribute to the meeting. It would be a
good idea to have volunteers (from the organising group ideally)attending
each meeting who are able to play with the children if they start to get
bored or need a drink etc. Or ask around at the begninning of the meeting
for volunteers so that everyone attending should share childcare in this
way.

Facilitators should make it clear to the attendees that the children may
make noise but that the parent/carer should not be made to feel bad about
this, but supported, as there are no creche factilities. People can just talk louder or offer their services to play with the child/get a snack.

Feminist events must be inclusive to all and not discriminate against
parents/carers, especially affecting the majority of single mothers on low
incomes with no childcare-support network.

No creche provision means that even if you adhere to the parent/child-friendly organising suggestions above, the liklihood still is that parent/carers will decide not to attend your event or not be able to participate fully in discussions. Input from feminist parents/carers should be valued, not discourged.

I hope your organising group will consider the above points prior to your
event this [Saturday].

All the best,

[You or Your Collectives Name]

Prevent Millions of Women and Children Dying in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Millions of women and children can be saved from death in pregnancy or childbirth,
if world leaders, who are about to meet in New York, meet their promises and step
up their aid commitments for maternal health. Let's call on them to act now!

Millions of pregnant women and children die every year because of malnutrition or
inadequate health services. It's shocking, but if our governments meet aid promises
to women and children at the poverty summit later this month, it is avoidable.

Ten years ago world leaders committed to drastically reduce the disgraceful number
of maternal deaths by 2015, but in fact aid levels remain shamefully low. Now, some
governments could be prepared to boost aid for mothers and babies, but they need
massive public support to get all governments to step up.

In days our leaders meet in New York. Let's build a global outcry against needless
deaths. Sign the petition below to double aid for maternal and child health -- it
will be delivered to key government leaders at the New York meeting.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

In the last 10 years, since the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) were set,
significant advances have been made to tackle poverty -- one-third fewer mothers
have died during childbirth due to increased aid and investment in maternal health
care. But millions of pregnant mothers are still dying needlessly and every year 9
million children die before their 5th birthday.

There is already a specific mechanism to deliver aid for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and
Tuberculosis, but no similar system exists to support health for mothers and
children. Experts feel one of the best ways to have an immediate impact is to ensure
that aid is doubled and coordinated to effectively bring health care to the mothers
and children who need it the most.

But with only 5 years left to meet MDG targets, there’s a danger that our leaders
use the recession to shirk responsibilities to help the world’s poorest. It has
always been the world's citizens that have led the fight against poverty and pushed
our leaders to take critical action, and now it is up to us again. Sign the petition
to save mothers and children:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

Too often the poorest and most vulnerable communities are just statistics at
international summits. On the eve of this crucial summit, let's join together and
give the poorest women and children a voice. Sign the petition below:

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/save_children_and_mothers/?vl

With hope for a fairer world,

Alice, Luis, Alex, Pascal, Maria Paz, Ricken, Ben, Iain, Graziela and the whole
Avaaz team


Sources:
Oxfam, "Minimal G8 Maternal Health Initiative sends disturbing message to women and
girls":
http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/reactions/minimal-g8-maternal-health-initiative-sends-disturbing-message-women

The Countdown to 2015 Initiative tracks coverage levels for health interventions
proven to reduce maternal, newborn and child mortality:
http://www.countdown2015mnch.org/

Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money
from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest
contributions go a long way.

Avaaz.org is a 5.5-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that
the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz"
means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of
the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4 continents and operates in 14
languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on
Facebook or Twitter.

To contact Avaaz write to us at www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).

Global Protests Save Iranian Mother from Death by Stoning for Adultery

Yesterday an Iranian woman, Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, was saved by global protests
from being stoned to death.

But she may still be hanged -- and, meanwhile, execution by stoning continues. Right
now fifteen more people are on death row awaiting stoning in which victims are
buried up to their necks in the ground and then large rocks are thrown at their
heads.

The partial reprieve of Sakineh, triggered by the call from her children for
international pressure to save her life, has shown that if enough of us come
together and voice our horror, we may be able to save her life, and stop stoning
once and for all. Sign the urgent petition now and send it onto everyone you know --
let's end this cruel slaughter NOW!

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?vl

Sakineh was convicted of adultery, like all the other 12 women and one of the men
awaiting stoning. But her children and lawyer say she is innocent and that she did
not get a fair trial -- they state her confession was forced from her and, speaking
only Azerbaijani, she did not understand what was being asked of her in court.

Despite Iran's signing of a UN convention that requires the death penalty only be
used for the "most serious crimes" and despite the Iranian Parliament passing a law
banning stoning last year, stoning for adultery continues.

Sakineh's lawyer says the Iranian government "is afraid of Iranian public reaction
and international attention" to the stoning cases. And after Turkey and Britain's
Foreign Ministers spoke out against Sakineh's sentence, it was suspended.

Sakineh's brave children are leading the international campaign to save their mother
and stop stoning. Massive international condemnation now could finally stop this
sickening punishment. Let's join together today across the world to end this
brutality. Sign the petition to save Sakineh and end stoning here:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_stoning/?vl

In hope and determination,

Alice, David, Milena, Ben and the whole Avaaz team


SOURCES:

Iranians still facing death by stoning despite 'reprieve', The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/jul/08/iran-death-stoning-adultery

Britain condemns planned Iran stoning as 'medieval', AFP:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hjVdkvkzicGeInqw2R10rCKrqs3A


Support the Avaaz community! We're entirely funded by donations and receive no money
from governments or corporations. Our dedicated team ensures even the smallest
contributions go a long way -- donate here.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Avaaz.org is a 5.5-million-person global campaign network that works to ensure that
the views and values of the world's people shape global decision-making. ("Avaaz"
means "voice" or "song" in many languages.) Avaaz members live in every nation of
the world; our team is spread across 13 countries on 4 continents and operates in 14
languages. Learn about some of Avaaz's biggest campaigns here, or follow us on
Facebook or Twitter.

To contact Avaaz write to us at
www.avaaz.org/en/contact or call us at +1-888-922-8229 (US).


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No to Welfare Abolition - the national planning meeting

*No to Welfare Abolition - the national planning meeting*

Manchester University Students Union, *Steve Biko Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PR, rooms MR1 and MR2*

Saturday 17th April Arrive 11.30am for 12 noon start. Finish 5.30pm.

Our rights to welfare are under attack from all sides. The Welfare Reform Act passed last year is making it harder for single parents, unemployed workers, people with illness, disabilities or impairments and carers to get by. High profile poster campaigns target 'benefit thieves', while benefit fraud is at a low and bankers escape the recession with billions of taxpayers' money.

17 April is our chance for welfare and disability rights activists, members of unemployed workers' groups and trade unionists to get to together, build links of solidarity and plan our struggles. If you are organising to defend welfare or want to start doing so, please make sure people from your group come along!

Free lunch will be provided.

Let us know you are coming by emailing *hackneyunemployedworkers@gmail.com*.

Contact *rebecca.galbraith@yahoo.co.uk* if you want to use the free creche.

Join the email discussion list here: * http://groups.google.com/group/no-to-welfare-abolition*

Class, childcare and the Women’s Liberation Movement.

Below is the text of a leaflet circulated at the WLM@40 conference at Ruskin College, Oxford, UK, (http://www.wlm40conference.org.uk/booking.html).

Class, childcare and the Women’s Liberation Movement.

Anticapitalist feminists have written a letter to the organisers of the wlm@40 conference, raising concerns about the price of the event and the lack of childcare at the conference.

According to the call for papers
“The aim of this conference is to create a space for debate about the issues facing feminists today and celebration of feminist work. WLM@40 will capture the energy, vibrancy and vision of the first [Women's Liberation Movement conference held at Ruskin College in 1970], building on the foundations that it laid. This conference will reflect on the historical significance of the 1970 (and later) conferences, share information and skills for contemporary feminist activism, create and celebrate feminist art and look to the future of feminism(s). Speakers will cut across boundaries of age, class, location and sexuality and voices that were originally absent will now be heard.”

It is hard to imagine how a conference that is so prohibitively expensive will cut across class boundaries.

To be working class often means that we do not have access to the funds to do the things we would like to do and many things are put out of our reach.
As women living under capitalism, all our work is undervalued and underpaid and we receive no income for the work as carers we often do. Many of us in the UK are dependent on paltry state benefits and those of us who are in paid work are facing increasing strain on our already stretched budgets.
The feminisation of poverty is something that we are all aware of, and much grass roots feminist activism targets this fact.
Much of feminist activism is unpaid, we do it for free and in our spare time, because we care about women and the conditions we face. The majority of feminist groups, organisations and campaigns are underfunded, if funded at all.
As feminists we recognise the oppressive and inherently exploitative nature of capitalism, we feel its effects in our everyday lives, so we act in solidarity with those around the world who experience the far worse effects of the capitalist nightmare -- death, poverty, ecological destruction, etc.

The past few years have seen an increase in feminist activism around the UK, much of it anticapitalist, and it is only right that this should be celebrated. The first conference 40 years ago was dynamic and historically significant, and it would be great if this conference could build on this. We need to rebuild the Women’s Liberation Movement in order to effect the societal change we need. However, we cannot build a movement if only those with the privilege of ready cash get to contribute. We should always be about accessibility and inclusiveness, after all we are organising around the very fact that patriarchal society is not inclusive of women, and actively excludes people on the basis of gender, class, race, sexuality, ability, age, etc.

The means must reflect the vision. How we organise must reflect the vision of what we’re fighting for, anything less is counter-revolutionary. That means that events must be accessible, affordable and always inclusive.

In relation to childcare at the wlm@40 conference

The original conference had a free crèche that was organised by men. This conference will have no childcare, but will instead offer parents or carers a list of registered local childminders with whom they can place their child, and presumably pay for this themselves.

One of the first four demands of the Women’s Liberation Movement, which, ironically, were formulated at the first Ruskin conference in 1970, was the demand for free 24 hour childcare, because feminists have always recognised that many women have always been unfairly excluded from much of mainstream life by their childcare and caring responsibilities. The demand for decent, free childcare for all has always been one of the basics of feminist activism. How can we demand this of society in general, if our own events are lacking in decent free childcare?
Women who are parents and carers are often in underpaid work, or are dependent on state benefits; the money we do have has to pay for our families, and not just ourselves.

The price of this conference will rule it out for many working-class and lower paid women, especially parents and carers, and the lack of free childcare is a double insult.

Because of the way this conference has been organised, most of us are not here, although we would very much like to be.
Will we be missed?
Radicalfeminists4wlmat40@hotmail.co.uk

Mothers March & Speak Out: Saturday 13th March, London

An International Womens Day and Mothers Day Event

Saturday 13 March 2010

Mothers March & Speak Out

For recognition and support for all the work
we contribute to society

Come with your children, relatives and friends.

Bring your banners, placards and demands.


Assemble 2pm Trafalgar Sq
March to Parliament Sq
Westminster, London SW1 ALL WELCOME

mothering is hard work
The survival of the human race depends on the caring work of mothers.
But we get no recognition or support. Only blame when things go wrong.
And we're even expected to do more work to feed the family, often on
the lowest pay.

every mother is a working mother

Events also in: Guyana, Haiti, India, Mexico, Peru, US
MEN: Join the contingent of fathers & other male carers who support
mothers.

mothers, this march is for you who are raising children in cities, towns or villages...
Who are separated from your children or have lost children
Who are surviving war & environmental disaster
Who are seeking asylum
For you who are grandmothers, non-biological mothers, domestic workers & other women doing caring work
For you who have disabilities or have a child with disabilities
Who are fighting for justice for loved ones
Who have been raped
Who are students & mothers
Who are sex workers supporting families
Who have been criminalised by poverty
Who want to have children but havent been able to
For you mothers of every race, age, passport, income, sexuality & occupation
For all of us who are overworked & underpaid.

Our demand is: invest in caring not killing

Called by All African Womens Group Mothers Campaign (MoCa),

Global Womens Strike (GWS), and Single Mothers Self-Defence
Endorsed by: Kay Adshead (playwright/poet), Black Womens Rape
Action Project, English Collective of Prostitutes, Oliver James
(child psychologist/author), Jenny Jones (Green Party), Sheila
Kitzinger (natural childbirth campaigner/author), Payday mens
network, The Peace Strike at Parliament Square, Wages Due Lesbians,
Michelene Wandor (writer/broadcaster), Women with Visible and
Invisible Disabilities, Women Against Rape, Women of Colour in the
GWS

Sign MoCas petition for family reunion:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/MumsKids/petition.html (
http://www.petitiononline.com/MumsKids/petition.html )

Youtube Clips on Why a Mothers' March

Selma James ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcCk9CmQD2A ), Global
Women's Strike

Isata Denton-Ceesay ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eh2orh7Gt4E ),
All African Women's Group

For info on disability access and facilities for children, to sponsor or
to make a donation: (020)7482 2496 voice/minicom

www.globalwomenstrike.net ( http://www.globalwomenstrike.net/ )
aawg02@googlemail.com womenstrike8m@server101.com

This Saturday: Brighton Anarcha-Feminism Day!

This Saturday 30th Jan 2010 sees the new year welcoming...

A DAY OF ANARCHA-FEMINISM
a completely free day and night of super feminism for all ages and genders
@ the cowley club, 12 london road, brighton

this event supports a new brighton womens homeless shelter and the launch
of the new anarcha-feminist group 'Organise!'- come along and get involved

DAY EVENT:
10.30am-6.30pm
including:

workshops n discussions (what is anarchfeminism?, feminist squats,
feminist childrearing, privilige, self-defense, men and anarchafem plus
many many more!)

skillshares n distros (DIY herbalism, zines, stencilling, subvertising,
radical knitting, plus so much more!)

PLUS!
-creche all day with kids workshops on storytelling n zines
-film sessions from 6.30-8.30pm
-yummy vegan lunch, tea n cake
-open to all, if you are new to anarchafeminism or an old hat!
-most workshops are wheelchair accessible and if not they can be adapted,
so please do ask the organising group for any particular needs you may
have: brightonanarchafeminists@lists.aktivix.org

NIGHT EVENT:
Fundraising gig, comedy, djs
7.30pm-2am
ALL FUNDS FROM THE DAY N NIGHT EVENT GO TO LATITUDE SAFE SPACE- A NEW
INITIATIVE FOR A BRIGHTON WOMEN'S HOMELESS SHELTER.

please support Latitude and get involved in the new brighton
anarchafeminist group ' Organise!' by coming to this event,

see you there!

Plotting and scheming for welfare not workfare

*please repost

On 12 November, it became legal to force unemployed people to work for their benefits – to do 40-hour-weeks for under a third of the minimum wage. The Government's Welfare Reform Act introduced 'Work for your Benefit' pilot schemes, which once completed can be rolled out without any further debate. It also attacked single parents – who face sanctions if they fail to prepare for work outside the home as soon as their child turns three – and people with impairments, disabilities or severe andenduring illnesses.

Two days later, members of twenty-three different groups from around theUK met to share information and plan resistance to these pernicious attacks, which will take their toll on working-class and low-income communities.

Groups present included Unemployed Workers Unions from six cities acrossthe UK, the Disabled People's Direct Action Network, Southwark Mind,WinVisible (women with visible and invisible disabilities), SingleMothers' Self-Defence (part of Global Women's Strike) and members of the union in the Department of Work and Pensions – PCS. They were joined by feminist and other groups (all listed below).

The strength to be gained from meeting in solidarity with each other was immense and created a real sense that a movement is building: a movementwhich will not only fight the immediate attacks of the Welfare Abolition Act, but draw out the connections between our struggles and together challenge the ideology driving them.

The Act seeks to make our worth dependent on work; work defined in the really narrow terms of waged work for someone else's profit. By making us compete with those in waged work for non-existent jobs, it helps drive down wages and conditions. We all take the brunt as the rich make even more money out of us.
• We want solidarity with and from people in low-income, temporary and insecure work. These are the jobs that 'work-for-your-benefit' would replace.
• We want caring to be recognised as important work in society. Single parents are already working and benefits are their entitlement to a social wage.
• We want justice for people with severe or enduring illnesses. The drive to get people off incapacity benefits and Employment and Support Allowance and into work is making people more ill with stress. Only we know what we are capable of and it is wrong for conditions and sanctions to be imposed on us to force us into unsuitable work, unwanted “work-related activity”or “motivation sessions” which press us into their programmes of treatmentfor addictions and other conditions.
• We want the right not to work. People not in waged work contribute loads to their communities. We do not want to be forced into mind-numbing,insecure work that leaves us no better off, or worse off than on benefitsand definitely not at £1.27 an hour!
• We want free, high-quality, public services to support older people andpeople with impairments/disabilities. People should not have to become employers managing 'individual budgets' in order to access the care they need.
• We want to stand in solidarity with migrant workers. Just as unemployed people are pitted against people in work, so migrant workers are pittedagainst us. We believe that we must stand together and demand all of ourrights together.
• We want to fight privatisation of the Department for Work and Pensions.Attacks on DWP and Jobcentre Plus workers are attacks on our rights toaccess welfare. We will support the PCS' fight against cuts.
• We want an end to the apartheid system of benefits, healthcare and housing for asylum seekers. UK Border Agency support should be scrapped-- where people are forced to survive on incomes far below benefit levels– which are already set at subsistence level. No slum housing and dangerous and dirty hostels, dispersal, or vouchers.

After a day of info-sharing, outrage and scheming, we formed a few working groups. If you're able to help out with any of the projects, please email hackneyunemployedworkers@gmail.com
1. Media working group – monitor and respond to hostile articles in the media.
2. Our propaganda – creating posters, newsletters etc to get our messages out
3. Website – put together a website as a space to share resources, feedback and comment, get the word out about our campaign and publicise local and national action.
4. Our welfare rights – compiling information to help us access our rights now and creating 'Know your rights' leaflets.
5. Defeating the Work for your Benefits pilots – research to support the network to take action against the pilots.

If you want to stay in touch, please join our discussion list here:http://groups.google.com/group/no-to-welfare-abolition

If you agree with our demands above and would like to take part in ourcampaign, please ask your group to sign up to this statement and email hackneyunemployedworkers@gmail.com

And put the next national meeting in your diary now.... 17 April in Manchester!

The meeting had people in attendance from: South Manchester Community Union, London Anarcha-Feminist Kolektiv, London Coalition Against Poverty, Feminist Action, Defend Welfare Newcastle, Manchester Unemployed WorkersUnion, Cambridge Unemployed Workers' Union, PCS, Hackney UnemployedWorkers, Single Mothers' Self Defence, Winvisible, Alliance for Workers'Liberty, Disabled People's Direct Action Network, Southwark Mind, Women's Office Manchester Student Union, Riveters feminist group in Manchester,Feminist Fightback, Industrial Workers of the World, No Borders, StopDeportations, Anarchist Federation, Communist Students, SalfordUnemployed Workers' Union.