Archive for the ‘Activism’ Category
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The Elements of Intersectionality
05 Jun 2013
The term "intersectionality" was coined by Crenshaw in 1989 to explore the experiences of Black women, trapped between dual discourses of "woman" - dominated by white women, and "Black" - dominated by Black men, to consider how their experiences were erased among competition between those alter-narratives and the fight for …
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The Occupations of the Public Squares
26 Apr 2013
The tactic of occupations of public squares was one of the main political movements of 2011 - a year which saw a rise in extra-parliamentary movements, as people lost confidence in the traditional political movements. No longer with faith in the system, traditional lobbying means such as petitions, pressure on …
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The Control of the Public Realm
19 Apr 2013
I wasn't planning to write about Thatcher. I reviewed "The Iron Lady" when it came out which pretty much summed up what I wanted to say about her, but I think her death has made a statement or perhaps exposed a truth that wasn't expected. The links between the run …
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Building safe and inclusive spaces
04 Apr 2013
The question of safe spaces was brought to the fore last year in the Occupy movement where a number sexual assaults and rapes took place within communities which were designated and designed to be radical. The recent meltdown the in Socialist Workers Party in the UK, where a senior member …
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Why the Bedroom Tax is a Women’s Issue
15 Mar 2013
The "Bedroom Tax" - a reduction in housing benefit for those living in social housing who are deemed to have a "spare" bedroom is due to come in next month. Under this new regime, anyone receiving housing benefit will face a cut of 14% if they are considered to have …
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Independence: Media and Masculinity
04 Mar 2013
Living in exile in Greece at the moment, I watch the struggle for Scottish Independence from afar. Mainstream sources are almost universally crap - giving the British propaganda a bit of seasoning then vomiting it out through their mass channels. It is new technology that will win Independence. Because …
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Sexual Violence and the Greek Left
14 Feb 2013
Article also available in French As anyone who reads this blog, particularly the updates from Greece will know, this is incredibly difficult time in the country's history. The veil of democracy which hides an authoritarian and despotic government is threadbare, and the rise of an openly fascist party, combining thuggery …
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Further thoughts on the ISG
03 Feb 2013
Guest Post by Sarah Collins, ISG National Secretary (personal capacity) I do not usually wish to dredge up the past of ‘the split’ with the Socialist Workers Party (SWP). I honestly feel that the International Socialist Group (ISG) has moved past this. Nonetheless, I think that some of the comments …
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Moving Forward, Slowly but Surely
03 Feb 2013
Guest Post by Cat Boyd, ISG Activist I welcome the comments on sexism in Laura McKeon's article "The Best Thing Going? A Feminist Critique of the ISG", as I’m sure the majority of women in the International Socialist Group (ISG) - and women on the left- do. Being in an organisation …
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The Best Thing Going? A Feminist Critique of the ISG
01 Feb 2013
Guest Post by Laura McKeon Article also available in French The current schism in the Socialist Workers Party(SWP) has nothing to do with sexism. At times of crisis, sexism is merely a useful political tool. Like every time things blow up at conference, a scandal is unearthed, or notable members …
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Rape and Community Response
25 Jan 2013
The recent scandal in the Socialist Workers Party has reignited a lot of issues around rape within radical communities, and more generally. One of the themes raised by this issue has been the establishment of a kangaroo court which exonerated the accused. Commentators have questioned both why the police were …
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On the Eve of the European Anti-fascist Mobilisation
18 Jan 2013
The political climate in Greece, both on the streets and in the parliament is hotting up. There is no such thing as a slow news day in Athens. Just before Christmas, Villa Amalias, a well established and much loved squat, was raided by police, with multiple arrests of the occupants. …
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A Campaign against “Lawlessness”
11 Jan 2013
Earlier this week, the mayor of Athens announced a crackdown on "lawlessness". On Wednesday, a successful re-occupation of Villa Amalias was evicted within half an hour as police poured chemical weapons into the building, then raided an hour and a half later, arresting the 93 who were in the building. …
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Misogynists and the Left
06 Jan 2013
First Gerry Healy, then Tommy Sheridan, George Galloway and now Martin Smith. Why are so many men who obtain leadership positions within socialist organisations so ignorant of women's rights that they sexually abuse women, excuse sexual violence and participate in sexual exploitation? Article also available in French and Greek Most …
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Villa Amalias: A flashpoint in the Greek Struggle
01 Jan 2013
Villa Amalias is one of Athens oldest squats. On the 20th December, allegedly under direction from Samaras, the Greek Prime Minister, Nikos Dendias, Minister for Public Order, instructed the squat to be raided. Eight people - six Greek and two Germans - were arrested during the operation while others who had …
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On Chris Bambery’s Organisation
29 Dec 2012
In April 2011, the International Socialist Group was formed by 39 members of the Socialist Workers Party in Scotland. The letter sent to the SWP, announcing its formation makes reference to a number of issues that they have with that organisation, including the treatment of Chris Bambery, who had just resigned …
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Update from Greece
24 Dec 2012
The image of Greece that many people have - of whitewashed villas with blue trim, looking out onto onto an endless expanse of sea, of little tavernas, olive groves and elderly Greek grandmothers informed by a million holiday brochures and postcards, has been taken over of late with images of …
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Activism and Party Culture: Thoughts from Denmark
23 Dec 2012
Guest Post from Edin Šumar, Danish anarcho-communist Personally I don't drink and I don't smoke, because I don't really feel the need to do so, but I don't exactly care what other people do. The discussion that is needed is more to do with the sort of "paralysis" that the culture …
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In Solidarity with Villa Amalias
21 Dec 2012
Early this morning the Villa Amalias Squat in Athens was evicted by police. A centre for organising, socialising and social support has now been emptied - while eight of the people that maintained and ran the space for the public good have been arrested. Several others were also arrested at a …
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Work Capacity Assessments and Employer Liability
20 Dec 2012
The changes to the benefits system which demands that disabled and ill people must go through compulsory re-assessment under a shambolic system run by a private multinational is literally killing people, the subsequent withdraws of benefits of leave people in limbo struggling to manage their illness and jump through the …
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Violence, Activism and Resistance
19 Dec 2012
I saw a wonderful play at Εμπρός, an occupied theatre in the Psiri area of Athens last week. In contrast to much of the radical art emerging from the crisis, "2050 Flashback: The System Changes" explored the utopia which people created after the 2015 global revolution,which rid the world of …
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Drugs and Community Control
08 Dec 2012
There is an excellent article over on the We Are All Hana Shalbi blog, by Alice Holt, a Glasgow Palestinian Activist and Drug Researcher on her findings in Silwan earlier in the year. In addition to criminalising the community for resisting the takeover of their land, destroying their homes and …
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On the eve of the Greek austerity vote
06 Nov 2012
Today saw the start of a two day general strike in Greece. Marches from both Omonia (PAME - the Communist Section of the trade union movement) and from the Archological Museaum (GSEE and ADEDY -the private and pubic sector unions respectively joined by the anarchist blocs and blocs affilitated with Syriza) …
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Running Risks and Risking Remonstrations
21 Oct 2012
As I have written before, Athens is like a city under occupation. People go about their ordinary everyday life, drinking coffee in cafes, walking the streets and doing all the ordinary, normal things, that ordinary, normal people do, while at the same time, police stop people in the streets demanding …
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No platforming the Golden Dawn
18 Oct 2012
The fascist threat in Greece is not the bunch of daft wannabe hardmen that you get in Scotland, but a serious threat with parliamentary representation and violent street thuggery. While its elected representatives punch Communist MPs on live television; issue death threats to politicians of other parties, and pull guns …