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LOCAL CAMPAIGNS GUIDE

CAAT_CampaignsGuide:CAAT Local Campaigns Guide 22/09/2008 08:46

CAAT was set up in 1974 and is a broad coalitionof groups and individuals working for the reductionand ultimate abolition of the international armstrade, together with progressive demilitarisationwithin arms-producing countries.

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT)11 Goodwin StreetLondon N4 3HQTel: 020 7281 0297Fax: 020 7281 4369Email: [email protected]: www.caat.org.uk

Introduction 3Work with others 4Raising awareness 6Lobbying government 10Challenging the armscompanies 12Online campaigning 15Raise money 16Useful information 17Wanted: Local contacts 19

Front Look out for opportunities to raise awareness– like this local festival in Stoke Newington


‘The work of CampaignAgainst Arms Trade isreally great anduplifting. I wish we hadsomething comparablein the US.’Noam Chomsky,scholar and politicalanalyst

IntroductionThank you for your interest in helping us campaignagainst the arms trade. Without campaigners outand about around the country, raising awarenessabout the deadly impact of the arms trade, thisawful business will never come to an end. Localcampaigning in all its different forms is a vital partof CAAT’s work.

This guide has been put together to encourage andsupport you as an individual or as part of a localgroup to campaign on this important issue in yourlocal area. It aims to give you some ideas abouthow to raise awareness of the arms trade, and thenhow to focus that awareness on key pressure pointsincluding the government and the arms companiesthemselves.

In addition, throughout the guide we have includedstories from other local CAAT campaigners whichshow that just a few people working locally canmake a real difference.

Good luck with your campaigning and do stay incontact with us here in the office. Remember, weare here to support you and want to hear yourstories!

The CAAT team

020 7281 0297

Local Campaigns [email protected]

3LOCAL CAMPAIGNS GUIDE

Resources and materialsCAAT produces many campaigning andinformation resources for local campaigners.These include campaign packs, informationbriefings, leaflets, posters, petitions andpostcards. Check for our latest publicationsonline at www.caat.org.uk/publications or askthe office to send you a publications list.

For regular updates on news and campaigns:

Our website www.caat.org.uk is full ofuseful information, which is regularlyupdated. Our quarterly magazine, CAATnews, is agreat source of news and inspiration. Noarms trade campaigner should be withoutit!Sign up for monthly email updates fromCAAT for the latest developments oncampaigns and ways you can get involved.

To subscribe to CAATnews and/or the emaillist go to www.caat.org.uk/lists or phone theoffice.

Many of CAAT’s resources are free. For thoseinvolved in local campaigning CAAT alsosends out a regular mailing, giving updates oncurrent campaigns, and information on newresources and upcoming events. If you wouldlike to receive this local campaigners’ mailing,please use the reply slip on the back cover, oremail us at the address above.

BRIBING FOR

BRITAIN

GOODWIN PAPER #5BY TIM WEBB

GOVERNMENT COLLUSION IN

ARMS SALES CORRUPTION

REPORT

Making arms, wasting skillsAlternatives to militarism and arms production By Steven Schofield

In December 2006, the Government cut short a

corruption investigation into BAE Systems’

arms deals with Saudi Arabia, one of the

world’s most oppressive regimes.

By halting the inquiry, the

Government effectively placed

BAE above the law.

CAAT and the Corner House are

taking legal action to

challenge the Government’s

decision.

However, regardless of

the proper legal

position, it seems that

the decision whether or

not to pursue an

investigation is in the

Prime Minister’s hands.

We need your help to

convince him to reopen

this inquiry.

Please send the attached postcard to Gordon

Brown and return this postcard to CAAT to

stay involved with the campaign.

Control BAEDon’t put BAE above the

law!


Work withothersCAAT supporters can achieve a lot on their own,but even more when we work with others. Theinformation throughout this guide will be useful to allof our supporters, including those who campaignindividually. But whether you’re visiting your MP,setting up a street stall or planning a publicmeeting, it’s always good to share the work andencourage more people to get involved.

Find out if there is a group near you here:www.caat.org.uk/getinvolved/local/groups.php

Networking

Making contact with other groups and campaignersin your local area is very important. There are lotsof groups working on issues that overlap with ouraim of ending the arms trade. Examples of suchissue groups include those working on human rightssuch as local Amnesty International groups;international development such as Oxfam; otherpeace groups such as CND, Pax Christi and Stopthe War; and environmental campaigners such asGreenpeace and Friends of the Earth. It may also

be worth contacting local political parties, church orinterfaith groups, trade union branches etc.

If you are already part of a local peace, humanrights, environmental or international developmentgroup you could suggest that the group takes armstrade issues into account when undertaking theirwork. Or you could simply feed in information fromCAATnews to the meeting.

Starting a local CAATgroup

CAAT has supporters around the country who, likeyou, may be really keen to meet other CAATsupporters and take action together.

Tips for getting your group going

Get in touch with the CAAT Local CampaignsCo-ordinator and she will make sure you haveadvice and support as you start your local CAATgroup.

4 LOCAL CAMPAIGNS GUIDE

Right Organise a public meeting to get newpeople involved – this CAAT meeting in Cardiffsucceeded in launching a new group

NetworkingLong-standing Local ContactDorothy Forbes describes hownetworking has helped her developCAATs activities in her area

“As the local contact for a relativelysmall organisation, but one with avitally important message, I havealways found networking with other

groups critical in putting that message across.

In the past couple of years my networking hasbecome more (mainly non-party) political. It allstarted in the summer of 2006 when the war inLebanon was at its height. Some of us spent a lotof time in the city centre, holding vigils andtaking part in demos. With one hand attached toa banner I found the leaflets in my other handbeing whisked out of it and, unusually, people

were coming back for more. This was the CAATleaflet calling for an arms embargo againstIsrael, which was tremendously popular amongthe large Muslim population of Birmingham.

During these weeks I went to many meetings heldby various organisations concerned about thewar and our government’s failure to take action.There was always an opportunity for discussionat these events; what I had to say about CAATwas received with interest and approval and,again, large numbers of the Stop Arming Israelleaflet were taken.

Since then I’ve continued to maintain thesecontacts. I’ve enjoyed visiting Mosques,something I had never done before, finding themto be extremely friendly and welcoming places. Ihave also invited my new contacts to join me incelebrating CAAT’s recent successes, and pointedout how even a very small organisation canachieve its objectives when it plans and focusesits campaigning in the way CAAT does.


Write to other CAAT supporters in your area.CAAT can ensure that your message forsupporters in your area is sent out. In your initialmailing, you might like to include a survey tofind out how people are interested in gettinginvolved. Ring other CAAT supporters in your area. Pick agroup of people who live near you, whoresponded to the survey or letter and give thema call! Even if people haven’t responded to theletter, you’ll be surprised by how many peoplewill be willing to help out in some way. Personal links are really important in makingpeople feel confident to get involved. Ask yourfriends whether they would like to join a CAATgroup.Organise a first event. Once you know there area few people interested, work with them toorganise your first event. Information onorganising a stall or public meeting can be foundin the Raising Awareness section on page 6. Or organise a group of people to come along toone of our national events, such as CAAT’sprotest at the BAE AGM (usually in early May),or our National Gathering (usually held inNovember). The National Gathering is a greatopportunity to get to know and swap ideas withfellow campaigners, as well as to meet CAAT’sstaff. Once you have your group together, use thisguide and CAAT’s other materials to think aboutwhat action you would like to take!As your group develops, make sure newmembers are offered support andencouragement. Take the time to celebratesuccess and campaigning achievements to keepgroup morale high!


Setting up a CAAT groupYanna Whitehead, Local Contactfor Chichester, outlines how shegrew her group, which expandedfrom 2 to 40 people in 18 months

“How to start a local CAAT groupin a C(c)onservative area. As Howto guides go, hopefully this is moreconvincing than How to place

yourself above the Law – BAE Systems and AlYamamah deals! Our CAAT group inChichester (CACAAT) was launched when SuePike and I, supported by Chichester Quakers,organised a Raising Awareness Day for CAATsShut DESO campaign. Within two hours overone hundred people had participated inCAAT’s poll and signed the petition atChichester Cross, a central meeting point.Feedback we received emphasised there wasan active interest in forming a group.

Subsequent Raising Awareness Days provedeffective in campaigning and the CACAATmailing list grew steadily. Supporters wereinvolved in CAATs London events, links with theLocal Campaigns Coordinator were developedand I was asked to become a local contact.

The catalyst that cemented and grew ourgroup was CAATs Control BAE tour. Weformed a small Steering Committee andworked hard to organise and promote the onlysouth-east England tour date. On a stormynight over forty supporters, including somefrom Southampton, Liss and Worthing, wereenthused by the key speakers from CAAT andThe Corner House.

In the run up to the Judicial Review into BAE-Saudi arms deals, several CACAAT membersfound themselves spontaneously approachedwhile out and about locally. Word of mouthreally works!

We now have six Steering Committee memberscoordinating specific roles and links with localAmnesty International, United NationsAssociation, World Development Movement(Worthing, Portsmouth), Churches Together inChichester, S.E.Hants Peace Council,Chichester University and Chichester College.

Vitally CACAAT has a strong, active record ofshared support and effective campaigning. Webelieve that every journey starts with one smallstep. CACAAT forges ahead with enthusiasmand commitment.


RaisingawarenessMany campaigners say that when they have theopportunity to explain what the arms trade is about,they often get a very good response. That’s whyraising awareness is so important. There are lots ofcreative ways to raise awareness in your area. Herewe concentrate on organising a public meeting,running a street stall, and using the local media.

Holding a publicmeeting

Whilst to many people the thought of organising apublic meeting on the arms trade is a daunting task,in fact with careful planning and preparation, youcould have a highly successful event and raise a lotof awareness about the impact of the arms trade.

The most important elements of a good publicmeeting are:

A central venue A good speaker Lots and lots of publicity

We can also help with publicity for instance byletting CAAT supporters in the area know about theevent. It will be worth letting other local groups suchas Amnesty International, World DevelopmentMovement, CND, Stop the War, Greenpeace,Friends of the Earth know about the event so theycan help publicise the meeting. Also, don’t forget tolet the local press know that the meeting will betaking place, and send them a photo after theevent.

Another idea to provide a focus and developdiscussion at a public meeting is to show a film.CAAT has a short film called Where is the love?Contact the CAAT office for more details([email protected]). Or you could even make afilm yourselves, like Brighton anti-arms trade groupSmash EDO did (www.smashedo.org.uk).

Street stalls

Street stalls are a really important way to reach outto ordinary members of the public about issues suchas the arms trade. They are a simple way to raise


Organising a meetingMark Bitel, Local Contact forEdinburgh

“Our local CAAT group inEdinburgh planned a follow upevent to the CAAT Control BAEspeaking tour to coincide with the

ruling from the judicial review. This meant wehad to plan well ahead and hope that theruling would be out in time. Fortunately, theruling was announced 9 days beforehand, sothis gave us lots of opportunities to promotethe event in the media. We sent press releasesto the media to coincide with theannouncement.

As part of our strategy to attract youngerpeople, we decided to hold the event as a‘Question Time’ style debate with panellistsincluding a politician, an academic, a unionrepresentative, and someone from CAAT. Wewanted to have a genuine debate, so weinvited people onto the panel that held arange of views. We also decided that theevent should have the flavour of a festival,since Edinburgh is one of the world’s greatfestival capitals. Using our networks we madecontact with some high profile Scottishmusicians and comedians. I was surprised athow easy it was to get artists to support usand to perform for free. We had a folk/protestmusician (who recently released a CD that wasfeatured by the Herald as the CD of the week),and we had 2 top stand-up comedians and aprofessional compere. During the interval, abar also helped to raise money for CAAT. Wealso distributed the latest CAAT postcards oncontrolling BAE, so hopefully Gordon Brownwill be getting lots more postcards!

We worked closely with Jubilee Scotland toorganise the event and they helped us tosecure a fabulous free venue and helped us toproduce a professional flyer for the event. Wedistributed the leaflets widely in churches,student union bars, notice boards andwindows in shops, and gave out flyers at otherevents where we thought people might beinterested in our cause.

The event went really well and many peopletold us how much they had enjoyed it.


awareness, build public pressure and recruit peopleto CAAT or to your local group. It is worth puttingsome time and thought into planning your stall, butto get one running, all that is required are somematerials such as leaflets, petitions and posters, atable and some willing helpers!

Tips for running a street stall

Focus your stall around one key message. Thiswill be more attractive and easy to understand.Think about how your stall will look. Keepmaterials focused on your key aims and think

about whether there are any props or bannersthat will help get your message across. Find a good location and choose the right time.Order the materials you will need from CAAT –posters, leaflets, postcards, petitions, briefings,badges, etc. Get hold of a table and tablecloth,lots of pens and clipboards and somepaperweights.You only have a few seconds to grab someone’sattention so try using simple ‘openers’ to getthem to stop. For example, ‘Would you like tosign a petition to stop the arms trade?’ You couldalso approach people with a clipboard to drawthem to your stall.Always have a ‘sign up for more info sheet’. Ifsomeone is very interested, remember to get acontact phone number or email address theymight want to help you run the stall next time!

We have more detailed advice on running a streetstall in our handout Top tips for running an effectivestall. This can be found at www.caat.org.uk/getinvolved/runningastall.php or you can call theoffice for a copy.


Left Combine your stall with a photo stunt – hereUCL students pose as arms dealers to highlight theiruniversity’s investments in the arms trade

Organising a street stallRobin Yu describes London CAATgroups successful street stall, whichused their novel idea of an‘opinionnaire’

“During the Control BAE month ofaction last year, we set up a stallnear Old Street station for a day toraise awareness about the campaign.

We chose the location because it was outside theBAE/HAL (Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd) jointventure company offices.

An element of the event that raised some laughswas an opinionnaire. Passers-by were given thefollowing five statements and were asked toindicate for each whether they thought they werelikely, possible, unlikely or impossible:

Elvis Presley is still alive There is/was a Loch Ness monster

BAE is innocent of all bribery charges The Apollo moon landings were faked Aliens have visited Earth

Of the respondents, more people thought it wasimpossible that BAE is innocent of all the chargesof bribery being investigated in six differentcountries than thought it was impossible thataliens have visited Earth or that there is or was aLoch Ness monster.

Approximately 86 per cent of those whoresponded said that it was either unlikely orimpossible that BAE was innocent of all of thecorruption charges.

Other statistics show, somewhat incredibly I feel,that twice as many people who completed thesurvey believe it is likely that the moon landingswere faked as believe it likely that BAE isinnocent. More people thought it was unlikelythat BAE was innocent than thought it wasunlikely that Elvis is still alive! It is clear that theBritish public has already judged BAE.


Using the local mediaLocal media work is an important way of raising theprofile of our campaign and informing publicopinion. Once you start looking for opportunities forcoverage, you’ll be surprised by how many you willfind. Many local newspapers will report on aprotest, especially if it is distinctive or involves aphoto stunt. You might also ring in to a local radiophone-in, get an article in community newsletters orwebsites, or write to the letters pages.

When approaching local media,remember these top tips

Pick one key message and up to three key pointsyou want to make and stick to them. Look for hooks for your publicity, e.g. a story inthe paper the previous week, an event,demonstration or stall you have organised, adebate in the letters’ pages or a personal storyangle. Think about whether there are opportunities forphotos or footage to be taken and invite aphotographer if so! Record any responses you have from reportersso that you can begin to build up personal linkswith them and get more coverage. Be sure to getin touch with them again when you have anotherstory.

Letter writingLetters in newspapers can reach a wide audience,bring up issues not raised in an article, create animpression of widespread support and are oftenread by the people we are trying to influence. Inshort, they are a really effective tool for ourcampaigning.

There always seem to be stories about cuts toservices in our local newspapers. Why not write aletter about the amount of public money used tosubsidise the arms trade, suggesting it be betterspent on local services? Or write making linksbetween the international arms trade and any localstories in your area, for example levels of guncrime, local arms company operations etc.

Keep your letter short and on one subject so thatyour key message isn’t edited out. Include yourcontact details in case the paper wants to verifywho you are. Mention the article or issue you arerelating your letter to in the first sentence. Write asoften as you can; if you use a different hook foreach letter then they all have a good chance ofbeing printed!

Photo stunts

If you can’t think of a hook to get coverage for yourcampaign, then make one! Photo stunts work forvisual media, as the image provides a hook for yourcampaign to be covered. If you are thinking ofplanning a press stunt:

Brainstorm lots of ideas for how you couldvisually communicate your message: you mightwant to think about location, props, costumes orbanners you could use. Pick one that you thinkclearly communicates your message, is feasiblegiven your time and resources, and is quirkyenough to get press coverage. Choose the right time for the event. If your localpaper goes to print on Tuesday morning, don’thold a photo stunt on Tuesday afternoon. Set aside time to make any props you need,develop a press release for your local media andring around to follow it up.



Bring your own camera too, so that you canemail the photo to your local media afterwardsand send it to CAAT for the website, or possiblyCAATnews.

More media adviceCAAT’s local media guide is an invaluable resourcewith tips on researching your local media, letterwriting, writing a press release, TV and radiointerviews and phone-ins and more. See it atwww.caat.org.uk/getinvolved/mediaguide.php ororder a copy from the office. You can also contactCAAT’s media co-ordinator at [email protected] oron 020 7281 0297 for advice.

Become a CAAT speakerSpeaking to groups of people to put CAAT’scampaigns and position across is essential toraising awareness and encouraging people tocampaign. Even if you have no experience of publicspeaking, CAAT can support you to become aspeaker so you can help carry out this importantwork.

CAAT speakers receive training and up-to-dateadvice on our campaigns. The role can involve:

Pro-actively contacting groups such as the FabianSociety, trade unions, schools, local campaigngroups and faith institutions for opportunities tospeak. Helping CAAT respond to requests for speakersin your area.

If you receive a request to speak about CAAT, ourguide on Top Tips for Public Speaking offers reallyuseful advice. You can order a copy from the officeor go to www.caat.org.uk/getinvolved/PublicSpeakingTips.php.

If you are interested in becoming a CAAT speaker,contact the Local Campaigns Co-ordinator [email protected] or at the office.

Other ideasSign up to receive extra copies of CAATnewsand other materials to distribute to other groupsyou are involved in. Ask if you can put up a display or leave leafletsabout the arms trade in your local library,church, alternative shops or other public space. Invite a CAAT speaker to any group ororganisation that you are involved in such as aunion branch, a campaign group, Chamber ofCommerce, Women’s Institute, etc. Write an article or a letter for the newsletter ofany organisations you are involved in. Wear a CAAT badge – it helps to startconversations about the arms trade. Organise a service of peace at your localChurch, Mosque, Synagogue or Temple. Or goone further and organise a multi-faith event.(CAAT has a Christian Network: contact AlunMorinan on [email protected], or phone theoffice.)Don’t forget to invite the media to any event youorganise!


Left Take part in CAAT actions – 250 CAATsupporters surrounded DESO as part of thecampaign to shut it

Using the letters pagesIan Davison used informationfrom CAAT to make a pointhumorously in his regional paper,The Glasgow Herald

“Please allow me on behalf of armsexporters to thank your readers fortheir annual £29 donation throughtaxation.

We appreciate warmly the £900 million thatthe government decided not to spend on newhospitals or schools or even conflict resolutionand development aid. I want to assureeverybody that their subsidy to us is well spenton weapons marketing, promotion, researchand development. Above all I thank you forinsuring us against losses when our customersfail to pay, a very welcome provision in ourrather volatile trade.

Regrettably our products sometimes fall into thehands of people who actually use them; butlast year we only sold arms to half of thecountries that our government identified ashaving major human rights concerns, and only90% of conflict casualties are civilians, andonly 40% of these are children. I urge yourreaders to encourage further governmentspending in the weapons field.


LobbyinggovernmentWithout a doubt, if we want our campaign tosucceed we are going to have to persuade thegovernment to end the enormous amount of politicaland financial support it gives to the arms trade. Themost effective way to influence government is tolobby our MPs to speak out on our behalf.

Pressure from within the constituency is frequently akey factor in influencing an MP’s views. Somepeople will have MPs with front-benchresponsibilities for arms exports, foreign affairs ortrade, or who sit on one of the relevant SelectCommittees. If you are one of these people,lobbying your MP could have a very importantimpact.

Lobbying other MPs is equally important. An MPwho is sympathetic to ending arms export subsidiesmay be encouraged to take action in the House andin her or his party. An MP who is stronglysupportive of the arms industry may reconsider theissue if a well-reasoned case is calmly presented byconstituents. This is especially true if the MPencounters colleagues who have also been lobbied.

Finding out more aboutyour MP

It is worth acquiring a bit of backgroundinformation about your MP before contacting them.

To find out who your MP or other representative is,visit the following websites and do a quick search:

www.writetothem.comUK parliamentwww.parliament.uk/people/index.cfm Scottish parliamentwww.scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPagesNorthern Irelandwww.niassembly.gov.uk/members/membership07.htm Wales www.assemblywales.org/memhome.htm

On some issues it is also worth contacting yourMEP. See www.europarl.org.uk/uk_meps/MembersMain.htm

The following websites have useful backgroundinformation on your representative:

www.politics.guardian.co.ukwww.epolitix.comwww.theyworkforyou.com

You can email your MP quickly and easily via thelatter website, although it is worth noting that someMPs seem to respond less frequently to emails thanto letters that arrive in an envelope! All MPs can bewritten to at House of Commons, London, SW1A0AA. The usual, but not universal, formula for MPs’email addresses is [email protected].

Writing letters

Individual letters can be very powerful. It isestimated that every letter received by a politicianrepresents about 80 people who care but haven’tgot around to writing. That is why politicians takenotice of letters – each one represents at least 80votes!

The best way to have influence through letterwritingis to write to your own MP asking her or himto raise the issue with the relevant Minister. Thatway your MP becomes aware of the issues as wellas the Minister. By convention, a letter forwardedby an MP to a Minister must receive a Ministerialreply.

It is easier, and tends to be more effective, to writeabout something specific rather than tackle the armstrade as a whole. CAATnews and our website areworth checking regularly for the latest lobbying andletter-writing ideas.


Right Get your MP to support our campaigns –CAAT campaigners in Manchester got their localMP John Leech to sign a petition


Tips for writing to your MP

Be polite and concise – try to keep to one sideof the paper.Write in your own words. Don’t just copy the textfrom somewhere else – make it personal.Tackle just one subject in a letter.Ask for a reply and send a copy to the CAAToffice.

Meeting your MPA step further than writing to your MP is to goyourself or with a small group to visit him or her totalk about the arms trade. The fact that you havemade the effort to meet in person speaks volumes. Italso means that you have a personal contact withyou MP on which to build. These tips should helpyou feel confident and prepared to get the most outof the meeting.

Tips for visiting your MP

Make a proper appointment, probably at yourMP’s surgery. A group of about 2–4 people is probably agood size – you will be able to have a gooddiscussion without being too intimidating. Feel confident about your subject – contact CAATbefore you go for the latest campaigninformation and information on whether your MP

has shown an interest in arms trade issuesbefore. Decide on 3 key points you want tocommunicate and focus on these. Have 1 or 2 clear requests for action you wouldlike your MP to take.

Follow up the meeting with a letter to confirm whatwas discussed and remind your MP of what actionthey have agreed to take. Let the CAAT office knowhow the meeting went!


Shut DESO Action Dayand lobby of MPs

“After CAAT’s last Shut DESO Actionday, when over 250 people camefrom all over the UK, and from manydifferent groups, to encircle DESO’s

headquarters in central London, creating ahuman chain right around the building anddesignating it a global danger zone, a street pollwas conducted, with over 700 members of thepublic polled. The results of the poll illustratedthat the majority of the public did not think thatpublic money should be spent on helping armscompanies push their wares.

This action was followed in the afternoon by alocal lobby of MPs, with nearly 50 people goingto Westminster to lobby their MPs about DESO.The feedback we received afterwards showedhow important this lobby was – unlike a lot ofother issues, many MPs were ignorant of whatDESO did.

Below are some examples of the false orinaccurate assumptions held by MPs who, priorto being lobbied by CAAT supporters, had noidea that DESO existed solely to maximise armsexports on behalf of companies:

One MP said an MoD minister had told him,DESO only supports existing contracts anddoes not do sales. He said he was thereforeexpecting DESOs headcount to diminish overtime. Another said he did not agree that DESOshould be shut down. He argued that DESOhelped the government to monitor andregulate where UK arms are sold. A third said he thought DESOs job was toissue export licenses. He seemed unaware ofits marketing role, and didnt know how manystaff it employed or its annual budget.

These MPs were shocked to discover the truth,becoming sympathetic to the campaign as aresult. The lobby was one of many successfulactions taken by CAAT supporters over the years,which succeeded in getting DESO shut down atthe end of 2007.


Challengingthe armscompaniesArms companies always deny any responsibility forarms exports, arguing that the government alone isresponsible. But whilst the government must take itsshare of the blame, so too must the companiesthemselves – after all, it is they who produce thearmaments and they who bank the profits. Here welook at ways to challenge arms companies in yourarea.

Research

It is almost certain that within a short distance fromwhere you live there is a company involved in someway with the arms trade. If you are interested tofind out about companies in your area, contact usat the CAAT office.

However, we are not able to track every companyand need local people to help us undertakeresearch. This can include everything from watchingout for information about the company in your localpress to undertaking some basic research about thecompany in your local library. It’s amazing howmuch information libraries have on local companies.You could also approach the company directly forinformation. A good guide to company research

has been produced by Corporate Watch on theirwebsite, www.corporatewatch.org.uk.

If you are interested in helping CAAT with itscompany research, please contact Ian Prichard on0207 281 0297 or email [email protected].

Protest!

CAAT believes that it is important to directlychallenge UK companies involved in the arms trade.One way to do this is through organising a protestat a site of one of the companies. This has the effectof letting the company know that many people donot think that the arms business is an ordinary,acceptable business. In addition, a protest can quiteoften generate a lot of publicity, which will raiseawareness about the company and the arms tradein general.

CAAT is a nonviolent organisation and any protestorganised under the name of CAAT needs to benonviolent (see page 14).

The CAAT office can help you organise a protest, butsome tips for organising a successful one include:


Below Protest against the arms trade – this Medsinaction was very visually effective


Prepare some visual banners, placards or props Contact your local media (see section in thisguide for tips!) Have some leaflets to hand out explaining whatyou are doing and why Agree a start and end time Take time afterwards to discuss with otherparticipants what went well and any learningpoints Take lots of pictures and send us the best ones!

Nonviolent direct actionCAAT believes that if nonviolent direct action(NVDA) or civil disobedience is properly organisedand if people are properly prepared, it can be agood way to take the campaign forward. Someyears ago, whilst CAAT was campaigning to endthe sale of Hawk aircraft and other militaryequipment to Indonesia, many people got togetherin small groups and undertook civil disobedienceagainst the main company involved. For example,people stood on the runway at BAE’s test facility inWarton to prevent the company test-flying theaircraft. People also disrupted the company’s AGM.

If you are considering taking nonviolent directaction:

Get in touch with CAAT’s Local CampaignsCoordinator for advice.Think about getting some training (see UsefulInformation on page 17).Spend time with the people you will do theaction with to build up trust and plan for theaction.Reflect on what roles you will need to allocate(e.g. legal observer, police liaison, medialiaison, food and drink provision) and how youwill make decisions during the action.Find out your legal rights.www.activistslegalproject.org.uk is a good placeto start.

Other ideasWhy not try to begin a correspondence with thechief executive of your local arms company? Think of a way to subvert arms company PRcampaigns. For example, use theiradvertisements in newspapers as an opportunityto write in to raise awareness of the true impactof arms company activities. Some of the larger arms companies sponsorsports and community events. Try to challengethese attempts to gain good PR for the armstrade. For example, Chichester Area CAATchallenged the sponsorship of a local theatreproduction of ‘Funny Girl’ by US arms companyLockheed Martin.


Nonviolent direct actionStudents across the UK have beentaking action against BAE Systems

“In Birmingham a group of studentsfrom the People and Planet societyentered the lecture theatre where aBAE recruitment presentation was

being held and managed to briefly capture thelectern to address the audience on BAE’scorruption and human rights abuses aroundthe world. The students then stayed to hearBAE’s own presentation and ask questions atthe end. The protest followed a demonstrationat a Careers Fair where students dressed asweapons inspectors cordoned off BAE’s stall togather evidence against the company. Theyalso gave out leaflets and held a mass die in.These protests are part of a wider campaignagainst the presence of arms companies oncampus, and their widespread involvement inuniversity research.

Lancaster University students also protestedagainst BAE Systems presence at their careersfair. They stood in front of BAE’s stall with abanner reading ‘Get a career in killing withBAE Systems’, and handed out leaflets andtalked to students around the stall. Later theymoved to one of the busiest parts of campus tohold a die-in around a banner reading ‘BAESystems: a job to die for’. Many peoplestopped to ask about BAE and the protest. Twostudents later re-entered the careers fair anddropped a banner from a balcony. Theseactions mark the beginning of a campaignagainst the university’s investment in BAE.Lancaster University holds shares in BAE, andthe Management School offers students theBAE Systems Certificate in Management, acourse funded by, and run in conjunction with,the company.

At the end of term the Disarm UCL campaignput on a fake graduation ceremony to protestagainst UCL’s investment in arms companies.One student dressed as a military generalhanded out fake diplomas and toy guns toother students graduating in camouflageuniforms. The action definitely turned a fewheads including that of the UCL Provost whohappened to pass by. It was a fun action andgot a lot of media coverage including theTimes Higher, the Independent, the EveningStandard, the Guardian’s Comment is Freewebsite and the New Statesman website.

See www.caat.org.uk/campaigns/unis0708


CAAT protest guidelinesCAAT is a nonviolent organisation. CAAT’s wordsand actions must be nonviolent and be seen bythose external to CAAT as being nonviolent and thisshould be borne in mind at all times. Involvement inCAAT’s activities, demonstrations and protests isconditional on accepting the need to remainnonviolent throughout. It is also imperative thatCAAT’s communications, publications and onlinepresence are seen as nonviolent. It is highlyrecommended that participants in civil disobedienceor NVDA (Nonviolent Direct Action) should takepart in non-violence training before the action.

Occasionally, specific agreements or guidelines aremade by CAAT for particular actions or protests.Taking part in these activities is therefore conditionalon respecting all agreements and guidelines madefor them. However, for all CAATs activities thesegeneral guidelines apply:

We will be respectful of everyone, whether theyare involved in the arms industry, police,passersby or other people involved in the protest,debate or activity.We will encourage sincere dialogue with all.We will not engage in or encourage others toengage in physical violence or verbal abusetowards any individual or undertake actionswhich could compromise the safety of others.In some situations, using heightened orconfrontational language, for example in chantsor slogans on placards, may appear to bethreatening or aggressive, even if we do not findit so, and this may be discouraged. We will not carry anything that could beconstrued as a weapon. We will not bring, consume or participate underthe influence of alcohol and/or drugs (except formedical purposes) on CAAT demonstrations oractions. During protests and other actions, people whoperceive themselves to be the object of ourprotests, participants in the protests or evenpassers-by can become frustrated or simply losetheir tempers. It is therefore imperative that wehave a clear head, try to remain calm and donot mirror their behaviour.

If these guidelines are not adhered to, CAAT retainsthe right to ask people to leave the given event orremove the offending words.


Clean InvestmentCampaignMike Kavanagh outlinesManchester CAAT’s ongoingcampaign against Local Authoritypension funds investment in thearms trade

“Manchester CAAT launched aclean investment campaign in2005. Greater ManchesterPension Fund (GMPF) is one of the

UK’s biggest local authority pension funds,with over 200,000 members. In 2007 it wasworth over £9.5 billion. Letter-writing to thefund, and protests at its open days forpensioners about its UK arms investments wereinitially regular events. Freedom of InformationAct requests, however, revealed the fund alsohad arms investments in US, European andother overseas arms companies.

The 2005 campaign included producingleaflets on the issue, with separate petitions forfund members and council tax-payers to sign;this was well covered by the local media.Protests outside all the ten local authoritiesTown Halls were also held during 2005. Wewrote to all Greater Manchester Councillorsand correspondence was started with all tencouncil leaders. A website atwww.endarmsprofits.org.uk explained thecampaign and allowed individuals to send aletter of protest to Tameside Council’s leader.Trafford Council, Liberal Democrat and LabourCouncillors, the Fund’s UNISONrepresentatives and Greater Manchester’sUNISON branches gave their support as wellas the Green Party and others. Further workwith UNISON led to a resolution on localauthority pension funds arms investments beingpassed at its 2007 national conference withanother resolution expected on UNISON’s2008 conference agenda.

Manchester CAAT’s actions led to considerabledebate and increased awareness acrossGreater Manchester of the issue, and therehave been reports in 2008 that the fund hasreduced its arms investments. We believe thatcontinued wide-ranging efforts, from letter-writing to protests etc, will ultimately lead tothe end of arms investments being held bylocal authority pension funds.


OnlinecampaigningCampaigning on the web can be an incrediblyquick and effective way to get your message out.But first think carefully about what your campaignneeds and resources are; then you can decidewhich online tools are best for the job.

Get started with onlinecampaigning

Create/Join a group on Facebook –www.facebook.com

This is only worth doing if you and most of yourfriends already have a profile on Facebook. If youare on Facebook and have not yet joined the CAATFacebook group please do so and invite all yourfriends to join, too. If you want to campaign forCAAT locally set up your own Facebook group andinvite all your supporters to it (examples of suchgroups on Facebook are London CAAT, Disarm UCLand others).

Set up a pledge on pledgebank –www.pledgebank.com

You could set up a pledge for CAAT on thepledgebank website. You could pledge to donate acertain sum to CAAT if ten or more people do thesame, pledge to join the next CAAT event or demoif ten or more people do the same or any otherideas you can think of. If you have set up yourpledge please make sure you promote it and thatyou hit your target.

Blog for CAAT

If you have something to say about the arms tradeand you like to write why not blog for CAAT? If youhave your own blog you could blog about CAATissues once in a while. If you don’t have a blog youcould join the CAAT bloggers onwww.CAATBLOG.wordpress.com. For more info onhow to blog for CAAT contact: [email protected]

If you have a very active local group you could setup your own blog on www.wordpress.com orwww.blogger.com and update your supporters onyour activities and events (example of a local blog:www.disarmucl.com).

Comment for CAAT

Whenever CAAT is in the news, or an article hasbeen written on an arms trade issue and you havesomething to say on this search the web for articleswith a comment function. You could put a commentsupportive of CAAT on the article and if appropriatea link to the CAAT website. You might also want tokeep an eye on YouTube for videos to comment on.If commenting please remain polite at all times andmake sure you’ve got your facts right.

Publicise events and actions

If you want to spread the word about a particularaction or promote an event you can post or sendinformation to activist websites such ashttp://www.indymedia.org.uk andhttp://www.schnews.org.uk. Don’t forget to add itto CAAT’s events pages to by [email protected].

More ideas

Setting up a website

If you decide you need your own website for acampaign, consider the type of information you willbe presenting and the aims of the website. Whowill be using it? For what purpose? Does it need acommunity feel? A good way to judge what bestsuits your needs is to explore other people’s sites.

Maintaining your online presence

It is important to keep updating and promoting youronline presence. Keep contact details up-to-date,post any news and email your group any newdevelopments. Widen your network by researchingpeople online who you think would be interested inyour campaign. Write contact emails to themoutlining your goals, and establish a database ofeveryone who has become involved in your work.Then include them in your next email bulletin so youcan keep growing your network.

Personalise your presence

Utilise the interests of local activists to personalisecampaigning on the web. For example, onemember of London CAAT used map site Platial tocreate the London Arms Trade Map(http://platial.com/map/London-Arms-Trade/24406), which has been seen over 3,000times, won the 2007 Platial and Frappr award inthe ‘Activism’ category and been copied onto othersites.

Have any more ideas on how to campaign forCAAT online? Email [email protected]



Raise moneyAs a campaigning organisation rather than acharity, we rely heavily on our supporters to helpsustain our work. In fact, around 80% of ourfunding comes from supporter donations.

You can help us by organising a fundraising eventin your area – not only will the money you raiseenable us to keep the campaign alive, it’s anothergreat way of introducing people to our work.Anything from a coffee morning to a sponsored skydive will help bring in the money to support CAAT.In the past CAAT supporters have cooked dinner forfriends in exchange for donations, organised a saleof unwanted Christmas presents and run marathons.Or you could simply organise a collection!Remember, whatever you organise, it should be fun!

If you are thinking of organising a fundraising eventit’s worth talking to CAAT’s fundraiser, SallyCampbell, as she will have lots of good advice andtips. Contact her direct at [email protected] or byphoning 020 7281 0297.


Above Raise money and awareness at the sametime – supporters in Nottingham organised thisDemo club night

Organising a club nightCharlotte Manicom found a way toraise awareness, fundraise and puton a great night out all at the sametime!

“Nottingham is the home of “Demo”,a club night organised to raisemoney for various charities andpolitical causes, which we hope gives

an ethical facelift to Nottingham’s night life.Every month, by consensus decision-making, wedecide to look at a particular issue, eitherbecause we wish to raise the profile of a localcampaign, or because we have beenapproached for money. For the month of Marchwe decided to focus on the Arms Trade.

Each month the club is decorated for theparticular theme, and the venue, which beginsthe day as a few black rooms, is transformedwith banners and decorations into a cave ofrainbow colours and swirling messages. We holdpainting sessions for banners, with messages like:

“Beats not bombs”, “All the arms we need” andvarious facts intertwined with images.Meanwhile, other members of the demo crewcreate “Notes”. Notes are photocopied sheets offacts handed out to everyone at the door and areworks of art in themselves. For the anti-arms tradenight the Notes showed a decorated diagram offacts and ideas on the arms trade, with relatedevents, internet links, possible actions and charityinfo hidden in the flowers and patterns.

Once in, Demo is a crazy night, with rooms ofmellow acoustic acts to dub step DJs or livereggae bands, poetry reading in the cafe,freestyle drumming out in the fairy light tent...and all in good spirit for a brilliant cause. Thisformat of an eclectic club night provides aplatform both for local up and coming artists andcurrent issues which many of those attendingmight not usually think about. It allows anoutpouring of ideas and inspiration from youngpeople motivated by these issues and, (hopefully),some of this is transferred to people who come!

Entry to Demo costs £5 and we raised around£500 for CAAT.


Usefulinformation

Information andresearchCampaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) 0207281 0297; www.caat.org.uk – we have reports,press archives and campaign information on ourwebsite. You can also contact the office to see if wehave more research on a particular topic in ourlibrary.

British American Security InformationCouncil (BASIC) 0207 324 4680;www.basicint.org – an independent research andadvocacy organisation working towards a peacefulworld.

Stockholm International Peace ResearchInstitute (SIPRI) +46-8-655 9700; www.sipri.org– researches issues of conflict and co-operation.

Scientists for Global Responsibility (SGR)01303 851965; www.sgr.org.uk – promotes ethicalscience and technology; carries out researchincluding on military issues.

Related campaignsConscience 0870 777 3223;www.conscienceonline.org.uk – peace taxcampaign.

International Action Network on SmallArms (IANSA) 0207 065 0870; www.iansa.org– network of 800 groups working in 120 countriesto stop the proliferation of small arms.

Landmine Action 0207 820 0222;www.landmineaction.org – co-ordinates UKcampaigning against anti-personnel mines.

Training

Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) 0207281 0297; www.caat.org.uk – CAAT can offerspeakers and workshops for our groups.

Seeds for Change 0845 458 4776;www.seedsforchange.org.uk – free or low-costtraining for groups.

Turning the Tide 0207 663 1064; www.turning-the-tide.org – a programme of Quaker Peace andSocial Witness, produces journal, ‘Making Waves’,and runs workshops on non-violence and socialchange.

Alternatives to Violence 0207 324 4757www.avpbritain.org.uk – workshops on resolvingconflict without resorting to violence.


Left Use street theatre to make your point – thisaction at BAE System’s AGM questioned what theywere ‘sweeping under the carpet’


Yes, I want to get involved!PLEASE TICK BOX

Please send me more details about being a CAAT Local Contact

Please let me know if there is a Local Contact or CAAT Group in my area

I can’t be a CAAT Local Contact at this time, but I can distribute CAAT materials in my local area.Please put me on the list to receive local campaigners mailings

Name ________________________________ Address ______________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ Postcode ____________________

Telephone ________________________________ Email _____________________________________________

Remove form and post to: Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT), 11 Goodwin Street, London N4 3HQ,or email us at [email protected]


Above Stigmatise the arms trade – Reed Elseviersold the DSEi arms fair after CAAT’s campaignwhich included this die-in outside their offices


Wanted:LocalcontactsLocal contacts are the life-blood of CAAT. They arekey for raising awareness of the arms trade at alocal level, whether on the high street, in theircommunity, or through other related campaigngroups. They are our link with MPs in theirconstituency and our way of challenging armscompanies where they operate. They can also helpbring local CAAT supporters together to take actionas a group.

Could you be a CAATLocal Contact?

We always need people to be CAAT local contacts.Don’t feel that you wouldn’t be experienced enoughto undertake the work. Most local contacts growinto the role after a short time. All that’s needed is abit of spare time and a commitment to end the armstrade.

If you are interested, tick the box on the reply formon page 18 and we will send you some moredetails. Alternatively you can email us([email protected]) or ring us at the office fora chat (020 7281 0297).

Remember, it may well be that someone else in yourarea is also thinking about doing something aboutthe arms trade and we could put you in touch.Working together means we can have an evenbigger impact and is more enjoyable.

Four Local Contactsdescribe what they do

Romey Chaffer, Durham

CAAT is one of the organisations supported byPeace Action Durham. At the monthly meetings Igive a report on CAAT activities which is includedin the minutes that are sent to all members, and Iask members to write letters, or take part in onlinepetitions, when requests arise . We have stalls inDurham Market Place when we talk to as many

shoppers as possible, and CAAT materials areavailable. Material is also made available on thestall at the annual Durham Miners’ Gala, wheremany people have lively debates amongst the hot-dog stalls and Miners’ Banners. We are providingmaterial for a “Peace Workshop Day” organised byDurham University Students this summer.

Roger Knight, Bexleyheath

I lobbied my MP at the House of Commons. I hadnot done this before, although we had exchangedmany letters.

My MP is Conservative, so I was well prepared foropinions very different to my own. I had a list ofquestions and points and was determined to workthrough them and not be side-tracked. My MP wasvery pleasant but most emphatic that the DESOoffice should not be closed and that arms should besold anywhere they were needed. Following themeeting I wrote a letter of thanks. Later when theclosure of DESO was announced I wrote to thePrime Minister thanking him and sent a copy to myMP.

Although I realise one visit was unlikely to changehis mind, I do consider meeting my MP has helpedto forge a cordial relationship. This may open thedoor to more constructive dialogue with him aboutthe arms trade in future.

Monica Pearce, Bath

In Bath we hold CAAT actions as part of Bath StopWar Coalition. We have a weekly anti-war vigil onSaturday mornings outside Bath Abbey, and afterhearing of the amazing success of the BAE/Saudibribery judicial review, we made the vigil focus theBAE bribery inquiry. We already had lots ofplacards from the previous BAE vigil and gave outpostcards to send to Gordon Brown to demand there-opening of the inquiry. We always include CAATcampaigns and updates in our local CND/CAATnewsletter and also in our Bath Stop War emailbulletin. Some of our members joined the ‘ShutDESO’ demo in London. We also had a publicmeeting on the BAE bribery scandal, addressed bya CAAT speaker.

Penny Walker, Coventry

We have a regular information stall on the thirdSaturday of every month from 10 til 12 noon.Annually we run a workshop each year in PeaceMonth and have a stall at the two day LeamingtonPeace Festival in June. We support the excellentactions at Warwick University and get down toCAAT national demonstrations in London. Streettheatre has worked well in the past and we’rehoping to get that started again. We wouldwelcome support with that!



Whycampaignwith CAAT?

‘CAAT is a frisky minx of an NGO who have donemore good than harm for the world we live inand more harm than good to the arms dealers. Ilove them. These folk do serious business.’Mark Thomas, comedian and activist

‘CAAT are David against the arms industries’Goliath. BAE showed how seriously they viewCAAT by repeatedly paying for spies to snoop onthe campaigners. We should all take CAAT just asseriously, by showing our support for thisexcellent organisation.’Solomon Hughes, journalist and author of War onTerror Inc

Left Engage the public – this group proved publicdistaste for the arms trade with an ‘opinionnaire’ ontheir stall

Campaign Against Arms Trade11 Goodwin StreetLondon N4 3HQ

Tel: 020 7281 0297Fax: 020 7281 4369Email: [email protected]: www.caat.org.uk


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