Award-winning international campaigner to speak at our biggest and most inspiring event of the year

Karen Liebenguth

15 March 2011

My colleague Joanna Watson and I are part of the group organising our biggest event of the year. It happens in September and it's for and about our local groups and their amazing campaign work.

It's also the one and only time people involved with Friends of the Earth come together in one place for two days: local groups, staff, volunteers, and Board members as well as colleagues from our international network.

Needless to say it's also the most inspiring event of the year. I always come away amazed by what local groups achieve, their many talents, the diversity of people coming together - and their ingenuity when it comes to bringing about change in the name of the environment.

But this get-together isn't just about intense lobbying and campaigning. It's also about finding out about each other's work, chatting, learning new things, and, last but not least, having a lot of fun.

This year's conference will be in Nottingham from 9-11 September. Planning is already in full swing and we're very happy to announce that Nnimmo Bassey, Chair of Friends of the Earth International, will be one of our keynote speakers.

Recently awarded the 'alternative Nobel Peace Prize' - the Right Livelihood Award - for his work in Nigeria, here's how Nnimmo has described the struggle for democracy across the world:

"The context may be different, but the content is the same. My struggle is your struggle. My humanity is your humanity. My fight is your fight. When we have had a good dream, it is not the time to sleep. We must resist, mobilise and transform."

We'll keep you posted about the unfolding of this year's programme. It already feels very exciting.

Joanna Watson & Karen Liebenguth, Local Groups Conference Team