[Campaignforrealdemocracy] CRD 16th Jan? Fwd: [project2012] + Update

Fri Jan 8 21:54:23 UTC 2010

Sorry in that last message the link for 'The People Speak' should have
read http://theps.net not as previously stated
Also, Rob happy to work out a possible public debate on "revolutionary
philosophy and technique" for 16th Jan but it clashed with Climate
Camp London gathering /planning. Will see what's possible - James, any
thoughts on this? Mark

> the w2010/1/8 Mark Barrett <marknbarrett at googlemail.com>:
> Hi Everyone
>
> James, thanks for the CRD update (see below my email).
>
> Also, this just rec/d on the 2012 list
>
> FWD ////....[ad: revolutionation xv at passing clouds, sat 16th jan
> 2010 midday till the next day, films debates music, CRD warmly invited
> to produce orking title]........public debate on "revolutionary philosophy and technique"
>
> I plan to attend the London Climate Camp gathering that w/e but not
> sure what times I'd be able to get away for this? James could we maybe
> go down together and do a slot at PC? Maybe with some other CRD
> people.. ? And even maybe pull in a few other Climate Campers?
>
> Also, everyone else I just put this together yesterday for the 21st
> Century Network newsletter, and thought it might be of interest
>
> Within 3 months as part of CRD I hope to:
>
> 1. Achieve regular video livestreamed CRD meetings at a central London
> venue and/or be holding regular 21stC Network CRD webinars
> 2. Help mobilise a reasonable joined up coalition in response to the
> coming General Election and strategically towards London in 2012
> 3. Develop a possible CRD inspired manifesto further, consulting with
> other groups on it and presenting it on-line in video and/or other
> formats
> 4. Co-convene CRD meetings with other groups to build understanding and capacity
>
>  Action plan to do this:
>
> 1. Invite CRD people to attend 'The People Speak' http://theps.net monthly
> training session in Hackney on the eve of 27th January, and to secure
> a venue in central London for 'televised' regular meetings
> 2. Convene a two-day election mobilisation / movement building meeting
> on Saturday and Sunday Jan 30th/31st
> at the Foundry 3pm - 7pm (near Old Street tube station) 80 Great
> Eastern Street, London, EC2A 3JL‎‎
> http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=51.526301,-0.083771&num=1&sll=51.526748,-0.083588&sspn=0.002496,0.010375&hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=51.526248,-0.083685&spn=0.002663,0.010375&z=17
> All welcome
> 3. This is an ongoing project, email crdlondon at gmail.com for more info
> 4. With CRD's Matt Scott and his networks including The Community
> Sector Coalition (CSC) co-convened meeting at UCL on Feb 20th to
> connect CRD with the voluntary 'third sector' about real democracy and
> local environmentalism, and we're looking for other opportunities to
> do the same with other groups. See
> http://groups.google.co.uk/group/project2012/web/CRD_CSC_CDNL__Flyer_Feb_20th_20091%5B1%5D.doc
>
> Also within six months I hope to:
>
> Hold a 21st Century Meet Up to follow on from earlier 'Real Third Way'
> and the Right to the City and CRD meet ups, around the questions: how
> best are we to empower civil society in accordance with the principles
> of CRD to ensure gains 'equality of arms' with the state and the
> market? and what are the historic, British / EU constitutional
> implications of this? The event with CSC on February 20th mentioned
> abovbe is also being held by way of preparation for this proposed Meet
> Up.
>
> Hopefully this is also a useful update for the lists.
>
> Cheers
> Mark
>
> From James:
>
> since last autumn i've been critically evaluating the CRD project and
> i've come up with a few thoughts that have informed me on where to put
> my efforts.
>
> 'real democracy' is a long term goal, and so i tried to work out what
> some intermediate goals might be
>
> i think the idea of people from a local community coming together,
> organising horizonally / non hierachically and taking (direct) action
> to improve their lives and community is a crucial first step. There is
> already a thriving movement of groups and networks taking this kind of
> 'community action' - one of the most well known is haringey solidarity
> group http://www.haringey.org.uk but there are loads of others. (see
> below for a draft definition i've been working with)
>
> So, the project i'm focussing on is building, developing, publicising
> and supporting the idea and practice of 'community action'. The first
> thing i want to do is to get people who are activists currently
> working on big, national or global issues to see how this is relevant
> to where they live and get involved in community action, to that end
> i've submitted a proposal to to the climate camp.
>
> I'm keen to get involved and link this with any other CRD strands that
> any one else is working on, please get in touch
>
> 'community action' proposal to climate camp (submitted 02.01.10)
> We start a national 'community action' working group to encourage
> climate campers to get involved in (or help start) local
> groups/networks where they live that use a similar ethos and tactics
> to the climate camp to support action based campaigns on all issues
> that are relevant to local people (not just climate) and by doing this
> start the process of moving their community towards being more
> empowered, sustainable and consensually organised.
>
> (Draft) definition of community action i'm using
>
> Community action could mean any number of things, but here is a
> definition of the type of action I am refferring to:
> Any open and horizontally organised grassroots action involving
> members of a localised community which directly benefits that
> community and/or helps a local community to be more empowered or
> organised.
> The first seems an obvious definition, but the second part might not
> be the kind of thing that comes to mind when we think of what
> community action is. It means that even actions that are not
> specifically designed to help people of a community but in which
> people get involved in and, perhaps even as a by-product, help them to
> be more organised, skilled or empowered also count as community
> action.
> A good example of this is the community work done by climate camp in
> gillingham – they opened a info shop called 'tipping point' as part of
> their campaign to stop kingsnorth, this campaign wasn't aimed at
> helping the local peope directly but film showings, skill sharing and
> information distribution meant that many local people benefitted from
> tipping point. This kind of community action can (and perhaps should)
> be added into almost any other campaigning activity
> This definition of CA brings together classic charitable volunteering,
> the activity of more general groupings such as residents associations,
> stuff that might well be seen as classic 'activist' stuff on 'big
> issues' in a local area, stuff that might be seen as local NIMBY
> activism (campaigning against a new supermaket) and also individual
> casework (as practiced by LCAP) all organised in a comletely open and
> horizontal way.
>
> --
> James Holland
>
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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.”