[Notes from preliminary IFB workshop at Sustainable Earth Fair] IFB --- [Talk] Purpose Project Questions Purpose - how to win? changing SMs (campaigning, organisations, activists) changing relationship to state (partnership, funding, Dail) what if we _are_ the alternative? Project - talking _across_ movement boundaries participation / communication shared space / practical cooperation Questions - do our problems connect? is there a space for shared visions? what strategies work? what would _our_ future be like? [Discussion] Lothar Alternative movt is sociological construct isn't focussed Look at our shoes! Tiny progress, hard work Versus the juggernaut Only pessimism Look at old labour movement: housing coops food coops education sports organisations citizens' army but this is gone. 68 generation saw last bits of it What can we learn from that? Level of spirituality in alternative movement -> escapism _and_ empowerment Kevin Was in TU movement -> workers' rights social responsibility Isn't an organisation representing people's rights -> to good environment clean water housing education Within TU / socialist movement: socialist parties lost their nerve no response to neo-liberalism collapse of social ethos How do we take back that responsibility for ourselves? People make best choices they can at 1 point in time We are all people: "alternative" is them / us view Are we at beginning of social charter of rights? Spirituality is buzz-word: use it carefully! Brendan When movements get to level of employing people this takes responsibility off members creates tiers within organisation sets up bureaucracy and hierarchy Labour movement moved into government positions no longer people's movement Ditto with many coops Fran Used to work as volunteer with large organisation Difficult when some paid, some not Sets up "lesser citizens" - different status AI won't accept government funding - compromises independence Togetherness: SE Fair has people from different organisations this gives us strength Lothar How could you do Earthwatch zine in free time? The corpos and parties we are up against have professionals L. did voluntary work, then same job became FAS scheme, then back-to-work Current issue: some vendors need cut, some would volunteer Movement needs to create some islands If it can be run as coop, great But level of readiness for voluntary stuff declines with age, kids Jim McNamara We need full-time work Movements need to be seeded continually Strings come attached with funding: often subtle, hidden Overall problem in Left / alternative movement Who wants to spend efforts and life in remote / irrelevant effort to most people Engine / juggernaut hasn't changed: exploitation etc. Eco-villages without union labour? Need to relate out to dispossessed - urban and rural Difficulties of organising small farmers Movement for repossessing the wealth we create Putting the vision clearly Lot of redefining to be done. ? Environmental movement has something to offer here Lots of environmental campaigns involve farmers etc. (landfill campaigns etc.) Environmental activists find greater receptivity here Changing attitudes - environment no longer something to exploit Looking at "the system" and winning e.g. planning appeals Trying to create different working / practical vision Constellation of ideas: environmental / Third World / women / this can bring people together co-ops / living simply / East Timor people tend to be environmentalists Environmental people tend to be pro-coop Streams can link Isolde This is what happens if people come together under environmental label But eg Green Party - same banner, very different ideas Anti-exploitation may mean traditional family structure or individual freedom to choose We may be assuming too much Is this good (diversity) or bad? ? Sometimes Green Party reinforces "us" and "them"? Lothar Bantry - you get usual suspects in everything from Steiner to GMOs Fewer "[?] people" They don't agree eg about abortion Spirituality as _inner_ growth; versus consumerism / growth Second hand shops versus designer goods Brendan Biggest challenge to social movements is to reach to people who've fallen through the cracks Need to focus more on social health: heroin depression suicide Prozac Expand movement orientation to everyday life Organisational tunnel vision Fran You can bring mainstream folk if you listen to them bring out what they have NOW project on environment and energy Day 1 - what were there ideas? Green bias wouldn't be practical Pylons and cancer were major concern Traffic: N50 severing area High pollution, no cars Now they chat and take us as friends Show everyone that this thing is relevant ? Alternative word: I'm uncomfortable with being alternative Belfast working class Left background -> environmentalism Working class presence is rare in meetings etc. Value of being alternative in sense of autonomous less co-opted Movement linked to dispossessed Alternative _values_ to mainstream _system_ (not _people_) Manifest spirituality practically: cooking, sleeping bags etc. Make links in human ways Jim Music / Food / at Carnsore Selling stuff / Model events on way we'd like society to go Smoky rooms -> what came of it? Comfortable surroundings Stories Social side Bring in people on the edge [Suggestions for how to organise IFB practically, from various people:] - Children room - Cut wood, light firest Sustainable Sort and wash rubbish - Art (Omagh conference) Group art - Symbolic (Feile Bride) Thread - wove into tapestry of dreams - May tree in Ireland Sweatlodge Branch divided in 3 - bring different pieces of cloth hang on tree to symbolise aspirations burn at end -> send out aspirations "prayer tree" symbolises start and end - Friend designing games to form ideas Finding common ground Way of making these aspirations concrete so we can see how far we've got? - Events outside - Everyone puts aspiration - different A3 sheets - different aims Everyone brings them home [Closing circle - Kevin]