ICAHD UK Shames NSPCC for accepting money from JCB during London projection
Graphic footage of JCB bulldozers demolishing Palestinian property has been projected onto a wall next to the NSPCC’s London office to highlight that the NSPCC has accepted £5 million in donations from JCB despite the latter's bulldozers being routinely used to destroy homes, water infrastructure and animal shelters. Olive groves are also ripped up. They are also used to build illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land – both of which are war crimes.
ICAHD UK commissioned a specialist film unit to expose the use of JCB bulldozers in the devastation of Palestinian lives and livelihoods. Read details of the campaign via this link and view the video here. Another projection next to a busy road in Battersea focused on JCB's complicity in human rights violations.
Campaigners Demonstrate at NSPCC and JCB – 6th April 2021
Despite the cold, committed activists carefully participated in demonstrations on 6th April which focus on two of our campaigns within the UK. One calls for Britain’s largest children’s’ charity, the National Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) to sever its tie with the Bamford family who manufacture JCB equipment used in the demolition of Palestinian homes. The other is pointed directly at JCB demanding that it stipulates that its bulldozers, supplied to its Israeli agent Comasco, are not used for demolitions which violate international law. A full report on the two demonstrations featured in this article were published by The Canary here.
If you would like to organize an action where you live, contact Sharen Green at sharen_eappi@msn.com who is available to provide guidance.
How safe are Palestinian children? - NSPCC Day of Action - 4th March 2021
Along with our coalition partners, a Day of Action was held on 4th March, the day of the NSPCC national conference.
“Every child has the right to grow up safely”
… say the NSPCC, in advertising their 4th March conference: HowSafe2021
Every child? Including Palestinian children, right? Apparently not.
The NSPCC takes money from JCB, knowing that their equipment is sold to be used to demolish Palestinian homes, illegal under international law
All concerned about child protection were invited to join our day of action on 4th March to call on the NSPCC to stop doing this. Details of the actions taken may be found here.
In their advert, NSPCC asserted ‘Every Child has the Right to Grow up Safely’, and our campaign asked ‘How Safe are Palestinian Children?’ Our demand was that NSPCC stop taking money from JCB because the values of the company are totally at variance with the stated values of the charity.
This day reflected a brilliant national collective response to JCB and to the NSPCC, a charity which chooses to accept that firm’s money, despite full knowledge of the company’s tarnished reputation.
Campaign supported by the Shoal Collective; BIN; ICAHD UK; Social Work Action Network;
UK Palestine Mental Health Network; PSC England and Wales, Scottish PSC.
Read about our postcard campaign during which 3,000 postcards were sent to NSPCC
JCB is a very profitable family-owned firm and has donated at least £5 million to the NSPCC. Despite several polite letters sent by ICAHD UK supporters and by Protecting Palestinian Families, the NSPCC refused to sever its link with JCB. The next step was to get even more people involved by sending postcards to NSPCC to persuade it not to take tarnished money. 3000 postcards were sent to NSPCC - more details are available here.
Our Petition to tell the NSPCC to stop accepting JCB's Money attracted 1,818 signatures
'Dear NSPCC,
You do a great job for British children, but you don’t seem to care about Palestinian children. You accept millions from JCB, a company whose equipment makes life a misery for children in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, who live under a brutal military regime.
You are aware that JCB sells bulldozers to its Israeli partner, Comasco, knowing that the equipment is used to demolish the homes, schools and water sources of Palestinian children. You know that the bulldozers rip up fruit trees and animal shelters, plunging already homeless families into poverty.
You know that JCB has exhibited its wares at arms fairs. You also know that Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights have launched a formal complaint against JCB for its breach of five human rights obligations under OECD Guidelines. The UN has identified JCB as complicit in human rights violations in the West Bank, yet you refuse to sever your links with JCB.
NSPCC is risking its reputation by accepting money from JCB – please stop now!'