CAMBRIDGE WORLD DEVELOPMENT GROUP 

Cambridge WDM  www.cambridgewdm.org.uk

MINUTES For 21 Sept  2005 at 19:45 at Sue’s. Thanks to Sue for Hospitality.

PRESENT: Sue W (Chair), Aidan B, Clare B, Beth C, Raju R, Paul C

APOLOGIES :  Ray G, Frank F, Fabiola B, Rachel N, Dorothy R, Sheila B, Eva G, Pat S, Martin H, Janet G

1.  MINUTES FROM MEETING  20 July 2005  approved as a correct record.

2.  EVENTS and Activities  

a) Members

Welcome to our new members Raju R, Eva G & Janet G: good to have you an board. All sad to hear that Frank is resigning from the group with other commitments and change of life. He has been a great asset to the group and we would like to give him a party to mark his leaving. Beth to try arrange a suitable time possibly at our Christmas meeting 20 December at her house.

b) David Howarth MP

Sue to write to David Howarth and ask for answers to the questions we raised at the meeting we had with him at his surgery in the Guildhall back on 1 July on water privatisation, aid, trade and Debt and the aggressive recuiting medics from poor countries who need these proifessionals themselves.

c) WTO Ministerial in Hoing Kong 13 – 15 December

Hong Kong is to host the next big event where G8 get to discuss trade rules. We should write to our MPs aking them to let Tony Blair know we want them to set a credible end date to rich country subsidies particularly on agricultural products such as sugar. So far they have made no commitments on this.

d) Fairtrade Guide to Cambridge Wrap Up

Sue & Fabiola have drawn the winner of the prize draw from those who sent back their feedback forms on the Fairtrade Guide and are hoping to arrange a photo opportunity with the Mayor & Cllr Amanda Taylor at Daily Bread. The winner has not responded in ten days so Sue to give him til 7 October to let us know he wants his prize and if we get no reponse by then, we chose another winner. ‘A Fair Feast’ recipe book and Fairtarde chocolate to be bought with group funds as prize.

e) Campaign Leaflet

Aidan to email the final text to Sue who will get quotes for DTP and printing.

3.  Regional Reps Forum in Edinburgh 1 October

Aidan will attend this and asked for our opinions to take to this meeting on the following:

a)  Edinburgh demo at the G8 meeting in Gleneagles – Paul attended and had been staggered by the huge numbers (quarter million people) and their patience in being herded about. Though the demo was rather overshadowed by the Live8 concerts, there was still good publicity for the WDM action with other NGOs. The Brighton WDM group had erected a banner on a huge builders crane which attracted a lot of attention. This led to a discussion on direct action and how far it should go. Agreed direct action should be legal and safe not illegal and dangerous. It is most effective when most direct, that is targeted on organisations engaged in activities we disapprove of such as the pink tank at the Midland Bank AGM to show their involvement in the arms trade or the court case against the Government over the Pergau dam.  

b)  Action over the summer included the bikers’ visit to Cambridge with The Merchant of Venice on MPH theme, Wrapping Great St Mary’s in white to mark MPH 1 July, meeting David Howarth MP 1 July. Agreed it is important to work in partnership with likeminded NGOs on issues like MPH. Campaign leaflet is in the pipeline and we all think this will be a really useful campaigning tool.

c)  Mass Lobby of Westminster for Trade Justice on Wednesday 2 November should be good. Aidan, Clare, Sue, Paul and maybe Beth are going. 

d)  Members are interested in the Campaigners Convention in University of London Union on 27 Nov and Raju and others will be attending. 

4. AOB   

a) Brian Smith of Hunts WDM suggested we ask to have a stall at the comedian Mark Thomas’s performance at the Arts Theatre on Sunday23 October. Sue will write to the theatre and ask if we can.

b) The MPH partnership is planning another MPH event on 29 October possibly on Christ’s Pieces or if not outside the Guildhall. We want to take part and there is a planning meeting at OLEM the Catholic Church on Hills Rd on Mon 28 Sept at 7.45pm. Our member Sheila B will be there and report back.

c)  Declined to take part with a stall at MPH/TJ event 15 Oct as no recent info.

d) Sue to make a start on next CWDM newsletter and ask for contributions by email.

e) Sue to email Emmanuel United Reformed Church to ask if we can contribute to their One World Week event in third week in October.

5.  Next Meeting

Next CWDM meetings will be at 7.45pm on :

19 October at Aidan & Clare’s

16 November at Pat’s

21 December at Beth’s for the Christmas party.