[matilda] Re: Defining Matilda

[gavin at cyber-rights.net]

I agree that we might get round many people's objections by stating 
what we're FOR. However, I think there's a pretty wide range of 
what exactly it is we are for... but that's not fatal in coming to 
a consensus on defining us.

I don't wanna sound too postmodern about it, but we came out of 
opposition to the G8. What we had in common was our opposition, but 
what we offered was a wealth of alternatives. This has been called 
a movement of movements, or one world to contain many worlds. And 
that's fine, because implicit in that many-headed approach is a 
mutual respect for our various approaches, a respect for autonomy, 
for difference...which requires a radical lack of heirachy.

...And that lack of heirachy can't exist without embracing Helen's 
3 definition points:

Rejection of all repressive social and economic structures that 
exploit and dehumanise us;

Sharing out power amongst everyone so that we all have the ability 
to play a part in creating the lives we want to live;

Taking action to make alternatives happen rather than meekly asking 
those with power to change our lives for the better.


So, in this sense, I'd be happy with a definition that was more 
about becoming that being, if that makes sense. Because to 
gaurantee it as a space of possibility, we'd still need certain 
agreed rules about respecting each other and forging alternatives. 
I think the 3 points above do this. Though I do think, also, with 
Chris, that those alternatives are fundamentally anti-capitalist.

Anyway, I'll try and be at the meeting, and I'll try to be less 
rambling and abstract.

Love,
xxx



On Tue, 20 Sep 2005 06:39:13 -0700 dougald hine 
<writetodougald at gmail.com> wrote:
>I won't be there tomorrow night either - and could easily write
>volumes on this stuff.
>
>But there's basically one point I want to make:
>
>> 3. The use of the term confrontation [2].
>> 
>>   Matilda was initially set up as a convergence centre
>>   for those opposing the G8 in Sheffield -- do people
>>   really think that we would have had more impact if we
>>   had sent them letters compared with defying the bans
>>   and protesting on the streets?
>
>Why do things always have to be reduced to two options? I'm not
>willing to be defined as FOR or AGAINST the present system - I am 
>FOR
>something else.
>
>This may seem like wordplay or like avoiding issues that have to 
>be
>confronted. But the continual accusation made against us as a 
>movement
>is that we are negative and nihilistic. What I love about places 
>like
>Matilda is that no one who sees what's going on there can continue 

>to
>believe that sort of propaganda.
>
>While I recognise that we have a fight on our hands, I think we 
>(&,
>more importantly, the world) only stand a chance if we can win 
>more
>and more people to our movement. This won't happen as a result of 
>us
>banging on about what's wrong with the way things are - the 
>world's
>full of people who are depressed about the way things are, but 
>most of
>them never get involved in anything political. People only become
>activists when they get inspired about the way things could be.
>
>There's so much in Matilda - and, indeed, in the drafts for 
>statements
>people have written - that is inspiring. My concern is that, by
>focusing on an abstract set of principles which come across as
>defining us by what we oppose, we don't do justice to the hope 
>that we
>have to offer.
>
>I'm not convinced that I can persuade everyone who disagrees with 
>me
>that they're wrong. But I hope I can at least help people see why 
>I
>disagree with them. (Besides, don't we agree on so much more than 
>we
>disagree on?)
>
>Whatever is decided tomorrow, I'll carry on being involved - 
>whatever
>phrasing people go for, I'm clear that the principles Matilda 
>works by
>have the potential to bring about real radical change.
>
>Dougald
>
>-- 
>Dougald Hine
>46 Alderson Road, Sheffield S2 4UD
>(+44)(0)7810 650213
>
>www.dougald.co.uk
>
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