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Let's be friendsP&P Profile: Where are they now?
People & Planet has been around for over 35 years in one form or another. To celebrate this we will be profiling former members of P&P / Third World First groups or former staff members to see what they've been up to.
Jennie Bailey was an intern at P&P in 2004-05
Name: Jennie Bailey
When and where were you involved in People & Planet?
I’ve always been interested in environmental issues, since trying to convince our house to recycle as an annoying fifteen year old. In 2001 I was involved in various random environmental campaigns including the small but passionately earnest P&P group at the University of Manchester. I learned more about P&P when I was an intern there from 2004 to 2005!
What are you doing now? How did you get there?
I’m currently a member of the Corporate Watch Workers’ Co-operative. Corporate Watch is a small research organisation based in Oxford that focuses on exposing the nefarious activities of big business and challenges corporate power. I’m currently doing research into positive alternatives to privatisation which I’m really excited about. As to how I got here, well I just hung around in Oxford after the internship as it’s such a lovely city. I originally applied to be the finance worker, I’m still really chuffed that everyone wanted me to be part of the co-operative. It’s hard work and the pay isn’t great but it’s doing something I really believe in, and there are no bosses.
What impact has being involved with P&P had on your career?
The internship at P&P was a steep learning curve for me; I was in the Sixth Form Outreach Team delivering workshops on Fairtrade. Global trade issues were only something I’d really heard talked of in very black and white terms (i.e. WTO = bad, IMF = bad), without really understanding the organisations behind the acronyms or being able to defend my beliefs succinctly. I now feel that I can defend my political beliefs but I admit that I’m still learning all the time. I think that people involved in the ‘P&P family’ will always stay aware of global issues. In a way, I think for many people that P&P is like taking the red pill; once you know this stuff, there’s no going back.
What inspired you to start campaigning?
It was direct action around the proposed construction of the Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan pipeline that really got me into environmental activism. I am constantly inspired by ongoing actions in the UK, but particularly in the Americas where people are fighting back against oppression and privatisation.
Describe your most memorable P&P experience.
The P&P barrio at the G8 in 2005; it was a week that was emotional, incredibly annoying, and absolutely amazing.
What do you think is the most pressing issue in the UK today?
Climate change: we’re seriously screwed if we don’t take action on it.
What do you think about commentators labelling young people today as ‘apathetic’? What can be done to get more young people involved in campaigning?
I don’t believe in apathy! I think it’s a construct dreamed up by lazy journalists and politicians. I did a couple of days volunteering in a local school in a quite economically-deprived area of Oxford. The kids there were fantastic: bright, sarcastic, and incredibly funny. But some of them said that they felt that they had nothing really to look forward to apart from shopping on Saturday, and that school is ‘dead boring’. I think challenging the education system is one thing and encouraging participation of different activities including global issues and social change, and incorporating different ways of learning for empowering young people (a conversation I could bore you all with for hours!). In higher education, there could be more encouragement and opportunities to not only get involved in P&P groups, but also be involved in community action and grassroots ventures.
What was the last film you watched?/book you read?
Last film I watched was The Edukators: a fun anti-capitalist movie that had some good questions on the nature and purpose of direct action. I tend to read three or four books at a time; a habit I picked up whilst doing my English degree! I’m currently reading: The Constant Gardener, Age of Consent, Bad Samaritans and a Murray Bookchin book I’ve forgotten the name of already!
What are your ambitions for the future?
The downfall of capitalism. Traveling the world sustainably. And improving my vegan cake-baking skills.
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