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I have just been to lobby my MP (Andrew Smith) with two other activists on the issue of Trade Justice for the Make Poverty History movement. He has agreed to write to the Trade and Industry Secretary (Alan Johnstone) on this issue. We have asked him to highlight import tariffs - developing countries reducing them, but as and when is appropriate to them. We also discussed subsidies to farmers in Europe - however this is a tricky as this involves the EU and the US. And also dumping of surplus commodities by EU and US countries at lower prices than local producers - along with heavy subsidies (another tricky issue). All this in order that Third World country Abribusinesses can compete fairly in the world market.
This is all in conjuction with the WTO meetings this month and December.
Andrew Smith is very sympathetic to the entire subject and wants to spend time on it. Let's hope he keeps his word and that Alan Johnstone will listen... I'll keep you posted.
I had a letter, via my MP, from Alan Johnstone. It is a stock response and doesn't touch the issues addressed. My MP even acknowledges this and has offered to write back again. I am going to email him in the next few days to ask him to go ahead and request more details on each of the issues outlined in the original letter and about what we discussed. This just isn't good enough, skirting issues isn't on. We need action.
I'll keep you informed about how this progresses. At least my MP (Andrew Smith) is sympathetic and pro-active in this.
my dear mother told me a couple of months ago that we could go to the lobby outside parliment.............but she went back on her promise on monday and said we couldn't gooooooooooooo.
awwwww i'm so disapointed. my mum also stopped my paper round last week so i can't give money to mph...... i don't know what to do
i hate being 13!!!!!
the only thing i can do now is email every mp in the country about mph and ask them a few q's... i've only done about 60 so far
First this wasn't what I was actually discussing and I seem to think you had this conversation elsewhere.
That said: Cazzy, may I suggest that you think of other ways in which you could campaign? Have you thought about writing letters/making phone calls (if you are allowed to use the phone for this).
There are a lot of charities out there that ask people to write letters on their behalf, some send letters already written and you just add your name and address others give key points to discuss. I do it through these: Oxfam, Burma Campaign UK, Amnesty International, The Red Cross. There are loads out there, you may have other ideas of course. If you need any links let me know and I'll direct you to websites, if you were interested in these ones.
If you are allowed, brave enough to and feel you would like to make calls to your MP you could explain that you are only 13 and can't go to the office but is it possible to have a telephone meeting?
Just a few ideas to get you started. Use your imagination and you could find different ways of helping from home and within the boundaries of what is allowed by your parents. Good luck
OK, well if you decide to do anything let us know how you get on?
I had a letter back from Andrew Smith, he's going to chase up Alan Johnson and ask for a more detailed and indepth response to all of the issues we addressed. Will keep you updated. I've a feeling this is going to backwards and forwards and round in circles and get nowhere. Let's hope I'm proved wrong.