Creating a Commons

So the funky people at United Diversity launched a(nother) world changing initiative in January this year. I happened to be at the launch where Josef talked about the Commons Creation.

The idea behind Commons Creation is very simple - if we all pool our resources collectively then we can make much better use of them and our shared knowledge/energy thus work better together to make a betetr world. Founding member Josef's aim has always been to organise and participate in a bio-diesel tour to Spain, taking in all the cool eco- world changing projects and communities and to end up in Buenache, Spain to build a small eco-village.

A group of people known as the Commons Creation Collective have been paying into the Commons Fund since January this year in order to build up the resources and now 8 months on it looks like we are about to acquire some land.

Things are slowly moving forward - if you want to know more about Commons Creation go here.

Break is officially over

So, having had a break (of sorts) over the summer my mind has wandered back to what I can/should be doing next.

After the last screening, Steven from Quaker House emailed to say that he would be interested in doing some joint awareness/cash raising this Autumn.

So, break is officially over!

Am off to do some research and send some mails to people.

Watch this space!

One down, one to go

Film Screening went well…in the end.

In the end a motley crew consisting of parents, a local group from Westminster, some activists, a traveller, a barman, a Quaker and some random people there for a quiet drink and nothing more gathered around the screen to watch the movie. I left my crib cards at the office and so forgot to say what I intended but it went ok – people weren’t really there to hear me speak.

Steve from the Quaker Peace Society came along to talk about their peace-building mission in Northern Uganda which was interesting. He and I had a good chat afterwards about how we might be able to cross-promote each others events or do one together later on in the year.

We received donations of around £50 that I’ll be splitting between War Child and Invisible Children but it was never about the money really, I wanted to make an impact and the story does that for itself its just getting people there that takes the hard work.

So, went better than expected. Am still slightly disappointed by the no-shows but hey, it felt good to have reached people randomly that don’t already know about these things. Maybe it will spur them on to find out more and get involved. The barman thought the movie was really powerful and wanted to know about the work too.

It's all good :)

Dance upon injustice

One child dies every three minutes because of armed conflict. Children should never be affected by war. Full stop.

We are raising funds to continue important work across the globe. “Those Were The Days” is a summer gala ball being held in London on 28th June.

War Child’s campaigning seeks to address this gross injustice. Find out more here

Suffer the little children

In about a month’s time I am running a film screening where I hope to show a copy of the Invisible Children documentary and Uganda Rising.

The films highlight the issues faced by thousands of children in Northern Uganda. Since the LRA (Lords Rebel Army) started the war against the government approx 20 years ago, children have been abducted and indoctrinated. The children of Gulu land, Acholi tribe now fear to sleep at home in their beds and so each evening they roll up their mats and walk miles into town where they sleep in bus shelters, hospital corridors and places were they feel they will not be abducted.

This is just one specific spotlight of the affect that War has on Children.

In Sierra Leone the city is inundated with children who are desolate because their parents have been murdered during the war; they wander into town sometimes with limbs cut off hoping that someone will take care of them.

In Palestine – well, what can I say? If you can get hold of “No Promises” then do so.

In Iraq as we Brits talk about the 140th UK citizen to be killed I think of the thousands of children who are homeless, parentless and damaged because of what they are seeing and hearing every single day.

In Afghanistan as we applaud societal changes brought about by the removal of the dictator army lords – rarely do we see the faces of the lost innocence who are displaced and no longer play as they used to.

I could go on and on and on. That’s why organisations like War Child exist. That’s why Unicef and others campaign for children’s rights, it’s a pity that instead of nurturing our future we are trampling it underfoot.

Anyone who lives in London is welcome to come along to an awareness raising event to see for themselves otherwise you can catch the movie here. I’ll seek permission to get Uganda Rising and No Promises uploaded too. I’m not the only one that wants to try and do something, I have been emailing back and forth this week with two people Mark and Stephen who are from the Quaker Peace Society who are working in Gulu to support and promote reconciliation and peace-building, by providing practical support to survivor groups and by engaging with Acholi traditional leaders to explore wider possibilities.

I hope to have leaflets and possibly a speaker at the viewing.

To find out about any of these organisations just click on their names & you’ll be redirected to their websites. You can donate your time, money or talent to any or all of them. I am sure it will be welcome.

If you can drop by on 25 June at The Good Ship, Kilburn, London it would be great to meet you and I promise I’ll find some light relief so we don’t all go home totally depressed.