[matilda] Defining Matilda

[dan at aktivix.org]

Allo

C said: 

"But I also don't see why the PGA Hallmarks can't be an appendix to our own
vision..."

On these points: 

3. A confrontational attitude, since we do not think that lobbying can have a
major impact in such biased and undemocratic organisations, in which
transnational capital is the only real policy-maker.

4. A call to direct action and civil disobedience, support for social movements'
struggles, advocating forms of resistance which maximize respect for life and
oppressed peoples' rights, as well as the construction of local alternatives to
global capitalism.

You must have some inkling of why, given that several people, including myself,
have tried to explained our specific problems with the PGA hallmarks.  They're
not killer objections, mostly - but it would be lovely to feel like I wasn't in
some strange dream where I'm trying to speak and nothing's coming out!

Points 3 and 4 might work for PGA - a global movement consisting mostly of
Southern peoples' movements resisting globalisation.  Not for me, and I'd argue
not for MATILDA.  *What* Direct action? *What* civil disobedience? To what end?
Bringing down the system? OK - where do you propose starting in Sheffield?

Now, it may be that we can adapt them. We could then say 'adapted from x
sources...' Why adapt? Take a look at Wikipedia's entry on direct action :

"... a method and a theory of stopping objectionable practices or creating more
favorable conditions using immediately available means, such as strikes,
boycotts, workplace occupations, sit-ins, intimidation, harassment or sabotage,
and less oppositional methods such as establishing radical social centres,
although these are often squatted... Those employing direct action aim to
either:

* obstruct another agent or organization from performing some practice they
object to
* act with whatever resources and methods are within their power, either on
their own or as part of a group, in order to solve problems"

.. contains two totally different strands, as far as I'm concerned.  I don't
want to intimidate, harrass or sabotage.  And I think historically, there's no
denying that's been a big part of direct action.  As such, I'd want something
in there that reflected that we reject these methods.  (But maybe not everyone
does...?)  (There's the question of perception too - see below.)

Of course, acting with whatever resource you have to solve problems - that's
DIY, and that's great! But intimidating someone into acting differently, and
building a hacklab, can't be lumped under the same heading of 'direct
action'...?

Kev has sent me this anarchist quote:

"Every person who ever had a plan to do anything, and went and did it, or who
laid his plan before others, and won their co-operation to do it with him,
without going to external authorities to please do the thing for them, was a
direct actionist."

(Voltarine De Clerye, 1912, from
http://www.spunk.org/library/writers/decleyre/sp001334.html)

We could just steal that! It's loose - maybe too loose for some - and it also
means that this Labour government is actually promoting direct action through
it's various community schemes at the moment... but just coz the government's
doing it doesn't invalidate it!

And what of Indymedia? Would we agree that, even though it's mainly writing or
making the systems so that people can write, it's still direct action?

"Sheffield Indymedia is for the creation of radical, accurate and passionate
telling of truth. It aspires to erode the divisions between the reporter and
the reported, enabling people in our communities to speak for themselves:
sharing their stories, the issues that affect their lives and their action for
change; so that we can see the world through our own lens and communicate with
our own voices, rather than accept a distorted perspective communicated through
the corporate media."

(http://docs.indymedia.org/view/Local/SheffieldMissionStatement)

It's direct action I'd say - but if we're going to get across our message to
those who percieve direct action as merely throwing bricks at policeman (both
in and outside the movement), can we make this clear in our Matilda statement?

Sheffield IMC mission statement also says:

"All IMC's are committed to caring for one another and our respective
communities both collectively and as individuals and will promote the sharing
of resources including knowledge, skills and equipment."

That's also great!

Right - that might do for now.  Enough to be cobbling something together...

love

Dan