[jnv] September network meeting, Birmingham launch

[JNV]

[This email comes to you from the Justice Not Vengeance announcements list]

In this email:

1) SEPTEMBER NETWORK MEETING – Thurs 4 Sept
2) MILAN RAI, LAUNCH OF BIRMINGHAM JNV AND DSEI - Sun 7 Sept

- - - - - - - - - -

1) SEPTEMBER NETWORK MEETING

7.30pm, Thursday 4 September
Quaker International Centre, 1-3 Byng Place, London, WC1
For a map see <www.tinyurl.com/lgfg>.

A) Provisional agenda

7.30-8.30pm: Network decisions (see below)
- Introductions and agenda-check: 5 mins
- Announcements: 5 mins
- Network decisions: 50 mins

8.30-9.30pm: Planning sessions (see below)
- Parallel planning sessions: 45 mins
1) Grassroots Anti-War Conference working group
2) Supporting regional forums
- Feedback to plenary: 10 mins
- Evaluation and goodbyes: 5 mins

B) Network decisions

[These are basic summaries: for some more details please see <www.j-n-v.org/network.htm>.]

- Network independence from JNV campaigns (up to 15 mins)
A clarification that JNV the campaigning group (an evolution of ARROW) is a separate organisation helping to initiate the Grassroots Network. A proposal on how the network will initially operate when it becomes independent of JNV in October.

- Coordinating group (up to 10 mins)
An explanation of who is currently in the network coordinating group, and how they see the role of such a group in a non-hierarchical network. A decision on what the group’s role is, what it should be called, and to whom its meetings should be advertised.

- Affiliating to/becoming part of the network (up to 10 mins)
A proposal that when groups become part of the network, they should be asked to agree to those points of common ground that concern the operation of the network – non-violence, non-hierarchy, and cooperation. A decision on whether this should be called ‘affiliation’ or something else.

- Network decision-making: involving everyone (up to 5 mins)
A recognition that in order to involve everyone in network decision-making, the network needs both to enable groups and individuals from around the country to participate equally, and to determine the relationship between groups and individuals in the decision-making process.

- Future network gathering? (up to 10 mins)
A proposal for a foundational network gathering in Nottingham in February, when the network can collectively decide its common ground, and its decision-making structures.

C) Parallel planning sessions

1) Grassroots Anti-War Conference working group

- Current state of preparations for the conference

- “Renaming the network” session
A suggestion for how we can come to a decision on a new name for the network at the conference.

- What else to do in the network session

- Ongoing conference preparations

- Future working group meetings

2) Skillsharing in the network and developing regional forums

- Developing regional forums
Producing a skeleton plan for a regional forum, and brainstorming the sorts of resources groups might find useful in organising regional forums

- Skillsharing/training through the network: getting started
A proposal for a training/skillshare day in October for developing regional forums

- - - - - - - - - - -

2) MILAN RAI, LAUNCH OF JNV BIRMINGHAM AND DSEI

12-2pm, Sunday 7th September, 
Moseley Friends Institute, Moseley Road
 
Birmingham Women in Black (WIB) and BUSTW (Birmingham University against the war) have organised a meeting with Milan Rai with the aim of providing a focus for the establishment of a strong Justice Not Vengeance network in Birmingham.
 
Milan will speak about both his analysis of the current situation in Iraq (new book - Regime Unchanged) and about the recent Justice not Vengeance network meetings in London and round the UK. There will be a workshop to discuss and set up a strong JNV network grouping in Birmingham. Local speakers, videos and short films will specifically address JNV in Birmingham/west Midlands and will cover recent NVDA and protest actions in Fairford, Birmingham and around the world. We will also have reports on the DESI demonstration in London (Saturday 6th Sept) and news of what is happening to draw attention to and disrupt the week-long fest of sales of weapons of mass destruction in London docklands (6th-12th September 2003).
 
All groups in Birmingham interested in grassroots organisation against war and its associated obscenities are invited to this meeting. Put it in your diaries now and make it happen.
 
There is also a Birmingham Women in Black vigil Saturday (12 noon, Victoria Square (by the fountain) and a group of people are going to the DSEI demo in London. 
 
Contacts: wib_birmingham@yahoogroups.co.uk, bustw-list@bham.ac.uk, birmingham_jnvinfo@yahoo.co.uk

Please join the new JNV info yahoo group:
Birmingham_JNVinfo@yahoogroups.co.uk 
(to subscribe by email: Birmingham_JNVinfo-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk)

Please forward this notice to friends, acquaintences and lists