Tim Gee
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Tim Gee is the general secretary of Friends World Committee for Consultation, the international organisation of Quakers worldwide. He is also a writer and faith-based activist in the United Kingdom, who popularised the concept of counterpower, and has written about pacifism and the Occupy movement.
Contents
• Books
• Chapters
• Articles
• Lectures
• Film
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Personal life
Early life
Education
Gee attended Aquinas College, Stockport,cite-ref-2[2] a Roman Catholic sixth form college in Stockport, United Kingdom. During this time he was actively involved in the campaign against the Iraq War.cite-ref-3[3]
He went on to study politics at the University of Edinburgh where he graduated with an MA degree in 2009cite-ref-ni-4-0[4]cite-ref-edit-5-0[5] While at the university he was a part of its People and Planet group, promoting Fairtrade,cite-ref-6[6] and was elected the Vice President (Services) of the Edinburgh University Students Association. In 2005 he was elected to the Board of Directors of NUS Services Ltd.cite-ref-edit-5-1[5]
Writing career
Gee's first book, Counterpower: Making Change Happen was published in 2011,cite-ref-7[7] in which he puts forward a theory of how governments and elite groups exercise power, and argues that others can use counterpower to counter this.cite-ref-8[8] He puts forward a model in which this counterpower is splits into three categories: idea counterpower, economic counterpower, and physical counterpower. Counterpower was shortlisted for the Bread and Roses Award in 2012.cite-ref-9[9]
His third book is Why I am a Pacifist, published by the Christian Alternative imprint from John Hunt publishers.cite-ref-0-12-0[12]
Gee has also published in the New Internationalist,cite-ref-ni-4-1[4] Scottish Left Reviewcite-ref-13[13] and writes a blog for The Guardiancite-ref-14[14]
Gee was amongst a group of prominent authors and writers who campaigned against a ban on sending books to prisoners in the United Kingdomcite-ref-15[15]
Gee documented the buildup to the eviction of the Calais Jungle refugee camp in 2016 for The Tablet, as the Writer in Residence at the Maria Skobtsova Catholic Worker House.cite-ref-16[16]
Political experience
Student politics
Gee was the Vice President Services (VPS) of Edinburgh University Students Association. He sat on the board of the National Union of Students' commercial arm, NUSSL.cite-ref-tg4vps-17-0[17] He seconded a motion for the University of Edinburgh to revoke the honorary degree it had bestowed on Robert Mugabe,cite-ref-tg4vps-17-1[17] and was involved in the campaign for the University to become a Fairtrade University.cite-ref-18[18]
Superglue Three
In 2010, Gee was part of a group, dubbed The Superglue Three,cite-ref-superglue-3-scotsman-2-19-0[19] accused of committing a breach of the peace at a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland in Edinburgh by gluing themselves to each other and the entrance door of the premises.cite-ref-20[20]cite-ref-21[21] Gee was admonished of a breach of the peace, with no financial penaltycite-ref-superglue-3-scotsman-2-19-1[19]
In a statement originally published in The Scotsman, Gee linked his action with the Royal Bank of Scotland's financing of tar sands extraction in Alberta, Canada, and stated that as 84% of the Royal Bank of Scotland was at that time publicly owned, UK tax payers should have a say in what projects are funded.cite-ref-22[22] Responding to this, Andrew Cave, Head of Group Sustainability at the Royal Bank of Scotland, said that he and Gee agreed on a number of points, including that the Royal Bank of Scotland needs to be more accountable and that society should transition to a low-carbon economy: however he said they disagreed on how this should happen.cite-ref-23[23]
Bond (British Overseas NGOs for Development)
Gee worked for Bond (for international development) as Campaigns Communications Officer, co-ordinating the 2009 Put People First campaign and 2008 Stand Up and Take Action against Poverty and Inequality campaign.cite-ref-24[24]
Faith-based campaigning on climate action
In 2015, moving from political campaigning to faith-based activism, Gee was the Campaign Strategy Lead at the UK Christian development organisation, Christian Aid,cite-ref-25[25] where he was part of the faith-based organising team working together with Muslims and Jews for action on climate change.cite-ref-26[26]
Religious views
Gee is a Quaker, and in 2011 appeared on a poster advertising the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) in Britain.cite-ref-30[30] Gee delivered prepared ministry on the subject of "movement building" to Britain Yearly Meeting, the national annual meeting of Quakers in Britain, in 2016.cite-ref-31[31] Gee built on this further when he was invited by the George Gorman Memorial Fund[1] to deliver the George Gorman Lecture at Britain Yearly Meeting in 2017, exploring themes of power, diversity, and the spiritual root of political action within the Religious Society of Friends.cite-ref-32[32]cite-ref-33[33]cite-ref-34[34]cite-ref-35[35] He has been involved in promoting Britain Yearly Meeting's Sanctuary Everywhere programme in response to forced migration.cite-ref-36[36]cite-ref-37[37]cite-ref-38[38]cite-ref-39[39]cite-ref-40[40]
Bibliography
Books
Gee, T (2011) Counterpower: making change happen New Internationalist Publishing: Oxford, UK [2]
Gee, T (2013) You can't evict an idea: What can we learn from Occupy? Housmans: London, UK [3]
Gee, T (2019) Why I am a Pacifist: A call for a more nonviolent world. John Hunt: London, UKcite-ref-0-12-1[12]
Gee, T (2022) "Open for Liberation - an activist reads the bible"
Chapters
Gee, T (2012) The children of the children of the revolution. In: Coatman, C. & Shrubsole, G. [Ed] Regeneration Lawrence & Wisehart: London, UK 109-116 [4]
Articles
Gee, T (2008) Is Poverty History Yet? Scottish Left Review (47) 20-21 [5]
Gee, T (2008) Will Red and Green Ever be Seen? Scottish Left Review (46) 18-19 [6]
Gee, T (2013) You cannot be free if you are poor Peace News (2562) [7]
Gee, T (2013) The battle for Mandela's legacy is only beginning The Independent 3 July 2013 [8]
Gee, T (2014) Yasuni: a cautionary tale New Internationalist (471) 38-40 [9]
Lectures
The 2025 Backhouse Lecture: The seed is in all: A journey through the Quaker world.cite-ref-41[41] (Melbourne, Australia)
Film
Tim produced the film "Marikana's Precious Metal", a 2018 film marking the sixth anniversary of the South African Marikana massacre, when striking mine workers were fired on by security forces. Seventeen workers died.
References
cite-note-11. ↑ citerefwilliams2011Williams, Andrew (28 November 2011). "Social change sometimes happens in unpredictable ways". The Mancunion.
cite-note-22. ↑ citerefjustice-and-peace-commissions-of-the-dioceses-of-shrewsbury-and-liverpoolJustice and Peace Commissions of the dioceses of Shrewsbury and Liverpool. Thompson, Marian (ed.). "Counterpower - Making Change Happen" (PDF). Mouth and Peace (76). Manchester: 12.
cite-note-33. ↑ citerefsinclairSinclair, Ian. "The march that shook Blair: 10 years on". ZCommunications. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
cite-note-ni-44. ↑ "Tim Gee". New Internationalist.
cite-note-edit-55. ↑ citerefmccracken2014McCracken, Edd (2014). "Forging the Fairtrade way". Edit: The Alumni Magazine of the University of Edinburgh (Summer 2014). Edinburgh: 8–11.
cite-note-66. ↑ "Edinburgh Uni P&P have marked Fairtrade Fortnight by launching a You Tube video to inspire more Fairtrade universities". People and Planet. 27 February 2007. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 13 February 2015.
cite-note-88. ↑ citerefnewton2011Newton, Mark (17 November 2011). "Counterpower: Making Change Happen (book review)". The Ecologist.
cite-note-99. ↑ citerefflood2012Flood, Alison (6 March 2012). "New prize for radical writing announces shortlist". The Guardian.
cite-note-1111. ↑ ""You can't evict an idea" by Tim Gee". Housman's Books.
cite-note-1313. ↑ citerefgee2008Gee, Tim (2008). "Is Poverty History Yet?". Scottish Left Review. 47: 20–21.
cite-note-1414. ↑ "Tim Gee | the Guardian". The Guardian.
cite-note-1515. ↑ "Prominent British writers campaign against ban on books for prisoners". 26 March 2014.
cite-note-1616. ↑ citerefgee2016Gee, Tim (21 October 2016). "A walk through the Calais Jungle - how humanity is surviving against the odds". The Tablet.
cite-note-tg4vps-1717. ↑ citerefgeeGee, Tim. "Tim Gee for VPS".
cite-note-1818. ↑ "University gets top marks to retain Fairtrade status". The Scotsman. 4 August 2006.
cite-note-superglue-3-scotsman-2-1919. ↑ "'Superglue 3' admonished for RBS demo". The Scotsman. 17 February 2011.
cite-note-2020. ↑ "Climate change protesters appear in Edinburgh court". BBC News. 24 August 2010.
cite-note-2121. ↑ "Court told of RBS glue protest". The Scotsman. 28 January 2011.
cite-note-2222. ↑ citerefgeeGee, Tim. "Why I superglued myself to the Royal Bank of Scotland". Bright Green Scotland.
cite-note-2323. ↑ citerefcave2010Cave, Andrew (1 September 2010). "RBS has much in common with protesters". The Scotsman.
cite-note-2424. ↑ "Sheila McKechnie Foundation: Judges - Global Action".
cite-note-2525. ↑ "Faith in Politics Programme" (PDF). Christian Aid. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
cite-note-2626. ↑ "Jews, Muslims and Christians stand shoulder to shoulder in call for climate action - Christian Aid". www.christianaid.org.uk. Archived from the original on 12 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
cite-note-2727. ↑ citerefharvey2016Harvey, Chelsea (10 February 2016). "What these Christians are giving up for Lent: Fossil fuels". Washington Post.
cite-note-2828. ↑ citerefgee2016Gee, Tim (19 April 2016). "Protecting God's Creation: churches commit to the green energy transition". The Ecologist.
cite-note-2929. ↑ citerefclark2016Clark, Pilita (1 September 2016). "Churches put their faith in green energy". Financial Times.
cite-note-3030. ↑ citerefgee2012Gee, Tim (5 October 2012). "Making peace a way of life". New Internationalist.
cite-note-3131. ↑ citerefgeeGee, Tim. "Movement Building". Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
cite-note-3232. ↑ citerefsmallman2017Smallman, Elinor (10 August 2017). "The George Gorman Lecture: Movement building from stillness". The Friend.
cite-note-3333. ↑ citerefquakers-in-britain2017Quakers in Britain (2 August 2017). "Gorman Lecture given by Tim Gee at Yearly Meeting Gathering 2017". Vimeo.
cite-note-3434. ↑ citerefhall2017Hall, Laurence (October 2017). "Movement Building from Stillness" (PDF). The Young Quaker. No. 16. p. 10.
cite-note-3535. ↑ "Memorial Lecture". The George Gorman Memorial Fund.
cite-note-3636. ↑ citerefgeeGee, Tim. "Why it is time to build a culture of sanctuary". Quakers. Britain Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).
cite-note-3737. ↑ citerefgeeGee, Tim. "Why rejecting a person seeking sanctuary is a rejection of Christian values". Quakers.
cite-note-3838. ↑ "Should Bath Quakers become a Sanctuary Meeting?". Bath Quaker Meeting. 23 August 2017.
cite-note-3939. ↑ "Being a sanctuary meeting East Cheshire Quakers". eastcheshirequakers.org.uk.
cite-note-4040. ↑ "Quaker Week meeting: Creating Sanctuary" (PDF). Stratford-upon-Avon Quakers Newsletter. August 2017. pp. 1–2.