[Ssf] Regeneration...

[Dan]

Hey up,

Another thing I bang on about a lot: a meeting on regeneration.  I'm 
going to try and push for this to happen, perhaps in April.

The premises behind the meeting:

1. SSF (and radical lefties generally) is about more than just angry 
throwing rocks (although that has it's place!)

2. Current events in Burngreave (rhetoric of people power vs what 
basically amounts to slum clearance and structural adjustment) give a 
perfect context.

3. Bringing in positive examples of community-led 'asset-based' 
regeneration.  I know someone on this list hated that phrase, coz they 
thought it was 1984ish - but if you get past the language, and actually 
read what it's about, it's pretty bloody empowering.  So -

Positive examples from e.g. Liverpool's Eldonians; East Lancashire 
example of people power; Merci - eco/community-led, progressive 
regeneration in Manchester; radical community activists from Leeds; 
Heely City Farm; NEF...

On involving officials: I don't think we should exclude them.  But we 
should define the space.  If you go to any usual council-led event, you 
will find yourself sitting there being presented to - 'consulted'.  SSF 
can define the space so that local officials will have to be 
accountable.  This is infinitely better than excluding them.  It 
empowers us.

It would mean, for example, getting people from the GOYH to explain to 
us just exactly *how* they intend to enact all this talk of people power 
in the new planning laws; how they intend to turn the rhetoric of active 
citizenship into reality...

... and we can have plenty of proposals for them. 

So... now all we need to do is work like bastards.  Any thoughts?

Dan

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