thanks for this michael. i was also thinking that it's important not to feel helpless & disempowered in these times, & to acknowledge that we all (or at least most of us!) are already doing a lot through our work & in our daily lives & interactions in our communities, taking/making positive action in many different ways. "they" want us to feel impotent & disconnected, so one of the strongest things we can do is insist on & celebrate the lively ongoing power of our communities. furtherfield being of course one of the brightest, shiniest examples of that!!
h : ) On 19.06.2017 18:34, Ann Light wrote: > Hi Michael, > > I hadn't heard of the organisation SUTR, but I've now joined... Thanks > for your bit in making this country decent - your work in Harlow > sounds really important. > > Thanks Furtherfield for enduring and caring and being a focus for so > much good work and many good people. > > In sorrow, > Ann > > On Mon, Jun 19, 2017 at 5:19 PM, Michael Szpakowski > <m...@michaelszpakowski.org <mailto:m...@michaelszpakowski.org>> wrote: > > There clearly has been a rise in Islamophobia recently , fuelled > in no small measure by the government's attempt to scapegoat all > Muslims with the despicable Prevent strategy. We also saw the > beginning of an attempt by May to ratchet this up with her 'Enough > is enough' speech towards the end of the election campaign. > I wanted to say, though, that it's important not to sink into despair. > I've been very active around Stand up to Racism over the last year > and I've experience some interesting and often counter intuitive > things. > When Arek Jozwik was killed in Harlow last year the vigil we > organised a couple of nights after was attended by significant > numbers of the white working class poor who live in the area. > These will statistically have been 'leave' voters... > We've campaigned pretty much every week since then, largely around > opposition to racism ,in the town centre on Saturday mornings. It > was certainly not always easy going but there was always a > minority of people willing to engage. ( especially the young, in a > prefiguring of the huge pro Corbyn upswell) > We also held a 60 strong rally against racism in early March > -again very much dominated by the under twenties. > What changed the atmosphere completely was the Labour manifesto - > all of a sudden people had hope, focussed on improving the lives > of all not 'competing for resources' ( a myth of course - stop > spending millions on Trident, on wars of intervention and tax the > rich and resources would be no problem, but a potent myth > especially in the absence of hope that things might change). Even > after the two horrendous attacks in Manchester then London this > enthusiasm and this change of atmosphere was maintained -we heard > very little overt racism and experienced next to no hostility. > This has continued since the election with the humiliation of both > May and UKIP - what was interesting last week though was that > although the racists were in a small minority they were coming out > with all sorts of filth around Grenfell ( but once again large > numbers of people were signing the May must go, people not profit, > working class lives matter ,petition ). > In short I'd put forward three propositions. > (1) Racism and Islamophobia are clearly a major problem and one > encouraged by this weak and nasty government > (2) We are not, though, powerless bystanders -whether it's > directly combatting the racists through SUTR or offering hope > through agitating for this government to go and for us to have the > very real chance of one committed to a real improvement in the > lives of ordinary people there is lots of very concrete, very > practical work to do. > (3) Although there will be some ways in which artists can bring > their specific talents to bear in this ( I have got very good for > example at making large banners each week: > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/35212704985/ > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/35212704985/> > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34239170983/ > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34239170983/> > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34159735663/ > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34159735663/> > https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34929717326/ > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34929717326/> > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34062471264/ > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34062471264/> > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34223234740/ > <https://www.flickr.com/photos/szpako/34223234740/> > ) > > we should participate along with as many and diverse people as we > can in organising, protesting, demonstrating... This is not a time > for any sort of guild mentality but for getting stuck in. > > I particular urge anyone in the UK not a member of Stand Up To > Racism to join today. > > http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/ > <http://www.standuptoracism.org.uk/> > > > best wishes to all > Michael > > > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org <mailto:NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org> > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour > <http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour> > > > > > _______________________________________________ > NetBehaviour mailing list > NetBehaviour@netbehaviour.org > http://www.netbehaviour.org/mailman/listinfo/netbehaviour -- helen varley jamieson he...@creative-catalyst.com <mailto:he...@creative-catalyst.com> http://www.creative-catalyst.com http://www.upstage.org.nz *We have a situation, Coventry! <http://www.wehaveasituation.net/?p=1402>* 24 November 2016
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