A-Infos (en) Ireland, Workshops of The anti-authoritarian Grassroots Gathering - 7-9 November 2003

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This Grassroots Gathering is dedicated to the memory of Eamonn Murphy, notable playwright
and anti-war activist, who was charged after the March 1st action in Shannon and to the
heroic resistance of the political prisoners on hunger strike in Greece.
Friday 7th 8pm
Kicking off the weekend with a night of music and drinking in
Richardsons Eyre Square.
Saturday 8th 10.00 – 11.30
Ecology and Community 1: Our Countryside
Speaker from the Tynagh Local Action Group in East Galway that are
campaigning against the re-opening of Tynagh mines for the chemical industry.

Ruairi, associated with Oak Tree Committee in Cootehill, Co. Cavan
who exposed and prevented Coillte from destroying part of the last
remaining natural heritage on the Cavan/Monaghan border.
http://www.briansdesign.com/oaks/

Maggie Ronayne (Global Women’s Strike) discussing the
relevant importance of community over archaeology in relation to the
proposed road going through Tara.

Scooter, from the Cork Harbour Alliance for a Safe Environment (Cork
City branch) talking about the anti-incinerator campaign.

Facilitation
Helping our workshops run smoothly, with Martha, Aileen and Clare.

Street Art
Stencilling, Subvertising and Creative Resistance, making our point in
dramatic ways.

Direct Action: Practical lessons learnt
The Campaign for Free Education experience. A year of blocking
roads, occupying ministries and blockading politicians – practical
lessons learned from the fight against fees. James Redmond (Socialist
Alternative) and Cian O’Callaghan (Campaign for Free
Education).

Taking Them Down: How to Hurt the Multinationals
Aisling Wheeler from the World Bank Boycott, who aim to get Trade
Unions,
universities, etc. to disinvest from the World Bank.

Shane, from Foyle Ethical Investment Campaign, who operate a
creative resistance to Raytheon, the arms manufacturers in Derry.

Finbar Dwyer, part of the group which agitated for the banning of Coca
Cola from UCD.

Saturday 8th 11.45 – 1.15

Ecology and Community 2: Transport
Shane Foran from the Galway Cycling Campaign, who successfully
halted
the construction of roundabouts on the Seamus Quirke road.

Mary Francis O’Conghaile from Hands Across the Corrib, who are
opposing the Menlo by-pass which is planned to go through an area of
great scenic beauty and historic
importance on the outskirts of Galway city.

Sile Nally, from the Save the Eyre Square Trees campaign against the
concreting of Eyre Square.

Niall McNellis from West on Track who are agitating for the
re-opening of the rail corridor down the long neglected west coast.

Media 1: Alternative Print
Perspectives on putting out a ‘zine, with the creators of Our
Dreams, Their Overtime, Red Banner, and Direct Action Against
Apathy. Also featuring Rab (check out his web novel on
www.student.nuigalway.ie/~writers/kiss )

Women Organising Against War and Occupation
Making visible the survival work that women do all over the world
imposed by racist wars and occupations; and women organising with
other women in Iraq, Palestine, Uganda and elsewhere against every
genocide and the military budgets which enforce them.

Speakers include: Kay Chapman, Greenham Common Woman and an
mc on the anti-war community picket in Parliament Square, London;
Maggie Ronayne from the Global Women's Strike; Tracy Ryan,
anti-war activist and Shannon Peace Camp; Rachel West, campaigner
for a boycott of Israeli goods and anti-Bechtel picket, San Francisco,
US and more!

Resistance at Work: Cog in the Machine or Spanner in the Works?
James (Worker’s Solidarity Movement) who was involved in
setting up a courier’s resistance group in Dublin, and Stephen
(Irish Socialist Network) an Eason’s shop steward.

Alternative Economics
Kerry E’Lyn Larkin from Galway LETS (Local Economic Trading
System) on community self-organisation to provide goods and
services outside the money economy.

Jeannie McGrealish from the Worker’s Beer Company, a co-op
which runs beer tents at festivals and political events, funnelling
profits back into the groups from which its volunteers come.

Tray, a U.S. and Dublin squatter on economics that are so alternative
they’re non-existent. Train-hopping, blagging, sponging. Steal This
Workshop.

Saturday 1.30 to 3.00

Rebel Walk and Insurgent Picnic
John Cunningham of Galway Alliance Against War and noted local
historian takes us on a rebellious walking tour of Galway through
streets which once resounded with the cries and clamour of food riots,
fisherfolk’s revolts, and fecked off farmers. Meet 1.30 at the
Spanish Arch.

Saturday 3.15 to 4.45

 From Ogoni to Bogoni

Shell’s exploitation of natural resources in Nigeria and Mayo.
Maura Harrington from Erris Head who is campaigning against the
proposed construction of a gas terminal in North Western Mayo.

Padraig Cambell, (SIPTU off-shore committee) Industry insider on the
initial granting of licences to multi-national oil companies, and
involved in newly formed campaign for the protection of resources.

Sister Majella McCann who was involved with the Ogoni people’s
struggle against Shell Oil in Nigeria.

Stop the City: a 5-minute guide
Five-minute guides from the urban action scene. Speakers from
Reclaim the Streets, Critical Mass, Food Not Bombs.

Busted: In the Cells & In the Dock
 From a talk through effective legal support (Claudia, Our Kitchen) to
carrying yourself in the copshop (James McB, Cork Anarchists) and
defending yourself in court (Sybilla from Greenham Common, Global
Women’s Strike).

Permaculture and Guerilla Gardening
A short introduction into Permaculture (short for Permanent
Agriculture) followed by a hopefully enthusiastic discussion on how to
make our cities greener in a sustainable way. Will hopefully lead to
some green action on Sunday or Monday.

Bad Blood
A workshop on menstrual activism. Deconstructing the period stigma,
dealing with toxic shock and tampax culture.

Saturday 5 – 6.30 Plenary 1: Preparing for the EU Summit
- Followed by Dinner thanks to Food Not Bombs (in the Hub)

Saturday 8th 9:00 till late
Music with hip-hop from DJ Pete and folk singer Paul O’Toole in
Richardsons pub Eyre Square. Give a hippie a haircut charity hippie
shearing in aid of the Salonika 7, Martin Shaw and Shannon solidarity.

Who are the Salonika 7?
The Salonika 7were part of a large international demonstration in
Salonika, Greece, which had gathered to counter the EU summit,
whose leaders met to draw up the latest infringements over and
attacks upon the free movement of people through the EU's fortress
walls. While many demonstrators were indiscriminately arrested over
the course of the weekend, 8 demonstrators were singled out for
additional brutality: attacked, beaten, threatened and having 'evidence'
planted on them. The result was that all were refused bail and now
languish in a maximum security prison, awaiting appeal against both
their bail refusal and the charges, They number 3 Greeks, 1 Syrian, 2
Spaniards, 1 American (who faces incarceration before a delayed
deportation) and UK activist Simon Chapman. The latest news is that
4 of the 8 have commenced a hunger strike. One of them (Spiros
Tsitsas) has been without food since Oct. 7th, three (Simon Chapman,
Fernardo and Carlos) without food since 5th Oct., whilst Suleiman
"Castro" Dakduk has already been on a hunger strike for over 40 days
.
You can find more information at: www.enrager.net/simon/ or
www.brightonabc.org.uk/thessaloniki.htm

Who is Martin Shaw?
On the 1st of June last an English electrician, Martin Shaw, was
grievously injured by Swiss police while attempting to blockade a
route used by delegates into the G8 summit in Evian. Martin, along
with one other woman, and backed up by a support team of about
fifteen people, had suspended himself from a climbing rope stretched
across a motorway bridge at Aubonne, Switzerland, over which the
delegates were due to travel.

The Swiss police cut the rope and Martin fell over twenty metres into
a shallow pool of water. Miraculously he survived, perhaps mostly due
to the efforts of the trained medic who was part of the bridge team.

Martin is now beginning the task of learning to walk and function
normally again, but it will be a long road to recovery
love.to.martin@web.de

Most Gatherings will ask you for costs donations – this one asks
you for donations to the hippy haircut fund!


Sunday 9th

Sunday 9th 11.00 – 12.30

Spaces n’ Places
Autonomous Community Spaces – what to do with them, how to
organise them, why do we want them, how do we get them? Speakers
from Cork Autonomous Zone, Disco Disco, and Belfast Squat.

International Solidarity: West Papua & Uganda
Ruairi, Co-ordinator with West Papua Support Group, a grassroots
collective, will talk on how West Papua has been the victim of
European aggression and colonisation for many years.
Indonesia has more recently taken over from the Dutch with explicit
support by
the UN, the U.S and associated states such as Ireland.
http://www.westpapuanews.com
http://www.westpapua.net

Margaretta D’Arcy (Women in Media & Entertainment), recently
returned from Uganda, will speak on her experiences working with
women from the Kaabong people on the water crisis affecting them.

Non-Violent Direct action
A practical hands on approach to Non-Violent Direct Action with Eoin
from Peace Through Resistance (Armagh/Down)

Media 2: Working with the establishment media:
Putting out a press release, doing interviews and getting your stuff
published. With Eanna Dowling, pr person for Glen of the Downs and
for Ecotopia, Deirdre Clancy of the Pitstop Ploughshares Five, and
Rab, formerly pr person for Faslane peace camp and Residents
Against M74 (check out his web novel on
student.nuigalway.ie/~writers/kiss).

Climbing: Take a break from ponderous discussions!!! (in sports
center)

Sunday 9th 12.45 – 2.15

Media 3: Websites for Luddites
A hands-on guide to setting up a website for neo-luddite
techno-phobes, rather than tech nerds. Given by Brian from
anarchomedia www.anarchomedia.org

Communication
A workshop on giving clear messages and on the dynamics of small
groups, utilising games, active listening techniques and the
importance of feedback. Given by Chelo from Women in Media and Entertainment.

Give Up Yer Oul Activism
A discussion introduced by Eoin Short from Global Action on the
‘activist’ quagmire. Inspired by the Do or Die essay from
1999. The essay will be available on the day or can be read here:
http://www.eco-action.org/dod/no9/activism.htm

Class & Ecology: the battle of the bins
In the green corner and in the red corner! Featuring Niall
O’Brollchain of the Green Party and Andrew Flood of the
Workers’ Solidarity Movement. Continuing a notably contentious
debate. As the blurb to a previous Grassroots Gathering debate put it:
“The issue of waste management - dumps and incinerators, bin
and water charges - has given rise to some major movements in recent
years, mobilising local communities around environmental issues. At
times (as with opposition to dumps and incinerators) social
movements have found themselves working together; at other times
(such as bin and water charges) the issues have been a source of real
tension. Underlying much of the conflict is the question "who should
pay?"”

Herbal Remedies: A guide to the medicinal uses of plants
Karen from Alternative Health and Herbs conjures lotions, potions,
tinctures & decoctions .

Sunday 9th 2:15-3:15
Dinner with food not bombs (cheers Aisling!)

Sunday 9th 3:15-5:00
Plenary 2: Shannon: long term resistance. In the Hub.

Sunday 9th 6:30 sharp to very late!!!!
Meet bus station side of Eyre square
G.G. magical mystery tour. Bring sleeping-bags, tents and other
camping stuff -very mysterious!


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