[Campaignforrealdemocracy] [project2012] Community Networking

Mon Sep 14 23:04:29 BST 2009

Hi again Matt

Thanks for this. About the first part of what you say, I can see how there
is an overlap/potential synergy between what is being expected / aimed for
(albeit with justified scepticism) among policy makers and watchers, and
what some of us are proposing by way of a bottom up agenda for democratic
localists and wider/higher/deeper democratic processes & transparency. And
yes, I bet the contract culture - or managerialism?  - is really making it
difficult for independence and genuinely democratic structures to be
sustained and /or emerge. Would be great to find ways to engage with your
network on this problem, aswell as to explore possible misconceptions about
the wider activist community (btw, to my mind these misconceptions are
probably mirrored in the activist community, who sometimes seem to me so
purist and ideologically driven, which is to say sectarian as to exclude all
possibilities of chatting and learning from other sections of civil
society)

So yes let's move it forward with some constructive chatting and engagement.
If CRD/Project 2012 members - and the ideas they've been developing and
members of your CSC (Voluntary and Community Sectors) can be given the
opportunity explore the idea of unionising around 'real democracy policy
objectives' while at the same time dispelling some of the misunderstandings
you refer to, well, I think that would be grand.
One other domestic group I should refer to is PNUK or the Planners Network
UK who are now working on a gathering in November around a broad
anti-supermarkets being parachuted in to local communities without their
say-so pro-democracy agenda. There are quite a few academics, aswell as some
of the more thoughtful activists in that grouping and I think they might be
amenable to some of these ideas. Also, Friends of the Earth have recently
disbanded a lot of their LA21 / Ecological Justice through Rights
based work so apparently there are quite a few experienced, disgruntled
activists looking to get their teeth into something. Would be great to have
CSC (and NCIA) represented along with CRD at the Autumn meeting so I will
keep you posted on that.

About the geography of this, well, I am keen to see a union that takes place
on national - and ideally also international, europe-wide and even beyond -
 lines, but I do think that London/other city-wide networks are perfectly
good, and may even be better in some ways depending on how events pan out.
If people can unite across cities, but also at the same time find ways to
unite the cities without leaving out the rural areas then we are on to
something. There is, as always a diversity of decent strategies. But however
it occurs I do think if we can build something with national reach that
would be great. But I definitely don't think we should allow ourselves to be
limited here. The way the state operates from one nation to another may be
different but my instinct is that the kind of structures we need in order to
create a really democratic society must be universal, and so a union for
real democracy won't mean much if it can't transcend local (by which I mean
national) conditions, while at the same time engaging effectively with all
of them. The EU project - which, after all, has it's own set of 'national
conditions' which go alongside the varied conditions of its
member nation-states -   i crying out for a people powered movement; and to
extend even further for a moment there are ancestral lands and independent
cultures (including, again in the EU, the Roma) that need solidarity and
protection worldwide. Our considerations must be wide enough to engage all
of this while still maintaining relevance at the macro level. No mean task!

But obviously we need to start somewhere, and crucially with the national -
ie English, British etc - conditions we are stuck with. Sorry if that is too
much of a wide answer but it's a tricky question.

What do you, and others think?

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

>  Mark
>
>
>
> Happy to try and see about this
>
>
>
> Yes there is a body of people who have this interest, which would include
> the CSC (Community Sector Coalition) members – in particular your 5 points
> connect with two areas that are live for the voluntary / community sector –
> namely the work in part sponsored by DEFRA and related statutory bods on
> climate change (where there is frustration and hope in equal measures about
> going beyond narrow top down and individual behaviour change models to
> collective action and social justice rooted action; and also the democracy /
> localism angle is for me, absolutely key to what the community sector is all
> about, albeit the contract culture / service delivery mantra has created a
> division in our sector so that increasingly voluntary sector groups define
> themselves in narrow professional criteria which is not helpful.
>
>
>
> Taking it forward, one thing is how geographically located is this union of
> democratic localists?  Is it primarily London?  That will make a difference
> – CSC is national and because I live in London I have range of local
> contacts here.  Secondly I think the voluntary / community sector identity
> can take a bit of working through, which will need a bit of attention.
> Personally I connect what I do in the sector in very broad social terms
> whereby everything relates to political structures but I believe it is sadly
> often the case that community / voluntary sector workers struggle to make
> the connections with wider activist campaigns being the same common cause as
> theirs; so in order to reap the benefits a bit of chatting through how it
> all fits together, where goals and objectives unite is usually required so
> everyone gets it.  All a bit obvious but worth considering.  I am keen to
> take this forward so lets follow up soon
>
>
>
> 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
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>  ------------------------------
>
> *From:* Mark Barrett [mailto:marknbarrett at googlemail.com]
> *Sent:* 14 September 2009 12:08
>
> *To:* campaignforrealdemocracy at lists.aktivix.org;
> project2012 at googlegroups.com
> *Subject:* Re: [Campaignforrealdemocracy] [project2012] Community
> Networking
>
>
>
> 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
> >
> >
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>
> --
> "We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is
> there no man speaketh as we speak in the street."
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-- 
"We hear men speaking for us of new laws strong and sweet /Yet is there no
man speaketh as we speak in the street.”
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