Black Activists Rising Against Cuts. (BARAC) UK: PRESS RELEASE: ELBOW OUT EBOLA, CONFERENCE & GLOBAL DAY OF ACTION

Elbow Out Ebola is a new campaign initiated by BARAC UK and is chaired by Lee Jasper, Co-Chair of BARAC.

Sign up to the Elbow Out Ebola conference on 5th of December using the link below and support the global day of action.

PRESS RELEASE November 2014

Launch of Elbow Out Ebola Peoples Campaign

Background:

The Elbow Out Ebola Peoples Campaign is a newly established, broad based peoples movement, initiated by the UK based, Black Activists Against the Cuts (BARAC) movement. The campaign is made up of both grass roots organizations and individuals who have come together to explore what can be done to support global efforts to respond to the Ebola global medical emergency.

After a recent initial meeting in London, to explore the issues and after much discussion among individuals and organisations, it was agreed to formally establish and publicly launch this important people’s campaign.

We strongly believe that ordinary people can make a real difference to the lives of the people of West Africa. A global people’s movement was thought the best vehicle to both help raise much need funds for projects working directly on the ground and address the longer term political issue of driving sustainable development agenda in the region.

A Global Call to Action:

This is an urgent call out to the people of the world on behalf of the people of West Africa to come together in a grass roots people’s movement to aid the peoples of West Africa.

Governments will only do so much without political pressure from people. It’s vitally important that we ensure that the world is no doubt of our demand for increased action to respond to the current crisis and agree a longer term plan to establish a regional health network in West Africa.

Our goals are simple;

· To call for a Global Day of Peoples Action on Ebola to take place in the spring of 2015.

To campaign, lobby globally in partnership with others, to agitate, educate, Governments, institutions, agencies and civil society for concerted global action to one of the gravest medical emergencies the world has ever faced, the Ebola virus.
To campaign for a sustainable global development agenda for the establishment and creation of a regional health care system in West Africa.
To challenge the myths surrounding Ebola.

Elbow Out Ebola; A Global Emergency:

In Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia, people no longer shake hands when they meet and greet each other, preferring to avoid each other or to briefly touch elbows in an effort to avoid infection for Ebola.

Touching elbows has now become a local tradition in parts of West Africa, where the risk of Ebola contagion is high and is unique and poignant reminder of the devastating impact this virus is having in human relations.

We have adopted this greeting, as part of our campaign, as symbolic act of solidarity with the people of West Africa who are suffering and in dire need of our help.

Join the Elbow Out Ebola Campaign:

This campaign intends to give Ebola the Elbow by calling on people power, a global alliance of civil society, trade unions, faith groups, community organizations, businesses, schools and universities, in a global peoples coalition, to come together in a determined attempt, to lobby Governments, intergovernmental institutions, to hugely increase their individual emergency aid and longer term investment in West Africa.

What Activities Are We Engaged In?

The campaign meets weekly and has agreed;

Elbow Out Ebola International Conference on December 5^th from 9.00am – 5pm followed in the evening by a fundraising cultural evening, to take place at the Zanzibar Club, 291 Kirkdale, Sydenham, SE26 4QD

For more information and to book click here: Elbow Out Ebola Conference

We are also organizing a Global Day of Action in the spring of 2015 under the banner “We Love West Africa” and we are in the process of organising several cultural and fundraising events across the UK.

We need all the help we can get and are asking people to sign up and join us and volunteer to support the campaign. You can contact us here; info@elbowoutebola.com

Our Current Partners: