With DSEi 2005 only one month away, this is a proposal and a call out for help putting together a special newspaper for distribution around the estates near Excel one week prior to the event...
The idea, as it stands, is to produce a newspaper for distribution to the people living in immediate proximity to the Excel area of docklands. It would aim to inform local people about the DSEi exhibition and arms trade in general, plus what to expect from the protests and how it might effect them. It would also detail publically advertised events around the protests and outline possible ways to get involved. It is hoped that the newspaper would act as a significant piece of education and outreach, help to mitigate against romour and ill feeling towards protesters when disruption and inconvenience is experienced. It may also help to actively engage new people in the protests or in providing assistance and support to those engaging in actions.
The contents of the paper will mainly be formed from text taken from the websites of Disarm DSEi and CAAT. It is however hopped that people will contribute orginal articles and art work. Additionally a letters page is envisioned which would aim to reflect local voices in relation to the arms fare and protests both past and planned.
To make this happen several things are required:
1.contribution of content
2.money to print
3.people to distribute
There is little time and content and layout will need to be finalised by about the 18th Aug. See contact details below to send ideas and contributions of content.
The money required to print the paper will depend on both the desired print run and the size of the paper. To give an example, 5,000 copies of a 24 page - 5 sheet tabloid newspaper was printed with single colour apart from dual colour front and back for about 900 pounds.
This project hopes to do 10,000 or perhaps 15,000 but with only 8 or 12 pages (2 or 3 sheets). No quotes have been obtained yet but it would be expected to be about 1000.
Quick distribution is essential, there is no point in still having stacks of these after DSEi is over. The idea would be to distribute the bulk of them door-to-door around the estates in the area. Additional distribution could be done at shopping centers as info stalls and during public events prior to DSEi itself. Volunteers are needed now to pledge their help in distributing, especially door-to-door (in a coordinated way) during the first week of September.
Some possible names include
East London Arms Trader
Disarm
The Scum
Docklands Dealer
(please do send your suggestions)
So, if you wish to help out, contact
print2paper@gmail.com
Remember...
We need contributions of articles or artwork THIS WEEK. The more people contribute, the better and more diverse the paper may be. However, production of the paper is not dependent on contributions as the whole thing can be put together from existing articles found on campaigning websites and indymedia.
We need donations of money ASAP. We'll get a proper quotes this week but if we aren't certain of at least having half the required funds before commiting to print in the last week of August theb we'll have to forget the whole thing. A benefit event will be held at the rampART to help cover remaining costs after DSEi.
We need pledges to distribute in the first week of September. If there are less than 20 people commiting to at least two hours of door-to-door we'll have to abandon the idea as there will be no point in having thouands of papers and nobody to deliver them. Door-to-door is the best possible outreach and a great way to build links.
The paper should provide a valuable outreach at a level not often achieved during mobalisations in this country but if no help is offered the idea will obviously have to be shelved before commiting to printing. There are many plans and groups working on many things for DSEi so if people are too busy or commited elsewhere then the paper idea will be a non-starter.
A wiki will be set up to contain text in progress so people can see whats currently in. Watch this space.
All comments and suggestion to print2paper@gmail.com
Time is limited so do not delay.
The contents of the paper will mainly be formed from text taken from the websites of Disarm DSEi and CAAT. It is however hopped that people will contribute orginal articles and art work. Additionally a letters page is envisioned which would aim to reflect local voices in relation to the arms fare and protests both past and planned.
To make this happen several things are required:
1.contribution of content
2.money to print
3.people to distribute
There is little time and content and layout will need to be finalised by about the 18th Aug. See contact details below to send ideas and contributions of content.
The money required to print the paper will depend on both the desired print run and the size of the paper. To give an example, 5,000 copies of a 24 page - 5 sheet tabloid newspaper was printed with single colour apart from dual colour front and back for about 900 pounds.
This project hopes to do 10,000 or perhaps 15,000 but with only 8 or 12 pages (2 or 3 sheets). No quotes have been obtained yet but it would be expected to be about 1000.
Quick distribution is essential, there is no point in still having stacks of these after DSEi is over. The idea would be to distribute the bulk of them door-to-door around the estates in the area. Additional distribution could be done at shopping centers as info stalls and during public events prior to DSEi itself. Volunteers are needed now to pledge their help in distributing, especially door-to-door (in a coordinated way) during the first week of September.
Some possible names include
East London Arms Trader
Disarm
The Scum
Docklands Dealer
(please do send your suggestions)
So, if you wish to help out, contact
print2paper@gmail.com Remember...
We need contributions of articles or artwork THIS WEEK. The more people contribute, the better and more diverse the paper may be. However, production of the paper is not dependent on contributions as the whole thing can be put together from existing articles found on campaigning websites and indymedia.
We need donations of money ASAP. We'll get a proper quotes this week but if we aren't certain of at least having half the required funds before commiting to print in the last week of August theb we'll have to forget the whole thing. A benefit event will be held at the rampART to help cover remaining costs after DSEi.
We need pledges to distribute in the first week of September. If there are less than 20 people commiting to at least two hours of door-to-door we'll have to abandon the idea as there will be no point in having thouands of papers and nobody to deliver them. Door-to-door is the best possible outreach and a great way to build links.
The paper should provide a valuable outreach at a level not often achieved during mobalisations in this country but if no help is offered the idea will obviously have to be shelved before commiting to printing. There are many plans and groups working on many things for DSEi so if people are too busy or commited elsewhere then the paper idea will be a non-starter.
A wiki will be set up to contain text in progress so people can see whats currently in. Watch this space.
All comments and suggestion to
print2paper@gmail.com Time is limited so do not delay.
Comments
Hide the following 4 comments
agitprop
10.08.2005 02:43
This is just what DSEI needs too - and the sort of thing the government hasn't outlawed quite yet. Even if it isn't a weekly or monthly - though at some point surely, some kind of weekly libertarian paper that carries more weight than 'freedom' (no offence, but its pretty much a sidelined project at the moment) must have a go at doing the thing in London. The internet is too diffuse and too easy for people to get distracted from - chuck it through their doors and issues will get attention.
Look forward to seeing a copy!
back to the future
The police have imposed an exclusion zone around DSEi
10.08.2005 09:33
Concerned
police condoning terrorism then?
10.08.2005 12:50
So does this mean that the police are glorifying or condoning terrorism by excluding protesters from around the arms fair (terror market) under Bliars new anti-terrorism though crimes bill?
gristle
Exclusion zone hysteria?
10.08.2005 14:42
For the past four years there has been an effective exclusion zone around the ExCeL centre. Access along the dockside has been suspended and in the run up there were flyers posted to trees informing the public that the right of way had been suspended. The same applies to the footbridge crossing to the ExCeL centre and the footbridge over the dock. Therefore this is nothing new and nothing for people to panic about.
Also, even if the police were to impose an exclusion zone around the ExCeL centre, it is a densely populated residential area and would not be easy to enforce. It is also unlikely now given that local residents haven't been informed. Lastly, there is no legal basis that has been pointed out for this tactic and it is unclear under what power the police would make mass arrests.
Don't listen to hysteria. Make your voice heard. Come to DSEi and shut down this evil exhibition in torture and death.
Destroy DSEi