Countdown to DSEi - Read all about it in the latest CAATnews, out now!
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Contents:
From 8-11 September, London's ExCeL centre will welcome over 25,000 arms dealers to shop for weapons at the DSEi arms fair. CAAT will be there to call for an end to the fair, and an end to the government support that makes it possible.
From east end to west end, from ExCel to Westminster, from DSEi to UKTI - take a journey with CAAT on 8 Tuesday September.
Join us at the ExCeL centre at 11am, to protest at the fair's opening - then hitch a ride on the CAAT bus to take our message into central London. From 1pm we'll be holding our own fair on the doorstep of UKTI DSO, the government department that supports DSEi. It will be a fun day with a serious message - stop DSEi, close UKTI DSO.
Find more information on the day, and the other events planned for DSEi week online .
DSEi is made possible by the backing of the UK government through United Kingdom Trade & Investment's Defence & Security Organisation (UKTI DSO). Freedom of Information requests from CAAT to UKTI DSO have unearthed some unsavoury facts - for example, the abusive regimes that have been invited to attend DSEi 2009. Read more in our press release
The Tienanmen Square massacre of 4 June 1989 created worldwide revulsion, so much so that the European Union placed the People's Republic of China under a military embargo which still stands.
So why is UKTI DSO meeting with officials from China? The existence of such meetings was revealed to CAAT after a Freedom of Information request to UKTI DSO. Even with the embargo in place, the UK manages to sell plenty of weapons and so-called dual-use goods to China.
For the full story read our
press release
It's great when we find new groups organising against the arms trade, like an inspiring forum of mothers organising a boycott of the Baby Show because of the involvement of Clarion Events. So inspiring, that we have posted one new mum's thoughts onto CAAT's own blog.
Read how Bexie21 learned about the arms trade and Clarion Events and what she did next on the
CAAT blog.
Have you looked at CAAT blog recently? As well as Bexie21's blog, we also have a new blog from Katherine O'Mahoney, CAAT Universities Networks Co-ordinator, on University College London (UCL) SECReT research centre that happily accepts funding from arms companies. Sounds sinister? It is!
Read all about it.
We want more bloggers to tell their stories and reveal the real face of the arms trade. If you can help, please email Chloe, CAAT Media Assistant.
CAAT's annual National Gathering will take place on Saturday 31 October at Toynbee Studios in East London. Join us for learning, listening and debate and to meet fellow CAAT supporters from all over the UK. All for a modest contribution of £5 for waged and £2 for unwaged participants. Read more and book online
There are many ways of raising money for CAAT and Kat Hobbs and Sami Wannell are really doing it the hard way by participating in the Great Yorkshire Run. It's a 10km slog over Sheffield's seven hills on Sunday 6 September. They're doing a fantastic job and have already raised over £1,000 for CAAT! Please help them raise more by visiting the
B my charity website.
If you live in Sheffield why not turn out to cheer them on?
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Campaign Against Arms Trade is working for the reduction and ultimate abolition of the international arms trade, together with progressive demilitarisation within arms-producing countries.