Today's Topics:
1. France, Alternative Libertaire AL - antiracism, anticolonial
Salon in Paris on 5-6 March 2016 (fr, it, pt) [machine
translation] (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
2. anarkismo.net: Review of James Speth, The Bridge at the Edge
of the World: Capitalism, the Environment, and Crossing from
Crisis to Sustainability. by Wayne Price (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
3. glasgowanarchists: Glasgow Events from 06/02/2016
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
4. wsm.ie: Whats up with Stormont politicians appealing
November High Court abortion ruling by Fionnghuala Nic Roibeaird
(a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
5. US, Black Rose North Georgia: Statement on Syrian Refugee
Crisis (a-infos-en@ainfos.ca)
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Message: 1
This year, Leonard Peltier and amériendiennes struggles are honored. And conferences and
debates to understand all the "debt" mechanism of the South, the concept of imperialism,
the situation in the Comoros; history of forced labor in the colonies and colonial crimes;
the stigmatization of Roma ... The anticolonial Show is the Bellevilloise 21 rue Boyer,
Paris 20th, Metro Ménilmontant or Gambett ---- EXPOSURE ---- Leonard Peltier is a symbol
of the struggle of indigenous peoples in the Americas. It is supported by many
personalities around the world, including President Evo Morales and Amnesty International
considers him a political prisoner "should be released immediately and unconditionally."
---- Sania, self-taught painter, will exhibit some of his work. His paintings, done around
the themes of identity and exile, plead the defense of the freedom of movement of personal
dignity, respect for rights of migrants, the closure of prisons for foreigners, the rights
of chibanis , justice for the victims of police violence, of freedom and dignity for the
Palestinian people. His works reflect his fight against insecurity, racism and xenophobia.
LOFT
International space stands, Book Fair, Meet the authors, Performances
Saturday, March 5
10h Exhibition Opening
dining Club
10:30 Screening-debate around the documentary film Torn from his island directed by
Patrice Dutertre and Marie-Thérèse Gasp
13h30 debt neocolonial tool (CADTM) Nicolas Sersiron
3:15 p.m. Forced labor in the French colonies / the issue of reparations and Grandmaison
Olivier Lecour-Louis Georges Tin
17h Colonial Massacre (October 17, May 8) M'hamed Khaki, Olivier Lecour-Grandmaison and
Fabrice Ripuceti, author of The Battle of Einaudi
hall Forum
10:30 The anti-war movement
12:15 Developed countries, underdeveloped countries, first world, third world. Ch'ul Ixim
(Mexico) + Ayni-France Serge Latouche
14h Racist misogyny, Françoise Vergès and Gerty Dambury
15:45 Romophobie with Saimir Mile, Pierre Chopinaud (The Voice of the Roma)
5:30 p.m. Colon Price
Sunday, March 6
dining Club
12 A Jewish voice against racism André Rosevègue of UJFP
1:15 p.m. Imperialism, an outdated concept or an ever present reality? AFASPA
15h colonial situation in the Comoros presented by Fasti Cdiscom Survival
4:45 p.m. Democratic Republic of Congo, for Survival
hall Forum
11h refugees, exiles, migrants, emergency climate justice
13h Charles Martel, an identity myth, and new figures from the extreme right by William
Blanc and Christophe Naudin
15h The Peltier case and the 524 years of resistance of Indigenous Peoples, Leonard
Peltier by CSIA and the Frantz Fanon Foundation
This year the Prize Frantz Fanon 2016 is awarded to Native American political prisoner
Leonard Peltier, who enters his 40th year in the US prison for a crime he did not commit.
In order to accept the Prize Frantz Fanon 2016, the International Leonard Peltier Defense
Committee (ILPDC) decided to send to Europe to represent Leonard Peltier, Lenny Foster
(Diné / Navajo history of militant American Indian Movement - AIM, veteran of the
occupation of Wounded Knee in 1973, member of the executive bureau of International Indian
Treaty Council - IITC and Leonard Peltier Recommended).
17h Repression and neighborhoods, the FUIQP
6:45 p.m. Book Prize Announcement
http://www.alternativelibertaire.org/?Salon-anticolonial-a-Paris-les-5-6
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Message: 2
An Improved Capitalism or the End of Capitalism? ---- Speth's The Bridge at the Edge of
the World is shown to represent a trend among left-environmentalists: They show that the
global ecological crisis is due to capitalism's grow-or-die drive. Yet they do not go on
to call for the replacement of capitalism. Unlike ecological radicals, they claim that
capitalism could be tweaked to no longer have a need to grow and accumulate. ---- There is
an interesting development in the anti-climate change/ecological movement. Most
environmentalist leaders and theorists have been liberals or moderates. They have seen
capitalism and its state as the necessary framework for preventing ecological catastrophe.
But after decades of failure, some of these environmentalists have come to accept the
analysis of radical ecologists, that the cause of climate warming (and other ecological
problems) is the capitalist system, its drive to accumulate and grow indefinitely, its
market, its inequality, poverty, and exploitation, and its national states.
Yet these same environmentalists reject the radicals’ conclusion that capitalism must be
replaced by socialism—meaning some kind of cooperative, nonprofit, economy with democratic
planning and production for use. (As I will discuss, there is a decentralized and
radically democratic version of socialism which is advocated by anarchists.)
This is a very well-written book that illustrates this reformist approach, as an
expression of left-environmentalist politics The author does a fine job of summarizing a
lot of information about the climate and ecological crises. At the time of publication,
James Speth was dean of Yale’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. He reports
that for about 40 years he was active in mainstream environmentalist politics. “…I have
helped launch environmental organizations, have been in court litigating…, and have
lobbied Congress and testified there…. I have globe-trotted to any number of international
summits….I served as President Jimmy Carter’s White House environmental advisor and as
head of the the United Nation’s largest agency for international development.” (Speth
2008; xi) Reviewing his previous book, Time magazine described him as the “ultimate
insider.” (xi)
Yet he is dissatisfied. While the establishment environmentalists won certain improvements
(in cleaner air and water, for example), overall the environment has gotten much worse.
“We have been winning battles…but losing the war.” (xii) This recognition has moved him to
his left.
While Speth was deep into respectable environmentalism, others had been developing more
radical analyses. The anarchist and social ecologist Murray Bookchin (1980) had depicted
the basic ecological problem as capitalism’s drive to grow or die, to accumulate ever
greater amounts of capital. This creates an inevitable clash with the needs of a balanced
and healthy nature/human eco-system. Analysis of this clash between the needs of capital
accumulation and natural ecology was further developed by ecologically-concerned Marxist
scholars, such as John Bellamy Foster (2000). If humanity and the world were to survive,
these radicals concluded, then capitalism had to be replaced. While not opposed to fights
for limited gains (Bookchin was in the movement against nuclear power), they believed that
a revolution to establish socialism (of some sort) was necessary to prevent
civilization-destroying catastrophe. Even now, this is not Speth’s view.
Speth apparently agrees with other writers such as Naomi Klein or Herman Daly. Daly, for
example, has written a series of notable books and articles arguing for a “Steady State
Economy.” He argues that the growth-driven industrial economy we live under is
incompatible with an ecologically sustainable society. Daly advocates an economy which
develops qualitatively, as he puts it, but not quantitatively (with appropriate and
balanced development of the poorer nations). “The remaining natural world no longer is
able to provide the sources and sinks for the metabolic throughput necessary to sustain
the existing oversized economy—much less a growing one….The economy must conform to the
rules of a steady state—seek qualitative development, but stop aggregate quantitative
growth.” (Daly 2008; 1) Better not bigger. He believes that such an economy would produce
as much happiness among the people as our existing system—if not more. “…The correlation
between absolute income and happiness extends only up to some threshold of
‘sufficiency’….” (10)
However, while Speth and Daly wish to end the grow-or-die drive of our economy, they think
they can do this while maintaining capitalism: private property in the means of
production, competition among enterprises, profits, money, wage labor, and the market.
Daly’s pro-capitalist views have been brilliantly critiqued by Richard Smith (2010). I too
am going to argue against the politics of this reformist trend among those who still
believe that an improved capitalism can avoid catastrophic warming.
Speth’s View of the Crisis and Its Causes
Speth reviews the bad news about climate change as well as other negative ecological
developments. These include rising sea levels, loss of forests and farm land, loss of
available healthy water, extinction of plant and animal species, the spread of toxic
pollutants, and so on. These effects “…could contribute to the forced migrations of large
numbers of people.” (25) (I hardly need to comment on this last point.)
How bad is it? Speth cites Sir Martin Rees, president of the Royal Society (UK), that “the
odds are no better than fifty-fifty that our present civilization on earth will survive to
the end of the present century.” (5-6) He quotes the NASA climate scientist, James Hansen,
“This warming has brought us to the precipice of a great ‘tipping point’.” (27) Immanuel
Wallerstein, world system analyst, is quoted, “The present historical system is in fact in
terminal crisis. The issue before us is what will replace it.” (185) Speth concludes, if
we “keep doing exactly what we are doing today…the world in the latter part of this
century won’t be fit to live in.” (x)
Speth’s discussion of the social system’s “terminal crisis” was written shortly before the
2008 Great Recession. It was written eight years before the December 2015 global climate
conference in Paris. That conference’s agreement, if fully implemented (a big “if,” since
there is no enforcement mechanism) would bring the world about half-way to what is needed
to prevent catastrophic global warming, with no program for going further. “Terminal
crisis” indeed.
Like Bookchin and Foster, Speth sees the basic problem as due to capitalism and its
grow-or-die requirements. “Inherent in the dynamics of capitalism is a powerful drive to
earn profits, invest them, innovate and thus grow the economy….These features of
capitalism, as they are constituted today, work together to produce an economic and
political reality that is highly destructive of the environment.” (7) Much of the book
explores this drive of capitalism toward unlimited quantitative growth, the role of the
market in this drive, the centrality of the corporation in carrying out accumulation, the
wastefulness of consumption under capitalism, and the domination of the corporations over
governments.
Radicals can agree with almost all of this analysis. The ecological crisis may seem to be
a “classless” problem (because it affects everyone on the planet). Yet it is essentially
an effect of capitalism—which is ruled by the capitalist class—the class which dominates
the state. Nevertheless, I have two criticisms of his theory, criticisms which apply to
the whole reformist, liberal-environmentalist, trend.
The first is his belief that capitalism can be altered to not be driven to accumulate at
all costs, or instead to develop in useful directions. This includes a belief that the
market can be redirected to encourage pro-ecological development, and even that the
corporations can be modified to be democratic and useful. Note his reference, in the last
quotation, to “features of capitalism, as they are constituted today,” suggesting that
capitalism might be reconstituted with better features. After criticizing capitalism’s
drive to grow, he suddenly claims that it was only after World War II that “growthmania”
became central to capitalism. Therefore “there is hope that it is not a permanent or
inevitable feature.…” (122) But capitalism has always had an urge to unlimited growth, for
centuries before the post-war period (when it became a government policy due to
capitalism’s failure to grow during the Depression).
Speth believes in capitalism: “The creativity, innovation,and entrepreneurship of
businesses operating in a vibrant private sector are essential to designing and building
the future.” (11) Yet it is this supposed creativity, entrepreneurship, and vibrancy which
is destroying the biosphere and the future! He also declares, “Corporations also do
tremendous good in the world.” (165) Of course, since corporations dominate the economy,
no doubt they produce most useful goods. But in the course of doing this, they are
destroying the world.
Secondly, Speth writes of capitalism in a classless way. To speak of capitalism’s drive to
accumulate is to speak of its need to exploit its workers. In essence capitalism is
nothing but the capital/labor relationship—while it treats nature as having little or no
marketable value. The accumulation of commodities and money comes from human labor, and
from the workers being paid less than they produce. In the capitalist market, the workers’
ability to work (their “labor power”) is a commodity, to be bought by the capitalist for
less than it can produce. The working class is essential and central to capitalism.
Therefore it must be essential and central to any overturn of capitalism (and thus the
saving of the world ecology). Yet Speth has nothing to say about the need to mobilize the
workers, in their self-interest and in the interests of their children. There are one or
two references to unions and that is it. The problem is not that he discusses other social
forces, but that he does not raise the working class. Yet there is no other force in
society which could stop industrial capitalism’s production, under its present motives,
and start the economy up again on a new and better basis.
Probably, much of the reason Speth clings to capitalism (after his own reasoning
discredits it), is his rejection of socialism. “I myself have no interest in socialism or
centralized economic planning….” (11) He identifies socialism with ownership of the
economy by the national state and top-down economic planning. This is really the program
of state socialism (authoritarian socialism). Put in actual practice (as under Stalinist
totalitarianism), it creates not socialism but state capitalism. State capitalism is also
driven to accumulate, to maintain an internal market while competing on the world market,
to exploit its workers, and to destructively treat nature as an endless mine. However,
there are other, radically democratic and libertarian, versions of socialism, held by
anarchists and some others.
Speth’s Program
Speth believes that it is possible to create a better, greener, and non-growth-oriented
capitalism. Part of his program is standard liberal reform, including labor legislation
(certainly worth supporting): “…a shorter workweek and longer vacations; greater labor
protections, job security and benefits…; restrictions on advertising;…strong social and
environmental provisions in trade agreements;…genuinely progressive taxation for the rich
and greater income support for the poor; major spending on public sector services and
environmental amenities….” (120)
More radically, he also proposes a slate of reforms to alter capitalist corporations:
“Revoke corporate charters….Exclude…unwanted corporations….Roll back limited liability….
Eliminate corporate personhood….Get corporations out of politics….” (179) (He does NOT
propose expropriating the “unwanted corporations,” taking away the capital of their
capitalists, and turning them over to their workers or to communities.)
Even so, it should be obvious that these proposals, especially the latter, would be
opposed by the capitalist class (and its hired politicians of both parties). They would
fight tooth and claw, to the bitter end. The proposals would mean a rebalance of the
government and the economy, from the capitalists to the working class and the oppressed.
Such “reforms” would be seen as steps toward socialism. And they could be steps toward
socialism—either that or failed reform efforts which re-establish capitalist domination.
After all, even such reforms, taken in total, still maintain the basics of a capitalist
economy—including the national state (which supposedly would be carrying out the reforms
and regulating the corporations).
However, in a few places, Speth raises ideas which may point to a different approach than
either an “improved” capitalism or a centralized statist fake “socialism”. For example, he
notes (favorably) that the “social greens…focus on redistribution policies—including power
redistribution—to address environmental questions. Many favor a thoroughgoing
decentralization and strong protection of local economies and communities. They
question…the ability of governments as commonly constituted to guide sensible behavior.”
(44) These “social greens”, he even suggests, may be pointing “to the new vision and new
worldview that are needed.” (45)
Later he suggests “new forms of ownership and control” at the local level. He discusses
“employee ownership…worker ownership” of businesses. He points to the many forms of
co-operatives: consumer, producer, farmer marketing, credit unions, and others. He refers
to ownership and provision of services by cities—municipalization of industry as distinct
from nationalization. “…Ownership by workers, public ownership, and public and private
enterprises that do not seek traditional profits…offer opportunities for greater local
control [and]…heightened environmental performance.” (194) Politically he seeks to modify,
at least, the centralized state, “at the community and regional levels…[with] deliberative
or discursive democracy…direct democracy.” (221)
Many other writers on ecological dangers similarly criticize the over-centralized system
of industrial capitalism, and advocate a more decentralized system (discussed in Price
2016). They cite economic/technical issues as well the advantages of increased local
democracy. For example, one report, which agreed with Daly’s goal of a Steady State
Economy, noted, “…We are built into and are still building ourselves into a centralized
energy system. Such systems favor fossil and nuclear fuels over renewable energy, do not
exploit the maximum efficiency possible , and the energy system is subject to large
distribution loses.” (New Economic Foundation 2010; 102) Instead, it says, “If installed
at the local level, renewable energy schemes can also contribute to local economic
regeneration…improve environmental literacy… [and] reduce [lack of] access to energy
caused by poor living standards and low-incomes.” (116)
Libertarian (Anti-Authoritarian) Socialism
Like Speth’s proposals, this points to libertarian socialism (socialist anarchism).
Workers’ self-managed industries, co-operatives, local agro-industrial communities—in a
federated, cooperative, non-profit, and participatory economy—is socialist anarchism. Nor
does it rule out forms of democratic economic planning-from-below, if the cooperative
enterprises associate in federations and networks. (For discussion of this approach, see
Purchase 1994. He discusses radical ecology from an anarcho-syndicalist perspective.)
But this is not what Speth proposes. Firstly, because he wants such localized and
self-managed enterprises to be independent businesses competing on the market (not
federating). Secondly, he wants such arrangements to be limited only to “a new sector”
(194) of the overall economy—next to the improved corporations—not as a whole new system.
With his proposed changes, Speth writes, “We would no longer have capitalism as we know
it….Whether this…is beyond capitalism or is a reinvented capitalism is largely
definitional. And…no longer very important.” (194) But it is very important. A
“reinvented” capitalism would still have the drive to accumulate and therefore
environmentally destructive effects. Even if such a change could be done, corporations and
other businesses on the market would constantly tend to revert to the old, destructive,
accumulative capitalism. And it is very unlikely to be accomplished in this gradualist
fashion. The capitalist class and its national states would resist any change which
seriously tried to go “beyond” the existing system or to “reinvent” it. They would not
accept any proposals which threatened to take away their wealth and power, their
corporations and banks, their industries, their mansions, and their bought-and-paid-for
politicians—even in this modified, watered-down, form.
The objective crises—both ecological (climate change, pollution, etc.) and economic
(stagnation, inequality, poverty, crises)—are frighteningly deep, a “terminal crisis”. The
gap between them and popular consciousness is enormous. Speth hopes to overcome this gap
(gradually and within the system) by building local alternate co-ops and such. This is not
bad in itself, but not a strategy for overcoming capitalist resistance. He hopes for “the
rise of a new consciousness…a spiritual awakening.” (199) A spread of ecological and
internationalist consciousness would certainly be good, but in itself it is too abstract.
It does not say what needs to be done. (Contrast with his earlier positive reference to
“the new vision and new worldview that are needed,” raised by the decentralist radical
“social greens.”)
More valuably he points to the need, in the U.S. and worldwide, for “an international
movement of citizens and scientists….a broad-gauged citizens’ movement, one that includes
social justice as well as environmental concerns.” (228-229) He includes “organized labor”
as part of this movement. Unfortunately he also includes “enlightened business leaders”
and “progressive businesses.” (229—230) Perhaps there may be cause for a temporary
alliance on some local issue. On a national and international scale, business is, and must
be, opposed to the program Speth has laid out. Even a (hypothetical) moderate, reasonable,
capitalist, who is aware of the environmental danger, will reject proposals to “Roll back
limited liability [and] eliminate corporate personhood.” (179) The capitalists are the
enemy! The workers and all other oppressed people need to overturn the international
capitalist class, take away their wealth, and dismantle their institutions, replacing them
with participatory-democratic ones. This would be a revolution.
Speth rejects the alternative of revolution. He quotes a “political theorist” as writing,
“Historically, the outcomes of revolutions have generally borne little relation to the
intentions of revolutionaries….” (185) I will not write here about the positive and
negative outcomes of historical revolutions. (I wonder if Speth and this theorist reject
the outcome of the American Revolution?) But the argument for a popular revolution is
twofold. Firstly, what is needed is not a slight change but a drastic reorganization of
society, if we are to save humanity and the biosphere. Secondly, that the ruling rich and
their agents will resist with all their might any such change, no matter how necessary, or
how democratic and popular. Look at the otherwise inexplicable behavior of the U.S.’s two
(pro-capitalist) political parties. One is crazily denying the existence of human-caused
climate change, calling it a hoax and a conspiracy! The other verbally admits the problem,
but carries out only half-measures and inconsistent actions. The capitalists and their
politicians must be popularly forced to step down (whether with violence or non-violence
depends on circumstances and is not the central issue).
Conclusion
It is a hopeful sign that such an establishment figure as Speth and liberals like Klein
and Daly have turned to their left in dealing with the climate and related crises. They
see the need for some sort of drastic change. They see capitalism (at least as it is) as
the fundamental cause. They and those like them make suggestions which point to
decentralization, cooperation, workers’ management, and local direct democracy. Yet they
do not go all the way to libertarian socialism—as anarchists do. They mis-educate people
to think that an improved capitalism might still work to avoid ecological and economic
catastrophe. Yet Speth advocates some sort of international popular movement against
climate change and the destruction of the world. On that much, we can agree.
References
Bookchin, Murray (1980). Toward an Ecological Society. Montreal/Buffalo: Black Rose Books.
Daly, Herman E. (2008). “A Steady-State Economy.” Sustainable Development Commission, UK.
(April 24, 2008).
http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/data/files/publications/Herman_Daly_thinkpiece.pdf
Foster, John Bellamy (2000). Marx’s Ecology: Materialism and Nature. NY: Monthly Review Press.
New Economic Foundation (2010). Growth Isn’t Possible. (January 25, 2010) London NEF.
http://www.neweconomics.org/publications/growth-isnt-possible
Price, Wayne (2016). “Eco-Socialism and Decentralism; The Re-Development of Anarchism in
the Ecology/Climate Justice Movement.” Anarkismo.
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/28974?search_text=wayne+price
Purchase, Graham (1994). Anarchism & Environmental Survival. Tucson AZ: Sea Sharp Press.
Smith, Richard (2010). “Beyond Growth or Beyond Capitalism?” Real-World Economics Review,
No. 53. 26 June 2010. Pp. 28—42.
http://www.paecon.net/PAEReview/issue53/Smith53.pdf
Speth, James Gustave (2008). The Bridge at the Edge of the World: Capitalism, the
Environment, and Crossing from Crisis to Sustainability. New Haven: Yale University Press.
*written for www.Anarkismo.net
Add Your Comments >>
http://www.anarkismo.net/article/29063
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Message: 3
Hi all, A few notes before we go on with the events listing proper. First up we, like most
of Glasgow, are well aware of the gathering of rape advocates that is being attempted this
Saturday. Unfortunately, due to the whole thing becoming a public spectacle, the chances
of actually confronting those involved is slim to nothing, and so we haven’t put any of
the many George Square protests in the listing (as these will likely just be used by
opportunists to sign folks up to their particular party). That said, it seems like folks
will be gathering from 7:30pm if you are interested in gathering to just show opposition
to their ideas. ---- Also, after some discussion with list users at events, we have
separated out any radical food solidarity projects from the main listing. We’ll see how it
works over the next few months. We’ll be adding things like the Vegan Kitchen and Food Not
Bombs gatherings to this section as well. Do let us know if we have missed any group out.
Now, on with the listing…
**********
Seed and Tree Festival: Celebrating Food for the Common Good
Saturday, 6 February at 10 AM – 10 PM
St. Frances Community Centre, Cumberland Street, G5 0SE
Share the seeds and sing to the trees
Celebrating food for the common good.
This unique event, hosted by Common Good Food and Helping Britain Blossom, blends
celebration, practical workshops and planning for national political action.
TO BOOK, USE THIS LINK:
www.seedtreefest.eventbrite.co.uk
In dark times it’s always good to have a party, and winter can be long and difficult. So
please join us on the 6th February to celebrate the lengthening days and make radical
plans for the 2016 growing season.
Scotland has a growing local food movement, the Scottish government has stated that
Scotland should be a good food nation, and the earth under our feet has a lot of potential
to feed us – if only we can find the right plants to grow there. Variety is the spice of
life, yet how many varieties of Scottish grown fruit and veg can you readily find? Right
now we rely heavily on imported food, and two things that are very scarce, yet which could
be abundant, are locally grown vegetable seeds and orchard fruits.
“How do we safeguard the genetic and cultural resilience of Scotland’s home-grown food,
starting with seeds and orchards?”
This is the serious question we will be asking, along with a good measure of fun: music,
stories, songs, firelight, curry and ceilidh.
For more information go to:
http://helpingbritainblossom.org.uk/ and
www.commongoodfood.org
**********
Ditching the Fear (film screening)
Saturday, 6 February at 7:00pm
CCA, 350 Sauchiehall St, G2 3JD
A recent documentary about logistic workers in Italy portraying the struggle of mainly
migrant workers against the harsh labour regime within logistics and how this put workers’
self-organisation back on the wider political agenda.
Since the financial crisis in 2008, states, companies, and politicians have increasingly
undermined workers’ and union rights all over Europe and beyond. However, unusual events
have occurred in the southern Europe countries most hit by European austerity policies. We
see low-wage workers developing new forms of effective and lively resistance. The
documentary Ditching The Fear follows the struggles and actions taken by precarious
migrant workers in Italian warehouses and logistics companies. Over ten days, the embedded
film team discusses, fights with and documents what can be understood as the forefront of
a new workers’ movement. With the help and experience of the grassroots union SI-COBAS,
the migrant workers are effectively organising against their isolating and degrading
working conditions, displaying a solidarity that is changing their work and lives. ??
The documentary (80mins) is in Italian with English subtitles. ?It has been produced by
the team at labournet.tv and will be presented in Glasgow by Plan C and CounterinfoLab.
The film will be followed by a discussion on recent struggles within logistics in Italy,
India, Germany, and the UK. The producer will be present.
**********
2nd Glasgow Housing Co-Op Open Meeting
Sunday, 7 February at 11 AM – 1 PM
The Project Cafe, 34 Renfrew Street, G3 6ST
Following on from the interesting last meeting we will be holding another general open
meeting for anyone interested in being part of a housing co-op in Glasgow, helping to
facilitate a co-op happening or just interested in learning about the idea of co-op’s!
**********
Sisters Uncut Glasgow – First Meeting
Thursday, February 11 at 6 PM
TBC
This is an initial meeting to discuss the viability of a Sisters Uncut Glasgow
Sisters Uncut are a feminist group taking direct action for domestic and sexual violence
services: https://sistersuncut.wordpress.com/
We would like to invite self identifying women with experience, knowledge and interest in
domestic violence services, refuge services, women’s aid, disabled, migrant and refugee
services, LGBTQIA+ services, and solicitors with experience in this area to attend – to
share their experience .
Sisters Uncut is London based, so this meeting is to discuss and learn about the ways in
which Glasgow and Scotland’s services have been affected by government cuts, and how to
support and organise in Glasgow.
**********
Abortion Rights Meeting
Thursday, February 11 at 6:30 PM
The Art School, 20 Scott Street, G3 6RQ
In Project Space 2 (upstairs- venue is accessible with a lift), there will be a meeting to
discuss:
– Setting up an escort service for those attending the abortion clinic at Queen’s
University Hospital during Lent.
– Organising a solidarity demo for the woman charged with procuring an abortion in
Northern Ireland.
**********
Fail Better | Fuck Trident
Thursday, February 11 at 8 PM
McChuills, 40 High Street, G1 1NL
It’s the second Thursday in Feburary and as usual, two things are true. 1) There’s a pile
of genocidal weapons just outside Glasgow that could at any moment destroy us all, AND 2)
there’s some fucking great poetry and music at McChuills.
Then on the 14th of Febuary instead of exchanging tacky cards and bodily fluids, go and
make the world a better place and demand that Trident is scrapped. The activity you choose
can be varied, creative and fun. It can be as simple as a bit of leafletting or standing
with a banner for an hour, it could be holding a street stall or running a public meeting,
or putting up posters around the town, dropping a banner from a local landmark or some
witty graffiti.
So, ahead of that, come drink, dance, and be merry and a few days later go challenge the
state with its weapons of mass destruction and it’s constant greedy snivveling charge at
war. Oh and poems, let’s hear some poems from:
KATIE AILES
MAGI GIBSON
and other words from
IAIN MACPHERSON
CLARE ARCHIBALD
And songs from
DECLAN WELSH
MACGILLIVRAY
There’ll be information and fliers about what you can do to oppose trident too.
As ever it’s free but a few quid as a donation is most welcome.
SEE SOME OF YOU THERE.
**********
Capital Reading Group
Saturday, February 13 at 1 PM
The Electron Club, CCA, 350 Sauchiehall St, G2 3JD
An open reading group to read Marx’s Capital volume 1. We will bring some spare copies of
the text. We plan to meet every two weeks.
=====
This event is hosted by Glasgow AF. We ask that all those attending this event read the
brief introduction to our safer spaces policy here: https://afed.org.uk/about/safer-spaces/
**********
PIG//CONTROL + RATS BLOOD + HEADLESS KROSS + MORE @13TH NOTE
Saturday, February 20 at 7 PM
13th Note, 50-60 King Street, G1 5QT
PIG//CONTROL: Raging hardcore/punk coming over from berlin again to help everyone enjoy a
serious bangover. Plenty of music to stream and download around, check it out!
https://pig–control.bandcamp.com/album/trauma-2
RATS BLOOD: Abbrasive d-beat hailing from Ireland, also have a bunch of music to stream
and download on this amazing new website called bandcamp.
https://pig–control.bandcamp.com/album/trauma-2
Headless Kross:The heaviest, doomiest, loudest band in Gtown? Psych infused monolithic
doom, not to be missed.
https://headlesskross.bandcamp.com/
SICK OF TALK: New(ish) gruff punk from Glasgow, Fresh after the Tape launch in January,
smash pints and jump around.
https://sickoftalk1.bandcamp.com/releases
£5 OTD
18+
**********
Seminar Series 12: Lecture 4 – Geoffrey Pleyers: Mobilising Dissent: Social Activism in a
Global Age
Tuesday, February 23 at 4:30pm – 6:00pm
The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, G1 3NU
If you would like to register for the seminar, please do so via GCPH website:
http://www.gcph.co.uk/events/164
**********
Why All Cops Are Bastards
Tuesday, February 23 at 6:45 PM – 9:00 PM
Fred Paton Centre, 19 Carrington Street, G4 9AJ
The police are presented as an emergency service that are here to look after us. However a
casual look shows that not only do they fail in this task, but that they are an actively
harmful institution. The police use violence to prevent social change, enforce poverty,
and control the working class. These problems are not a result of accident, mismanagement,
or a few ‘bad apples’ in the force, but instead reveal the intended role of police in society.
This month’s discussions group will open with a short presentation on the historic reasons
for the creation of the police, their current role in society, and a brief look at the
social alternatives to the police. We will then follow this with an open discussion on the
points raised.
=====
This event is hosted by Glasgow AF. We ask that all those attending this event read the
brief introduction to our safer spaces policy here: https://afed.org.uk/about/safer-spaces/
**********
David Rovics & The Wakes
Friday, February 26 at 7:30 PM
Govanhill Baths Community Trust, 99 Calder Street, G42 7RA
David Rovics world tour brings him back to Glasgow! David, The Wakes & Special guests TBC.
The venue is the historic Govanhill baths in Glasgow.
TICKETS – £8
https://thewakes.bandcamp.com/merch/david-rovics-the-wakes-concert-ticket
The gig is open to 14s and over (Under 16s to be accompanied by an Adult).
**********
Faslane Peace Camp Solidarity Night
Friday, March 4 at 7:30 PM – 3:00 AM
Ivory Blacks, 56 Oswald Street, G1 4PL
A Night of bands, Dj’s and Infotainment, with the intention of raising funds, awareness,
support and solidarity for Faslane peace camp.
**********
The Hunger Games & Revolution
Tuesday, March 22 at 6:45 PM – 9:00 PM
Fred Paton Centre, 19 Carrington Street, G4 9AJ
A discussion on the revolutionary themes of The Hunger Games. This evening will contain
spoilers! Full blurb to follow.
=====
This event is hosted by Glasgow AF. We ask that all those attending this event read the
brief introduction to our safer spaces policy here: https://afed.org.uk/about/safer-spaces/
**********
Tangerine
Saturday, March 26 at 7 PM – 8:30 PM
CCA Glasgow, 350 Sauchiehall Street, G2 3JD
Join us for Sean Baker’s ‘Tangerine’, screening as part of Cinema For All’s ‘Reaching
Communities’ project.
You’ll also have the chance to win a GIANT promotional poster!!
FREE! LGBT Unity Group Fundraiser – donations taken
Plot:
"Transgender sex worker Sin-Dee Rella, who has just finished a 28-day prison sentence,
meets her friend Alexandra, another trans sex worker, at a donut shop in Hollywood on
Christmas Eve. Alexandra accidentally reveals that Sin-Dee’s boyfriend and pimp Chester
has been cheating on her with a cisgender woman. Sin-Dee storms out to search the
neighborhood for Chester and the woman."
Starring transgender actresses, Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor….who should win
awards for their great performances.
Famously shot using an iphone 5 for $100,000, using this lens:
http://www.moondoglabs.com/
Tangerine also has a *fabulous soundtrack.
Trailer:
https://vimeo.com/128253391
Accessibility:
*The film will be subtitled
*The CCA is a wheelchair accessible venue with accessible toilets on the ground floor.
*For more information please see: http://www.digitaldesperados.org/glitch/accessibility/
Tickets:
*Free/Donation, first come first serve!
*This is also a fundraiser for LGBT Unity Scotland.
*Rated 18
**********
RADICAL FOOD SOLIDARITY PROJECTS
**********
Govanhill Free Dinner
Every Monday at 5:30pm – 8:00pm
Govanhill Trinity Church, 28 Daisy Street, G42 8JZ
Join your neighbours for a free dinner. All welcome.
**********
The UNITY World Café
Every Tuesday at 11:00am – 1:00pm
140-142 Nelson Street, G5 8EJ
UNITY is still distributing free food to destitute asylum seekers.
**********
RADICAL SPORTS & OUTDOORS SECTION
**********
Critical Mass
Friday, 26th of February at 05:30pm meet, 6:00pm start
George Square
Meet at the column for a gentle paced cycle around town.
**********
Bridging The Gap
Saturday, February 6 at 3 PM – 6 PM
Xercise4Less Glasgow Cambridge Street, 200 Sauchiehall Street, G2 3DZ
We have entered the age of movement in the fitness community with classes focussed on
everything from bodyweight exercises through to animal flow style. These classes however
do not provide the toolkit to a true generalist, someone dedicating time to movement to
compliment a skill set or even a trainer who needs every tool available to them for their
clients.
‘Bridging The Gap’ is not a definitive guide or the be all end all. It is however a
beginning; a place to invert, locomote, prepare, play and have a good time whilst doing it.
Our workshop is not focused on skills, fitness or play but instead the grey area where all
three exist. A 360 degree approach will allow participants to continue their development
in any field or activity from various points of view, with longevity of training in mind.
Breaking down skills and end goals for processing.
– Workshop Includes –
– Detailing and joint preparation – Our guide to essential and fundamental movements of
the body throughout.
– Inversions/handstands – Handstand protocols and practice on the floor to help you better
understand and prepare for handstands.
– Reaction & Response – Life is full of unpredictable moments, so we have devised several
unique processes to help our students be better prepared for their practices.
– Locomotion – Introduction to bilateral and quadrupedal movement patterns that will allow
you to cross the space in a variety of ways.
**********
Seahorses Swimming: Transgender Swimming sessions
Sunday, February 28 at 3 PM – 4PM
Whitehill Pool, 240 Onslow Drive, G31 3QE
A closed pool session for transgender people. The pool we have access to is Whitehill Pool
which is located in the Dennistoun area of Glasgow.
It’s easily accessible via train via Duke Street or Alexandra Parade.
There is a small fee for the group which is currently £5 until we gauge regular numbers.
Hopefully we can bring this down over time.
There is no requirement in regards to traditional swimwear however loose clothing (jeans
t-shirts etc) are not allowed in the pool.
**********
United Glasgow
The club operates under dual core principles of anti-discrimination and financial inclusion.
www.unitedglasgowfc.eu
www.clubwebsite.co.uk/unitedglasgowfc
https://www.facebook.com/groups/131129416972636/?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/groups/764904386887499/?fref=ts
Women (trans* inclusive)
5-a-side Drop-In – Monday Nights (Firhill Complex, Hopehill Road) – 7.30pm-8.30pm
11-a-side Training – Wednesday Nights (Firhill Complex, Hopehill Road) – 9pm-10.30pm
Contact the Club for men’s training times.
**********
Email future events including name/time/date/location/description to:
glasgowautonomyupdates@lists.riseup.net
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The Autonomy Update is brought to you by Glasgow Anarchist Federation. Visit our blog at:
http://glasgow.afed.org.uk
https://glasgowanarchists.wordpress.com/
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Message: 4
Last November the High Court in Belfast ruled that the near blanket ban on abortion was
incompatible with human rights legislation the cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal
abnormalities. While it was a landmark ruling and is reflective of the change in society
from the days of religious domination it doesn't change the law. The ruling does nothing
other than place pressure on Stormont to change the law. ---- So why is it that two high
profile appeals have been submitted against the ruling? One of them from the Attorney
General, John Larkin, a well known anti-choicer, and the other from the Minister of
Justice, David Ford. ---- John Larkin's reason for appeal is that he is against a woman
making a decision over own body in all circumstances.
David Ford's reason for appeal is a bit more crafty and he covers up his anti-choice
bigotry well. He believes that the wording of the appeal could lead to abortion on demand,
something he believes that the general public does not want. It might shock the minister
to learn that a 2014 Belfast Telegraph poll showed that 58% of the general public
supported abortion on demand after counseling was sought on alternatives.
Not that the ruling was even about abortion in all circumstances, it was about abortion in
cases of rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities, which 68% of the general public
supports.
We are compelled, however, to utterly reject his approval of some abortions and damnation
of others, damnation to the point of life imprisonment under current law. There is no good
abortion and there is no bad abortion, there is just abortion and people making the
decision best for themselves. Likewise, banning abortions does not mean that they no
longer exist, it means that safe abortions no longer exist.
Abortions happen here all the time through the use of pills just like they happen in the
rest of the UK, the difference being that when women have an abortion here they are
criminals. We have politicians who insist that we are British yet when it comes to
abortion they essentially say "why should we be subjected to British law?".
Are we not sick and tired of seeing cis men, who will never be pregnant in their lives,
making decisions on our behalf? Of them branding good women criminals because they did not
continue a pregnancy; of them having an opinion on a deeply personal decision of someone
they don't even know?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you need an abortion please visit www.womenhelp.org or www.womenonweb.org or
www.abortionsupport.org.uk
http://www.wsm.ie/c/stormont-politicians-appealing-november-high-court-abortion-ruling
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Message: 5
In the aftermath of the November 13th Paris attacks, which took 130 lives, Georgia Gov.
Nathan Deal, like many other state leaders and politicians in the US, chose to exploit the
tragedy to score political points and appease an increasingly xenophobic and anti-Muslim
right-wing. ---- Deal joined 25 other US governors in declaring that Georgia will not be
accepting Syrian refugees. Since 2012, the United States has accepted only 2,174 refugees
from Syria, who are already subject to a strict and thorough vetting process. Hundreds of
thousands of Syrian people, driven from their homes in the crossfire between the Syrian
state government, rebel forces, the Islamic State (ISIS), and airstrikes by the US, Great
Britain and France, have been accepted in Europe, while more stand at its doors literally
dying to get in.
It’s estimated that at least 350 Syrian civilians have been killed by Western bombing
since the campaign began–long before last week’s attacks in Paris. Contrary to the
rhetoric of political opportunists like Deal, all the identified Paris attackers have been
identified as European nationals, not Syrian refugees.
Black Rose North Georgia (BRNG) stands in solidarity with the Syrian refugees and
denounces Gov. Deal’s cowardly actions. As members of the international working class
community, we call on working class Georgians to press the state to accept refugees from
Syria with compassion. The conditions from which the Syrian people are fleeing are the
direct result of US and Western imperialist campaigns which destabilized the region and
created an opening for the creation of ISIS, whose victims have been overwhelmingly Muslim.
In the 1990s our state accepted thousands of Muslim refugees from Bosnia, who were given a
second chance and have contributed to the culture and community of Atlanta and North
Georgia. In the two decades since, a wave of racism, xenophobia and Islamophobia, stirred
by right-wing opportunists like Donald Trump, his supporters, and white supremacist hate
groups, has swept across Georgia and the US. We must not allow reactionary politicians and
the media to dictate policies which deny help to Syrian refugees fighting for their lives
in a humanitarian crisis the United States helped create.
To the Syrian refugees: Black Rose North Georgia stands in solidarity and accepts you with
open arms. Refugees are welcome in Georgia and we will do our part to ensure your peace
and safety.
http://makingnoiseinthesouth.com/index.php/2015/11/24/black-rose-north-georgia-statement-on-syrian-refugee-crisis/
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