CAMBRIDGE WORLD DEVELOPMENT GROUP – MINUTES For 20 April 2005

Minutes of the meeting held at 19:45 on Wednesday 20 April 2005 at Sue’s.

PRESENT: Beth C (Chair), Aidan B, Clare B, Paul C, Rachel N, Pat S, Jenny K, Sue W (Secretary)

APOLOGIES : Ray G, Frank F, Fabiola B

1. MINUTES FROM MEETING OF March 2004 approved as a correct record. Welcome to new member Jenny.

2. Events and Activities this month

a) Fairtrade Guide to Cambridge Launched 17 April

CWDM has distributed ten thousand copies of the Fair Trade Guide to Cambridge around the city before the official launch with the Mayor, Cllr Rob Dryden, and Cllr Amanda Taylor on 17 April. This was CWDM’s contribution to the Global Week of Action. Thanks Sue & Fabiola. More copies from Sue if you want any.

b) TRADE JUSTICE VIGIL 15/16 April

Members of Cambridge WDM Aidan, Clare, Paul and Elaine were among the thousands -- four times the expected number -- who took the Trade Justice message on to London's

streets through the night of 15/16 April.

c) DIRTY AID, DIRTY WATER Stunt 22 March and Meeting 21 March

Campaigners across the UK took part in WDM's campaign to separate aid spending from failed water privatisation initiatives. Many of them targeted the offices of Halcrow plc, a recipient of that aid spending, on 22 March. In Cambridge, with no Halcrow office locally, we got up a stunt outside the Guildhall on the Saturday before. We had dirty water on sale at an exorbitant price, and some of us queued for it. That was a great photo-opportunity. And we gave out leaflets, too -- publicity for the campaign, and for our 21 March meeting at Emmanuel UR Church, addressed by WDM's Peter Hardstaff and Rudolf Amenga-Etego of the Ghanaian National Coalition Against the Privatisation of Water. Nearly 50 people attended. There has been some success in this campaign since Biwater, one of the water companies bidding to privatise water in Ghana, has pulled out. Hilary Benn, Sec of Sate for International Development, said that local communities could best handle their own water provision.

d) CWDM at Ridley Hall Conference 8/10 April

Pat held a stall at the “Make Trade Fair” conference at Ridley Hall 8 to 10 April with WDM leaflets and information. Other organisations also present included Tearfund, Grove Press (Ridley Hall) and the London Institute for Christianity.

3. Events Coming Up

a) Hustings

The 2 Hustings meetings we know about are Sunday 24 April 7.30pm at St Andrew’s Street Baptist Church and Tuesday 26 April 8.30pm at Keyne’s hall, Kings College (entrance from Kings Lane). Questions for this last one may be submitted in advance to poverty@srcf.ucam.org or on the night. For more information please see http://www.srcf.ucam.org/poverty/#now

b) 16 May World Debt Day

c) Make Poverty History Festival 7 May

Tearfund and local churches are arranging a big event on Parkers Piece on Saturday 7 May starting at 2 PM and we agreed to hold a stall in their marquee with leaflets, information and free Fairtrade goodies. All welcome to join us there for this event – please call Sue 562983 if you wd like to help then.

d) More National Events

10/11 June - G7 Finance Ministers meeting

18 June - National WDM AGM “Whose Rules Rule?”

2 July - Make Poverty History demo in Edinburgh for UK Presidency of G8 meeting 6-8 July at Gleneagles

26/27 September - IMF & World Bank Annual meetings in Washington

13 – 18 December - WTO ministerial Hong Kong

4. WDM HQ’s Guide to Party Positions

Read through “Election 2005: where the parties stand on justice for the world’s poor” and each bid to take on one of the ten key policies listed. Result - Pat 1, Aidan 2, Jenny 3, Clare 4, Beth 5, Paul 7, Rachel 9, Sue 10. See this Guide and list on WDM national website at www.wdm.org.uk/campaigns/election/

Agreed to write/email to each of the parliamentary candidates to find out how committed they are to economic justice for the world’s poor.

5. Other matters

Beth gave notice that she will be stepping down from Chair so invited members to think about her replacement.

Sue to produce the next newsletter. Offers of words/ideas welcome.

CWDM AGM will be at the next meeting.

6. Next Meeting

Next CWDM meeting - the AGM - will be at Ray G’s 34 Linden Close at 7.45pm.

Further meetings for 2005 will be at:

15 June Aidan & Clare’s

20 July Beth’s

21 Sept Frank’s