North West England – Page 11

Land is Ours autumn gathering 2011

The Land Is Ours
Autumn Gathering 2011

TLIO are hosting a weekend gathering from Sat 8th to Sun 9th October this year at Monkton Wyld Court, near Axminster, Dorset. Come and enjoy a feast of inspirational talks, open discussions, workshops and evening entertainment in the pleasantly eccentric setting of Monkton Wyld.

Talks and workshops will include the following themes:

The Land Is Ours
Autumn Gathering 2011

Talks and workshops will include the following themes:

• The need for land redistribution – post Peak-Oil

• Agricultural subsidies – who for & for what?/Campaigning against Megafarms.

• The Localism Bill and other Planning Reforms — Threats and Opportunities.

• Defending public forests.

• Setting up land trusts, for housing and land projects.

• Reclaim the Fields and Via Campesina.

• What future for direct action land campaigns?

Other proposals for workshops etc are welcome.

Places are limited so please book early. There is no fee for attendance, but lunch and supper are provided at £6 per meal, and bed and breakfast costs per night are £25 for a bed, £15 for a yoga mat in the main hall, or £10 camping (there will be a limited no of places half-price for the main hall and camping), available Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening. Please book in advance, by contacting

info@tlio.org.uk or 01297 561359
http://www.tlio.org.uk/TLIO-autumngathering2011

Please Note: There may be a TLIO Summer Gathering happening in the West Country area this summer as well. Keep checking the website for further announcements

squatting stories wanted

Calling All Squatters!

Got any positive, funny or random stories from your squatting experiences?

We’re putting together an exhibition and zine with positive squatting stories to contradict and show the other side to squatting, to the one regurgitated again and again by the mainstream media.

Calling All Squatters!

Got any positive, funny or random stories from your squatting experiences?

We’re putting together an exhibition and zine with positive squatting stories to contradict and show the other side to squatting, to the one regurgitated again and again by the mainstream media.

Wherever you squatted, be it Brixton or Kurdistan, or whether you squat now or you did in the 70s, any positive stories are welcomed – the more varied in time & place the better. Some of the stories we have so far include from after the second world war when families took refuge by squatting abandoned army barracks, as so many homes had be bombed in the blitz, as well as some stories of how newly arrived Asian families to Britain gave up the council housing they had received to squat together in empty estates to avoid the racial abuse they were suffering.

Your stories don’t have to be this extreme though, anything that is positive, funny or in some way a success of managing to stick it up to the landlords or a successful use of squatting for a protest or campaign, is very much welcomed. The stories don’t have to be your own experiences but can be ones of friends, or ones you’ve heard, just so long as they are true.

Any good pictures you might have that can accompany the stories would be brilliant too. Also, if you have pictures of transformations you’ve made turning a destroyed building into a beautiful home, they would also be really appreciated. Of course you can be completely anonymous from anything you contribute.

Email stories & stuff to homemade@lorax.org.uk

Many thanks!

The Camp at the End of the Runway, Manchester, 27-29 May

Friday 27 May, 5.30pm to Sunday 29 May at 8.30pm
The Woods, Near Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport is planning to press ahead with its expansion plans, demolishing local homes and green spaces, and doubling air freight capacity. Come and spend a weekend in the woods, getting to know the area and local residents, and learning more about the campaign against expansion.

Friday 27 May, 5.30pm to Sunday 29 May at 8.30pm
The Woods, Near Manchester Airport

Meet 5.30pm at Piccadilly Station 27th May, or at 6pm outside Manchester Central Library for Critical Mass. We will go straight to the camp from Critical Mass.

Plans for the weekend include: Walk and Cycle Caravan to look at sites of campaigning significance such as Arthur’s Wood, the World Freight Centre, Hasty Lane, and the sites of the 2nd Runway Protest Camp; Pixie Picnic; Awareness Raising and much more besides.

Alternate meet time: 11am Heald Green Station Sat 28th May for the walk and cycle caravan.

Some hot (vegan) food will be provided, but the weekend won’t be fully catered. Bring enough food to be self-sufficient, and a little extra to share. Cater for your own dietary requirements.

What else to bring:
Bike (walkers welcome too, but cycling will be easier)
Decorations for your bike
Camping Kit
Food (see above)

See you there
manchesterairportontrial@gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/?sk=events#!/event.php?eid=222153411131342

Common Ground For Climate Action, 4-5 June 2011

Common Ground for Climate Action (the meeting after CC Space for Change)

A meeting facilitated by the Rhizome Collective

DATE: 10:30am 4th June – 5:30pm 5th June
VENUE: Grow Heathrow, Sipson, West London

Who is this meeting for?

People who:
– have previously been involved in organising CFCA or other radical grassroots climate action
AND

Common Ground for Climate Action (the meeting after CC Space for Change)

A meeting facilitated by the Rhizome Collective

DATE: 10:30am 4th June – 5:30pm 5th June
VENUE: Grow Heathrow, Sipson, West London

Who is this meeting for?

People who:
– have previously been involved in organising CFCA or other radical grassroots climate action
AND
– have energy to positively explore options and strategies for
co-ordinating nationally into the future.

This meeting is NOT:
– A place to revisit the decision to pause national climate camp
activities in 2011 (though we will talk about the various reactions to that decision)
– A place to talk about what to do with Climate Camp resources (this will need to be later on)

We will be:
– Learning about and exploring our common ground in three key areas:
* What is happening in the wider world?
* Where do we fit?
* What future impact could we have?
– Exploring ways to manage disagreement, live with difference, and build trust

ARE YOU COMING?
If you’re interested in coming please email
spaceforchange@climatecamp.org.uk (by 26 May if possible for planning).
Follow this link for lots more information about the background to the meeting, as well as venue details and the agenda so far:
http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/events/2011/06/04/common-ground-for-climate-action

KITCHEN CO-ORDINATORS NEEDED
We are in urgent need of kitchen co-ordinators, if you think you can do this then please contact spaceforchange@climatecamp.org.uk ASAP

SATURDAY NIGHT SOCIAL
If you would be interested in organising some live music or a social for this event, then please email spaceforchange@climatecamp.org.uk

WHO ELSE IS COMING?
Please forward this message to anyone you think would be interested in coming

The first Green and Black Cross Network Gathering

London June 18th 11-6 Followed by a social. Venue TBC

Support is attack!

London June 18th 11-6 Followed by a social. Venue TBC

Support is attack!

Green and Black Cross were set up after the Millbank demonstration of November last year through identifying a need for the type of support that had been developed in the Climate Movement. Since then we have supported hundreds of people from many backgrounds in their rebellions and protests.
From a legal support hotline to tireless legal observers on the streets, brave action medics to a kitchen team smuggling flapjacks behind police lines. Our emphasis on support is to allow the potential for further rebellion, for people to rise up and in doing so take control of the direction of their lives and spread a relationship of solidarity and mutual aid.

It’s time to get involved!

At London we’ve developed working groups around forms of support including Legal, Kitchens, Medics, Toilets and Radical Child Care. We want not only to strengthen these groups in the region but also to expand a support network. If you’re from Manchester and you’ve been legal observing on demonstrations, if your from Leeds and you’re thinking about providing food at picket lines, if you live in Bristol and you want to be there when protestors get injured, where ever you live and you are thinking about getting involved – come! Share skills, swap stories and find out more. The day will be split between introductions to the project, questions and debate on the Green and Black Cross network structure, working group time to share and develop our practices and ending the day with a social event.

Why London? Unfortunately GBC is presently London based. We aim to bring about a horizontal network that contains regional autonomy. To do this though we want to share where we’re at so far and to make this possible to organise we’ve called the gathering in the big smoke.

Want to get involved sooner but need some skills and or information? GBC has set up a project to offer info/skill shares for groups who want to be trained up in a particular support role. We can offer skill shares in your rea. Get in touch with GBC@riseup.net.

We’re transforming relationships, we’re fighting destruction. Get involved with GBC and make way for the movement! For more info and possibilities of crash space email GBC@Riseup.net

Full details – follow the link in the Action Dates & Gatherings link, to the left

In the spirit of Gerrard Winstanley; a shout out for help from a neighbouring allotment group. Are you free on Saturday?

On St. George’s Day, Saturday 23rd April, 2011 we started a Green revolution in Ashton-under-lyne, Tameside, in the tradition of English radical group The diggers who during the period of the English Commonwealth, in 1649 reclaimed the common land of St. George’s Hill from the Lords of the Manor by digging and cultivating it.

After years of delay by Tameside Council prospective allotment holders in Ashton have now organised ourselves to take over control of the land on Ashton Moss that had been allocated for the replacement allotments, supported by sympathetic
volunteers we came together in a day of action to reclaim the allotments from Cordingleys who have neglected and mismanaged the land.

Background

In 1996 at the time of the development of the M60 Motorway, Ashton Moss allotment sites were taken out of use and the land was given by Tameside Council to local estate Agents, Cordingleys, to develop for business and leisure use, the contract included providing alternative allotment sites

People on the Council’s allotment waiting list who were promised plots on the site are still waiting, although the allotment site was
developed by Cordingleys over 7 years ago, we have now been told that the site is not due to be handed over in the near future.

Ashton Allotment Action now intend to take direct action to start
cultivating the allotments as a matter of urgency. Because the land has not been cultivated, since it was developed it has now become overrun with weeds, principally Soft Rush which needs to be cleared before we can start growing fruit and vegetables. We intend to clear the weeds from a part of the site and to the plant seeds or seedlings.

Regular Saturday Action days

We inviting everyone to come along to our action days and help us, every Saturday from 10.00 am

Please come along and support our action days, come when you want and stay as long as you want, please bring your own hand tools, food and drink

The allotments are located on Moss Lane, which is a rough track
running from a junction of Lord Sheldon Way, left turn from
Droylsden/Manchester, right turn from Ashton.

If you are coming by car, it could be advisable to park at the leisure park and walk over the roundabout and motorway bridge, where you will find a footpath leading to the allotments

Ashton Moss Allotment site co-ordinates
OS X (Eastings) 392221
OS Y (Northings) 399178
Nearest Post Code OL7 9LA
Lat (WGS84) N53:29:21 (53.489254)
Long (WGS84) W2:07:07 (-2.118708)

Please view our video of the 23/04/11 Action day http://you.tube/8X0qjO_UxkQ

For further information and directions contact Nigel 07709056079

For history buffs, the Diggers’ pamphlet online:
http://www.bilderberg.org/land/poor.htm

http://ashtonallotmentaction.wordpress.com/

A banquet of possibilities…the 12th OKasional cafe is on it’s way

March 21, 2011

We are holding regular meetings in the next few weeks before we open up again in a new location, so get in touch to find out when and where our next meet up is. It’s a proper banquet of possibilities so come share your ideas and enthusiasm, join a working group, and get involved.

March 21, 2011

We are taking bookings for workshops already beginning on the 11th of April so hit us up with your proposals…

give us a shout at our email mcrokcafe@gmail.com

OK-UPY & DEFY.X
http://okcafe.wordpress.com

The Climate Renegades are GO GO GO!

At a time when cuts and austerity are grabbing the headlines, the need for action on climate change has never been greater. Floods, heatwaves, energy shortages, rising food prices – these are just the start if we don’t take action now.

This summer the Climate Renegades will tour the country to support grass-root and community struggles, both embryonic and established, based upon local needs and wishes. Are you part of a local campaign against cuts and/or climate change that wants to do something big this summer? Or perhaps you are someone who has skills to offer? If so, read on…

We are a roaming collective of experienced environmental activists with skills to share. We are looking to hold events that raise awareness of the need for action on climate justice, enable independence from a constricting economic system, and empower communities under threat. These events will create a space for collective creativity and free expression, will promote and utilise non-violent direct action as a viable tactic for inspiring radical change, and will act as space for a free exchange of skills, knowledge and ideas.

Climate Renegades is one of a few projects that came out of the Camp for Climate Action’s Space for Change gathering.

We wish to promote progressive change from people coming together within and across communities in the face of dominant powers, to confront problems and take their fate into their own hands. Through a diversity of tactics we wish to support this change.

We find repression and abuse of social struggles by concentrated power – be that state, big business or ‘revolutionary’ Political parties. For this reason, we share a tradition and commitment to active anti-hierarchy and collective decision making.

Climate Renegades is not envisaged to form a movement or a model for future years. Our role is one of facilitating and developing the strength of campaigns, enabling the visioning of common solutions and highlighting the importance of environmental struggles in this time of forced austerity.

For more info, e-mail us or check out our Facebook group!

climaterenegades@riseup.net
http://www.facebook.com/help/?mail_sent#!group.php?gid=116697736256

After Space for Change

The ‘discussion space’ on crabgrass is the place to share comments, concerns and ideas about the decision(s) made at Space for Change. Here’s how:

1) Go to https://we.riseup.net/discussion_space.
2) Click ‘log in’ at the top right corner
3) Once logged in, select ‘join group’
4) And you’re in!

The ‘discussion space’ on crabgrass is the place to share comments, concerns and ideas about the decision(s) made at Space for Change. Here’s how:

1) Go to https://we.riseup.net/discussion_space.
2) Click ‘log in’ at the top right corner
3) Once logged in, select ‘join group’
4) And you’re in!

If you don’t already have a crabgrass username and password you can quickly get one by going to https://we.riseup.net and selecting ‘new account’.

3) INTERIM WORKING GROUPS – get involved!

The following interim working groups were set up at Space for Change:

– Tat and Dosh: to maximise the usefulness of our material resources
– Communications: to address ongoing communications and media issues. To learn from and document our experiences
– New structures: to investigate new organisational forms, structures and tactics for possible next experiments.
– Next meeting: to organise a meeting in the next 2-3 months to share ideas about these next experiments

They each have Crabgrass pages that can be found by putting the following after https://we.riseup.net/
tat_dosh
communications
new_structures
next_meeting

Then click ‘request to join group’.

All of these groups are part of the interim Crabgrass Network ‘After Space for Change’ which you can join here:
https://we.riseup.net/after_space_for_change. Having groups be part of a network is useful to be able to see what other groups are doing.

You can either join the whole network or just one of the working groups.

If Crabgrass is a bit strange to you, check out the help pages here:
https://we.riseup.net/crabgrass

4) METAMORPHOSIS STATEMENT

In case you missed the statement coming out of Space for Change at Monkton Wyld, it can be read on the Climate Camp website here:
www.climatecamp.org.uk/2011-statement

Day of Action against Extraction, April 19/April 20 – 2011

Communities around the world are under attack from extractive industries that poison our families, kill our loved ones on the job, and destroy the ecosystems we cherish. The BP oil spill was unfortunately just one of an endless string of disasters born of an economic system that must endlessly consume the Earth’s resources.

Extraction is the act of taking without giving anything back. Extraction takes workers lives so corporations can make a few more bucks.
Extraction takes clean water and air and gives us blackened oceans and a climate in chaos. Extraction takes the natural wealth of communities and ecosystems and leaves behind poverty and ecological wastelands.

For a stable climate, clean air and water, we must stop the extraction of fossil fuels and other “resources.” From the tar sands of Alberta to the Gulf Coast, people are fighting back against the extractive industries that have declared war on our planet. Rising Tide is calling for a day of direct action against extraction on the 1 year anniversary of the BP oil spill. On April 20th take it to the point of production.
Shut down a well site, occupy a mine, take over an office, blockade a bank. Nobody’s community should be a sacrifice zone. For climate justice and a liveable planet.

Rising Tide (North America)