An economy for the 99%: programme

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OPENING PLENARY: An economy for the 99% (10.30- 11.30)

Hilary Wainwright (Transnational Institute), Almudena Serpis (Spain’s ‘indignados’ movement) and Nessa Ní Chasaide (Debt Justice Action, Ireland), will speak about the economy of the 1% and the movements emerging to challenge it

THEORIES AND IDEAS workshops (11.30-1)

Building a solidarity economy: Co-operatives and economic justice
Do co-operatives and other organisations based on mutual help have the potential to create an economy for the 99%? This session will examine the idea of a solidarity economy, and consider the relationships between co-operatives and social movements in the fight for economic justice.
With Hilary Wainwright, Transnational Institute, and Jenny Carlyle, Suma Wholefoods workers' co-operative.

A tour through the financial crisis
No question is too big or too small for this workshop which explains the financial crisis from the credit crunch to the eurozone crisis and looks at what might happen next.
With Adam Leaver, Centre for Research on Socio-Cultural Change

Can the 1% save the world?
Can aid, philanthropy and charity from the world’s richest stop economic injustice? Speakers will look at what role aid and philanthropy play in the global south, and what parallels can be seen in the global north.
With Sarah Bracking, University of Manchester and Andy Bowman, Red Pepper economics editor

Whose green economy?
Corporate capture of climate policy has already led to policies that benefit multinationals more than they do the people at the sharp end of global warming. This session will contrast the reality behind the ‘green economy’ rhetoric with a vision of a socially just zero carbon world.
With Oscar Reyes, Sustainable Energy and Economy Network, Institute for Policy Studies, Hannah Griffiths, World Development Movement and Isobel Tarr, UK Youth Climate Coalition

GLOBAL MOVEMENTS workshops (2-3.15)

Another food system is possible!
All over the world, movements of small-scale farmers and local communities are fighting back against the corporate-dominated food system with an alternative – food sovereignty. Find out more about them and the alternatives they’re building.
With Kirtana Chandrasekaran, Friends of the Earth International, and James O’Nions, World Development Movement

Treasure Islands: the movement for tax justice
So-called ‘tax havens’ allow corporations and the rich to avoid paying taxes, leaving rich and poor countries alike without the money for decent social services. Find out how and discuss what we do about it.
With John Christensen, Tax Justice Network and Daniel Garvin, UK Uncut

Whose debt is it anyway?
Across the world movements are challenging the legitimacy of ‘debts’ which are driving their societies into poverty and increasing inequality. ‘Debt audits’, public investigations of debts, are one step towards people retaking control of their economies from financiers. Find out about the growing popular movements for debt audits and debt justice here in Europe and globally.
With Dina Makram Ebeid, Popular Campaign to Drop Egypt's Debt and Nessa Ní Chasaide, Debt Justice Action (Ireland).

Revolutions in North Africa - for economic justice
The popular uprisings across North Africa are not just about the overthrow of dictators, but also a call for economic justice. This talk looks at the ongoing struggle for economic justice in the region.
With Jack Shenker, Egypt correspondent for The Guardian and Nadia Idle, co-editor of Tweets from Tahir.

Europe’s new movements against the economy of the 1%
Hear a first hand account of the extraordinary ‘indignados’ movement in Spain over the last year and discuss whether we can really defeat the neoliberal cuts agenda being imposed on Europe.
With Almudena Serpis and Joe Tenner, Occupy Sheffield

SKILLS and LOCAL CAMPAIGNS workshops (3.45-5)

Global justice campaigning in Manchester
Want to get involved in WDM or JDC in Manchester? Have ideas about what we should be doing? Come to this workshop to take forward a local mobilisation for global justice
With Katharine Talbot and Andy Lockhart, World Development Movement

Activism and the law
Campaigners ranging from UK Uncut to local anti-cuts groups have used legal tactics to try to stop injustice. Find out how this works.
With Rosa Curling, Leigh Day and Co solicitors

Food and fuel poverty
Find out how Greater Manchester’s organic food growers and buyers have been brought together through Feeding Manchester, and how community retrofitters the Carbon Co-op are helping local people take control of their energy supplies.
With Matt Fawcett, Carbon Co-op and Helen Woodcock, Kindling Trust.

Tactics for resisting the cuts
The government’s programme of deep cuts to public services has seen the growth of a UK wide anti-cuts and anti-austerity movement which has used a huge diversity of tactics, from strikes to road blockades. The speakers will kick off a discussion: what have been the successes and failures, and where should the anti-cuts movement go next?
With Michele Smith, Liverpool Against the Cuts and a Unite organiser, Jake Roberts, UK Uncut and Steph Pike, a Manchester activist involved in UK Uncut Manchester, Manchester Coalition against the Cuts and Access to Advice and Defend the Right to Protest.

Power in the union
Hear the experiences of workplace organisers fighting back against casualisation, deskilling and enforced flexible contracts both inside and outside the union – and winning.
With Geoff Atkinson and Roy Streeter, Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union and Ewa Jasiewicz, Unite organiser

CLOSING SESSION: Organise, resist, transform! (5-6)

In the last hour of the day we’ll watch video messages from leaders of Chile’s student movement and from Occupy Oakland. Egyptian activist Dina Makram Ebeid and Nick Dearden of Jubilee Debt Campaign will also speak, and we’ll ask participants to contribute too.
 

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