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Dublin - Event Notice
Thursday January 01 1970 Citizens Defence Commitee Meeting
 dublin |
anti-capitalism |
event notice
 Sunday February 06, 2011 22:24 by CDC - Citizens Defence Committee citizensdefence at hotmail dot com
A meeting for the formation of a Citizens Defence Committee will be held on Saturday the 12th at 2.00pm in the Deluxe Public House on Capel Street, Dublin 1. This will be the first Citizens Defence meeting to be held. Citizens Defence Formation Meeting
A meeting for the formation of a Citizens Defence Committee will be held on Saturday the 12th at 2.00pm in the Deluxe Public House on Capel Street, Dublin 1. This is the first Citizens Defence meeting to be held, and will include discussions about:
- The short and long term aims and objectives of the Citizens Defence Committee.
- Proposed initiatives, including the Waste Management Relief initiative, Water and Housing Initiatives.
- Suggestions for any other initiatives in which others may suggest.
- The location/area in which such initiatives and the CDC should/will be implemented.
We invite all like-minded radical left wing activists, whether affiliated or independent, to attend and help form this Citizens Defence Committee.
The Citizens Defence is an initiative born from discussions between left wing political activists seeking new and practical approaches to politicise communities which have been alienated hitherto from political participation, and to defend them against the current market induced recession. The ‘Waste Management Relief Initiative’ (WMRI) has been proposed as an initial starting block for the Citizens Defence to begin reaching out to communities and to get them involved. This initiative is a proposal - not a sure runner. It will need to be discussed at the first Citizens Defence organising meeting along with any other ideas or initiatives suggested. See here for further details about the WMRI – http://citizensdefence.wordpress.com/wmri/.
It is clear following recent demonstrations against the 2011 Budget that there exists a political apathy amongst those who the revolutionary left have sought to involve, such as the unemployed. We do not believe an over concentration on gaining seats through elections will help our socialist ends, nor empower the working class.
Through the formation of the Citizens Defence, we hope to employ a new strategy of reaching out to communities and individuals without an existing political culture through practical initiatives they themselves are involved in.
For further information see www.citizensdefence.wordpress.com
To get involved, or to be added to our mailing list, contact citizensdefence@hotmail.com
If you are thinking of attending this initial meeting of the CDC, please let us know and we will forward the planned agenda for the meeting
Initial Statement:
"Citizens Defence Committees
From discussions between individual Republican Socialists and Anarchist left wing activists, it has been decided that there needs to be a process of building Citizens Defence Committees to actively combat the destructive effects of the capitalist market system upon communities, and to begin autonomously organising communities towards practical empowerment and self-management independent of the capitalist state. We see individuals and communities as having become increasingly atomised and overly dependent upon market circumstance and the state. Communities have become fragmented and few organisational structures exist outside de-politicised and generally ineffective residents associations. Most afflicted by this lack of social organisation has been those who find it difficult to become part of the dominant social and economic structures and who often benefit least from them, such as the unemployed, single mothers and youth. Many of these people are repressed by the market system and lose self confidence and worth. Citizens Defence Committees seek to politicise communities, and to encourage political participation from all.
The Citizens Defence Committees aim to organise and co-ordinate the collective abilities, talents and resources communities and individuals have towards mutual assistance and socially beneficial ends. It also seeks to operate politically, through its contacts, outreach and participation to mobilise communities towards political and revolutionary action, and to raise, through its very operation, working class consciousness.
We feel that many on the left have dedicated too much time, resources and energy towards electioneering and gaining seats in capitalist institutions. Demonstration after demonstration are organised with many hundreds turning out only to passively listen to the electioneering and rhetoric of potential electoral candidates. We believe political activism should be more proactive where it should aim to directly empower the working class and not elected representatives. Revolutionary activists should begin the process of practical action - organising the working class towards real power - not the representative power embodied by an individual elected to state sponsored positions.
Waste Management Relief Initiative
To begin the process of reaching out to working class communities, a Citizens Defence Committee has been set up and has proposed its first initiative – Waste Management Relief. This initiative, it is proposed, will be a stepping stone to reach out to vulnerable households such as large families, the unemployed, low paid workers and single mothers struggling in the capitalist market induced recession. The initiative will aim to encourage practical working class co-operation and management, and replace reliance upon private companies and state co-ordinated management.
To outline, at present, those not eligible for the bin charge waiver can end up paying many hundreds for their waste to be collected. The Citizens Defence Committee has devised an alternative waste recycling strategy which will cost at-most €24, and at a minimum €6 per annum per household. The initiative will include the collection, transport and recycling of waste – with households responsible for the separation of household waste into 5 waste categories for collection. It is proposed that recycled waste will be collected by prior arrangement on a monthly basis at a minimum charge of 2euro per household. These collections will require the active assistance of political activists to collect and transport recycled waste to a registered household waste management Depot. The Citizens defence Committee hope to identify a number of housing estates in the greater Dublin area, and proposes to carry out surveys to gauge residents support for such an initiative, and all things permitting intend to put the Waste Management Relief initiative into operation in the New Year.
The initiative will require the active collective co-operation and participation of those households taking part, and will allow for networking opportunities, the pooling and assessment of skills, resources and abilities within local communities for future initiatives, and most fundamentally, an opportunity to begin working class self empowerment, organisation and long term revolutionary aims.
This initiative is just the beginning of what we hope to be many practical initiatives to organise community autonomy through Citizens Defence Committees. Another initiative that has been discussed is the opening up of some of the 23,000 finished housing units contained in the 2,846 ghost estates throughout the free state, for the ever increasing homeless population.
Citizens Defence Committees will not be some charitable relief organisation 'helping the poor'. Rather, its activities will be overtly political and revolutionary, seeking to strengthen working class consciousness, organisation and political awareness, creating community autonomy and political mobilisation for active, not passive, action. "
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Comments (18 of 18)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18I'll be attending this on Saturday.
Seems like a good project. I'd be interested in hearing some Dublin socialists ideas on ways to oppose the FG/Labour austerity agenda going forward after the ballots are counted at the end of the month.
Who is behind this group? I presume, give their grandiose agenda, that many seasoned well known activists are involved.
Are any of you involved in the 1% Network? PBPA? SP? WP? WSM? Eirigi?
You say talks took place between Anarchists and Republicans. Who are these people?
I am involved and will be attending and I am an ordinary genuine activist with no hidden agenda and part of none of the groups you mention. I merely want to see citizens DEFENDED in their communities and fully support the above aims. What is the point in bothering with groups like pb4p when they are all only interested in elections and taking over campaigns to further their own careers and political agendas? They only people that suffer are the communities left behind like the ones left during the bin tax by an activist who are now crippled with debt to their local council.
Looking forward to Saturday lads.
In response to the question asked above - I'm aware of members of the IRSP, RSF, RNU, a member of WSM and an independant anarchist will defo be in attendance. CPI, WP and various community groups have also been contacted. Hope to see some of them there also.
"I'm aware of members of the IRSP, RSF, RNU, a member of WSM and an independant anarchist will defo be in attendance. "
It would be useful if known members of these organisations confirmed that they will be attending. Are any of them involved in the organisation of this group or meeting? In particular who is the WSM member?
"CPI, WP and various community groups have also been contacted. "
Its easy to contact people. Bit more difficult to get them to attend.
Still curious about who is really behind this. The comments about PBPA suggest that its someone with a grudge.
Curious
“that many seasoned well known activists are involved”
Get off your high horse. I couldn’t care less if Joe Higgins the Great turned up, political activism is not the exclusivity of nether ‘well known activists’ nor established organisations.
Indeed, that is the problem, I believe, thus far – the concept that an “activist community” exists. That one exists at all is evident of its isolation from actual spatial communities and their consciousness. Activist communities preaching to activist communities is a dead end road to nowhere. Look at budget day…
Less of your negativity and Gardai like questioning.
Btw, yes, members of some of these organisations have confirmed they will attend. Whether you know them or not is irrelevant – nor do I care whether you do.
For someone so "Curious" you ask a lot of probing questions. Why dont you keep your council and fingers off the key board and turn up to the said meeting and make your contribution relevant to the obvious mindset and political realities of the neccesity of establishing such a grass roots, radical organisation that puts people and communities first.
When I saw mention of this new fledgling group before xmas I was very sceptical of its existence as I couldnt believe that there was the will never mind the push to seriously put forward and implement innititives that all ways look great on a political party leaflet but never put into practice.
I seen Richard Boyd Barrett on the Vincent Browne show last week were he proudly stated that protests that he helped organise brought tens of thousands of ordinary citizens to the street which were hugely successful and I found myself screaming in a miffled voice to ask him, how can you quantify success richard, when the tens of thousands of people who who raised their opposition and marched against Shannon airport being used to transport military personel and munitions on behalf of the illegal occupation of Afghanistan and IRAQ went unheeded. Shannon airport still facilitates american imperialism, Richard.
How can you quantify tens of thousands of ordinary citizens richard, marching in a dignified manner on our capital city to protest against the then upcoming savage cuts, nama bailouts and the imu bailout as been successful? they still despite mass mobilisation that you proudly played your part in richard inflicted the same against those same ordinary citizens who marched in opposition.
We now have a richard boyd barrett and fellow followers, ULA organisation that speaks in a forked tongue where it promotes the fabrication of left unity when in reality it is just another smokescreen of illusion and the extension of people before profit alliance, the right to work campaign, the anti war movement, etc that only has the promotion of the socialist party as its number 1 priority. It makes me laugh when I learned of the political backround of candidates who are election candidates for the ula, (who incidently were all ready chosen before the ula even came into tthe public arena). They in the different coats for every occasion leadership of the ula obviously overlooked the democratic all inclusive rhetoric that they wish to espose when they deliberately failed to organise election conventions in areas where they are standing candidates.
I look forward to saturdays meeting with a view of optimism that finally suggests, radical activists will do exactly as it says on the tin and exchange the rhetoric of "they say cutbacks we say fightback" to one which puts such rhetoric into visible actions where words are backed up by radical militant action.
We're all tired of preeching to the converted.. Besides, duel power is the essence of revolution, so congrats to these guys for trying to do something apart from flag-waving. It reads excellently by the way. Whoever wrote this has a firm grasp of the politics that they are advocating.
I really cannot understand why anyone (besides the political elite) would have any problem with this. If the activists are not one of the handfull of 'usual suspects' - then even better!
Wish you all the best lads. I can't be in Dublin this weekend - but i'll be there next time. Will there by more meetings in the future ?
You lot are as evasive as Fianna Fail. Its obvious that you have problems with the SP & SWP. Is this group just motivated by grudges? No identifiable person has emerged as an organiser of the meeting. No party or group has openly given its support.
You are organising the meeting. People are entitled to ask questions of you.
It is not motivated by a grudge, but rather, by what we percieve to be the ineffectivness of the methods and strategy used by such groups. Are we allowed to disagree? - express concern? - establish an alternative?
So what if an identifiable person has not 'emerged as an organiser of the meeting'. We want people to identify with the ideas and methods proposed - not the personalities behind it. Very simple really.
Why should people turn up to a meeting organised by a secret cabal. It could even be one person with delusions of grandeur.
Surely one person with a track record of activism should be prepared to openly endorse your campaign?
Hardly secret when we invite people to turn up.
Delusions of grandeur? Lol. Ill wait for you to explain that.
What do you mean by a track record of activism - is there some hiererchy of importance and status that I am not aware of?
If you are in any way representative then you will have activists involved. Activists whose names would be recognised by those involved in various campaigns over the years. Why has no identifiable person put their name to the calling of this meeting?
There is a lengthy attack on the ULA here. The ULA consists of SWP, SP, TWUAG and independents. These groups have over a dozen City and county Councillors and hundreds of members. Tens of thousands of ordinary people have voted for them.
If your critique is to be taken seriously then you should at least let us know what you represent.
Define "activist "curious. I consider myself an activist, as do others involved. Whether our names are known is irrelevant. Activism is not a popularity competition, it is about changing society.
Whether someone is identifiable is very much subjective. Most activists know, say, Gregor Kerr. How many ordinary folk know the name? - not many I assume. When it comes to reaching out to politically apethetic communities names which exist within the bubble of activism would soon become an irrelevance.
What we represent is empowering people, challenging how politics is percieved and developing revolutionary consciousness.
None of which, I believe, will be done through elections.
This is an activist forum. If you were to name activists involved in the CDC then they would be recognised here. Gregor Kerr would be widely recognised in trade union and other activist circles. Are you saying that he is in the CDC?
I cannot understand why no one will openly associate themselves with the CDC. You either have activists involved or you don't.
So you write off the tens of thousands of workers who have voted for SP, SWP & TWUAG!
No, GK is not involved, nor did I suggest anything of the sort.
If activists feel that they agree with the general ideas of the CDC then they can come along. It woudnt be such a good idea if people were to to turn up because of some personality.
Besides, the fact that you are completely ignorant of who is involved is evident of the limitations of your informal connections.
How do you mean 'write off'?
I'd be one of the "organisers", if thats what you want to call the small group of people who have thrown together some ideas, and want to get others toghether to disucss the concept of community autonomy.
I'm a collage sudent, and i've been to Rossport numerous times, as well as republican commemorations, anti-war marches and a lot of ICTU marches (Irish Ferries, anti-IMF etc). I was out on budget night with the 1% network.
I've been beaten in the Ardoyne while demonstating peacefully against an triumpalist parade last year, and the year before. I took part in the sit-down outside the student occupation of the Dept. of Finance.
Thats just off the top of my head.
Not sure if that meets your standards as an "activist" comrade...
I'd be known to some in Eirigi, RSF, IRSP and Shell to Sea as well as others i suppose. The other lads have been involved in just as much or more demonstations and campaigns then me.
I'm not against PB4B, or the SP, or any other left wing activists contesting elections. I'm all for them. I'll be voting ULA.
I think its rather unfair to accuse us of having a grudge against anyone just because we're not in your perticuler circle of comrades, and hense you don't know us (Or possibly you do? haha)
We're just interested in putting other ideas forward. If you think that we're just talking nonsense and that we should drop this, come along on saturday and tell us so.
All the best,
Dónal.
On Saturday the 12th of February political activists gathered at a meeting in Capel Street, Dublin 2, to discuss the formation of a Citizens Defence Committee. Members of organisations such as eirigi, the ISN, Sinn Fein and the WSM attended in a personal capacity, while many independent activists from different left wing political tendencies also attended. Various practical initiatives were discussed including the waste relief initiative, household rainwater harvesting systems, community gardens, housing initiatives and initiatives around anti-social behaviour.
Due to the broadness of these initiatives sub-committees were formed to research the practicalities, feasibility and possible implementation of these initiatives. It was found that many activists who attended have had considerable experience in some of these initiative areas, and have joined sub-committees to assist with their development.
These sub-committees have been tasked to present their findings at the next Citizens Defence Committee meeting.
Theoretical issues surrounding the possible organisational structure and democratic procedures of a Citizens Defence Committee were discussed. However at this early stage, no decisions have been settled upon.
The next meeting is scheduled for two weeks time
To get involved, or to be added to the mailing list, contact citizensdefence@hotmail.com
For more information see citizensdefence.wordpress.com