Oxford Globalisation Feature Archive

Update (14/06/05): The G8 leaders surfaced again at the Cowley Road Carnival where they were spotted worshipping chainstores, dancing to the samba and attempting to shake hands with the crowd.

Leaders of the powerful G8 countries ran wild in Oxford on Saturday, shaking hands, waving and dancing to samba rhythms.

The performance drew cheerful crowds and called for more power to be given to multinational corporations. Oxford residents were warmly invited to join the leaders at their next summit in July near Edinburgh. Vladimir Putin and George Bush cried out for people's support in practical terms, particularly by continuing to "work your boring jobs and do what you're told".

The oligarchal octet and its samba entourage also took in the army recruitment event in Gloucester Green, where the G8 leaders gave thanks for the help of the armed forces in controlling the world and opening new markets for corporate ownership. War was also praised as a great way to keep down the population of poor people, thus helping to reduce world poverty. Omitted were the ways in which military spending contribute to the global economy and create opportunities for governments to invest heavily in technical research while leaving the corporations in control of the final products.

Don't forget to come to the G8 action meeting at OARC (Oxford Action Resource Centre) on Wednesday 18 May, 6pm!

Report and Pictures | Corporate-Governmental Global Relationships and the G8 | New Corporate Watch Report on the G8 | Dissent Network | Oxford Action Resource Centre | Breach of the Peace Radical Samba Band

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Oxford Students launched Fairtrade Fortnight in the city today by spelling out the words 'Make It Fair' outside the Radcliffe Camera. Organised by the Oxford Students Fairtrade Coaltion, over 45 students gathered to spell out the Fairtrade message in a big way.

Fairtrade Fortnight is a national fortnight of promotion for 'Fairtrade'. The Fairtrade mark is celebrating its 10th Aniversary this year. There are a wealth of events taking place across Oxford for Fairtrade Fortnight, all open to everyone (not just students), see Fairtrade Fortnight In Oxford or http://www.oxfordfairtrade.org.uk for more information.

Report and pictures | Fairtrade Fortnight events | Oxford Students Fairtrade Coalition

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On Sunday February 22nd, between 80 and 90 people, many of them new to Indymedia and Undercurrents, turned up to the first of a new series of monthly Oxford Indymedia / Undercurrents screenings. The Fourth World War by Big Noise Productions was very well received, while the Dissent! network in Oxford was sucessfully launched. There was loads of food (thanks for popcorn, soup and loads of cake and chocolates and bread and so on), the bar was good too, and a stall gave people the opportunity to learn about local campaigns and groups, Dissent!, alternative medias like Indymedia and Schnews and the We Are Everywhere project. All that made this social event a complete success.

To start with there were announcements, then John introduced Dissent! and explained that the network is horizontal and to organise direct action, especially against the looming G8 summit. A brief presentation of Oxford Indymedia was also given.

The first screening was a brilliantly edited film about the Oxford folks who managed to close the House of Commons for 10 minutes after the Hutton report came out. It was very empowering.

Then came The Fourth World War. Wow. The film jumped from country to country describing injustice and showing how ordinary people will not put up with it anymore. Footage from Argentina showed thousands chanting "The other is me" and the white hand meaning basta. The footage of Chiapas where the Zapatistas began was moving because it showed how even the poorest campesinos had finally had enough and were so brave they confronted an army post and closed it! The soldiers just refused to use their guns. Lots of other footage of, for instance, Buenos Aires, showed police firing tear gas, but protesters demonstrating against the International Misery Fund grabbed tear gas canisters and lobbed them back at the riot police. Memorably one protester used his hollow drum to cover a gas canister. Palestine - well, what can one say. The horror of seeing footage of Jenin again; the little girl with the wrecked arm; wrecked blessed bodies; wailing families; total injustice. The Zapatista Caravan was shown having reached the Zocalo in 2001 where thousands and thousands protested to no avail (except that they have ignited protest throughout the world!). Iraq was shown too, of course with the Apeman's voice mouthing obscenities like "we must protect the people of Iraq and the oilfields". Quebec, London, New York and Korea were featured and Genoa 2001 too with startling footage of Carlo Guiuliani - the film was dedicated to him and Rachel and Tom among others. Finally back to Buenos Aires where the chant was "Ahora eres nosotros".

Can we win the Fourth World War? Having seen the film, you know, I think we're in with a chance. WE ARE EVERYWHERE!

The next Indymedia / Undercurrents screening will be announced in the Oxford Indymedia calendar. If you want to help organise these screenings, come to the next Oxford Indymedia meeting (see the calendar) or join the imc-oxford discussion list.

Report and Pictures

More links: Dissent! A Network of Resistance Against the G8 | The Fourth World War | We Are Everywhere | Subcomandante Marcos on the fourth world war

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An Oxford citizen has left in September for Afghanistan, where he is now a United Nations volunteer. He reports about the deterioration of security, the lack of democracy, the American control of Afghanistan and the UN incompetency. As British politicians talk about how democracy is being supported and security is maintained in Afghanistan, this personal point of view from inside the UN, from someone on the ground in Afghanistan is very interesting and disturbing.

Here are his reports:

• Afghanistan: Optimism, Fragile Peace and Foreign Agendas (03/04/2004) - with pictures
• No good news from Afghanistan (23/03/2004)
• Afghanistan Diary (08/03/2004)
• Afghanistan: 500 women march to register (22/01/2004) - with pictures
• Afghanistan: elections in the North... (17/01/2004) - with pictures
• Down the bunker in Afghanistan for the second time (12/01/2004)
• Down the bunker for the first time (12/01/2004)
• Afghan diary (29/11/2003) - with pictures
• Don't believe Bush on Afghanistan (20/11/2003) - with pictures
• Afghanistan from inside the UN (16/11/2003) - with pictures
• Oxford man in Afghanistan (12/10/2003)

For more information about the state of affairs in Afghanistan after the war, visit this feature from Cambridge IndyMedia.

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On 18 September a meeting about the WTO and its impact on the environment was held at the Oxford Town Hall. John Madeley and Caroline Lucas reported back from the WTO meeting in Cancun, where the success of the developing countries, refusing to be bullied, was resounding. They also gave concrete examples of the impact of WTO rules on the environment. Richard Hering spoke about the Movement for Landless Peasants (MST) in Brazil and its commitment to participatory democracy. The next meeting of this series will be on Thursday 25 September at 7.00pm at Oxford Town Hall, and the topic will be the consequences of WTO policies on human rights.

Pictures and reports [1] [2] [3]
Oxford for Trade Justice
MST (Brazilian Landless Workers Movement | Oxford Brazil Solidarity Campaign
Cancun IMC | Caroline Luca's 'take' on Cancun

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