I have a plan
Apr 5 2006 15:54
Yes I have a plan, let me lay it out for you, a group based in Inverness that shall tackle local issues that effect the people of the highlands, a group that gives advice to the people of the highland on a variety of subjects that effect their lives, eg benefits, housing, id cards, unfair working conditions.
Ther political ideaolgy should be communist/anarchist, I dont want it to be a group that sits around talking about dead russian socialists and discussing theory, thats all the past, lets look to the future, activism and not chatting about whats been done in the past.
Ultimatly I would lke to see any groupthat forms aim for setting up a center within Inverness on the same sort of premise as the ace center in edinburgh or the chalkboard in glasgow.
I dont know if im being too ambitous but it looks to me that because there is no real activism within the highlands the fat cats and the councils and the money men get away with making fools out of the local populace, so if you live in the scottish highland and have an interest in this pm me.
its not something I can do myself, so whats it to be, itting o your arse discussing marx or getting up and beng active.
Apr 6 2006 11:24
#2
Nick Durie wrote:
I would suggest to you that where the left is not strong, don't aim at an ideological level
I'd agree with this to a certain extent. When you confront people with this label of 'anarchism' or, worse, 'communism' you'll not be given a favourable reception and if they know anything it'll be almost certainly negative and against what we're trying to do. So I'd avoid using that explicit terminology from the start [ unless that attracts people? ]
You can have all the principles of anarchism working without being another overtly ideological, propaganda group. Creating an independent working class community is most important but it must be infused with a libertarian socialist character, against the power of councils, the government, capitalism and indeed any two-bit labour party that'll try to speak for it. For their own individual and collective effort. Opposed to single-issue campaigns, which are worthwhile in themselves, we need to combine these struggles and create a unified, long-lasting group. It should be 'ideological' in some sense, even if that's just emphasising political control to the common people - 'People Power'.
Porkadian, I've thought about this a lot myself - the ideas are overflowing!
In the rest of the Highlands we've seen;
Comannan Eachdraidh - Historical Societies * Sounds boring, but I think they're pretty interesting. Ordinary people looking at their own working-class history which, of course, turns out to be radical. Do we have anything like this in Inverness?
Co-op Managements * local people running things by themselves, not for profit but the value of their immediate communities. Not the Co-op!
Community Projects * be it in arts, or whatever that distinguish that might distinguish the local, class view of the people - run again by themselves, not by a nice council group.
Add to this, what you've mentioned, specific struggles in workplaces and the community - it's inspirational.
...and in the future a Social Centre for Inverness?! If we start laying the foundations that could become a possibility.
Why don't we do some kind of leafletting? 'propaganda'? 'Are you interesed in PEOPLE POWER?!' even 'Libertarian Socialism?'. Who knows how many people come round to this? And we could throroughly piss off the SSP. 
But whatever you think, I'll get myself over there - stuff Uni!
Apr 6 2006 13:59
#3
leafleting is something i have thought about but everything is in the thought process the hard part is putting the ideas into actions, im still working within the ssp and sussing out if anyone within the party is worth suggesting these ideas too, so far the answer to that is no, I do see what your both saying about presenting my ideas in the form of anarchism/communism and how it can scare people off, but defo up for leafleting sneckie high street and trying to generate a bit of interest.
And I do beleive in people power,I believe people should be supplied with appropriate information and the appropriate knowledge to empower themselves .
Highland councl are constantly pulling the wool over their voters eyes, firstly with the housing stock transfer another obvious case is the re generation of ness islands , i was down there yesterday and all i can see are a lot of trees being felled and destruction of the enviroment within the islands, then there is highland councils record concerning homelessness which is atrocious, the issues that have to be dealt with are many, but im starting to rant now so I will stop.
I dont expect anything to happen overnight, but would be pleased to see a few ripples starting.
I am about to start designing a website with full info on what the aims are for the present and future and any leafleting would point to the website with full info, but its tea time now so might start once ive had me soup. 
If i take a bit of time repying , be patient , waiting to get broadband installed as ive just moved house and sharing dial up wth me missus
edited it before tea, forgot to say bits and bobs.
Apr 9 2006 13:15
#4
Quote:
Highland councl are constantly pulling the wool over their voters eyes, firstly with the housing stock transfer another obvious case is the re generation of ness islands , i was down there yesterday and all i can see are a lot of trees being felled and destruction of the enviroment within the islands, then there is highland councils record concerning homelessness which is atrocious, the issues that have to be dealt with are many, but im starting to rant now so I will stop.
No, no. This is good stuff. Exactly the sort of thing any group should focus on, and exactly the sort of thing that'll get people behind you and allow you to build a group.
Apr 10 2006 11:36
#5
website is nearly finished but dont get broadband back till 20th april so once I get the siite up and running thats my starting point and the hopefully through leafleting with the web address that should spark some interest.
ssp are still all gungo ho anti stock transfer, so thats good, leafletiing every weekend on that one, so hopefully the message is getting through, have some other stuff coming up with them also, busy busy busy
Apr 10 2006 15:21
#6
The Porkadian wrote:
website is nearly finished but dont get broadband back till 20th april so once I get the siite up and running thats my starting point and the hopefully through leafleting with the web address that should spark some interest.
Brill! Looking forward to seeing it and spreading the word.
Apr 12 2006 10:03
#7
basically finished the website just needs some tweaking, will put it up for feedback and comments frst and if any thng needs changed dont be shy to say.
hopefully broadband arrives soon.
Apr 18 2006 06:47
#8
Any support we can give you, just ask. There's obviously a lot more people and resources in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and it's important we use these across the country. Solidarit, mutual aid, and all that )
Apr 18 2006 11:18
#9
thanks for the offer, its much appreciated
Apr 19 2006 18:54
#10
ok the site is online, its not perfect but is a work in progress so heres the url
Apr 19 2006 20:19
#11
WAAHEY!
Apr 21 2006 10:18
#12
It's looking good. If there's any way we in the 'Gateway to the Highlands' * can help, let me know. Perhaps we should have a meet up in Inverness?
* the Stirling version, that is.
Apr 21 2006 14:36
#13
yep a meet up would be good, could get volin to tag along too, all help is much appreciated cos at the moment Im not to sure of where to go, lots of ideas and offers of lots of help and im kind of floundering at the moment., doing the website was the easy bit.
Have changed the address for the website to make things easier, its now
if your wondering what ipp stands for its Inverness people power.
Apr 22 2006 14:29
#14
Website looks great. Miles better than our chalkboard website (anyone who wants to help with that ... ?)
I'm also based in Glasgow and really happy to offer whatever practical solidarity I can.
Are you going to be at the Big Blether or coming down for Mayday?
Apr 22 2006 16:03
#15
thanks for the feedback, im sure the chalkboard site is not that bad, whats the url I will go have a look.
Im always being asked if im going down to meetings, conferences , get togethers in the central belt, and I always say I would love to go but finances prevent that but I hope everyone that is there has a lovely time
Apr 22 2006 16:07
#16
I want to use wordpress as a CMS but nobody here has both the time and the skills to work on it.
Apr 22 2006 16:44
#17
cant see much wrong with that site, clean and precise and to the point.
whats wordpress and cms.
Apr 26 2006 09:17
#18
Quote:
yep a meet up would be good, could get volin to tag along too, all help is much appreciated cos at the moment Im not to sure of where to go, lots of ideas and offers of lots of help and im kind of floundering at the moment., doing the website was the easy bit.
Leaflet drop of, say, 5k to 20k leaflets aimed at activists radicals on a given subject for a public meeting. Inverness population is around 65k (?) so towards the larger number that would enable you to have relatively good blanket converage. Obviously lots of posters as well and leaflets in any shop that'll take them.
'We in People Power want to draw to people's attention stock transfer' or somesuch. You could get lots of speakers from different groups to talk so you wouldn't be alone or look like a two men and a dog or something. At the event you have every seat in the hall with prop. and you invite people to join people power. You should get an activist or two outr of that, then just get on with it and start talking to punters. I think it's best to think about these things as a co-ordinating group to encourage working class self-activity and so the end is not the organisation (as is the case with a leninist party) but simply to act as a vanguard to take up issues in a way that will encourage the working class to act for themselves.
So as your first thing if you're talking about the stock transfer you could use people power and the resources of the SSP and STO not just to fight to the stock transfer but to for people to get active in their communities (for example distributing something similar to the leaflet on http://www.haringeyresidents.org/, LET’S CREATE STRONG AND ACTIVE RESIDENTS’ GROUPS IN EVERY STREET AND NEIGHBOURHOOD IN HARINGEY!).
You should also look at publishing a regular newsletter with an innocuous sounding name like the Inverness Independent or Glen Mor Times or something. That will ensure it gets read and that shops and libraries will carry it as long as you're canny about the way you write your stories.
Apr 26 2006 09:35
#19
at the moment im just talking to anyone that will listen and im planning to get a load of sticky labels done to stick in bus shelters and plant on any unsuspecting lampost, but there has always been the problems in the highlands and islands with people having a reluctance to get involved, but some food for thought in your comments , thanks.
Apr 26 2006 18:07
#20
Quote:
at the moment im just talking to anyone that will listen and im planning to get a load of sticky labels done to stick in bus shelters and plant on any unsuspecting lampost, but there has always been the problems in the highlands and islands with people having a reluctance to get involved, but some food for thought in your comments , thanks. Smile
There is nothing specific to the highlands about that. One thousand leaflets will give you a response rate most places of about 1-2 people, at least that's the usual maximum measure for a capitalist business.
If you get a one percent response rate to anything you do it's fucking excellent. As far as I remember places outside of Glasgow and Edinburgh (ie Inverness) tended to give more generously on the streets to charities and tended to be more prepared to talk to someone canvasing.
Can give you a hand with leafleting
Apr 27 2006 15:38
#21
all help is appreciated but gawd knows when i can get leaflets done, have been told by someone on here where i might get them done for free so if your reading nick any further info on that would be appreciated.
I should think about designing some leaflets some time soon, if i can quote paul marsh, im working on anarchist time not tesco time, maybe I should change to tesco time and rush things along. 
Apr 27 2006 20:54
#22
The Porkadian wrote:
all help is appreciated but gawd knows when i can get leaflets done, have been told by someone on here where i might get them done for free so if your reading nick any further info on that would be appreciated.
Its a place in Glasgow. You've got most of a leaflet from your website already. You said stickers as well? Either PM one of us when you've got them done or post them up here if you want proofreading? Then we can sort out getting them to you.
On the offchance that there are other Inverness activists you haven't uncovered yet, might be worth getting some kind of poster or leaflets up at the Big Blether - I'm going and could take along something for if you like.
Best wishes and solidarity.
Apr 28 2006 11:52
#23
ok will try and get something done this weekend.
Apr 30 2006 12:34
#24
Hi, I can probaly make it up to Inverness to help out with any leafletting that needs done in the next few weekends. Really like the sound of whats being planned here. Keep us posted!
Apr 30 2006 15:05
#25
My biggest tip is that your leaflet should include whatever people moan about the most (except the weather )
On ex-council estates in glasgow repairs, gangs, and drugs are the hot-button issues. What are they in Inverness?
We've found that if you seem to be doing something / listening to people on an issue that they all think "somebody" should do something about you get big turnouts.
Apr 30 2006 19:10
#26
not too sure what the moans of inverness are, we dont have a huge drug problem or gang problem, but from what i can gather there is a lot of moans considering the commercialisation of the town regarding the town losing its identity and being quoted as being tesco town. there is also the issue that for a town that is supposedly booming there is no homeless shelter and because the town is booming we get a lot of people travelling here and they then discover there is a housing shortage, and the lack of affordable housing for people in the town is a very large issue.... very hard to get council housing, over inflated prices for private rents, and to buy a house forget it unless you have a spare 100 grand .
but I got the leaflet made and the issues i have listed on it are, housing stock transfer, care homes privitisation ( demo this thursday ) and 2 enviromental issues which I thought were relevant.
got stickers posters and leaflet done so just waiting to see when I can get something done with them.
Thanks to all who have offered with leafleting, but its a long way to travel plus it aint cheap and im sure i can do most of that myself, well I aint doing anything else this summer.
Apr 30 2006 21:36
#27
The Porkadian wrote:
not too sure what the moans of inverness are [....] very hard to get council housing, over inflated prices for private rents, and to buy a house forget it unless you have a spare 100 grand .
Lack of affordable housing sounds like a key issue then...
Will get back to you after mayday madness about the printing. I think partly we were offering to help because we fancied a working holiday somewhere pretty! I've got the use of a car so we might still be up for a few of us coming for a long weekend.
What issues does your local paper focus on and get lots of letters in about?
All sounds like its going really well.
May 1 2006 00:59
#28
the local papers do tend to vary a lot of stuff on what the local council are up to, also you see quite a lot of concerning used needles lying about in the more deprived areas and about gangs of yoofs hangin about the streets drinking but that tends to be in the outlying areas of inverness
Most weekends in Inverness are long
May 12 2006 02:56
#29
looks like this thread died a death, what happened ???. 
May 12 2006 12:27
#30
You never posted any more comments mate. You're the man in Inverness. We can come up and help anytime, as long as there's notice, but we need you to say be there this day at X o'clock, and bring this and that.
There's been a number of suggestions. We now have to make a move on something.
As it stands you can probably count on a leafleting team of around six or seven people from what it looks like here which should mean that you could get rid of, say, 10 - 15 k leaflets in one day, plus posters and stickers.
Start getting Volin and yourself doing regular stalls as well?
Dunno man it's up to you.
I would suggest to you that where the left is not strong, don't aim at an ideological level, just see who you can take with you. Even groups in London with the potential of a well-connected city of 8 million people struggle to make it to thirty people or something when they aim at a specific ideological base. I think you'd be better going at the stock transfer thing and draging as many left typoes with you as you can and be as broad as you can, but act as a platform inside the group against an electoral strategy.
It's important to remember (I feelt) that the working class is so far away from debates about the finer differences between trots and anarchists at the moment that anything that's building mass working class power up in the communities and workplaces across the country that's independent of political parties has to be where we're at right now. Aside from that as you know 'anarchism' can encompass a very wide spectrum of opinions, many of which are utterly irreconcilable with building a mass movement of the working class.