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SUMMARY REPORT FROM NATIONAL PSC AGM 26TH FEBRUARY
Palestine Solidarity Campaign’s national annual general meeting (AGM), held Saturday 26th February, brought nearly 200 members (including Amal, Dave, Roy and Steve of Exeter PSC) from around the country together in London to discuss PSC’s ongoing work. During the packed day’s business it was also addressed by Jeremy Corbyn (in his capacity as Chair), Basim Sbaih from the Palestinian Political Prisoners Society, Keith Sonnet of UNISON, Ruth Winters of the Fire Brigades’ Union, and Tony Benn.
The AGM discussed 17 proposals covering constitutional, campaigning, and organising issues. Those that stimulated most debate were as follows:
Campaigning proposals:
- Proposals carried covered the subjects of the ongoing occupation, political prisoners, the wall, the heightened need for trade sanctions, boycotts, divestment and arms embargoes, with a new emphasis to try and improve work at European level.
Constitutional and organisational proposals:
- National PSC has declared its wish to see the regions better represented at national level, and some amendments to the constitution were carried on the operation of the Co-ordinating Committee (CC) and Executive Committee (EC). In the debate some anomalies in the proposals and constitution itself were highlighted, and the constitutional working group which was agreed at the AGM will be established to consider the need for additional amendments which will be put to next year’s AGM.
- The most heated debate was over whether elections to the EC should be by postal ballot of all the members or by those attending at the AGM. A proposal for postal ballot was lost after quite a difficult discussion.
- The AGM recognised the importance of ongoing work with trade unions (the number of affiliated national unions has doubled in the last 12 months), voted to hold a trade union conference (most likely in the autumn), and to establish a formal trade union advisory committee.
Calendar of campaigning events:
Some specific events were promoted at the AGM, including:
19th March: Stop The War “Bring the Troops Home” National Demonstration,
16th April: National PSC Day of Action against Caterpillar, West Midlands motorcade
21st May: Nakba day commemoration: London march and rally,
13th July: Joint CND/PSC lobby of Parliament against Israel’s nuclear weapons,
22nd October: International Conference: Palestine, Israel and the Law,
29th November: UN Day for Palestine national PSC lobby of Parliament.
Report written by Dave, with no claim for objectivity or comprehensiveness!
Contact Webmeister: fuad@exeterpsc.org.uk
All text and graphics © Exeter PSC 2003-7, and/or their respective owners.
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