[ssf] Re: Draft announcements: free text consultancy:

[Amparo]

Sorry guys I have been struggling to understand what didn't quite "fit "
in the draft announcement text (I mean the one yet unpublished) and
thought that it lacks a thread. A thread is missing giving "coherence"
and consistency to the different "plots" (that is, sub- actions and
campaigns) going on under the SSF umbrella.

So that the different causes , Peace in the Park, Make Poverty History,
DefyG8, Save Burngreave, Defend Benefits, No2id, etc. lack
1)not a general context (already explained in the heading i think)
but
2) A narrative, a common thread joining and interrelating so that it
does not give the impression of jumping from one to the next, even if 
this is a listing.

3) so my idea is  a draft (not too vague I hope) , something like start 
re-writing all the slogans or proper names of
the campaigns into a kind of ordered structure:
(this is an idea for the next issue or the post announcement, too)

Finally i just came out with SUBHEADINGS (to be added)

(beginning of your text) (..........)
>> as well as productive talk and action-planning. 
>> Here's a list of some 
>> of the things we know will be going on - and please
>> let us know if you 
>> have something you particularly want to talk about.
>> 
HERE ADD:
OUR GOALS FOR THIS PERIOD ARE: (.........) DEFY the G8, MAKE POVERTY 
HISTORY, DEFY WAR

OR WE ARE SAYING :

NO TO
>> *The G8 , No to Poverty,  No to War
YES TO
PEACE (for Peace in the Park)

(And then the details):

>> 
>> *Peace in the Park itself will be taking place on
>> Saturday June 11th.  
>> [Website?] SSF will be hosting a 'Speakeasy' tent
>> there, and working 
>> with others to prepare, for example by going into
>> schools to run 
>> awareness-raising workshops around global issues -
>> with the ultimate 
>> goal of hosting a 'youth parliament' (or something
>> less stuffy) at Peace 
>> in the Park
>> 
(HERE ADD):
OTHER VISITORS ARE:
or WE ARE SAYING YES TO "Venezuela"

(and details here)
>> *Sheffield now has its own 'Sheffield 2 Venezuela
>> preparatory 
>> committee', who are working to get a delegation to
>> Venezuela in August 
>> for the Youth and Student Festival there. 
>> Hopefully, they'll be coming 
>> along too.
>> 
GOAL: SAVE BURNGREAVE
OR we are saying NO TO BURNGREAVE DEMOLITION MASTERPLAN

(and here the details following):

>> *The Burngreave Masterplan has ruffled some
>> feathers, entailing as it 
>> does large-scale demolition, and triggered a local
>> fight-back.  SSF is 
>> getting stuck in, looking for ways to hold planning
>> minister Keith Hill 
>> to his words... which were, rather shockingly, 'Let
>> the People Decide!'
>> 
GOAL: DEFEND BENEFITS
OR WE ARE SAYING NO TO DISABILITY WELFARE CUTS


>> *Building on previous work done around the impending
>> disability welfare 
>> cuts, we'll be working to raise awareness of what's
>> going on, on the 
>> hardships faced by people on disability benefits -
>> and how much worse it 
>> could get if Blair gets his way.  How can we support
>> a group who are so 
>> often ignored and sidelined?  Can you help too?
>> 
OTHER VISITORS: CREATIVE ACTION NETWOR, GOAL LANTERN FESTIVAL
OR WE ARE SAYING
YES TO A LANTERN FESTIVAL AND CELEBRATION.

(and here details)

>> *Get yer creative juices flowing!  Creative Action
>> Network - those 
>> responsible for Sharrow's awe-inspiring lantern
>> carnival, will be there 
>> on the 17th, as well as various other folk looking
>> to put their creative 
>> talents to good use.  If you want to come and join
>> in, there'll be 
>> opportunities to talk about and plan any number of
>> possibilities, 
>> including...
>> 
GOAL: PUBLISH A NEW SHEFFIELD RADICAL NEWSLETTER and PROMOTE THE 
DEMOCRACY CAFES.
OR WE ARE SAYING YES TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH.

(details here)

>> *A new Sheffield radical newsletter!  Radical means
>> 'getting to the root 
>> of things'.  A plan is afoot to launch a monthly
>> newsletter, in 
>> conjunction with Sheffield Indymedia, with this aim
>> in mind.  It won't 
>> just be dull leftie politics, though.  Supported by
>> a fortnightly 
>> writing and creativity workshop, and due to launch
>> its first issue at 
>> the end of March, we hope this will be an exciting
>> read, as well as 
>> bringing together in one place all the month's best
>> political and 
>> politico-cultural goings on in Sheffield and beyond.
>> 
>> *Democracy Cafes now carry on under their own steam,
>> first Tuesday of 
>> every month at the Blue Moon.  But are they steering
>> the right path 
>> between freeform and agenda-driven?  And just how
>> good is Blue Moon's 
>> cake?  (They're not paying us, you know!)
>> 
>> *... and of course, Sheffield Social Forum itself! 
>> We need more bodies 
>> to keep the good ship SSF afloat in 2005.  There's
>> lots to do, as you 
>> can see.  It's going to be fun, but it'll be hard
>> work!  Particularly, 
>> it would be *great* to know what kind of events and
>> speakers you would 
>> want to see in the coming year, so SSF can make a
>> forward planner.
>> 
>> *Oh and *please* bring your ideas too: you *can*
>> make a difference!
>> 
>> Hope to see you on the 17th.
>> 
>> Some p.s's:
>> 
>> 1. Please tell other people: word of mouth is the
>> best advertising!
>> 2. If you want to get more stuck in to the
>> day-to-day machinations of 
>> organising, you can subscribe to the discussion list
>> at:
>> http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssf
>> 3. I'm the named contact at the minute: that's Dan
>> on 07968 997861 or 
>> dan at aktivix.org
>> 
>> _________________________________________






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[Clear enough?
Ideas? Booos?]