[Campaignforrealdemocracy] [rdwg] Building a real democracy movement

Sat Sep 22 12:38:58 UTC 2012

Sorry 'think' not 'thing' of course ;)

On 22 September 2012 13:38, Mark Barrett <marknbarrett at googlemail.com>wrote:

> Cheers for info James, I agree with you and should like to see some kind
> of symbol emerge that reflects the new / fresh start that such a movement
> embodies. Maybe plain flags, white for peace and other colours and blank
> placards also of many colours so that whenever people see them they thing -
> that's the movement / alternative coalition for democracy and so forth.
> There is lots of good work going on everywhere with similar values
> and ethos, but it needs joining up in away that preserves our essential
> differences while also finding the common ground in an organic way.
> Democracy 2015 may be able to help with / be a central part of that - let's
> see. And fingers crossed.. !
>
> On 22 September 2012 11:03, James Holland <james at dogmanet.org> wrote:
>
>> excellent, i think there already many elements of a real democracy
>> movement in place, but many don't even know that's what they are yet - the
>> two i'm involved in is simple local activity to increase the unity and
>> strength of my community by really mainstream activity that many millions
>> of people are doing all over the country and have been doing for many
>> years. The other is through Radical London (www.radicallondon.net) a
>> more explicit attempt to convince self defined activists that community
>> organising is a form of direct action to create a society of cooperation
>> and mutual aid on their doorstep or in other words a really democratic
>> society.
>>
>> There are also incredibly mainstream organisations such as 'unlock
>> democracy' and 'democracy matters' which i believe have a restricted view
>> of what democracy should be and consequently don't have very good politics,
>> but maybe they would also be part of a broad movement?
>>
>> However, i think we need some kind of umbrella under which we can all
>> continue to work, i'm not sure if occupy is the right group for this role,
>> but i think we need to work together to find out how to create the FEELING
>> of it being a movement, because i think it almost is one, but just needs a
>> bit more something
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, Sep 22, 2012 at 8:26 AM, Mark Barrett <
>> marknbarrett at googlemail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> reposted at http://www.peoplesassemblies.org/2012/09/28939/
>>>
>>> On 21 September 2012 19:42, Steve Freeman <49sfreeman at googlemail.com>wrote:
>>>
>>>> Dear all
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> FYI  the following was published in Occupy Times
>>>>
>>>> *
>>>> *
>>>>
>>>> *Building a Real Democracy movement  *
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Every day millions of people struggle against the conditions capital
>>>> imposes on society. People are confronted by economic and social injustice,
>>>> environmental degradation, and the threat of war. Popular democracy appears
>>>> when people begin to act together to organise protests, demonstrations,
>>>> strikes, occupations, and revolutions. The appeal of democracy is universal
>>>> because it offers the prospect of people governing themselves and
>>>> determining their own future.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Capital and Democracy are fundamentally opposed. The power of money
>>>> confronts the power of people. Should money *or *people rule the
>>>> world? Capital concentrates more power in the hands of the minority.
>>>> Democracy seeks to mobilise the power of the majority. Both are engaged in
>>>> a protracted worldwide struggle for power, which will decide the future of
>>>> humanity and the survival of the planet.
>>>>
>>>> In the last twenty years the struggle for democracy swept across Russia
>>>> and Eastern Europe, South Africa, Burma, China, Iran, Iraq, Kurdistan, and
>>>> Palestine. Liberal or parliamentary democracy holds out the promise that
>>>> the ‘will of the people’ will prevail and civil liberties will be secured.
>>>> However, the experience of liberal democracy has shown that financial and
>>>> corporate power continues to rule. Around the world people are increasingly
>>>> disillusioned with liberal democracy because it cannot resolve the issues
>>>> of economic injustice and sustainability.
>>>>
>>>> *Democracy’s opportunity *
>>>>
>>>> The Occupy movement was one of many responses to the crisis of capital.
>>>> Spontaneous action caught the authorities off-guard. Now they have regained
>>>> their composure and control. Consequently, Occupy faces a major decision
>>>> regarding whether to convert itself into a more ‘permanent’ organisation
>>>> with long term goals and strategies, or to accept defeat and move on to the
>>>> next protest campaign.
>>>>
>>>> We do not, however, have to invent a new strategy or aims. We need to
>>>> understand the contradictions and alternative pathways within the movement
>>>> itself. The future of Occupy is already there. Three objectives stand out –
>>>> real democracy, economic and social justice, and a sustainable environment.
>>>> It is not that they are opposed to each other. It is more a question of
>>>> strategic priority, emphasis and linkage.
>>>>
>>>> *Movement – campaigns, parties and actions *
>>>>
>>>> Although the US movement began with economic focus on Wall Street, in
>>>> ‘Scenes from Occupied America’, Rebecca Solnit identified the two issues at
>>>> the centre of the movement - “economic justice and real democracy”. She
>>>> says that by “living out that direct democracy every day through assemblies
>>>> and committees”, the movement is “winning through people power”. New York
>>>> Occupiers, like Marina Sitrin, urged people to take the real democracy
>>>> route: “Soon, I hope, in our plazas and parks, our neighbourhoods, schools
>>>> and workplaces, we will all be saying something similar: Real Democracy!”
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Real Democracy is the means by which people power can implement
>>>> economic and social justice, and a sustainable environment. Without it, the
>>>> people can protest against injustice and ecological disaster, but like King
>>>> Canute, we cannot stop the tide of capital lapping over us. Occupy has a
>>>> future primarily as an international movement for real democracy. It has to
>>>> win the argument that real democracy is the road to economic and social
>>>> justice and a sustainable environment.
>>>>
>>>> A movement is not a single organisation. The environmental movement,
>>>> for example, has a range of parties, campaigns, think-tanks and direct
>>>> action groups. There is the Green Party, the Alliance of Green Socialists,
>>>> Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, Climate Change, Climate Camp and more.
>>>> The trade union movement remains the prime focus for struggles for economic
>>>> and social justice. It has many organisations, publications, and campaigns
>>>> gathered around it.
>>>>
>>>> In contrast, there is no recognisable Real Democracy movement. Occupy
>>>> should become the catalyst for a Real Democracy movement with a range of
>>>> Real Democracy institutions, parties and think-tanks. Occupy should be the
>>>> first organisation to take Real Democracy seriously, but eventually become
>>>> one voice within a broader movement. We should not try to ‘own’ or control
>>>> such a movement but play our part in building it.
>>>>
>>>> [Published in September 2012 Occupy Times]**
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Steve
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Apathy is Dead !
>>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarider/5254770064/#/photos/solarider/5254770064/lightbox/
>>>
>>>
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>>>
>>
>
>
> --
> Apathy is Dead !
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarider/5254770064/#/photos/solarider/5254770064/lightbox/
>
>

-- 
Apathy is Dead !
http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarider/5254770064/#/photos/solarider/5254770064/lightbox/
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