[jnv] Sheffield launch, grassroots conference, September decisions

[JNV]

In this email:

1. NETWORK WORKING GROUPS
2. SHEFFIELD LAUNCH MEETING – Tue 16th Sept
3. GRASSROOTS ANTI-WAR CONFERENCE – Book now!
4. SUGGEST A NAME FOR THE NETWORK!
5. DECISIONS FROM THE SEPTEMBER MEETING

Best wishes,
Jonathan Stevenson
(On behalf of the newly-coined network working group!)

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1. NETWORK WORKING GROUPS

There are now a number of working groups to help develop the network which everyone is welcome to be involved in, whether by email or by coming to meetings:

Conference working group
- planning and publicising the Grassroots Anti-War Conference, and future network gatherings
- email list: <grassrootsconference-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>
- next meeting (TBC): 7-9pm, Thursday 18 September, Unit 2, 70 South Lambeth Rd, nearest tube Vauxhall; contact Lucy, 07812 217646.

Website working group
- developing the network’s new website
- email list: <gn-web-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>
- next meeting (TBC): 7-9pm, Thursday 18 September, Unit 2, 70 South Lambeth Rd, nearest tube Vauxhall; contact Lucy, 07812 217646.

Network working group
- facilitating monthly meetings, implementing decisions made at monthly meetings
- email list: <jnv_plan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>
- next meeting: 6pm, Monday 15 September, 80 Balcombe St, London NW1, nearest tube Goodge St; contact Sian, 020 7258 1028.

There are also a couple of email lists for related initiatives:

Yorkshire Activists
- a network to facilitate communication between activists in the Yorkshire area
- email list: <yact-subscribe@yahoogroups.com>

Birmingham grassroots network
- grassroots organisation in Birmingham against war and its associated obscenities 
- email list: <Birmingham_JNVinfo-subscribe@yahoogroups.co.uk>
- next meeting (TBC): 12-2pm, Sunday 7th September, Moseley Friends Institute, Moseley Road, Birmingham; contact <jansmith@blueyonder.co.uk>.

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2. SHEFFIELD LAUNCH MEETING – Tue 16th Sept

GRASSROOTS ANTI-WAR NETWORK LAUNCH MEETING

7:30 pm Tuesday 16th September

St Matthew's Church rooms, Carver Street, Sheffield

Justice Not Vengeance <www.j-n-v.org>, a new antiwar group started by ARROW co-founders Milan Rai and David Polden, is facilitating the creation of a new non-hierarchical grassroots anti-war network to enable greater communication between groups so that they can share ideas, experiences, information and skills, as well as promote events, NVDAs, etc. The idea of the Network is not to compete with existing frameworks (eg, StWC, Social Forum, Indymedia) but to complement them, as the Network Conference from September 26th to 28th in London will complement the StWC demo on the 27th.

Last month there was a Network Northern launch meeting in Leeds. On Tuesday 16th September there will be a launch meeting in Sheffield. If you would like to get involved or find out more, please come along - or contact Christina:

email: <christinahespe@breathemail.net>, tel: 07932 625879

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3. GRASSROOTS ANTI-WAR CONFERENCE – Book now!

*Crashpad accommodation available – see below*

ANTI-WAR CONFERENCE 26-28 SEPTEMBER
Organised by Justice Not Vengeance & the Grassroots Network
Conway Hall, Red Lion Square, Central London WC1
£10 waged/ £5 unwaged in advance, £12 / £7 on the door

An opportunity for grassroots activists to meet face-to-face to share our skills, experiences, and creativity, and help build a stronger anti-war movement

PROGRAMME

Friday 26th September 7:00pm - 9:00pm
- UK and US Grassroots activists look back on the record so far.
Chaired by Bruce Kent, Movement for the Abolition of War, with contributors from Fairford Peace Camp, Hands Up for Peace, US National Network to End the War Against Iraq, ACT Together (TBC).

Saturday 27th September 9:30am-12:00 noon
- Workshops for sharing skills and experiences
[followed by CND/STW/MAB demo]

Sunday 28th September 9:30am-4:00pm
- The Grassroots Network: Building a grassroots anti-war network
- Workshops for sharing skills and experiences
- Plenary: Where next for the anti-war movement?

Also: Anti-War Videos, including first-showing-in-the-UK footage of the Iraq Peace Team before and during the war. And delicious Veggies Food. And Spontaneous Networking.

WORKSHOPS

Saturday workshops to include:
- Sharing successful local experiences
- Developing nonviolent direct action – an exploration of the concepts, and issues.
- Antiwar campaigning in the dead times
- Presswork and alternative media skills (Indymedia)
- Writing effective letters (Voices UK)
- Environment and war (Rising Tide)
- Using the internet to campaign effectively (Enfield Stop the War)
- What role conventional media can play in campaigns? (Mike Marqusee)
- Getting better at arguing against the war (Milan Rai)

Sunday workshops to include:
- Building and strengthening local groups
- Creativity and culture in anti-war campaigning – practical skills
- Student, youth, schoolchildren meet-up
- Defendants' meeting: Activists' experiences of court
- Women activists working in groups: accommodating agreement and differences
- How to end the occupation of Iraq
- Creativity and culture in anti-war campaigning – idea share
- Islamaphobia and campaigning against the war – countering anti-Muslim backlash (4 Just Peace, Federation of Student Islamic Societies – TBC)
- The Pledge of Resistance (Justice Not Vengeance, Direct Action Against War Now network – TBC)
- Direct resistance methods of campaigning in areas of conflict (International Solidarity Movement, International Women’s Peace Service, Iraq Peace Team – TBC)
- War opposition as a feminist movement (International Women’s Peace Service)
- National coalitions and local groups: the way forward (Stop the War Coalition, Welsh anti-war groups, Scottish Coalition for Justice Not War - TBC)
- Internationally linking anti-war movements (Mike Marqusee)
- Grassroots Anti-war Network: getting started (Network working group)
- Anti-war electoral action (Britons 4 Peace)
- The role of ideology in opposing war (Enfield Stop the War)

ADVANCE BOOKING DISCOUNT
£10 waged/£5 unwaged in advance, £12/£7 on the door

Booking form at <www.j-n-v.org/jnvnetwork.htm#conference>. Please print and return to: Grassroots Anti-War Conference, 29 Gensing Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 0HE.

If you require step-free access, please let us know in advance or when you arrive.

Donations are very gratefully received, however large or small.
Please make your cheque payable to 'JNV'. Many thanks for your support.

Groups: We would be grateful for your sponsorship/support, whether or not you can attend. If you can send a donation, that would also be much appreciated. Suggested donation £10 local groups, £50 national groups.

CRASHPAD ACCOMMODATION
Crashpad accommodation is available on Friday and Saturday nights: £3 Fri night, £3 Sat night, or £5 for both. You will need a sleeping bag and roll mat!

CONTACT DETAILS
- Grassroots Anti-War Conference, 29 Gensing Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, East Sussex TN38 0HE
- 0845 458 3116 (local rate)
- <network@j-n-v.org>, <tom.hay@enfieldstw.org.uk>

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4. SUGGEST A NAME FOR THE NETWORK!

One of the things to be decided in the network session at the conference is what this new non-hierarchical grassroots anti-war network is going to be called. 

You’ll be able to make suggestions during the conference itself, but we’re also looking to get people’s suggestions in advance, especially if you can’t make it on the day.

So, get your thinking caps on, and please send your ideas to <network@j-n-v.org>, or let us know by phone on 0845 458 3117. 

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5. DECISIONS FROM THE SEPTEMBER MEETING

a) Network independence
- We affirmed the network’s independence from Justice Not Vengeance the campaigning group, and that a name for the network will be decided at the Grassroots Anti-War Conference.
- We decided that the network’s contact details would remain as they are (in Hastings) until the conference.

b) Coordinating group
- We approved the coordinating group’s role of facilitating decisions made at monthly meetings, but decided a more appropriate name for it would be the ‘network working group’. We also decided its meetings would be advertised on the website and to anyone who signed up to the working group email list.

c) Joining the network
- We decided that for the time being we should ask groups to join the network on the basis of its operating principles of non-violence, non-hierarchy and cooperation, and its focus on campaigning against the ‘war on terrorism’.

d) Decision-making
- We acknowledged that there are substantial weaknesses in the current decision-making process (London-centric, decisions being made by individuals as opposed to groups), and we agreed to flag this up as an issue to be dealt with at the Conference and a future network gathering.

e) Future gathering
- We took the provisional decision – to be revisited at the conference – to hold a foundational gathering of the network in February 2004, possibly at the Sumac Centre in Nottingham. We also decided that the conference working group would work on this for the time being.

f) Funds
- The network has received a £1000 donation from ARROW, and various other donations in response to a JNV mailing. We decided to set up a bank account after the conference (once we have a name), and that for the time being money should only be spent on (i) paying for meeting rooms for network meetings, (ii) sending people to present the network to local groups, as approved by a meeting of the network working group, and (iii) publicising network events (we agreed that £200 could be spent on helping publicise the conference).