2nd Grassroots Gathering this weekend in Cork

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday March 26, 2002 16:08 by Andrew - The Struggle site andy at tao dot ca

The second Grassroots Gathering in on this weekend in Cork - don't miss it

Second Grassroots Gathering: taking back control of our lives
Cork Autonomous Zone, Knapp St. (beside Cork Arts Theatre / CATClub, across the bridge from the Opera House) March 29th (from 7.30 on) and 30th (11 am till late)
Skills-based workshops by activists, for activists, to make links across movements
worldwide networking against capitalist globalisation - direct action against war - yoga - alternative economic organisation - the criminalisation of activism - drumming - animal rights - where to after Sept. 11th? - gender and activism - meditation - and more!
Easter Sunday - join the protest at the Old Head of Kinsale
The Grassroots Gathering is a bottom-up network of activists from different movements committed to anti- authoritarian radical action. You can see more about it on the Web at http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com
A detailed timetable etc. will be available soon - contact if you need more details or phone Eoghan at 01-8828673 or 087-6575580.
There is a map showing the location of the gathering and a PDF file of a poster/leaflet advertising it at http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com
The Grasroots 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.
More info http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com
Further updates send an email to grassrootsgathering-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Grassroots Gathering update

The second Grassroots Gathering is taking place this weekend in Cork. If you don?t know what the Grassroots Gathering is then have a look at http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com

This mail is an update on the initial announcement consisting of a more detailed agenda and accommodation details.

Agenda (via Nancy.L.Serrano Nancy.L.Serrano@ul.ie )

March 29 - 7.30pm evening intro session, PGA talk, followed by socializing mania!

March 30th - 11am - 7pm workshops 2/3 parallel sessions

March 31st - some buses will be provided to go to Kinsale to the Old Head!

Definite workshops:

- People's Global Action - intro to the truely worldwide movement
- Alternative economic organisations - ecological, ethical money..possible?
- Criminalisation of activists - you terrorist, me activist
- Animal rights - helping our fury and scaley friends
- Where to after Sept. 11th? - more plane-proof skyscrapers please!
- Gender + activism - men are from mars..Women rather they'd stayed there!
- Drumming - community co-operation in practise!
- Yoga - do da twist baby!
- Meditation - in case you wanna catch some winks! AHEM..reach a higher level...
- Non-hierarchical orgs. - working practicalities, reclaiming our lives back from never-ending MEETINGS!
- Moulding our New World - dirty, sticky, gundgey clay workshop!
- Techniques of direct action, non violence - for No to War campaign, flag that plane down!

__________________________________

If you know someone who can do any of these....please e-mail me!

unconfirmed workshops:

- Presentation by the UK women about the PGA conference in Bolivia
- Chaos theory and complex adaptive systems - new Business structures taking their cue from mother nature
- Debate on violence and non-violence - two speakers (now confirmed)
- Juggling (Eoin O'Bs looking for someone)
- 30-minute walks around Cork - alternative green tour? - ANY TAKERS? Da locals?

Accomodation (via james mcbarron jamesmcbarron@yahoo.co.uk)

Need somewhere to sleep at the gathering bring a sleeping bag and you'll get floor space in someones home or in the CAZ itself.

Lost or confused phone
James 021 4322561 or Scooter 087 9572438

Obviously when the gathering is on the mobile is a better bet

More information, maps etc at http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com