[Project-fallujah] The White Rose

2 % Human adam at diamat.org.uk
Wed Nov 17 07:31:17 GMT 2004


Ayup Lists,

Project Fallujah [1]
====================

"I repeat, that all power is a trust, that we are accountable for its 
exercise, and that, from the people, and for the people, all springs, 
and all must exist" - Benjamin Disraeli

On 7 November 2004, I emailed the 84 councillors of Sheffield [2] with a 
request to consider twining our City with that of Fallujah [3]. This 
request springs from the blackness of the unfolding events, and a desire 
to do something, anything to positively intervene.

Eleven councillors have replied so far. By far the most positive reply 
is from Jillian Creasy [green]; her reply is a matter of public record 
[4]. There are other positive replies from a few of our Labour 
councillors. There has also been some very cold-faced replies from this 
group too. I understand that the Labour Group have met and decided that 
they will not be putting the request before council.

Never-the-less, Jillian is going to put a *motion* to full council on 
Wednesday 1 December 2004 and it is likely that there will be a free vote.

I received a response from a representative of the Liberal Party, which 
suggested that they, or rather at least some of their members, could be 
persuaded to support this *motion* provided that the substantive issue 
of fanaticism is addressed.

( There is also a secondary procedural issue that would need to be dealt 
with, concerning the priority given to Fallujah over other cities that 
the Council are considering as twins. )

I have received no response from the Conservatives.

Email List
----------

An email list has been set up by Atavix [5] to help manage this project. 
You can subscribe to the project list here: 
http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/project-fallujah.

I shall send this email, together with an invitation to join this list, 
to all interested parties, including each of our councillors. This list 
is an open list and has open archives. It is hoped that other people 
interested in this project will join and help out.

It would be helpful, if the first thing that this list was able to 
concentrate upon, was the *humanitarian* issues, which are the basis of 
the *motion*. I trust that our concerns, competently expressed, will 
enable Jillian to form a *motion* that will gain wider support.

Time is of the essence; this *motion* needs to be submitted by the 23 
November 2004. This being the case, I ask that comments / suggestions 
are made quickly in order that they may be collated in advance of the 
dead line.

I will now attempt to get the ball rolling with my two farthings:

I.	Humanitarian Issues
###########################

"Never apologize for showing feeling. When you do so, you apologise for 
truth." - Benjamin Disraeli

The atrocities unleashed upon Fallujah are in mind equivalent to the 
atrocities unleashed upon Guernica [6]. It is difficult to stand idly 
by, and read report after report of the carnage being inflicted upon the 
people of Iraq. Children are being ripped to bits before our very eyes. 
Margaret Hassan has been defiled and used as a pawn. Prisoners are being 
defiled and used for porn. I feel that we must do something to protest 
against these atrocities and I am frustrated that our own government 
appears to stand firmly behind this barbarism.

David Blunkett's flat refusal to take on board the comments of Kofi 
Annan [7] testifies to his black and white take on this issue. I, like 
many others in this City, wish to distance myself from his perspective 
and seek to establish some civil avenue by which to help the people of 
Fallujah, and thereby help ourselves.

Sheffield is a cosmopolitan city. The population includes many people 
who have settled here from the middle east. These people, our people, 
are integrated in to our work and social structures and are our mates. 
The words of sympathy expressed by our government about the collateral 
carnage inflicted by its foreign policy holds little or no weight with 
many of our citizens. We are becoming more and more disenfranchised from 
this countries formal modes of representation and this I fear will lead 
to civil unrest. Last weeks bombings in Holland indicate how fast the 
mind-set of nation can divide.

What are our options ?
----------------------

New social structures are growing in the form of Internet based 
communities. In these communities, of which Project Fallujah is one, we 
are able to express our opinions openly and learn from one another in 
the process.

These communities are implicitly non-hierarchical and are governed by 
group consensus. These communities are implicitly non discriminatory; 
often the sex, shape, colour and age of a group member is not known, or 
for that matter whether the member is disabled or deformed in any way. 
Because of this, these structures have an in-built inclusivity that 
surpass this countries present modes of representation.

I ask that the councillors take part in our discussions and represent 
our interests.


II.	Fanaticism
##################

"Sweet moderation, the heart of this nation, Desert us not, we are 
between the wars." - Billy Bragg

Being brought up in this area instills a healthy distaste for 
fanaticism. It begins in the play ground when confronted by the football 
fans of our many local teams.

	"Who do you support ?" they would ask.

If you gave the *wrong* answer, you would be hit. As a strategy, one 
learns to answer in the following manner:

	"I'm not so bothered about any particular team, but I do like to watch 
a good match"

What we have in Fallujah is not a good match.

Many fouls have been committed, many more are being committed whilst I 
type. It appears to be a war between fanatics, and it is now spilling 
out on to the terraces.

--
Margaret Hassan : Still
Stuart Gray : Still
Paul Lowe : Still
Scott McArdle : Still

Sign-up : http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/project-fallujah

[1] Idea: http://lists.aktivix.org/pipermail/ssf/2004-November/000232.html
[2] http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/your-city-council/councillors
[3] Example mail to councillors: 
http://lists.aktivix.org/pipermail/ssf/2004-November/000239.html
[4] Jillian's Response: 
http://lists.aktivix.org/pipermail/ssf/2004-November/000263.html
[5] http://www.aktivix.org/
[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombing_of_Guernica
[7] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3988691.stm

Between The Wars
----------------

I was a miner, I was a docker
I was a railwayman between the wars
I raised a family in time of austerity
With sweat at the foundry, between the wars
I paid the union and as times got harder
I looked to the government to help the working man
They brought prosperity, down at the armoury
We're arming for peace, my boys, between the wars

I kept the faith and I kept voting,
Not for the iron fist, but for the helping hand
Theirs is a land with a wall around it
And mine is a faith in my fellow man
Theirs is a land of hope and glory
Mine is the green field and the factory floor
Theirs are the skies all dark with bombers
Mine is the peace we knew between the wars

Call up the craftsmen, bring me a draughtsman
Build me a path from cradle to grave
And I'll give my consent to any government
That does not deny a man a living wage
Go find the young men, never to fight again
Call up the banners from the days gone by
Sweet moderation, the heart of this nation,
Desert us not, we are between the wars

-- Billy Bragg




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