Civil Rights campaign appeal

[Mark]

Folk at People-in-Common (who gather each Sunday at Parliament Square)
have been discussing the idea of a new Bill of Rights (& Mark Barrett has
suggested it has landrights at it's core  .....there is precedent for this
in the Forest Charter that was supplementary to the Magna Carta - see
previous e-mail on list).

here is the World-to-Win's declaration:


From:    "A World to Win" <info at aworldtowin.net>


You are invited to add your support for a written constitution for a truly
democratic, republican Britain. The declaration below was drawn up after
the recent human and social rights conference sponsored by A World to Win.


To show your support, simply press the "Reply" button, adding your message
of support and any comments you have on the struggle for rights in Britain
today. You can also register your support at
http://www.aworldtowin.net/RightsC21.html


Please circulate this email as widely as possible.

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Rights for a 21st century democracy


We the undersigned believe that the existing system of government fails to
represent the interests of the vast majority of people. The current
political system is democratic in name only. A market state has replaced
the welfare state and parliament's role is reduced to a farce. The state's
primary purpose is to promote global business and financial interests to
the detriment of ordinary people. In Britain, these commercial interests
are championed by New Labour.

This state operates in an increasingly authoritarian, lawless and
tyrannical fashion, from the invasion of Iraq to the suppression of
democratic rights and civil liberties in Britain. Pressure and even mass
protests are simply ignored. Under the impact of corporate-driven
globalisation, key public services are converted into sources of profit
for big business. At the same time, the existing state has proved
incapable of tackling the ecological crisis that threatens our very
existence. Under these conditions, our hard-won right to vote is
undermined and the mass of people are effectively disenfranchised. We
therefore support the campaign for a written constitution for a truly
democratic, republican Britain. This constitution could create the
conditions for:


1. ending the rule of political elites and bureaucracies by creating new
local, regional and national Assemblies, representing diverse communities
and workplaces

2. guaranteeing basic human rights to organise, strike, speak and act free
from state surveillance and interference

3. safeguarding the civil and religious rights of minority communities and
ensuring that refugees and asylum seekers have equal rights

4. establishing social rights to housing, education, health, training,
employment and pensions free from commercial interests and pressures

5. extending democracy to the workplace through co-operative forms of
ownership and control of major corporations, enterprises and services

6. ensuring that both ecological care and basic human needs, not profit,
shape production, consumption and lifestyles.

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A World to Win
http://www.aworldtowin.net

PO Box 942 London SW1V 2AR

[end]


also take a look at:

http://www.autonomousgeographies.org/





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