since my last update i've attended a few local forum/assembly events, a few other things and been doing some thinking.<br><br>these existing structures are actually surprisingly fruitful but the there a few things they need to start on the
journey towards democracy <br><br>1) more people involved (especially young
people) <br>2) more regular meetings including sub groups on different issues<br>3) ability to
discuss 'big issues' that they may not currently have much influence
over (but that which they might find a way to influence) <br>4)
geographical sub areas - council wards are still WAY bigger than a
community - Telegraph hill is a classic example, the honour oak estate
end is so different / distant from the leafy telegraph
hill proper part. <br>5) they are almost totally focussed on giving money
to discrete projects that ask for it, the ones i've been to are more
like board meetings of a grant making trust, listening to pitches from
charities for project funding. i think it's key that they start to
decide to DO things themselves, possibly using their budgets to do
them. but even better do things that don't need any money at all 'we
will spend next saturday clearing a patch of waste ground' 'each of us
will knock on the door of someone locally who we know can't get out of
the house and ask if we can help them' etc<br>
<br>also, on personal level, creating real democracy can't just be about building intellectually satisfying democratic structures - it has to be about getting your hands dirty in the community, getting to know people and making a contribution, and in fact its a community spirit that is more important than the exact detail of the structures that govern it.<br>
<br>- <br><br><br><br><br><br><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Oct 13, 2009 at 11:35 AM, James Holland <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:james@dogmanet.org" target="_blank">james@dogmanet.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<p>I think my strategy is to push the current set ups, untill they either start to breakthrough and work well or the council put the brakes on (the most likely result!) - either way you've got a platform to go further.<br>
</p><p>i've been to one TT brockley meeting, and i will continue to be involved i think. <br></p><p>hopefully i'll have chance to meet up with you, either at a meeting or outside, at the moment i'm still in the research phase - trying to work out whats going on.. however i'm quite enthusiastic about the nunhead area becoming something of 'beacon' (as it's already going quite well) at the same time as trying to stir something in a few other areas (particularly new cross / telegraph hill)<br>
</p><p>my phone number is 07905 685 906 please let mek now if there's any events or peole you think i should particulalry know about<br></p><p><br></p><p><br></p>
<p>james holland</p>
<p></p><blockquote type="cite"><div>On Oct 12, 2009 7:00 PM, "Matthew Scott" <<a href="mailto:Matt@communitysectorcoalition.org.uk" target="_blank">Matt@communitysectorcoalition.org.uk</a>> wrote:<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">Hi James</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font size="2" color="navy" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial; color: navy;">I live in Brockley SE4; I have avoided my
local assembly to date, only because I have had extensive interaction with the
council at the local strategic partnership level and neighbourhood management
level – however I know many of the lead officers from my days when I was
a community development worker working across Lewisham for a community led network
(i.e. not working for the council). I agree to an extent that they can be
influenced, but there’s a lot of paranoia about rival mainstream political
parties – tories, lib dems etc doing just that so the idea that community
activists can get in there probably needs to be tempered. I like the transition
town thing because it is more genuinely local people led – from my
perspective anything that is council led is going to end in disappointment at
some point so the ideal is to bypass them where possible and make demands from
a position of strength and equality. Real democracy can never (ever) be
council mediated, managed democracy. I have many contacts in both
Lewisham and Southwark so happy to link up if there is any stuff needs doing</span></font></p></div><p><font color="#500050">
Matt
Matthew Scott
CSC Director
020 7336 9461
Work mobile: 07827 258411
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-weight: bold;">From:</span></font></b><font size="2" face="Tahoma"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Tahoma;">
<a href="mailto:martyn2345@googlemail.com" target="_blank">martyn2345@googlemail.com</a> [mailto:<a href="mailto:martyn2345@googlemail.com" target="_blank">martyn2345@googlemail.com</a>] <b><span style="font-weight: bold;">On Behalf Of </span></b>James Holland<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sent:</span></b> 12 October 2009 13:30<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">To:</span></b> Matthew Scott<br>
<b><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cc:</span></b>
<a href="mailto:campaignforrealdemocracy@lists.aktivix.org" target="_blank">campaignforrealdemocracy@lists.aktivix.org</a>; <a href="mailto:project2012@googlegroups.com" target="_blank">project2012@googlegroups.com</a>; Mark
Barrett<p><font color="#500050">
Subject: Re: [Campaignforrealdemocracy] campaign real democracy - actually starting to campaign!</font></p></span></font></p>
</div></div><p><font color="#500050">
yes, thanks for that
the forums are different in different places - in lewisham they're calle...</font></p><div><font color="#888888"><p class="MsoNormal"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br>
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James Holland <br>
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</blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br><br><br><br><br>James Holland <br>