THE WORLD
NEEDS YOUR VOICE

Our beloved Bob Marley beach and its local rastafari community are in danger. If the plans to build a new hotel on the beach go through, fisherfolk and prominent Rastafari family members who have lived in the community for more than 50 years will be displaced! Formerly known as Thomas Beach, it was the place where Bob, Peter and Bunny communed with a longstanding Rastafarian community and has been a refuge of the poor, soon to be locked away by private interests who may have flaunted the law and processes in pursuit of their profit. It is unfortunate and cruel if this were to be allowed to happen in secret and with apparent government complicity. Other islands, like Barbados, have passed laws that guarantee open access to all of their beaches for their citizens rich or poor. This is certainly an insult to the spirit and character of Bob Marley for whom the beach was named on his passing, and would see his Rastafarian family thrown into the street. Let’s come together from across Jamaica and the world, to demand that the Bob Marley beach stays public, and all beaches in the country are guaranteed free public access for all Jamaican people and friends. Sign and share the petition with everyone you know!

Plymouth City Council is planning to chop down the 129 beautiful mature trees that give life to our city centre! But after months of tireless campaigning by our group of Plymouth residents, the Council just agreed to temporarily pause the felling, and open a "community engagement process". This is our chance to take the campaign to the finishing line, and we need your help. The engagement is closing in days. Add your name now to the urgent petition to save the trees – and Plymouth's school children will deliver our voices directly to the City Council. ============================== We all support regenerating our city centre. But we want the Council to present plans that respect and keep the well-established trees that make our city a wonderful place to live – rather than bulldozing them. These 129 trees are a real asset to the city. They cover Armada Way, a broad pedestrianised street that runs through the heart of Plymouth. Plus, it’s been proven that established urban trees are key for providing shade, urban cooling and water absorption, as well as improving air quality, and even reducing crime and improving sales for the local shops. That’s why the local residents have been fighting tooth and nail to save the trees from the Council’s chainsaws. They’ve been patrolling the trees day and night, handing out flyers, attaching knitting and ribbons to the trees, and their petition has now gathered thousands of signatures! But with days until the community engagement closes, we need to up the pressure and send a clear message to the Council: People from Plymouth and beyond stand against this tree massacre. Sign and share this petition with everyone you know! (For more information follow our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/strawplymouth or visit our website at https://strawplymouth.com)

The very identity of SIKKIMESE has been struck down by this verdict. Calling Sikkimese as foreigners is not the main issue. The issue is us original Sikkimese are losing our rights in favour of people who are just residents and not citizens of Sikkim. Today they have gained exemption, tomorrow they'll ask for jobs, licenses, lands. Are we going to allow that? We merged with India because they assured us our rights will be protected. This verdict has failed the guarantee that the Constitution had provided us. We will fight until the wrongs are corrected.