We all know it’s time for fundamental reforms to make the banking system serve the interests of society, rather than the other way around.

• The Bank of England estimates that the total cost of bailing out the UK financial system was £1.3 trillion, more than ten times the entire NHS budget.
  How can we handle banking crises without burdening the taxpayer, or better still, avoid them altogether?

• At present only around 8% of lending by banks goes to productive investment in the sectors that contribute to GDP. The rest goes into property (pushing up house prices) and speculation, including speculation on basic commodities (pushing up food prices for the world’s poorest).
  How can we increase the bank finance available for the real economy, and decrease the amount pumped into asset price bubbles?

• When banks do get around to financing the productive sector, they too often support huge companies with dubious environmental and human rights records, rather than the small businesses that create two thirds of our jobs. Many commentators now argue that banks are failing to support sustainable local economies because they have consolidated beyond the point that allows them to be responsive to local needs.
  How can we make high street banks responsive to local needs, including financially excluded groups and small businesses?

The Just Banking conference will bring together leading economists and campaigners to address these urgent questions, and more.

From the minute Occupy Edinburgh found out about the conference we knew we had to help. This kind of frank discussion on the role and future of banking in our society is essential for making any progress toward a better world, free from the financial shackles we find ourselves in.

Members of Occupy Edinburgh have worked tirelessly to help create the logo, the fliers, publicise the event, video and stream the event, as well as set up our own event for those unable to afford the cost of the full day event.

If you would like to join us for the discussion at our ‘mirror’ conference you can. Just come along to the St. Augustine Church on George IV Bridge at 9/9.30am Friday 20th April. If you would like to make a donation to help us cover the costs of this livestream event then please contact occedoutreach@gmail.com

You can also view the livestream on this very website – just click here. We will be covering both the evening lecture and panel discussion and the full day conference (excluding afternoon breakout sessions). The full agenda and timings can be found on the Just Banking website.

You can also get involved on Twitter. Just use #JustBanking in your tweets and they will automatically show up on the livestream chat feed.

Adam Posen, member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee, will set the scene with an evening lecture and panel discussion at 6pm on Thursday 19th April.

On Friday the 20th April the University of Edinburgh Business Schoolwill host a full day of presentations and seminars with thought-leaders from the UK and beyond. You can find the draft agenda here and details of confirmed speakers here.

The conference has been organised by Friends of the Earth Scotland and the University of Edinburgh Economics Society, in partnership with UNISON, Christian Aid, the New Economics Foundation, the Scottish Trade Union Congress, the World Development Movement and Compass. It has been generously supported by Triodos Bank, the Carnegie Trust, the University of Edinburgh Business School and EUSA.  Q finance are our official media partners.