Should Mumsnet be going to Baby Show ? We need your views

[carriemumsnet]

Hi all

Reposting this here from the Baby Show volunteers thread to make sure we get widest response....

Basically we've had a great response to our appeal for help running a stall at the Baby Show. But now something has come up and, as usual, we want you to contribute to our decision. We've had an email from a mumsnetter saying that Clarion, the Baby Show organisers, also organise arms fairs and questioning whether, in that case, Mumsnet should be associated with them.

I don't think any of us are pro arms, but you could argue that Clarion aren't manufacturing or selling arms, they're just the organisers of a fair.

If we attend the Baby Show we have the chance to introduce Mumsnet (a good thing we hope you'll agree ) to several thousand mums-to-be who will then find out, for example, why lots of Mumsnetters boycott Nestle as well as the truth about fruit shoots and Greggs sausage rolls.

Or we pull out now. It's another one of those 'where do you draw the line?' discussions and we're torn. What do you think?

MNHQ

What serenity said, except I don't go to arms fairs.

It won't make any difference to the international arms trade, but getting accurate advice on weaning/bfing/parenting makes a huge difference to lives. So MN should go ahead

Campaign Against the Arms Trade

There is stuff about Clarion on that page.

Cross my heart I don't go anymore, and it was work not fun, honest.

What about the lives destroyed by corruption in the arms trade?

Bigger issues at stake than weaning for some mothers...

I wanted to namechange MarkThatcher and ask if I can man your stall. And actually I think the greater good is to come from not going and contacting the press to explain precisely why you are not going.

Why not take a stall at their Petrochemicals Fair 2008?

Just for a laugh.

It'd make me laugh. I'll come

Boycotts don't work - the organisers will still be paid for organising the fair regardless of the view taken by MN and MN absence will just go unremarked and some new mums will go to other less suitable websites for advice..

It is really no skin off their noses whether MN attends or not...

Swedes, you're a lefty at heart

but external pressure has been shown to work in the context of these arms fairs

that is the interesting point

the previous company sold due to commercial pressure from boycoitting amongst other things

genius, swedes, genius

don't like BabyFair at all as its all about perfect babies.
And any company that also did arms would get my thumbs down.

I'm a bit that people think weaning advice is a greater good.

More media attention for MN - perhaps we can attract some arms dealers to add to the mix...

maybe set up stall with posters saying

NO TO THE ARMS TRADE

leave a few leaflets about how to pay MN subs...and scarper

Press Release very good. People going to that Baby Show would be horrified if they knew about the arms fairs links. How many families have been affected by the trade in arms? How many mothers have lost sons and daughters?

I wouldn't touch it and I would do exactly as swedes said. Press Release to all the major newspapers.

I say not.

I'd like to man woman the stall with 100x at the Petrochemicals fair. Me miss. We could hand out leaflets about heating your house from chicken dung.

Just how essential is it to go the the Baby Show anyway? These things are mainly attended by people who go to drool over the latest £800 buggy and do the whole new baby splash the cash on useless crap thing - not exactly poor needy young mums in need of weaning and bf advice.

Let Netmums go to the Arms Baby Fair.

I say yes, but thats only cos I wanna man the stand

how many extra members do you get after the baby show normally?

is there a big /\ ?