Mullumbimby Community Action Network

Originally published 01Feb2012

mullum-zine

THE PEOPLES SUPERMARKET and WOOLWORTHS SHARK

NEWSLETTER 102 – JAN 2012

THE PEOPLE"S SUPERMARKET (TPS)
"For The People, By The People" an ‘alternative answer" to the supermarket giants has proved to be a success in Hackney, London and another shop has opened in Cardiff, Wales. If you missed the series on ABC TV (as I did) there is plenty of info on google and clips on Youtube.
A short clip explaining the concept is at http://www.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2012/jan/13/social-enterprise-blog featuring CEO Kate Bull. "TPS is a unique economic model that breaks most business norms; the People"s Supermarket has given its local community greater self determination and social empowerment and has created full time jobs, developed local partnerships and improved community cohesion" she said.
See the founder Arthur Potts Dawson giving a TEDX talk in Bristol where another TPS is sited in Stokes Croft, Bristol, UK, where there was enormous community opposition to yet another Tesco being imposed (mentioned in a previous newsletter: ‘search" our website) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofIUPYqu99s

MULLUMBIMBY PEOPLE"S SUPERMARKET – Hello, anyone got ideas, inspiration and motivation? Perhaps a "Buy a Brick Campaign" to fundraise, as TPS did in London; see http://www.thepeoplessupermarket.org

UK LAUNCH OF INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF CO-OPERATIVES 2012
Featuring "PEOPLE WHO SHARE" A growing movement building a sharing economy of co-operative and collaborative models of business. Sharing is the solution, .... http://www.guardian.co.uk/social-enterprise-network/2012/jan/13/social-enterprise-blog especially when, for example, Wales in UK bins 330,000 tonnes of food each year (see walesonline.co.uk).

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GREAT BARRIER REEF SHARK: ON SALE AT WOOLWORTHS AND COLES?

Is the sharkmeat from your local supermarket or fish and chip shop sourced from the Great Barrier Reef as a by-product of the sharkfins (for soup) export industry?

According to Madison Stewart in her beautiful shark clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=IhAKzhehx94&NR=1
The 600 tonnes of sharkmeat sold annually by Woolworths & Coles and some fish & chips shops is sourced from the GBR Marine Park and World Heritage area under licence. More than 90% shark and other big fish populations have been taken from the oceans (ACF) and the current level of removal is unsustainable; "genocide" Madison calls it. Sharks are apex predators needed to keep the oceanic eco system in check. Madison, a brave 17 year old girl has swum with sharks since she was 11 and says that "It is estimated that within my lifetime sharks will be gone from the planet".

This February, there will be a review by government and GBRMPA of the licences that allow 200 commercial gillnet vessels to take 78,000 sharks within the GBR Marine Park and World Heritage Area, by the Queensland East Coast Insure Finfish Fishery (ECIFF). Please make your views a part of the decision-making process!!

Please go to http://www.elements5.blogspot.com/ where sample letters can be copied for Woolworths and Coles, as well as Minister Nathan Hanna, Director Sustainable Fisheries Section, Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities sustainablefisheries@environment.gov.au

I have called Woolworths Customer Enquiries 1300 767 969 to find out whether this is true and await their reply. I have also contacted Simon Berger, Community Relations Manager at Woolworths (community@woolworths.com.au) and Clare Buchanan, Public Relations Officer (cbuchanan@woolworths.com.au) and await their responses. My local ‘Hooked & Cooked" does not knowingly sell sharkmeat from GBReef although sharkmeat from their wholesaler "Seafresh" 0755 221221 is not labelled. "Seafresh" haven't returned my call. More news on this as I receive replies.


Madison Stewart- Latest- speaking up for sharks
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V9QprdaQsM

OUR GBR SHARKS ARE NOT FOR SALE.


OUR REACTION = THEIR ONLY HOPE.

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CLOUDCATCHER RECLAIMING WITCHCAMP

EASTER WEEKEND 5 – 9 APRIL

SPRINGBROOK, S E QLD
A place for earth activists to recharge, re-ignite and recuperate.
http://www.cloudcatcherwitchcamp.com.au/

Information and Introductory Evening
At Santos Heartspace, Mullumbimby
Wed 15 February, 7 pm
With Jane Meredith and Gede Parma

Here is an excerpt from a message from John Dolman, (ex-manager Santos, Mullumbimby) who is one of the organisers of the Witchcamp to be held at Springbrook 5 – 9 April.

"In honour of where we live, in honour of the dreams caught in the web of Wollumbin we are calling it CloudCatcher Witchcamp.

Witchcamps have been evolving over 30 years in Europe, England and northern America. They grew out of the political activism of the 80"s and the radical feminist collectives that saw a necessary need for paradigm change (naturally) and with that a way to teach or facilitate the change. Today, Reclaiming focuses on progressive social, political, environmental and economic activism. The common thread is an active honouring and defending of the Earth. I experience Witchcamps as political and spiritual action. I learn a commitment (responsibility) to this Place where my feet are; my home.

I"ve been to two camps, gaining deep experiential learning from the Earth and the energies around me. I guess Witchcamps operates on many levels but what works for me is the daily use of ecstatic ritual demonstrating a power of connection other than the mind – very beautiful, creative, theatrical, involving and fun - powerful and instructive. At our evening rituals at CloudCatcher we will be weaving a story with the 4 Egyptian deities of Isis, Set, Osiris and Nepthys working with ecstatic trance, song, invocation, dance, story and embodied magic.
Each morning we will get to study one of 3 Paths - Empower, Awaken, Ignite OR The Serpent Path OR The Earth is Alive as We are Alive. Each of these facilitated by Reclaiming co-teachers.

I sincerely believe these camps are a powerful beautiful tool for us in the coming great changes. If you wish you can email me or phone on 02 80684 1801 with any questions. I hope you can come – I"d love to be there with you.
Without love and respect do we humans become just consumers of the things of the earth and users of the experiences around us?

My Respect,
John Dolman
(parts of the email have been omitted for brevity: Deb)




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Deb