War on Want
Stop tax dodging! Reform banking, not the NHS!
On Saturday 28 May, the UK Uncut movement will hold a day of action in banks across the country, its first major action since 145 tax justice activists were arrested for a sit-in at Fortnum & Mason on 26 March.
War on Want supports the protest, and believes UK Uncut has played a crucial role in highlighting, through creative direct action, the injustice of tax dodging.
This protest makes the point that while the government sees a desperate need to ‘reform’ the NHS, it has done everything it can to preserve the status quo in the banking sector, including providing huge subsidies at a time of austerity.
Banks not only caused the current economic crisis; they are at the heart of the tax-dodging economy.
We will shortly be releasing, along with trade union PCS, a report exposing how tax havens are used to avoid taxes. This is a global problem – wealthy corporations’ use of these havens deprives people of vital public services and anti-poverty programmes in developing countries, just as they do in Britain. In both cases, it is the poorest who will suffer the most.
Take Action!
Read our statement on why we campaign against tax dodging, and why we support UK Uncut.
 Tax_dodging_UK_Uncut.doc | [ ] | 57 Kb |
To find out more about direct actions in your area, see the UK Uncut website.
Ask your MP to press the government to close the tax gap.
Watch this space for our new report with PCS on tax havens!
Women's Rights, Women's Resistance
 Women's Rights Women's Resistance | [ ] | 810 Kb |
This report presents the work of our partner the Honduran Women’s Collective (CODEMUH) in its efforts to challenge the situation faced by women workers in the maquila of Honduras.
It also charts CODEMUH’s development from a successful women’s rights group to a political actor in the front line of popular resistance to the 2009 coup in Honduras.
As such, it stands as an object lesson of what women’s empowerment can achieve, even in the face of the greatest social and political obstacles.
The report is also available en Español.
Eleven children arrested in Silwan
Less than a month after bulldozers destroyed the only children’s playground in the area, last week 11 children were arrested in Silwan. The Israeli authorities appear to systematically target children in Silwan, an impoverished district of East Jerusalem where over half the population is under 18.
The perils of more globalisation
Despite what Gordon Brown says, we need a completely new approach to the world economy - not more of the same.
Caterpillar disinvestment move hailed
Investors urged to follow Church lead
War on Want welcomes the decision by the Church of England to disinvest from Caterpillar. Institutional investors are today urged to follow the Church by disinvesting from a company whose bulldozers have been used to build the Separation Wall and destroy Palestinians' homes.
The call, from the anti-poverty charity War on Want, comes after the Church of England decision to divest £2.2 million from Caterpillar on financial grounds.
Yasmin Khan, senior campaigns officer at War on Want, said: "The Church of England's decision to disinvest from Caterpillar is welcome. It also brings the Church in line with its own ethical investment policy and the decision of the General Synod. Now other institutional investors should take similar action."
War on Want has long called for the Church of England to disinvest from Caterpillar on the grounds of the company's complicity in the violation of Palestinian human rights.
In the report Profiting From the Occupation, the charity attacked Caterpillar over selling bulldozers for the Israeli army to destroy Palestinian homes, schools, orchards and olive groves.
It said that equipment from Caterpillar was also used to construct the Separation Wall, ruled illegal by the International Court of Justice.
And the UN has singled out Caterpillar in particular for its collusion with Israel's human rights abuse.
In 2006 the Church of England General Synod voted to withdraw its investment from Caterpillar. But the Church Commissioners failed to follow the Synod's decision.
After the Israeli onslaught against Gaza in recent weeks, Palestinian civil society groups, including the charity's partner Stop the Wall, have called for an escalation of the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign against Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.
CONTACT: Paul Collins, War on Want media officer (+44) (0)20 7549 0584 or (+44) (0)7983 550728
