We’re asking different groups to tell all about their plans for the coming year. So far Kindling Trust and Carbon Co-op have revealed all, while Green Party, Friends of the Earth, Steady State Manchester,and Reclaim the Power have kept schtum. Here’s the answers of “Global Justice Now.”

1. What is the purpose of your group? (three or four sentences)

Global Justice Manchester is a group committed to taking action in the local area to challenge corporate power and the policies that cause poverty and inequality all over the world.

Whether it’s stopping water privatisation, unfair trade deals, climate change we’re here to make the campaigns that you want to see take off we’re here to support you to take the action that you want.

So long as your interested in making sure that the interests of ordinary people aren’t trampled by those of corporations then your welcome to join us.

2. How do you find out what skills and knowledge the people who get involved have?

We discuss this in meetings as part of our campaigns planning process.

3. How do you find out what skills and knowledge the people who get involved want to develop?

We discuss this in meetings as part of our campaigns planning process.

4. If people get involved in your group, what sorts of things will they end up doing? (stuffing envelopes, selling newspapers, knocking on doors, getting arrested etc etc)

– Learning and engaging with debates about how to challenge the powerful and create a more just and equal world.

– Action planning and strategizing with fellow activists.

– Putting in funding applications to Global Justice Now to get your campaign ideas funded.

– Opportunities to work with activists across the world taking action for social justice.

– Lobbying on a local, national and international level.

– Creative activism; flash mobs, stunts etc.

– Online activism; blogging, social media actions etc.

– Events organising.

– Attending training.

Successes and “opportunities for improvement”* in 2015.

5. What have been your group’s main Manchester-based successes in the past year? (i.e. nothing that took place outside the ring road counts)

At a national level you can read an article by our director on our main achievements for 2015 here.

At a local level you can see all of our work here.

6. What were the things you hoped to achieve but didn’t.

TTIP Free Manchester – we began a lobbying effort to make Manchester a TTIP Free Zone. We’re going to be continuing to support this campaign this year so watch this space.

The coming year

6. What do you hope to achieve in 2016? What are your success metrics for December 31st 2016.

1) No. of new activists engaged with (events, actions etc.)

2) No. of new activists attending GJManchester Meetings

3) No. of new activists helped to facilitate their own campaigns

4) No. of campaigns won – TTIP Free Zone campaign etc.

8. What (up to 3) things would you like do see done in Manchester to make the city less crap on climate action

a) by the City Council

Set up a public energy company following the lead from this campaign in London – Switched On London.

Be more transparent with its action to prevent climate change, with metrics for success that can easily be tracked online.

b) by the “climate movement”

Embrace energy democracy as the focus for action post COP21: http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/tags/energy-democracy

Bring in a more diverse group of activists, able to push for a real action on climate change through their own networks.

9. What is the stupidest thing the “climate movement” could do this year?

Think that the COP21 agreement commitments are going to result in the action that we need to see to stop runaway climate change: http://www.globaljustice.org.uk/blog/2015/dec/15/seven-flies-ointment-paris-climate-deal-euphoria

10. How can people get involved?

Email laura.williams@globaljustice.org.uk to arrange a chat about ways to get involved or join our facebook group to receive updates on our actions