Who Really Runs Leeds? next meeting 10 July
Who Really Runs Leeds Project | 30.06.2006 09:01 | Analysis | Free Spaces | Social Struggles
To kick off 10 days of events around privatisation and corporate power in Leeds, the Who Really Runs Leeds? project based at Leeds University has organised its second meeting on 10 July aimed at uncovering the nature and extent of privatisation in Leeds.
On 28 April this year, a half day workshop was held at the University of Leeds for those interested in joining a collaborative research project aimed at understanding and mapping power in Leeds. The aim of the project is threefold:
• to uncover and publicise the networks of decision-making power which exist in Leeds and its region and the policies and interests that underpin them;
• to map out the recent past and present of privatisation and regeneration processes;
• and to expose how governance and corporate finance structures work in the city.
It was a really successful event, attended by over 50 people including councillors, officers, researchers, community campaigners and trade union activists. The discussion revealed a high level of dissatisfaction with local political institutions and agendas, and a genuine desire to reclaim the running of Leeds for the people who live here, away from the invisible networks of power designing and driving forth regeneration and city development.
A second meeting has now been organised for MONDAY 10TH JULY 5.30 - 8PM at the School of Geography, University of Leeds.
It will once again be an informal brainstorming session geared towards implementing ideas - and there will be after work nibbles!
For directions see:
http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/info/school/contact.html
A few points to note:
* if you didn't come last time, you are more than welcome to come this time
* if you can't make it to the whole session, come for what you can
* if you can't come at this time and date but want to get involved and have specific ideas please let us know
* please send us agenda points for discussion and work plans
We have some aims for the session:
* we now want to focus on active work plans
* we really want people to claim ownership over this project and take on organising it collaboratively.
* we want to refine the questions and areas people want to address and work on - we realise that our intial question is just a start - and people have lots of other ideas - who owns leeds, how can we run leeds
etc?
* as a priority we want to get the website up and running and need help/ideas
* we would also like to focus on getting together information in certain areas such as privatisation activity, large regeneration projects, and a database of the movers and shakers.
• to uncover and publicise the networks of decision-making power which exist in Leeds and its region and the policies and interests that underpin them;
• to map out the recent past and present of privatisation and regeneration processes;
• and to expose how governance and corporate finance structures work in the city.
It was a really successful event, attended by over 50 people including councillors, officers, researchers, community campaigners and trade union activists. The discussion revealed a high level of dissatisfaction with local political institutions and agendas, and a genuine desire to reclaim the running of Leeds for the people who live here, away from the invisible networks of power designing and driving forth regeneration and city development.
A second meeting has now been organised for MONDAY 10TH JULY 5.30 - 8PM at the School of Geography, University of Leeds.
It will once again be an informal brainstorming session geared towards implementing ideas - and there will be after work nibbles!
For directions see:
http://www.geog.leeds.ac.uk/info/school/contact.html A few points to note:
* if you didn't come last time, you are more than welcome to come this time
* if you can't make it to the whole session, come for what you can
* if you can't come at this time and date but want to get involved and have specific ideas please let us know
* please send us agenda points for discussion and work plans
We have some aims for the session:
* we now want to focus on active work plans
* we really want people to claim ownership over this project and take on organising it collaboratively.
* we want to refine the questions and areas people want to address and work on - we realise that our intial question is just a start - and people have lots of other ideas - who owns leeds, how can we run leeds
etc?
* as a priority we want to get the website up and running and need help/ideas
* we would also like to focus on getting together information in certain areas such as privatisation activity, large regeneration projects, and a database of the movers and shakers.
Who Really Runs Leeds Project
Homepage:
http://www.whorunsleeds.org.uk