photos from the Grassroots Gathering - historical walk around Galway city centre

by Indymedia Kevin Mon Nov 10, 2003 23:27

just 5 more.

anarchists in a church (without burning it down)

some of them were overcome by the experience

small scale reclaim the streets organically happening...

by Interested Party Tue Nov 11, 2003 05:00

He appears to be a ringleader of some sort.

I don't think we have a file on him.

Oops!

I said that out loud, didn't I?

by Pete Best Tue Nov 11, 2003 10:22

Any chance of a report from the Grassroots gathering? I'd be most interested in the mood, direction, etc. The Grassroots Network is one of the most useful initiatives for quite some time. A perfect antidote to sterile party politick-tock-ticking.

by David Tue Nov 11, 2003 10:32

The guy in the jacket i think wsa a local historian who was showing people around Galway.
I didn't get to go on the walk cause I had a family emergency and had to leave really early but from the little piece i got to experience the Event seemed to have gone really well, a good turn out and some enlightning discussion at the various workshops, great food courtesy of the fantastic food not bombs. There was so much going on that it was a genuine difficulty to decide which workshops to attend.
As i had to leave far too early i never got to find out what the "magic mistery tour" was all about so it would be nice to find out what happened.

by Anon Tue Nov 11, 2003 10:40

The guy in the orange jacket is John Cunningham. John is ex-member of Militant (previous name of the Socialist Party) and currently a member of the Labour Party. He would have played a key role in the successful anti-war movement in Galway.

by Joe Tue Nov 11, 2003 11:51

I'm hoping one of the organisers of the Galway gathering (hint) might post a report. Here is a brief summary

This was the 6th Gathering. The others were in Dublin, Cork, Belfast, Limerick and Dublin again in that order.

Somewhere between 100 and 120 people probably took part in the two days of workshops, plenaries and debates. I'd guess there were aout 30 individual sessions.

There were two plenaries

The first set up some basic organisational structures to organise protestes during the various EU meetings to take place in Ireland next year.

The second decided to mobilise to blockade Shannon warport on Dec 6th and to call on others to join us. We think people should organise themselves autonomously of the national IAWM structures for the day as it is unclear what the outcome of the rows about their blockade in the IAWM leadership will be. So basically arrive at Shannon in a position to take/support direct action without depending on stewards with megaphones telling you what to do (or what not to do).

Grassroots people are organising locally for Shannon and intending to have a delegate meeting in advance of Dec 6th to work out our own plans for the day in more detail.

by Galway Girl Tue Nov 11, 2003 12:42

To my knowledge John is not a member of the Labour Party, but I think he's the facilitator for the local anti war group, who did great work last year but seems to be a bit quiet at the moment, although they have a film screening up soon, I think i saw it on the events calendar.

I got an email a while back with his website, it's http://www.john-cunningham.net

by Sylvia Pankhurst Tue Nov 11, 2003 18:28

"I'm hoping one of the organisers of the Galway gathering (hint) might post a report"

- wouldn't it be better if lots of people wrote a bit and then it was collated together into one thing - as anyone is only ever going to have been at one sliver of a grassroots gathering....

- if anyone wants to write a bit about what they went to/did send it to me at [email protected] and I'll stick it all together and stick it up here.

by alois vincenzo - the ecology society Tue Nov 11, 2003 19:30

speaking as one of the 'hint' organisers, i would love to be involved in drafting a proper report of the weekend at some point, but unfortunately i had pencilled in an indefinite period of post-GG burnout/ rest & recuperation, which i am now settling into. perhaps someone who's not still wrecked could throw something rough and ready together to fill the gap in the meantime. but i do report that it went rather well!

by jac Tue Nov 11, 2003 20:19

His name is John Cunningham.He is very safe, politically ambitious and he supports the bin tax.

by dunk Tue Nov 11, 2003 20:57 duncancrowley at hotmail dot com

communication is the key

this was my first grass roots gathering, thanks to those that made it possible.

over and over again it seems its the "same old heads". are more people becoming involved?

i was at the communication workshop (barry the giraffe chello for facilitating it) because too little emphasis is put on this area.

why do i say this?
indymedia is the best communication resourse there is- many view it, some good things are discussed but unfortunaely quite often it degenerates into childish squabble and ranting.
could it be improved?

yes-by having more screenings, events and workshops. going out to places and giving people the skills to use indymedia, even letting them know its there

i feel that while IMC-ireland is doing a good job, it does have to open up to allow for new layers of input, a multilayered flowing, growing open system. it has to be easy for new people to get invovled, add their ideas and energy. if they are pushed away it is bad. it is a long process, little by little

ISF 1 (irish social forum) happened- very very little feedback appeared on indymedia from that, why is this?
not even a report from the IMC lads themselves?
i think the ISF team are getting a report together at present.

during the workshop we had to do a bit where one person says stuff and the other completely ignores them.
what do we learn from this?

if they are ignoring us we must create new ways of playing the game.
why do they ignore us?
because we try to tell them stuff?

why not do things so they want to find out, play with the "need to know" thing...
create things so "they" ask why
if it appears exciting people will start to say - what are you doing, how come your getting such a buzz out of life-
perhaps then there will be more of "us" (whatever that means)
street theatre is a powerful tool

planting trees in gaillimh was nice
so too was the food, people, ideas, laughs
thanks

by not having any FUSPEY Wed Nov 12, 2003 11:28

Hey "dunk", no offence or anything, its good to see a newcomer like yourself come along and have loads of enthusiasm and all, but maybe you should try and stop making the same point over and over again? I've seen you at the ISF and several other meetings and get togethers, and the only thing you EVER come out with is: "We must get the message out to more people". A quick random search over your posts here on Indymedia sees you repeating yourself.

We KNOW this. We're TRYING. GET OVER IT. Stop reminding us of the obvious all the time. Its not easy with little resources and time to match the power of the mass media. Most small "activist" groups are run on a voluntary basis. Nobody is getting paid to be a full time revolutionary. If you have ideas to get ideas out to more people then just DO IT YOURSELF and if they are successful then people will follow your example.

I dont want to sound like a cynic but you are not the first person to realise the importance of getting access to wider audiences. So dont run "the same faces" down. Maybe there are some familiar faces because people are dedicated and put in a lot of time. In fact from all reports there were a load of new people at the Grassroots.

If you are disappointed with the Indymedia coverage of the ISF then YOU YOU YOU put something up about it and change it. Dont hate Indymedia, become Indymedia.

by the griper Wed Nov 12, 2003 11:30

If you think that the people down at the GG are "ineffective" then you need to open your eyes a bit.

Whats your marker for ineffectiveness? In comparison to the lofty heights of FUSPEY?

by Steelie Wed Nov 12, 2003 12:58

'over and over again it seems its the "same old heads". are more people becoming involved?'

A gathering of 120 or so anarchistic types in Galway (many of whom were from there) is not something that has ever happened before EVER. Even 2 years ago this would have been unthinkable. The growth has been remarkable.

by dunk Wed Nov 12, 2003 14:56 duncancrowley at hotmail dot com

im doing my bit
im back and trying to get things more effective.
how?, by looking at questioning and playing with the idea of "communication"

roughly its this-
things happened a few years ago, "globalisation" as a word made its way into normal day talk.
more people, because of what ever reasons, are becoming aware of whats going on in the world. they are learning why certain things are bad and are doing something to try to change this.
i think more and more people are getting involved

as we all know here, what people are thinking and doing is what matters.

so how can more people get invovled with this discussion?

1 option:
personnally i find most stuff in art gallerys shite, these could be spaces used as brilliant resourses or creative nodes. the art of today, which i have seen, is mostly bollox. last gallery i went into was in oxford and tracey emin was given big walls to say stuff like "my mam is a cunt"
that might be some peoples cup of tea, for me no. i go into gallerys in the hope of being amazed by things and perhaps being able to get involved with those exciting things.

the best "art" i find is at demos and the groups there, open creative systems that have a real reason for their actions.

an idea is for this movement/ us / you? to use these spaces or create your own to communicate that stuff you so passionately believe in and work for.

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/world/2003/06/273494.html
is an example of me trying to do this-
"INDYMEDIA stuff was exhibited in the state art gallery of Banja Luka, Srpski Republic (serb half of Bosnia) as part of ECO CITY GROUP`s 2 week exhibition there in april 2003. after the initial, 2 week long, stage of project: ECO CITY BANJA LUKA."
that was part of my attempts to get lots of people who were unaware of indymedia, aware of and using it. also to get them aware of the issues we here are working for.

i have been floating around things and spaces as im getting a feel for things, and i have learned a lot, both good and bad.

an idea is to put on an exhibition @ moore st. there because that is where it is most noticible that the world is coming to ireland.
i have contacted art gallery off moore st- theATRE space- and the ilac public library- this is a great spot- exhibition space, possibly the most diverse range of people using it in dublin/ ireland? a room for screenings and talks and computers for indymedia workdhops.

irish social forum happened-brilliant.
but it can and will grow,
how?
what processes will get all sides of irish society being more social and communicating, sharing ideas with each other
i think above exhibition is a start

at the "film making from the margins" at ISF there were film makers who had made good films. i said i think making the films is half the battle. we must also create spaces and events to show these. i sent a mail around about this to the mailing list and got 1 response-
quite often there is no feedback- it is demoralising

how can outsiders get involved-possibly i am repeating myself but it is because i think that there is still far too little thought given to this area

on isf feedback- i put up my bits, i have been in contact with organise crew and a concise feedback reptort is being worked on- i hope a copy of this can be put into all public librarys.

i see informal indymedia meeting is on tonight, great.
for me indymedia should be a multi layered open system that is open and welcoming and can grow with peoples inputs

1 idea after
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=61637
indymedia screening i got going
was to do street theatre on moore st, to say the news, again there was no feedback from people after original brainstorm, why is this?

this happens over and over, people come together, are excited, come up with ideas and then after communication ends???

one idea is that alone people are afraid to explore that creative area, perhaps im wrong?

FUSPEY might be lofty, but it suits me, its simple.
i know the direction im working toward

i hope we have more of these chats in real space.
web forum is well and good, but we could also be having real discussion, personally i find that far more productive. and also fun

see you soon

dunk

by Anun Wed Nov 12, 2003 17:18

So the man in the orange jacket is politically ambitious - so what's he doing with that crowd then?

by Joe Wed Nov 12, 2003 17:30

From time to time you discover that people that are 'experts' in various areas do not share the same politics as you do. In this case the 'man in the orange jacket' knew a lot about the history of Galway. So rather then have a politically pure person with no knowledge of Galway give a walking tour the organisers decided to ask someone who possibly thinks Labour is cool do so.

It says a lot about the left that this should be an issue at all. Are you afraid that he might have got a few references to the Labour party into his talk that would 'contaminate' those on the walk. If so your obviously not someone likely to go to the Gathering but you should find Marxism 2003 rewarding. You wom't find too many dangerous ideas on the platform there!

by Ernie Lynch Wed Nov 12, 2003 20:31

are suspect!

Muffled up against the cold on the Grassroots Herb Walk

by John Cunningham - GalwayLabourHistoryGroup & GalwayAllianceAgainstWar Wed Nov 12, 2003 20:49

I discover that my identity and my allegiances are subjects of speculation on Indymedia. I don’t see why. I was only doing what I was asked to do —leading a tour of ‘Rebellious Galway’. (Always glad to welcome rebels of whatever stripe to the place).

For what it’s worth, I don’t support the bin tax. And yes, I was a supporter of Militant for most of the 80s, and a member of Labour as recently as 1994. There are no hard feelings in either case tho --I helped out in the campaigns of both Clare Daly (Socialist) in Dublin and Michael D. Higgins (Labour) in Galway in the last election.

On a positive note, I enjoyed doing the tour. The people who joined were all pleasant and they seemed genuinely interested in the history of Galway’s rebellious working class.

by Anun Wed Nov 12, 2003 21:08

Well, we've heard of the proverbial wolf in sheep's clothing, but a trot in an orange jacket in charge of a bunch of anarchists...the mind boggles. Any self-respecting Trot would have led them off Nimmo's Pier....

by padraic - wsm Thu Nov 13, 2003 19:49

for those of us that missed out?!

by jac Fri Nov 14, 2003 16:14

So you don't support the bin tax? What about The Labour party's (which you are a member) support of the new sneaky law (which they voted for)? Are you advocating that we should break the law? Are you mot bound by the party's whip? You know John you can't have it both ways.

by Degenerate Fri Nov 14, 2003 16:57

He says he left the Labour Party in 1994. The language sure can be difficult at times.

by jac Fri Nov 14, 2003 23:07

I stand corrected.