[ssf] G8 - openness and planning thoughts...

[Dan]

Hia,

Just some thoughts: what do people think?

1. Openness
2. Convergence centre and counter-conference
3. Youth engagement
4. Street event

1. One of the most destructive aspects of radical politics, that I can 
ascertain, is paranoia.

Now, we're planning to do something for the G8 coming to Sheffield, and 
there's going to be a lot to think about - but I want to make a start here.

A. We should assume that all info *is* being monitored.  (If the BBC are 
following, so are people trying to plan the weekend.)

B. This is NOT A BIG DEAL!  If it's some poor sap's job to trawl through 
this, so be it.  It can't be much fun.

We should be open about everything we're planning - that way, it's 
actually pointless to get paranoid, because everyone has free access to 
what's going on.  Sadly, some muppets (almost always male, you'll 
notice) rather enjoy all the cloak and dagger stuff.  It's actually 
bloody tedious.

2. But note: we have no idea where the ministers are meeting.  We may or 
may not find out, and when we do find out, it may or may not be accurate 
or liable to change at the last minute.

Given that this is the case, a 'counter-conference' and convergence 
centre (and some kind of street event) is going to be the best way 
forward - rather than hoping to 'shut down' the meeting. 

(And while we're at it, would anyone like to explain to me what would be 
so great about 'shutting down the meeting?'  All that will happen is, as 
with the WTO, next time they'll go to a secure hotel complex in some 
despotic little Middle Eastern state.  Shutting down meetings is a very 
Pot Noodle thing - seems like it tastes nice at the time, but later on 
bad things result...)

If we do this, we should be able to attract media attention (well, we 
've done that already) and get across alternative visions - as well as 
engage people locally. 

3. Da yoof:  I think we should have a go at asking the Council whether 
we can do what the J8 is doing locally - that is, work in schools to get 
kids to produce a statement(s) or something else to hand to the 
ministers when they arrive.  We could work on the themes of:

*What do you think is the best way to deal with terrorism?
*Do you think Muslim and Christian can co-exist peacefully?  If so, what 
do we need to do to make it happen?  If not, why not?  (Get mixed ethnic 
groups to address this and produce a joint statement.)
*What are the G8 ministers doing wrong?  What are they doing right?
*What do you think about immigration?  (Open that up a bit more.)

On this: I'm meeting someone from the Burton Street youth project next 
week - need more youth workshop volunteers!  Could do with meeting early 
next week

4. On to the streets: we should be working to make a creative, wonderful 
street event.  We do not want any more godawful lines of trot-led 
chants.  Sure, they'll turn up - but can we start getting creative on 
this?  (The ESF had a 'European Creative Forum' - which, as you'd 
expect, relegated creativity to a stage for people to watch.  I think we 
can do better than that!)

Also, if I hear one person singing 'hey hey CIA how many kids did you 
kill today' I'll strangle them.  No, really. I'll kill them dead, right 
there and then.  (Joke!  Won't really!)  It's a chant that was heard in 
the 60s for God's sake!  Time for a new one!

Er... ranting slightly now,

peace

Dan
----

Chris Malins wrote:

> The council have it as G8 from Charles Clark's announcement. The 
> callout currently reads thusly:
>
> "On 16th-17th June, 2005, the G8 justice ministers will meet in
> Sheffield. They will be discussing how to prosecute Bush's 'War on
> Terror'. They are the justice of indefinite detention without judicial
> review, the type of justice that takes you abroad if the local laws
> won't allow torture, that at Guantanamo Bay treats American citizens one
> way and everyone else (including British citizens) in another.
>
> They are the people who think that inspiring a lively sense of terror in
> their subjects makes ID cards ok, and that keeping out asylum seekers
> who are not quite oppressed enough is more important than social justice
> for their own people. And this will be the first round of our on going
> resistance to the G8 in the UK that another, as we believe that a 
> better world can, should and will be possible if only they will let it.
>
> And so the people of Sheffield are calling on the movement for action to
> be taken and alternatives to be presented to these people. We are 
> offering our support for any groups coming to Sheffield, suggesting that
> the movement should run a week of counter conference events leading up 
> to the summit, and offering the Sheffield Social Forum as a 
> coordinating space for action."
>
> Would someone like to volunteer to facilitate the 'organising 
> committee' which will be meeting next Wednesday? Do we think a chair 
> would even be appropriate?
>
> Chris
>
>
> Dan wrote:
>
>> Allo
>>
>> This is cool! It should get people in - and it's got stuff about 
>> alternatives.
>>
>> One thing that needs changing: Peace in the Park is no longer on June 
>> 11th.  It's most likely now going to happen way after all the G8 
>> stuff.  So like I was saying - the onus is now on us to get something 
>> sorted for the weekend before, and leading up to, the G7.
>>
>> Oh, and I think it's G7 ministers coming here - dunno what we think 
>> about that.
>>
>> So lots to talk about next Wednesday.
>>
>> Cheers for all this Mr M,
>>
>> Dan
>> ----
>>
>> "On 16th-17th June, 2005, the G8 justice ministers will meet in 
>> Sheffield. They will be discussing how to prosecute Bush's 'War on 
>> Terror'. They are the justice of indefinite detention without 
>> judicial review, the type of justice that takes you abroad if the 
>> local laws won't allow torture, that at Guantanamo Bay treats 
>> American citizens one way and everyone else (including British 
>> citizens) in another.
>>
>> They are the people who think that inspiring a lively sense of terror 
>> in their subjects makes ID cards ok, and that keeping out asylum 
>> seekers who are not quite oppressed enough is more important than 
>> social justice for their own people. And this will be the first round 
>> of our protestation to the G8 that another, better world can, should 
>> and will be possible if only they will let it.
>>
>> And so the people of Sheffield are calling on the movement for action 
>> to be taken and alternatives to be presented to these people. We are 
>> offering our support for any groups coming to Sheffield, suggesting 
>> the Sheffield Peace in the Park festival on 11th June as the start of 
>> a week  of counter conference events, and offering the Sheffield 
>> Social Forum as a coordinating space for action."
>>
>> Any thoughts welcome, don't worry about hurting my feelings, just 
>> know that if you stand against me now my retribution will be swift 
>> and merciless. Ahem, I think Dan's megalomania is rubbing off. 
>> Seriously, please kick this around and start some discussion on what 
>> we want this statement to say, lets have a view to releasing it by 
>> this time next week.
>>
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