It looks as though things may be starting to turn around for movements at last - between the water charges movement in Ireland and events in Greece and Spain it's clear that there's a new sense of
possibility in the air, however people read that.
There's a series of upcoming events in the greater Dublin region this spring aiming to feed into this process and hopefully contribute to taking things further. Here's a few dates:
Friday March 6th (7 - 9 pm) and Saturday March 7th (10 - 5 pm), Teachers Club:
Grassroots Strategy Weekend organised by Gluaiseacht for Global Justice, ATTAC Ireland, Third Level Workplace Watch, Marea Granate Dublin and We're Not Leaving.
Monday April 13th and Tuesday April 14th (10 - 5 pm), Maynooth:
John Holloway seminar "Think hope, think crisis" organised by the MA in Community Education, Equality and Social Activism.
Friday April 17th (evening) to Sunday April 19th (afternoon), Don Bosco centre, Drimnagh:
Grassroots Gathering "Joining the dots", co-organised by the MA CEESA. Watch this space for more details.
Friday April 24th - Sunday April 26th, Smithfield
Dublin Anarchist Bookfair, organised by the Workers Solidarity Movement. More details TBA.
Just so you know...
Thursday 26 February 2015
Sunday 22 February 2015
Origins and development of the movement against water charges
The audio of a great recent talk and discussion analysing the water charges protests (41 mins) by veteran activist Andrew Flood is now online here. Very perceptive stuff.
Thursday 19 February 2015
Academics, social movements and praxis
Interface's Africa editor Richard Pithouse has written a very interesting piece about emancipatory praxis and the academy which is well worth a read. Probably not all of it is applicable to the Irish situation but some of it seems particularly true of relationships between academia, NGOs and working-class community activism.
Monday 16 February 2015
Wednesday 11 February 2015
Grassroots Strategy Weekend (Dublin, March)
Not the Grassroots Gathering / CEESA event (details TBA but greater Dublin, April 17th - 19th) but another Very Good Thing and just the right time for it!
Still, this awakened public consciousness of how the powers that be operate and influence our lives is not yet visible in the collaboration of social movement groups who work on these issues.
For who?
This event is for people active in progressive social movements in Ireland; anti-austerity, environmental, end direct provision, anti-racism, economic justice, debt justice, water justice, trade justice, anti-fracking, housing crisis, human rights, anti-discrimination, unions, choice, women's movement, anti-TTIP, and so on...
Panel Discussion, Friday March 6th 2015, 7pm to 9pm
Topic: “Routes to power - from social movements to political power.” Are there (or what are the) limits to what social movements can achieve?
All day strategy workshops for grassroots campaigns
Saturday 7th March 10 am – 5 pm, The Teacher’s Club, Parnell Square
The second day of our Grassroots Strategy weekend will be a full day of workshops and discussions about what we have in common and how we might wish to work together across movements.
Gluaiseacht
for Global Justice, We're Not Leaving, ATTAC Ireland,
Third
Level Workplace Watch, and Marea Granate Dublin invite you to a
Grassroots
Strategy Weekend
Evening
debate, Friday 6th March
All day workshops, Saturday 7th March
All day workshops, Saturday 7th March
The
Teacher’s Club, Parnell Square, Dublin 1
Vibrant and spirited grassroots campaigns, including water and housing, have invigorated and energised people, movements and political actors in Ireland. Many of us now speak about austerity, neoliberalism, and the ruling elite that has lost touch with the majority of the people. We speak about and see the connections between the water-tax, the nationalisation of private debt, the housing and homelessness crisis, the scandal of direct provision, the crumbling health care system, trade agreements like TTIP, privatisation of public goods, services and national resources, the decimation of the community sector, the assault of structural violence and institutional racism, and much, much more.
Vibrant and spirited grassroots campaigns, including water and housing, have invigorated and energised people, movements and political actors in Ireland. Many of us now speak about austerity, neoliberalism, and the ruling elite that has lost touch with the majority of the people. We speak about and see the connections between the water-tax, the nationalisation of private debt, the housing and homelessness crisis, the scandal of direct provision, the crumbling health care system, trade agreements like TTIP, privatisation of public goods, services and national resources, the decimation of the community sector, the assault of structural violence and institutional racism, and much, much more.
Still, this awakened public consciousness of how the powers that be operate and influence our lives is not yet visible in the collaboration of social movement groups who work on these issues.
Hence,
we invite you to a weekend of discussion intended to establish
what connects us
and
to work out collectively if there are common strategies or projects
we can pursue together to
strengthen all of our movements.
For who?
This event is for people active in progressive social movements in Ireland; anti-austerity, environmental, end direct provision, anti-racism, economic justice, debt justice, water justice, trade justice, anti-fracking, housing crisis, human rights, anti-discrimination, unions, choice, women's movement, anti-TTIP, and so on...
Panel Discussion, Friday March 6th 2015, 7pm to 9pm
Topic: “Routes to power - from social movements to political power.” Are there (or what are the) limits to what social movements can achieve?
Panel:
Emma
Avilés Thurlow
was involved in the wave of the 15M Spanish r-Evolution. She
has also
participated in Citizen Debt Audit Platform
(PACD http://auditoriaciudadana.net/)
and is part of Xnet (http://xnet-x.net/en/),
the group of activists that has driven the initiatives that are
behind the leaks of the major corruption cases that are shaking
Spanish politics today with the devices of
15MpaRato https://15mparato.wordpress.com/legal-campaign/ (the
main lawsuit against the Spanish bailed-out bank Bankia and its
banksters) and BuzónX http://xnet-x.net/es/contactanos-para/buzonx (a
system for citizen whistle-blowing).
Theodoros
Karyotis
is a sociologist, translator and activist participating in social
movements that promote self-management, solidarity economy and
defence
of the commons. A member of the Initiative of Solidarity with the
Vio.Me, a
self-managed factory,
(viome.org)
and the Initiative
136 for the
social control of Thessaloniki’s water services (136.gr).
He helps organise
the annual Direct Democracy Festival, an international event that
brings together collectives, activists and academics around the issue
of constructing radical alternatives to capitalism from below.
Cian
O'Callaghan
is an independent left wing councillor on Fingal County Council. He
has being involved in both grassroots activism and electoral politics
in Dublin since the 1990s.
Moderator:
Caoimhe
Butterly has
worked with social justice movements and grassroots community
projects in Chiapas, Guatemala, Haiti, Palestine, Iraq and Lebanon
for over 12 years. Presently engaged in post-graduate studies at
Kimmage DSC, her research is focused on migrant women's activism and
self-organisation. She is active with anti-racism, migrant justice
and other movements in Ireland.
More
panellists
to be announced in the coming days.
Strategy
Workshops,
Saturday
March 7th,
10 am to 5 pm
A full day of workshops and discussions all day on Saturday 7th March. For more information see below. Also check out Gluaiseacht for Global Justice on Facebook.
A full day of workshops and discussions all day on Saturday 7th March. For more information see below. Also check out Gluaiseacht for Global Justice on Facebook.
Childcare
is
available.
If you require childcare please let us know in advance; email
makingwavesinireland@gmail.com.
All day strategy workshops for grassroots campaigns
Saturday 7th March 10 am – 5 pm, The Teacher’s Club, Parnell Square
The second day of our Grassroots Strategy weekend will be a full day of workshops and discussions about what we have in common and how we might wish to work together across movements.
How
to prepare:
If you have time, we
have prepared some questions (see below) for participants to answer.
You can do this either in your campaign group or individually in order
to prepare for the workshops. Please send your answer back to makingwavesinireland@gmail.com.
Schedule:
Session 1: 10 am – 11 am, opening session
“Making Waves: voices from European and Irish social movements”In this session, we will hear from movement organisers from Ireland, Spain, and Greece, who will speak about how movements in their countries have come together. This will be followed by an open discussion.
Session 2: 11 am – 12.30 am
“Creating links in Ireland”What links all of our movements? What do we have in common? What are the common targets? What are the roots of the problems?
Session 1: 10 am – 11 am, opening session
“Making Waves: voices from European and Irish social movements”In this session, we will hear from movement organisers from Ireland, Spain, and Greece, who will speak about how movements in their countries have come together. This will be followed by an open discussion.
Session 2: 11 am – 12.30 am
“Creating links in Ireland”What links all of our movements? What do we have in common? What are the common targets? What are the roots of the problems?
The
attached
questions
sheet will be very helpful
in preparing for this session, and will contribute to the following
sessions.
Session 3: 12.45 am – 1.30 pm
Brainstorm sessions for workshops. Here we will ask questions like:
- How do we create stronger links between existing Irish initiatives?
- What initiatives and struggles needs to be developed?
- How do we dismantle media narratives that focus on misleading causes and bogus solutions? How can we build a counter narrative?
- How do we plan actions together? Should we?
- How can we avoid duplication of work?
Lunch: 1.30 pm – 2.30 pm
Session 3: 12.45 am – 1.30 pm
Brainstorm sessions for workshops. Here we will ask questions like:
- How do we create stronger links between existing Irish initiatives?
- What initiatives and struggles needs to be developed?
- How do we dismantle media narratives that focus on misleading causes and bogus solutions? How can we build a counter narrative?
- How do we plan actions together? Should we?
- How can we avoid duplication of work?
Lunch: 1.30 pm – 2.30 pm
Lunch
will be provided, please RSVP in advance so we order enough
food.
Session 4: 2.30 pm – 4 pm
Workshops
Session 5: 4.15 pm – 5 pm
“Bringing it all back together”Hearing the outcomes of the workshops.
Closing comments.
Session 4: 2.30 pm – 4 pm
Workshops
Session 5: 4.15 pm – 5 pm
“Bringing it all back together”Hearing the outcomes of the workshops.
Closing comments.
Preparatory
Questions for Workshops, Saturday 7th
March
Please
answer these questions and send the answers to
These
questions are designed to form a common working document for the
workshops. The answers will be collated, and we will give general
feedback of the results to participants. The findings will be
generalised and anonymous,
and are intended to form a starting point for discussion in the
workshops.
- Present your group in one paragraph, if you are in a group (ethos, purpose, membership/who is in your group) in 3-5 sentences.
- Have you or your group identified a root cause of the issues you're working on / what are the underlying issues? (e.g. lack of 'real' democracy, the markets, elites ruling in their own interests, etc.)
- A: In the context of your campaign/group, who are the antagonists? (e.g. politicians, companies, etc.)
B:
What are the obstacles? Are any of them global? Are any of them
specific to the Irish context?
- A: Which groups do you see as your allies?
B:
If you could see your campaign moving to another issue what would it
be?
C:
What do you think connects you to them?
Please note that there will be another grassroots event in April - Joining the Dots: Grassroots Gathering 2015. The events will be relevant to each other and are not in competition. Check their website or the facebook events page for further details.
Dublin Anarchist Bookfair
And the weekend after the Grassroots Gathering ... the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair is happening, somewhere near Smithfield (Saturday, April 25th).
Tuesday 10 February 2015
Joining the dots - Grassroots Gathering 14
A preliminary announcement of the 14th Grassroots Gathering, to be held in the greater Dublin area (venue TBC) on the weekend of April 17th - 19th. Co-organised by CEESA and with a social event for CEESA people along with all the usual Gathering highlights.
More details to follow but for now we just wanted to say "hold the date".
More details to follow but for now we just wanted to say "hold the date".
Monday 9 February 2015
The joys of "living in a democracy"...
Update: WSM have put together a list of the complete set of arrests (so far) in retaliation for embarrassing poor Joan. That's us put in our place then. The cheek of us!
Now read on...
Or, as the joke has it, "now we see the violence inherent in the system". This being our own dearly beloved Republic, what we mostly see behind the dawn raids on protestors is the huffing and puffing of outraged respectability - how dare poor people not be grateful for having Her Magnificence turn up and bless their little projects? Isn't it clear to anyone who got a 2:2 in manufactured outrage that there is just a tiny step between a kid throwing a water balloon and fascism? Well ... perhaps those who want to present themselves as responsible statesmen and -women should be a bit more, shall we say, informed when throwing that particular f-word around? Not least when it comes to police cover for gangs of masked men intimidating communities on behalf of the wealthy.
It will be interesting to see whether those in charge of political policing believe their own hype when it comes to pressing charges. Do they actually think a jury will convict? Or that any of this will help the Labour Party's claims to be anti-austerity when it comes election time? But maybe they genuinely think that people in Jobstown would love Her Mag if it wasn't for all those pesky outside agitators and their sinister fringes...?
Thicks in office - the gift that keeps on giving.
[Later:]
Thinking through that "false imprisonment" stuff - presumably the implication is that Her Mag couldn't just get out and walk...?
[Later still:]
Look at that - released without charge. Just fancy.
Almost a shame - it would have been funny to watch our dearly-beloved voices of outraged respectability defending the increasingly-indefensible while simultaneously claiming that of course there was nothing political about any of this. Almost.
Apparently they didn't even bother to interview him - so much for "operational reasons"...
Now read on...
Or, as the joke has it, "now we see the violence inherent in the system". This being our own dearly beloved Republic, what we mostly see behind the dawn raids on protestors is the huffing and puffing of outraged respectability - how dare poor people not be grateful for having Her Magnificence turn up and bless their little projects? Isn't it clear to anyone who got a 2:2 in manufactured outrage that there is just a tiny step between a kid throwing a water balloon and fascism? Well ... perhaps those who want to present themselves as responsible statesmen and -women should be a bit more, shall we say, informed when throwing that particular f-word around? Not least when it comes to police cover for gangs of masked men intimidating communities on behalf of the wealthy.
It will be interesting to see whether those in charge of political policing believe their own hype when it comes to pressing charges. Do they actually think a jury will convict? Or that any of this will help the Labour Party's claims to be anti-austerity when it comes election time? But maybe they genuinely think that people in Jobstown would love Her Mag if it wasn't for all those pesky outside agitators and their sinister fringes...?
Thicks in office - the gift that keeps on giving.
[Later:]
Thinking through that "false imprisonment" stuff - presumably the implication is that Her Mag couldn't just get out and walk...?
[Later still:]
Look at that - released without charge. Just fancy.
Almost a shame - it would have been funny to watch our dearly-beloved voices of outraged respectability defending the increasingly-indefensible while simultaneously claiming that of course there was nothing political about any of this. Almost.
Apparently they didn't even bother to interview him - so much for "operational reasons"...
Tuesday 3 February 2015
CFP: Galway conference on social movements
From civil rights to the bailout: social movements, workers' agitation and left-wing activism in Ireland 1968 - 2010
Run by the Irish Centre for Histories of Labour and Class, Galway: June 19 - 20.
From the Civil Rights Movement to contemporary protests against austerity, the years since 1968 have witnessed widespread and varied social movements in communities, workplaces and colleges throughout Ireland, North and South, that have fought for, and resisted, social change. These movements have spurred the growth of numerous organisations ranging from those advocating limited reform, to those advancing revolutionary change in society. However, despite its immediate relevance to an understanding of contemporary Ireland, the lack of historical research conducted in the agents and resisters of social change since 1968 is a noticeable gap in the study of class and politics in Ireland. This interdisciplinary conference hopes to address this. We welcome scholarly contributions of 20 minutes from established academics to students on any issue that falls under the remit of the conference title. The conference also affords us the opportunity to preserve and generate sources for the benefit of future researchers. We hope to offer workshops on oral history and the preservation, including digitisation, of documentation such as leaflets, posters and periodicals. To this end, we especially want to hear from activists in movements and organisations from the period who may be interested in sharing their experiences and documentation in a friendly and open environment.
Possible topics for papers include but are not limited to:
If you were/are an activist in this area and are interested in attending, please let us know at the same address by the same date. We would be especially grateful if you could inform us if you are willing to share your experiences as part of an oral history interview and/or have documentation which would be of interest. All documentation will remain the possession of the owner.
Run by the Irish Centre for Histories of Labour and Class, Galway: June 19 - 20.
From the Civil Rights Movement to contemporary protests against austerity, the years since 1968 have witnessed widespread and varied social movements in communities, workplaces and colleges throughout Ireland, North and South, that have fought for, and resisted, social change. These movements have spurred the growth of numerous organisations ranging from those advocating limited reform, to those advancing revolutionary change in society. However, despite its immediate relevance to an understanding of contemporary Ireland, the lack of historical research conducted in the agents and resisters of social change since 1968 is a noticeable gap in the study of class and politics in Ireland. This interdisciplinary conference hopes to address this. We welcome scholarly contributions of 20 minutes from established academics to students on any issue that falls under the remit of the conference title. The conference also affords us the opportunity to preserve and generate sources for the benefit of future researchers. We hope to offer workshops on oral history and the preservation, including digitisation, of documentation such as leaflets, posters and periodicals. To this end, we especially want to hear from activists in movements and organisations from the period who may be interested in sharing their experiences and documentation in a friendly and open environment.
Possible topics for papers include but are not limited to:
- Civil Rights in Northern Ireland
- Trade union growth, activism, and change
- Workplace strikes/occupations
- Left Social Democratic groups (e.g. Socialist Labour Party, Liaison of the Left, etc)
- Socialist Republicanism
- Trotskyist, Communist, and other Leninist groups
- Anarchist and other libertarian groups
- Catholic Worker, Christian Socialist groups
- Left-wing periodicals
- Community campaigns (e.g. housing, drugs, hospital closures, water charges)
- Second Wave Feminism and Women’s rights (e.g. equal pay, access to contraception, divorce, abortion rights)
- LGBT rights
- Anti-globalisation movement
- Anti-war movement
- Solidarity campaigns on issues abroad (e.g. Nicaragua, Vietnam, Miners’ Strike, apartheid in South Africa)
- Student activism
- Media representation of social movements, trade unionism, and left-wing activism
If you were/are an activist in this area and are interested in attending, please let us know at the same address by the same date. We would be especially grateful if you could inform us if you are willing to share your experiences as part of an oral history interview and/or have documentation which would be of interest. All documentation will remain the possession of the owner.
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