Hi John,
Our world is in crisis, and yet our leading politicians are failing to tell the truth about the nature of this crisis, nor put forward adequate policies to deal with it.
And despite the global nature of the crisis, so far a sense of internationalism has been difficult to detect in this election campaign.
But don’t despair. Remember that real, deep change only ever comes about when enough people demand it. That’s why, in this election we want to make our voices heard on a few key global justice issues. We need to show there is support for something better.
MP candidates have now been finalised for the election and party manifestos are coming out. Over the rest of this campaign, we will be asking you to contact all the candidates in your constituency around three issues where we want to change the rhetoric and raise the vision.
And we’re asking you to raise these same issues with candidates and their supporters who knock on your door, and when you see them at events.
With this email I’m sending you our full list of key election questions for MP candidates – which you can download and print to keep at home. And later in the week we will send our first action to email candidates.
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We can’t raise all the issues we’d like during an election campaign. But we’ve picked three issues for which there is sufficient public and media interest that we believe it’s worth letting candidates know how we feel.
First, climate change should be dominating this election. It’s the primary crisis affecting humanity. There is a difference between politicians’ rhetoric on this issue, but still, most proposals on the table are grossly insufficient to decelerate global warming, let alone to lay the basis for a truly just green transition.
We are calling on politicians to commit to sign the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, signalling that they are serious about dealing with the fossil fuel industry and committed to building a green economy that works for people across the world.
Second, on Gaza, where the most outrageous violations of international law have been met with near silence by the leadership of our government and the official opposition. This is only deepening the massive distrust that exists internationally, as countries across the global south realise that international law doesn’t apply to allies of the USA.
We are demanding an end to British complicity in the horror being inflicted on Gaza.
And finally, we are pushing for a change in the policy and rhetoric around migration. For years, we’ve been saying that the so-called migrant crisis is a smokescreen. The hostile environment and now the Rwanda plan have been a crass and cruel distraction from political failure.
We’re demanding safe, legal routes for people seeking safety, offering proper support to those fleeing war and persecution rather than wasting aid money and making corporations rich for administering a failed system.
When politicians ramp up the hostile rhetoric on how to treat people seeking asylum, it’s important we take a stand for what we believe in instead.
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Of course, we won’t change all of this during one election campaign. But by raising our voices at this crucial time when politicians are paying particular attention to what voters think, we can have an impact together. And after the election, we will continue pushing for these policies with all our power.
It won’t be easy, but unless we make a start we will keep spiralling into crisis. Help us stop this, and be part of the change we need.
Thank you,
Nick Dearden,
Director, Global Justice Now
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At Global Justice Now we’re proud to be outspoken
We take on issues that others are afraid to touch and we don’t make compromises.
By joining us, you can fight for regulations that put people before profit, and build public pressure against corporate greed.
Become a member and join others standing up to injustice.
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