An Economy for the 99% this Saturday

Article published: Wednesday, March 14th 2012

A conference hosted by World Development Movement and Jubilee Debt Campaign will be taking place all day on Saturday (17 March), and as official media partners for the event, we’d really encourage you to get down to MMUnion and attend this weekend.

In the wake of a year of mass protests, civil unrest and revolutions across the world, and what’s looking increasingly like a permanent state of crisis and exception, ‘An Economy for the 99%’ – taking its name from the slogan of the Occupy protests – will bring together activists and speakers from across the world to share stories, ideas and tactics of those fighting back and those trying to build their own just and sustainable futures.

WDM and JDC have long campaigned with their partners in the global south against the imposition of neo-liberal development models to deal with crises of the rich world’s making. For over 30 years this doctrine has been forced upon poor countries by global institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank, and governments of the industrialised north like the UK and USA, at the behest of multinational corporations, international lenders and political ideologues. For the vast majority this model has proved an unmitigated disaster, while the global elite have seen rising profits and gained ever-increasing control over the world’s resources.

With an economic crisis not of our making as the excuse, these same policies are now being implemented on our own doorsteps. As the true costs of the government’s austerity measures begin to emerge in the UK – and the Eurozone continues to teeter on the edge of another financial meltdown – what can we learn from the rest of the world, and how can we work together to build a better future for us all? Come on down and participate in sessions with 200 other people from across the UK and beyond.

Workshops will range from local organising in the workplace and against service closures, to tax justice, co-ops and philanthropy, to the origins of the financial crisis.

The full programme for the event can be found here, so do have a look and see what catches your eye. ‘An Economy for the 99%’ will run from 10am to 6pm at Manchester Metropolitan Students Union. The conference is free, but you do need to register, and there are only a few places left, so book now!

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