[matilda] Matilding Defina

[dan at aktivix.org]

Allo again

> > *What* Direct action? *What* civil disobedience? 
 
> Well I agree there isn't much happening in Sheffield but
> what about the sit down protests on the anti-war and g8
> demos, what about things like 9 Ladies etc...

All true - but I'm still a little puzzled by saying that direct action and civil
disobedience is the default MATILDA setting.  It sounds to me like saying we'll
 always use a hammer, regardless of whether we're banging nails in or opening a
tin of beans.
 
> > .. contains two totally different strands, as far as I'm
> > concerned.  I don't want to intimidate, harrass or
> > sabotage. 
> 
> Sure, me neither, but just because it says this on the
> Wikipedia it doesn't mean we have to do it does it! 

No, exactly: my point was that, given the perceptions of direct action within
and without the movement, we could do with articulating what *our* vision of
direct action is.  E.g. by saying things like "it can include writing your own
news stories, about what's going on in your community."

I don't think this is just nit-picking - it could make a profound difference to
how MATILDA is accepted within communities around Sheffield.  And *that* could
make or break any hopes we have of a long-term future, as well as be vital to
getting more people both involved, and accepting and understanding of where
we're coming from.  

If we want the idea of doing for yourself to spread, we need to break the
association in people's minds between direct action and smashing McDonald's
windows.  That really, really, isn't going to get us anywhere.

I agree with J's idea for MATILDA - it should be doing stuff out there: not just
inward-looking.  So we need to be able to convince others, through both our
actions and words.

Maybe?

Dan