On the week of November 5th, which marked the one-year anniversary of the release of the #ParadisePapers, organisations from every region around the world joined to demand that our governments respond to #ParadisePapers by Making Multinationals Pay Their Share of Tax. Within the diverse activities comprised in the Global Days of Action, many civil society groups organised offline activities, to increase public pressure on governments around the world to end large-scale corporate tax dodging.
Tax Justice Network Africa’s Stop the Bleeding campaign members met with the African Parliamentarians Network Against Corruption (APNAC) in Dodoma, Tanzania, to follow up on the campaign, addressing Illicit Financial Flows and “poor or non-transparent fiscal governance which limits mining sector initiatives”.
In Peru, the national Budget Group met to discuss “Public spending and taxation”, together with Latindadd.
https://www.facebook.com/grupopresupuestoperu/
In the UK, Methodist Tax Justice Network campaigners stood outside the local branch of HSBC in Evesham Worcestershire, thanking whistleblower Herve Falciani for the revelations on HSBC Switzerland in February 2015.
In Bangladesh, which has had the highest rise in its ultra-wealthy population this year, 32 civil society groups led by Equity BD, in cooperation with TAFJA, organised a rally and human chain in front of the National Press Club in Dhaka on November 8.
In France, Attac organized two civil disobedience actions in front of Apple stores in Lyon (within a broader boycott campaign targeting iPhone) and in Paris (a new store being about to open on the Champs Elysées).
Attac activists also held a protest demonstration in Cannes, where a “Tax avoidance expo” was being held (officially named International Emigration and Luxury Property Expo). “A year after the Paradise Papers scandal, Attac spokesperson told the media, holding such an expo is shocking: how can we encourage the richest to escape taxation while the rest of the population pays their taxes? What a provocation!”.
In Bordeaux, CCFD-Terre Solidaire organized a “Long live the tax?” festival, consisting in 3 days of conferences (including a “gesticulated conference”) a tax safari, and a gala.
In Uganda, East-African students gathered at Makerere University for a rally on November 1st, which is celebrated as Youth Day in all the continent. Although the march was denied by the police, the students held a youth dialogue, where they discussed the importance of youth exploring spaces on tax justice. Representatives from Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda participated on the panel.
Celebration of the #AYD2018 at Makerere university. This dialogue brought students from some universities in Kampala, representatives from Tanzania, Burundi, the media and CSOs.
We now set out to walk the talk. #Youth4TaxJustice pic.twitter.com/TMz1SeZdCe
— Hazel Mwebesa (@HMwebesa) November 1, 2018
In Valencia, the Spanish platform for Tax Justice met for a strategy meeting on November 8th, with 6 regional platforms of the country. Oxfam’s Susana Ruíz was among the various exponents who helped frame the discussions, which was aiming at campaigns in 2019.
In New York, United States, the global advocacy and online campaign organisation SumOfUs, which “works to curb the growing power of corporations », partnered with the artist collective The Illuminator to virtually wrap up Trump buildings with yellow police tape looking light ribbon, denouncing Donald Trump “federal tax fraud to the tune of $413 million throughout his career” and encouraging citizens “to vote for the mid-terms and engage beyond the election”.
https://www.instagram.com/sumofus/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=7ad42e64-0f48-4ca2-a3b5-d2f9f453e20c
On November 6 and 7, the second Inter-University Tax Debate was organized in Uganda by SEATINI-Uganda, ActionAid, Oxfam, The Forum for Women in Democracy, the Initiative for Social and Economic Rights and Tax Justice Network Africa. The two-days debate, which was livestreamed by Youth For TJN, gathered more than 50 students and was won by Makerere University.