<div>Hi everyone </div>
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<div>Following Monday's CRD meeting I've provisionally booked the Guernica space for the 16th July for a pre-sponsorship Localists' Union meeting. I know some probably some can't make it, but does that sound ok, or are there any major clashes I should be aware of? Some draft action points that came out of the meeting are set out below this mail. </div>
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<div>Please let me know if you plan to attend on the 16th, or any other helpful comments. </div>
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<div>Cheers, </div>
<div>Mark</div>
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<div><strong>Draft Statement about Real Democracy</strong></div>
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<div>Real democracy means, at the minimum, completely open community based decision making run broadly on consensus principles having the final say on everything that happens in that community
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<div>a few notes</div>
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<div>what is a community - communities define themsleves and can be virtual</div>
<div>as well as real, people can be part of many communities but it is up to</div>
<div>communities themsleves how they define membership and what rights</div>
<div>different kinds of members might have (e.g. only residents have a right</div>
<div>to block proposals). However, The CRD will focus on helping small</div>
<div>geographical based communities where there are disputes between members</div>
<div>of the community and current governing institutions to define</div>
<div>themselves, increase participation / legitimacy use that to resist</div>
<div>unwelcome activity and take postive actions for the benefit of the</div>
<div>communities. </div></div>
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<div><strong>CRD Draft Action Points of Consensus</strong> </div>
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<div>(1) To support one or more local community struggles in London, and where possible help them develop towards the self-governing 'real democracy' / local sovereignty project we've been considering at 2012, in a way that suits them. To offer them info, skills to share and connections with other local/democratic community groups in London and elsewhere.</div>
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<div>(2) To map and support local struggles that can be supported in this way, and to connect the group with local groups and local groups with one another, in practical solidarity </div>
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<div>(3) To build mainstream trust in the idea of community, and in a different, emancipatory way of organising society </div>
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<div>(4) To invite groups and individuals calling for democratic community to form a properly constituted Localists' Union, (but not limited to that - see (D) below), with a few simple, uniting campaign demands, possibly:</div>
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<div>(A) the demand for a community building to be given over, in every neighbourhood to be run by the community around it </div>
<div>(B) the demand for land in and around cities to be ring fenced for new, intentional democratic communities to be realised </div>
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<div>But also (C) a commitment to consider key questions about superstructure, for example regarding the taxation system, and other structural changes that may be necessary to support the developmenty of democratic communities, everywhere. </div>
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<div>And (D) recognising that the struggle for real democracy is not just about localism, and that we must be for the right to organise more widely; in workplaces, places of study, prisons, hospitals - participation not false representation. And to build a movement based on that right. </div>
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<div>(4) to invite colleagues / friends and people of like mind in the wider network to get involved</div>
<div>(5) to please support the Big Democracy Picnic at Parliament Hill on Aug 15th, and to invite everyone we know </div>
<div>(6) the consider the possibilty of working with other groups to put on a winter 2009 Right to the City Conference. </div>
<div>(7) To arrange a meeting in the next month to take this agenda further forward - <strong>meeting provisionally confirmed for the eve of Thursday 16th July </strong>at Guernica in the Whitechapel Gallery.</div>
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<div>Comments welcome!</div>
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<div>PS found this on Flickr <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelmsfordblue/3574699495/in/set-72157618865479403">http://www.flickr.com/photos/chelmsfordblue/3574699495/in/set-72157618865479403</a></div>
<div>which, for those who didn't attend is by chance a sculpture - complete with picnic - situated right next to where we met</div>
<div>:-) </div>