29 March 2007

Public meeting - Iraq Freedom Congress

On 2 April (Monday) Houzan Mahmoud, co-founder of the Iraq Freedom Congress, will be talking about the situation in Iraq. She has recently returned from the country and will report on the growing struggles of women and workers to build a secular resistance to both the US occupation and the militant political Islamic groups that are plunging Iraq into civil war. These struggles have included

· supporting workers' strikes (for example those in the oil industry and healthcare)
· supporting the protests of students and of the unemployed
· opposing the imposition of Sharia law and its implications for the oppression of women.
· appealing for international support against the US invasion.

Mahmoud is the representative abroad of both the Organisation of Women's Freedom in Iraq (OWFI) and the Federation of Workers' Councils and Unions in Iraq (FWCUI).

The IFC is based on popular networks of grass root neighbourhood centres where local people gather and organise their self-defence.

Public Meeting
Monday April 2nd 7.30 p.m.
Brighthelm Centre

SfEP AGM and 18th Annual Conference

The Society for Editors and Proofreaders is holding its AGM and 18th Annual Conference at the University of Sussex. Andrew Franklin, publsher and managing director of the multi-award winning Profile Books, will be giving the Whitcombe Lecture.
Other lectures include David and Helen MacDonald of Prepress Projects talking about typesetting skills for copy-editors, and Gill Davies, senior lecturer at the London College of Communication, will be discussing the challenges of being a commissioning editor. There will also be numerous workshops.
It is running from Monday 3 September to Wednesday 5 September. For more information go to http://www.sfep.org.uk/pub/confs/conf2007_advance.asp

20 March 2007

Argus subbing school

Hit the headline for a link to a Press Gazette story on a new subbing school at the Argus

16 March 2007

Be a welfare officer

HQ is looking for welfare officers to serve every branch and is holding a special conference on Saturday June 23 this year. We are being urged to send someone - any takers out there?

14 March 2007

What do you want to talk about?

This month's meeting is on Wednesday March 21 at The George in Trafalgar Street, Brighton. We're drawing up the agenda over the weekend.

So if you have anything you feel we should talk about or act upon please let us know and we can put whatever topic you like on the agenda.

13 March 2007

Annual Delegate Meeting

The final agenda for the meeting is now online at the main NUJ site - www.nuj.org.uk. Follow the links.

This month's meeting is now your only chance to influence union policy. Take a look at it, it's a lengthy read, and if anything gets your goat come to the meeting and state your arguments.

A vote of this month's meeting can instruct the three delegates - Rachael Glazier, Cath Quinn and Adrian Colley - to vote in certain ways on the motions.

For example, one motion asks the NUJ to organise a ballot on affiliating to the Keep the NHS Public campaign. We can be instructed to vote in favour or against this by a simple majority of the March meeting.

There are 191 and 12 late motions on the agenda. Click on the headline to take a look.

11 March 2007

Make your own radio show, plus other courses from CSV

Make Your Own Radio Show

The course takes place at CSV Media Clubhouse, in the same building as BBC Southern Counties Radio on Queen’s Road, Brighton. In just 10 weeks you’ll get to grips with:

Radio styles and basic radio theory; Digital audio editing using cool edit pro software; Learning / revisiting how to use minidisk kits; Interviewing; Making a feature; Including music and sound effects; scriptwriting for radio; presenting; Producing and programme scheduling

After 10 weeks you will have developed your own programme and have a show reel for potential employers to hear. Above all it means you will have the creative say-so in your own radio programme. The course will begin on Tuesday 27th March (to be confirmed) and will run every Tuesday evening from 6 – 9 pm, for a total of 10 weeks.

The course fee is just £150, payable up front, which helps CSV continue providing services for all our communities. First come first served basis. Contact Erin Prior or Alex Hawkey on 01273 720 894 or brightonclub@csv.org.uk.


Computer courses

Photoshop - learn the basic. Bring along your digital pictures or even an old photograph and unleash your creativity as you learn to edit, restore and even modify your pictures! Dates: 16th March/ 27th Apr

Microsoft Publisher - desktop-publishing programme enables you to quickly design, and publish, a variety of professional-looking publications like newsletters, posters, flyers, brochures, cards, etc. Dates: 23rd Mar/11th May

Digital Camera Workshop - one-day workshop introduces you to the basic features of digital cameras, shows you how to transfer your photos to a computer and provides tips on how to store, organise, enhance and share your digital photographs.
Bring your digital camera. Dates: 30th Mar/18th May

Dreamweaver - design, create and publish your own web page using Dreamweaver, the leading web development software. Dates: 3rd Apr

Adobe Audition - intuitive, easy-to-use digital audio editor provides the flexible, powerful tools you need to record, mix, edit, and master digital audio to professional standards. Dates: 9th Mar/1st June

All courses are at introductory level and best suited for those with little of no knowledge of the subject. However, a basic knowledge of using computers is essential. For more advanced courses or even beginner/refresher course in computers, please contact CSV Media Clubhouse, BBC Southern Counties Radio, 40 - 42 Queens Road, Brighton. Disabled Access available.

Timing: Fridays 10am to 4pm with lunch and tea/coffee breaks. Please arrive 10 mins. early.

Course Fee: £15 for each of the above courses - except Dreamweaver and Adobe Audition, which cost £20. Discounts available to those in receipt of benefit. The full fee is payable in advance by either cash or cheques in order to secure your place. note: Your fee is refundable only if we are notified of cancellation by 5pm on the Tuesday before your course.

Contact: Erin Prior or Alex Hawkey on 01273 720 894 or brightonclub@csv.org.uk

10 March 2007

Notes from Joanne Mallon's talk

Those of you who missed Joanne's excellent talk on negotiating rates at last month's NUJ meeting can email her at joanne@medialifecoach.com for a copy of her notes. She will be running a teleclass in the next couple of months on negotiating skills, for more information keep an eye on her website, www.medialifecoach.com, or email her for details.

09 March 2007

Iranian asylum-seeker wants experience

An Iranian asylum-seeker Amir, living in the Brighton area is looking for work experience to make use of his journalism skills and possibly gain some new ones. An internet publisher in his home country, he already has experience with web design, Photoshop and Pagemaker and is interested in learning about and working with Quark and Dreamweaver.

He has been denied a work permit but desperately wants to put his experience to good use through voluntary work. His English is very good though he is not fluent. Anyone who can help should contact us at nujbrighton@gmail.com and we can pass on an email for him.

08 March 2007

Workplace stress

Stress is one of the biggest health problems NUJ members face. Causes include long hours and shift work, lack of control, lack of job satisfaction, insecurity, fear of violence, bullying, bad relations with other work colleagues, problems with the working environment (such as noise, overcrowding and poor facilities), low pay, boredom and isolation. The NUJ has produced new guidance aimed at tackling stress in the workplace. This can be downloaded here: www.nuj.org.uk

07 March 2007

Anarchist films

From Hastings member Stuart Christie:

New films on the ChristieBooks Channel:

An Anarchist's Story
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=596410448

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=572020959

Discovering Treasure: making The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
http://www.brightcove.com/title.jsp?title=570487966

(NB - Please give the streaming videos time to load. If they don't start
playing immediately please be patient and give them a few minutes to load)

http://www.tvhastingschristiebooks.com

06 March 2007

March Searchlight

Another brain-bleeding read! March's mag available to first person to email us at nujbrighton@gmail.com

05 March 2007

Brighton&Hove Chamber of Commerce AGM

Brighton & Hove Chamber of Commerce is holding its AGM next Wednesday, 14 March at Fabrica art gallery in Brighton. Nick Lomax, architect of the Jubilee Library, will be speaking and a four-course meal will be served after a Champagne reception. It starts at 7pm and costs £39 for chamber members (£45 for non-members).

The AGM starts at 5.45pm and is free to members, with the reception starting at 7pm. This is a great oppportunity for those wishing to network with local businesses. Discounts are available for those booking a table. For more information go to www.businessinbrighton.org.uk.