Community activism - revolutionary or reformist?
BAN | 30.03.2004 22:59 | Social Struggles
The recently formed Bristol Anarchist Network is pleased to announce it's first public event - an open disussion meeting on the pros & cons of community activism & involvement. There is no party line, and no pre-determined correct answers to the questions raised in the text of the flyer below. Come along.....
‘Revolutionaries and Community Organisations’
A discussion meeting open to all those interested in organising without leaders, with introductions from a Residents Group in St Pauls, and Haringay Solidarity Group (London)
Thursday 8 April, 7.30 – 9.30pm
Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Rd, Easton, BS5 6AW
With the downturn in workplace struggles over the last 20 years, some revolutionaries have looked towards involvement in local community issues & groups as an additional form of struggle – such as residents groups, community centres and local single-issue campaigns (defending nurseries, traffic calming etc). Others have focused on acting with those within their own ‘activist scene’. Some of course have tried to do both! This discussion will focus on breaking out of the activist scene; the pros & cons of involvement in local community organisations; and questions like these:
· Is dealing with dumped cars, litter, graffiti, crack houses & prostitution revolutionary; an example of genuine community solidarity; or just NIMBY (not in my back yard) campaigning?
· Are active & successful local campaigns powerful evidence of organising amongst ourselves for ourselves, or do we just end up doing the Council’s/Government’s job for them?
· Just because people take direct action on local issues, does this make them revolutionaries?
· What is revolutionary about getting dragged into local processes like working with the council & cops?
· What do local people think about revolutionaries getting involved in their groups?
· How many people in residents/community groups would really support a non-hierarchical, non-capitalist society? Will they once they are more involved in their local community?
· Haringay Solidarity Group (London) have been active for 14 years, involved in many local campaigns, supporting & setting up residents groups, even helping to organise a council-funded but independently run community festival, whilst maintaining their own revolutionary beliefs. What can we learn from them? For more info on HSG see www.HSG.cupboard.org
Meeting organised by the newly formed Bristol Anarchist Network (BAN) –
bristolanarchistnetwork@subsection.org.uk
A discussion meeting open to all those interested in organising without leaders, with introductions from a Residents Group in St Pauls, and Haringay Solidarity Group (London)
Thursday 8 April, 7.30 – 9.30pm
Easton Community Centre, Kilburn Rd, Easton, BS5 6AW
With the downturn in workplace struggles over the last 20 years, some revolutionaries have looked towards involvement in local community issues & groups as an additional form of struggle – such as residents groups, community centres and local single-issue campaigns (defending nurseries, traffic calming etc). Others have focused on acting with those within their own ‘activist scene’. Some of course have tried to do both! This discussion will focus on breaking out of the activist scene; the pros & cons of involvement in local community organisations; and questions like these:
· Is dealing with dumped cars, litter, graffiti, crack houses & prostitution revolutionary; an example of genuine community solidarity; or just NIMBY (not in my back yard) campaigning?
· Are active & successful local campaigns powerful evidence of organising amongst ourselves for ourselves, or do we just end up doing the Council’s/Government’s job for them?
· Just because people take direct action on local issues, does this make them revolutionaries?
· What is revolutionary about getting dragged into local processes like working with the council & cops?
· What do local people think about revolutionaries getting involved in their groups?
· How many people in residents/community groups would really support a non-hierarchical, non-capitalist society? Will they once they are more involved in their local community?
· Haringay Solidarity Group (London) have been active for 14 years, involved in many local campaigns, supporting & setting up residents groups, even helping to organise a council-funded but independently run community festival, whilst maintaining their own revolutionary beliefs. What can we learn from them? For more info on HSG see www.HSG.cupboard.org
Meeting organised by the newly formed Bristol Anarchist Network (BAN) –
bristolanarchistnetwork@subsection.org.uk
BAN
e-mail:
bristolanarchistnetwork@subsection.org.uk
Comments
Hide the following 3 comments
improving peoples lives
31.03.2004 09:51
destroyerofculture
no dichotomy there
31.03.2004 10:17
Tom
It's a question, not a party line!
31.03.2004 21:25
It's a discussion meeting to consider the issue, with intro from 2 speakers who have very much got involved in essentially reformist (see Tom's comment) local activity. Of course local activity is worthwhile, it's where we live, work & breathe. The question though is how to maintain a revolutionary perspective when your local activity get's results and you find yourself dealing with all sorts of local state agencies?
Try thinking next time!
mh