Newham Monitoring Project Appeal (fwd)

[Spoon Collective <spoons@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

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Date: Mon, 5 May 1997 17:00:16 GMT
From: Keith Standring <itusc@xxxxxxxxxx>
To: Donal Guerin <STSI8015@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>, llb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx,
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Subject: Newham Monitoring Project Appeal

The International Trade Union Solidarity Campaign (ITUSC) is posting this
appeal to its supporters and friends on behalf of the Newham Monitoring
Project and asks every recipient of this message to urgently consider how
they can make a positive response. Details are contained in the following
short statement by our ITUSC comrade, Bob Archer (NUT).

NEWHAM MONITORING PROJECT TO FIGHT ON
Anti-racist group appeals to supporters for funding
by Bob Archer (National Union of Teachers)

NEWHAM MONITORING PROJECT (NMP) has actively campaigned against injustice,
racist violence and police harassment in the east of London, Britain for
over 16 years.

Earlier this year the Labour-run Newham council stopped all funding for the
project. 'New Labour' is increasingly hostile to any activity which
expresses the struggles and needs of workers and ordinary people in any sph=
ere.

As long as it has existed, NMP has refused to be controlled by any outside
political force. It has worked so well because it has been run by the
activists who have taken up the campaigns and by the victims of police and
racist abuse themselves.

One of the 'reasons' the Labourites give for stopping the funds to NMP is
that the Project helped the family of Ibrahima Say to fly his body back hom=
e
to the Gambia.

Ibrahima died in a local police station after officers sprayed him with CS =
gas.

NMP activists have organised practical support for the victims of racist
attacks, given them advice and a ready ear when they had nowhere to turn,
and spearheaded high-profile campaigns in many notorious cases of racist
violence and murder and some outstanding examples of police racism.

They have also helped to defend young white victims of police brutality and
harassment.

They have also consistently mounted public campaigns of door-to-door
leaflettings and meetings whenever racist parties have presented themselves
for election.

Their leaflets and newsletters, mass-distributed in working-class areas,
have explained the connection between racism and bad housing conditions and
lack of amenities.

NMP has always worked in the most open possible way with all anti-racists
who want to achieve something practical. But they have had no time for
windbags who want to exploit race issues to recruit members and gain kudos,
but who are not there when  the racists attack.

The NMP's courage and readiness to put its ideas into practice have made
every potential victim of racism in the area walk that little bit taller,
and made every potential racist bully a little bit more cautious.=20

Now the Labour council has tried to close it down. They thus slavishly
follow the policy of a Conservative candidate in a recent bye-election who
called for the Project to be closed.

But NMP has refused to lie down. Activists have launched a 'Committee of
400' to raise the funds needed to keep the organisation on the road.=20

Provisional convenor Kevin Blowe has appealed to supporters to take out
monthly standing orders to sustain the Project. The aim is to get =A320 a
month from each supporter, but all donations will be gladly accepted.

'The Project must survive, because the issues on which it was founded in
1980 are as important today as they have ever been', says the Project's app=
eal.

'With the prospect of the fascist British National Party making south Newha=
m
its national priority, with even greater powers being given to a still
unaccountable police force and with racist attackers finding new communitie=
s
to terrorise, particularly refugees, there has never been a more crucial
time to support an organisation with a history of uncompromising resistance
to racism in Newham.'

NMP has made a unique contribution to rebuilding the organisation and
fighting capacity of the working class in east London. They must not be
allowed to go to the wall.

For more information and a standing-order form, write to=20
PO Box 273,
London, Britain E7.
or phone: ++ 44 (0) 181 555 8051
=20
________________________________________________________________
International Trade Union Solidarity Campaign (ITUSC) at:-
PO Box 18, Epsom, Britain KT18 7YR
Tel/Fax:  ++44 (0) 1372 817778
e-mail:  itusc@xxxxxxxxxx
URL: http://www.itusc.org.uk=20
The ITUSC is an international and internationalist association of organised
workers and communities of resistance, dedicated to rebuilding the workers'
movement and
to overcoming sectarianism and division in working class organisations.
________________________________________________________________





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