The Stirrer

news that matters, campaigns that count

for Birmingham, the Black Country and beyond

Barbra Panvel's columns

WAR ON WAR 11-03-2010

A DEVELOPING NATION 15-12-2009

NOT JUST HOT AIR 14-12-2009

PASC FORCE 02-12-2009

RATES OF INTEREST 28-11-2009

PASSENGERS IN FOCUS 09-11-2009

A CALL TO ARMS 28-10-2009

HOME WORK 22-10-2009

THROWING AWAY THE KEY 08-10-2009

MUMBAI BEATS BIRMINGHAM 28-09-2009

DUMB DUM 17-09-2009

HAVE WE BEEN MCKINSEY’D? 10-09-2009

FANTOPIA 01-09-2009

PUTTING THE CAP ON IT 28-08-2009

EXPENSIVE MISTAKE 20-08-2009

POWER CUT 20-08-2009

TRANSPARENCY, APPARENTLY 06-08-2009

IT'S BIG, IT'S GREEN...AND IT'S OFF 29-07-2009

HARRY'S GAME 28-07-2009

UNIMPRES'D BY BLAIR 16-07-2009

TROOPS OUT 12-07-2009

STAND AND DELIVER 10-07-2009

TWO'S COMPANY 09-07-2009

A TASTE OF INDEPENDENCE 18-06-2009

BUSWATCH GETS MOVING12-06-2009

DON'T SCOFF...IT'S LOCAL FOOD 02-06-2009

WHISTLE WHILE YOU WORK 20-05-2009

MONEY FOR SOMETHING 13-05-2009

PENSION POWER 24-04-2009

ONLY HEAR FOR THE SMEAR? 16-04-2009

A GREENER NEW DEAL 10-04-2009

FAIR’S FAYRE 01-04-2009

PROTEST TOO MUCH 27-03-2009

RETURN JOURNEY 25-03-2009

LIVE LOCAL, BUY LOCAL 19-03-2009

VIP HAS ZIP 18-02-2009

CREDIT WHERE IT’S DUE 08-02-2009

BRIDGING THE GAP 29-01-2009

MAKING THE ECONOMY WORK 22-01-2009

ALL THE MONEY THAT’S FIT TO PRINT 17-01-2009

THE ENERGY CRISIS AND THE GREEN NEW DEAL 09-01-2009

THE KNOCK ON THE DOOR 05-01-2009

STILL WAITING FOR THE BUSWATCH 30-12-2008

WEAPONS OF MASS DISTRACTION 23-12-2008

A NASTY SMELL FROM DEODORANTS 18-12-2008

NON STOP DRIVERS 11-12-2008

HELICOPTER BEN 10-12-2008

FANTASY ISLAND 26-11-2008

THE DAMAGE DONE 20-11-2008

A MEASLY PROBLEM 13-11-2008

ON BOMBS AND BANKS 06-11-2008

HOUSING NEED GOES THROUGH THE ROOF 24-10-2008

ANOTHER BUST GROWING 23-10-2008

THE BRUMMIE BOND 09-10-2008

SHOPPING FOR THE FUTURE 03-10-2008

CONSULTED? OR INSULTED? 22-09-2008

‘CUTTING’ FUEL EMMISSIONS – USE THE CUT? 06-09-2008

AMERICA - A FORCE FOR GOOD? 27-08-2008

WHAT'S EATING PRINCE CHARLES.....? 13-08-2008

WATER “MEDICINE” HARD TO SWALLOW 07-08-2008

DOWN THE PLAN 30-07-2008

FOOD FOR THOUGHT 26-07-2008

FAIR TRADE FOR ALL 09-07-2008

OVERCOMING GREEN FATIGUE [2] 02-07-2008

OVERCOMING GREEN FATIGUE (1) 26-06-2008

GREEN FATIGUES 17-06-2008

A DIFFERENT KIND OF NATIONAL SECURITY 07-06-2008

PEACE GARDENS IN OUR TIME 28-05-2008

BASIC COMMON SENSE 24-05-2008

EASY TARGETS 13-05-2008

FREE MONEY 08-05-2008

DEVOLUTION FOR ENGLAND? 03-05-2008

VULTURES SWOOP ON WORLD’S POOREST 01-05-2008

"GREEN" ENERGY SOLUTION FUELS FOOD SHORTAGES 23-04-2008

APPEALING COMMUNITY CENTRE IN SOLIHULL LODGE 18-04-2008

COULD THE WEST MIDLANDS BECOME A "TRANSITION TOWN? 02-04-2008

MORE THAN SHOPPING AND ENTERTAINMENT 26-03-2008

IT’S ALL AT THE CO-OP – NOW! 12-03-2008

MUMS THE WORD - PART TWO 07-03-2008

RISK IN THE BLOOD 03-03-2008

SMALL PRINT, BIG DEAL 22-02-2008

ARE INSURERS THE NEW ECO HEROES? 21-02-2008

BY GEORGE - HAS HE GOT IT? 08-02-2008

A DICKENS OF A STORY 29-01-2008

CEMENTING OUR FUTURE 24-01-2008

GONE FISSION 15-01-2008

ENO’S YOU KNOW 02-01-2008

SEX ON THE WARD 29-12-2007

FROM BALI TO BRUM: BUILDING A NEW FUTURE FOR LIBRARY 18-12-2007

TATA TO HUMAN RIGHTS? 13-12-2007

IN DEFENCE OF DEFENCE 05-12-2007

CUTTING COMMENTS 22-11-2007

REMEMBRANCE PAY 05-11-2007

LORRA LORRA LORRIES 02-11-2007

THE MISSING MADELEINES OF IRAQ 15-10-2007

NO STALLING ON ORGANICS AT BULL RING 05-10-2007

HARD TO SWALLOW FOODIE PARADISE 20-09-2007

JAGUAR, LAND ROVER SAY HELLO TO TATA 01-09-2007

AFTER RHYS 29-08-2007

LIVING OFF THE LAND 16-08-2007

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?02-08-2007

MMR: MERCURY RISING 19-07-2007

FOOD TAKES A FORK IN THE ROAD 18-07-2007

WARMING TO CLIMATE CHANGE 28-06-2007

ISLANDS IN THE SUN 20-06-2007

SAFETY LAST? 14-06-2007

DYING FOR A CHANGE IN THE LAW09-06-2007

PLANNING OUT THE PUBLIC 24-05-2007

THE BLAIR LEGACY? 16-05-2007

NOT KIDDING 05-05-2007

A GOOD WAY TO BURY BAD NEWS 13-04-2007

BUSES NEED LIGHTNING CONDUCTOR 05-04-2007

SCHOOL'S IN 29-03-2007

IT'S THE ECONOMY, STUPID 23-03-2007

SO THAT'S WHAT THEY MEAN BY GREENBACKS 10-03-2007

BLAIR "BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR" IN STAR WARS 26-02-2007

SAUCE FOR THE GOOSE 23-02-2007

FAIR DEALS ON MEALS 14-02-2007

TA TA TO STEEL JOBS? 05-02-2007

HINES SOUP 03-02-2007

THINGS CAN ONLY GET BETTER 17-01-2007

OFF THE BUSES 11-01-2007

SUPERMARKETS MILKING THE FARMERS 04-01-2007

A CURE FOR SOCIETY'S ILLS 18-12-2006

ETHICAL SHOPPING HARMS THE WORLD... 15-12-2006

JUDGEMENT DAY TOO EXPENSIVE FOR SHIRLEY 29-11-2006

NO SUGAR FOR THE REAL APPRENTICE 24-11-2006

SHIRLEY SHOME MISHTAKE 16-11-2006

LEADING FROM THE FRONT 15-11-2006

IT'S ALL AT THE CO-OP....NOW! 11-11-2006

A MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION 31-10-2006

A DIFFERENT TASTE OF CADBURY 26-10-2006

THE LIE OF THE LAND 20-10-2006

THIS LAND IS OUR LAND 12-10-2006

SHOPPING FOR GOOD NEWS05-10-2006

WHOSE COUNTRY IS IT ANYWAY? 21-09-2006

LOCK 'EM UP....BUT DON'T THROW AWAY THE KEY 14-09-2006

SCHOOL MATHS DON'T ADD UP 07-09-2006

CLASSIC OR CARBUNCLE; BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL LIBRARY 31-08-2006

LEGALISE IT 28-08-2006

DON'T MENTION THE PENSION 18-08-2006

INTO THE VALLEY OF DEATH 10-08-2006

LEBANON - NO POINT TO A CEASEFIRE? 29-07-2006

LOCALISM vs THE BOTTOM LINE 03-08-2006

STROKES AND SCANS - AN ENGLISH TRAGEDY 25-07-2006

FREE MONEY! IT'S TRUE.... 18-07-2006

THE BEST FORM OF DEFENCE... 12-07-2006

About Barbara Panvel

I came to Birmingham to teach and have paid regular visits to India, living for a quarter of the year in Mumbai for ten years from 1993. I joined the Centre for Holistic Studies there and set up a UK network [CHSUK] which has assisted work in several fields, including the updating of a database of worker co-operatives and a research study into the implications of the UK adopting a non-offensive defence stance (like Sweden, New Zealand, Switzerland and Japan).

I worked for four years with homeless people at Trinity Centre, Camp Hill and Highgate in my spare time and did a survey on improving job centres at the request of Cllr Theresa Stewart. After assembling a report for six NGOs into the effects of war on development in the Sudan, Ethiopia and Mozambique (1990-1) I took a master's course at Bradford's Department of Peace Studies, and my research into the use of non-lethal weapons to intervene in low-intensity conflict laid the foundation for the department's ongoing research in that field.

As well as admin for CHSUK I co-ordinate NEW ERA, a coalition of people linking twenty-four groups working for stronger local, regional & national economies, a healthier environment and a more peaceful world, set up after the 2004 World Social Forum in Mumbai.

Locally I am a member of our local community centre committee and currently am involved in opposing the Shirley Asda-Walmart development which is funded by the sale of parkland and an ancient oak circle to the developers for the building of flats.