Grassroots Gathering in Galway
galway |
miscellaneous |
news report
Tuesday October 28, 2003 21:56
by Sylvia Pankhurst - Eco Soc
First details of the Grassroots Gathering Six, which is happening in Galway on November the Eight and Ninth.
The Grassroots Gathering is a loose network of people into social,
environmental and community activism, which comes together for tri-
annual forums. The gathering has been going for two years, and takes
place each time in a different city, so as to avoid Dublin-centrism.
So far it's been held in Limerick, Belfast, Cork and Dublin and in
November it's coming to Galway for the first time.
The whole thing
involves two days of discussion, skill sharing workshops, and
drinking. We are also hoping to have lots of recreational relief,
such as music, climbing workshops, films, and a historical walking
tour of Galway. Basically most of the workshops fall into two
categories, discussion/debate on the one hand and skill sharing on
the other – although the distinction is a rough one.
On the skill
sharing front we have confirmed people to expound upon topics as
varied as putting out a magazine, defending yourself in court, herbal
remedies and much much more. The format of the discussion workshops
is of a brief intro from speakers followed by a long open
discussion.
Here's a sample of some of the topics on that front:
Ecology and Community 1: Transport.
Speakers from the Galway Cycling Campaign, who successfully halted
the construction of roundabouts on the Seamus Quirke road, from Hands
Across the Corrib, who are opposing the Menlo by-pass which is
planned to go through an area of great scenic beauty and historic
importance, from the Save the Trees campaign which is opposing the
concreting of Eyre Square, and from West on Track who are agitating
for a railway corridor down the long neglected west coast.
Ecology and Community 2: Our Countryside.
Speaker from the Local Action Group against the re-opening of Tynagh
mines for the chemical industry, a speaker from the campaign
organising against Coilte's ecologically unsound policies, hopefully
someone to fill us in on the situation in regard to the motorway
planned to go through Tara.
Ecology and Community 3: The Corrib Gas Pipeline.
Speakers from the campaign organising against Shell's harmful
exploitation of natural resources with no regard for local
communities safety in both Nigeria and Mayo.
Resistance at Work:
Speaker who was involved in setting up a couriers group in Dublin,
and an Easons shop steward.
Resistance in the Community:
Speakers from the Bin Charges campaign in Dublin,
and from the Defend
Free Speech and Assembly campaign in Galway which is opposing
draconian by-laws.
Campaigns against specific institutions/companies – THE BOYCOTT
Speaker from the World Bank Boycott, who aim to get Trade Unions,
universities, etc,, to disinvest from the World Bank, a speaker from
Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign who operate a creative resistance
to Raytheon, the arms manufacturers in Derry, and from other boycott
campaigns such as the people who banned Coca Cola from UCD.
We expect to have many more workshops confirmed closer to the date,
like ones on international solidarity and one given by
refugees/immigrants/exiles.
The Grassroots Gathering aims to be a de-centralised leadership-free
network of people from different movements united around goals such
as the control of the workplace by those who work there, the control
of communities by the people who live there and for a sustainable
environmental, economic and social system, agreed by the people of
the planet.
This is all happening here in NUI Galway on the weekend of the eight
and ninth of November e-mail [email protected], or watch for further posts for more information.
printable version
Digg this
del.icio.us
Furl
Reddit
Technorati
Facebook
Gab
Twitter
View Comments Titles Only
save preference
Comments (14 of 14)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14Anyone on for some direct action against the Galway Green Party? We could highlight their support for Bin Tax, although that might gain them even more votes from their middle class support base. A practical workshop session could make effigies of Niall O'Brollachain in bed with PD TD Noel Grealish.
I have seen this on other threads (also pertaining to grassroots gathering), be aware that people are trolling to promote bad feeling amongst different groups. As on the organisers of the next Grassroots Gathering I have to say (in a personal capacity) on the subject of the Green party - I love the sinners!!!!! Indeed I would expect members of the Green party to be helping out on the day and I know some have been invited to speak, likewise with the Irish Anti-War Movement (see other thread)
Brollachain openly supports the Bin Tax, he has aggressively defended the GP position on Indymedia. It is appropriate to raise this issue. Who appointed you as GG censor? The Green Party on this issue is anti working class and deserve to be criticised.
Are you afraid that your cosy relationship with the Galway GP will be upset? Be a real Anarchist and confront them on the Bin Tax.
get all sides along to the gathering & have it out there, find a workable alternative. environmentalists are needed alongside the bin campaigners to fight privatisation & waste & get recycling facilities.
the last gg gathering rocked. expecting the same from this. come on down.
Latest update on Grassroots Gathering:
Latest update on Grassroots Gathering:
New confirmed workshops:
Self organisation of refugee communities,
Women organising against war and occupation,
Give up Activism? A discussion.
International Solidarity (1): Iraq and Palestine.
International Solidarity (2): Latin America (we hope to have a Columbian
Union activist speak at this).
Plenary meetings on Shannon and the EU Summit.
A historical walking tour of Galway taking in food riots, the resistance history of
the fisher folk of the Claddagh and lots of other stuff I had no idea about.
Venue: The central hub is ‘The Hub’ in the Sports Centre of NUI Galway –
with workshops going on elsewhere on campus.
Venue: For Friday night social – Richardsons on Eyre Square – just up from
the bus station and very convenient.
We are planning on a Friday and Saturday night socials with a variety of music!
Creche – one is available for Saturday (if you need it please send details,
age and such like, to [email protected] asap) – we hope to
have a self organised kids space on Sunday.
Food: Meat-free food will be supplied on Saturday and Sunday.
Volunteers: We need your help and participation and co-operation to
Make everything work smoothly. Thank You.
More details here:
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61864&PHPSESSID=b3750cc0ae7f32260939a5cee3b64364
The Galway Greens would be delighted to offer our support to this event. A number of our members have been involved in the past.
As for our friend Jolly Green Giant (presumably from Dublin) and his silly suggestion that to be an environmentalist one must also be an Anarchist.
I'd suggest you support this event too rather than simply using it as another opportunity to spread misinformation.
Thankfully in Galway all groups on the broad left are prepared to work with each other. That is why we have the best recycling scheme in the country (even though there is huge room for improvement) and that is why we are achieving a lot more in real terms than our colleagues in other parts of the country.
Niall before the Green Party offer the Gathering support you might want to consider that the aim of the Gahtering is to make your party redundant. The statement which defines the Gathering is on the web site , Ieporduce it below as well
The Grassroots Gathering aims towards a network which would:
- Be based on the principle that people should control their own lives and work together as equals, as part of how we work as well as what we are working towards.
- Within the network this means rejecting top-down and state-centred forms of organisation (hierarchical, authoritarian, expert-based, Leninist etc.) We need a network that's open, decentralised, and really democratic.
- Call for solutions that involve ordinary people controlling their own lives and having the resources to do so: the abolition, not reform, of global bodies like the World Bank and WTO, and a challenge to underlying structures of power and inequality.
- Organise for the control of the workplace by those who work there.
- Call for the control of communities by the people who live there.
- Argue for a sustainable environmental, economic and social system, agreed by the people of the planet.
- Working together in ways which are accessible to ordinary people, particularly women and working-class people, rather than reproducing feelings of disempowerment and alienation within our own network.
Niall,
Glad to see the GP is providing support...
Anyway I have a few quick questions, even though they are a bit off-thread, but do they recycle plastic bottles in Galway?
And two, who were the main groups behind the push to push for greater recycling. I stand to be corrected, but I heard the Galway Safe Waste Alliance or one of those groups played quite a big role.
And I heard compost bins are provided too -is this true?
To Andrew
I agree with the aims of the Grass Roots Gathering and I sincerely hope that the Green Party does become redundant. I would especially like to see the back of the world bank.
However, that is not the world we live in at present and I chose to fight where I can. Sometimes I end up getting stuck between a rock and a hard place but I always try to stick up for what I believe in.
To Terry
We have three bins in Galway. A brown bin for compost, a green bin for dry recyclables including plastic bottles, cans, newspapers etc. and a grey bin for whatever is left.
We also have bring banks for glass, clothes etc. It is possible to recycle bulky items and white goods such as fridges but there is currently no collection system for these. We are working on that.
The main groups behind the push for recycling are, Galway for a Safe Environment (GSE also anti-incineration), Galway Safe Waste Alliance (includes GSE and anti superdump groups) and Galway Environmental Alliance (an alliance of all environmental groups in Galway).
It may surprise you to know that all major political parties have been involved in the committees of these groups.
We have achieved as high as 77% collection and the rate of actual recycling is currently averaging out at over 50%. More than half of this is compost.
"As for our friend Jolly Green Giant (presumably from Dublin) and his silly suggestion that to be an environmentalist one must also be an Anarchist."
The Green Gauletier of Galway, NOB, is misquoting me. I said that SYLVIA should be a true Anarchist by standing up to those Galway Green Party members who support the Bin Tax. GG is of course non exclusive, but those who support the State against ordinary people are unlikely to get a warm welcome.
I would like to take part in galway and i would like to know how do i register? Is there a registration fee (i imagine there are costs to cover) and will there be anywhere available to stay for people who are from outside galway?
"Is there a registration fee (i imagine there are costs to cover)"
No but you can donate!!
"and will there be anywhere available to stay for people who are from outside galway?"
Yes - but places are limited, (thus far). More people are needed in Galway to volunteer floor space.
I find calling people gaulitiers not to be useful way of convincing them of the error of their ways.
Attack the Nobber not me, hes the one who is the enemy of working class people. His arrogance in both lieing about the Green Partys support for a Flat Bin Tax and simultaneously defending a Flat Pay By Weight (Regardless Of Income)Tax has earned him the name Gauletier.
Sylvia, you should recognise who your friends are and your enemies. The Green Party could be in Government after the next election, it might well be a Green Party Minister for Justice who will be setting the Special Branch dogs on us.
Dear Mr. Green Giant,
You have never met me as far as I know, you clearly have no idea where I stand on various issues and as for a comparison between myself and Gauletier I really think that is going a bit too far.
I am very tired of being pilloried on indymedia by people who clearly have no respect whatsoever for environmental issues and who hide behind the cloak of anonymity.
Perhaps you'd care to come to the grassroots gathering this weekend and debate with me properly face to face or perhaphs you'd prefer to hide behind some silly pseudonym.
Regards,
Niall.