Creative Forum

Open Forum
Achieving Civil and Social Rights
Towards a 21st Century Constitution
Wednesday 26th July 6.30pm
D2 - Diorama Arts Centre
3-7 Euston Centre, Regents Place, London NW1 3JG

nearest tubes: Warren Street, Euston

In the present climate of a failing British state and creeping authoritarianism we need to find a way to work together as individuals and groups to transform our political culture. Recent reports indicate that both the major political parties are now considering constitutional reform, and there are even hints of support for a written constitution. We propose a series of alternative events aimed at a grassroots campaign around:

1. an inclusive written constitution that embraces the aspirations of the powerless majority and
2. a civil and social rights mobilisation in support of its terms.

You are invited to attend the launch of our Open Forum on 26th July to debate these goals, share campaign stories and help plan future events together. We hope you will be free to come and join us.

Organisers and sponsors so far include: Mark Barrett (People in Common); A World to Win; Dr Ghayasuddin Siddiqui (Muslim Parliament of Great Britain in a personal capacity), The Creative Forum.

More information: info@aworldtowin.net 07871 745258 or marknbarrett@googlemail.com

As those of you who saw Greg Palast speak at the NUJ last week will know, the recent presidential election in Mexico was marred by blatant vote rigging and Florida-style fraud.

An emergency picket outside the Mexican embassy has been organised for tomorrow, Friday July 14, from 1pm to 2pm to support the demand by social movements in Mexico to count each and every vote. These pickets are taking place in many different countries around the world.

In front of half a million supporters last Saturday, the Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) presidential candidate Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador formally challenged the July 2 election results, charging fraud and citing other irregularities with the electoral process.

Without a doubt, the elections were rigged to prevent the PRD from winning the elections. The Mexican ruling elite are prepared to go to any lengths to prevent Lopez Obrador from becoming the next president of Mexico.

We must protest against this attack on democratic rights. Please join the picket of the Mexican embassy tomorrow and pass this info on to anyone else you think might be interested. The Mexican Embassy is situated at 16 St George Street, Hanover Square, London W1 (nearest tube: Oxford Circus).

Letters of protest should be sent to the embassy at mexuk@easynet.co.uk - and see www.gregpalast.com and www.narconews.com for the latest news from Mexico.

Then this Saturday July 15 from 1pm to 7pm there is the Radical Activist Network conference on Latin America: Social movements fight back, at the University of London Union, Malet Street, London WC1 (nearest tube: Goodge Street).

Oscar Olivera, spokesperson for the Coalition in Defence of Water and Life in Cochabamba, Bolivia, will be speaking, as will Hilary Wainwright (Red Pepper), Andy Higginbottom (Frontline Latin America and Colombia Solidarity Campaign), Sue Branford (Latin America Bureau and War on Want) and Jorge Martin (Hands Off Venezuela).

Sessions and workshops will include: Social Movements and Left Governments, Venezuela’s Bolivarian Revolution, Social movements in Bolivia, Brazil’s Landless movement and the continuing Zapatista revolt in Mexico. Entry by donation (£2 suggested), more info: http://www.radicalactivist.net/latinamerica

Finally, next week’s Wednesday meeting will be from 6.45pm at The Inn On the Green, 3-5 Thorpe Close (under the Westway), Portobello Green, W10 (nearest tube: Ladbroke Grove), where we will be holding the British premier of the new documentary Five Factories, about workers’ control in Venezuela, followed by a debate and social. We hope you can make this special event, more info at
http://www.handsoffvenezuela.org/index.php?option=com_events&task=view_detail&Itemid=&agid=4&year=2006&month=07&day=19

Best Bolivarian wishes everyone from the London Hands Off Venezuela crew.
Via the Creative Forum list