Simpol-UK Campaign Pack



The pack contains information, advice and resources to help in campaigning. The methods have been tried and adapted in Cambridge, where Adopters have persuaded their MP to sign the pledge to implement SP, have had a lot of local media coverage and are signing up new Adopters. The pack is a good starting point for anyone new to campaigning.

Having said that, we are all going through a learning process in promoting the SP campaign so your feedback is most welcome. If there is anything in the pack which is unclear or contradicts your own experience, please contact us. If there is information on a particular area that you would like to see included or other resources, again please let us know.

If you are interested in receiving a printed copy, they are available at a cost of £12 including UK postage and packing (click here).

For those who prefer accessing information in a different way, a training film is available on DVD and video for £10 including UK postage and packing (click here).

How do you want the world to be?
[Folding Leaflet, 2 sides A4, 157Kb]
Imagine a world where values matter, where leaders listen, where the strongest superpower is WE THE PEOPLE.

How can we the people get our leaders to listen to us and not just the rich and powerful? How can we make our values their values, values like:

fair trade and decent livelihoods

respect for life, health and environmental sustainability

true democracy - not "corporatocracy"

freedom, security and equal opportunity for all

zero tolerance for terror of all kinds - state terror and domestic tyranny included

unity in diversity among peoples, nations and cultures

an end to weapons of mass destruction and to war itself as an obsolete means of conflict resolution

Well, there is a way we can vote to make that happen...

Download 'How do you want the world to be?'

Contact Simpol-UK if you would like to receive printed copies of this leaflet in bulk for local campaigning.

The International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) is a growing association of citizens worldwide who use their votes in a coordinated, effective way to drive all nations to cooperate in solving our planetary crisis. ISPO goes beyond merely demanding greater political accountability by offering citizens a new way of restoring genuine democracy lawfully and peacefully, one vote at a time. In the UK, ISPO is represented by Simpol-UK.

Today, global markets and corporations so comprehensively overpower individual nations that no politician or political party dares make the first move to solve global problems for fear of putting their own nation at a significant economic competitive disadvantage. However good their intentions, governments feel bound to conform to a straitjacket of market- and business-friendly policies. That's why nothing changes except our global problems get worse...

Download 'Imagine a world...'

Simpol-UK and ISPO
Information sheet, 2 pages, 60Kb
Simpol-UK is a not-for-profit membership organisation. It is the UK partner in the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO).

It is free to join the Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign by registering as an SP adopter using the form overleaf. SP adopters can take part in developing, and ultimately approving, the Simultaneous Policy. SP Adopters are welcome to participate in their local SP Adopters' Group.

[...]

Simpol-UK is a member of the International Simultaneous Policy Organisation (ISPO) alongside other National Simultaneous Policy Organisations (NSPOs). Simpol-UK was the first NSPO. Other countries are at different stages of forming NSPOs. Some presently operate with only a national coordinator and a team of supporters, others are at an earlier stage still, only having individual adopters.

ISPO has the task of promoting and coordinating the campaign at an international level by producing information materials and supporting adopters in setting up NSPOs. ISPO members will elect a Global Policy Board which will have the task of steering the development of the Simultaneous Policy at a global level...

Download 'Simpol-UK and ISPO'

Raising awareness of SP
Campaign pack action sheet, 2 pages, 176Kb
For Simultaneous Policy Adopters to have clout at election time, there needs to be a lot of us. For the Simultaneous Policy to reflect the views of all sectors of society, it has to be widely known. For politicians to take it seriously, it needs to be on the news and on the lips of people in their constituency. In short, for SP to work, we need everyone to know about it. 'Raising awareness' is jargon of campaigning organisations for increasing the number of people who know about an issue and increasing understanding of it...

Download 'Raising awareness of SP'

Setting up a local SP Adopters' group
Campaign pack action sheet, 4 pages, 527Kb
The Simultaneous Policy (SP) campaign is democratic and inclusive. Everyone is invited to become an SP adopter by signing the Adoption pledge. All SP Adopters are encouraged to become involved in developing and ultimately approving the Simultaneous Policy package. By joining together in local SP Adopters' Groups or SPAGs, Adopters can achieve this and other aims. Simpol-UK will support SPAGs in a variety of ways.

[...]

You don't need a SPAG to campaign locally. If SP is little known in your area, you might be interested in raising awareness before attempting to set up a group. Perhaps there are places you can leave leaflets or put up a poster. Maybe a local festival or event will let you have an SP stall. You could send a letter to the local paper or phone the local radio station. Or maybe you would like Simpol-UK to arrange a speaker to explain SP to a group you belong to or a specially arranged meeting...

Download 'Setting up a local SP Adopters' group'

Developing the Simultaneous Policy
Campaign pack action sheet, 8 pages, 221Kb
The aim of the SP campaign is to sign up as many people as possible as SP Adopters and to involve them in developing and ultimately approving the global policies under which we are to live. The policy package will replace those currently negotiated between governments behind closed doors where business interests are too often put before human rights and the environment. The campaign also aims to compel our leaders to support the implementation of SP alongside other governments. The process of developing and approving the policy package is described here....
Download 'Developing the Simultaneous Policy'

Holding a policy forum
Campaign pack action sheet, 4 pages, 267Kb
The Simultaneous Policy (SP is being developed by SP Adopters around the world. Your local SP Adopters' Group (SPAG) can help Adopters enter into the process by holding policy fora, where possible policies for inclusion in the policy package are discussed. Holding a policy forum is also a great way to illustrate the potential of SP to address global problems and helps to attract new Adopters and to encourage politicians to support SP.

Why talk about policy? The starting point of SP is that governments have lost much of their power to govern as globalisation increasingly forces them to compete for investment and jobs. Politicians implement the policies demanded by business interests, putting environmental and human rights concerns into a poor second place. Rules governing international trade, environmental protection, human rights and so on are set behind closed doors where arm twisting by powerful vested interests carries more weight than argument.

SP puts we, the people, in control of policy setting in an open, transparent and democratic way. It enables us to decide how we want the world to be run, taking into account the views of our fellow human beings in other countries. Constructing a common vision promotes cooperation between nations and a world community...

Download 'Holding a policy forum'

Persuading politicians to sign the pledge to implement SP
Campaign pack action sheet, 4 pages, 152Kb
The time when Simultaneous Policy (SP) Adopters have maximum influence in encouraging politicians to sign the pledge to implement SP is during elections. However, SP adopters can encourage their elected representatives to sign up at any time. The sheet includes a draft letter.

Which politicians should sign? As the Simultaneous Policy addresses global issues, pledges are sought from politicians operating at national and international levels. In the UK this means members of the Northern Ireland and Welsh Assemblies and the Scottish and UK Parliaments. Members of the European Parliament are, by definition, dealing with international issues and so it is also important for them to sign the pledge. In this action sheet we will use the term 'elected representatives' or 'reps' to refer to all of these.

Local government representatives are not included in the effort to gain pledges as they will not vote on implementation of SP. However, as implementation will have an influence over local issues, just as international agreements as the World Trade Organisation impact at a local level, it is worthwhile informing members of local councils about SP and encouraging them to support it within their parties...

Download 'Persuading politicians to sign the pledge to implement SP'

Elections and candidates
Campaign pack action sheet, 2 pages, 27Kb
Simultaneous Policy (SP) Adopters pledge to vote for any candidate at elections, within reason, who pledges to implement SP alongside other governments when all, or sufficient, other governments have made the same pledge, or to encourage their preferred party to make the pledge. To qualify to receive the votes of SP Adopters, candidates are required to sign the candidate's pledge (see The candidates pledge form). To encourage candidates to sign the pledge, and to ensure SP supporting candidates are elected, campaigners need to develop a strategy for before and during elections.

[...]

Choosing who to vote for: Voting is conducted in the secrecy of the voting booth and no-one can dictate how someone votes. The Adoption undertaking is to vote for any candidate, within reason, who has signed the pledge to implement SP, or to encourage your preferred party to support SP. It is for each Adopter to decide whether a candidate is 'within reason' or other factors make it impossible to vote for them.

Given a choice of several SP-supporting candidates, Adopters could vote based on the other policies these candidates have for the more immediate term, policies for the period before SP is implemented. Though politicians are restricted in their action by the present global system, they will still run the country in different ways...

Download 'Elections and candidates'

Working with the media
Campaign pack action sheet, 4 pages, 317Kb
It is obvious that gaining media coverage for the Simultaneous Policy (SP) will help to increase awareness and support for the campaign. Working with journalists is most effective when it is appreciated that they are generally working to deadlines with many stories competing for their attention.

Know the media: Pick up a recent copy of a newspaper in your house. If you don't usually read the newspaper then you will have to buy one specially, realising as you do that many other people do not read newspapers.

Now think of what would make a good SP story. Perhaps a local politician has pledged to implement SP. Perhaps you are holding a policy forum. Perhaps Simpol-UK has published a new book showing how SP could help to tackle a global problem, such as climate change...

Download 'Working with the media'

Founding declaration and forms
Also supplied is a PDF version of Simpol-UK's founding declaration, a separate PDF of the candidates' pledge form and a handy sheet for recording contact details of adopters at events and meetings.

Download 'Founding declaration'

Download 'Candidates' pledge form'

Download 'Elected representatives' pledge form'

Download 'Contact sheet'

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