Medsin's Campaign Against the Arms Trade
NEWSFLASH! Are Reed really pulling out of the Arms Industry?
Shocking news in the last couple of days has led us to believe that Reed Elsevier are dragging their heels over the commitment they made in June 2007 to disengage from organizing arms fairs across the world.
After intensive campaigning on the part of the scientific, medical and NGO community in the first half of 2007, Sir Crispin Davis (CEO) announced on the 1st of June 2007 that the company would be selling the part of its business that organises arms fairs across the world, including the DSEi biannual arms fair in London. He committed the company to withdrawing from the arms trade by the end of 2007 . Not only has this not happened, but sources tell us that the company still plans to be involved in hosting DSEi 2009.
Why is Reed Elsevier dragging its heels on this issue? Did they ever intend to withdraw from the arms trade? When exactly do they plan to wash their hands of their involvement in a trade that brings death to vulnerable populations and results in underinvestment in health and other social services in developing countries?
If you're passionate about this campaign and want answers to these questions get in touch with us now.
NEWSFLASH! Reed Elsevier to pull out of arms fair business!
Congratulations Medsin Campaigners! Reed Elsevier on the 1st of June that they would no longer be involved in organising arms fairs. Medsin was one of the organisations involved in this campaigning success.
In a statement, Chief Executive of Reed Elsevier Sir Crispin Davis, said "it has become increasingly clear that growing numbers of important customers and authors have very real concerns about our involvement in the defence exhibitions business. We have listened closely to these concerns and this has led us to conclude that the defence shows are no longer compatible with Reed Elsevier's position as a leading publisher of scientific, medical, legal and business content." Among those Sir Crispin 'listened closely to' were Medsin campaigners protesting inside and outside Reed Elsevier's Annual General Meeting this Spring.
The campaign was one by drawing attention to the incompatibility of Reed's role as a major publisher of healthcare information and its involvement in the sale of weapons damaging to human life and dignity.
- Healthcare professionals spoke out in The Lancet - Medsin included! Go here to view the article.
- GhAP member Edward Armstrong had a letter published in the Journal of The Royal Society of Medicine. To view the letter go here.
- Reed was deemed an unethical investment by the Rowntree Trust, who withdrew their shares in the company on ethical grounds.
- Leading academics also spoke out against the company's organisation of arms fairs, through open letters to The Times Education Supplement and through petitions.
- In March, 2006, a group of leading authors called on Reed as the organisers of the London Book Fair to stop organising arms fairs
- Protest was made at Reed's Annual General Meeting - Medsin were there! Inside, asking difficult questions of the Executives and outside, making lots of noise!
Arms Trade Now an Official Medsin Campaign
The national committee-initiaed campaign on the arms trade was ratified by the Medsin Spring General Assembly on the weekend of the 21st of April.
Jenny Jones and Nick Riches were elected as campaign coordinators.
The Arms Trade was also voted a Medsin priority campaign. Woo hoo.
Please get in touch with us if you're interested in helping us shape the campaign and step up the action.
Email armstrade@medsin.org to say hi and volunteer yourself for some hard work.
Things we are planning:
- We hope to make it to protest outside DSEi07 - an arms fair organised in London biannually. We've also received an invitation from an executive at Reed to attend the fair itself, with a personal tour!! Hrm....
- Continued work with Campaign Against the Arms Trade
- ???? You tell us....
Let's firm up the aims and objectives of the campaign. Are we calling for an end to the global trade in arms, tighter regulation or what???? Get in touch.
Images by Chris Graham - www.chrisgrahamphotography.co.uk
Aims of the Arms Trade Campaign
The Arms Trade Campaign set out with some initial aims. All current aims are subject to change as it is our hope that they will agreed upon by the group of Medsin members who become involved in the campaign.
- To educate students and the general public about the effects of the arms trade on health and the need for its abolition.
- To educate the scientific and medical community about the effects of the arms trade on health and the need for its abolition, and to secure their support in lobbying companies, institutions and the government.
- To continue to pressure Reed Elsevier to disengage from their involvement in the arms trade.
- To lobby the government to shut DESO (Defence Export Services Organisation). DESO is a government agency that identifies potential opportunities for arms sales, then works with the companies and other elements of government to push for deals. It focuses purely on arms company sales and profits and is uninhibited by ongoing conflicts, human rights abuses, or pressing development needs. Its position and role within Whitehall means that the arms industry's vested interests are relentlessly promoted across government.
- To engage Medsin members in calling for their universities to divest their shares in arms companies.
Since we were voted in at the SGA 2007 - two of these five objectives have been met and are now no longer valid!! So... where next with the campaign?
Get in touch to tell us what you think we should do: Jenny and Nick
Launching the Campaign
This weekend, members of Medsin's National Committee instigated a campaign on issues surrounding the arms trade. The decision was taken as a direct response to calls from Medsin's Patron Dr. Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, for the organisation to step up pressure on Reed Elsevier to encourage them to disengage in the global trade in arms. The company organises several international arms fairs, including the biannual DSEi arms fair in Londons Docklands. This is inconsistent with its role in publishing medical textbooks and journals, such as The Lancet. Horton made this call to action during a speech at Medsin's annual Global Health Conference in Newcastle.
The national committee are able to initiate two campaigns per year, which are then ratified at the next General Assembly by voting members of Medsin. We felt it was a golden opportunity to formally launch this campaign in response to Dr. Horton's speech.
Medsin have had increasing involvement in campaigning against the arms trade in recent months. Medsin members at the annual Global Health Conference protested against the global arms trade, calling for increased investment in health rather than weapons. A group then proceeded to the BAE Systems site in Newcastle after the conference to protest outside the gates. See the photos here
Medsin have recently had a letter published in The Lancet calling on Reed Elsevier to disengage from activities involving arms. The letter was written by Medsin's President and Secretary and was ratified by voting members on behalf of the whole organisation. The letter appeared alongside others from the Royal College of Physicians, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Doctors for Iraq, The People's Health Movement, Doctors for Human Rights and Medact. Full text is available here. Medsin was also mentioned in relation to this issue in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Full text available here
We need as many people to get involved with this campaign asap in order to step up pressure on Reed Elsevier and to continue our campaigning against the arms trade in general.
Please email Jen to get involved.
The Arms Trade campaign exists at
Recent photos from the Arms Trade campaign
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Last updated on Monday 15 December 2008 at 23:01
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