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Democratic Stop the War Coalition???

Peaceful from Cambridge | 08.02.2004 14:41 | Anti-militarism | Cambridge

Looks like hackney STWC are trying to make the national organisation more open and democratic. I don't fancy their chances much, but good on them for trying! I wonder if Cambridge Stop the War 'Coalition' will be supporting this resolution (see below). I look forward to their consultation with all the Cambridge peace and anti-capitalist groups before the national conference on the 28th of Feb ;-)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HACKNEY Stop-The-War-Coalition RESOLUTION : 28th February 2004

The resolution below on democracy and communications within the STWC
was passed by the Hackney Stop the War Coalition on Monday, 2 Feb.

It would be useful if other groups submitted the same or similar resolutions and mandated their delegates to vote and speak for it at the STWC conference. Of course, the proposals in it ought to be elementary and uncontentious within any serious mass organisation or campaign. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Resolution From Hackney Stop The War Coalition To STWC Conference:

The Stop the War Coalition (STWC) resolves to implement the following
measures, in order to increase democracy and diversity in our
movement:

1. The names and contact details of each member of the STWC Steering
Committee, together with the name of the organisation they represent
(if they are elected in a representative capacity), will be available on the
STWC website;

2. The dates of Steering Committee meetings will be posted on the STWC
website at least fourteen days in advance, so that STWC members can
attend as observers if they so wish;

3. Similarly, the Steering Committee's agenda will be posted on the
STWC website at least fourteen days in advance of the meetings so that
local groups can send in any comments to inform the Steering Committee's decision-making.

4. The minutes of Steering Committee meetings will be posted on the
website within seven days of the meeting taking place;

5. The resolutions passed at this conference will also be posted on
the website.

Peaceful from Cambridge

Comments

Hide the following 6 comments

this movement must belong to all involved

08.02.2004 19:27

Better to try and be democratic at this stage than give up and go along with what is 'allowed' by those at the top or drift away without saying anything. This movement must belong to all the people involved. This is a unique opportunity and moment in time to open up to as many people as are interested rather than the usual exclusive activism. Come on. People power.

hackney citizen

This is good...

08.02.2004 20:09

This is a good motion, but it only addresses the Steering Committee. From what I know of the workings of the STWC, actually most of the power lies with the officers of the Coalition; the Steering Committee tends to rubber-stamp decisions which have already been made and which are difficult to change at short notice.

So I definitely support this, but I don't think it necessarily addresses the main problem...

Much love,

Matt

Matt S

pooling knowledge

08.02.2004 20:34

Sounds like a good time to pool knowledge of how the organisation works and what people want from it. Changes, improvements. How to make it genuinely welcoming and diverse.

hackney citizen

transparency

09.02.2004 12:43

It is more than time for the STWC to addopt an attitude of full transparency. I would also be interested in ALL political affiliations of both its Strearing committee and all those who act as officers for it. Also full financial accountability and transparancy.

m

democracy

09.02.2004 17:33

First things first - good resolution, i support it. Secondly a word of warning i tried to put up a resolution to get the StWC more action orientated and more democratic through empowering the local groups but because it was a long resolution it needed time to explain. Unfortunatly the same people that have monopolised the national coalition didnt allow enough time for me to explain the resolution and for those that hadnt read it to think it through.

cb

What is your problem?

14.02.2004 22:49

How peculiar that the organisation which built the most massive protests Britain has ever seen gets this type of bizarre criticism.

Most of us appreciate the work of both the local and national Stop the War Coalitions.

The motion is a mad attack on the coalition leadership. Shame on them I say.

The national organisation has 1 full time worker and has managed despite that to mobilise huge numbers.

In Cambridge the Coalition has its own web site and plenty of contact details. Why not use them and be constructive! It must have taken a lot of effort to build the various Cambridge protests. Your time would be better spent assisting those trying to organise against the war.

Joe

joe