CAAT National Gathering 2009
"Excellent content and enthusiasm!"
Nearly a hundred CAAT supporters gathered on a cold, damp, halloween morning for CAAT's National Gathering 2009. Inside they found a warmer feeling – uplifting speakers, interactive workshops and inspiring encounters with other committed CAAT activists.
The day kicked off with a keynote speech from Andrew Feinstein who highlighted the importance of tackling arms trade corruption for British and South African democracies. Elected to South African parliament for the ANC in the first elections following apartheid, Feinstein resigned in 2001, when his attempts to investigate and expose corruption surrounding a major arms deal were repeatedly blocked. His speech was a powerful start to the day – emphasising the seriousness of the task ahead of us. One audience member commented: "I learnt a great deal from his talk." and another described the talk as "Outstanding, sober, passionate and so well delivered. "
All photographs on this page courtesy of Ian Mackinnon 2009
Workshops throughout the day covered topics as diverse as "UKTI, militarism and government liaisons with the arms trade" and "Making the most of the media". Those new to CAAT could crash course on a new theme or skill, while others brought many years of experience to share with other participants. See the full programme here for a flavour of what went on.
The day drew to a close with a panel discussion, which tackled the question "Ending Arms Production: Is the answer blowing in the wind?". We heard from Paul Dunne, an applied economist at UWE whose main area of research is the economics of peace, security and military spending, and Louise Hutchins, the Energy Solutions Campaigner in the Climate Team at Greenpeace. A thoughtful discussion took place about how we can argue for the massive government subsidies the arms trade receives to be channelled into tackling arguably the biggest threat to global security this century: climate change.
People felt the day had a "good atmosphere: friendly and focused" and a "great buzz of like mindedness and openness." Andrew Feinstein's talk was a highlight for many, as well as the opportunity to meet other CAAT campaigners from around the country. As one participant commented: "[The best thing about the day] was meeting others in CAAT!"
We went away determined to put ending government support for the arms trade through UKTI DSO firmly on the agenda of our parliamentary candidates, and with the promise of two regional gatherings in the new year to keep up the buzz around our campaign!
Read what happened at CAAT's 2008 National Gathering and CAAT's 2007 National Gathering.
Tel: +44 (0)20 7281 0297 | Fax: +44 (0)20 7281 4369
Give us feedback on this page