Are we practising what we preach

[norwegian commie]

i think most of the people that swears to change, honestly want to see that cnage forfilled and will therefore do its part in the making. What can be difficult is join or get organised in a place that shares your view

[An archist]

Originally posted by afrikaNOW@Oct 1 2006, 12:39 AM
The goal of the program is to inform mostly homeless and hungry people about their human rights under international law and to assist them with organizing around their inaccessibility to those rights. Since the spring of 1996, 4,000 meals have been served to the hungry and homeless in Central Brooklyn along with literature, video and informative discussions that frame housing and food as human rights. The Peoples’ Community Feeding Program serves an average 120 hot, nutritious meals to homeless and hungry men, women, and children twice a month. Year round, articles of clothing are collected and distributed to people who take advantage of the feeding program. We have been able to recycle used clothing to over 200 individuals and families throughout the Central Brooklyn area.


Education is a major weapon in the fight against oppression. In attempts
to raise political awareness in our community, MXGM sponsors various political education forums. Workshops topics include: Deconstructing Patriarchy, Know Your Rights * How to Deal with Police Confrontation, Goals of Alternative Education, Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War, Rap * Racism and the Entertainment Industry, Critical Race and Feminism, The Prison Industrial Complex, and Tenant Organizing. Community workshops provide spaces for the community to discuss and create effective “community-led” solutions.

Political Prisoner Amnesty Campaign

The MXGM works to bring attention to the plight of political prisoners in the United States, such as the recently released - Geronimo Jijaga Pratt and the currently incarcerated - Mumia Abu-Jamal. These political prisoners who are now in jail were political activist, who were targeted and jailed based on government misconduct. We have co-organized mass mobilizations bringing out tens of thousands of people in support of this issue. Additionally, we sponsor Black August a hip-hop tribute and benefit for political prisoners.

A lot of squatter organisations do exactly those things.

[Matty_UK]

I'm part of the AFed but there's only one other AFed member in my city and he's had a kid recently so isn't up to much, so I'm kinda isolated up in Newcastle and I'm too poor and too much of a wage slave to get involved in other parts of the country.

But locally I work with anarchist groups "whydontyou?" and the Projectile Collective, last thing we did was put on an anarchist film festival that was successful enough to get a mention in The Guardian newspaper!

Also work with some Marxist-Leninists (not a euphenism Stalinists) cos I like what they do, I'm involved in the Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! picket of Marks & Spencer (dept. store in UK that supports Israel) most recently but we do other stuff, organising protests etc. Went down to Manchester last week at the protest outside the Labour Party Conference to explain to the liberals demanding "Blair Out" that the entire system is the problem not individual politicians.

Also work with TCAR, Tyneside Community Action For Refugees, where we (largely the same people as FRFI with I think one anarchist other than me) organise asylum seekers to resist deportation.

Big problem is though that mild activism is all you can really do in the deindustrialised west, so I can't really fight capitalism head on without moving to Latin America or South East Asia or somewhere.

(and anarchist groups don't seem to do very much where I live so I end up working with Leninists all the time-some of whom are decidely strange compared to the anarchists who are pretty sexy)

[bolshevik butcher]

Don't mean to be a rabid sectarian but I'm surprised to see RCG would do work with anarchists, in my expiriences they've been very hostile towards me for being a trotskyist and going against their third worldist 'anti-imperialist'/support anyone who will fight an imperialist country including the USSR, Hammas etc. Maybe things are better down south.

[Matty_UK]

Originally posted by bolshevik butcher@Oct 2 2006, 09:29 PM
Don't mean to be a rabid sectarian but I'm surprised to see RCG would do work with anarchists, in my expiriences they've been very hostile towards me for being a trotskyist and going against their third worldist 'anti-imperialist'/support anyone who will fight an imperialist country including the USSR, Hammas etc. Maybe things are better down south.

I'm far far north mate, northenmost city without being Scotland....where are you from incidentally?

I get on well with the people in the Revolutionary Communist Group and don't act overtly sectarian so I guess they're fine with it. Guess I'm just charming. Seem lovely people the ones in Newcastle too so may be more tolerant; they also seem to consider anarchists naive but well meaning while they consider Trotskyists.......less favourably.

(TCAR has another anarchist in I think but that's seperate to RCG-many of the refugees who play the most integral parts in the organisation are more or less apolitical, most of them are religious even, so that is forced to be more tolerant)

[The Boondocks]

Just because I didn't think anyone would actually reply, to all the people who have contributed ideas and other such useful tidbits of information for me, I thank you. Just seeing that not only are there people who are making a difference, but are also helping others to do the same, gives me great hope for the future of the world. Hell, even for the future of my kids (whenever those little demon spawn surface)

[SPK]

Originally posted by The Boondocks@Sep 29 2006, 12:22 PM
Show me an example. Describe what you have DONE, not what should be done. Prove to me that society isn't all talk and no walk.

My last period of activism, where I was actually helping to organize and build actions, was from about mid-2002 to early this year: mostly antiwar stuff. I backed away, because the movements are now mostly weak in the usa, and it wasn't clear to me where the next upsurge (one where I could play a proactive and constructive role) would come from or what the next ideological shift would be (the last one, i.e. the anarchist currents, seems to be a dead letter at this point). So right now, I'm just a participant -- going to demos, talking to people about politics, and so on.

[ahab]

Originally posted by SPK+Oct 2 2006, 11:13 PM--> (SPK @ Oct 2 2006, 11:13 PM)

The Boondocks

@Sep 29 2006, 12:22 PM
Show me an example. Describe what you have DONE, not what should be done. Prove to me that society isn't all talk and no walk.

My last period of activism, where I was actually helping to organize and build actions, was from about mid-2002 to early this year: mostly antiwar stuff. I backed away, because the movements are now mostly weak in the usa, and it wasn't clear to me where the next upsurge (one where I could play a proactive and constructive role) would come from or what the next ideological shift would be (the last one, i.e. the anarchist currents, seems to be a dead letter at this point). So right now, I'm just a participant -- going to demos, talking to people about politics, and so on. [/b]

it does kinda seem like a 'dry spell' per se huh, all the ortests i've been to lately have all been really peaceful, one only ahd 3 cops! i actually felt kinda embarassed that this is what is 'activism' now

[Blue Collar Bohemian]

I've been slowly organizing people around my campus to spraypaint slogans and hopefully begin demonstrating. There are people here, they just need some orginization.

[rioters bloc]

Are we practising what we preach

yes.

Who ACTUALLY fights for their cause

me.

[afrikaNOW]

Originally posted by Blue Collar Bohemian@Oct 4 2006, 05:03 AM
I've been slowly organizing people around my campus to spraypaint slogans and hopefully begin demonstrating. There are people here, they just need some orginization.

What will spraypainting do?

[Iroquois Xavier]

Originally posted by afrikaNOW+Oct 4 2006, 06:16 AM--> (afrikaNOW @ Oct 4 2006, 06:16 AM)

Blue Collar Bohemian

@Oct 4 2006, 05:03 AM
I've been slowly organizing people around my campus to spraypaint slogans and hopefully begin demonstrating. There are people here, they just need some orginization.

What will spraypainting do? [/b]

what will ridiculing people from the leftist ideology do?

[rebelworker]

Though I see what your getting at Africanow, tagging can be an important part of political culture.

Im part of a neighborhood anti racist committee, and tagging is a big part of what we do.

Political Murals and visible anti racist slogans help build a culture of resistance in a community. The Nazis pain their racist bullshit around and we make sure to cover it and maintain more visibility.

As for alot of the other posts, revolution is not about demonstrations, its about long term community and labour organisation.

It seems like many of you are students so Im not sure what eactly you might be able to get out of what Im gong to say but eductaion and resistance at your workplace or community level is far more importnt that the odd demo and scuffel with the police.

Organise meeting and campaigns about things that affect your community, the type of things that africanow listed are excelllent.

Fight for affordable housing, stop police brutality, opose racst groups or individuals. Support local strikes or union drives, organise against the war and recruitment.

These are the kind of things that will eventually build a united working class capable of confronting the state and capitalist system.