December 2022

DSEI – one of the world’s largest arms fairs – returns to London in September 2023 Get ready to join in the resistance to DSEI 2023. StopDSEI from 12-15th September 2023! Every two years, the global arms trade comes to London. Over the years this has been a key theme for SPEAK days of action and in more recent years SPEAK artists have taken part in Art the Arms trade in the run up. It was was the campaign theme of our Peace Festival we organised a few years back. Many of SPEAK partner groups and sister networks take part in this and we really want to encourage and support the Network to stay active in this important campaign. We are hoping to do a get together and a prayer session together in September 2023 as part of the action.
SPEAK is Turning 25 in 2023!! 25 years anniversary of SPEAK either in April 2023 when it will be 25 years since the first ever SPEAK meeting! September 2023 when in twill be 25 years since the first ever Pray and Post that we produced in September 1998 on refugees and asylum seekers right in UK!!  Join us in the exciting Journey of catalysing some new resources, actions and reflections for social justice! Read about our journey and track record here: www.speak.org.uk/about-us/history-track-record
he UK Government Needs to ACT NOW TO prevent the energy crisis becoming a DEBT crisis As the colder months draw in, our cost of living crisis shows no signs of abating, with inflation continuing to rise much faster than wages and benefits. That’s little surprise given how long it has been in the making, driven by the structural inequalities of power and wealth that leave millions of people insecure and exposed to economic shocks. Even before this crisis, the household debt which weighs down people on the lowest incomes was on the rise. This year, with average household income now due to fall by an unprecedented 1.5-2.25%, that debt crisis will be worsening as people are forced to juggle bills, delay payments, and borrow more to try to make ends meet. Despite the introduction of the Energy Price Cap Guarantee average bills are set to almost double from £1,277 in March to £2,500 in October. After a decade and a half of falling incomes, this remains too high for a significant proportion of UK households to absorb. That means even more people being pushed into energy debt.