Watch…..Hannah Arendt, (14 October 1906 – 4 December 1975)   a  fictionalised account of the life of Hannah Arendt by acclaimed German filmmaker Margarethe von Trotta. Hannah was a philosopher and political theorist who reported on the war crimes trial of Nazi Adolf Eichmann for the New Yorker magazine. She was of German Jewish background who fled Germany during the Second World War. She was probably ahead of her time in her reporting of the Eichmann trial and in recognising as she described it “the banality of evil”, criticising the authority of the court and of some Jewish leaders who collaborated with the Nazis. This did not go down well in 1961 and her articles and books were attacked by the establishment.  To get the full story it is probably better to read her book Eichmann in Jerusalem: A Report on the Banality of Evil. Von Trotta should be commended for trying to dramatise the life of a complex character who should be better known.See

Go and see… an exhibition in Leeds 1st October to 30th November. 100 Years of Activism – Women in Science and Technology. It has been put together by Feminist Archive North. The exhibition features a rich collection of fascinating materials from campaigns and initiatives from the Women’s Engineering Society (established in 1918) through the WISE campaign of 1984 to the Bradford based UK Resource Centre (1991).

Who was Caroline Herschel? Jane C Wright? Rosalind Franklin? Should we know who they were? As 18th century astronomer, physician and pioneer chemotherapist, and unsung biophysicist colleague of double helix discoverers Crick and Watson, they are but three of the many women high achievers but unacknowledged in the field of science and technology for centuries up to the present.

http://www.feministarchivenorth.org.uk/index.htm

Location:
The Brotherton Room
Special Collections
1st Floor, Brotherton Library
Parkinson Building
University of Leeds

 Celebrate…Black History Month and attend one of the few political events. Author and historian Marika Sherwood comes to Salford on Friday 4 October at 2pm to give a Black History Month talk at the Working class Movement Lbrary on “Struggles in Manchester before and after the 1945 Pan African Congress”.Africans have lived in the Manchester area at least since the late 18th century and have struggled against racism and for freedom and independence for their countries of origin for at least the past 100 years – perhaps culminating in the Pan-African Congress of October 1945, which was held in Manchester.The Congress scarcely got a mention in the British press at the time but history has shown it to be a crucial occasion which inspired many to action, and gave ‘a voice to the voiceless’. Marika Sherwood’s book Manchester & the 1945 Pan-African Congress has been reprinted and will be available for  purchase. 

For details of other events see http://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/manchester-black-history-month/4567385511

Go to…Derby Peoples History Group on Wednesday 16th October at 730pm: Open Organising Meeting at Friends Meeting House. Their future events include

Saturday 12th October Derby Coop with Tanya Moon, Derby Museum 11am.

 Tuesday 26th November A Cruel Silence: The Silk Mill and sabotage

Tuesday 14th January 2014  Heritage Lottery Funding/War and Peace Group

Thursday 1st May Rededication of Blue Plaque

Saturday 21st June: Derby Procession of Conscientious Objectors and Suffragettes

http://www.derbypeopleshistory.co.uk/

Find out about scripwriting….Tuesday evening, 6.30-8.30 pm 1st October 2013 at the WFA, Manchester.

Storytelling for Starters– a p2p masterclass with Faisal A Qureshi

At this peer-to-peer masterclass, editor, director and award winningscript writer Faisal A Qureshi will  present an introduction to script writing – including the basics of story telling, character and narrative development, creating outlines and layouts, the essential do’s and don’ts.

There is no charge for  BECTU members or individuals on the BECTU ‘student register’ who attend.

Non members are invited as well and will be charged £10.00.(Concessions) £5.00

Book here http://storytelling4starters.eventbrite.co.uk/

Buy Hovis again….one of the smallest union, the Bakery and Food Allied Workers Union has won in a dispute at Premier Foods (Hovis) in Wigan. The management had tried to bring in zero hours contracts which would push down wages and increase insecurity amongst workers. After 2 weeks of strike action, supported by mass pickets at 2am each strike day and the support of local people in Wigan, the management and union have agreed a deal which will mean  that future production will be covered from overtime and “banked hours” by members of the full-time 400-strong workforce. BFAWU regional organising secretary, Pauline Nazir, said “The sense of solidarity among the workers has been absolutely brilliant. “It makes you see why you’re a member of a trade union and why our parents told us to join a union.”

A lesson for everyone on a zero hour contract….something like 5 million workers!!!!!