What is the Dublin Grassroots Network?

dublin | anti-capitalism | news report

Thursday May 20, 2004 14:28

by Grassrootser - Dublin Grassroots Network

grassrootsdublin at yahoo dot com

A brief look at the who, what, why and how of the DGN

In the run up to the Mayday protests, the Dublin Grassroots Network suddenly leapt to prominence and almost became a household name. However, despite all the coverage, there was little examination of the nature of this network that organised most of the Mayday protests. This text briefly describes the network, where it came from, who is involved, how it works and where it is going. For those who want to find out more or get involved, there is a public meeting at 2:30pm on Saturday May 22nd in the Teachers Club on Parnell Square, where we will be talking about the good and bad of the Mayday weekend and our plans for the Bush visit. More details at the link below.

What is the Dublin Grassroots Network?

Dublin Grassroots Network is a network of activists and groups who come together to fight for a better future, based on the Grassroots principles (see below). Many of us come from campaigns around specific issues such as environmental issues, the anti-war movement, community work, housing conflicts, traffic campaigning, anti-racism, pro- choice activism etc; others got involved in the run-up to the May Day events. Some of us are anarchists, feminists, socialists, ecologists etc.; others have no particular affiliation. We're part of the Grassroots Gathering, which meets three times a year, and the Grassroots Network Against War, one of the groups that organised direct actions at Shannon Airport.

The Grassroots principles stress a rejection of top-down organisation, solutions which involve ordinary people controlling their own lives, workplaces and communities, and arguing for a sustainable environmental and economic system. In line with this, we do our best to operate in an open and democratic way, where everybody has an equal say. Decisions are taken by the people who turn up to meetings, and things are done by the people who care enough about them to make them happen.

What does DGN believe in?

The groups and individuals involved in this Grassroots Network are united by a vision of a better future, one without bosses or governments, be they in Dublin or Brussels; one in which all local communities are directly run by the people living in them and all workplaces by the people working in them; a future in which everyone has control over their own lives and an equal say in the decisions that affect them.

We are talking not just about receiving an equal share of what is produced, but also transforming the quality of life, doing away with long working hours and increasing free time. We struggle for a genuinely sustainable economy and an end to environmental policies in which every "solution" must be corporate-led and profit-driven.

People like us all over Europe are fighting for the same things. We are taking to the streets not only to build our resistance in Ireland but to forge links throughout Europe. Tens of thousands of people in Ireland have already been involved in resisting the race for wealth that is capitalism, which robs so many of us of our voice, our dreams and our aspirations.

We believe that people should control their own lives and work together as equals. This means that we aim towards a network which:

- Is 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 try to sustain a network that's open, decentralised, and really democratic.

- Calls 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.

- Organises for the control of the workplace by those who work there.

- Calls for the control of communities by the people who live there.

- Argues for a sustainable environmental, economic and social system, agreed by the people of the planet.

- Works together in ways which are accessible to everyone, rather than reproducing feelings of disempowerment and alienation within our own network.

Who is involved in DGN?

Dublin Grassroots Network grew from the national Grassroots Gathering, which occurs three times a year since 2001 (see http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com ). Many of us are involved in the Grassroots Network Against War, which has organised direct actions against US military use of Shannon Airport. There are other local Grassroots Groups in Belfast, Cork and Galway and maybe more on the way!

Some DGN activists are involved in specific groups and campaigns, such as Critical Mass, Reclaim the Streets, Gluaiseacht, Grassroots Network Against War, Workers Solidarity Movement, Direct Action Against Apathy, Food Not Bombs, Magpie Collective, Mujeres Libres, Organise! Alliance for Choice, Anti-War Ireland, Campaign Against the Racist Referendum, Residents Against Racism, Cork Anarchist Group and others. Others have become active through the preparations for the May Day protests. We work together with other groups in Ireland and internationally who organise in democratic, non-hierarchical ways.

How can I get involved?

We don't have any kind of formal membership, so there is nothing to sign and no fee (which doesn't mean that we don't pass the hat round when we decide something needs doing!) Someone is in the Network if they agree with the Grassroots principles and get involved, in whatever way works for them. Different people have more or less time available, think of themselves as good at different things, and care about this or that issue more. And that's fine.

Some people love coming to meetings, others love taking action (and of course it takes a bit of both to make things happen democratically). The BIG rule is that we do things ourselves. It's not anybody else's job to make things happen - so if you think something should be done, the best thing to do is see if other people agree, then get together with a few other people and make it happen.

We have reasonably frequent meetings (as often as we have the energy for them!) as well as a public mailing list with announcements of events etc. We've got a website at http://www.geocities.com/eufortress and often we post up flyers and ask people to print them out and distribute them. So it's easy enough to get involved.

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Comments (21 of 21)

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Doh!

by Grassrootser

Thu May 20, 2004 15:49

It's 2.30pm. (any chance of changing this eds?)

actions speak louder than words

by gramsci fan - DGN

Thu May 20, 2004 17:12

Judgements of what DGN actually is have to stand or fall on the results of the Mayday weekend (follow the link). Not that it was entirely DGN (mostly!) - but good, bad or indifferent that's who we are.

Huh?

by RR

Thu May 20, 2004 20:05

How could members of the Dublin Grassroots Network be involved with the Cork Anarchist Group?

well a few possible suggestions

by imacd

Thu May 20, 2004 21:20

off the top of my head:-

1. they might be in love.
2. they might be related.
3. they might be flatmates.
4. they might do an exchange goodwill visit / fact finding mission.
5. they might be in legal action.
6. they might share the same first name, surname or date of birth.
7. they might share beliefs.
8. they might be (in a typically bolshevik way) constantly commuting between cork and Dublin to inflate the protester figures.

for those foregin readers who find these constant references to obscure places difficult to digest:-
Cork is about the size of East Jerusalem which is slightly smaller than the island of Manhatten.

Sorry for being pedantic but here are a few questions

by student

Fri May 21, 2004 12:08

“A world without governments”
Who is going to administer social welfare payments?
Who is going to take care of the aged, sick, people with profound emotional and physiological problems, when their families. Do we just say you are in control of your own life; you are not getting any help?
What about the criminal justice system?
I am not saying our legal system is the best but if give the law over to those who turn up to meetings you nothing short of mob rule.

Does this democratic work place extend to hospitals?
If I am sick I don’t want to be waiting on the go ahead for an operation off a committee. I deal with an individual who is trained and respect their opinion.

“Decisions are taken by the people who turn up to meetings”
Sorry yet a lot of anarchists refuse to vote in elections?

Please set me staight if I am wrong

A bit of a challenge

by Joe

Fri May 21, 2004 12:28

Of course what DGN stands for is nothing like the sort of pollitics or economics you have been spoonfed since a child so it should make your mind boggle. Your questions are so basic they would take pages to deal with properly but handly enough they are all dealt with in the anarchistfaq which you'll will find at http://anarchistfaq.org The most relevant bit is Section I - What would an anarchist society look like?

Read this and you'll then have a fair idea where the statement above is coming from and I'll deal with any questions you then ask. Note the anarchistfaq just happens to be the most detailed online explanation of these issues, its not 'endorsed' by the DGN, in fact many may not even have heard of it.

communication stunt"

by dunk

Fri May 21, 2004 13:23

there will be a "communication stunt" on the streets of dublin this weekend to further try to inform people of whats going on, the public meeting, indymedia, art and creativity as the strongest tool for global justice

Anarchist faq

by chris

Fri May 21, 2004 16:35

I'll save you some reading.

As explained in the anarchist faq, in the anarchist utopia there are no problems such as sexism, racism, homophobia, allegiance to organized religion, poverty, theft, rape, murder, etc. So any questions as to how to deal with those problems are irrelevant! Since they don't exist in the future anarchist utopia, we don't need to worry about them.

Huh!

Fri May 21, 2004 16:38

Your obviously didn't read it then Chris!

Umm, au contraire, joe

Fri May 21, 2004 16:44

"For anarchists, "crime" can best be described as anti-social acts, or behaviour which harms someone else or which invades their personal space. Anarchists argue that the root cause for crime is not some perversity of human nature or "original sin," but is due to the type of society by which people are moulded. For example, anarchists point out that by eliminating private property, crime could be reduced by about 90 percent, since about 90 percent of crime is currently motivated by evils stemming from private property such as poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and alienation. Moreover, by adopting anarchist methods of non-authoritarian child rearing and education, most of the remaining crimes could also be eliminated, because they are largely due to the anti-social, perverse, and cruel "secondary drives" that develop because of authoritarian, pleasure-negative child-rearing practices (See section J.6 -- "What methods of child rearing do anarchists advocate?")"

In other words, crime - murder, rape, assualt, etc. - for the most part, won't exist. Problem solved!!

The anarchist faq doesn't have any sections specifically devoted to prejudice - homophobia, sexism, racism - but we can reasonably assume that the answers would be the same. Society's fucked up, root causes, which won't exist in anarchism, therefore, problem solved.

chris

Info request

by passed the glaciation of survival

Fri May 21, 2004 16:52

I am unemployed, and don't have much money/time to use the internet.
I am looking for info on the anarchist criticism/views on the Welfare State/Social Welfare.
Anyone got any specific relevent links?

You missed a bit

Fri May 21, 2004 16:56

B.1.4 Why do racism, sexism and homophobia exist?
http://www.infoshop.org/faq/secBcon.html

Beyond that I don't quite get your objection above. The FAQ gives a fairly convincing explanation of the causes of crime and certainly the fact that most crime stems from the existance of a society where some and rich and others are poor was recognised even by the Victorians. (There 'solution' like Bush's was more prisons for the poor).

Of course if like the victorians you believe 'that the poor will always be with us' then your going to disagree with those who stand for the abolition of money and 'to each according to his need'. Like I said these ideas are a little challenging to those spoonfed on mainstream politics and economics.

The FAQ is a good starting point but for more anarchist material on the question of crime see http://struggle.ws/wsm/crime.html

One local example from an article there
"The Governor of Mountjoy Prison in Dublin, John Lonergan, has pointed out on more than one occasion that the people sentenced to his prison come overwhelmingly from a few areas of social deprivation. Most recently, speaking at the Patrick McGill Summer School in Co. Donegal on the theme of Drugs and Alcohol in Irish society, Mr. Lonergan quoted the results of research carried out in Mountjoy which found that 75 percent of Dublin prisoners came from six clearly identifiable areas, or - as he described them - "pockets of disadvantage....infested with heroin"."

As I said its useful if people with basic questions first look at the FAQ and then we can discuss the answers there.

A rejoinder

Fri May 21, 2004 19:45

My "objection" is that anarchism doesn't really seem to have any answers about how we deal with problems in the here and now. Just assertions that once we have this wonderful utopia, everything will be lovely! I understand the argument that these social problems have root causes. I agree. That's great. But I'm not particularly interested in how, when we have the ideal society, we won't have these root causes. We don't live in some ideal society. We live in this society. It's fucked up. How do we solve problems now, today, without referring to this mythical place where everything is perfect?

Take your example, that most of the prisoners in Mountjoy come from certain areas of Dublin. OK... so how do the Irish people, democratically, collectively, solve this problem? Anarchists are arguing that the solution is not law enforcement. Fine: stop locking people up. But, then what do you say to those who would be outraged and claim that this gives a free license for violence and theft? Should there be a referendum on this issue? What if it doesn't pass? People who live in these areas, their opinions on crime would probably run the gamut from "Let them all go!" to "Bring back the death penalty!". Do you think they could come to a consensus on this issue? How? How can people who are against all law enforcement, and people who are deadset on much, much stricter law enforcement, agree with what should be done with criminals?

What if the people come up with a "solution" to the problem which is just as bad or worse than the current system? For example, it's well-known that Sinn Fein "solve" the problem of anti-social crime in areas of Ireland by instituting a system of punishment beatings, kneecappings, and the like. They can do this only because they have the support of at least some people in the community. Yet this is not an anarchist solution to their problems, right - it involves coercion and violence? What then?

What about the drugs? Should heroin be legalized? What if the people who live in these estates are overwhelmingly against that? What if the people want to kick out all of the junkies and the dealers? Is that a solution? And so on. In essence, anarchism, to me, puts the cart before the horse. It promises that all of our problems will be solved once there is a revolution, and the current rotten social order is disposed. But very few people will believe in this "anarchism" unless it can demonstrate a way to solve current social problems, without reference to some future utopia. Anarchists say once we change society, the problems will go away. But, society is unlikely to change unless some of these problems can be solved.

I don't agree that the poor will always be with us. However, for the forseeable future, they are likely to be. Do you see a revolution on the horizon? I sure don't. Anyways, I'm sure my ideas a "little challenging" to those spoonfed on anarchist dogma.

chris

hey chris

by @nonymous

Sat May 22, 2004 16:06

the revolution you are seeking in the horizon is lying in front of your feet!

Just come along with your friends, co-workers, neighbours etc and start discussing on how to run your lives and solve your common problems without waiting for the police, church, government etc to solve 'em for you...

If the discussion, decisions and actions are done in without anyone forcing its view on others ( through violence, voting, buying off etc), then you start developing a healthy communal life for the advantage of yourself and of others around you... that's anarchy my friend!

I could easily explain you a model of anarchist or antiauthoriatarian community/society in Spain, Mexico, Ukranie, Italy, Greece etc but this would only cause an endless and pointless theoretical discussion... Anarchism doesn't have a golden recipe for people's lives. From area to area the organisation type might be different...

And in order to make the first step towards anarchy you should stop asking questions and try it on action... If you don't experience anarchy noone ever can explain you how it feels.

Anarchy is neither a mambo-jumbo ideology (like the rest of the -ISMs), nor chaos and destruction (how media and the bosses use the word).

===================================

If you are just asking all these out philosophical or glossological interest then...

AN-ARCHY: comes from the greek word "an-arhia".
"an-" means without, lack off
"-arhia" or "-arhi" is the authority, power

anarchy = freedom, liberty etc

So "anarchy" means a condition where there is a complete lack off authority. (if you can't decide for yourself and you like to be a pet or a subordinate or a slave of others then don't try this)

opposite of hier-archy

hierarchy = monarchy, oligarchy etc

missing the point...

by Anarcho

Sat May 22, 2004 19:19

"My 'objection' is that anarchism doesn't really seem to have any answers about how we deal with problems in the here and now. Just assertions that once we have this wonderful utopia, everything will be lovely! "

I think you are missing the point of the FAQ. It is not a blueprint for anarchist action. It is a general introduction to anarchist ideas, ideals and history. It does not cover every single possible question and answer. The practicals will be worked out on the ground by applying anarchist principles.

As for the "wonderful utopia" bit, well, the FAQ stresses that anti-social acts will continue. It also stresses that an anarchist society will not be perfect. It seems crazy to try to tell everyone on the planet exactly how they will react to social problems.

So, if you are looking for a blueprint which will save you the difficulty of thinking for yourself, then the FAQ is not for you. If, however, you are looking for a general introduction to anarchism as a base for thinking about and discussing problems and issues then it is.

re: Chris

Mon May 24, 2004 11:45

Chris as pointed out the FAQ is not intended as a blueprint for every case but rather a general sketch. Which is why I posted the URL in the first place.

In terms of the specfic points you raise on crime, community and drugs in the here and now there are in fact quite a few Irish anarchist articles online dealing with these points. These include

Community organising and the Dublin drugs (heroin) crisis
http://struggle.ws/wsm/drugs.html

Crime, prison and punishment
http://struggle.ws/wsm/crime.html

Crime and community policing
http://struggle.ws/rbr/rbr6/crime.html

info for by passed the glaciation of survival

by 9

Mon May 24, 2004 12:58

Try reading the shit that these links point to, if you can be arsed. I could'nt,

http://www.zmag.org/chomsky_repliesana.htm

http://world.std.com/~bbrigade/chomsky's%20statism

http://www.attackthesystem.com/anarchism2.html

http://www.iol.ie/~mazzoldi/toolsforchange/zine/sam98/anarchism.html

Once we control the means of consumption we control the means of production (you can produce whatever you want, the question is can you consume it). Thats why socialists/fascists/liberals want to set up governments it's got nothing to do with the ' workers' just their greed for more food :0) The 'workers' get the means of production and they get the means of consumption. Only when the means of consumption are enjoyed equally by each indavidual within and without the community will there be a pause.

Being unemployed is no diffrent to being employed, you put the bread on the table any way you can, even if its robbing the rich or passivley suckkling of the mother states breast. You dont think about it you just do it

thanks for the links

Mon May 24, 2004 15:25

got some printed, (will put Gore Vidal on hold) to try to digest and synopsize (with Augustus Pablo) in the sunshine.

Not Sufficient - But Necessary

Thu May 27, 2004 17:15

I'd go along with Chomsky's view in the link above.

"I want to work, TODAY, to build a better society for tomorrow - the classical anarchist position...
That's exactly right, and it leads directly to support for the people facing problems today : for enforcement of health and safety regulation, provision of national health insurance, support systems for people who need them, etc.
This is NOT a SUFFICIENT condition for organizing for a different and better future, BUT it is a NECESSARY condition.
Anything else will recieve the well-merited contempt of people who do not have the luxury to disregard the cicumstances in which they live, and try to survive."

And they continue to be......

by troll

Thu May 27, 2004 19:51

Virtual Warriors

Please be as diligent in deleting trolling comments about other organisations as you have been and continue to be about this one.

Such a complex world.

by john McDermott - Remove Fianna Fail ..

Fri May 28, 2004 01:12

Dublin

Its nice to read ...the thoughts of good people who want to change the world.
I am too old to have such optimism.
I understand the frustration of young Indymedia activists..-so much is wrong.It is a jungle out there,and every faction is fighting it's own battle for it's own advancement.Joe Higgins ..a kind of John The Baptist ..telling too many truths ..who is listening? He is asking for his head to be cut off.Democracy is not a good system.Neither is communism .They are all flawed.We live in a world which is in constant turmoil, There are no simple answers. And people are sheep.So easily misled.Clever propoganda.Lies posing as press releases..Yet our hearts say we must right every injustice..fight every wrong...so we fight .Politicians pander to the strong,-the poor we will always have with us.Fianna Fail are a Mafiiosi ..their corruption only mirrors the human condition.We are all 'Fianna Fail'
I can only offer some words ,2000 years old from an activist of the time...
'Since you have been brought back to true life in Christ let your thoughts not be on earthly things..for you have died and the life you have is hidden with Christ in God,and when he is revealed -and he is your life-then you too will be revealed in all your glory'
What doth it profit the Haughey's the O'Brien's the Desmond's/....Death is the greatest Democracy.It comes to kings and paupers alike.
Politicians are only a reflection of our own thousand ,competing demands our lobby's ,our pressure groups,our tribalism.
There are no answers.

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