[ssf] Fwd: Sheffield Social Justice Groups

[noone noone]

If the ssf is not going to carry out any actions of it's own but instead 
allow other groups/individuals to tallk to each other and co-ordinate there 
own actions then that makes regular meetings redundant.  Further, any 
meeting/day of workshops that becomes too large and difficult to organise 
will cause so much burn out that any ideas that we come up with we will be 
too tired to carry out.  So maybe all we need is a twice yearly big open 
meeting like the one we had that led to the sheffield against G8 group.


>From a personal point of view i don't have the appetite to go to any 
political meetings these days, i am more than happy to participate in the 
actions, events and volunteer to do stuff behind the scenes, the big 
arguments arent for me anymore.  For example i have put many hours into 
doing stuff for the G8 (making banners and preparing the venue etc...) but i 
havent been to a single sheffield against G8 meeting.

for now
cuthbert


>From: Dan <dan at aktivix.org>
>To: noone noone <machinevman at hotmail.com>
>CC: Ssf at lists.aktivix.org
>Subject: Re: [ssf] Fwd: Sheffield Social Justice Groups
>Date: Mon, 13 Jun 2005 16:20:01 +0100
>
>Hia
>
>>I remember when one of the goals of the ssf was to co-ordinate and help 
>>the different social justice groups in sheffield work together and now it 
>>seems we are another social justice group among many looking for things to 
>>do.
>>
>That's exactly why I always argue for SSF to have a very specific, limited 
>role: if SSF tries to be any more than a regular forum, it will turn into 
>'another group' - and not only that, another group with megolomaniac goals. 
>  I personally want only to organise for another forum, and nothing else.
>
>That can include things like more regular mini-forums or fund-raisers, etc. 
>  But these all keep within the 'forum' model.
>
>I think the Burngreave Area Panel example is a good one - you wouldn't see 
>people marching behind a Burngeave Area Panel banner at a demo - coz it's a 
>forum.  It's not what forums do.  You also wouldn't see a Sheffield Social 
>Forum banner at a demo, for the same reason.
>
>Of course, this is just me saying what I think!
>
>p.s. There *has* been a lot of action going on from key SSFers!  G8, 
>Burngreave Masterplan and Peace in the Park activities, for a start.  Hence 
>why, in the ecology of local politics, SSF has been quiet.
>
>When working with the inter-agency conference on the Hungry for Justice 
>event, we finished by saying that there would be a two-year break until the 
>next one.  It was pleasing - we had done a fantastic event, and could 
>clearly state what we wanted to do next - and what not to do.  Nobody was 
>clammering for it to be maintain ideological unity in the face of the 
>enemy, or saying that we needed to build a mass working class movement, 
>which I found quite refreshing...!
>
>Dan
>
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