[ssf] Draft minutes for meeting held 2nd March

[robin_amparo at tiscali.co.uk]

Minutes draft for a meeting held on 2nd March 2005 at The R. Arms, 
Sheffield.

Several hands were taking notes; this is just my version, not 
necessarily in strict chronological order of interventions (in case 
useful to fill up any gaps in yours then). Names are fictional.

 

Attending: About 12-15.

Absent: Some persons from BOM.

Facilitator: Chris.

Time: Two hours meeting.

Following a brief personal introduction, brainstorming:

 

James: Non-violence should be a priority or basic principle. Everybody 
agrees.

Peter:

Brief introduction about Sheffield g8 and its context: elections, 
Blunkett's return; counter-ideas: united against fascism vs. united 
against terrorism; serving ASBO's to masters, at least try first stage 
through solicitor(s). Venue unknown. M17 Derby venue made public about 
17 days before their G8 event.

Rose and James: Greenpeace presence.

James and Chris about a phone camcorder being used at meeting. Daniel is 
using laptop at some point. Openness to be a priority at this stage too.

Emails are written and passed round for email list to be created at 
aktivix.org moderated by other Chris.

Chris: Call Out and Statement. Setting up special email list, moderator 
Chris.

Mary and Adriana: let's top discussing violence vs. non-violence, since 
non violence basic established principle.

Adriana distributes 6 +6 pages containing contact info for g8legal 
support and anti-G8 timelines outside Sheffield.

Daniel, Chris, Peter: suggested actions along two time lines: 8th to 
11th June: PiP arrangements, training tent(s). Clowns and action 
training. 11th June to end of g8: SSF and Indymedia.

PiP moving date of their event.

Convergence centre(s)required.

Daniel, Chris, Peter: Openness as agreed at this stage: attracts more 
people and accountable. Minutes etc. accessible for people learning.

John: MEDIA. BBC look north proposals for interview(s)as rationalization 
for direct action. To be done about April. SSF has contact details.

John & Chris: Previously recorded interviews and videos could be used as 
evidence of non-guilty if need arises at a later stage.

Suggestion from Seeds for change: BBC could be directed to Indymedia 
coverage. Anyway, violent group's intervention expected to be negligible.

Mary: Accommodation needed. Question about this being provided at 
convergence centre(s).

Adriana: Establishing a legal support group to coordinate legal support 
and prepare small legal guide.

Demos and street events: Lots of creative brainstorming here:

Barry and Critical Mass offered lots of ideas. On assumption that centre 
will be cordoned off, standard demos are out of the question.

Seeds for Change: non violent reshaping and rearrangement of barriers.

Toy guns being sold at any shop to be shown as damaging. Need for 
coordination: direct action. According to previous experience, 
intervention by "violent" groups would be minimal anyway.

Daniel and others: a planned schedule: Going to schools, with kids 
preparing statements to be read for G8. Help to mobilise for Scotland in 
July. Local Dissent work. Similarly to Leeds and Manchester groups, 
Sheffield to use dissent site.

Robert: Offer to create dedicated web site.

Seeds for change suggested draft agenda for next meeting:

To be discussed: Fluffy demo, Convergence centre(s), Street action, 
Accommodation, communication. Compiling legal support stuff, Critical 
mass ideas,

Mary: Suggested an existing Pedal Pusher's Group could also help at 
street action level.

Final quarter of meeting: similar or same ideas second or third round. 
Seeds of change and Mary cannot do it to next meeting. Statement or Call 
Out(s) to include early support to other groups, since trouble expected 
at national borders for visitors coming from France &Netherlands.

More brainstorming about ideal demo(s). James from Greenpeace: focal point?

Issues: immigration: noborders.org. No guns for children. No Id cards 
for children and artistic approach to protest.

Contact Sheffield Women's Peace Group. Songs to be composed.

Again: convergence centre. Access space (the more cameras, the better). 
Comic vs. violent approaches. Benefits of the former.

Next meeting scheduled for same venue, same time, 16th Wednesday, to be 
widely announced as usual.

Seeds for Change propose that facilitators are rotated at every meeting. 
No other names suggested so far.

(Exchange of business cards and friendly conversation followed).

 

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

 

For details of Dissent! working groups and how to get involved

see:

http://www.dissent.org.uk/content/view/17/28

 

For a copy of the People's Global Action hallmarks, Dissent's organising 
starting point, see:

http://www.nadir.org/nadir/initiativ/agp/free/pga/hallm.htm