[ssf] Drafts minutes (corrected once), 2nd March meeting

[eironeia]

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:


Chris on the meeting's structure: Do persons prefer that the meeting
has a chairperson and a formal structure?
This offer is declined by consensus. Meeting to have no chair, informal
following round table structure.
James: Non-violence should be a priority or basic principle. Everybody
agrees.
Peter and James:
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?
*Chris: Anybody attending interested to prepare to take Sheffield to
Gleneagles July 5th-7th? Since negative answer, brainstorming on
Sheffield continues:*

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).


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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