Christian Council for Monetary Justice MINUTES of the CCMJ AGM Preparatory Meeting No 2 held on Wednesday 1st June 2016 from 4pm at Friends House Euston.
1. PRESENT: John Courtneidge (chair), Gian Andreone, Simon Mouatt (via Skype), Mary Fee (notes). Apologies: Peter Challen, Janos Abel.
2. MINUTES of the meeting held on Wednesday 4th May were accepted, with the omission of the term “Steering Group” and under 10.3 “Steering Group” changed to “Core Group”.
3. MATTERS ARISING FROM THE MINUTES
Re: 4.3. Gian reminded us to view prior to the next meeting the transcript and/or video of the House of Commons debate on Thursday 20th Nov 2014 about Money Creation and Society: – see http://comer.org/content/UK_MoneyCreation.htm – and video (two and a quarter hours): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBSlSUIT-KM
Re 9.2. Structure of CCMJ in relation to ICUK: Simon had phoned Peter prior to the Global Table he was planning to attend on 18th May, and decided to postpone his visit. John went on 25th May – his report of this and a follow-up conversion with Peter, informed the discussion which followed.
Re 10.1 Mary had attended a meeting on 23rd May organised by Globalnet21 on behalf of John McDonald, on Universal Basic Income, http://www.meetup.com/GlobalNet21/events/229122956/ and had taken the opportunity to speak briefly to him, mentioning LETSlink and CCMJ. He warmly invited her to contact him to arrange a meeting ASAP with representatives of CCMJ to share their ideas for economic reform.
4. CONSIDERATION OF ISSUES
4.1 Inclusivity: Notes of the 2015 Annual Appraisal indicated a clear wish from attendees for more open participation. However, software installed in 2009 which would have enabled members to share profiles, location and contact details of with each other for the purposes of local networking had never been used, and following the 2015 appraisal, a discussion list had been installed, but not initiated, nor had facilities on the new wordpress site enabling posts to be submitted and commented on. Thus it was felt that failure to enable participation, had been a more important factor than “institutional drag” in failure of the organisation to make much impact, and members of the group were keen to remedy this as soon as possible to enable as many members/associates to participate in the Annual Appraisal.
4.2 Structure: All those present shared a sense of profound discomfort at the inconsistency of intention expressed in several messages we had received – reproduced in CCMJ-2016-Appraisal-Emails – from Peter’s email of 7th March giving associates a deadline of 31st March to respond before taking them off the list – to the message of 15th May cancelling the appraisal meeting on 14th May – to his own contribution to the appraisal, only submitted the night before our first meeting so that members had not had time to absorb it – to his latest with the offer “Should the Wednesday pm cell decide to become a focus for re-appraisal of USURY today….” ie a sub-group of ICUK – with responses from members of this group. Despite the inconsistency in what was proposed in the Emails, all agreed to persevere in finding a way for CCMJ to continue as an independent entity.
4.3. Funding: Members were also concerned by the current lack of transparency in the financial affairs of CCMJ, and it was agreed to contact the last Treasurer, Desmond to ascertain his views, and whether he might assist us in getting accounts made up to date for the AGM.
5. NEXT ACTIONS:
5.1 Minutes of this meeting and the one held on 5th May to be circulated to all those involved in the appraisals, asking for any objections to widening the opportunity to participate in discussions to the full CCMJ list.
5.2 John to follow up on his suggestion regarding asking Peter Challen to write up the history of CCMJ.
5.3 John to contact Desmond Cumberland regarding CCMJ’s financial records and his willingness to remain involved.
5.4 Mary to help Peter to install skype, and attempt a practice session for the next meeting.
5.5 Meanwhile, tidying up of CCMJ website to be continued, as a team effort.
6. NEXT MEETING: as Simon was not available on the first Wednesday, it was agreed to meet on Tuesday 5th July 2016 at 4pm, at Friends House, Euston
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DRAFT AGENDA for next meeting – to be held on Tuesday 5th July 2016 at Friends House
1. Minutes and Matters Arising
other than those already on the agenda, including reports on the outcome of Actions agreed.
2. Structural Issue:
2.1. To consider Michael’s input (carried forward from June) and formulate a response.
2.2. Homework needed in advance: To review messages including Peter’s input to the 2016 Appraisal: CCMJ-2016-Appraisal-Emails and share any further thoughts on the way forward, including relationship and input to Global Table and Matters in the Air, with Peter continuing as Global Table moderator.
2.3. Homework needed in advance: To use a process submitted by Gian Andreone for moving forward with the objectives of (a) contributing to making Labour a credible opposition; and (b) creating a set of monetary reform proposals attractive to the electorate in time for the next election (whenever it is called). Suggested Process:
1. Review Backbench Business: Money Creation and Society: Today’s House of Commons debates — Thursday 20th November 2014: http://comer.org/content/UK_MoneyCreation.htm – video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EBSlSUIT-KM
2. Each participant proposes up to 3 monetary reform proposals (including any not mentioned in the House of Commons debate); up to two advantages; and up to two disadvantages.
Procedure:
1. The submissions are recorded as each of us speak and verifies the accuracy with each proposer.
2. We review the submissions by selection criteria: a. By Popularity; and b. By Paradigm Shift (evidencing strong creative thinking).
3. We all contribute to the production of the final (simplified) document.
4. The original (raw) document is preserved on the website as a learning tool (read-only access).
5. The final (simplified) document forms the basis of dialogue with John McDonald.
This method should demonstrate that CCMJ (or its successor) is an evolving trusted name for impartial research at the political level in monetary reform.
2.4. In light of the above, to note the footer on Matters in the Air, which was included as part of Peter’s Appraisal and suggest any updates to this, at least to add a group contact email (see below).
1. The Christian Council for Monetary Justice [CCMJ] – is a wide ranging association of people examining enduring wisdom and contemporary evidence about money and its effect on society – utilising resources of wisdom from current evidence, scriptures, histories and evaluated publications to identify the deeper structural faults behind land [rent], money, lack of basic elements of very person’s inheritance of livelihood, and the over-powering by close boundaries with rigid and permanent hierarchies. It is not a membership organisation but an open association of explorers learning by collaboration and by shared evolving insights and possible actions. We long for more online reports, comments, questions etc. We dare to probe possible contemporary interpretations of the concept of the ‘Kin[g]dom of God; contributing to and learning from the specific formation of a political process, such as is being steadily evolved in ICUK described below http://www.ccmj.org
3. Practical Steps to Move Forward:
3.1 To note that in addition to info@ccmj.org, going to Peter and the webmaster, a forwarder group@ccmj.org, currently going to those who attended on 5th May (Simon, John, Gian, Janos, Mary), has now been set up and tested, and to consider who else to add to this.
3.2 . If not already done so to discuss how to initiate and moderate news@ccmj.org mailman list, incorporating the existing BCC list that Peter Challen uses, given that members will have received Peter’s annual appraisal message dated 3rd May 2016, and that Peter is currently collating responses to that.
3.3. To consider any individual invitations to become a member of the CCMJ revival group, In particular, to explore the implications of contacting Les Acklam assistant priest at St John’s Waterloo, who was recommended by Peter Challen in his latest message to John and Simon, cc Steve.
3.4. Consideration of liaising with other organisations (see Mary’s message of 14th June).
3.5. To consider the idea of a name change for the organisation.
4. AOB
5. Future Meetings:
5.1 Programme of Themed Meetings: To consider timing and venues for the meeting programme proposed, i.e., e.g. Rt Rev Dr Peter Selby, special advisor to St Paul’s Institute, and author of Grace and Mortgage: the Language of Faith and the Debt of the World, regarding use of the Crypt for themed meetings of CCMJ (and possibly the AGM).
5.2 Date and Venue for Annual Appraisal/AGM: To note that a venue has been found near to Euston station, the dates being held for an AGM, being 3rd, 10th and 24th (preferred) September, and to agree on action to be taken to confirm a date.
5.3 Date of next meeting of this Group
