[Campaignforrealdemocracy] [project2012] Community Networking

[Mark Barrett]

Hi Matt

Thanks for this.

I'm trying to work out a way in which the Project 2012 / CRD work can
connect effectively with these networks.

I know you're only subscribed to CRD list, which has a more reduced
traffic but the Project 2012 list has been humming with good ideas and
debate over the last 6 months and there's been, especially in the first
period of discussion a reasonable level of agreement about structural
changes (some of which I mentioned to you at our meeting at the Royal
Festival Hall) that would be good to put out to a wider audience for
deliberation. (More recently we've been debating values and taxation and how
to connect these two to the proposals for structural change but that is all
still quite open-ended)

Matt do you think there is a body of people who you could connect with who
would be interested to develop an alternative civil society manifesto
for real political and economic power at the local community level.
Something with the aims of, say
1. challenging the politicians rhetoric on decentralisation with a clear set
of proposals for a decentralised sovereignty (by pointing out the gap
between what they are taling about and what the policies they support will
actually achieve)
2. maintain and develop a level of critical and operational independence and
pursue the same for everyone
3. possibly fighting for some strategic seats in local / general /
other elections after GE 2010
4. encourage greater (ie real) democracy amongst all its members
5 challenge and attract activists, from transition towns to climate camp and
beyond to help out with direct action / electioneering as they feel
comfortable..

Something akin to a Union for Democratic Localists with the desire to join
together across the regions..?

What do you think?

Mark



2009/9/14 Matthew Scott <Matt at communitysectorcoalition.org.uk>

> Hi Mark
>
> Community Matters are a well established national community umbrella org -
> they have around 1,000 members, typically community centres are their core
> supporters / constituency so there is a strong local connection.  Likewise
> CM is part of the Community Alliance which is a significant force in the
> sector around the idea of community 'anchors' - i.e. local multi purpose
> infrastructure.  CA are also one of my members, i.e. of the Community Sector
> Coalition.  Yes they are funded by government, as are most community orgs at
> that level and would not, I think, see themselves as the 'opposition' or as
> a counter hegemonic block (for those of you who know about the 'in and
> against the state' work of the early 1980s), so the idea of revolution is a
> tad rhetorical in my view, but there is a very strong connection with local
> communities and a strong interest in the civil as opposed to civic sphere
> and in deeper local democracy and there is a critical and independent
> element to it
>
> Matt
>
>
>
>
>
> Matthew Scott
>
> CSC Director
>
> 020 7336 9461
>
> Work mobile: 07827 258411
>
> Website: www.communitysectorcoalition.org.uk
>
> This message is intended only for the use of the addressee and may contain
> information that is privileged, confidential and exempt from disclosure
> under applicable law.  If the reader of this message is not the intended
> recipient, or the employee or agent responsible for delivering the message
> to the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination,
> distribution or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. If you
> have received this e-mail in error, please notify us immediately by return
> e-mail and delete this e-mail and all attachments from your system.
>  -----Original Message-----
> From: Mark Barrett [mailto:marknbarrett at googlemail.com]
> Sent: 12 September 2009 22:48
> To: campaignforrealdemocracy at lists.aktivix.org;
> project2012 at googlegroups.com
> Subject: Re: [Campaignforrealdemocracy] [project2012] Community Networking
>
> Hi Matt and All
>
> Thanks for this Steve.
>
> Matt, and others, what are your thoughts on Community Matters? I note
> their Leicester AGM, titled "Planning the Revolution" is taking place
> this weekend, and that it is co-sponsored by the government and costs
> upwards of 70 pounds to attend.
>
> Mark
>
> 2009/9/12 Steve Gwynne <satoritree at yahoo.co.uk>:
> >
> >  Possibly another community network to liase with.
> >
> >  http://www.communitymatters.org.uk/community-matters-locally/london/
> >
> > Steve
> >
> >
> > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~
> > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
> > "Project2012" group.
> >  To post to this group, send email to project2012 at googlegroups.com
> >  To unsubscribe from this group, send email to
> > project2012+unsubscribe at googlegroups.com<project2012%2Bunsubscribe at googlegroups.com>
> >  For more options, visit this group at
> > http://groups.google.com/group/project2012?hl=en-GB
> >
> > -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> "We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is
> there no man speaketh as we speak in the street."
>
> _______________________________________________
> Campaignforrealdemocracy mailing list
> Campaignforrealdemocracy at lists.aktivix.org
> https://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/campaignforrealdemocracy
>
>
> This message has been scanned by vsl mailsafe
>
>
>


-- 
"We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is there no
man speaketh as we speak in the street.”
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.aktivix.org/pipermail/campaignforrealdemocracy/attachments/20090914/cef1add4/attachment.htm>