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

[Jase]

1. Openness I would agree with. Some peoples actions do not converge with
openness. I think if SSF takes an open stance then that in a way solves the
non-violence thing. People who want to go down that route go elsewhere. I
wouldn't say the paranoia is entirely misplaced, look at the attack on the
Genoa SSF centre in that G8 meeting, but then Italy is not the UK, and
thankfully in this country there is less of an oppositional stance in the
civil authorities which would, and did in Italy, permit such an action. Also
being open means if anything did happen we could point out just how stupid it
was.

2. I'm betting the chamber of commerce:) It would be good to have media
stunts/public attractions to promote awareness of what is happening. A main
thing would not be to dumb down, explain the facts, facts facts. Why are they
here, what are they discussing, and why we, a bunch of moderately disperate
folks, are not happy with a small group of 'representatives' deciding policy
which will be implemented whatever because democracy is such a distant and
complex matter. Exploring the issues is a must, there will be plenty of
soundbites about 'stopping terrorists' and enhancing the 'security of the
whole world', the challenge will be exploring the issues in an accessible way
which leads on to...

3. Really good stuff on the schools funding, and the workshop ideas sound
good, especially relevant will be:
*What do you think is the best way to deal with terrorism?
That is the lead in to all of the ideas about loyalties, community,
nationhood, religion and so on. Will need some good facilitators and materials
tho' (he says helpfully...)
On the G8 I think it would be good to open up the whole question of democracy,
how it works from a street level of, "we think that's not right so don't do it
or we'll kick off", to an international level of, "we think that's not right
so don't do it or we'll kick off". Similarity between gangs and groups in
schools and gangs and groups on an international level would work well I
think.Combine that with the problem of how you, the one, influences people who
'represent', but who do they really represent, and so on.
Immigration is a toughie, facts are hugely important, but preaching will just
create distance and shut down communication. It is important to divide between
asylum seekers (who come here to preserve their physical freedom) and
immigrants (who come here for economic freedom). The facts on benefits,
housing, how immigrant labourers are usually ripped off, how the whole economy
relies on immigrant labour and is that right? The case of the teenager who was
raped, traffiked to london, kept as a prostitute, then escaped, only to be
interrogated and imprisoned by the authorities, will highlight the injustices
of a paranoid system which does not appreciate the horrors people face.
And now I'm going on so...

4. Creativity is a must. Sure people from Sheffield Samba band, (and Rhythms
of Resistance?) will be interested in taking part. The lantern people, peace
in the park people, there's loads of creative stuff going on. Would be good if
there could be a focus type meeting, maybe along CAN lines. Cartoons are great
informing tools, G8 art workshops, etc etc

Generally the focus could be the JHA meeting in Shef but also should look at
the wider G8 issues. And yes shouting slogans at each other does not heal the
world, then again neither do ideas, actions being the thing that changes
stuff, so I'll shut up:) Cheers,

Jason

p.s. I would say for the call-out it's not the 'the people of Sheffield' but
'people in Sheffield', 'people of' kind of implies all of them, and that
certainly ain't the case, well yet anyways.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan" <dan at aktivix.org>
To: "Chris Malins" <chrismalins at gmail.com>
Cc: "SSF" <ssf at lists.aktivix.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 12:04 PM
Subject: [ssf] G8 - openness and planning thoughts...


> 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.
> >>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> ssf mailing list
> >> ssf at lists.aktivix.org
> >> http://lists.aktivix.org/mailman/listinfo/ssf
> >>
>
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