5% — November 2015

 

How too much medicine can kill you
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/01/drugs-pharma-doctors-patients

When markets fail, sometimes only the regulator’s axe will do
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/when-markets-fail-sometimes-only-the-regulator-s-axe-will-do-a6717186.html

The gathering financial storm is just one effect of corporate power unbound
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/03/financial-crisis-corporate-power-george-monbiot

George Osborne has reached the point where his cuts can no longer be denied or defended
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/02/osborne-austerity-cuts-tax-credit-cuts

The great reinvention of Manchester: ‘It’s far more pleasant than London’
http://www.theguardian.com/cities/2015/nov/03/the-great-reinvention-of-manchester-its-far-more-pleasant-than-london

Pentagon spent $43m on ‘world’s most expensive gas station’ in Afghanistan
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/02/afghanistan-gas-station-pentagon-natural-gas

Watchdog Accuses Pentagon of Evading Questions on $800 Million Afghanistan Program
https://www.propublica.org/article/watchdog-accuses-pentagon-evading-questions-800-million-afghanistan-program

EPA USED MONSANTO’S RESEARCH TO GIVE ROUNDUP A PASS
https://theintercept.com/2015/11/03/epa-used-monsanto-funded-research/

America’s labour market is not working
https://next.ft.com/content/4dcb5c58-818d-11e5-8095-ed1a37d1e096

The Most Militarized Universities in America: A VICE News Investigation
https://news.vice.com/article/the-most-militarized-universities-in-america-a-vice-news-investigation

Guilty as charged: Irish standup festival puts economics in the dock
http://www.theguardian.com/business/economics-blog/2015/nov/08/guilty-as-charged-kilkenomics-irish-standup-festival-puts-economics-in-dock

‘My Body Was Not Mine, but the U.S. Military’s’
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2015/11/sex-industry-military-bases-213311

Until it ends its war on drugs, Britain will keep going backwards
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/until-it-ends-its-war-on-drugs-britain-will-keep-going-backwards-a6726511.html

Labour’s postwar chancellor makes Corbynomics look Thatcherite – what can he teach us?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/08/labours-postwar-chancellor-makes-corbynomics-look-thatcherite-what-can-he-teach-us

Housing is the next target in David Cameron’s dismantling of the welfare state
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/10/housing-target-david-cameron-dismantling-welfare-state

David Cameron hasn’t the faintest idea how deep his cuts go. This letter proves it
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/11/david-cameron-letter-cuts-oxfordshire

Free Trade Is Elites Betraying Their Own Populations
http://www.ianwelsh.net/free-trade-is-elties-betraying-their-own-populations/

2015 Hottest Year on Record So Far
http://www.climatecentral.org/gallery/graphics/2015-hottest-year-on-record-so-far

Never mind pointless apps – our best minds should be solving real problems
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/11/laundry-ninjas-free-market-science

Survey finds 41 per cent of young Jews would back sanctions against Israel to advance peace
http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/149128/survey-finds-41-cent-young-jews-would-back-sanctions-against-israel-advance-peac

Poll of British Jews finds widespread unease with Israel’s policies
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/12/poll-of-british-jews-finds-widespread-unease-with-israels-policies

How the Bushes Misunderstood Cheney
http://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/how-the-bushes-misunderstood-cheney

Terrorism Is Booming Almost Everywhere But in the United States
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/06/19/terrorism-is-booming-almost-everywhere-but-in-the-united-states-state-department-report/

Paris attacks: Middle East’s wars arrive in Europe
http://blogs.channel4.com/snowblog/paris-attacks-middle-easts-wars-arrive-europe/25934

Interview with Pierre Conesa: ‘We’ve declared war first in the Middle East’
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/interview-pierre-conesa-we-ve-declared-war-first-middle-east-1191917196

What if Labour’s pessimists are right
http://mainlymacro.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/what-if-labours-pessimists-are-right.html

City of London police economic crime inquiries fall
https://next.ft.com/content/7a0f9756-8b84-11e5-a549-b89a1dfede9b

We don’t need to sell handbags if we want decent healthcare
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2015/11/16/we-dont-need-to-sell-handbags-if-we-want-decent-healthcare/

What would the world look like if we defeated Isis?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/16/isis-military-france-paris-attacks-nato-article-5

Challenging the Myth of Chinese Land Grabs in Africa
http://www.chinafile.com/library/china-africa-project/challenging-myth-chinese-land-grabs-africa

Stock Prices of Weapons Manufacturers Soaring Since Paris Attack
https://theintercept.com/2015/11/16/stock-prices-of-weapons-manufacturers-soaring-since-paris-attack/

George Osborne’s latest wheeze leaves the taxpayer £125m worse off every year. Here’s why
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/economy/2015/11/george-osbornes-latest-wheeze-leaves-taxpayer-125m-worse-every-year-heres

If police have to make these cuts, what exactly should they stop doing?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/17/britain-police-cuts-theresa-may

Israel to annex Golan Heights after ‘billion barrel’ oil find
http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_round_up/2986289/israel_to_annex_golan_heights_after_billion_barrel_oil_find.html

Mindless terrorists? The truth about Isis is much worse
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/15/terrorists-isis

Intelligence, not bombs, is the key in the fight against Isis
http://www.theguardian.com/news/defence-and-security-blog/2015/nov/17/intelligence-not-bombs-is-the-key-in-the-fight-against-isis

We accept that Russian bombs can provoke a terror backlash. Ours can too
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/17/russian-bombs-terror-vladimir-putin-syria-david-cameron

I was held hostage by Isis. They fear our unity more than our airstrikes
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/16/isis-bombs-hostage-syria-islamic-state-paris-attacks

Don’t Give ISIS What It Wants
http://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/16/dont-give-isis-what-it-wants-united-states-reaction/

Opaque military justice system shields child sex abuse cases
http://bigstory.ap.org/article/c7c2772ba05c4241a9bcebcf745d1c71/opaque-military-justice-system-shields-child-sex-abuse

Postcapitalism lecture: London School of Economics
https://medium.com/@paulmasonnews/postcapitalism-lecture-london-school-of-economics-580c68efef83

Shoot-to-kill won’t make us safe from terror – just sorry
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/18/shoot-to-kill-terror-fear-prejudice-jean-charles-de-menezes

Despite Atrocities, US Approves $1.29 Billion Deal To Re-Arm Saudi Arabia
http://www.mintpressnews.com/despite-atrocim-saudi-arabia/211418/

Mothers of ISIS
http://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/mothers-of-isis/

Bernie Sanders just gave the most powerful speech of his campaign: Why his socialism address was a defining moment
http://www.salon.com/2015/11/20/bernie_sanders_just_gave_the_most_powerful_speech_of_his_campaign_why_his_socialism_address_was_a_defining_moment/

Turkey could cut off Islamic State’s supply lines. So why doesn’t it?
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/18/turkey-cut-islamic-state-supply-lines-erdogan-isis

Isis: In a borderless world, the days when we could fight foreign wars and be safe at home may be long gone
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/isis-in-a-borderless-world-the-days-when-we-could-fight-foreign-wars-and-be-safe-at-home-may-be-long-a6741146.html

Osborne pays out for 138 stealth jets
http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/news/uk_news/Defence/article1636215.ece

Paris: The War ISIS Wants
http://www.nybooks.com/blogs/nyrblog/2015/nov/16/paris-attacks-isis-strategy-chaos/

The future’s at stake: the left must show it could create an iPad
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/23/socialism-innovation-ipad-john-mcdonnell

Why the UK’s Fiscal Charter is doomed to fail: An analysis of Austerity Economics during the First and the Second Cameron Governments
http://www.taxresearch.org.uk/Blog/2015/11/23/why-the-uks-fiscal-charter-is-doomed-to-fail-an-analysis-of-austerity-economics-during-the-first-and-the-second-cameron-governments/

RAF accused over multi-billion pound Voyager contract
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18020809

Does Eleven Plus One Equal Sixty?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nick-turse/us-military-bases-in-africa_b_8582468.html

Caroline Lucas: The Prime Minister’s narrow focus risks our security
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/staggers/2015/11/caroline-lucas-prime-ministers-narrow-focus-risks-our-security

PM should order inquiry into funding of jihadism, Paddy Ashdown says
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/nov/24/pm-should-order-inquiry-funding-jihadism-isis-paddy-ashdown

My five tests for backing military action in Syria
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/23/five-tests-military-action-syria-david-cameron-islamic-state

We’ll all pay for the huge mistakes we’re making in the UK housing market
http://uk.businessinsider.com/uk-interest-rates-rise-interest-only-mortgage-and-out-of-control-rent-will-kill-the-housing-market-2015-9

Which Labour MPs support Trident?
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/labour-mps-back-trident-20-6892038

We have not heard enough to justify a new war in Syria
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/for-cameron-read-blair-for-syria-read-iraq-a6745741.html

F-35 Too Expensive: US Air Force Might Buy 72 New F-15 or F-16 Fighter Jets
http://thediplomat.com/2015/11/f-35-too-expensive-us-air-force-might-buy-72-new-f-15-or-f-16-fighter-jets/

Defence shares rise as United Kingdom government outlines armed forces plan
http://rapidnewsnetwork.com/defence-shares-rise-as-united-kingdom-government-outlines-armed-forces-plan/305601/

Bibliometricians are really the curse of the age
http://labtimes.org/editorial/e_659.lasso

Consume more, conserve more: sorry, but we just can’t do both
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/24/consume-conserve-economic-growth-sustainability

Cameron doesn’t know what he’s doing so he shouldn’t go to war
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/cameron-doesnt-know-what-hes-doing-so-he-shouldnt-go-war-1307233108

End of austerity? A silent crisis in local services tells the true story
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/26/end-austerity-local-services-osborne-council-cuts

Autumn statement: Osborne isn’t fixing the roof, he’s eroding the foundations
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/25/autumn-statement-osborne-deficit-fixes-eroding-economic-stability

Air strikes in Syria: David Cameron’s strategy can only repeat our mistakes in Iraq and Afghanistan
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/air-strikes-in-syria-david-cameron-strategy-can-only-repeat-our-mistakes-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-a6750601.html

U.S. working to keep up with surging weapons demand: Pentagon
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/11/25/us-usa-arms-idUSKBN0TE0B920151125

Do we really want the military spending our aid budget?
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/nov/25/do-we-really-want-the-military-spending-our-aid-budget

I know Isis fighters. Western bombs falling on Raqqa will fill them with joy
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/27/bomb-isis-west-learned-nothign-from-war-terror-defeat-muslim-world-equal-partner

Britain’s bloated defence spending is at odds with austerity
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/24/britains-bloated-defence-spending-is-at-odds-with-austerity

War on Islamic State Brings $50 Billion Europe Defense Boost
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-11-24/war-on-islamic-state-brings-50-billion-european-defense-boost

The Facts About Terrorism
http://www.newyorker.com/news/john-cassidy/the-facts-about-terrorism

Punish errant bankers – or we are doomed to repeat the past
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/comment/punish-errant-bankers-or-we-are-doomed-to-repeat-the-past-a6752411.html

Factcheck: Media reacts to Prince Charles’s comments on Syria and climate change
http://www.carbonbrief.org/factcheck-media-reacts-to-prince-charles-comments-on-syria-and-climate-change

Syria air strikes debate: David Cameron warned that bombing Isis is a knee-jerk reaction to Paris attacks and would hit civilians
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/syria-air-strikes-debate-bombing-isis-is-a-knee-jerk-reaction-to-paris-attacks-and-would-hit-a6750246.html

RAF base may be legitimate target for Isis, says ex-Nato commander
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/25/raf-base-may-be-legitimate-target-isis-ex-nato-commander

Cameron’s cunning plan for bombing Isis in Syria
https://next.ft.com/content/4d31c8bc-941c-11e5-b190-291e94b77c8f

Is Vladimir Putin right to label Turkey ‘accomplices of terrorists’?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/nov/24/vladimir-putin-turkey-isis-terrorists-warplane-analysis

Another ‘Dodgy Dossier’ for war
https://www.opendemocracy.net/can-europe-make-it/timmon-wallis/another-dodgy-dossier-for-war

Islamic State’s Plan, and the West’s Trap
http://oxfordresearchgroup.org.uk/publications/briefing_papers_and_reports/islamic_state’s_plan_and_west’s_trap

Labour Cannot Risk Being Tarred as a Party of Illegal and Irrational War Once Again
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/len-mccluskey/labour-syria-bombing-vote_b_8676026.html

Jeremy Corbyn is delivering a message Labour lost long ago
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/dec/02/jeremy-corbyn-labour-party-austerity

Why Degrowth has out-grown its own name
https://oxfamblogs.org/fp2p/why-degrowth-has-out-grown-its-own-name-guest-post-by-kate-raworth/

A Raqqa of the Mind
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n24/james-meek/a-raqqa-of-the-mind

With US help, Saudi Arabia is obliterating Yemen
http://www.globalpost.com/article/6696395/2015/11/30/yemen-conflict-saudi-arabia-airstrikes-war-crimes-united-states

Bombing Hasn’t Worked. Bombing Won’t Work. And Yet, We Will Bomb
http://www.thenation.com/article/bombs-over-brains/

We need to be shocked into action about why wealth still dictates life expectancy
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/nov/30/we-need-to-be-shocked-into-action-about-why-wealth-still-dictates-life-expectancy

Thomas Piketty might have the most controversial theory for what’s behind the rise of ISIS
http://uk.businessinsider.com/thomas-piketty-might-have-the-most-controversial-theory-for-whats-behind-the-rise-of-isis-2015-11

Drones and the 2015 SDSR
http://dronewars.net/2015/11/24/drones-and-the-2015-sdsr/

Does ISIS Direct Attacks or Inspire Them?—And Why That Matters
https://reason.com/blog/2015/11/17/does-isis-control-attacks-or-inspire-the

 

 

 

Catch-up on our October campaign highlights

Catch-up on our October campaign highlights

Dear friends, supporters & colleagues,

We had a busy month with two of our campaigns – From Pink to Prevention and Make Apartheid HistoryBelow are a few links you might like to click and catch up on.

Best wishes from all at Tipping Point and our colleagues at Make Apartheid History and From Pink to Prevention.

Find Us
Tipping Point: Facebook, Twitter
Make Apartheid History: Facebook, Twitter
From Pink to Prevention:  Facebook, Twitter
Continue reading

Speech by Maria Eagle to Labour Party Annual Conference 2015

Maria Eagle MP, Labour’s Shadow Defence Secretary, in a speech to Labour Party Annual Conference, said:

Conference,

Politics is changing. Since we lost the General Election, we have increased our membership by 164,000.

Our new leader, Jeremy Corbyn, is inspiring a new generation of members of our Party – people who had not thought politics was for them – but who now want to help us to change our society for the better.
Continue reading

‘Pink’ Breast Cancer Month: Asking a Big Question that demands an answer

Dear Friends,

pink blindfoldIn this October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our campaign ‘From Pink to Prevention’ is trying to raise the level of debate about the much marginalised issue of environmental and occupational links to the disease. Sixteen campaigning organisations from England, Scotland, Germany, USA, Australia, Philippines, and several pan-EU networks have signed on to our statement which asks why, despite all the money raised, more and more of us are getting this disease?

In particular, we want to know why the breast cancer charities continue to focus solely on ‘lifestyle’ risk factors such as diet and exercise, while ignoring the potential 60% of breast cancer cases for which they have no explanation.  What about the role of chemical, environmental and occupational exposures in this?

We argue that better diagnostics and treatment are  not mutually exclusive with looking at how our profoundly polluted environment, homes and workplaces impact on our bodies and health – and we need action on this, if we are to heed  the ‘precautionary principle’ .

pink blindfold catWe want the Pink Ribbon ‘Blindfold’ removed  and the BIG QUESTION asked of the Breast Cancer Charities: Why DO they persist in refusing to acknowledge the role of environmental and occupational toxins by ignoring decades of evidence up to the present day on the link between our lifelong (womb to grave) exposures to toxicants and the escalating incidence of breast cancer?

The more of us who ask these big questions of the Breast Cancer Charities, as well as  government and industry, the more we can show this issue is getting more attention. We want to know why are those with the power to influence decisions on breast cancer policy not acting on what we already know?

Best wishes
Deb, Helen, Diana

PS  A word about TTIP … TTIP will significantly impact on this issue.  EU regulations – for example on chemicals that are harmful to human health and many linked to breast cancer – must be strengthened, not weakened, as a result of corporate pressure .


P-P pic Blindfold

Actions you can take to support our campaign

1. Sign our petition at https://www.change.org/p/breast-cancer-charities-remove-the-pink-ribbon-blindfold-and-ask-the-big-question-83ee6962-5388-4422-bb53-76b76ee8aab1

2. Write to your Breast Cancer Charity to ask them the Big Question. Please send  a copy of their response  to info@frompinktoprevention.org. See an example letter on our website. This is suggested text only – please feel free to adapt and personalise

3 .Join us in removing the pink ribbon blindfold in a group or individually – take a photo removing the blindfold and share on your Facebook page or via social media

Twitter @pink_prevention

Instagram – pink_to_prevention

Flickr group – From Pink to Prevention

Visit our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/FromPinktoPrevention

Background Links – reading and viewing

1. World Health Organisation Asturias Declaration:http://www.who.int/phe/news/events/international_conference/Call_for_action_en.pdf

2. For more information on the evidence linking breast cancer and environmental and occupational risk factors: http://www.frompinktoprevention.org/resources/scientific-evidence/

3. Find out more about what you can  do http://www.frompinktoprevention.org/what-you-can-do/

Films to watch

Credits
Pink Ribbon Blindfold picture
Copyright Mark Chilvers. Thanks to UNISON for the use of the picture. Concept  Helen Lynn.
Cartoons Di Ward

‘Pink’ Breast Cancer Month: Asking a Big Question that demands an answer

‘Pink’ Breast Cancer Month: Asking a Big Question that demands an answer

Dear Friends,

pink blindfoldIn this October Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our campaign ‘From Pink to Prevention’ is trying to raise the level of debate about the much marginalised issue of environmental and occupational links to the disease. Sixteen campaigning organisations from England, Scotland, Germany, USA, Australia, Philippines, and several pan-EU networks have signed on to our statement which asks why, despite all the money raised, more and more of us are getting this disease?

In particular, we want to know why the breast cancer charities continue to focus solely on ‘lifestyle’ risk factors such as diet and exercise, while ignoring the potential 60% of breast cancer cases for which they have no explanation.  What about the role of chemical, environmental and occupational exposures in this?

We argue that better diagnostics and treatment are  not mutually exclusive with looking at how our profoundly polluted environment, homes and workplaces impact on our bodies and health – and we need action on this, if we are to heed  the ‘precautionary principle’ .
Continue reading

5% — October 2015

The Record U.S. Military Budget
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicolas-j-s-davies/the-record-us-military-bu_b_8227820.html

Ministers ‘are hiding details of £2bn NHS cash crisis’
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/oct/03/ministers-hiding-details-nhs-cash-crisis

Thanks to Corbyn the country can now, at last, properly debate issues like Trident
http://tomdlondon.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/thanks-to-corbyn-country-can-now-at.html
Continue reading

TPFF Films

 

“ The need for documentaries that ask hard political questions is greater than ever, as the main TV producers and channels abdicate their responsibility. So many stories to tell, so few make it to the screen. Good luck to Tipping Point Film Fund.”

Ken Loach – film director and Palme d’Or winner

So far, TPFF has acted as executive producer for two feature-length documentaries:  Open Bethlehem and We Are Many.
Continue reading

Make Apartheid History September Videos

Make Apartheid History September Videos

Make Apartheid History (once and for all) is the follow up to Bethlehem Unwrapped and is an international project that brings together creative individuals, organisations and networks from around the world – starting with Palestine and the UK; South Africa and USA – for a programme of popular events connecting civil rights, anti-apartheid and Palestinian solidarity movements. Commencing summer 2015 and culminating summer 2016.

Following on from our first public event at London’s Southbank in July, our Make Apartheid History campaign picked up again this month by marking two moments.

We marked the anniversary on 12th September of the death of South African freedom fighter Steve Biko, by sharing two MAH films:
(Steve Biko was the subject of Richard Attenborough’s film Cry Freedom)

  1. Our ‘rationale’ which explains why and how the apartheid framework applies to Palestine;
  2. and our interview with MAH supporter Ronnie Kasrils. Ronnie Kasrils – a Jewish, white South African, a longstanding ANC fighter and compatriot to Mandela, was given the role of ANC Deputy Defence and Security Minister under President Mandela. Ronnie talks in detail about the parallels he sees between South Africa and Israel.

We also mark September 21st – International Peace Day, by calling to Make Apartheid History Once and For All through support for BDS, Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law. There can be no peace where apartheid exists. Watch our video below and find out more about it here:

And watch out for future activities in October and November.

MAH Partners

OPGAI (Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Advocacy Initiative), PSCC (Popular Struggle Co-ordination Committee), Bedouins Without Borders, Tipping Point North South, Pressure Cooker Arts, ICAHD UK (Israeli Committee against House Demolitions UK). In partnership with Artists for Palestine UK and Palestine Legal Action Network.

MAH September Videos

MAH September Videos

Make Apartheid History (once and for all) is the follow up to Bethlehem Unwrapped and is an international project that brings together creative individuals, organisations and networks from around the world – starting with Palestine and the UK; South Africa and USA – for a programme of popular events connecting civil rights, anti-apartheid and Palestinian solidarity movements. Commencing summer 2015 and culminating summer 2016.

Following on from our first public event at London’s Southbank in July, our Make Apartheid History campaign picked up again this month by marking two moments.
Continue reading

Tipping Point Film Fund

 

The world of the tipping point is a place where the unexpected becomes expected, where radical change is more than a possibility. It is – contrary to all our expectations – a certainty.

Malcolm Gladwell, Author of ‘The Tipping Point’.

Those at TPFF have a passion for Film & Social Justice in equal measure and our roots are deep in the social action campaigning world where, to understand the big issues affecting all of us, you need to dive deep into the structures that underpin them. We know film can help us to understand these big issues and we need your help to do this.

Film: We Are Many

We Are Many is a film about a single day and its aftermath. It is the story of an untold chapter in the history of people power. By turns uplifting and chilling, it reveals both the power and potential of ordinary people, as well as the dark underbelly of the war machine.  It also draws a connecting line from 2003 to the present-day global activist networks as well as the wave of citizen protests seen across the world, beginning with the Arab Spring.

Continue reading

Make Apartheid History Launch

Here is a selection of Make Apartheid History videos. Make Apartheid History (once and for all) is an international project that will bring together creative individuals, organisations and networks from around the world – starting with Palestine and the UK; South Africa and USA – for a programme of popular events connecting civil rights, anti-apartheid and Palestinian solidarity movements. Commencing summer 2015 and culminating summer 2016.

TPNS works with film-makers and in house freelancers to produce all MAH short video made in the UK. We also co-devise our key MAH short films with our lead partners in Palestine – OPGAI and PSCC – who produce the Palestinian content.

Here is the YouTube playlist of the whole selection:

.

Some highlights are:


Continue reading

5%; Corbyn; Climate Change; Inequality — September 2015

Defense stocks getting an Iranian boost
http://www.cnbc.com/2015/09/11/heres-how-the-stock-market-is-reacting-to-the-iran-nuke-deal.html

Oliver Stone on the US: ‘We’re not under threat. We are the threat’
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/oliver-stone-tells-his-untold-history-middle-east-1467591396

Jeremy Corbyn talks foreign policy with MEE
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-jeremy-corbyn-talks-middle-east-eye-foreign-policy-1965151732
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5%, Economics — August 2015

UK would be safer if it stopped following US foreign policy, says Jeremy Corbyn
http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/jeremy-corbyn-1991831019

Corbyn will confront a bankrupt foreign policy. That’s why he must be backed
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/corbyn-troublemaker-1532484034

Jeremy Corbyn would clear the deficit – but not by hitting the poor
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/aug/11/jeremy-corbyn-close-deficit-poor-labour-economy
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MAKE APARTHEID HISTORY – follow-up to Bethlehem Unwrapped

MAKE APARTHEID HISTORY – follow-up to Bethlehem Unwrapped

It’s time to ‘Make Apartheid History’ starting Mandela Day, Sat 18th July, 2015

Make Apartheid History, the follow-up to Bethlehem Unwrapped, launched online on Saturday 18th July, and we held our first event at London’s Southbank with a programme of poetry and prose linking civil rights, anti-apartheid, and Palestinian solidarity movements.

Edited highlights of performances by Paterson Joseph, Miriam Margolyes, Kika Markham, Leila Sansour, Jeremy Hardy and Sam West are here.

Make Apartheid History is an international project that brings together creative individuals, organisations and networks from around the world – starting with Palestine and the UK; South Africa and USA – for a programme of popular events commencing summer 2015 and culminating Mandela Day, summer 2016. Our short introductory video is here.

Make Apartheid History launches in a year of significant anniversaries: in the UK it is the 800thanniversary of Magna Carta; in the USA it is 60 years since Rosa Parks sat at the front of that segregated bus; in South Africa it is 25 years since  Nelson Mandela walked free; and in Palestine it is 10 years since Palestinian civil society called for BDS – Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law:

‘I know first-hand that Israel has created an apartheid reality within its borders and through its occupation. The parallels to my own beloved South Africa are painfully stark indeed.
Nelson Mandela

We believe it is time to make apartheid history, once and for all, by supporting the call by Palestinian civil society for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions on Israel until it complies with international law.You can find out more at www.makeapartheidhistory.org. Our video gallery has a wide range of contributors from Palestine, UK, South Africa and USA and we’ll be uploading content to this page on a regular basis.

Do keep in touch with our forthcoming plans and activities! Find us on Facebook and Twitter
You can also Sign up here for news.

Join us and help Make Apartheid History.

Deb, Justin, Kev, Ho-Chih

And Make Apartheid History partners

OPGAI (Occupied Palestine and Syrian Golan Heights Advocacy), PSCC (Popular Struggle Co-ordination Committee), Bedouins Without Borders, Tipping Point North SouthPressure Cooker ArtsICAHDUK (Israeli Committee against House Demolitions UK). In partnership with Artists for Palestine UK and PLAN (Palestine Legal Action Network).

MAKE APARTHEID HISTORY – follow-up to Bethlehem Unwrapped

MAKE APARTHEID HISTORY – follow-up to Bethlehem Unwrapped

It’s time to ‘Make Apartheid History’ starting Mandela Day, Sat 18th July, 2015

Make Apartheid History, the follow-up to Bethlehem Unwrapped, launched online on Saturday 18th July, and we held our first event at London’s Southbank with a programme of poetry and prose linking civil rights, anti-apartheid, and Palestinian solidarity movements.Edited highlights of performances by Paterson Joseph, Miriam Margolyes, Kika Markham, Leila Sansour, Jeremy Hardy and Sam West are here.

 


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JOIN US! Events In May & June…

JOIN US! Events In May & June…

Dear friends, colleagues, supporters,

As we emerge from the General Election, with much analysis undertaken and much more yet to come, it may be quite some time before the deeper meaning and consequences of the 2015 Election become apparent. The superficial speed of our 21st century life can trick us into thinking that change can happen equally fast. But does it? Drivers of change – for example, the neo-liberal project that has shaped our politics for more than four decades – move much more slowly than we might imagine, their impact deep and prolonged. And those who oppose, protest, dissent and march for rights and against injustices, often endure a long wait before seeing change. But, more often than not, change is what they see…
Continue reading

JOIN US! Events In May & June…

JOIN US! Events In May & June…

Dear friends, colleagues, supporters,

As we emerge from the General Election, with much analysis undertaken and much more yet to come, it may be quite some time before the deeper meaning and consequences of the 2015 Election become apparent. The superficial speed of our 21st century life can trick us into thinking that change can happen equally fast. But does it? Drivers of change – for example, the neo-liberal project that has shaped our politics for more than four decades – move much more slowly than we might imagine, their impact deep and prolonged. And those who oppose, protest, dissent and march for rights and against injustices, often endure a long wait before seeing change. But, more often than not, change is what they see…

WE ARE MANY
UK release May 21st

WeAreMany_eshotAn Independent feature discusses the film and the power of protest.

To book for May 21st event across the UK and to find out where the film is showing from May 22nd, visithttp://wearemany.com/cinemas/

OPEN BETHLEHEM
Ambassadors Seminar May 30th

OB Pasport

Saturday 30th May will see the second Open Bethlehem Ambassadors seminar in London. Meet other passport holders who have had the experience of working in Bethlehem and speak to a number of tour operators who have been successfully running fact finding tours to Bethlehem and neighbouring Palestinian towns. Leila Sansour will give a presentation about Bethlehem which will hopefully leave you all much wiser and give you the confidence to tell the story yourselves. She will also share the latest plans for distribution of the film and ways in which people can help and get involved.

Please confirm your attendance by the 25th of May to
juliakatarina@openbethlehem.org

NB There is a £25 fee to join the day. You can pay on the door or by sending a cheque, payable to Amos Trust, together with your photos with your name on the back. Please send this as soon as possible to the address below so we can prepare your passports ahead of time. The event will conclude with a Bethlehem Passport Ceremony at 5pm.

Bethlehem Ambassador Seminar. 30 May 2015. 10:30am- 4:30pm Amos Trust, St Clements Eastcheap, 1 Clements Court, Clements Lane, London EC4N 7HB.  Tel: 0203 725 3496
juliakatarina@openbethlehem.org

We are also delighted that there is to be a private screening of Open Bethlehem for the Irish president, academics, church leaders and NGOs on 2nd June 2nd in Dublin.

FROM PINK TO PREVENTION
Thursday 28th May 6pm, Central London

time-to-make-it-happen-wide

This is a follow-up meeting to our first From Pink to Prevention campaign group meeting at the end of January. At that meeting, we shared our new website and outlined our areas of work, focussed on pushing for the inclusion of environmental and occupational risk factors in breast cancer policy across government, industry and cancer establishment links policies. Our effort is primarily to ask some big questions of the cancer ’establishment’.

We have been in correspondence with Breakthrough Breast Cancer since December 2014 (Breakthrough just merged with Breast Cancer Care in April 2015) regarding its reluctance to acknowledge the role of environmental and occupational risk factors and placing environmental risks in the same risk category as under-wired bras (ie doubtful) in their public communications. Given the growing body of evidence to the contrary (including EU and WHO) we are keen to ask questions of Breakthrough that can explain why they adopt this position. If you would like to know more about our work on this or attend our meeting, email deborah@tippingpointnorthsouth.org

BETHLEHEM UNWRAPPED
Preview of  our follow up event: marking BDS 10th anniversary

Saturday 30th May at the ICAHD UK annual conference

Tipping Point will be sharing advance plans for the follow up to Bethlehem Unwrapped at the next ICAHD UK annual conference. This new project will be framed in the context of celebrating the historic freedom struggles of the civil rights movement and the anti apartheid movement and will be supporting the global call to BDS against apartheid in Israel-Palestine, which celebrates its 10thanniversary in July 2015.

ICAHD director Jeff Halper, will speak to the conference’s title, ‘Judaizing Palestine’, because the demolition of Palestinian homes and the displacement of the Palestinians are at the heart of Israel’s policy of ethnic cleansing. This is also the subject of ICAHD’s new campaign that will be launched at the conference. There will also be news about Jeff’s new book that comes out in the autumn, which looks at the Israeli arms trade and homeland security and how this effects not only Palestinians, but also us here in the UK and across the world.

ICAHD UK Conference Flyer 2015_Page_1
Venue: Amnesty Intl, New Inn yard, London EC2
To book you place email: info@icahduk.org

THE FIVE PER CENT CAMPAIGN – runaway military spending

Every month we hear new calls to increase military spending echo around the world – from EU and Nato to the Middle East and Russia. This both fuels the risk of conflict as well as draining resources from other vital areas of need such as public services or emergency aid – while ignoring other unaddressed major security threats that stem from climate change.

The 5% CampaignOur Five Per Cent campaign wants to see excessive global military spending put centre-stage alongside other issues like debt cancellation, tax justice and climate change. TPFF is proud of its support of Amir Amirani’s film We Are Many and its website is also a resource for those who want to know more about how to get involved with some of the many issues raised in the film.
We hope that WE ARE MANY can raise debate on many inter-connected issues that the Iraq War has raised – and will continue to raise; from the value of protest to political accountability; from the costs of war to the bringing of charges of war crimes to those who took us into this disastrous conflict.

CREATIVE ACTIVISM
Support Tipping Point’s projects through a new funding platform

patreon_logo_flatTipping Point’s work is supported primarily through grants and individual (some major) donors. As our work matures and expands, we also want to expand our small scale individual funding base. So, we are encouraging all our friends and supporters to find out more about what we do and spread the word about out work. We are now pointing new supporters to our page on the PATREON funding platform. PATREON is very much about continuous support for creative projects – we are increasingly seeing our work as ‘creative activism’ and feel that this platform is the best place for us to showcase our work.

We know times are incredibly tough, but if you see the value in the kind of creative activism we undertake, then we would love you to think about supporting our work.

With best wishes from all at Tipping Point

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We Are Many UK Release Begins May 21st

We Are Many UK Release Begins May 21st

Dear friends, supporters and colleagues,

We are delighted to be sharing the UK release plans for Amir Amirani’s cinema documentary WE ARE MANY. Tipping Point Film Fund was an early funder of the film; has supported the project over the past four and half years and is very proud of its association with this timely, moving and empowering film.

SEE THE FILM – WHERE AND WHEN

1. Thursday 21 May 8pm: Curzon Mayfair & cinemas across the UK

A special screening followed by a panel discussion and Q&A, exploring the global movement’s impact and legacy 12 years on. Journalist and broadcaster Jon Snow will host the discussion with director Amir Amirani, executive producer and comedian Omid Djalili, convenor of the Stop The War Coalition Lindsey German and Professor of International Law at UCL Philippe Sands. The post screening discussion will be streamed live to cinemas across the UK .

Participating venues
http://wearemany.com/cinemas/

2. Friday 22nd May: UK release

For details of the wider general release, please visit
http://wearemany.com/cinemas/

“A work of beautiful rage. Provokes anger and goosebumps”
Empire

“consistently intelligent and nuanced”
Variety

“incredibly ambitious… gripping. The only film I’ve ever watched where the audience started clapping halfway through…” ★★★★★
Huffington Post

“rousing and moving, it’s a film that should be seen by the many” ★★★★☆
Radio Times

SPREAD THE WORD

Do help spread the word

Website and trailer: http://wearemany.com/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/wearemanymovie
Twitter @WeAreManyMovie

LEARN MORE

The WAM website will be a resource on many levels – from story sharing to learning more about how to get involved with some of the many issues raised in the film. We at Tipping Point are also working on our in-house developed campaign focussed on runaway military spending, developed alongside our work on the film. We hope that WE ARE MANY can raise debate on many inter-connected issues that the Iraq War has raised – and will continue to raise; from the value of protest to political accountability; from the costs of war to the bringing of charges of war crimes to those who took us into this disastrous conflict.

We hope you get to see the film at some stage during the UK release.

Best wishes

Amir, Deborah, Ho-Chih and the WAM team

ABOUT THE FILM

We Are Many is the never-before-told story of the largest demonstration in human history, and how the movement created by a small band of activists changed the world. On February 15th, 2003, up to 30 million people, many of whom had never demonstrated before in their lives, came out in nearly 800 cities around the world to protest against the impending Iraq War. The New York Times called this movement the “Second Superpower”. How did this day come about? Who organized it?

And was it, as many people claimed, a total failure? This is not quite the story we all assumed it to be. The film has testimony from a first class list of interviewees including John Le Carre, Danny Glover, Brian Eno, Medea Benjamin, Jesse Jackson, Tariq Ali, Noam Chomsky, Mark Rylance, Damon Albarn, Leslie Cagan, Tony Benn, Lindsay German, Ken Loach, Hans Blix.

“The global protest against the Iraq War on 15 February 2003 was a pivotal moment in recent history, the consequences of which have gone unreported. Amir Amirani’s We Are Many chronicles the struggle to shift power from the old establishment to the new superpower that is global public opinion, through the prism of one historic day. I urge you to support this film in whatever way you can.”
– Oliver Stone

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SUPPORT US and find out more
FACEBOOK
TWITTER